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Brief Notes
Sunday classes and Wednesday dinners resume this week! Details can be found below.
Save the Date!
FirstCovGR annual meeting
will be Sunday, February 5
at 5:00p.
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In This Issue
Pastor Craig's Weekly Video
Sunday and Wednesday Offerings
Financial Update
College Care Ministry
Sermon - Learning to Pray
Attributes of God Prayer Guide
Calling our Church to Prayer
Offering/Ushers Needed
Open Pickleball Tuesdays
Union High Open Gym
Managing Stress Workshop
Anticipate! JOY Ministries
Nursery Volunteers Needed
It's that time of year!
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Pastor Craig's Weekly Message | January 5, 2023
"Prayer and a New Year"
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Sunday Classes Resume!
Our Sunday morning schedule is back in full swing! Click the image on the left for details, or pick up a paper copy from the information racks in the church building.
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This Wednesday
Join us for dinner of hot dogs and chili dogs ($3 per adult, $2 per kid, $10 max for familes). Afterward, you are invited to attend the "Managing Stress and Anxiety" workshop in the sanctuary at 6:30p (more details below). Child care and Blaze Youth Group (6th, 7th, 8th grades) will be available.
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Financial Update for January 5, 2023.
If you have any questions or need more envelopes, contact Roberta Wibalda at (616) 453-6346 or rwibalda@firstcovgr.org; or Loretta Bezara at loretta.bezara@att.net.
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Thank you, again, for your generosity!
We send our sincere gratitude to all who stepped up and helped us not only meet our 2022 budget, but exceed it. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
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Funds are needed to support the College Care Ministry, which sends care packages to our college students. You can give online via the College Care tab, put cash or a check in the offering labeled College Care, or give your donation to the office. The next package will be sent early February and in time for Valentine’s Day. Thank you for considering!
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Most Christians struggle with a conversational life with God. We struggle with prayer. What should we do? Try this: learn by doing. Try this as well: learn by praying with ‘the ancients.’ Ancients are people from long ago. The Bible is full of them and their prayers. In the first installment of this new series (3 Sundays in January, more in the future) we grow in our knowledge of and relationship with God by praying with Abraham, Daniel, and Jacob. |
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Sunday, January 8
9:00am Traditional Worship Service
10:30am Contemporary Worship Service
We will be celebrating communion during both morning services
Sermon Series:
Learning to Pray by Praying with the Ancients
Message:
Praying with Abraham – How Prayer Changes Us
Genesis 18:9-33
Pastor Craig Swanson
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The Attributes of God Prayer Guide
This coming week we are uniting our hearts in prayer as we look at the attributes of God. To help guide you, please make sure you get a copy of the devotional guide which will be available on Sunday or click the image on the right for a digital version. Each day’s devotional is prepared anonymously by a member of our church family. Our prayer is that the Holy Spirit uses this week of prayer in profound ways and brings a sense or renewal and revival. To God be the glory!
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Calling Our Church to Prayer…
You are invited to join us on Wednesday evening,
January 11
Prayer ministry team members will share a short devotion & lead us into a time of reflection & prayer.
Room 200 (old library)
6:30-7:30pm
“My house will be called a house of prayer”
Matthew 21:13
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Here is a simple, but very helpful opportunity to serve: Volunteer to usher at one of our services.
Please follow the links below for more details and to sign up. If you have any questions, contact the church office at (616) 453-6346 or office@firstcovgr.org.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE!
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Open Gym is launching on January 11. Consider joining our students for dinner. We will have icebreaker questions at the tables to generate conversation. Many of our students are international students and they love hearing your opinions and life stories!
If you're interested, or for more information, reach out to Trix Carlson trixjcarl@yahoo.com, or Dale Dalman esperanzacovenantchurch@gmail.com.
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Joy Ministries Fika time!
Thursday, January 12 at 2pm
Fellowship Hall
Come for coffee, fellowship, and to expand your world! Speakers will present from the Grand Rapids Public Library and the Kent District Library. You will be amazed at all the services they have to offer! Be sure to join us! Everyone 60+ is welcome! Any questions, contact Chris Froman or Lois Almquist.
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Is your faith leading you towards
baptism? Is there a tugging at your heart to proclaim Jesus as your Lord and Savior in the presence of your FirstCov family? We are celebrating Believers Baptism on Sunday, January 29 and we would love to include you!
If this is something you are interested in, you can go to the link below to complete a short form. And don't worry, if that date doesn't work for you, we will be planning another soon.
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We are in need of nursery volunteers for our 10:30 service! Do you like to read to toddlers? Rock babies? Play legos? Just go to this link to sign up for dates that work for you!
Contact Amanda at aponstein@firstcovgr.org if you have
questions! Thank you so much for your willingness to serve our littlest attendees!
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1933 Tremont Blvd. NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504
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