Steve joined us as we took our break. John, Dave, and I had started the morning in jackets and sweatshirts and now we were down to our t-shirts as the day warmed. We ate burgers and fries but he was satisfied with only a malt. Tim had stopped by earlier and dropped off tools and much-needed advice. The prep work was done and we would paint as much as we could on the stairs, deck, and porch that day. Now
Pastor Bahe pointed out seven forms of generosity in her January 29 message from the “5 daily habits from the Bible to truly bring joy” sermon series: Generosity of thoughts Generosity of words Generosity of money Generosity of time Generosity of things Generosity of influence Generosity of attention She went on to say: When we are faithful, even in little ways, following these seven forms of generosity; we will also be faithful in much. If we are generous in these
“It’s what you sow that multiplies, not what you keep in the barn.” Adrian Rogers Donating monetarily to Zion and/or any charitable organization is great. But did you know, there may be ways to significantly increase your impact by donating appreciated assets such as stocks, mutual funds, and bonds? There are a few benefits of donating the asset directly instead of first selling and converting to dollars. First, you can potentially avoid the capital gains tax you would incur if
On Friday, January 6, we communicated with our offering envelope provider about not yet receiving our 2023 January/February envelope packets. Our provider quickly responded by email informing us that due to supply chain issues and their inability to add employees needed, they will not be fulfilling our January/February envelope orders. They determined that if they tried to play “catchup” it would jeopardize their ability to fulfill future orders in a timely manner. Therefore they stopped the production of January/February orders.
First, choose a charity that you really care about. Of course, I recommend giving to Zion Lutheran Buffalo. But, if giving to an organization outside the Lutheran church, before making any donations, spend a few minutes looking up the nonprofit on watchdog sites such as Charity Navigator, or CharityWatch. These sites rate nonprofits and allow you to find out more about the organization and how donations are spent. Does your household prepare a monthly budget? If so you’re in an
We have received reports of more attempts to scam our members and attenders by someone pretending to be Pastor Bahe. The email message claims to be from Pastor Bahe and generally asks you to reply to the email because there is a request she wants you to handle confidentially or discretely. Unfortunately, because the emails are from someone impersonating Pastor Bahe, there is very little we can do as a staff to prevent this. However, there are a few things
It’s smart and responsible to take advantage of available tax benefits when giving to a worthy charity like Zion. Following are a few ideas you may want to implement before the end of the year. Donating Appreciated Securities Stocks and other securities like mutual funds that have gained value since purchase can be tax-efficient charitable giving tools. Don’t sell the investment, pay tax on the gain, donate the proceeds and take your charitable deduction on the value of the proceeds.
In the October newsletter, I wrote about Jesus’ story of the shepherd leaving 99 sheep to go find that one sheep who did not show up for the morning roll call. We considered that there is an element of that story we don’t often focus on. Not only was the one found, but there were also 99 who were there to bring the one back to. The 99 made being together possible. The 99 made the reunion and celebration possible.
Oh, that picture of Jesus carrying the lost sheep back to the fold! It is an image that most anyone who attended Sunday school has in their memory bank. Jesus tells the story of a shepherd who leaves 99 of his sheep to find the one that is lost. That one lamb being carried on the shoulders of the Great Shepherd, Jesus. What a loving image of a God who never gives up on us, and never tires from bringing
Summer is quickly passing by and we now find ourselves at back-to-school time and preparing for the fall harvest. Many are excitedly looking forward to fall sports and concerts, college football and the change in seasonal colors. Exciting times are coming to Zion too! Sunday school (offered at both services this fall!), confirmation, and new youth programming are all gearing up for the 2022/2023 year. The Call Committee is working hard in the search for our next Senior Pastor. Once