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Westwood Christian

Reformed Church

Newsletter

March 13, 2016

620 Northampton Rd., Kalamazoo, MI 49006 (

Phone 269-381-8691

Fax 269-381-8699 ( Email: office@

Phone prayer line: 350-4116

Our Website:

Office Hours: Tuesday-Thursday, 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.

Friday 9:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

Discipleship Classes – Sunday 9:00 a.m.

Sunday services – 10:00 a.m.

Senior Pastor Mike Koetje

Youth Director Alex DeWaal

Family Life Coordinator Cheri Dykstra

Secretary Ginny Hoekstra

Worship Coordinator Kristina Riewaldt

Custodians Karen Kros and Kevin Berghuis

WiFi Login ID WestwoodCRC - WiFi connection – W620connect

Website Member password – W620member

Items for the Sunday Newsletter

are due in the church office by 3:00 p.m. Wednesday.

Hearing aid units which are wirelessly connected into our sound system are available for those who might find them helpful. They can be found near the office window at the entrance of the building. If you need help with them speak to one of the greeters at the service.

 

Welcome to worship at Westwood Church! It’s a joy to have you worshiping with us today. Please join us in our gymnasium after worship for coffee and fellowship. If you are guest and would like more information about us, please fill out the Get Connected cards in the racks and return them to the welcome center or talk to one of our greeters.

Today is the fifth Sunday in Lent. Pastor Mike’s sermon, “The Shining Savior,” from Mark 9:2-8, is based on Chapter 25 in The Story.

Preschool-1st Graders are invited to Children’s Worship this morning. At a designated time they will be dismissed for a time of worship and learning in meaningful, fun ways for their age-group. Their Teacher will meet you in the back of the sanctuary, and guide you to their classroom.

Youth Discipleship classes today at 9:00 a.m. in the following rooms:

Pre K/1 Room B-9 (downstairs) – Bette Dyksterhouse

2nd/3rd grades Room B-3 (downstairs) - Steve Veldkamp

4th / 5th grades Room B-4 (downstairs) – Mindy Koetje

6th - 7th Room 106 (upstairs) – Jim Koning

8th Room 105 (upstairs) – Steve Lanting

9th/10th Room 103 (upstairs) – Matt Birchmeier

11th/12th Room 104 (upstairs) – Rick Huyser

Adult Discipleship class meets at 9 a.m. in room 101.

Today: Steve Lanting will continue his presentation from a prosecutor’s perspective on the Trial of Christ.

No Adult Discipleship on March 20, 27, April 3 and April 10.

Weekly Giving – 2016 weekly budget - $11,956.92

Envelope giving 3-6-16 $10,120.55

Online Giving (March 4 - 10) $913.00

3-6-16 – envelope giving

Faith Promise $1,350.00

Tuition Assistance $130.00

Benevolence $10.00

Special Offerings 3-6-16

Jericho Foundation Back Pack Project $400.00

World Renew $459.00

Next week Sunday morning the offering will be for the Spring Break Service Project in South Carolina.

Spring Break Participants: Your final payment and all forms for the trip are due to Ginny TODAY. Thank you.

Senior Bible Study this week Tuesday at 10 AM in the Friendship Room will cover the history of music in the Church through the ages. If you have ever wondered how we got to where we are today, come and see what happened in the past.

WOW this Wednesday. Join us afterward for one of the classes that we offer. Most classes begin at 6:30 (see below for more information).

▪ Cadets – boys ages 2nd-8th grade – downstairs (6-8th grade will meet on the 2nd & 4th Wednesdays)

▪ GEMS – begins at 6:15 for girls ages 2nd-8th grade – downstairs (6th-8th grade will meet on the 2nd & 4th Wednesdays)

▪ Puppets and Pals – kids ages 4-1st grade - downstairs

▪ Men’s Study—

▪ Women’s Study — Council Room.

▪ Choir – Balcony

▪ From Embers to a Flame. Room 102  - Chapter 10, “Multiplication of Leaders.”

The Millenial Group men are planning a night of clay pigeon shooting at the Southern Michigan Gun Club for Tuesday, March 22 at 6:00 pm. It is important to have an accurate count of who plans to attend so please contact Jud Dyksterhouse or Ryan Vlietstra to RSVP by Wednesday, March 9 if you would like to join us or if you have any questions.

Millennial Ladies are invited for a fun night out at Vintage Inspired in Mattawan for a pallet make and take class on Thursday, March 10 at 6:30 p.m.  Several different designs will be available.  Cost to attend is $30 payable to Vintage Inspired the night of the class.

Would you like to bless the Spring Break Project, even if you can’t go on the trip? We would greatly appreciate your prayers – please take note of the prayer requests listed in this bulletin. Also, food donations help greatly by allowing us to spend our resources directly on building materials. Please sign your name to an item listed on the sign-up sheets near the gym. One more way to give...monetary gifts may be given during the offering next Sunday, 3/20. Thank you!

Welcome Lunches are Back! By popular request, we will soon re-initiate sharing a monthly potluck with visitors and newer attendees. What a blessing! Luncheons will begin on Sun., April 17, and sign-up sheets are coming soon.

Common Ground is hosting an Easter Egg hunt at Davis Creek apartments on March 26, and we need your help! We are looking for people to bring in donations of small individually wrapped candies. Please bring your donations here, and place them in the basket marked 'Common Ground Easter Egg Hunt' Thank you in advance!

RENEWAL LAB:

• Did you know…that among our Westwood neighbors who are not involved in a religious congregation or community (57.3 % of our Westwood neighborhood), 67% believe that religious people are too judgmental and religion is too focused on money, 58% do not trust organized religion or religious leaders, 34% feel that the church is old fashioned, and 18% state that they have never been invited.

• Your Input Needed!!! The Renewal Lab Team is seeking your input on what you see are Westwood’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. It’s called a “SWOT Analysis,” and is an anonymous survey focused primarily on your perceptions of Westwood Church. Paper copies of the survey are available on the stand beside the mailboxes. An electronic version of the survey was sent out via the Prayer Line, and is also available on the “Member’s Area” of our church website – . Please complete the survey by March 20. You may place completed surveys in the green box marked “SWOT Surveys” on the Pillar Table.

• Join us as we begin a 4-week journey through John 13-21 in “Listening from Above,” as we seek to understand what God is saying in His Word about our mission and calling as Christians and as a church. We will begin this journey tomorrow, March 14. This week’s daily Scripture Readings are listed in the “Aim Higher – Live Differently” section of the bulletin.

To receive the daily readings via email, please sign up at:

westwood-crc—2.john13-21

To receive the daily readings via text, please text:

john13-21 to 72717

You can also find the link to sign up for these readings on the homepage of our church website: .

MISSIONARIES OF THE MONTH:  Spring Break Project. Please pray that the Lord would bless our efforts to raise funds for building materials. We are also prayerful that the Lord would guide and direct John, our S. Carolina job coordinator, to the best jobsites for the abilities/talents of our group.

“

“Dave Hoekstra and the Jericho Foundation want to thank the Westwood congregation for the wonderful offering we received and also all the friendship bracelets that have come to us so far. You are truly a blessing to us.”

Thank you Westwood Family for sharing your time and financial gifts for the Spring Break Project at our WOW supper fundraiser last week. We raised approximately $1,000 for drywall and other building materials. We appreciate your support.

The Christian Resource Center is profoundly grateful to Westwood for its financial support for the past year. Each family that we served was experiencing a crisis that was resolved through your help and was blessed and encouraged by that help. This ministry has touched lives in a way that goes beyond the payment of a bill. The pillar table has a pie chart of how all donations were used in 2015. Since we are an all-volunteer organization and are blessed with no overhead expenses, all funds donated are used exclusively for the emergency needs of some of the poorest people in Kalamazoo County.

 

High School:

High School Fun Day – March 19 – 2-6 p.m. Meet at church and bring $5. Hope to see you all there. Sign up in the youth room.

No Youth Group on Sunday, March 20 and March 27

Middle School: Next youth group meeting will be March 16.

LIFE IS GOOD Dinner Auction for Alternatives of Kalamazoo, Friday, March 18, 2016 from 6 to 9 pm here at Westwood!   Come have dinner, fellowship and some friendly bidding for a great cause!

Teaching our kids how to use technology is like teaching them how to ride a bike.  We don't start by pushing them down a big hill, so why would we put a phone or iPod in their hands without the right guidance?  Join Chris McKenna, Founder of Protect Young Eyes, for a conversation that will inform and encourage you about our kids and their technology on Tuesday, March 15 at 7 pm in the gymnasium of Kalamazoo Christian Elementary/Middle School, 3800 S. 12th Street. All parents of young children through college age are encouraged to come to this informative meeting.

PRESCHOOL (Haven and KCES), YOUNG 5s, AND KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATIONS: We are enrolling now for the 2016-17 school year. If you have not received a registration form, stop in the office or get a registration on-line at , please return your form either to the Association Office or the Elementary Office.  Classes are quickly filling up.  If you have any questions, call the KCES Office 544-2332. Our Kindergarten Orientation is April 15. 

BETHANY HAMILTON LIVE AT WINGS EVENT CENTER:  Come hear professional surfer Bethany Hamilton share her story about when she lost her arm to a tiger shark and how it affected her faith.  On Tuesday, March 29 at Wings Event Center, Bethany will share how this life-changing event has shaped her faith and inspired many to continue in the face of adversity.  Praise and worship begins at 6 pm with local band Trinity ftL then Bethany takes the stage after 7 pm.  Tickets are $35, $40 and $45 and are available through or in person at Wings Event Center.  A limited number of $45 tickets are for sale at the Kalamazoo Christian Schools Association office.

The Board of Reformed Heritage Christian School is accepting resumes for a full-time high school & junior high math/science teacher and a full or part-time middle school multi-grade teacher for the 2016-17 school year. Reformed Heritage is committed to teaching covenant students from a distinctively Reformed perspective. Our goal is to train our young people to grow academically, think Biblically, and be servants of Christ in all endeavors of life. If you would like more information about our school, visit the website: A cover letter and resume can be mailed to: Reformed Heritage Christian School, 700 N. Fletcher Ave., Kalamazoo, MI. 49006 Attn: Mr. Dave Vander Meer or email: dnjvm5@

Next Sunday Pastor Mike will preach from the Gospel stories of Jesus’ crucifixion in his sermon “The Cross: The Hour of Darkness”. In preparation for next Sunday’s worship and sermon, please read chapter 26 in The Story” – “The Hour of Darkness” - which is taken from Matthew 26-27; Mark 14-15; Luke 22-23; and John 13-14, 16-19.

GEMS Sunday is next Sunday 3/20. Be sure to come and be blessed by our girls as they lead in Worship. GEMS, please be in the Youth Room by 9:50 next Sunday.

Good Friday Worship: Please join us on March 25 at 7:00 p.m. for our Good Friday Worship Service. We will also be participating together in the Lord’s Supper.

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Today in Westwood

Stewardship

General Announcements

Thank Yous

Youth Activities

Community Activities

Upcoming Worship

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