CHURCH MOUSE. Important February Dates. Greeters. Ushers

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1 CHURCH MOUSE We love because He first loved us. Important February Dates 4 Men s Bible The Parkview 8:00 am 5 Congregational Mtg. 7 Staff Mtg. 2:45 pm 7 PTL Mtg. 5:30 pm 7 Elder s Mtg. 7:00 pm 9 BCE Mtg. 6:00 pm 12 Sunday Brunch 16 Church Council Mtg. 7:00 pm School Closed Mid Term Break 24 Kindergarten Orientation 8:30-11:15 am 24 Family Fun Night 6:00 pm Greeters 5 John Holton/Peg Lindstrom 12 Randy Kellogg 19 Ron and Ruth Nearpass 26 John and Jenny Ceccherelli Ushers 5 Brian and Jackie Schendel 12 Don Heckathorn/ Randy Kellogg 19 Peter and Heather Roseboom 26 Matt and Lori Hoyt Church Mouse Submission: If you enjoy reading this newsletter, please consider submitting an article/ pictures from life events (eg: the birth of your own baby or grandchild or family vacations/celebrations/birthdays). Please include a caption to go with the picture. We will also accept announcements that have to do with the Church life at Zion. Please send to Adina-she has a mailbox in the office or you can send her an at asetzer01@stny.rr.com. The deadline for any submission is the 20th of the month.

2 February Birthdays 1 Noah Pokigo 6 Donna Berry 6 Asher Setzer 24 Adina Setzer Februar y Anniversaries 14 Martin and Marga Hellman ***Please contact Debbie in the office to add your birthday/ anniversary dates. A big thanks to Ron and Ruth Nearpass and Dot Cheney (school helper) for being a volunteer grandparent at the school on Wednesday, January 25th. The students at Zion celebrated National Lutheran Schools Week with activities that included a visit from the Discovery Center s Star Lab, Grandparent s Day, pajama day, a service field trip to Tioga County Rural Ministries, and singing at church! I just wanted to say thank you for all the prayers, support, and inquiries regarding my father, Angelo Merlino s, health after learning he had suffered from his third heart attack. I m happy to update that he is doing better and is working at his job. Continued prayers are greatly appreciated as he heals and makes lifestyle adjustments. February is known as American Heart Month. According to The American Heart Association, heart disease is the number one killer of men and women in the United States. Visit to learn the signs of heart attack, stroke, and cardiac arrest and ways to improve your own heart health. -Adina Setzer

3 Dear saints at Zion, Although it is with great joy that I serve you as your vacancy pastor, it is my prayer that it is not for long and that the Lord again bless you with the pastor He has chosen for you [Eph. 4.11]. It is by faith that we know that the Lord is now working greatly and mightily on us as a congregation and using this time for our spiritual good as a congregation. Because this is so, it is all the more vital that we as a congregation pray for our church and school, that we pray for our call committee, that we pray for the Lord s continued guidance and wisdom so that we recognize and follow His will. In short, it is vital that we be even more active for Zion and at Zion. One of the great temptations during a vacancy is to fade away even from worship-- until the new pastor comes. But this is the exact opposite of what should be done. By our faithful attendance in worship we are encouraging our fellow members at Zion; and their faithful attendance is an encouragement to us. On top of that, the whole reason for gathering for worship is to receive the gifts the Lord wants to give us in His word and Sacrament and to give Him thanks for them. Luther commented on Genesis 12.7, So [Abraham] built there an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him : Thus one sees that the holy patriarch, as miserable and foreign as he is, still, on account of the promise that was made to him, thinks of a certain place and dwelling. He then, for the first time, builds an altar to the Lord who appeared to him; that is, he prescribes a place where the Church is to come together to hear God s word, to pray, to praise God, to sacrifice, etc. That is what it means to build an altar. It was not by his own counsel that Abraham chose this place for an altar. God Himself, who appeared to him, chose it. The Lord Himself is the Founder because He appeared there letting it be known that He wanted to be honored at that place and His promise extolled. So also later Jacob at the place he slept and saw the angels going up and down on the ladder that reached to heaven, said, Here is God s house and the gate of heaven! [Gn ]. The Lord, who is there at that place and had His word proclaimed, Himself established and consecrated that place that it should no longer be common but holy and serve a holy purpose. Through the word of God everything is made holy. The point? We receive great blessings as we gather together in worship. The Lord Himself is present in our midst; we are in the presence of the holy God. Here He gives us His grace, His gifts of forgiveness of sin, peace and pardon, the fullness of His heavenly gifts and blessings. He does so in His holy word and sacrament. Here the Lord forgives us our sin and gives us peace as we hear it in his word and as He gives us His very body and blood in the Sacrament. The Lord Himself calls us to and gathers us here, in church, around His word and sacrament. He is here; His word and sacrament are here. It is a holy place! How can we not want to be here? How can we not praise and thank Him here? I was glad when they said to me, Let us go into the house of the Lord! [Ps ] In Christ, Pastor Grabenhofer

4 CALLING ALL SUNDAY SCHOOL STUDENTS: Come to Sunday School and complete a craft or puzzle as part of the lesson. Let s hang them on our new bulletin board in the Narthex to help everyone learn what we have studied. We ll leave them up for 1 or 2 weeks and, then, put up new crafts and puzzles. People with computer skills to help Kelly Meredith and Don Canfield order and download music for church services; people to run the ipad during the service (no knowledge of computers or music necessary just follow the service in the bulletin). If you can help, please talk to Kelly, Don, or Joan Schobert. Thank you for considering volunteering to help with church music. Community Event: Zion PTL is sponsoring a community fun night on Friday, February 24th at 6:00 pm at Zion. They will be playing The Secret Life of Pets movie as well as having crafts, games, and food. Cost=FREE! All are welcome!

5 Kid Friendly French Toast This is a fun Valentine themed recipe to do with your children and grandchildren! Easy ingredients and the kids can help. Ingredients: oatmeal bread egg skim milk maple syrup strawberries To Do: 1 Beat an egg, using a fork, in a medium, low bowl. Add about ¾ cup milk per each egg used. Add a teaspoon of maple syrup and stir well. 2 Using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out heart shapes from the center of bread slices. 3 Dip all bread pieces into egg mixture and set onto pancake griddle or large skillet set on medium heat. Brown lightly on both sides. 4 Garnish with cut strawberries and maple syrup. For picture and more ideas: Do you have a recipe that your friends and family love? We want to share them in the Church Mouse. Please submit any recipes/pictures to Adina (asetzer01@stny.rr.com) by the 20th of each month.

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