NOVEMBER- 2017 ZION NEWS Table of Contents Pastor Rock s Message Page 2 Covered Walkway Update Page 4 A Man Named Martin & Zion School Chapel Page 5 Angel Tree Names Needed & Senior Worship Page 6 Fall & Holiday Worship Schedule Page 7 Zion School News Page 8 High School Notes, Dorcas, & Deficit Reduction Page 9 Man s Lifespan Explained Page 10 Craft Faire, Honey Sunday, Noodles & Doodles Page 11 Angel Tree & LCFS Page 12 Cookie Walk, Altar Flowers, & Card Shower Page 13 Poinsettias Order Form Page 14 Insert Calendars for November NEW CHURCH OFFICE HOURS SET With the approval of our Board of Elders, beginning the week of October 16 th, the hours for the church office to be open are Mon. Wed., from 8 AM to 3 PM. If you have no key to the building, please try to plan your need for entrance to the church accordingly. While Pastor Rock may be in the office when you come to the door on those days, he may also be elsewhere in the building or on a phone call and unable to put that call on hold to open the door for you. (Yes, some calls are that important; i.e., a medical or family emergency.) It is suggested that if you plan to come to the church on a Thursday or Friday that you call ahead (or, perhaps better yet) simply gain entry through the north school entrance. The school office hours are Mon. Fri., 8 AM to 3 PM. PUBLIC SCHOOL JR CONFIRMATION CLASS: Time change-class is now Sundays at 10:45am.
ZION LUTHERAN CHURCH AND SCHOOL 540 OAK PARK AVENUE, P. O. BOX 369 BEECHER, IL 60401-0369 CHURCH (708) 946-2271 SCHOOL (708) 946-2272 ZIONBEECHER@COMCAST.NET WWW.ZIONBEECHER.NET NOVEMBER 2017 Dear friends in Christ Jesus, We are now fully immersed in the busyness of the fall both within our homes as well as within our church and school. Much is happening at our beloved church! As this is written, we are continuing to hold our weekly meetings to put into place all the details for our Annual Benefit Dinner Auction. The Building Committee continues to meet with our architect. Our classes are in full throttle mode for both our church and school. Besides such things as those, the slower pace of summer in the life of the church is long gone. The fall brings more special worship services that demand more attention than do the usual services found in the summertime. And so it goes, on and on and on But, actually, most of us love the extra activities and opportunities that come with this time of year. We embrace the variety of worship services along with the varied opportunities to take classes and to provide service to God and our church. That s a good thing! However, no one can participate in everything. That is a given. So it is for me. Since Pastor Moldenhauer has been serving as our interim school principal, he has been consumed with many, many duties to be found in that office. And, because he holds that place of service to Zion, he had to give up nearly all of his portion of the pastoral duties that he and I had shared for the last 10+ years. Due to that, like you, I also must prioritize opportunities and activities in my life. This is because I simply can no longer do many of the things that I had done in the past. 2
Visits to our homebound members are fewer than were made in the past. Previously the goal was that each homebound member received a pastoral visit each month. Now, the goal is for such visits to be every other month unless extenuating circumstances arise (i.e., weak health, etc.). Yes, some of the Elders have volunteered to help make such home visits, but not everyone desires such a visit. Perhaps as you read this newsletter, you ll notice that I m planning to cut back on my contributions to the monthly Zion News newsletter. In the past, a very high percentage of the content originated from my computer keyboard. I simply don t believe that I have the time to invest in that as I have in the past. This is too bad, as I have always looked at the church s newsletter as a way for everyone (if they read it!) to keep abreast of what s going on at Zion. It also provides visitors a snapshot view of our congregation. I ask each board, committee, or organization to consider assigning someone from their group to submit an article for the newsletter. Just as you enjoy learning what other groups are doing, so will everyone enjoy hearing what your group is doing. Don t worry, there are no grammar police permitted in the church office. Simply write your article and submit it to Terri. She will take it from there. BUT please write your own article. Terri is NOT a staff writer. Please don t tell her to put something in the newsletter (or bulletin) about. It s your organization; it s your news to share! Your taking ownership of this news effort will help me and help Zion in the process. These are very exciting times for us at Zion! Since the first of this year I ve been re-invigorated to serve in a way that, frankly, surprises me! For that, I thank God. It s a joy to see our worship attendance on Saturday evenings to have grown and even thrive in the past couple of months. There are a number of families coming on Saturdays who hadn t been able to come to worship in the past. Our Sunday morning worship is significantly better the singing is greatly improved, the liturgy participation is remarkable, and the energy found in worship is stimulating! The Fellowship Time is a joy to see. (I m thrilled when I have to weave in and out of the many clusters of God s people visiting and enjoying one another s 3
company!) Truly and honestly, I m having fun in my service to God and to you! May God bless us and also use each of us to be a blessing to one another within our church and all of her activities within and outside of our facilities! See you in Church! Pastor Rock UPDATE ON COVERED WALKWAY PROJECT The Building Committee continues to meet regularly with our project Architect to finalize design issues and address potential bids. Our efforts were slightly delayed during the first weeks of October as our Architect unfortunately had some delays as he dealt with some personal issues (family medical needs). That delay, of course, was unavoidable. The Building Committee plans to continue to meet with the architect as need arises. Our plans are to follow through with the bids when they are submitted, discuss the options, and then present a recommended bid and proposal to the congregation as soon as possible. Depending on the weather, the project may still be started this fall, or we will simply wait until the winter weather breaks and construction will begin in early spring. The Church Council and the Building Committee wish to once again remind everyone that all of the funding for this project has come from members or families of members in memorials to loved ones who now are with the Lord. This means that NO funding is coming from general offerings and contributions. And, of course, each Christian is free to give his/her offerings to the work of the Lord as He leads them. We thank God for those who contributed to this project so that many people for many years to come may more easily enter the Lord s house for worship! Please feel free to reach out to any Building Committee member with your comments and/or questions. Thank you. 4
A MAN NAMED MARTIN This is the name of the study that our Sunday Adult Bible Class has been using this fall. It is an excellent study of Martin Luther and the Reformation of the Christian Church that his efforts began. Since this is the year is the 500 th Anniversary of the Reformation, it is most appropriate that we deliberately study this now. Earlier this fall we examined the life of Luther and how God used him to bring about the Reformation. There are two parts of the study yet to consider. It is NOT too late to join the class. Those who have attended all agree that they have learned many things of which they were unaware before this class! The three parts of the study are: 1. Part 1: The Man (Completed) 2. Part 2: The Moment (Just beginning) 3. Part 3: The Movement (To begin later this fall) Please consider taking part in this study. This is a great way for us all to become more aware of our roots the why s, the where s, and the how s of the Reformation. We meet Sunday mornings at 8 AM for 45 minute sessions in the Conference Room. JOIN OUR SCHOOL CHILDREN TO SING MATINS! If your schedule permits, please consider periodically attending our weekly school chapel services. The entire school children & staff meets at 8:20 AM each Wednesday. Area Lutheran pastors assist Zion s pastors in conducting the services. A brief message is preached and two hymns are sung. And our worship is shaped by the liturgy known as Matins. You will be truly amazed when you hear the youth sing that liturgy! Frankly, when I hear them, it astounds me that our youth can and do sing with such energy and gusto! Please plan to come and participate with them very soon. The chapel services last from 30-40 minutes. Again, these are held each Wednesday morning until the Season of Advent. Then the weekly chapel is moved to 2 PM in order to coincide with the special Midweek Advent services. Please consider attending! Pastor Rock 5
ANGEL TREE NAMES NEEDED BY NOVEMBER 5 TH Zion's Christian Growth Committee will again sponsor the "Angel Tree" for those who have some kind of "connection" to Zion. You, as a member or friend of Zion, can sponsor any child or family that could use some help at Christmas and we will do exactly the same thing as we have done in the past, giving our members the opportunity to share the Joy of Christmas with those in need. We will not be sending out letters inviting participation, but we still want to make sure that all our children have a happy Christmas. If you have sponsored a family in the past, or know of someone who needs some help, please do not hesitate to let us know. Of course, you can protect their privacy, we do not need names, just fill out the form that tells us basic information and some gift suggestions for each child. (Form is in the church office.) SPECIAL MONTHLY WORSHIP & LUNCHEON (11:00am) Thursday, November 16 th Attention all seniors, retirees or anyone available on the third Thursday of the month!! You are encouraged to attend this monthly Worship services, no matter what your age. We are encouraging everyone who is available to come to this special worship service and luncheon. Following the communion service, you will be served a luncheon which is sponsored by private donations of individual members of Zion and served by some of our members. This event is held on the 3 rd Thursday of every month. Please join us at 11:00am for a time of worship and fellowship. 6
FALL & HOLIDAY WORSHIP SCHEDULE SET Zion s Board of Elders met on September 11 th. Among their board discussions and actions was the setting of the worship schedule for this fall through the upcoming holiday season. Here is a summary of the special services, days, and times: Wed., Nov. 22 nd Thanksgiving Eve Worship (7pm) Wednesdays Dec. 6, 13, 20 Midweek Advent Worship (2 & 7 pm) Sat., Dec. 9 th Special Service of Remembrance (7 pm) Sun., Dec. 24 th Observing the 4 th Sunday in Advent (9 am) Sun., Dec. 24 th Observing Christmas Eve (5:30 & 8:00 pm) Mon., Dec. 25 th Christmas Day (10 am) Sun., Dec. 31 st Observing the First Sun. after Christmas (9 am) Sun., Dec. 31 st Observing New Year s Eve (6 pm) NO 5PM SATURDAY WORSHIP SERVICES ON DECEMBER 23 RD AND 30 TH. JUST A REMINDER For various reasons, many of our members have dropped use of a conventional telephone land line over the past few years. They now use only a cell phone for all of their telephone communication. If you have done that, please remember to contact our church office to inform us of your new cellular number. When requested, we will not publish your phone number. For pastoral necessities, it is prudent and wise for the church office to have your contact number. You may call the church office (708.946.2271) or send it by email to: zionbeecher@comcast.net Thank you! P.S. Please let us know of any email address changes! 7
Zion Lutheran School NEWS! What s going on in 7 th & 8 th grades The corporate structure model has been embraced by the 7 th & 8 th graders. Each week a new student assumes the role of manager. The manager not only assigns weekly duties: flags, recycling, Chromebooks, acolyte, etc. but is responsible for seeing those duties are completed. Students are putting into practice the values of accountability, teamwork and encouragement. The combined classes are studying the Western Hemisphere in Geography. Moving south from Canada and the United States, the students completed research projects on provinces and states including PowerPoint presentations. We are currently researching the history & culture of Mexico. The unit will conclude with a taco lunch and guest speaker, a native of Mexico who recently became a US citizen. She will also teach the students to say grace in Spanish. We started our second novel in Literature and are writing progressive essays in Language. Building upon a single phrase, the students each wrote one sentence that was expanded into three paragraphs. These paragraphs were combined into an essay. The project continues as they edit and refine their essays. The 5 th through 8 th grades are partnering with Honor Flight Chicago to thank military veterans for their service. We have set a goal of providing 1000 handwritten thank you notes. We need your help to meet our goal. We are in need of blank thank you notes for the students to use. If you can help, please leave the thank you notes in the box in the narthex. ATTENTION PARENTS OF COLLEGE STUDENTS Parents of college students Please provide to Zion s church office the email address of your children who are in college. We will use that to email a copy of the weekly sermon to your children as well as a copy of the monthly newsletter. 8
HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH NOTES On Sunday afternoon, Oct. 1 st, Zion s high school youth along with Barb Harvey, Linda Stanevich, Bev Cooper, and Pr. Rock toured the Shrine of Christ s Passion in St. John, Indiana. A tour guide was provided who helped us understand how the shrine was built. Following the tour we went to Cedar Lake for ice cream. Encouraged by our Board of Elders, our youth plan to begin ushering for one Sunday morning service each month. Their first Sunday to do this is Sunday, Oct. 29 th the very day that we at Zion and Lutherans around the world will formally observe the 500 th Anniversary of the Reformation! All Zion youth, 7-12 grade (and their friends!) are invited to participate in our gatherings. Please contact either Barb Harvey (708.567.6834) or Pastor Rock (708.363.9863) with any questions. DORCAS MEETING - NOVEMBER 9 TH Rev. Reuben Schmitz, will be at our November 9th Dorcas meeting to share with us the mission and ministry of Bethesda Lutheran Communities. Everyone is invited to attend a dessert luncheon beginning at 1:00 in the Conference Room. Hostesses for the meeting are Rhonda Campbell and Debbie Falaschetti. Deficit Reduction Donors Zion is looking for major donors to support a deficit reduction drive. Our goal is to raise $100,000 to reduce our operating deficit. We are looking for a few donors to pledge a total of $50,000 to use as matching funds, challenging the rest of the congregation to match that amount to reach our goal. We already have donors who have pledged to this project and are looking for other major donors. Please contact Pastor Moldenhauer for pledge forms and more information. 9
MAN S LIFESPAN EXPLAINED [Dear friends, The following came to me from a member via email. I thought that I d pass it on to you. And, no, it s not very Biblical, but I did find it funny. I hope that you do as well! Pastor Rock.] On the first day, God created the dog and said: Sit all day by the door of your house and bark at anyone who comes in or walks past. For this I will give you a life span of twenty years. The dog said, That s a long time to be barking. How about only ten years and I ll give you back the other ten? And God said that it was good. On the second day, God created the monkey and said, Entertain people, do tricks, and make them laugh. For this, I ll give you a twenty year life span. The monkey said, Monkey tricks for twenty years? That s a pretty long time to perform. How about I give you back ten like the dog did? And God again said that it was good. On the third day, God created the cow and said, You must go into the field with the farmer all day long and suffer under the sun, have calves and give milk to support the farmer s family. For this, I will give you a life span of sixty years. The cow said That s kind of hard to want me to live for sixty years. How about I do twenty and I ll give back the other forty? And God agreed it was good. On the fourth day, God created humans and said, Eat, sleep, play, marry and enjoy your life. For this I ll give you twenty years. But the human said, Only twenty years? Could you possibly give me my twenty, the forty the cow gave back, the ten the monkey gave back, and the ten the dog gave back; that makes eighty okay? Okay, said God, You asked for it. So that s why for our first 20 years, we eat, sleep, play, and enjoy ourselves. for the next 40 years, we slave in the sun to support our family for the next 10 years, we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren and for the last 10 years, we sit on the front porch and bark at everyone! Life has now been explained to you. There is no need to send your thanks for this valuable information. It s provided here as a public service. And if you re looking for me I ll be on the front porch (doing monkey tricks!). 10
ZION PTL ANNUAL FALL CRAFT FAIRE Saturday, November 4 th Zion Lutheran School 9am-2pm Many vendors and crafters! An event not to be missed! Come show support while you shop. Lunch will be available! For more information contact jlwood5771@yahoo.com "HONEY SUNDAY" NOVEMBER 5 TH Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch is a Lutheran Foundation helping at-risk children and their families in the name of Christ. Sunday School will be helping the ranch by sponsoring a HONEY SUNDAY before and after each service. We will be taking orders for 11 oz. bottles of honey. The honey will be sent directly from the Ranch to your home or P.O. Box. A gift of $7 - $10 for each bottle of honey must accompany the order; all of the money will go to the ranch. This fundraiser makes it possible for the ranch to continue their residential treatment and educational center for at-risk youth. www.dakotaboysandgirlsranch.org REFORMATION FUNDRAISER--The Sunday School of St. Paul s (Beecher) is offering 500 th Reformation T-shirts and tote bags to celebrate the 500 th anniversary of the Reformation and to benefit Zion Lutheran School. Each item costs $15. To place your order, see the sign-up sheet located in the narthex. The deadline is November 12, 2017. Noodles & Doodles~ Spaghetti Dinner for the 2018 Zion Lutheran School Springfield, Walcamp, & Washington DC Group Saturday, November 18 th -- 4:00-7:00 Ticket Sales on Saturdays & Sundays 11
ANGEL TREE ALL GIFTS AND GROCERY CARDS ARE DUE BY DECEMBER 3RD! Angel Tree - For those of you who are quick enough to get an angel from the tree, please sign the sheet so we know that each 'Angel' has been taken. These gifts DO NEED TO BE WRAPPED & THE ANGEL ATTACHED TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE WRAPPED GIFT. Lutheran Child & Family Services Foster Care Christmas Program. Once again we have the opportunity to support LCFS with gifts for their foster children. These gifts are not for a specific child but for a boy or girl in a specific age group. LCFS will distribute the gifts to the appropriate child. DO NOT WRAP THE GIFTS FOR LCFS BUT DO ATTACH THE "HEART" TO THE GIFT. Some suggestions for the LCFS Foster Care Christmas Program: 1. Books From nursery rhymes to teen books 2. Board games Fun to play from preschool to teen. 3. Gift cards $25 gift cards are great gifts for teenagers 4. Toys A special gift to open on Christmas morning. 5. Financial gifts Enables LCFS to fill in gaps and purchase items for the children. ALL DONATIONS WILL BE NEEDED BY DECEMBER 3 RD. WALT'S OR ALDI'S GIFT CARDS OR MONETARY DONATIONS ARE ANOTHER WAY TO JOIN IN THIS COMBINED EFFORT. 12
ZION DORCAS SOCIETY ANNUAL COOKIE WALK SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9 TH 8:30 TO 11:00 Calls will be made to ask all of our members for donations to the Cookie Walk. Ladies from the Dorcas will be calling you asking for donations of homemade cookies. Thank you in advance for your participation. Profit from the cookie walk is used for projects at our church. ALTAR FLOWER DONATIONS Individuals or families may donate flowers to be placed on the altar in honor of certain occasions, such as a birthday or wedding anniversary, in memory of loved ones or in thanksgiving for a special way that God has blessed you. There are two simple steps: (1.) Identify the week. There is a large signup chart for this, it is conveniently located on the bulletin board just inside the church office. (2.) Contact your florist of choice to order flowers for your week. (Note: Beecher Florists has a key to our building and can easily make delivery.) Thank you for considering making such a worthy donation to beautify our church! CARD SHOWER FOR SALLY HAMEISTER Our sister-in-christ, Sally Hameister, is celebrating a milestone birthday on November 10 th. Sally will be 95 years young that day and her daughter, Sandie, has requested that we who are Sally s friends and church family send a birthday greeting to her. Sally has moved to Kansas to be near Sandie. You may send your card to Sally at this address: Sally Hameister, 917 E. Saddle Run, Mulvane, KS 67110. Thank you for helping our dear sister celebrate her birthday! 13
ALTAR FLOWERS FOR CHRISTMAS Poinsettias will be available again this Christmas season for $8 each through the Christian Growth Committee. The poinsettias will decorate the Altar through Christmas Day. You may take your plant home following the Christmas Day service. Due to limited space on the altar, only 66 poinsettias will be ordered. Place your order early to guarantee having a plant to take home. Names will be listed in the Christmas Eve & Christmas Day bulletins. Thank you for your support! If you are placing this/these plant(s) in someone s memory or for another occasion, please note below. Please print clearly. This information will be printed in the bulletins on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Plant 1. Plant 2. Plant 3. Plant 4. Plant 5. Number of Plants x $8.00/plant = Total: $ Amount enclosed: Your name: Please Make Checks Payable To: ZION CHRISTIAN GROWTH COMMITTEE If you choose to participate, any amount over the cost of the poinsettias will be given for the support of Seminarian Jonathon Torreson at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. 14