Zion Lutheran Church 330 Griswold Street Elgin IL 60123 847-888-2882 www.zionelginil.org zionelgin@yahoo.com "Grounded in Christ: Sent to be a blessing" June 2016 This We Believe The faith of the church is the one thing that unite us. That is not to say that there aren t still a wide variety of beliefs and interpretation within the church. But it is to say that there is a core of the faith that we share with Christians around the world. Creeds are one of the ways that the church has lifted up central things about our faith. These statements of faith try to convey what is most important to the church at the time the creed is written. The Lutheran Church has three ancient creeds that we have agreed are faithful witnesses to the Christian faith: The Apostles Creed, the Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed. We also use a contemporary creed at our second service that was written by the United Church of Canada and set to music by Jeff Grosser. Each creed has its reasons for having been written. Each creed has its own merit as we use it in worship today. When the ELCA updated our denomination s hymnal in 2006, one of the things that was done was adopting the updated language for the Apostles Creed that is used by the majority of Christians in North America. The last time this was done was when the previous hymnal came out in 1978. When that version of the creed came out, the editors of the hymnal moved Lutherans to restoring the word catholic in the creed which was the increasing practice of many Protestant groups by then (that raised some eyebrows back then!). Today, that language has proven useful and helpful in reminding us that we are part of the one, true and universal church. We aren t some fly by night cult or sect Continued on next page
PAGE 2 Continued from front cover we are part of the true church (that s what the word catholic means). This summer, we will begin using the updated creed language in worship. It isn t nearly as big an update as that change in 1978. In fact, the edits are small and all in the language of the second article. But ANY change in something people have memorized is challenging (for the pastor, too!). We will all have to pay attention as we say the words of the creed in worship. June 5, 12 and 19 we will have a three part series on the Apostles Creed. Starting in worship on June 5th, we will use the spoken Apostles Creed at both services and we will do so for the summer. With practice, we will adjust and be in synch with our Christian sisters and brothers across the land. Part of a creed is the connection it gives us to something bigger than ourselves. That s part of why the use of creeds is so important within our worship tradition. So, next time you say, I believe in God you ll need to pay extra attention to the words that follow. That can be a good thing! Grant Received Befriender Ministry We are stepping out to empower our lay members to increase their ability to be equipped to do ministry in meaningful and powerful ways. Part of that will be for us to host a Befrienders Ministry train the trainer event on September 20-23 in the fall. We will be sending one staff person and four lay leaders to that event. Then we can train members as visitors for members in need as well as to visit seniors and people with disabilities in the Housing Authority of Elgin s new apartments that were just completed in our neighborhood. For hosting the training we get a discount and save the need to travel. In addition, we applied to the Metro Chicago s Fund for Mission and we received a grant for $5000 the total cost for us to get started. Thanks to the synod for its partnership with our ministry. Summer Offerings Our offerings during the year just about cover our expenses. This means that our giving pattern works to barely sustain us within a cashflow that we can manage. Often, our history has shown that summer giving has been more erratic as people travel and spend time outside camping, visiting family, etc. Three things you can do to help Zion not struggle during the summer months: Make worship a priority. Summer worship is still important and a way we frame our entire week. Don t get lazy about keeping time with God up front. When you miss a week, consider that the church s work continues. We don t give each week to pay an admission charge to worship. We give each week to support the work of the church. If you are going to be gone, please send your offering in or bring that week s offering with you in addition to the offering you would make any week that you are able to be here. Consider online giving. With Vanco and Pay- Pal, we have ways to help you meet your giving goals without putting your envelope in the offering plate. You can go to PayPal from the Zion web site. You can go to Vanco to set up an online giving account and then give one time or recurring donations there. The Vanco online site is at: http://tinyurl.com/hh6zw8j Financial Report VBS - Save the Dates July 25-29 6:15-8:00 PM April Income Expenses General $16,715 $16,467 Building Fund $1,164 $1,231 YTD Income Expenses General $69,606 $65,522 Building Fund $3,936 $4,922
PAGE 3 Landscaping Update A plan for the landscaping around the entrance and churchyard was presented to the congregation at the April 17 th forum. The plan was well received and includes brick patios (one with engraved bricks and one with a chalice labyrinth pattern), a pergola for shade, benches for sitting, a peace pole (with the words, Let there be peace on earth in four languages Norwegian for the church founders, German for the origins of Lutheranism, Spanish for our many Hispanic neighbors and English as the language we all know best). Add in some grass, shrubs and places for flowers and the entrance will be a wonderful place to sit and reflect on a nice day. Work on this should begin in June and be done before the end of summer. Landscape Brick Drive Begins At our congregational forums in April we discussed the landscaping plans for the church yard and entrance area. One piece of that is a patio made from paver bricks. People will be able to donate bricks to honor or memorialize people at a cost of $50/brick. Funds from these engraved bricks will be used to provide both the engraved brick for use in the patio and also fund additional materials for the patios and landscaping. There will be a separate mailing with specific instructions for making donations as well as forms available in the church narthex. Initial orders need to be completed by Sunday, June 19 th. Feed My Starving Children Our next visit to Feed My Starving Children is scheduled for Saturday, July 9 from 9-11 AM. This is open to anyone plus there is a special invitation to our Sunday School children and families. At Easter they raised $153.00 to be given to Feed My Starving Children to purchase the supplies that go into the food. They will be able to present them with the check while we are there. We will be going to the Schaumburg facility located at 1072 National Parkway. We have space for up to 30 people and they are counting on us to fill these spots. Ages 5 100+ are welcome to attend. To sign up, go to http://volunteer.fmsc.org/register/ Group/JoinGroup.aspx?gid=850677 Making Sundays Happen If you ve been to Zion a time or two you have probably noticed that at the end of the list of worship leaders in the green sheet is the title of Ministers, followed by All Members of Zion. This is a reminder that we believe in the Priesthood of All Believers that all people have direct access to God. Because of Jesus sacrifice and the gift of the Holy Spirit, we are not required to send messages to God through someone else we can listen for God s leading all on our own. But as one body in Christ, we rely on each other for many things: a listening hear, a shoulder to lean on sometimes even a kick in the pants! Just as we invest in our individual spiritual lives it s important to invest in our life together at Zion. We all share the title of Minister, which means we all share the responsibility of caring for one another as Jesus would, both in and outside of worship. Hosting two services each Sunday and Sunday school between requires many helping hands working together. If it has been a while since you ve signed up to help make Sundays happen, be sure to do so in the binder on the table in the overflow area this Sunday, and be on the lookout for a new and improved "Making Sundays Happen" volunteer sheet. If you'd like to explore new ways to serve on Sundays--or how to start serving for the first time-- be sure to sign up for the "Making Sundays Happen" training session with Pastor Dave on June 18. If you d like more information about opportunities to serve on Sundays, call Mandy Garcia at 630.650.2578 or email amanda@colorwordcreative.com Catechism students to attend Lutherdale Three catechism students will be attending Lutherdale in Elkhorn, WI the week of June 19-24. This is one of their favorite weeks and is a great way to learn, play and worship God in an outdoor environment with young adults as their guides. Zion has made a commitment to help each youth attend camp. Marlene will be on site with them as well.
PAGE 4 JUNE 2016 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 1 2 3 4 09:30 AM- Prayer Shawl 04:00 PM- Ortega Party (LL) 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 08:30 AM-Worship 10:15 AM-Worship 04:30 PM-AA District Mtg (Zion Serves) 09:00 AM- Synod Assembly 09:00 AM- Synod Assembly 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Newsletter Articles Due 10:00 AM-Outdoor worship & picnic 06:00 PM- Lodge Mtg (LL) 06:00 PM- Church Council Flag Day 10:00 AM- Ladies Bible Study 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Father's Day 08:30 AM-Worship 10:15 AM-Worship 02:00 PM- 07:00 PM- SWAN 26 27 28 29 30 08:30 AM-Worship 10:15 AM-Worship 01:00 PM- Myers Vow Renewal 06:00 PM- Lodge Mtg (LL) 06:30 PM- Cougar's Baseball (Zion Serves)
PAGE 5 If you have concerns or joys to share, please call the church office at 847-888-2882 and press 2 to place a request on the prayer line. June 18 - Training for Sunday Volunteers On Saturday, June 18 th, we will have training for people who participate in worship leadership on Sundays. We did this a few years ago with good results and we have made some updates and changes to how we are going to do things so that it is time for a training event again. We will begin at 9 AM on Saturday, June 18 th and train greeters, ushers, acolytes, assisting ministers, and lectors in the skills they need to lead well. This is a part of our June emphasis on involving lay leaders to have what they need in order for our Sunday worship to be done well and provide a good environment in which all of us can focus our attention on encountering Christ when we gather. Chairs Coming to Sanctuary As part of our updating the entrance and making it handicap accessible, a wonderful thing has happened. People with walkers are coming to church! The entrance is already having a real impact on our ability to invite and host a variety of people who used to struggle to get in our building. As a result, we now need to create space for walkers and wheelchairs in the sanctuary. Our pews don t accommodate these well. To do this, we will be removing some pews at the front and back of the sanctuary and replacing them with chairs designed for worship spaces. This will allow for us to establish flexible seating with spaces for people with special needs to sit without feeling isolated or in the way. The pews will remain for the majority of the seating still, so we will be like many congregations in today s world a mix of pews and chairs. The chairs should arrive by the end of summer and be ready for fall. Bible readings for June June 5 Psalm 104:1-13 (sermon text) Matthew 6:25-34 June 12 Isaiah 53:1-6 John 3:16-21 (sermon text) June 19 Acts 6:1-7 John 14:25-31a (sermon text) June 26 2 Corinthians 1:1-11 (sermon text) John 14:25-27 July 3 2 Corinthians 2:1-10 (sermon text) Matthew 18:21-22 JUNE VERSE OF THE MONTH Look at the birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Matthew 6:26 Food and Spirituality Two of Jesus most recurring commands throughout the New Testament were to love the poor and feed the hungry. For our fourth and final Food and Spirituality class on Friday, June 17 at 7 p.m., Mandy Garcia will lead us in an exploration of the humble beginnings of many of our favorite dishes: rice and beans, stone soup, biscuits and gravy, even meatloaf. We ll discuss ways to stretch a little into a lot, and the vital role of gratitude and generosity in our spiritual lives. Join us as we ponder the relationship between food and poverty of the past and present, and how Jesus commands apply to us today. Advanced registration is required and space is limited, so sign up early! Cost is $10/person.
PAGE 6 Church Picnic on June 12 June 12 th will be our annual church picnic and it will be held at Wing Park. We will have our second service outdoors there starting about 10:15 AM and follow that with a picnic that will feature god food, fellowship, games and fun. The Congregational Care Committee will provide the main dish and we are all invited to bring side dishes and desserts to share. Pray for good weather and come planning to worship and picnic outside! Graduates to be Honored On June 12th we will honor graduates at the church picnic. Mandy Garcia, Jenny Myers and Spencer Pierson all completed degrees this spring. We want to celebrate that accomplishment and honor them as they take another step in equipping themselves to be of use in God s world during their daily lives. If you know of other graduates who call Zion their church home, please contact Joy Flathau or the church office. Congratulations! July 9 Feed My Starving Children Volunteering 9 11AM July 25-29 Vacation Bible School Sept 11 Fall Schedule resumes Sept 11 God s Work/Our Hands Service Day Sept 19-23 Befriender s On-site training October 8 Fall Work Day October 15 KHUSA Regional Conference for mentors and prayer partners (St. Charles) November 19 - Feed My Starving Children Volunteering 11:30 1:30 November 20 Congregational Meeting November 22 Thanksgiving Worship December 24 Christmas Eve Worship Practicing the 3 (4) R s Equals Stewardship: "The Lord God then took man and settled him in the garden of Eden to cultivate and care for it." Genesis 2:15. So from the beginning man has been made trustee of the fruits of the earth. Practicing the three Rs is essential for the effective stewardship of God's creation. Only in this way can we preserve its abundant treasures for future generations, and assure that its abundance is available to all people. Youth Group On June 7, we will be helping at one of Zion s important ministries Zion s to help prepare and serve a meal to those who are hungry in this community. Arrive between 4 and 4:30. You will finish between 6:45 and 7:00. Kane County Cougars Night Summer Worship Schedule May 29 Sept 4 8:30 a.m. Worship / Holy Communion 10:15 a.m. Worship / Holy Communion June 27 is All Faith s Night at the Kane County Cougars. It s always a fun time to play together! Tickets are only $5. Sign up early by visiting the table in the overflow area.