Financial Report 2021.10

John

The Finance Committee would like to share the following information regarding Zion’s financial condition. Offerings to the General Fund in October were similar to the gifts given in October of last year. Total October income for the General Fund was about $1,700 greater than last year.

Expenses for this October were about 30% higher than they were a year ago. This increase was expected as we approach full staffing and programming. For the month, our expenses exceeded our income by roughly $24,000. For the year to date, total General Fund income is slightly lower than a year ago. Cash on hand in the General Fund at the end of October was $270,500.

Building Fund income in October was about $3,400 more than our monthly expense. For the year to date our mortgage payments have exceeded our offerings by about $4,800. Cash on hand in the Building Fund as of the end of October was $55,000.

Thanks to all of you for your financial support of Zion. We would not be able to do the ministry that is so much a part of Zion without your help.

Transition Team Report

Pastor Kari Bahe

And the Lord answered me: Write the vision, make it plain on tablets, so that all who read it may run with it. From Habakkuk 2:2-3

What is an Interim Transition Task Force?

This group will help Zion move through the steps of the interim period. An interim is that transition period congregations move through as they are preparing for their next “settled” pastor. As congregations move through an interim period, there are general steps to go through which help prepare the congregation for a new chapter in ministry and a new pastoral leader.

As Lutherans, we believe that the Holy Spirit is working in this process to help us answer the question: “God, whom are you selecting/calling to serve as our Senior Pastor at this time in Zion’s history? We are each invited by the Holy Spirit to participate in that choice. As Lutherans, we believe that God uses individuals, councils, committees, paperwork, procedures, and our polity, all sprinkled with a generous measure of prayer, Scripture, and worship to discern who it is that God is calling to serve as the next permanently called senior pastor at Zion. The Transition Team helps us do all of that together.

What?

The task force helps provide:

  • clarity of what the congregation values
  • a shared picture of mission and ministry
  • increased communication about the process
  • a grasp of the interdependence of the system [seeing the whole rather than parts]
  • a focuses on strength, resources, and God’s vision/future/call

How?

The task force serves the congregation by:

  • serving as an advisory team to the interim pastor
  • moving the process forward
  • communicating with the congregation about the process
  • listening for and hearing the pulse of the congregation
  • serving as an accountability group for the interim process [council/interim pastor/synod/congregation]

The council has appointed the following Zion members to serve on the Interim Transition Task Force; please include them in your daily prayers: Pastor Bahe, Joan Halderson, Kris Harlan, Andy Kohls, Josie LaFave, Emily Lewis, Ian MacCallum, Wes Mahlberg, and Judy Sandeen.

Future Mission Trip Opportunities

For many years, Zion has provided global travel opportunities to participate with our mission partners in Jamaica and Zambia. The schedule has been that for odd years (2019), Jamaica is the destination. During the even years (2020), the travel destination is Zambia, Africa.

I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in both of these mission trips and have found it’s a great way to serve others and immerse myself with people of different cultures.

With continuing challenges with COVID-19 and vaccine distribution limitations in these countries, the next planned trips are expected to be in 2023 for Mission Jamaica and 2024 to Village of Hope in Zambia.

I encourage you to put one or both of these destinations on your future travel bucket list. Each of these locations has different life-long experiences with similarities of providing greatly needed support to those in these communities, growing in your personal faith, and expanding your relationships with other participants.

The Heart of Christmas

Pastor Kari Bahe

…God’s love has been poured into our hearts…
Romans 5:5

As Christmas approaches, we will no doubt hear the phrase:

Keep Christ in Christmas.

Frankly, it is one of my least favorite sayings. I confess to you that it makes me want to shout in my best Ebenezer Scrooge voice:

What do you mean, keep Christ in Christmas?

No one can take Christ out of Christmas!

No. One. Without Christ, there is no Christmas.

Christ is the very heart of Christmas. God has chosen to stoop down to find us wherever we are. For some, Christmas brings deep joy and happiness, for some it brings loneliness and sadness, and for still others, it is a mixture of both. The good news is that even in the deepest corners of our fear, uncertainty, and hopelessness God meets us. In Christ, God has chosen to be in even the empty corners of our hearts. To fill us with hope, grace, and forgiveness. We live in that good news because of Christ Jesus. No one can take that out of Christmas. It is, frankly, the heart of the matter!

The “Heart of Christmas” is our focus this Advent and Christmas season. There are two meanings in the “heart of Christmas,” of course. One being the very center of Christmas. The second being the state of our hearts year-round, as in we should have “hearts of Christmas” every day of the year.

Scripture has much to say about our hearts. In the Bible, the heart is used to express the deepest part of our being. It includes our body and soul. It is clear in Scripture that God directs—no commands—us to take care in matters of the heart. Where our treasure is, there our heart will be also [Matthew 6:21]. Notice what comes first in Jesus’ words: where our treasure is our heart follows, not the other way around. Jesus did not say where our heart is, so will our treasure be. Which is usually how this passage is misquoted. The order is important because Jesus knows that what we treasure quickly becomes the heart of the matter in our lives.

We will ask together, “what do we treasure?” We will ask it individually as well as collectively. Treasure is anything we value above all else and that which motivates us to action.

Along with concentrating on the treasure of our hearts, we will look at the promises of God’s heart as well. We will study scripture, sing songs, see little ones retell the Christmas story, and find ourselves rooted and grounded in the truth that God has a heart for us. That is a bold claim!

God has a heart for you; that is what is at the heart of Christmas. The creator of all that is, seen and unseen, has a heart for you. I can’t think of a better gift than living a life knowing for certain that God has a heart for you—except the gift of sharing that truth with others. That’s what happens here at Zion; we find ways to live in that sure and certain truth. We find ways of telling it to each other, to the stranger, and to ourselves in our ministry together.

How does it feel to know that God’s love is poured into your heart? In Christmas, God has made that message clear. God comes in the most unassuming way, as a baby — vulnerable and needy — in the dark and dirt of the stable. Jesus was born amid upheaval in a time of historical change, to people who seemed powerless and without hope. Advent proclaims to us that God chooses to bring us hope in times of uncertainty, peace in times of upheaval, joy in times of despair, and love in all times.

Advent teaches us that because God is with us, we have hope, peace, joy, and love. Not just the words… but true hope, peace, joy, and love… because God’s love is poured into our hearts abundantly. Because of that love, we are given the opportunity to have the heart of Christmas year-round. And in a wonderful circle of love…that is the heart of Christmas.

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched— they must be felt with the heart. Helen Keller

Council Update 2021.11

Hello Zion Lutheran Church. In case you haven’t noticed the year is slowly transitioning into fall, and it has been a beautiful fall so far. My segment of the newsletter this month will be short and to the point. We have our congregational meeting coming up along with the Christmas season, and there are a lot of things to get accomplished yet this year.

First, let’s start with worship. I’m very happy to say that our Sanctuary services have seen an increase in attendance. Of course the 10:30 worship attendance has really picked up with Sunday school, and it is great to see all of the children back in church and excited to go to Sunday school. I really want to thank Pastor Bahe for her work with the Sunday services as well as the other services that have been taking place at Zion. Also, I have to give a huge thank you to Roger Johnson and Jill Davis for stepping in and helping with worship during this transitional time.

The congregational meeting is slated for December 5. It will be an “in-person” and Zoom format. Unlike last year, we are not offering the parking lot option. An important part of the annual meeting is voting on committee members. We have positions coming open for the following:

  • 4 Church Council Members (3-year term)
  • 6 Nominating Committee Members (1-year term)
  • 2 Zion Foundation Trustees (3-year term)
  • 4 MAS Voting Members (2-year term)
  • 1 MAS Youth Voting Member (1-year term)

If you would like to serve on any of these committees, please contact Kim Haggen in the church office. If you have questions about the positions, please feel free to contact the staff or me and we will answer any questions.

As we enter the Christmas season, I wish everyone a safe and happy time with family and friends. Things still aren’t “back to normal,” but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the birth of our Lord and share the love and joy of the season. After all, isn’t that why we are all here?

Take care, and Merry Christmas!

Sunday School Fun

Kristin

Our Sunday school mornings continue to be full of awesome kids, volunteers, families, friends, faith, fun, and God’s love. We have spent our Sundays together learning to love ALL our neighbors and how to be a Good Samaritan. The Sunday school kids have:

  • Made collaborative artwork: “NEIGHBOR” murals for their classroom
  • Made Serve Jars: with “serving slips” – ideas how to serve our neighbors, as Jesus did
  • Built God’s Welcoming Neighborhood: constructed out of blocks and Legos, while discussing what would be in God’s neighborhood and how people would treat one another in God’s neighborhood: with care, compassion, kindness, love, generosity, and respect.
  • Read The Good Samaritan Bible story and scripture – Luke 10: 25-37

Zion strives to walk with each family on their faith journey. One way that we do this is to partner with families in fulfilling their baptismal promises.

On October 10, we were blessed to be able to distribute approximately 30 Bibles. This very special Grow-in-Faith Event was for our 3-year-olds and 3rd graders, along with others who had not yet received a Bible. This is such a meaningful time in a child’s faith journey as their baptismal promises are lived out by:

  • Placing in their hands the Holy Scripture
  • Nurturing them in faith and care, so they may learn to trust God

New Wells at the Village of Hope

Minda

Two months ago, those at our global mission partner, All Kids Can Learn International/Village of Hope, were shocked to wake up without water in the Village of Hope in Zambia, Africa. They re-routed water pipes from the veggie gardens to provide water for the Village. At the same time, they learned that two of the Irrigation wells were pumping mud; they too were going dry. What a sinking feeling!! Naturally, they need water for drinking, cooking, bathing, and for irrigation to grow crops providing food.

Their previous wells were drying up. Years of drought have taken their toll. Larger and deeper wells were needed.

They had a hydro-engineering specialist come out from Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. He advised that they drill five new wells up to 100 meters deep, each with a diameter of 8 inches. Two for the Village, two for the agricultural irrigation, and one for the road-front and the restaurant (the current wells average 60 meters deep, and average 6 inches in diameter).

Then the drillers came. Two of the sites that were drilled were dry, even after they drilled down 300 feet. A third site yielded 2.5 liters a second, good for domestic uses. But it kept collapsing! It took five days for the drillers to stabilize it with steel casing.

But then came the huge blessing! The drillers hit a location that yielded 6 gallons a second; over 360 gallons a minute. This is just what we need and prayed for, for our irrigation. Praise God! Once again, He poured out His Grace and Blessings providing just what we need!

We thank God, and we thank you for coming to our rescue. We make a great team together in Christ to save and serve the children He has given us to love and care for.

As the year ends, and the giving season comes, please continue to remember us as we care for our rural children in Zambia.

Thank you to all of you who contributed to the project with your prayers and donations. It couldn’t have happened without you.

Kathleen Schwartz, Village of Hope

Financial Report 2021.09

John

As of the end of September, the following summarizes the financial condition of Zion Lutheran Church. Giving to the General Fund for the month of September was about $52,500 which was slightly more than was given in September of 2020. Total income for the month was almost identical to that of 2020. General Fund income for the year to date is about 1.4% less than last year.

September expenses for the General Fund are almost $2000 more than our total income for the month. For the year so far, expenses have continued to be less than we spent up to this point last year. They are about $40,500 less than our income for the year to date. We anticipate that expenses will rise significantly during the last three months of this year as we work to resume full staffing and programming.

Building Fund income continues to be slightly less than our mortgage payment expense. For the month of September, Building Fund offerings were just over $10,000. Through the end of September, our Building Fund expenses have exceeded our offering by a little over $8,000.

Thanks to all of you for continuing to financially support the mission of Zion. As we excitingly anticipate the return of many activities, the Finance Committee hopes that we will see our offerings reflect that same excitement.

Deacon Jill

We are delighted to share the exciting news that one of our members, Jill Davis, has recently completed her yearlong residency in the ELCA, serving as a chaplain at Ebenezer’s Martin Luther Campus in Bloomington. Congratulations, Jill! What a blessing you have been to so many as you’ve faithfully pursued the ministry to which God continues to call you.

Jill explains that her yearlong residency “was a fabulous experience, even during the pandemic.” She describes her residency as providing the opportunity to “witness the beautiful work of the Holy Spirit daily.”

That year-long residency was the culmination of her work toward becoming a rostered minister of Word and Service in the ELCA. In October, Jill was approved by the Minneapolis Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for ordination as a Deacon. Congratulations!!

What is a Deacon?

Deacons serve in several ways both within and outside of a specific congregation. Deacons are theologically educated and professionally trained. In the ELCA Deacons serve as chaplains, therapists, musicians, directors of worship, cantors, seminary faculty, administrators, social workers, and churchwide leaders. Our very own Sherilyn Burgdorf is also a Deacon in the ELCA.

In the ELCA, Deacons are described as:

Those called to the ministry of word and service. Who speak God’s word to God’s world, and in turn they speak also for the needs of God’s world to the church; they give leadership in the church’s mission to witness to God’s love through both words and actions.

We rejoice with Jill and the church as her work in the Ministry of Word and Service begins. Jill begins a new chapter in her vocational life on November 1. She has been called by Allina to serve as a hospice chaplain in the Hutchinson/Glencoe area.

We are pleased to also announce that while Jill is serving as a hospice chaplain at Allina 32 hours a week, she is also going to be helping with the congregational care ministry at Zion about 8 hours per week.

Our fabulous Congregational Care Team has been faithfully connecting with and bringing communion to our homebound folks throughout this time of transition. If you or someone you love could use a visit, please leave a message for [soon to be] Deacon Jill Davis in the church office at jill@zionbuffalo.org or 763.682.1245 ext.109. Watch for details of her upcoming ordination as an ELCA Deacon which will be coming soon.

Council Update 2021.10

As you can see from all of the articles in this month’s newsletter, there is a lot going on at Zion. We have ample opportunity to share our time, talents, and treasures with the church and the community. I hope as we start to get closer to the holiday season, you think about how you can become an active part of Zion’s Ministries.

Currently, we continue to work with the Minneapolis Area Synod to identify Interim Associate Pastor candidates and hope to have more news on that in the future. We have also taken steps to form a Transition Team led by Pastor Bahe. This team will help with some of the preliminary work that goes into setting up a successful Call Committee and will also help us better understand the needs of Zion as we move forward and attempt to find out how the work of the church and its ministries will manifest themselves with all of the change we have seen over the past two years. Thank you to the volunteers who have offered to serve as team members for this work.

Some may be concerned that this Transition Team phase will prolong our search for a new Senior Pastor, but the reality is that it can actually help create a more successful Call Committee and perhaps improve our experience. Knowing what we are looking for in a Senior Pastor is important, but it is equally important for candidates to understand it as well in order to find individuals that feel they may be a good fit at Zion. This work will help us communicate this more consistently and give the Call Committee a clearer message for potential candidates.

Now, more than ever, we have an opportunity and a need to stop and think about those attributes and talents we want and need at Zion… those things that can bridge the diverse make-up of our congregation, bring people together with energy and a welcoming message to reach out to those around us, and let them know that Zion is a great place to be a part of and that people can feel a part of something bigger than themselves at Zion.

God bless, and enjoy the autumn season.