THE BELL RINGER. Our Church Website. Greetings Zion/Clarion Family,

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1 THE BELL RINGER Greetings Zion/Clarion Family, Lent has begun. We are on our 40 day journey. Lent historically has been a time of preparation. In the early Church when Christians were persecuted it was a major commitment to give one s life to Jesus. The 40 days Lent being the final most intensive part of that training, leading up to Easter celebrations and Baptism into the faith. Lent was a time of fasting, prayer and almsgiving as we heard in the Ash Wednesday text from Matthew 6:5, 6, 16 and the exhortation. We do those things in response to what God has done for us, granted us forgiveness and new life. So many people search for so much in themselves, in the world and in other people, and keep coming up empty handed because they are searching in the wrong places. It is only in God that we find real peace and joy in living. On our Lenten journey on Wednesday evenings we will discuss the forgiveness we receive in Baptism, Communion and Confession as Martin Luther explained in the Small Catechism. Review Luther s explanations on those topics and come join with us as we discuss the hope we have in Jesus, and in Jesus alone, at our Wednesday evening worship services. Come discover the truth of real forgiveness and real peace. As Jesus says, the truth will set you free. (John 8:32) I am praying for you that you have a Blessed Journey, and see Jesus as your salvation. Our Church Website Can be found on the internet by typing: (no spaces) Or type in search box: Zion Lutheran Church LaMoille or Zion Lutheran Clarion To reach Pastor Kevin please call: -the parsonage 815/ the church 815/ or -his cell phone 815/ All PRAISE and PRAYER concerns are welcome. If you wish to no longer to receive Bell Ringer please contact Cara Motter or Angie Hewitt. As a way of Being Green we offer an online version. Memory Verse For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Matthew 25: 3, 5, & 36 Evangelism Anyone who needs a ride or is willing to offer rides to church should contact Carolyn Motter. She will be coordinating transportation for members who need a ride to church. She can be reached at Shalom, Pastor Kevin Weeks

2 Treasurer s Report January Beginning Balance 1/01/15 $ 1, January Offerings 7, Grain sale to Checking Transfer from Savings 2, Subtotal $ 12, January Expenses 11, Ending Balance 1/31/15 $ Benevolence Report January Beginning Balance 1/01/15 $ 0.00 Offerings January Subtotal $ Ending Balance 1/31/15 $ Balance held until February Barb Donahue, Treasurer Please remember our military members in your prayers. They are: Josh Morehead, Army Angela Silfies, Navy Airman Josh Wolf, Marines We are so proud of you! If you know of others in our military family, please be sure to let us know so we may send our prayers & thanks to them also. ANNUAL SEWING DAY Clarion s Annual Sewing Day will be on Monday, March 9th beginning at 8:30 am. We will be making things for the Mendota Lutheran Home and will have a potluck lunch. Sewers please bring your machine and white thread. Non-sewers can help, too. Please bring a dish to pass and join us for fun, food and sewing! P.A.D.S. homeless shelter in Peru & Ottawa is where our benevolence dollars are going: Sunday School offering Lent Quarter folders Mendota Lutheran Home Annual Meeting March 15, 2015, 2:00 The voting delegates representing our congregation are Larry & Kathy Forristall. The Arts of Spiritual Conversations Bible Study Schedule Zion Lutheran of Clarion at 10:20 a.m. on Sunday & 7:00 p.m. on Monday First Baptist Church at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday Week of: March 1 March 8 March 15 Serving Together Sharing Conlusion & Discussion What do we do with this?

3 March Birthdays 1 Eric Clapp 2 Earl Stuepfert 4 Lauren Silfies 7 Jim Hamacher 8 Beth Barrera 13 Glen Faber Jenica Cole 14 Bryce Walter Martin Seth Stamberger Tim Stamberger 18 Nigel Geuther 19 Kimberly Lauer 20 Allen Novak 23 Andrew Stamberger 24 Gloria Cogdal Mady Hewitt 26 Annette Stamberger 28 Barb Donhue Baptismal Anniversaries 12 Susan Goetz 15 Lauren Motter 22 Lindsay Hohertz 23 Craig Bauer 31 Nick Pillar Tim Stamberger Many members of Zion are blessed with musical talents! We are asking you to share them during worship services. Please check the sign up chart in the Narthex and choose a date when you would be willing to do this. We want to encourage many of ALL ages to give glory to God in this way. O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our PROMise SALE Dress for all occasions for $50 or less. Still accepting donations: prom, pageant, wedding, shoes, etc Sat, March 7, :00am 1:00pm First United Methodist Church Princeton, 316 South Church St. Proceeds benefit: Food Pantry & youth ministries Flyer in narthex with more info Wedding Anniversaries 3 Pastor Kevin and Sarah Weeks 8 Glenn and Jane Faber Upcoming Events 2015 March 1 April 25, April 26 March 21 Chris & Emily, missionaries from India, will lead our worship and share about their adventures. Free will offering will support what they do in telling people about Jesus. LCMC Council Training Event with Mark Vander Living Waters, Lutheran Church in Peo ria Council expected to attend, but whole congregation is invited to attend! 9:00 Affirmation of Baptism, Confirmation Saturday - From Membership to Discipleship LCMC workshop, First Lutheran, Princeton 10-4, Mark VanderTuig presenting, sign up in narthex March 12 March 8 Thursday - Men s Lenten Dinner, 1st UMC, Mendota, 6:00pm, retired Navy SEAL ZEBRAS lead worship & share their encounter with God at the LCMC youth Gathering

4 MAF - Mission Aviation Fellowship www. maf.org The last radio communication MAF pilot Dave Jacobsson received from his wife on the morning of September 5, 2002, was, They re at the door! Then, nothing. Just agonizing silence as Dave tried for more than 24 hours to make his way back to the MAF base at Nyankunde in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). On the ground, tribal soldiers had kicked in the kitchen door at his house. At gunpoint, they demanded that his wife Donna give them radios, satellite phones, food, and money, while 20-month-old son Andrew toddled around in between the soldier s feet. Three Congolese workers and another son lay hidden underneath the bed in the back bedroom, where they had taken cover against heavy gunfire. The next day, rebels allowed 3 small planes to leave, including a few missionaries. They left in anguish for those left behind. Some 3,000 people lost their lives and thousands more fled on foot. The entire village and mission station were destroyed. Nyankunde was left abandoned. It would go down as the worst massacre of the Ituir tribal conflict. In 2004 MAF and AIM (Africa Inland Mission) were allowed to return to evaluate and begin rebuilding. Ten homes, two hangers, and a school had been completely looted. The airstrip was cleared of land mines and restored, and the first flights began in MAF and those they support continued to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Hundreds of ex-militia turned to Christ; there was confession and forgiveness, and freedom from hatred and bitterness. And Nyankunde was reborn. Rebuilding the facilities continues to this day as they also keep sharing the Good News that Jesus can bring, turning people from anger to forgiveness. God does amazing work when we turn our hearts to his mercy. MAF also works with Samaritans Purse to revive the hospital. Our support to Brad & Susan Rhoads, and other missionaries, make it possible for others to live in Gods amazing grace through the efforts of Mission Aviation Fellowship - MAF. From Membership to Discipleship First Lutheran Church in Princeton Saturday, March 21 st 10 AM to 4 PM Presenter: Rev. Mark Vander Tuig, Service Coordinator of Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ A Workshop for Congregational Ministry is designed and offered to help people in their congregations make the paradigm shift from membership to discipleship. This is a process and may take a generation to complete. This workshop is a beginning in a challenging yet necessary transition for us to become effective again in reaching people who do not know Jesus. This invitation is not only for LCMC congregations, but for congregations in our area associated with the GO! Project, and all others who may be interested. In this workshop Mark will present some Biblical concepts that will challenge, inspire and encourage people to remember who we are as the Body of Christ and to whom we belong: Jesus. He will address the Purpose of the Church, Leadership Development, Conflict, and Vision and Mission for the church. Lunch will be provided. A freewill registration offering will be received. First Lutheran Church is located at 116 N. Pleasant Street in Princeton, IL. Please sign up in the narthex so they know how much lunch to prepare

5 Alaska Mission Trip Jacob Weeks Two summers ago Jacob went to Papua Indonesia on a mission trip with a JAARS affiliate to learn more about being a missionary pilot. This summer he is planning on going to Alaska to work as a mechanic for Kingdom Air Corps, keeping the planes flying to get kids up on the Brooks Range, north of the Arctic Circle, to summer Bible Camp. The total cost of his trip will be $4,300. There are flyers on the Missions board and in narthex with more information. Find out more about Kingdom Air Corps at and on youtube at They also reach out with God s love to Russia as well. If you would like to hear more about Jacob s training, send him an at JacobWeeks@letu.edu and ask to be put on his update list. If you wish to financially support this mission trip, make checks out to Zion Lutheran Church and put Alaska Trip in memo line. Please pray for him as he prepares to bring Jesus to people living in some of the most remote areas of Men s Lenten Dinner Mendota Ministerial Scholarship Fund Thur, March 12, 2015 First United Methodist Church in Mendota 6:00pm Speaker is a retired Navy SEAL More details are on the way we have been told. Pie sign-up in narthex Money raised through free-will offering and pie auction provides scholarships to seminary students and others training for fulltime mission work. We have 3 applications this year from the Mendota area. Salvation Army Kettle Drive Over $2,100 was raised at three locations in Mendota before Christmas. Most of that money is used through the Mendota Police Department for people in dire need. Some of that is used by the Salvation Army in others areas to help people and share the Good News of Jesus with them. Nightingale s Closet & Trinity Health Clinic 708 Jefferson St., Mendota Mon 1-3 & 6-8, Wed-Thu-Fri 12-4, Sat 10-4 The resale shop raises funds to support the clinic so they can provide medical care to those in need. The Clinic can also use your unused medications. If you have extra mediation sitting around, do NOT flush it, take to the Clinic. They may be able to get it to someone who can use it. Abigail Women s Clinic They have moved to the former Victory Baptist Church on Stroble & 16 th. They can use more wipes and diapers, especially the larger sizes, 3,4,5.

6 March Services 2015 Sun., Mar., 1 Date Greeter Reader Piano/ Organ Special Music Acolytes Kay & Barb Leslie Motter Myron Goetz Brooke L. Communion 9:00 a.m. Collette M. Wed., Mar., 4 7:00 p.m. Gloria & Carolyn Chris Stamberger Sarah Weeks Mady H. Thomas S. Sun., Mar., 8 9:00 a.m. Leslie & Cara Jayson & Andrew Stamberger Kristi Koch Thomas S. Katie K. Barb Donhue & Christy Liesse Holy Communion Kneel at Altar if able Wed., Mar., 11 7:00 p.m. Elwin & Ray Thomas Stamberger Sarah Weeks Brady B. Brooke L. Sun., Mar., 15 9:00 a.m. Don & Christine Mason Koch Myron Goetz Brooke M. Brady B. Wed., Mar., 18 7:00 p.m. Marilyn & Annette Tim Stamberger Sarah Weeks Collette M. Brooke M. Sun., Mar., 22 9:00 a.m. Holy Communion Kneel at Altar if able Howard & Marion Christy Liesse Kristi Koch Katie K. Collette M. Lee & Angie Hewitt Wed., Mar., 25 7:00 p.m. Kay & Barb Sarah Weeks Sarah Weeks Brooke L. Mady H. Sun., Mar., 29 9:00 a.m. ( Palm Sunday) Gloria & Carolyn Leslie Motter Myron Goetz Mady H. Thomas S.

7 March 2015 Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 9:00a.m. Worship Service 8 9:00a.m. Worship Service led by Zebras Holy Communion 15 9:00a.m. Worship Service 22 9:00a.m. Worship Service Holy Communion 29 9:00a.m. Worship Service Sewing Day 8:30 a.m Happy St. Patrick s Day! Worship Committee Meeting 7:00 p.m

8 Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church East Street La Moille, Illinois Address Service Requested March 2015