When God calls us to serve, God does so in two very specific ways: Social Ministry (or Charity) and Social Justice. Here at Zion, we are very good at engaging in Social Ministry. Our year is punctuated by campaigns like the recent food gathering for Second Harvest Food Bank or the Reverse Advent Calendar. Whether it's raising money or collecting items or visiting the sick and imprisoned, we are grateful for those who have a heart for social ministry.

The second foot of service – social justice – is the deeper, more challenging work. How is God calling us to look beyond an individual's needs to the bigger picture, to the root causes or the systemic injustices that prevent a person from getting what they need to survive and thrive? This is an area of growth for us at Zion as we strive to be more actively engaged with our community.

What issues of social justice are important to you? Where are issues of inequity or injustice you feel need to be addressed and believe our church can help? Again, I want to know. Yes, really. Your leaders want to know. Our greatest impact will be where our collective passions meet the world's most pressing needs. And we're getting there – one step at a time.

Serving Gratefully with You,

Cantor Kurt R. Schmidt

This last week and a half has been very busy for our Cantor! Last week, he and Gail spent three days at two Behavioral Health Conferences sponsored by the United Way. The first, held on Monday, was for faith-based leaders. Over 120 leaders from Broward County were in attendance to hear about current initiatives and ways to get involved by partnering together with community organizations and behavioral health providers. The conference held on Tuesday and Wednesday welcomed over 400 behavioral health professionals to the Signature Grand. Kurt presented at the last breakout session about the story of Deerfield Beach Community Cares – "Nothing About Us Without Us" – which is a story that can't be told without Zion's critical partnership. We are already doing the work here at Zion that the other faith leaders talked about as a possibility on Monday!

And, just yesterday, Kurt graduated from the Nonprofit Executive Program at the Jim Moran Institute at FSU (South Florida Campus). He was part of a cohort of 17 nonprofit leaders selected (out of over 100 applicants) to meet over the past five months to learn how to improve and strengthen the business foundations of nonprofit organizations. Kurt was accepted in partnership with his role at Zion, and all of his practical work points back to our mission and ministry. We are grateful for his willingness to focus new knowledge on improving our sustainability and vitality here at Zion!

TONIGHT – Wednesday, May 18th

The time is near again for us to prepare for another hurricane season. Make an emergency plan, gather supplies, and be prepared to evacuate if you are required. For more information about planning and preparing, visit FEMA's Disaster Preparedness Website by clicking here. For a list of items to include in your emergency supplies, click here.

More importantly, if the time comes to prepare for a hurricane and YOU need assistance, please let us know in advance so that we, your Zion family, can be prepared to help. Let Robin Larson, our congregation president, know that you will need a hand. And, if you can serve on that "hands-on" team to be of help, also let Robin know. We want to ensure that all members of the body of Christ at Zion are safely cared for during emergency situations.