Weekly News from Zion and our Ministries Under the Cross: Evergreen Academy & Nina's Place

December 6, 2023

Wednesdays in Advent Begin Tonight, and You're Invited

We've been talking about it for a few weeks already, but the time has finally come. If the holiday season is stressing you out and you're looking for an opportunity to pause and refresh, this is it – and you're invited.

5:30 p.m. Dinner & Fellowship

Soup & salad will be provided. Bring your favorite beverage and/or something else to share. We will continue to eat as we study and discuss our book, so join us when you can!

6:00 p.m. Book Study & Discussion

What does it mean to follow Jesus together with fellow believers? How can we reflect Jesus in our daily lives? To help answer these questions, we will be reading “I Am a Christian“ by Thom Rainer.

7:00 p.m. Holden Evening Prayer

Join us in person or on Facebook Live for a Zion Advent tradition. This year, we will introduce a beloved musical setting of Evening Prayer, led by Cantors Kurt Schmidt & Peter Rizzo.

Don't have time to bring something to share for dinner? It's okay; just show up. Don't have time to read the book we're discussing? It's okay; just show up.

Can't make it for anything but evening prayer? It's okay; just show up.

It is so much more important that we prepare our hearts and minds for the celebration of Christmas any way that we can. We look forward to being together!

Opportunities to "Just Show Up"

Special Congregational Meeting

This Sunday, December 10th following Worship

With our recent congregational vote to move the fiscal/financial year to a calendar year (ending December 31st), our council has called a special meeting following worship on Sunday, December 10th to approve the budget for the 2024 fiscal year. (Next year, this December meeting will become our annual meeting.)

Also on the agenda is an endorsement of the council's recommendation of a listing agent for the property to be sold. If you are a voting member, please plan to join us for this important business meeting.

No Third Tuesday in December

December is an incredibly packed month. Our Third Tuesday Lunch Bunch will not meet in December and will start fresh in January!

Join us for a candlelight celebration of Jesus’ birth, singing praise with the angels, worshiping with the shepherds, and contemplating with Mary and Joseph what it means to have “God with us.”

We will not have an 11:00 a.m. service on Christmas Eve. Please plan to join us in the evening to celebrate!

This has become such a beloved Zion tradition and an opportunity to give our worship leaders a “Sunday off” from their set up and clean up responsibilities.

Wear your favorite Christmas pajamas and come for Christmas carols, cookies, and hot cocoa.

Opportunities to Serve Joyfully & Give Selflessly

Thank you to everyone who has started us off with such great momentum! Let's do what we can to keep it going...

If you would like to donate financially rather than shop, click here. We will do the shopping for you. Food donations can be dropped off at the Evergreen Academy office or at worship on Sunday mornings. Thank you for your generosity!

Help Restock the Pantries

We are restocking our pantries in preparation for the holidays and in order to begin 2024 with plenty of items for our neighbors of all ages. If you would like to donate, click here for the wish list and Amazon will ship the items directly to Zion. Thank you for your generosity!

Sunday at 11:00 a.m. – In Person & Online

Second Sunday of Advent / Second Sunday Healing Service

John calls people to repent, to clear the decks, to completely reorder their lives so that nothing gets in the way of the Lord’s coming. The reading from Isaiah gives the context for this radical call: the assurance of forgiveness that encourages us to repent; the promise that the coming one will be gentle with the little ones. Isaiah calls us all to be heralds with John, to lift up our voices fearlessly and say, “See, your God is coming!” We say it to one another in worship, in order to say it with our lives in a world in need of justice and peace.

New Ways of Praying in Advent

Last Sunday, we began a new practice of praying for people by name on Sunday mornings. All names submitted online (click here) by Saturday at noon will be included in the prayers of the people the next day. Alternatively, those who attend Sunday morning worship in person will have the opportunity to fill out a prayer card each week to include whomever they wish in our community's prayers. In order to keep our prayer list current, all names must be resubmitted each week if you desire continued prayers.

Cantor Kurt R. Schmidt

954-421-3146, option 2 (Church) • 954-913-2125 (Cell)

kschmidt@zion-lutheran.org

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.