Weekly News from Zion and our Ministries Under the Cross, especially Evergreen Academy

December 21, 2022

Merry Christmas!

If you are looking for a place to worship on Christmas Eve and/or Christmas Day, there is a place for you at Zion. We are so grateful for each person, family, and community partner that makes the larger Zion community a diverse tapestry of God's people! A blessed, happy, and healthy holiday to everyone!

Congratulations to Evergreen Academy!

Thank you to Miss Erica, Miss Janel, all of the wonderful teachers, and ALL of the precious students of Evergreen Academy for a most festive Christmas Program last Thursday night.

The spirited singing was definitely a glimpse of the angelic chorus, and the message was clear: we are proud to be one community of faith and excited to celebrate Jesus’ birth!

Thank You to the Zion Community

During the week after Thanksgiving, Pastor Jonathan Gantt and his wife, Pam, traveled to the west coast of Florida to assist in the recovery efforts at our sister congregations. To support the rebuilding and in thanksgiving for all of the gratitude recently shown to Zion, our council authorized a $1,000 donation to St. Peter's Lutheran in Fort Myers Beach, whose property was completely destroyed.

In a note of thanks from Pastor Sharon Taylor and Deacon Lisa Miller, they write: "Dear Friends, your compassion and support lighten our hearts and give us glimpses of resurrection hope! We feel your prayers and are so grateful for them. Thank you for your generous donation. Please continue to pray for us and for St Peter as we heal, and as we seek God’s guidance and direction for our future."

Over the last year, we have offered a group of local senior citizens the use of our parking lot for their cars when they traveled on day and overnight trips around the state. In their gratitude, they collected a $100 donation to Nina's Place and included the following note, written by Sally Brinkworth, the group's coordinator:

"Thank you very much for allowing the bus to pull up to the 6th Avenue parking lot and for letting the community seniors park in that lot for many wonderful getaways this year. Each one of the seniors lives on a restricted budget and they are all very thankful for these structured tours that are both safe and inexpensive. We wish all of you a joyous holiday season and a happy and healthy new year!"

Thank You to Our Funders & Community Partners

Last Friday, we hosted a Sneak Peek Breakfast for the funders and community partners who helped to make Nina's Place a reality.

Enjoy some of the pictures!

Wednesdays in Advent conclude tonight!

Join us when you can from wherever you can!

The direct Zoom link for the book study is here; the complete Zoom information is here; and, the link to our Facebook page is here.

Faith & Work Small Groups

Everyone experiences challenges specific to their occupation or profession. Even being "retired" is a challenge as you look for new and different ways to make a difference.

If you are looking for a cohort of like-minded people for fellowship, prayer, and mutual encouragement, look no further! Click one of the options below for more information.

Opportunities to Serve Joyfully & Give Selflessly

4th Annual

Reverse Advent Calendar

A joint church, preschool, and community project to benefit Nina's Place

Thank you to everyone who has donated so far! We will be collecting items until Sunday, January 1st. To see the full Reverse Advent Calendar, click here. If you want us to do the shopping for you, click here to give online and choose "Reverse Advent Calendar" as the fund.

We Need Volunteers at Nina's Place

We're opening on Saturday, January 7th, and we need your help! No experience necessary, just a willing heart to welcome and assist those in need as they "shop" Nina's Place. Volunteer opportunities for the 4 Saturdays in January are currently posted.

• Two AA Groups meet weekly in Katie Luther Chapel: Women's AA (Mondays at 7:00 p.m.) and Old Timers AA (Saturdays at 7:00 p.m.).
• To claim a special date for altar flowers on a Sunday morning, contact Cantor Kurt Schmidt. The cost of the arrangements is $40 and you may take the flowers home after Sunday morning worship.

Zion is a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) community, and extends God's radical welcome to all people, because we're all created in God's image.