Hello, friends and neighbors, and welcome back to the Living Water weekly newsletter.
Before we get into our church announcements, we would like to call attention to some new developments that could have a devastating impact on a group of people who make up a large portion of our congregation: international students. As many of you may have heard, ICE released information on some modifications to the Student and Exchange Visitor Program on Monday that severely damages the ability of F-1 and M-1 status students to continue their education and/or to continue to reside in the United States. Not everyone can afford to or are even able to return to their home country right now, and if they do, there is no guarantee that they will be allowed to come back to resume their studies or to apply for jobs and internships in the US.
Calvin University, the institution most of our students attend, is making some changes to their plans to help out their students. However (in keeping with this week’s sermon topic), it is our responsibility to show up for our neighbors in this stressful time, whether or not we know them or go to the same school.
Please pray for all the individuals and families who are impacted by this decision, and join in with the many people and organizations publicly objecting to it by signing petitions such as this one or this one.
Our international students are valued members of Living Water. We love you, and we support you.
Sermon Sneak Peek
In the famous Parable of the Good Samaritan, we learn that we must consider anyone who is in need to be our neighbor. In this time of great need all around us, would you go and help those whom the Lord brings into your life?
Featured Events
Overflow
This Saturday Professor Stephen Staggs will be giving us a lecture via Zoom titled “Members Only: White Supremacy and the Founding of Erasmus Hall Academy.” This talk will explore the ways in which ideologies of race shaped ideas of membership in Dutch Reformed institutions during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. Get more details on this event on Overflow Weekly or by contacting Anne Geiges.
In-Person Worship Meeting
Every Thursday at 8pm we are holding a meeting to discuss the practical implications of coming back together as a congregation to in-person worship. If you would like to be a part of the conversation or if you would like to serve in the setup team or sanitization team please let leadership know.
College Ministry
The College Ministry will be having its second session of the “Summer Bible Study: The Bible and Justice” this Friday on Pastor David’s driveway at 757 Eastridge Dr. NE! If you can’t make it in person, you can always join in through Zoom (Meeting ID: 965 8335 5933).
Children’s Ministry
The Children’s Ministry has kicked off once again! A newsletter has been sent to parents, so please check your emails if you haven’t done so already.
Diaconal Ministry
If anyone in the church is falling behind on their bills because of the current economic disruption, please consider asking for support from the Diaconal Ministry!
Simply take a photo of your overdue bill and attach it to a message to diaconalministry@livingwatercrc.ppchurch.wpenginepowered.com. Make sure that the image shows the amount and number of days overdue, as well as the contact info and account number of the recipient of payment.
The Diaconal Ministry Team will then evaluate the requests we receive, and as appropriate may contact service providers or pay some overdue bills directly on behalf of Living Water people.
We are also working on creating a system to support our brothers and sisters in Christ by sharing transportation and other resources. If you have any needs, questions, or ideas, feel free to reach out to the Diaconal Ministry as well!
Weekly Events
- Thursday, July 9 7:00pm: Prayer Meeting
- Thursday 8:00pm: In-person Worship Meeting (Contact Amy Hwang for details)
- Friday, July 10 4:00pm: LWYG Bible Study
- Friday 6:00pm: College Ministry Bible Study @Pastor David’s driveway OR Zoom (Meeting ID: 965 8335 5933)
- Saturday, July 11 10:00am: Overflow Event “Members Only: White Supremacy and the Founding of Erasmus Hall Academy”
- Sunday, July 12 10:00am: Sunday Worship
- Sunday 2:00pm: Children’s Ministry (Sermon Review)
- Monday, July 13 10:00am: Children’s Ministry (Old Testament Panorama)
- Wednesday, July 15 2:00pm: Women’s Bible Study
- Wednesday 6:30pm: Overflow Gathering (Contact Anne Geiges for details)
All meetings will be held on Zoom. Click on the links to join!
Service Opportunities
Living Water continues to seek people to serve in leadership. The following are in need of volunteers:
- Welcoming Ministry
- Outreach Ministry
- College Small Group Leaders for the Fall
Please contact a leader if you feel called to step up!
Online Office Hours with Pastor David
Whether you are a student, regular attendee, visitor, or interested in joining the Living Water family, Pastor David would love to get to know you! If you would like to meet up with him, you can contact him at pastordavid@livingwatercrc.ppchurch.wpenginepowered.com to set up a virtual meeting.
Some Things to Pray About This Week
- For international students facing so much uncertainty
- Praise for the ongoing work behind the scenes by faithful people of our church. Our church has never closed; we are just doing our work differently within the church and in the world
- For wisdom and strength for our leaders continuing to serve
- For justice and healing for those hurt by discriminatory practices of law enforcement in the US
- For the softening of hearts and opening of ears of authority figures
- For those struggling with finances
- For recent graduates who are transitioning to a new stage of life
- For the College, Youth, and Children’s Ministries
- For the flourishing of the new Diaconal Ministry
- For the world to seek God’s face and ask for forgiveness and healing
We encourage each of you to come to Living Water’s weekly Zoom prayer meeting on Thursday nights at 7pm!
See you all Sunday.
Many blessings,
LWCRC