NEWS & NOTES

updated June 18, 2026
For a PDF version of the News & Notes, please click 
here.
For the monthly Prayer Newsletter, click 
here.
For Sunday worship materials, click
here.
For archived News & Notes, please click
here.

Sunday, June 21, 2026, 9:30 am Pastor Jeff Vanderhooft will be leading our worship service. We are continuing the sermon series Grounded and Growing – Bearing Fruit. The Scripture Passages are Lamentations 3:22-33 and Ephesians 4:1-6 and the sermon title is “Bearing with One Another in Love.”

Sunday Morning Volunteers
Nursery
– Anne Maranda - Sign up HERE to help
Little Lambs – Amy Rottman, Carter Jansen, Carolyn Brinks
Coffee – Steve & Pat Hirdes


Congregational Life

Office Hours Office hours are Tuesday and Wednesday, 9am-2pm. The office will be closed Thursday, June 25. Office Hours for the week of June 28 are Tuesday – Thursday, 9-2.

Birthday Blessings – June! Let’s celebrate with our Covenant friends as they celebrate another year of God’s faithfulness and love! 

Bev Hirdes - June 6
Jay Morren - June 6
Joanne Naber - June 6
Alida Zylstra - June 7
Nels Haan - June 13
Jan Hoekema - June 14
Pearl Diephouse - June 21
Marilyn DeJong - June 29

Everyday Family Faith This pocket-sized resource helps all households build strong faith habits together and make time for God in everyday life. For each day of the week, this resource provides creative ideas for exploring Bible verses, talking about faith in daily life, and praying together, as well as fun activities to do together. This resource has been placed in your church mailbox for you. We hope that it blesses you and helps you grow in your faith!  

Driver Needed Nalini Manickam lives in Caledonia and needs a ride to and from church every Sunday. If this is something you would be willing to help with, please contact a pastoral elder or the church office.

Looking for an easy way to serve your church family? Do you enjoy coffee, cookies, and fellowship after church? We are looking for a few more volunteers to help serve coffee on Sunday mornings. This involves making coffee, setting up cookie trays, serving after church and cleaning up once every 6-8 weeks. No experience necessary! We would love to have you join our team. Questions? Talk to Pat Hirdes or the church office.

Wednesdays on the Lawn – Join us for a variety of different Wednesday Nights on the Lawn community building gatherings this summer for both Covenant Church and the neighborhood on June 17, July 15, and August 19. These community building gatherings are open to everyone. Bring a neighbor. Meet a neighbor. Specific details can be found on the church app calendar and sign-up tab, or at this webpage: https://covenant-crc.org/onthelawn/.

Our second gathering, a cornhole tournament, sidewalk chalk, and ice cream social, is coming up on July 15. Find a partner for the corn hole tournament, have fun decorating a section of sidewalk, and/or enjoy some ice cream. Come join the community building fun!


FINANCIAL

This week’s offering is for: Benevolent Fund

Total Offering Received: June 7: $26,765
June 14: $6,322

June Offering Schedule
June 7 - Ministry Fund
June 14 - Celebration Fellowship
June 21 - Benevolent Fund
June 28 - Impact Burundi

June 7:

June 14:


Adult Discipleship

Higher Ground – Men’s Bible Study – We have wrapped up our meetings for this season, but we will plan to meet a handful of times over the spring and summer for coffee, pie, or ice cream. Keep an eye out for meetup details in future News & Notes.

The Well – Tuesday Morning Women’s Bible Study

Women in the Word – Thursday evening Women’s Bible Study – We hope you will consider joining us in the fall!


Youth Discipleship

BIKE TRIP – Thank you to everyone who was part of the 2026 Living Water Bike Trip. Thanks to all the bikers, support team, and those who donated time and supplies needed to make the bike trip a success.

Wednesdays on the Lawn – Students, join us for a variety of different Wednesday Nights on the Lawn community building gatherings this summer for both Covenant Church and the neighborhood on June 17, July 15, and August 19. These community building gatherings are open to everyone. Bring a neighbor. Meet a neighbor. Specific details can be found on the church app calendar and sign-up tab, or at this webpage: https://covenant-crc.org/onthelawn/.

Our second gathering, a cornhole tournament, sidewalk chalk, and ice cream social, is coming up on July 15. Find a partner for the corn hole tournament, have fun decorating a section of sidewalk, and/or enjoy some ice cream. Come join the community building fun!


Furniture Ministry

Thank you for your continued support of the Furniture Ministry!

Items needed this week:
Twin Sheets
Closet Hangers
Bathroom Rugs
Baking Pans (9×9, 9×13)
Cutting Boards
Silverware Sets
Shower Curtains with Rings
Bath Towel Sets (body, hand, face)


This summer we are going to be collecting food items for our Hand2Hand Program.

Please check out the Bulletin Board in the Narthex of church and check your church mailbox for more information.

Thank you!  ~Heidi Westra


Pray for the Kids Hope students as they are on summer break and away from their normal routines.


From Streams’ Spiritual Care Director and Warehouse Manager, Nate Heyboer:

One of the things I appreciate most about Streams is that it reminds me how much strength there is in simply showing up. Week after week, neighbors arrive, volunteers serve, donations are shared, and relationships continue to grow. None of it is flashy, but all of it matters.

As you pray this week, give thanks for the ordinary faithfulness that holds a community together. Pray that our neighbors would find encouragement, that our volunteers and staff would find renewed energy, and that all of us would continue to recognize the sacred opportunities hidden in everyday acts of care.


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.

Prayer Requests

Risala Albadra had surgery on Thursday, June 18, to repair her carotid artery. Please pray that this surgery was successful, for healing, and for God's peace to surround Risala and Hussein. (Elder: Jammal)

Cheri DeHaan spent the week in Utah receiving treatment for her cancer. Please pray boldly that God will use these treatments to provide healing to Cheri's body and that God surrounds Larry and Cheri with His peace.
"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13. (Elder: DeVries)

Judy Schut is in the hospital being treated for AFib that developed after her parathyroid surgery. Please pray for healing for Judy and for God's peace to surround the Schut family. (Elder: Padding/Kruithof)

Please Continue to Pray For

We express our sympathy to Abbie and Aaron Meckes and their family in the passing of Abbie's sister, Amy Hoekstra. The funeral service was held in Holland this past week.  Please pray for God's comfort and peace to surround Abbie, Aaron, Harrison, Fletcher, Franklin, and their extended family during this time. (Elder: Padding/Kruithof)

Please continue to pray for Jeff and Tammy Todd, stepchildren of Bev and Bob Vander Heide. Jeff has treatments every three weeks, thankfully with minimal side effects. Tammy is recovering well from her surgery; however, her last pathology report showed several lymph nodes were cancerous. She will begin radiation therapy at the end of June. Please pray for successful treatments, strength, comfort, peace and healing for both Jeff and Tammy as they face this battle together. (Elder: Jammal)

Click HERE for the June 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

Volunteers In Service (VIS) is celebrating its 40th Anniversary. You are invited to join VIS for a picnic celebration at Calvary CRC (3500 Byron Center Ave SW, Wyoming) on Wednesday, August 5 at 6pm for a time of celebration and praise as we thank God for 40 years of faithfulness! Program and dinner start at 6:15pm. RSVP HERE or on our website at www.visgr.org/pages/40th-anniversary-of-vis. Questions, call 616-459-7500.‍ ‍