Serving for Jesus

Zion is a congregation filled with people who are committed to serving with Jesus.

Each time we gather for worship, we conclude with a statement of who we are and what we do:

“With all we are and with all we do,
we will trust in Jesus, live for Jesus,
And serve with Jesus Christ our Lord.”

We are people who trust Jesus for all things.  Trusting Jesus in all things means that we live knowing, as Julian of Norwich wrote, in 1373, as she was deathly ill:  “all things shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.”

We live for Jesus.  Living for Jesus means that our ‘why’ in life, which is so popular with self-help gurus, is something we don’t have to go looking for—we already know our why, our what, and how:  Jesus.

And, finally, serving with Jesus is a way of saying that we believe that we are called to be the hands and feet of our Lord today, so that the love of God may be experienced by all.

April is the month we especially give thanks for all we do together as we serve in Jesus’ name. SERVE Weekend is a wonderful invitation to share intentional time with your church family by serving together during the weekend of April 26-28.

SERVE Weekend is the perfect time to try a new way of serving at Zion. Maybe you’ve appreciated the warm, smiling welcome each Sunday morning when you walk through the doors—how about serving as a greeter?  Perhaps you’ve wondered what it would be like to know more about the behind-the-scenes aspects of your church—how about serving as a communion server? How about hosting a coffee fellowship? Simple, but meaningful ways to serve your church family are plentiful. We call our volunteering opportunities shared ministry because that is a more accurate phrase—you aren’t so much volunteering as you are sharing what we do together for the sake of Jesus Christ!

Serving like Jesus is what we are supposed to do as His followers.  But serving is more than “supposed to.” Everyone who gets involved in SERVE Weekend shares a similar experience-summarized in these words of a Zion member last year after SERVE Weekend:  “When I serve, I am the one who gets more out of it than the people I am serving.  I walk away feeling needed, purposeful, and useful. Serve Weekend is one of my very favorite weekends of the year because I am reminded how easy yet important it is to serve. Zion offers so many ways to get involved and to serve. I just love it!”

Come, join in, and enjoy SERVE Weekend together with the rest of your faith family. What an impact we can make when we serve with Jesus together.  Looking forward to seeing you take part in at least one of the many opportunities throughout Serve Weekend.  Together we Trust, Live, and Serve in remarkable ways. I am so grateful to be a part of it with you—
thanks be to God!

Pick a SERVE Weekend Project

Good News!

Happy Easter! By the time this goes to press, we will have just celebrated Easter. One of my favorite church traditions from Zion is our unique way of celebrating the Risen Lord. I always cherish Easter Sunday and how Zion attendees greet one another and share the Good News. When seeing each other, the first will make the statement, “He is Risen!” quickly answered by the other person responding “Christ is Risen indeed, Hallelujah,” usually followed by a shared smile. Our family tradition is that the same brief conversation is repeated many times over the course of the day. It is a wonderful Christian salutation, but also a reminder of the miracle that took place so many years ago and the inspiration it gave the disciples to go out and spread the Good News to all who would listen.

Before the death and resurrection of Jesus, death was only known as an ending, something to be avoided at all costs. Because of His example, we as Christians know there is much more. While his life on earth came to a sudden end, his mission carries on within each one of us.

There is a movie that came out awhile back, called “Pay it Forward.”  It was a simple concept created by a middle school boy, whose school project was to put into action a plan that would change the world for the better.  His idea gets started with him doing something nice for three other people, but rather than repaying the debt, each of the three individuals instead would “pay it forward” by doing something nice for three more people, and so on. The young boy is crushed when his initial attempts seemingly don’t work out and it appears the plan will fail. However, to his surprise and those around him, the idea catches on just enough and spreads from his hometown to across the nation, benefitting a lot of different people along the way in unexpected ways. I loved the message of the story, in that one person can make a profound difference in the world, and all it takes is the willingness to start with a simple kind act (or three).

Perhaps, as it did for the disciples, the Easter season will provide inspiration to you as well, to put more good out into the world along with sharing the Good News to all who will listen.

Lastly, Zion has been a very busy place during the Lenten season, especially on Wednesday evenings. Special thanks to all of those that made it such a meaningful time, from preparing meals enjoyed by so many, to thought- provoking speakers sharing their perspectives after the Lenten service, along with everything in between. I am very grateful for all who volunteered and made an impact.

Financial Report 2024.02

John

The financial statements for February are completed just in time to meet this month’s newsletter deadline. The following summarizes those reports: when comparing February to this month a year ago, General Fund income/offering is almost 7% higher, with a weekly average of just over $14,000. General Fund expenses for the month are about 24% higher than last February. A vast majority of that increase is due to increased staffing for positions not in place a year ago. The remainder of the increase is spread over a number of areas with youth programs and fellowship expenses being the greatest. For this month, our expenses exceeded our offering/income by a little over $21,000.

For the year to date, General Fund income is down almost 4% from last year. However, last year had one more Sunday as of the end of February. Consequently, if you were to compare the weekly averages, General Fund offering/income is actually up 8.1% YTD.

Building Fund income for the month of February is up about 25% compared to February of last year. This amounts to almost $13,000, which is about $900 short of our monthly mortgage payment. For the year-to-date, Building Fund income has exceeded our expenses by about $1300.

It is gratifying to see our congregation respond to our financial commitments. We continue to see Zion as a welcoming place. Thanks to all who are contributing their resources – financial and otherwise – to this vibrant faith community.

Zion’s Outreach Improves the Lives of Ukrainian Refugees

Blue and yellow yeart

As the war drags on in Ukraine, two years after the Russian invasion, Zion and our community can take some comfort in having made a positive impact on the lives of six families who have escaped to the safety of the United States. The families include twelve adults and six children. In most cases, they have found employment and are adjusting reasonably well.

Thanks to the generous contributions of Zion members, Zion Foundation, St. Francis Xavier, Rotary, and others, over $17,000 has been contributed and over $11,000 has been distributed since our efforts to help Ukrainian refugees began in June 2022.

Our support has included assistance for travel, food, housing, phones, appliances, and computers. Most recently, we provided rent and food for one of the families who got caught without a paycheck between jobs.

We have not been official sponsors of any of these families until recently when Dirk and Sue Foster (with Zion’s support) agreed to sponsor Mariia Manusova and Yevhen Scherbakov. This couple is the parents of a family who arrived in September of 2023. They received authorization to travel to the US on Feb 5, 2024, and will fly from Poland to Minneapolis on March 17.

We thank you for your generosity, prayers, and support of these families who escaped the ravages of war but now struggle to adjust to a new life in an unfamiliar country.

Spring Update

Kristi Wagner

God’s blessings to you all! Things are really hopping in the CFM department this month. As the beautiful spring weather moves in, we will discover the stories of Doubting Thomas, The Vineyard Workers and The Good Shepherd, and The Parable of the Rich Man.

March was filled with Lent activities and learning. We are raising money for God’s Global Barnyard through the ELCA to purchase farm animals for families in need. Each Sunday we had a special dress up day to get into the spirit and to remember why we are collecting money for this amazing organization. Our 2nd graders celebrated their Grow in Faith Milestone event, The 10 Commandments. A fun-filled Easter Egg hunt was attended by many on Palm Sunday. Lots of fun for all! In Sunday School, we talked about Holy Week, and Good Friday concluded our month with a family Good Friday service. Kids and families were able to experience stations to review events that occurred during Holy Week and make some special projects to take home, too.

HI HO! HI HO! IT’S OFF TO CAMP WE GO!

Our Zion kids have been registering for an excellent camp adventure at Luther Crest Bible Camp! Our camp week this year is from July 7-12 and there are many options for a camp experience. We opened the registration to kindergarten through 6th grade. Our early bird registration has expired, but never fear! You can still sign up!

Please register today 

Our Zion registration code is CTBZB24.

SCUBA VBS is on the horizon!

We are gearing up for an ocean of underwater fun! Our underwater Scuba adventure, open to preschoolers through 5th graders, will be held June 10-14, from 9am- noon each day.

Sign your child up today! 

We need YOU to make this experience amazing for kids!  YOU can help us by volunteering to be a Crew Leader, a Station Leader, to help in the kitchen, or as a snack server. We also need a Nurse for our first aid station. There are many more helping positions to fill, so look at the sign-up form at zionbuffalo.org and sign up to help today!

Blessing Closet Donations and Distributions

Roger & Sandy Brenny at the Blessing Closet
How many times have you heard or said the following:
“I want to donate my family clothes but not to a business or thrift store that turns around and makes money off my clothing.” “I want my clothing donation to go to people who need it.”
Donating to the Blessing Closet can make both statements come true. We accept new or slightly used, clean, and washed kids and adult clothing along with any shoes. Anything that clients cannot use will be recycled with no items sent to landfills. Donations are accepted on Wednesdays in a ‘marked donation cart’ at the front door waiting for you to just drop off between 8:30am and 4:30pm. If it is an extra-large donation or you can’t make the time frame, please make an appointment by calling 763-317-6052. Distributions are held quarterly at Zion in Trinity Hall for all children and their families. Thousands of items of clothing are displayed for infants, toddlers, children, and adults. Everyone is welcome! There are no income or residency requirements to qualify for the FREE clothing. The quarterly distributions last year served 485 families including 1,239 kids and 761 adults with 37,790 items of clothing. In Total, that is $87,540 of value benefitted the community. WHAT A BLESSING!! Please consider volunteering. You not only enable others to achieve their dreams for success and self-sufficiency, but you help build a stronger community.  
Wednesday, October 1
Blessing Closet Sorting
Saturday, October 18
Blessing Closet Distribution

Holding on: To Promises

Promises made, promises broken. Promises regretted, promises treasured. There are many kinds of promises, aren’t there? Some cut deep to our heart; we make them and would never want to break them. Some are made flippantly, some solemnly, and sadly some are made falsely.
The flippant ones come in many forms.  I promise you I love the Vikings more than life itself. I promise you won’t hate the movie that much. And, sometimes, flippant promises come in the form of a threat. Often used as a parenting technique. “If you don’t stop doing that, I promise you will be grounded for the rest of your life.” No one is grounding their kid for life. Even though, when it is said, we often feel like doing just that!

The false ones are easily said between siblings—“I promise you I will do the dishes next time if you just please do them for me tonight.” I remember saying it many times. Those promises were, I hate to admit, often more about a manipulation than a true intention.  After all, who thinks much past trying to get out on a Friday night (as soon as possible!!) with friends when they are 16?!  And…just to be clear…those promises worked both ways, my brother made many of those false ones too. I did double duty on dishes many times because I was gullible to his promises.
And then, there are God’s promises. God makes them in the form of a covenant. A promise that, on God’s part, can never be broken.  Never. As in—n.e.v.e.r. Not ever. Those are the promises worth holding on to. Those are the promises that don’t look much like human promises. The risks in these promises are God’s. Not ours.
We hold a treasure trove of God’s promises within the sacred story of scripture. Some you know well, some you may have forgotten, and some you may never have thought about.
Pastor Trevor and I—along with the Zion staff and leadership are looking forward to a Lent of inviting you to hold on.  We hope you will take every opportunity to gather with the beloved people of God in this place and wonder about the promises God makes.

On Sunday mornings, we will sing about God’s promises, we will explore the meaning of them, and wonder about how we each fit into them. On Wednesday nights during Lent, we envision Zion as a place of respite for you in the middle of the week as we gather for hot soup, warm bread, lots of smiles, some music, some art, and inventive ways of talking about, wondering about, and holding on to promise.

This Lenten season at Zion, we are holding on together: not in the sense of white-knuckling it; but in the sense of holding on by trusting in the One who holds us!  Thanks be to God!

A New Year

What a difference a year can make! Last year, we were collectively digging out of a mountain of snow, and enduring cold temps. This year, it was a very different story, with little to no snow, mild temps and green grass into December.

It will be my pleasure to serve as the Council President again this year, along with Ashley Mattson returning as the VP. New this year, Josie LaFave and Andy Kohls, will begin their terms as Secretary and Treasurer. At the same time, I’d like to thank outgoing Council members Deb Rude, Joan Halderson, and Jim Bischoff for their time and contributions during their terms. Deb served as Secretary each year I have been on Council and always did an exceptional job of capturing the happenings of our meetings and helping to keep us all on track. Joan served as Treasurer, supporting the Finance Committee and keeping the Council apprised of all things financial. I appreciated Jim always providing straightforward dialogue, willing to share his opinion, and always helped ensure we were adjourned in a timely manner. We have three new members joining the Council this year: Chad Peterson, Heather Damico, and Hannah Peterson. We are all looking forward to partnering with them in their new roles, getting them up to speed, and making an immediate impact as we enter 2024.

As I looked back over 2023, I would say Zion had a great year. Early in the year, we identified priorities that as a congregation we should achieve, such as calling and installing an Associate Pastor, and we did.

The youth education programs continue to be a bright spot for our church. VBS had a great program and was well attended this summer and Confirmation classes have never been larger. The leadership initiative to reengage teens is working. Attendance at weekly high school youth group up 1700% and is continuing to grow.

Financially, giving has been steady. However, increased staffing along with increased activity within the church in providing our ministries has resulted in associated higher expenses. Zion has a comfortable cash balance as of the end of 2023, but increased faithful giving will be necessary to continue to support God’s work being done by the staff and members of Zion.

As this new Council meets in January, we will set priorities as a cohesive team and begin the process of entering a new year, with both a Senior and Associate Pastor in place, and looking forward to all we can accomplish together.

In Christ,
Chuck

Could It Be You?

The Global Mission committee is putting feelers out to see if there are Zion members interested in joining our team. We meet on the second Tuesday night every other month, starting in January where we focus on efforts to support and serve our mission partners: All Kids Can Learn International (AKCLI) at the Village of Hope in Zambia, Mission Jamaica, and in our extended backyard of Redeemer Lutheran Church in North Minneapolis. Help us plan and execute our initiatives including our Lenten Self-Denial campaign, our celebration of our global outreach on Global Mission Sunday, our end-of-summer golf outing that raises monies for a specific partner project, and more! Gain a deeper understanding of the projects we are propelled to serve and know that your new ideas and inspirations are welcomed.

It’s not necessary for a new team member to have been on a mission trip nor to go on one in the future. All that is needed is a passion for the committee’s mission: to foster relationships in a world community inspiring people to witness and serve for Christ. If interested, please connect with Minda Squadroni, Josie LaFave, or another Global Mission committee member.

Here’s To Your Health

Tom

What are you doing to look after your health?  That may seem like a strange question coming from the stewardship committee! But, scientists and medical professionals have taken note of how practices and habits that help one aspect of health can help in another aspect of health.

For physical health:

  • Eat healthy foods
  • Exercise regularly
  • Avoid smoking
  • Avoid excess drinking
  • Regular doctor appointments

For mental health:

  • Connect with others
  • Get active
  • Be mindful
  • Learn
  • Give

For spiritual health:

  • Pray
  • Read the Bible
  • Volunteer
  • Give
  • Worship

Regular exercise will help both physical and mental health. Giving will help both mental and spiritual health. Connecting with others in worship will improve both your mental and spiritual health.

It’s no secret that church attendance is trending down. This Gallup poll graph shows the trends.

We are bucking that national trend at Zion.  Our attendance at worship is on the rise!

Does that mean people at Zion are “healthier” than average Americans?  We sure think so! Way to go Zion!

Both your mental and spiritual health benefit from attending worship, belonging to a faith community, and contributing to something larger than your own self-interest.

God’s peace,
Tom