My first Call was to serve a rural parish in North Dakota. The location was further North than I had ever traveled. I felt like I had gone to the ends of the earth. Still, I wouldn’t exchange those first years of ministry in North Dakota for anything else. The ministry was challenging, but the people were warm and kind. They put up with my rookie ideas and my foolish mistakes. The parish was a three-point, which means there were
Children & Family Ministry has two new members joining the team! With a great deal of joy and excitement, we introduce Zion’s two newest staff members. The Children and Family Ministry team has been operating with only a few staff members for far too long. Kristin Lotthammer, our Coordinator of Sunday School, along with Lora Nichols, former Ministry Assistant with Kristin, have both done a marvelous job of making sure that our Children & Family Ministry has been strong and
Summer will soon be here! After the deep snows in April, it seemed like we’d never see green grass again. As all Minnesotans know, summer will be fleeting, and we need to take advantage of the nice days while they are here. But just like the inevitable road construction season, Zion, along with most churches, will be facing the traditional ‘Summer Slump.’ The ‘Summer Slump’ is a slowdown in church attendance and giving during the summertime when many people are
For many years, Zion has provided global travel opportunities to participate with our mission partners in Jamaica and Zambia. These mission trips combine a service project with time for reflection and spiritual rest. The Mission trip schedule has been alternating between odd and even years between Jamaica and Zambia. Participating in one of these mission trips is a great way to serve others and surround yourself with people of different cultures. The next planned trips are expected to be in
During its spring meeting, the Zion Cemetery Board approved a number of improvements at the Zion Cemetery for the summer of 2023. The Zion cemetery is located about two miles south of the church, at the intersection of Hwy 25 and 10th Street SE, and was the location of the original Carlslund Lutheran Church building. In 2021, Zion purchased three acres of land, shaped in an “L” around the cemetery; approximately an additional 50 feet along the south and 300
The income/offering to the General Fund in March again exceeds that given in March of 2022. This month’s increase amounts to almost $1,800 per Sunday. At the same time, our General Fund expenses for the month have exceeded our monthly income by about $29,000. This month’s deficit is primarily due to greater participation in our youth programs (a wonderful problem!), increased food costs for the Wednesday Night Suppers, and an additional payroll. Year-to-date General Fund giving is up over 11%
At Zion we talk about both the Zion Foundation and the Memorial Fund, but what is the difference? One major difference is that the dollars donated to the Zion Foundation are invested, and only the gains from the investment are spent on projects (often called an “endowment”). All dollars given to the Memorial Fund are spent. Another difference is that the Zion Foundation is a separately incorporated entity created to serve the ministry of Zion and the Foundation Board is
