Around the COG - November 5, 2020

Good morning, COG Family!

The elections are over. Can I get an amen?!

Your preferred candidate may not have been elected as president and your ideal representatives may not have been voted into office, but - unlike many of the people around us - we don't need to be worried, angry, or upset.

Why? Because we have Someone who will look out for our best interests in all things. God is in control and has a purpose for everything that goes on around us. We may not know the why, and we may not like the outcomes. But we can rely on God's Holy Word to give us peace and comfort.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Romans 8:28

Do we believe that all things really means all things? If so, then all of these things we grumble about, including the election, COVID and COVID restrictions, the challenge to find a house (that one is mine), invading murder hornets, are all things God will work together for our good. We can choose to be on board with that work or we can go kicking and screaming. I think God would prefer the former.

Let's not focus on what doesn't go our way or how we think it should go. Let's remember that God is all-knowing and He has a plan in all of this. Let's focus on Loving God and Loving Others and having a positive impact in our community.

Be salt and light,

Pastor Chris

Sunday Service Updates

As we mentioned this last weekend, Arapahoe County is now in Safer at Home - Level 2. Due to this level change, we will be holding two services on Sundays and we need you to reserve your seat. Our seating capacity is now 50 individuals per service (excluding staff/volunteers). We have listed out the details below on what COG is doing to meet the directives from the county and state. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to the office.

Service times will be at 9:00 am and 10:30 am.
Please do not arrive sooner than 15 minutes prior to the start of service.
The link to reserve your seat is on our main website page.
If you are a staff member or a volunteer (usher, greeter, media team, worship team, etc.), you do not need to sign up. Please do sign up those in your family group who are not staff or volunteers.
Children's ministry will be meeting at the 10:30 am service. Details and signup can be found here.
We will continue to leave three chairs between family groups, wear face masks while inside COG buildings, and maintain 6' social distance.
We will be cleaning common touch points between services.

If you would like to read the entirety of the steps COG is taking with the new Safer at Home level, you can click here to download the elder-approved document.

We continue to ask for grace as we navigate these changes.

Community of Grace Staff

Tithes and Offerings

Thank you, COG family, for your generosity and faithfulness during these difficult times! Here are our giving numbers for the last tw0 weeks:

Week of October 27, 2020

Giving: $5,430.00

Weekly Budget: $10,121.44

Year to Date Giving: $403,638.05

Year to Date Budget: $435,221.92

Week of November 3, 2020

Giving: $10,116.75

Weekly Budget: $10,121.44

Year to Date Giving: $413,754.80

Year to Date Budget: $445,343.36

Below are the ways that you can contribute your tithes and offerings to the church.

Write a check to the church. You can either mail it in to the church or stop by the church and put it in the slot of our mailbox located by the doors of the North Building (4343 S. Flanders St. Centennial, CO 80015).
Bill Pay through your banking institution.
COG website - online giving.

Upcoming Events

Communion

We will observe the Lord's Supper on November 15th.

If you will be watching online, feel free to come to the COG office to pick up sealed communion elements. Email Anita to coordinate.

Ladies Fellowship

The next ladies fellowship event is ugly Christmas sweater decorating. This will be the first in-person event since January and we are excited to get back together in person. There will be a virtual option for those not comfortable attending in person. Bring a sweater you would like to decorate, random decorating supplies to share with others, and a copy of your favorite Christmas cookie recipe.

Date: November 22, 2020 from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Location: COG North Building

Masks are required to be worn at all times and we will create a safe environment that supports 6 feet social distancing. You can get more details on the Ladies Fellowship Facebook page here or the Ladies Fellowship WhatsApp chat. If you have questions, you can email Joyce Baker.

Operation Christmas Child

It is time to start building boxes for Operation Christmas Child. We have 250 boxes to fill with toys, school supplies, hygiene items, etc. These boxes will be shared with kids around the globe as they learn about Jesus, the greatest Gift of all! COG is also going to help at the distribution center on Dec 4th from 6-10pm. There are spots for 40 people and Covid-19 rules will be followed. Volunteers must be at least 13 years old. You can pick up boxes in the foyer and return them to COG by Nov 22nd. If you have questions or want to sign up for a volunteer spot, email Mitty Spidell. You can also learn more about Operation Christmas Child by going to their website.

COG Celebrations

Southeast Aurora Christian Homeschool Co-op

The latest co-op meetup had thirteen attendees including parents. It was a great time that started with a Bible study about Noah and the flood. The kids asked great questions and learned so much. We then baked sugar cookies, pumpkin pie, and pumpkin bread. Each family took home a ton of goodies to share.

Our next meeting will be at COG from 9-11 am on November 13th. We will have missionaries join us and share their experiences in Africa. They run a nonprofit called Crutches 4 Africa. The main speaker, David, was struck with polio as a child and the Lord has put it on his heart to help others receive mobility devices. If you have any old crutches or walkers, please bring them to donate.

If you are interested in joining us or have questions, please contact Lisa Dole at 720-299-4801, or visit our Facebook page at SE Aurora Christian Co-op. We would love to have you keep this group in your prayers as well.

Lisa Dole

Child Evangelism Fellowship

What a great first Good News Club meeting! We had 9 children who came to COG on October 15th. Leaders shared lessons on what sin is and how the blood of Christ washes us clean. There was time dedicated to learning how to look up Bible verses and everyone prayed together as well.

Good News Club meetups will be every third Thursday from October thru January at COG from 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm. This group is for elementary-aged children. The next meeting is November 19th from 4:30 pm - 6:00 pm.

Masks are required during the Good News Club get-togethers at COG. You can register online or download the registration form. If you have questions or want to be a helper/leader, you can email Kathleen Chandler or call her at 720-621-3602.

Helping the Homeless

Thank you for your generosity, Community of Grace! 72 blankets for the homeless were purchased with your donations. Also, seven people worked to create an additional 102 scarves. These items were taken to the Aurora area and handed out on November 1st to the homeless.

Thank you, Carol Bryan, for organizing this opportunity to help those in need.

Trunk-or-Treat

We had a great time on October 31st hosting a community Trunk-or-Treat event. We had 19 cars show up to hand out treats and interact with our neighbors. The cars were decorated in a variety of themes, and we saw some great costumes from all age groups.

COG staff wanted to send out a huge thank you to those who showed up to support this event. We heard over and over again how happy parents were that they had a safe place to take their little ones. It was a great way to bless our community.

Getting to Know...

George Wee

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. Which is why you'll see me rooting for the Jets during football season. I am married to Mei and we have one son, Andrew. We moved to Colorado in 1998 and joined COG in 2000.

Do you have an unusual skill/hobby/talent?

I am a talented opera singer (J/K). Actually I was a decent bowler back in the day.

If you picked one word to describe yourself, what would it be?

Fun

What do you like to do on a day with no set plans?

I love watching sports, any sports.

What is a little known fact about yourself?

I could run a 4.3 - 40. I speak a little Chinese but not the main dialects Mandarin or Cantonese, my parents are from a small province of China called Hainan and I speak a little Hainan.

What do you enjoy doing at COG?

Best thing is LifeGroup where I met my closest friends that I consider family.

Students of Grace

Remember that you can stay up to date on Students of Grace events and activities via this link: https://newsletter.dymapps.com/read/31342 . You can reference it at any time for SOGCOG information. If you have any questions or are not receiving updates, reach out to Pastor J to get connected.