Sunday, November 2, 2025, 9:30 am Pastor Henry Schenkel will be leading our worship service this morning. We are continuing our series focusing on the Psalms. This week’s sermon title is “Freedom for a Prisoner Like Me” and the Scripture passage is Psalm 146.
This education and worship year, as a congregation we will immerse ourselves in the voice and language of the Psalms. We will learn the languages of lament, wisdom, royal, thanksgiving, hymn, trust and praise which will lead us into a deeper and fuller relationship with Christ.
Sunday Morning Volunteers
Nursery – Anne Maranda, Josie Klaassen SIGN UP HERE TO HELP
Little Lambs – Rachel Haines, Colin Jozwiak, Carolyn Brinks
Coffee – Brad & Faythe Patterson
Congregational Life
Office Hours Office hours are Tuesday - Thursday, 9am – 2pm.
Things Coming Up This Week
November 2 - Worship Service, 9:30am
Discipleship Journey & Sunday School, 10:45am
November 3 - Higher Ground, 7:30pm
November 4 - The Well, 9:30am
November 5 - GEMS, 6:30pm
Worship Choir, 6:30pm
November 6 - Praise Team, 6:15pm
Women in the Word, 7pm
Shofar Brass, 7:45pm
Birthday Blessings – November! Let’s celebrate with our Covenant friends as they celebrate another year of God’s faithfulness and love!
Greg VanderWal - November 2
Gord VanderArk - November 3
Norma Douma - November 5
Shirley Vink - November 20
Thanksgiving Challenge The Thanksgiving Challenge is here! What is it? Info and details can be found in your church mailbox or by clicking HERE. How are you going to participate in the Thanksgiving Challenge between now and our Thanksgiving Eve service on Wednesday, November 26, at 6:30 PM?
Christmas Cards for our Missionaries There is a table set up in the narthex with a basket to collect cards for each of our missionaries. If you would like to send them a card, please place the card in the appropriate basket. Cards will be collected through November 16. Join us in blessing our missionaries in this way!
Found Coat Did you leave your coat at South Christian after the Deacon’s Dinner? It’s here at church hanging on the coat rack.
Southwood Elementary is in need of boys’ pants, girls’ pants, and packages of underwear for both boys and girls for their clothing closet. They have a clothing closet for students in grades K-5 who are in need. The biggest need is for boys’ pants, especially pants that have a drawstring waist. Please put your donations in the bin on the collection center. Contact Amy Rottman if you have any questions.
Service Saturday November 15 Each fall, Volunteers in Service gets hundreds of requests from people in our community who need help cleaning up their leaves. On Saturday, November 15, we will help with a portion of these requests and perform some fall clean-up work for neighbors who need assistance with this task. To help us plan accordingly and determine how many projects we can help with, please sign up HERE (or on the church app) to let us know that you will join us on SERVICE SATURDAY. We will meet at Covenant Church at 9:00 AM on November 15. Please bring a rake and gloves. We hope to see you there!
Neighborhood Community Building Gatherings Join us this fall on the 4th Sunday afternoon of the month from 4:00 – 6:00 pm for a variety of different community building gatherings.
Our next neighborhood community building gathering will be a BINGO game on Sunday afternoon, November 23 at Covenant Church. BINGO is a game in which each player matches the numbers printed in different arrangements on cards. The game host (known as a caller) draws balls at random, marking the selected numbers with tiles. When a player finds that the selected numbers are arranged on their card in a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line, they call out "Bingo!" The BINGO game will start at 4:00 PM. Please sign up HERE to let us know that you are coming so we can plan accordingly. Remember, these neighborhood community building gatherings are open to everyone. Bring a neighbor. Meet a neighbor. Who could you invite to join you at BINGO?
For more information about these gatherings, please visit: https://www.covenant-crc.org/on-the-lawn
FINANCIAL
This week’s offering is for: Ministry Fund
Total Offering Received: $17,697
November Offering Schedule
November 2 – Ministry Fund
November 9 – Streams
November 16 – Mission Fund
November 23 – Resonate Global Mission
November 30 - Benevolent Fund
Adult Discipleship
Higher Ground – Men’s Bible Study – We meet Monday evenings at 7:30pm in the Covenant Room. Meetings begin tomorrow, Monday, November 3. Plan to join us!
The Well – Tuesday Morning Women’s Bible Study – We meet Tuesdays at 9:30am. Plan to join us!
Women in the Word – Thursday evening Women’s Bible Study –We are beginning a new study on 1st and 2nd Thessalonians. Our next meeting is Thursday, November 6. Contact Kim DeVries for more information.
Youth Discipleship
Youth Group Dinners Each year, we invite youth group parents to sign up to help prepare one of the dinners at our youth group gatherings. We use Sign Up Genius. If you would like to help, click HERE to get to the sign up.
Youth Group Gathering Our next youth group gathering is this Sunday, November 2, 2025, from 4-6pm at Covenant Church. Join us for group games, discipleship time, small groups, and dinner. Youth group is open to all 6th – 12th grade students. We hope to see you there!
I BELIEVE – Are you interested in making a public profession of your faith in Jesus? On Sunday, November 9, Pastor Henry is hosting an I BELIEVE workshop for those who are either ready or just interested in exploring taking this step on your faith journey. Details and sign up for the workshop can be found on the church app.
Service Saturday November 15 Students and parents, each fall, Volunteers in Service gets hundreds of requests from people in our community who need help cleaning up their leaves. On Saturday, November 15, we will help with a portion of these requests and perform some fall clean-up work for neighbors who need assistance with this task. To help us plan accordingly and determine how many projects we can help with, please sign up HERE (or on the church app) to let us know that you will join us on SERVICE SATURDAY. We will meet at Covenant Church at 9:00 AM on November 15. Please bring a rake and gloves. We hope to see you there!
Furniture Ministry
Women, we need your help as greeters on Thursday afternoons from 3-4pm and Saturdays from 10-11am.
Storage Greeter: Please don’t be intimidated! Your job will be to greet clients as they pull up in their vehicle, ask for their order number, and relay that to the loading team. While the team is loading furniture, take this time to connect with the client so they know they are seen and loved. To volunteer or if you have any questions, please contact Kari at (616) 262-1728 or kari.plaisier@covenant-crc.org.
Items Needed:
Toasters
Dishes
Silverware
Baking Pans
Pots/Pans
Please check the Welcome Center for the Furniture Ministry job descriptions and contact Kari to volunteer.
We are collecting food for our packings for Hand2Hand.
We are looking for these food items by Sunday, November 2, 2025:
Brownie Bites - need 30
Cream of Wheat Packets - need 60
Applesauce Cups - need 20
Pudding Cups - need 48
Cheese Sandwich Crackers - need 40
Trail Mix - need 28
Mixed Fruit Cups - need 20
We are looking for the following items for the Thanksgiving Break packings:
Belvita Bars - need 220
NutriGrain Bars - need 220
Pop Tarts - need 220
Microwave Popcorn - need 220
Pear Fruit Cups - need 120
Peach Fruit Cups - need 120
Mixed Fruit Cups - need 120
Mandarin Orange Cups - need 120
Cheese Sandwich Crackers - need 220
Peanut Butter Sandwich Crackers - need 220
Instant Potato Family Size Pouch - need 120
Canned Carrots - need 120
Please Place donations on the black cart in the narthex.
Any questions? Please ask Heidi Westra.
Give thanks to God for Southwood’s new KSSN coordinator, Meghan.
Pray for her as she adjusts to her new job working with the students and staff at Southwood.
Food Needed! Streams is running out of key food items, and they need donations. Donations can be dropped in the bin here at church or at Streams, Monday – Thursday between 11am-3pm. The items needed most are: cereal, cereal bars, pasta/rice, diapers and wipes (size 5 and 6), and crackers. They have also created an Amazon wish list that you can shop and send items directly to Streams. You can find that list here.
Prayer Requests
Do you have a prayer request or a praise / thank you? Call your Pastoral Elder or Pastoral Care Assistant, leave a message on the church office phone at (616) 455-5120, or send an email to prayer@covenant-crc.org.
Thank You
Vivian Waite thanks the congregation for the cards, visits, and flowers she has received. (Elder: Brinks)
Prayer Requests
Gord DeBoer thanks the congregation for all the prayers, cards, and concern shown to him. His labs looked good at his last appointment and his kidney function is normal. Please pray that things continue to heal in the right direction so that treatments can resume on November 13. Please pray for continued healing and renewed strength for Gord. (Elder: Patterson)
Virginia Huizenga is experiencing a lot of abdominal pain. Please pray for relief from the pain and for healing. (Elder: Padding)
Please Continue to Pray For
Ann Cool received results from her heart monitor that her heart is beating too fast. Please pray for Ann as she waits for a doctor’s appointment in December to address this issue and for healing. (Elder: Brinks)
Berdena Ham will be having aortic valve replacement surgery. She is still waiting for all the details. Please pray for God’s comfort and peace to surround Berdena as she anticipates this surgery. (Elder: Padding)
Pastor Jeff received a good report from the doctor and things are progressing well. Thank you for all the prayers and support that they have received. (Elder: Patterson)
Click HERE for the November Prayer Newsletter
Please Pray for Our Missionaries
We support several missionaries and mission groups who serve in the United States and in other countries. Through our prayers and gifts we help them bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to people throughout the world.
Click here to see information from our missionaries on the website.
Requested Announcements
Veterans Day Assembly - 11.11.25 You are invited to attend a Veterans Day Assembly at South Christian High School on Tuesday, November 11 at 9:00 AM in the SCHS Gym. This special event is open to the community, parents, and grandparents of the South Suburban schools. Refreshments to follow. Please join us as we honor our veterans!
Covenant Council Corner
Council Members
Chair of Council: Dave Ballast
Vice-chair of Council: Jaci Lubbers
Clerk of Council: Dave Geldersma
Chair of Pastoral Elders: Matt Brinks
Chair of Deacons: Tom Wolffis
Council
Administrative Elders
Pastoral Elders
Pastoral Elder Minutes, August 2025
Pastoral Elder Minutes, October 2025
Deacons
Deacon Minutes, July 15, 2025
Deacon Minutes, August 19, 2025
Deacon Minutes, September 16, 2025
Mission Team
Mission Team Minutes, July 2025