“I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’”

Isaiah 46:10

God, who has no beginning, we praise You…

• for knowing and planning the end from the beginning.

• for promising in Gen. 3 that Eve’s seed would crush the head of the serpent.

• for orchestrating the birth of Jesus Christ to fulfill what You said would happen.

• that we can trust Your purposes in all things.

• as the Commander of all the hosts of heaven who do Your bidding and are part of Your plans and purposes.

Almighty God and Savior, we humbly ask…

• that through Your Spirit we would increasingly do what pleases You.

• that we will increasingly watch for Your return as we celebrate Your first coming this month.

• for eyes to see where You want us to put our energy, time, and resources.

• for Jesus to be born in the hearts of family and friends that we have prayed would accept Your generous gift of salvation.

• that we would always rejoice, pray continually and give thanks in all circumstances according to Your precious will for us. (I Thes. 5:16-18)

WORSHIP THIS WEEK: This Sunday,  join us for morning worship as Pastor Richard shares a message to begin our series for Advent with Luke 1:1-25.

WORSHIP NEXT WEEK: Next Sunday, Pastor Richard will continue in our series for Advent with a message on Luke 1:26-38.

FEEDING AMERICA FOOD DRIVE: This Morning we will be celebrating Communion. On Communion Sundays we will receive donations of non-perishable food and pantry items for Feeding America of West Michigan. Please place your non-perishable donations on the tables in the narthex. Thank you for your contributions.

Communion THIS Sunday: (November 30) We invite all who confess Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, who believe that their sins are forgiven only through his sacrificial death on the cross, to celebrate the Lord’s Supper with us.

ANNOUNCEMENTS: Please send all announcements to info@beckwithhillscrc.org. 

VOLUNTEERING: Please let the office know in advance if there are any changes to volunteer schedules. 

MEMORIAL FUND: We are rejuvenating the Memorial Fund once again. We’re looking for church members with a passion for honoring our loved ones & families with their final wishes. If you are interested/want more information about the team and its duties, please contact Jeff Collins at jeffrey.collins@kendallelectric.com.  

SAFE CHURCH UPDATE: Following the guidelines of our Safe Church Policy the following processes are currently being implemented:

1. A number of individuals who provide building security on Sundays or work with children in nursery, storytime, or with our youth group are due to have their background checks updated.  if you fall in that category, you have already received an email message to that effect from the Church Center.  Please process this promptly.  

2. All those who provide building security or work with children or youth are required to read through our Safe Church Policy and become acquainted with the guidelines  To facilitate this a copy of the policy will be forwarded to you along with a form you can sign to indicate you have read the policy.  The forms are also available at the Message Center at church.

Questions regarding these requirements can be directed to Harriet Potoka (hjpotoka@gmail.com) or Kevin Soodsma (kevin@beckwithhillscrc.org).  Thank you for your cooperation.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT PRAYER TIMES: For the month of November and December the prayer times that typically occur the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays will meet only the second Wednesdays. We will not meet Nov. 26 (night before Thanksgiving) or December 24 (Christmas Eve). 

CU GOLF POP-CAN DRIVE: “The Cornerstone Women’s Golf team has kicked off our fall fundraiser - a Pop Can Drive! We will be collecting returnable pop cans and bottles from October 25th to November 30th. All proceeds from this fundraiser will go towards competing in spring tournaments, travel costs, and meals. We appreciate any and all support! There will be a box in the church commons to collect pop can donations.”

November 2025 Council Update

Congregation

1. The Facilities Team and the Church Council have discussed the topic of church safety. Council has decided that it would be prudent to lock the main church doors at 10:10 am once the morning worship service has begun. The Building Safety monitors will be available to open the doors for any late-comers.

2. Thanks to the Missions Team for funding our outreach banners which you can see displayed on Chelsea and Worcester. Thanks to Scott Postema and Joe Denes for installing the new aluminum frames.

3. Thanks to Sue VanderVeen for heading the very popular outreach event of free Christmas Wreath-Making on Thursday, November 20.

Events

1. Ministry Leaders/Staff Leadership Meeting 

This meeting occurred for three hours on a Saturday morning, November 15.  

Seven BHCRC leaders, Pastor Richard, and a facilitator (Rachel Bouwkamp) discussed ideas for how our ministries at Beckwith can better live into our church’s vision in 2026.                 

2. Congregational Meeting on Monday, November 24, at 7:00 PM. 

We hope to see you there!  

Classis Grand Rapids North CRC

1. The next Classis meeting is scheduled for January 20, 2026. Elder Verla Blom and Deacon Jeff Collins plan to attend.

BECKWITH HILLS KIDS CLUB: Meets on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month from 5:45 - 7:45 pm, open to kids grades K-8th. Pray for the leaders and volunteers that donate their gifts and time, and for the children who attend to grow in the knowledge and love of their heavenly Father. This year we are studying Parables, and during our next meeting on December 10th, we will be having a Christmas Party!

WOMEN’S BIBLE STUDY: Women's Bible Study meets every Thursday in the upstairs fellowship room from 9:45 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Our focus will be "Discovering Jesus in the Gospel of John" and this week we will be studying John 4:23-5:47 (Lesson 6).  Our Fall Leaders this year are Donna Van Kirk and Verla Blom. 

SUNDAY MORNING BIBLE STUDY: The Sunday morning Bible Study will meet from 9:00 - 9:45 in the Fellowship Room.  The study will focus on Jesus' parables, the stories He told "to explain the kingdom of God and to show the character of God and the expectations God has for humans."  The study will be led by Harriet Potoka and is an opportunity for middle school and high school students and adults to explore together the truths hidden in these stories.

CHRISTMAS TOY AND COAT DRIVE FOR ALPHA GRAND RAPIDS

With GRATITUDE to GOD, and the love and generosity of our church family, we share these results, and ask you to PRAY for each recipient of your gifts: 

47 TOYS    45 COATS     57 HATS   10 PR. SLIPPERS    8 SCARVES   6 PR. GLOVES 

We are sure that these gifts will make Christmas a special time for all of these children and adults who receive them.  Thank you for GIVING, and may this bring a special blessing to your Holiday Season also.

Your Mission Team

BUDGET     RECEIVED     OVER/-SHORT

GENERAL FUND 2025 Year-To-Date (JAN-NOV)

$340,604.00     $260,257.01     -$80,346.99

GENERAL FUND 2025 Current Month (NOV)

$30,964.00    $10,501.54    -$20,462.46

GENERAL FUND 2025 Last Month (OCT)

$30,964.00     $33,313.32    $2,349.32

FAITH PROMISE Giving (Mar ‘25 - Feb '26)

$31,500.00     $29,155.71      -$2,344.29