Weekly News From Mt. Zion UMC
Second Sunday After Pentecost
Join Mt. Zion online June 14 for the Second Sunday after Pentecost worship service. Rev. Harden Hopper will deliver the message, entitled Distractions . As is our online tradition, there will be two services at 8:30 and 11:00 am. These are YouTube Premier services with live chat available. Services are available on-demand after they have aired.
Sunday June 21 Children's Sunday
Mt. Zion's Is Still Here For You
Tell Us Your Concerns
Isolation and quarantine can make us feel like we are alone and that our support systems have disappeared. The staff at Mt. Zion wants you to know that we are still here and want to hear from you, especially if you are experiencing an illness or hardship. And don't forget your small group and Sunday School friends. Check in with each other and then let us know what's going on and what we can help with and/or pray for.
Also, in case you missed it, prayer concerns are listed at the bottom of the Sunday Worship Link emails.
You can leave messages on the church answering service, which is being monitored. There is also an emergency number, listed on the recording, should you need to contact someone immediately. Additionally, you can always send questions and requests to: communications@mtzionumc.org or to prayerministry@mtzionumc.org .
The church phone number is 770-971-1465. Individual staff members emails can be found at mtzionum.org .
Keep in touch!!!
In Need of a Mask? You got it
Mt. Zion volunteers have been busy making masks for when worship at church resumes. So far they have produced about 300 machine washable masks, sizes extra small to large.
If anyone needs a mask right now, they are available. Patti Weaver will mail or deliver to your house or put them on her porch for you to pick up. Call or email Patti at: 770-7124055 or gkweaver@comcast.net    
Monday Well, Alive & Well
Call in to Touch Base
Monday Morning Well participants can touch base and share via Zoom on Monday, June 15 at 10:00 am. If you would like to join in, contact Becky Clifford at: rb.brainerd@gmail.com . Keep in mind that Zoom links allow you to video chat but you can also dial in from a phone line, if you prefer that.
Survey Says
So far, more than 185 of you responded to our request for your opinion about reopening the church. In case you are interested, here are the summarized results.

The Story of the 50 Loaves of Bread
A Letter of Thanks to the Voyagers Sunday School Class
Thank you to the Voyager adult class at Mt. Zion Methodist for helping the Episcopal Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul with our recent Hope For The Hungry activity on June 2. The 50 loaves of bread the Voyagers provided were well received by our guests receiving other groceries. Thanks to Eva Sherwood and others there at Mt. Zion Methodist for arranging. We were asked if the Voyagers could continue to help in this manner - the answer is  absolutely . We have the Hope For The Hungry event the first Tuesday of every month – next one is Tuesday, July 7, 2020. The 50 loaves of bread is a perfect supplement to the other groceries our guests receive. As with this last time, having the bread at the South Lower Entrance to our Church at 9:30 AM on the first Tuesday of each month is perfect.
 Thanks again for the great help. Should you have questions, please call Tom Martin 678-427-0416, or Roger Winton 404-452-3085.
 
Tom Martin and Roger Winton
Saint Peter and Saint Paul Hope For The Hungry Leaders

The Story Behind the Story
by Eva Sherwood

I received a copy of the Thank You Letter earlier this morning. I wanted to see if I could communicate how this came about because, to me, it was a powerful example of God working through His people and their willing hearts. It has been an uplifting experience for me, a true gift during these trying times.

This is what happened: 
I have been attending an evening class at St Peter & St.Paul (SPSP)
for three years. About a three months ago, one of the students mentioned a prayer requests for SPSP’s Hope for the Hungry Ministry. This group provides free food for those in need. It happened that their usual source could no longer provide the bread for the monthly ministry.

The next Sunday, just before quarantine time began, our Voyagers School class was discussing how we could reach out to help our community at large. I really can’t name a specific person because it was definitely a group plea saying “we want to serve". I recalled the need for a bread donor for the ministry at SPSP. I only needed to mention it and the class immediately agreed to help. We really never got to the specifics of how to make this happen, but all of us agreed to find 50 loaves of bread, that were the same brand and type, and share the cost.

Now, I have to name someone...he’s our very humble class leader who teaches us with compassion and love. David Brigham said He lived near a Flower’s bakery store, and volunteered to ask if they could have 50 loaves of bread ready on June 1. He also went and picked it up that morning and delivered it to SPSP. Well, that was easy for us. We thank you David - you have a true servant’s heart!
I feel so blessed to be a part of Mt. Zion and the Voyagers Class.
Praise God for He does Wondrous things!!
Grief in the Time of Covid-19
Grief is hard enough without adding the difficulties of a pandemic, fear, anxiety and isolation. If you are grieving the loss of a loved one please consider joining us this summer for 4 special sessions from GriefShare.
June 22nd: Covid 19 & Grief
June 29th: Anxiety & Grief
July 13th: Dealing with Loneliness
July 20th: Establishing a New Normal After Grief
Each session consist of a 15 minute video to be viewed online and then joining via Webex for meeting where we will discuss the video content and address the grief we are struggling with. All sessions are on Monday mornings from 10AM to 11:30AM.  If you are interested in joining us please email Karen Chambers at  k.chamb@comcast.net   to register and receive info on how to view videos and links to join sessions.
The world is complicated
let's work through it together.
June 14 Topic: Sports and COVID-19

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to the postponement and cancellation of major sporting events worldwide, from Tokyo Olympics to the beginning of baseball season. What role do sports play in our sense of time and community? What spiritual significance can we find in our culture's investment in sports?

Mt. Zion's Education Cluster continues a church-wide Summer Sunday School for the for Jun 14 and 21. Tracy Wheelis will facilitate this on-line class, using weekly FaithLink, ready-to-use lessons, that connect faith to the issues and events making headlines every day. Go to Mt. Zion's website ( www.mtzionumc.org ) and click on the FaithLink poster for a link (or dial-in number) to join this class via Zoom meeting software. Or, dial in with your cell phone, land line or Alexa app. All are welcome. Contact Tracy Wheelis for more information or with questions. Her email is tracy@wheelisfamily.com .
Link Information
Church Wide Sunday School (FaithLink)

Time: 10:00 AM 
   
    Jun 14, 2020

Topic: Sports and COVID-19
    Jun 21, 2020
Topic: Law and Order: Race, Police, and Protest
Join Zoom Meeting:


Meeting ID: 979 9565 3189
Password: mtzion
Join Mt. Zion's Prayer Team
Wednesdays, for WOW Prayer
Again Tonight!!!
The Prayer Ministry Team is working on ways to keep our prayer lives rich while we are socially distancing. We are offering a community prayer opportunity on Wednesday in June. Our prayer focus will be the reopening of the church and taking requests from participants or requests emailed in to: prayerministry@mtzionumc.org .

Our next meeting is June 10 from 6:30 to 7:00 pm. We chose this time to help reestablish Wednesday evening as a time for church community and thus are calling it WOW Prayer. 
Directions for linking in or calling in with the Zoom Meeting Application are listed on the church website, www.mtzionumc.org . If you click on the Prayer Wall poster, which displays a photo of the actual Wailing Wall, it will bring up directions for joining in.
Located in the Old City of Jerusalem, the prayer wall is the western support wall of the Temple Mount. Visitors from all parts of the globe come to tuck prayer requests into the cracks between stones. We encourage you to bring your requests and pray with us. All are welcome.
Grace and Peace,
David Brigham
Prayer Minister
Parents, Learn to Take Power
Empowered Parents of GA & RBR Consulting LLC presents The Georgia Advocacy Office to outline ways to secure Medicaid as well as provide information on how to access medically-necessary services as prescribed by the child's treating physician. Additionally, we will review how to support youth transitioning into adulthood as they approach age 21 and require support services available through one of Georgia's four home and community based services waiver programs.
Join this free Zoom meeting on Wednesday, June 10, 6:00 to 7:00 pm by emailing: rbrconsultingservices@gmail.com 
Atlanta/Marietta District News
Keep up with news from the UMC beyond Mt. Zion. Here is the North Georgia district newsletter, with Third Day Thoughts from Rev. Dr. Terry Walton.

Who Is The Giver of Stars?
Mt. Zion's Evening Well Book Group continues to actively meet via Webex during our pandemic hiatus. In fact, it may be that we are better able to focus on the book, using this vehicle.
Join us for a discussion of Jojo Moyes ( You Before Me ) new novel, The Giver of Stars , on Tuesday June 23 at 7:00 pm. Or just follow along with our reading selections, which are carefully chosen to deepen your faith walk.
before June 23 for a meeting invitation.
P.S. The July selection is, This Tender Land by Wm. Kent Krueger.
Youth Plan to Stay in Touch with ZOOM
As our church leadership continues to develop the next steps for our congregation and ministries, we want to invite all of our youth to join us on Wednesday nights during the month of June from 6:00-7:30 for a time of devotion, fellowship, and fun. You might notice the extension of time so that we can enjoy one another's company a bit longer! As for now our plans are to meet online via Zoom through the month of June, and continue assessing future plans as we progress towards July.
You can access the Zoom meetings for all scheduled meeting in June from the following invitation:
Wacky Wednesday Night Zooms
   Jun 10, 2020 at 6:00 PM
   Jun 17, 2020 at 6:00 PM
   Jun 24, 2020 at 6:00 PM
   
Join Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 715 0006 4554
Password: youth
Your Giving is Appreciated
Remember, you can mail your gifts and offerings to the church office or you can give online.
Mail to:
Mt. Zion UMC
1770 Johnson Ferry Rd.
Marietta, GA 30062

or Click below to give online:
Mt. Zion is a Safe Sanctuaries Church

As prescribed by the General Conference of the United Methodist Church, Mt. Zion UMC has established a Safe Sanctuaries Policy and accompanying procedures that demonstrates our strong and unwavering commitment to the physical safety and spiritual growth of children, youth, and adults.