Sunday, September 14, 2025, 9:30 am Pastor Henry Schenkel will be leading our worship service this morning. This week’s sermon title is “Can We Fix It? No We Can’t?” and the Scripture passages are 1 Timothy 2:1-7 and Hebrews 2:5-18. We will be celebrating communion together this morning and Kari Plaisier will be sharing about the Furniture Ministry. Join us following our morning worship at Creekside Park for the church picnic.
Tentative Schedule for the Church Picnic
11:15-11:45 - Furniture Ministry storage sheds open for visitors
11:15-11:45 – Youth Group Kick-0ff meeting (carpooling from church)
12:15 – Welcome / Prayer / Picnic Lunch
12:45 – Group Game – Human Battleship
12:45-1:15 – Furniture Ministry storage sheds open for visitors
Sunday Morning Volunteers
Nursery –SIGN UP HERE TO HELP Laura Geldersma, Luke Geldersma
Little Lambs – Cheri DeHaan, Zeke Geldersma, Taylor Rottman
Coffee – Doug & Anne Maranda
Congregational Life
Office Hours Office hours are Tuesday - Thursday, 9am – 3pm.
Birthday Blessings – September! Let’s celebrate with our Covenant friends as they celebrate another year of God’s faithfulness and love!
Bob Theule – September 22
New Website We have been working this summer on transitioning our website, covenant-crc.org, from our current platform to a new, updated one. This website goes “live” this weekend! We hope you enjoy the updated look! A big thank you to Julie DeVisser for all the time and energy she gave to help us with this project!
Registration Forms for Children and Student Ministries Students and parents, we are looking forward to the upcoming year of ministry at Covenant Church. To help us prepare, PLEASE fill out the 2025-2026 Children and Youth Registration Form ASAP. All students participating in children’s and student ministries need this form completed. This includes nursery, Little Lambs, Sunday School, GEMS, Discipleship Journey, Youth Group, and Cadets (at First Cutlerville CRC). You can find the form on the Sign-Up tab on the church app or by clicking HERE. Thank you for taking the time to fill this out before the ministry year begins!
GEMS Prayer Pals Women, we invite you to be a Prayer Pal for one of the GEMS girls this year. In previous years, we had secret pals. This year, everyone will know who their pal is right from the start! We hope this will develop into a more personal correspondence between the two of you. See the flyer in your mailbox for more information. Sign up today at the Welcome Center. If you have any questions, contact Laura Geldersma.
Volunteer Opportunity: As many of you may know, our neighbors at Discovery Church host a monthly Mobile Food Pantry. They have committed to continuing this ministry for our local community; however they could use a little more help in the form of volunteers. Here is brief description of what is needed for help:
The work is all done outside in the elements of the day. The biggest need is for volunteers between 4:30 PM and 6:15 PM. During that time frame volunteers unload food from the box truck, move shopping carts to the distribution area, set up folding tables, move food from pallets to tables, package bulk food, direct traffic, fill boxes and carts, load groceries into vehicles, and participate in cleanup. If volunteers have only one hour to participate, it is most needed between 5PM and 6PM. Discovery’s administrator sends out the volunteer signup sheet about a week before distribution day and then a reminder or two over the following few days. Anyone interested in volunteering (even just once in a while) should pass along their email address to Sara Barnaby at discoverycrc@gmail.com. She will add them to the monthly volunteer email list.
This is a great family activity. Many hands make light work. Julie Theule has been helping them out the last few months, so if this interests you and/or you have questions, feel free to reach out to her or to Pastor Henry who has helped as well.
FINANCIAL
This week’s offering is for: Furniture Ministry
Total Offering Received: $12,374.95
September Offering Schedule
September 7 – Ministry Fund
September 14 – Furniture Ministry
September 21 – Mission Fund
September 28 – Benevolent Fund
Adult Discipleship
Higher Ground – Men’s Bible Study – Higher Ground will resume meeting this fall.
The Well – Tuesday Morning Women’s Bible Study – The Well is currently filling and will be turned on Tuesday, September 23, at 9:30am. Plan to join us!
Women in the Word – Thursday evening Women’s Bible Study – We will be beginning this fall by finishing our study on the book of Acts. In November we will begin a new study on 1st and 2nd Thessalonians. Their next meeting is Thursday, September 25.
Youth Discipleship
Registration Forms for Student Ministries Students and parents, we are looking forward to the upcoming year of Youth Group and Discipleship Journey. To help us prepare for the coming year, PLEASE fill out the 2025-2026 Children and Youth Registration Form. Parents, all students participating in children’s and student ministries need this form completed. You can find the form on the Sign-Up tab on the church app or by clicking HERE.
Middle and High School students, we are ready for another year of youth group! Are you? Join us for the youth group Kick Off Gathering on Sunday, September 14, at Creekside Park. Middle school and high school students, after the worship gathering this Sunday, please meet up by Pastor Henry’s office. We will help load the supplies needed for the picnic and then carpool over to the park as a youth group in the youth group leader’s cars. Let your parents know that we will drive you to the park for the picnic. When we get to the park, we will unload and set up the supplies for the picnic. Then we will meet as a youth group to go over expectations, details, and the schedule for youth group this year before we eat lunch at the picnic. We hope to see you there!
Furniture Ministry
Kari is here today to speak about the Furniture Ministry. There will be an open house opportunity for everyone to come see the storage units. The storage units will be open from 11:15-11:45am before the church picnic and for a half hour following lunch. Please plan to join us and get a glimpse of how the Furniture Ministry is a blessing to so many individuals and families!
Items needed this week:
Hangers
Bath Rugs
Coffeepots
Toasters
Pots and Pans
Silverware
Twin Sheet Sets
Shower Curtains with Rings
*Please note that we will not be taking any used bedding at this time*
We are collecting food for our packings for Hand2Hand.
We are looking for these food items:
Pear Fruit Cups – need 100
Cookie Pouches – need 100
Chips (individual bags) – need 100
Mixed Fruit Cups – need 100
Cheez-Its – need 100
Rice Krispie Treats – need 100
Please place your donations on the black cart in the narthex by Sunday, September 21, 2025.
Questions? Please ask Heidi Westra.
Please pray that the students at Southwood will see and perceive goodness from their teacher and remain attentive.
“In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity.” Titus 2:7
Streams is still serving an increasing number of families in their food center each month, averaging 570 per month so far in 2025. As their numbers have increased, donations have not. Please pray for God’s continued provision and ways that you might be a part of helping them fill the growing need.
Food Needed! Streams is running out of key food items, and they need donations. As summer continues, their need for these items is increased with students home from school. 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.
Praise / Thank You
We would like to thank our Covenant family for the many words of comfort and the cards sent in the recent passing of our grandson and nephew, Nicholas Haan. What a blessing to be part Covenant Church. Love, Marilyn Niewiek DeJong and Dave and Wendy Niewiek and Family
Thank you to everyone for the cards, text messages, calls, visits, meals, and prayers. We are richly blessed by your kindness, compassion, and care, because it reminds us that we do not walk alone but have a community of faith which surrounds us and walks with us. Pastor Jeff & Tammy
Prayer Requests
Gord DeBoer had his port placed and began treatment last week. Please continue to pray that Gord tolerates these treatments well and for healing. (Elder: Patterson)
Gerry Hoekema is waiting to schedule pinpoint radiation on a nodule in his brain and one in his lung since chemo is no longer effective. Please pray for patience for him and Jan and for successful treatment. (Elder: Jammal)
Please pray for Ethan Schaiberger who was exposed to Bacterial Meningitis while working his shift in the emergency room. Ethan was the point of contact and spent the most maskless time with the pilot. The ER doctors called Ethan back in after his shift ended intending to do the Antibiotic Protocol treatment. They then decided to send him back home with no treatment unless symptoms start showing up. Please pray for Ethan, that he will remain symptom free and healthy. Please also pray for the Air Force pilot wo unknowingly came back from Ecuador with Bacterial Meningitis. (Elder: DeVries)
Please pray for Becki Vander Molen as she just received another Sympathetic Nerve Block. Please pray that she is blessed with pain relief like she was from the last one she received in June. (Elder: DeVries)
Mary Warsen is home from the hospital following surgery for a fractured femur. Please pray for healing and that her strength will return soon. (Elder: Padding)
Please Continue to Pray For
Mike Drenth, son of Don Drenth, had 3 heart bypasses and a heart valve repaired this past Thursday. He is out of Cardiac ICU and is making some slow recovery progress. A big thank you for the many expressions of concern from the Covenant members. Please continue to keep Mike in your prayers for complete healing. (Elder: Jammal)
Marly Baar is home and waiting for consultations with her doctors and scheduling dates for her two upcoming surgeries. She appreciates your cards and your prayers. (Elder: Vander Weide)
We express our sympathy to Vivian Waite in the passing of her stepson, Robert Borr. Please pray for God’s comfort and peace to surround Vivian and her family during this time. (Elder: Brinks)
Click HERE for the September 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.
Covenant Council Corner
Council Members
Chair of Council: Dave Ballast
Vice-chair of Council:
Clerk of Council: Dave Geldersma
Chair of Pastoral Elders: Matt Brinks
Chair of Deacons: Tom Wolffis
Council
Administrative Elders
Pastoral Elders
August 2025
Deacons
Deacon Minutes, July 15, 2025
Mission Team
Mission Team Minutes, July 2025