Appreciating the Dawn

by Jameson Wakefield

Posted July 2021

I will make a confession. I’m not really a morning person. But, I’m married to a morning person and almost every job I’ve had in my adult life has required an earlier than preferred wake-up call. To be clear, this isn’t really a complaint. I really like those early hours of the morning as the sun is coming up and life starts to stir. Whether it is sipping a cup of coffee on the deck before getting ready for work or sitting in a duck blind watching the sun come up and paint the sky with amazing colors, one of the best parts about this time of day is the opportunity to look ahead at the day and consider what lies ahead.

As I reviewed all of the things happening at Zion over the past several months, I started to think about how we are at a point with our congregation where we are looking at the horizon and contemplating what lies ahead. I am going to try to provide updates on several items that are of particular interest to the Congregation.

The Interim Senior Pastor search is moving ahead and the Synod has provided a candidate which the Church Council is reviewing and the Council Executive Committee is interviewing.
The Associate Pastor of Congregational Life Call Committee has interviewed several candidates and hopes to move forward with a candidate.
Kristin Lotthammer is pulling together the Sunday school program for this fall. Remember to register your children and if you have an interest in helping, please reach out to Kristin if you want to volunteer.
The Sanctuary is almost complete and we’ve moved the 9am Sunday service back into that venue.
The Personnel Committee is seeking candidates for CYFM Events Coordinator and CYFM Admin Assistant. Please see details on pages 8-9.

With fall fast approaching, we have a lot to look forward to at Zion. Sunday School, Confirmation, Communion Classes, Youth Groups, Zfest, and much more. To those of you that have given your time, energy, and resources to the ministries and other projects, I want to say thank you. Just like those early hours of the day, we have much to contemplate and plan for and we can accomplish great things at Zion together.

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to their purpose.” ~ Romans 8:28

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Fall 2022 at Zion!

Our mission is to partner with families for faith formation and connection. We are always looking for ways to connect with you and to be helpful to families as they seek to raise their children in the faith. There is nothing like fall in Minnesota! But, there is also nothing like the busyness that accompanies it. Registrations, new schedules, new routines, new forms to fill out and keep track of, new school supplies to find and purchase, and new anxieties to calm. We started asking: what if the church found a way to curb some of that, instead of participating in it?

We started asking parents: “Would it be helpful if we moved the start of Sunday School and Confirmation to October?” And, overwhelmingly, parents told us that would be AWESOME and helpful. So, Sunday School (both at 8:30 & 10:30 this year!) will begin Sunday, October 2nd, and Confirmation will begin Wednesday, October 5th.

September will be focused on connecting your family to the joy of Sabbath. We hope you will be connecting back to worship if you’ve taken some time away. To help you focus on Sabbath and worship this Fall, the 10:30am outdoor worship service is continuing into September. Children love the chance to dance, run, and worship under the trees, and Zion has the perfect set-up. It is casual, low-key, a little bit shorter, and filled with music. Bring chairs or a blanket and worship outside the first two Sundays in September. Then, be ready for Z-Fest on the 18th! Food trucks! Games! Fun!

Each Sunday in September will have extra special ways of connecting with children & youth in worship (beyond our ever-popular children’s sermon time. Enjoy the breather and grace this new start date will provide and connect with friends old and new at worship this September. After all, God has commanded Sabbath rest, because we need it!

Choirs & Bells Sunday School Confirmation