Zion Messenger. Message from Pastor

Transcription

1 August/September 2018 Zion Lutheran Church Auburn, MI Message from Pastor As people who confess the name of Jesus, we may need to stop asking, How can we grow the church? and start asking How can we begin to love people as God loved us? So writes Pastor Michael Newman, one of the speakers I listened to at the Michigan District Convention in Ann Arbor just over a month ago. It is a bold statement, isn t it? It s perhaps a hard statement to hear. But I believe it s true, and so should you. As I said in my Sermon over the weekend of July 28 th and 29 th, our motto at Zion is To better know and show Christ s love. This motto encourages us to look outward at our neighbors who need Jesus love. And yet, when church attendance and membership is falling all across America it is easy to look inward instead of outward. It is easy to worry about the church instead of our neighbors who need Christ s love. When we are worried about the future of the church we can tend to forget who we are as the church. We are those who, as St. Paul writes in Ephesians 3:19, know the love of Christ. What is more is that the church is not ours to worry about, it is God s. He is the one who, as St. Paul writes in Ephesians 2:20-21, has built us as a temple in the Lord. He has done so, on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. God is the one who has built the church. God is the one who, as St. Paul writes in Ephesians 3:20, is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. So, let s stop asking, How can we grow the church and start asking, How can we begin to love people as God loved us? Maybe this means taking your neighbor a cup of coffee when you know they are feeling down. Perhaps it is listening to a friend who is having trouble with their marriage. Maybe it s something organized to give parents of young children a night out together. It could be all kinds of things. But, we won t know what those things are unless we start asking and imagining how we who are constantly coming to better know Christ s love can show that love to others in new and various ways. In his Service, Pastor Menz Pastor Andrew Menz Pastor Seth R. Hemme andrewmenz@gmail.com pastorhemme@yahoo.com The mission of Zion Lutheran Church is to better know and show Christ's love.

2 Page 2 Preschool and Day School News My dreams, ideas, and goals for Zion continue to grow and develop as I enter my sixth year as School Administrator. I am dedicated to actively helping carry out our mission, To better know and show Christ s love. A successful school year isn t measured by the number of students enrolled, it s measured by the impact we make on the students we have. Success is carrying out our mission and sharing Christ s love with every student, making sure they know that God is our strength, our refuge, and our foundation. Our 2018/19 school theme this year is Real. Present. God. We will focus on the text from Psalm 46.1, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. What a great message and reminder to share with our students for this school year. We are proud that our enrollment has increased again this year. It s exciting that we will be able to share the love of the Lord with more students. As of August 2, we have 88 students registered for the upcoming school year. The breakdown of each class is; Kindergarten- 8, 1 st Grade-15, 2 nd Grade- 9, 3 rd Grade- 19, 4 th Grade- 11, 5 th Grade- 7, 6 th Grade- 5, 7 th Grade- 7, and 8 th Grade- 7. In preschool and Young 5 s we have a total of 37 paid spots; which is 22 students. A spot is considered a half a day, some of the students will go all day paying for two spots; one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Ms. Lacie made some changes that will help our Preschoolers and Young 5 s be more involved in chapel services and school activities. I attended the annual Principal conference at Higgins Lake. It was an in depth training presented by Franklin Covey. We did a self study and implemented strategies based on the book, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey. The Board of Christian Day School has hired part-time teacher, Kayla Panzner to teach the 2 nd grade Math and Language Arts and 4 th grade Math and Language Arts. Heather Schember will serve as our 7/8 grade Handbell teacher this year. We are excited to welcome both ladies to our staff. We would like to invite you to the 9 am service on Sunday, August 19 th for our new teacher installation for Kayla Panzner and Heather Schember. Following the service we will have a welcome reception in the pavilion for these new staff members. Thank you to the Fellowship Team for providing the food and drinks for the reception. If you are moved to give a gift to our new staff members we encourage gift cards to local stores and restaurants. We look forward to sharing this special morning with you.

3 Page 3 Preschool and Day School News We will have an all school orientation on Monday, August 20 th at 6 pm. The first day of school is Wednesday, August 22 nd. We will have an opening chapel service this morning at 8:10 am. We invite and encourage all congregation members to attend our weekly Wednesday chapel services at 8:10 am. This school year we will have lots of events and we want to share these opportunities with you. Please be sure to get a school calendar and save the dates. You can get one from the office, the website, or on Facebook. A few highlights of the year; Veterans Day Celebration, Apple Pies, Christmas Services, Lutheran School s Week, many athletic events, Spring Art display, and so much more! We also invite you to provide the school office with your to receive our weekly Beaver Log. This weekly newsletter is full of all the great things happening at our school. I want to thank a few groups for their generous contributions that have allowed us to make some updates to our building this summer. We want to give a heart filled thank you to the Harold Endline Fund, Endowment Fund, TEAM, Santa Store, and the Board of Christian Day School. With your support we were able to get the office new flooring and the walls repainted. We are in the process of putting up new classroom doors, a water fountain, updating our computer lab to accommodate the growing number of students, and more lockers. We also want to thank our dedicated congregation members for their contributions so we could complete the new septic field project. We sold a total of 130 tickets for Zion s night at the Great Lakes Loons Baseball game. I was informed by the Loons to date; we are in the lead for the most tickets sold. I hope we keep that title through the end of their season and we win the big $1000 prize. Thank you to those that purchased tickets and enjoyed a night of fellowship. We had another successful year of Church Camp in Cadillac. We had 48 camp sites with 145 campers. We enjoyed Church service, the beach/water/boating, a Cornhole Tournament, a Euchre Tournament, a glow stick dance party, a scavenger hunt, crafts, and great food. We will return to Mitchell State Park in Cadillac for next year s camp on July 26-28, God s Blessings, Colett Dominowski

4 Page 4 Junior Confirmation Classes Confirmation instruction is a time for baptized Christians to identify with the life and mission of the Christian community. At Zion, Confirmation instruction generally involves a two year period of instruction in the basics of the Christian faith which is designed to assist students in learning and embracing the foundational truths of the Christian faith and Lutheran Doctrine. Generally, students who are in 7 th and 8 th grade participate in Junior Confirmation training. Classes will begin again with the start of the school year for Zion Lutheran School students and on Sunday, September 9th from 6-8 PM for students in public school. Baptismal sponsors are especially encouraged to remind their godchildren of this important part of their Christian education and ensure their enrollment in a confirmation program. Those not confirmed as a part of a junior confirmation program are encouraged to be a part of an adult instruction class. Watch the bulletin and newsletter for information about upcoming new adult instruction classes which will begin this fall. Church Camp 2018 Start making plans to join us next year!

5 Page 5 New Member Class It s that time of year again, the start of school, confirmation instruction and Sunday school are right around the corner. This is a great time to begin another new member class. So, starting on Sunday September 30th, during the Bible Study hour, I will be teaching the basics of the Faith as taught in Luther s Small Catechism. In addition to the Catechism we will have a few other texts as well. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a member please join us. If you are already a member but would simply like to have a refresher in the teachings of our church we d love to have you. -Pastor Menz As always, there is no commitment to join Zion Lutheran after the class is finished. See you in September! Pastor Menz On Sunday September 9th, we kick off a new year of Sunday school and we want you to be a part of it. Classes for children 3 years through 6 th grade will feature exciting Bible lessons and music along with opportunities to plant the life giving Word of God in our hearts. Sunday school will be held each week during Sunday School begins the Family Bible Hour beginning at 10:15 a.m. We will start in the cafeteria with a unified opening led by Pastor Hemme or Pastor Menz. After the opening, the Sunday school students will break off to their classrooms. Preregistration is not required and new students as well as guests and friends are always welcome. Make Sunday school a part of your Sunday morning routine. A huge Thank You to the Cemetery Committee members, past chairman; Randy Fritz, current chairman; Ron Pugsley, board members; Robert Block and Burt Casey. The cemetery committee Cemetery road update would like to thank Roy Kohn for his unwavering expertise, project management and work effort during Zion's recent road paving project, and would like to acknowledge the dedication and work that he does to keep our cemetery in pristine condition. The east road is now complete and ready for use. Thank you.

6 Page 6 Members of Zion, it's time to find your softball gloves. We are hoping to have a round robin softball tournament on Saturday, September 8th with a cookout included. But first, we need you to sign up. Look on the bulletin board in the church narthex and write down your name and age. Yes, your age. We are hoping to have a competition between generations. We need a minimum of 18 and hope for up to 27. Softball Teams College bound students With some of our young adults going off to college, we would like to keep them abreast of what is going on here at Zion by sending The Messenger either by regular mail or . Please call the church office and provide us with the information on their new address. Lutheran Campus Ministries also appreciates this information so they can reach out to our students. Ladies of Zion will resume their Bible Study on Wednesday, September 12th at 9 AM in the church basement. Quilting will begin on the 12th of September until September 26th and will be from 10 am to noon. That being said those who wish to stay until 2 PM are welcome to do so. After Smorgasbord on October 7th our hours will resume as usual from Attention Crafters, Bakers and Gardeners. Donations of handcrafted, homemade and homegrown items are needed to sell at the annual Smorgasbord/Country Store on October 7th. Your donations for the Smorgasbord may be dropped off Saturday October 6th. If you have any questions please call Deb Shufelt at Thank you so much for your support- The Ladies of Zion

7 Zion Lutheran Church Smorgasbord & Country Store Seidlers Road and Eleven Mile Beaver Township SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1, Serving 11:00 til 2:00 In Zion School across from the church 1557 West Seidlers Road, Auburn Pork Sausage, Sauerkraut, Chicken, Dressing, Potatoes, Gravy, Pie, German Potato Salad, Squash, Baked Beans, Bread/Sweet Breads German Potato Salad, Squash, Baked Beans, Bread/Sweet Breads Suggested Donation: Suggested Adults $9.00 Donation: Ages 5 through 12 $5.00 Age 4 and under FREE COUNTRY STORE OPENS AT 10:00 Adults $8.50 / Take-out $9.00 Ages 5 through 12 $4.00 / Take-out $4.50 Age 4 and under FREE 6 miles north of US-10 or 5 miles west of I-75 on Seidlers Road COUNTRY STORE OPENS AT 10:00 6 miles north of US-10 or Call for additional information. 5 miles west of I-75 on Seidlers Road

8 Guest Missionary Preacher on September 22 & 23 Please join us for these special services. Ladies of Zion are offering a variety of greeting cards for purchase. We wanted you to have a convenient and affordable way to share your wishes of joy, concern, or sympathy with those you love. A box a 12 beautiful cards is only $5.00 with a new selection available. They are available in the church basement. Jelly Jars Remember, if you have old jelly jars that you are no longer using, or would like to purchase some, Lynn Leinberger is in need of them for her jellies and jams that she makes for the Country Store. FROM TIME TO ETERNITY: WAITING FOR THE RESURRECTION October 14, 4:00 pm This is a hymn festival that focuses on God s precious promises in the midst of our present pain while we wait for the perpetual paradise of the life of the world to come. Commentators: Rev. David Fleming of Our Savior, Grand Rapids Rev. Aaron Schian of Grace, Auburn There will be a mass choir made up of members of area churches. Anyone who wished to participate in the mass choir should contact Kantor Nathan Beethe at Kantor.graceauburn@gmail.com or they can call or text him at (989) Grace Lutheran Church 303 W. Ruth St, Auburn, MI From Beacon of Hope: Just a simple note to say thank you for participating in our Baby Bottle Boomerang this year. As a church you collectively raised $ It is so amazing what we can do when we come together! Your gift helps us to take steps toward the goal that we have of further reaching out into our community and providing love and support to more women and families. You are a vital part of all that happens here. You are part of a Christian community who recognizes a need and chooses to do something about it. Thank you for your gift. It s making a difference, one life at a time and we appreciate you. Sincerely, Amy Srebinski/Executive Director.

9 Page 9 Connecting college students to LCMS U: It s back-toschool time! Do you know a student heading off to college, perhaps for the very first time? College can be tough on our young adults. They will be challenged by friends, professors and choices that are contrary to their Christian worldview. Please help your college students start the year off right by connecting them with an LCMS U chapter at their college or university. Visit lcms.org/lcmsu/findcampus for a list of LCMS U chapters, or you may ask for help in making a connection where a chapter doesn t yet exist. Of course, you also are encouraged to contact campus ministries and congregations near colleges and universities directly. They would love to hear from you! The LCMS U website features connections to ministry partners, information on a weekly radio show for college students and other resources. SEPTEMBER IS NOMINATION MONTH! There will be several positions and vacancies opening on our church and school boards for you to get involved. We ask that you give prayerful thought and consideration when the positions are listed in our church bulletin during the month of September. REGULAR OFFICE HOURS START AUGUST 13TH 7:30 AM 3:30 PM