Mount Zion Glad Tidings May 2015 Mt. Zion Lutheran Church 1343 Long Lane Road Kutztown, PA 19530 Church Office Hours Monday through Friday 9:00 AM—1:00 PM Church Office Telephone Number 610-756-6210 Pastor................................ The Reverend Dennis Ritter Cell phone 484-529-7801 Email [email protected] Church Secretary .............................. Annette Stimeling Church Council President…………...…Janice Clemmer Church Council Vice President ....................... Joe Arndt Church Council Secretary…………….…Sandy Newkirk Treasurer………………………...………April Osterstock Financial Secretary................ Diane Laub & Jeff Wetzel Minister of Music ....................................... Sylvia Keller Church Sexton…………………….………….Lillian Moyer Webpage ………………………………...April Osterstock Newsletter .............................................. Sharon Billger Newsletter e-mail: [email protected] Please submit items by the 15th of the month. http://www.mtzionkutztown.org/ 4th Annual Mother/Daughter Tea Sunday, May 3 — 12 Noon to 2 PM Mother’s Day — Sunday, May 10 Pentecost Sunday — May 24 Memorial Day — Monday, May 25 On April 26, 2015 we welcomed into the community of faith through Affirmation of Baptism Lindsey and MaKenna Dietrich Bryan, Melissa and Jordan Keller Wade King 2 Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ, This month I want to share with you a stewardship story that I came across many years ago. It has served to remind me that to remain a healthy child of God it is not only good but necessary for me to live a generous life. It was written by Gayle D. Erwin and entitled, “The Two Seas”. There are two seas in Palestine. One is fresh, and fish are in it. Splashes of green adorn its banks. Trees spread their branches over it and stretch out their thirsty roots to sip of its healing waters. Along its shores the children play, as children played when Jesus was there. He loved it. He could look across its silver surface when he spoke his parables. And on a rolling plain not far away he fed five thousand people. The river Jordan makes this sea with sparkling water from the hills. So it laughs in the sunshine. And men build their houses near to it and birds their nests; and every kind of life is happier because it is there. The river Jordan flows on south into another sea. Here is no splash of fish, no fluttering of leaf, no song of birds, no children’s laughter. Travelers choose another route, unless on urgent business. The air hangs heavy above its water, and neither man nor beast nor fowl will drink. What makes this mighty difference in these neighboring seas? Not the river Jordan. It empties the same good water into both. Not the soil in which they lie nor the country about. This is the difference. The Sea of Galilee receives but does not keep the waters of the Jordan. For every drop that flows into it another drop flows out. The giving and receiving go on in equal measure. The other sea is shrewder, hoarding its incoming waters jealously. It will not be tempted into any generous impulse. Every drop it gets, it seeks to keep. The Sea of Galilee gives and lives. This other sea gives nothing. It is named the Dead Sea. There are two kinds of people in the world. Continued… 3 As we continue to move through the season of the resurrection. It is important for each of us to remember that we are called through our baptism to worship, love and serve a God who gave the last full measure that you and I might have the forgiveness of our sins and the newness of life lived in Christ Jesus. For such a God and for such a gift, what level of giving is enough? Yours in Christ, Pastor Ritter Harvesting Hope in Rural India Life as a migrant laborer was hard for Paresh Chandra Murmu and his family. Work was not available year-round in his village. Agaya Arabani, an impoverished community in the Indian state of West Bengal, and as a Santali (one of India’s many tribal groups), Paresh and his family faces many inherent disadvantages. Migrant work took him away from home and his children didn’t go to school, extending the family’s challenges and decreasing the hope for the future. With support from ELCA World Hunger, Lutheran World Service India Trust initiated agricultural projects around the Bankura district, included Paresh’s village of Agaya Arabani. The partners worked with Paresh and his neighbors to introduce organic agricultural methods, strengthen community knowledge of growing techniques and develop irrigation systems. These improvements meant that Paresh and other growers could plant and harvest two crops a year instead of only one. Now Paresh takes pride in the vegetables he produces, bringing in greater income for his family. He no longer needs to go away for work because he can successfully farm throughout the year. The vegetable plots are supplemented by mango trees, the fruit of which brings in as much as $1,500 a year. One benefit of this community’s new-found stability is a renewed commitment to their children’s education. “With our children now in school, we see the effect on us parents,” said one member of the village. “It gives us more confidence when our children are receiving an education.” Like parents everywhere Paresh and other residents in Agaya Arabani can now see the value of education for their children—the next generation— and how their education as well as community support from partners like ELCA World Hunger will make a sustainable difference in ending the cycle of hunger and poverty. Your support helps make projects like this possible. Thank you! 4 MESSAGE FROM THE COUNCIL PRESIDENT LAMPa: Our Lutheran Voice in Harrisburg As I sit down to write this letter my mind is thinking of things going on in the near future at Mt. Zion. There is the Mother Daughter Tea and of course Mother’s Day in May. Our participation in the LSO community yard sale, the outdoor worship service and the start of the Kutztown Folk Festival in June, and I am sure there are other things that do not come to mind at this time. I want to say Thank You to all from Mt. Zion and New Jerusalem Zion who participated in the Cantata. Thank you for all the time you put into this program. It was a very memorable event. I want to especially thank Sylvia for putting together such a great program. Also, thank you to our church friends from New Jerusalem Zion for coming out. I was glad to see we had a “full house” for it. The “Catch the Vision” workshop was well attended. The food was great and there was plenty of it. The discussion about your vision for the future of Mt. Zion and New Jerusalem Zion was uplifting. Many of you gave your thoughts and others followed with further discussion on them. Many good things were presented, now the task ahead is to try to make them happen. The spaghetti dinner week was very busy for me. Getting the supplies together and setting up and serving the dinner is a lot of work. The restoration and fund raising committee is comprised of only 5 members. I especially need to thank all the helpers who worked the event. Without your energy and enthusiasm we would not be able to continue our stained glass window restoration project. This project is a large financial undertaking and we will continue to conduct projects, such as this, until we have completed our goal of fully restoring the windows. If you are not aware, all funds that are raised by this committee go toward the restoration of the windows. THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT! The NE Pa Synod Assembly is in May. Matt Dietrich and I will be attending, along with Pastor Ritter. I am sure we will be getting a better feel for where the church is going in the future. The LSO group will be holding a community yard sale in our church grove on June 6, 8am to 2pm. Do you have unwanted items, bring them to the yard sale and turn them into cash. Remember “ONE MAN’S JUNK IS ANOTHER MAN’S TREASURE” This will be a rain or shine event. Please contact me if you would like to sign up or need further information. You can make it a great event and maybe put some money in your pocket as well! As always, there are many things going on at Mt. Zion. Why not join in and have some fun helping out. There is always room for extra helping hands and they are greatly appreciated! Who knows, maybe you will create an unforgettable memory. Trusting in God, Janice Clemmer, Council President Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pennsylvania (LAMPa) is one of the wider ministries of our Lutheran Church that serves to make sure our Lutheran voice is heard in the halls of our state government. Pastor Ritter has been privileged to serve on the Policy Council the last several years, initially as a representative for the 17 Lutheran Social Ministry Organizations (SMO’s) that are located across the state and provide a myriad of services to hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians yearly. Now he serves on the Policy Council as one of the 2 representatives from our Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod. 5 6 LAMPa’s purpose is a simple one. “In response to God’s love in Jesus Christ, we advocate for wise and just public policies in Pennsylvania that promote the common good.” It does this in several ways. Through its director, the Rev. Amy Reumann, and her staff of 1 fulltime and 1 half-time assistants it conducts direct advocacy with legislators on issues such as quality education for all, affordable housing, the care of creation, household financial security, access to healthcare and hunger. In addition, this small staff calls upon others who have special expertise within Pennsylvania’s Lutheran community to give testimony before Senate and House committees. Even individuals like you and me are encouraged to contact our respective legislators or the governor to give our input into the legislative process. Amy and her staff engage in educating the 7 Pennsylvania bishops, Social Ministry Organizations, congregations and individual Lutherans regarding the potential impact of legislation that is under consideration in the legislature at any given point-in-time. Amy and her staff work with congregations to develop and carry out advocacy work in the particular communities where they are located and beyond. Amy and her staff help Pennsylvania Lutherans navigate the maze of state government so that they can more effectively make their voices heard. Finally, they plan and conduct Lutheran Day at the Capitol which is an opportunity for Lutherans from across the state to come together in Harrisburg for a day of education around a particular theme/issue and an opportunity to visit their representatives to talk about that issue or other matters of importance to them and their local communities. You can learn more about this valuable partner in ministry at www.lutheranadvocacypa.org. While there you can sign up to receive regular advocacy updates via email or make a donation to financially sustain its advocacy work on behalf of Pennsylvanians throughout the state. Campaign for the ELCA Our Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is engaged in a five year development program to strengthen the outreach of our denomination. The campaign began in 2014 and will continue until 2018. It will focus on the following areas of our church’s life. CONGREGATIONS -- $16 million dollars are to be raised to help renew congregations, develop additional mission starts and expand congregations’ ministries with those who are differently abled. LEADERSHIP -- $19 million dollars are to be raised to sup- port men and women who are engaged in studies to become rostered leaders in the church and to work with youth and young adults so that they become further engaged in the life of the church. HUNGER & POVERTY -- $130 million dollars are to be raised to support and expand our work to address hunger issues in 60 countries and the United States and to join with an international effort to eradicate Malaria in 13 countries in Africa. GLOBAL CHURCH -- $33 million dollars are to be raised to support our denomination’s missionaries, to provide the opportunity for 200 young adults the opportunity to participate in a year of global service, to equip more than 200 women from our global companion churches for leadership roles in their respective countries and churches, and initiate new evangelism projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America. At its April meeting our congregation council took action to provide the opportunity for you to be a part of this exciting endeavor. Out of a concern that the ELCA can continue to identify and support individuals for rostered leadership positions in the church the money that we receive will be given to support the $19 million dollar goal to support men and women who are studying to become ordained and lay leaders in the church. You are encouraged to use the special offering envelope that is included with this newsletter to give an offering by Pentecost which is Sunday, May 24. You can bring your contribution to worship anytime and place it in the offering, it will be forwarded with our regular monthly benevolence. Envelopes will be available at worship as well. 7 May 2015 PRAYER REMEMBERANCE Please remember the following person in your weekly prayers. A card or a note of cheer would be greatly appreciated . Pauline Berlin, Keith Birnie, Sharon Billger, Richard Grim, Charley Grym (uncle of Kailyn Grym), Lennia Hamsher, Hanna Hertzog Carson Isamoyer (Sharon Billger’s friend), Glen Landon, Joann Lewis, Jane Lukowicz (Joanne Lewis’s daughter), Anna Meck (Nancy Sanner’s Friend), Dennis Miller Billy Rehrig, Harold Weisner Editor’s Note: As stated last month, we will be including the names and addresses of two of our Mt. Zion homebound members. We will rotate with two different names each month. Please remember our homebound members with a card to let them know you are thinking of them. In addition, this month we are sharing the new address of a friend of Mt. Zion, Lennia Hamsher. Her son replied to a card I sent to her and said she moved in January to the address below. Many of you know Lennia and may want to send her a card. MT. ZION VISITATIONS Katie Emore Rosemary Flothmeier Luther Meadows Apt 313 Buehrle Center Rm#108 Topton, PA 19562 Topton, PA 19562 Friend of Mt. Zion: Lennia Hamsher Fellowship Community, Villa 307A 3020 Fellowship Drive Whitehall, PA 18052 Redner’s Save a Tape Program Bring your register receipts from any Redner’s Grocery Store. You will need to have a Redner’s Loyalty shopping card for the receipt to qualify. We will receive a 1% cash back for the total of your receipt. Put your receipts in the container on the table below the bulletin board. 8 THANK YOU!!! My wife and I would like to thank GOD and our loving Mt. Zion family for the prayers and well wishes during my rotator cuff surgery. Now has begun the physical therapy and I pray for a complete healing! GOD IS GREAT!!! Sincerely, Richard and Linda Grim To our Mt. Zion family, We want to thank you all for the prayers, cards, visits and phone calls during the past few weeks. We were especially thankful to the Women’s Group of Mt. Zion for the meals that were prepared and delivered to us, also the flowers. It was so comforting to know we were being remembered by our Mt. Zion family! God Bless You All! In Christian love, Nancy and Ralph Sanner P. S. It is a great comfort to be back worshipping with you. Dear Mt. Zion family, Thank you for the cards you sent, and prayers said for me during my hospital stay and recovery at home. Thank you to the Women’s Group for the meal delivery, it was delicious and much appreciated. Thank you also to Pastor Ritter for his visits. God Bless, Myrtle Weisner To my Mt. Zion family, Thank you for the care and concern shown to me during my recent illness. I appreciate the cards, phone calls, and email messages. Thank you to Helen for the soup and to Mom for the chicken pot pie! I ask our Lord to bless you all as you have blessed me with your kindness. Love, Sharon C. Billger I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the 2015 Easter Egg Hunt’s success. Thank you to those who donated items. Thank you to all my helpers on Good Friday who made coloring and filling eggs and clean up happen in record time. Thank you to those who helped out on Saturday for the hunt. A BIG thank you to Sharon & Martin Billger for taking charge of Saturday’s hunt. Michelle Button, Christian Ed 9 Thank you to the singers of Mt. Zion and New Jerusalem Zion UCC for their participation in the Easter Cantata. It was a truly wonderful and spiritually uplifting performance! THANK YOU... ...to everyone who helped in any way with our Spaghetti Dinner. Whether baking desserts, preparing and serving food, helping with set-up prior or clean-up after the event, your efforts are greatly appreciated. Thank you also to those who supported this event with your attendance. Approximately 80 people were served. Thanks again for your ongoing support of our efforts to raise funds for the repair of our beautiful stained glass windows! Restoration & Fundraising Committee Easter Greeting from Germany We received the following from our sister church in Flößberg: For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. - 1 Corinthians 5:7 Dear Mt. Zion Congregation, Also this year we are awaiting an invasion of chocolate Easter bunnies, but many Christian children are looking forward to chocolate Easter lambs. Sure it is a good idea to remember the apostle Paul who knew the Jewish Passover with the custom to sacrifice a lamb—until the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem AD 70. This lamb became for him and the first Christians a symbol for the sacrificed and risen Christ, for Good Friday and Easter. Therefore a flag with the sign = CH R belongs to the Lamb figure. The lambs we sent are meant for the Sunday School children respectively — brothers and sisters. The living Lord that gave his life for us in greatest love. - John 15:13 Yours, Gisela & Hans Ulrich Dietze and your friends in Flößberg and around. Editor’s Note: Our Sunday School children enjoyed the chocolate Easter Lambs! The greeting is posted on the bulletin board in the rear of the sanctuary, it includes a photo of a chocolate lamb. 10 11 12 Community Events!!! CAMP EVERGREEN, Children’s Bereavement Camp Free of Charge for children 8 to 16 Registration deadline is June 26th….Please call 1-888-882-4530 A program of Lutheran Home Care & Hospice, Camp Evergreen is a children’s bereavement camp designed for children 8 to 16 who have experienced the loss of a loved one. Through arts & crafts, physical activity, games, song and discussion, campers will learn new, healthy ways to cope with the strong feelings that often emerge after a significant loss. Campers will be in a safe place among professionals and trained volunteers who will provide companionship and guidance. Community Choir Concert It’s time for the Kutztown Community Choir annual spring choral concert! The concert will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church, 357 W Main Street, Kutztown, PA on Sunday, May 10, 2015 at 7:00 P.M. This year’s program will salute Hollywood with a wide selection of music from some of your favorite movies, including O Brother Where Art Thou, The Little Mermaid, Forrest Gump, and The Wizard of Oz, as well as a tribute to Frank Sinatra’s 100th anniversary! Michael Barron will be directing the choir and Greta (Luckenbill) Ertel will be the accompanist. Anne Sitarik will step in to direct a few special numbers. There is no admission charge, but an offering will be received for the benefit of the choir’s music fund. Guaranteed to have everyone humming along with this selection of many well-loved tunes—come celebrate the long-awaited arrival of warm weather and Mother’s Day with an evening filled with memorable music! Ziegel’s Church Activities Yard Sale—Saturday, May 2 — 9 AM to 1 PM — $10 a space Mission Team Shrimp Boil — Sunday, May 17 — 4 to 6 PM Tickets must be purchases in advance. Adults $15 Children $7 For details on both events see the flyers posted on the yellow “Events” bulletin board in the rear of the sanctuary. 13 Attention Women of Mt. Zion!!! Please join us for our 4th Annual Mother/Daughter Tea! ‘A Tea Party with Jesus’ Sunday, May 3, 12 Noon to 2 PM We are currently taking reservations for this very popular event. You don’t want to miss it! Our entertainer this year will be Lois Schultz who will share with you stories about her many teapots, highlighting their originality and spiritual blessings. We will have a light lunch, beverages and delicious desserts. There will be door prizes for children, youth and adults. A love offering will be taken for our presenter. Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, May 26, 9 AM. After our Woman of the Bible devotion we will work on our Fuel Fund Follies planning. All women of Mt. Zion are invited to come join us! Graduating? Let Us Know If you or someone that you know is graduating from a college/ university, trade school, or high school this year, share the news with us by contacting the church office at 610-756-6210 or at [email protected]. Please tell us who, from where, when and what degree/certificate if applicable. Please provide this information by the 15th of May. Congratulations! Kellie Marie Kahler and Clarence Harry Seltzer III were united in marriage at Mt. Zion on April 25, 2015. Best wishes to the happy couple! Baptism April 26, 2015 we welcomed into the community of faith through Baptism Everly Ann Dietrich Daughter of Lindsey & Rory Dietrich Granddaughter of Ruth Ann & Robert Dietrich 14 Our prayers and sympathies are with the family of Gale Landon who went to be with the Lord on April 2, 2015. May the message of the resurrection and the promise of Christ be of comfort for them. Gale Landon Obituary Gale R. Landon, 59, of Lenhartsville, died suddenly Thursday, April 2, 2015, in her home. She was the wife of Glenn A. Landon. They were married August 7, 1999. Born in Allentown, she was a daughter of June E. (Rauenzahn) Boyer, Kutztown, and the late Gerald L. Boyer. Mrs. Landon was a member of Mount Zion Lutheran Church, Krumsville. Gale was the bookkeeper for the family business, Landon's General Hauling, LLC, Lenhartsville, for many years. Prior to that, she worked in various positions at Paul Fredrick Shirt, Fleetwood. Gale enjoyed horses, photography and the outdoors, but most of all, spending time with her grandchildren. Survivors: husband, Glenn; mother, June; son, Kyle D. Hertzog, companion of Destiny I. Stopp, Lenhartsville; Stepdaughters, Della M. (Landon), wife of Ronald L. Noll Jr., Macungie; Beth A. Landon, Mertztown; step-sons, Glenn A. Jr., husband of Melissa L. (Shuman) Landon, Blandon; and Roy Lee Levengood, husband of Jackie Gruber, Bridgewater, NJ. Other survivors include a sister, Holly K. (Boyer), wife of Thomas A. Glennon, Olympia, Wash.; and brothers, Rodney L., husband of Elisabeth A. (Ilgenfritz) Boyer, Wernersville; and Troy A., husband of Sallie A. (Lillington) Boyer, Kutztown. There are two grandchildren, Sydney R. and Ignatius K. Hertzog, there are also 10 step-grandchildren and four step-great-grandchildren. Funeral services were held on Wednesday, April 8, 2015, from Mount Zion Lutheran Church, Kutztown, with Reverend Dr. Dennis S. Ritter and Reverend Mary Ann Hamm officiating. Inurnment was private at the convenience of the family. The family requests contributions be made to Mt. Zion Lutheran Church Memorial Fund, 1343 Long Lane Road, Kutztown, PA 19530. Ludwick Funeral Homes, Inc., Kutztown, was in charge of arrangements. Blessed are they that mourn; for they shall be comforted - Matthew 5:4 You Are Invited! Our friends at New Jerusalem Zion UCC invite the mothers of Mt. Zion, and their families, for Mother’s Day breakfast, May 10, 8-10:00 AM. Likewise, the fathers of Mount Zion, and their families, are invited for Father’s Day breakfast on, June 21, 8-10 AM. Please join them for good food and fellowship in celebration of mothers and fathers! 15 May Worship Service Support May 3 10:15 AM Acolyte Ethan Sanner Greeters Nancy & Dennis Miller Lector Lorrie Arndt Ushers Church Council Comm.Ast. Lorrie Arndt, Martin Billger Flowers Cindy & Jeff Wetzel in honor of their 41st Wedding Anniversary Bulletins Cindy & Jeff Wetzel in honor of their 41st Wedding Anniversary May 10 10:15 AM Acolyte Owen Stemko Greeters Joann Lewis & Nancy Sanner Lector Sharon Billger Ushers Arlene Schmeck & Volunteer, 2 confirmands TBD Flowers Helen Ruth in honor of mom Ruth, sister Pam and all mothers Bulletins Helen Ruth in honor of mom Ruth, sister Pam and all mothers May 17 10:15 AM Acolyte Brandon Gehris Greeters Sharon & Martin Billger Lector Sue Stemko Ushers Michelle & Dan Batz, 2 confirmands TBD Flowers Bulletins We are in need of Bulletins and Flowers in May Please consider commemorating a special event or memory of a loved one with a donation of bulletins or flowers. Thank you! 16 May 24 10:15AM Acolyte Sydney Hertzog May Service Calendar Greeters Jean Dietrich, Jean Higgins Lector Kelly Knutsen Ushers Church Council ORDER WORHOLY OF SHIP COMWORASSIST MUNION SHIP PREACH R=Ritter COMMENTS 10:15 AM 5 Easter LBW I Yes Supply Mother/Daughter Tea 10– May 10:15 AM 6 Easter LBW I Linda No Supply Mother’s Day 17– May 10:15 AM 7 Easter WOV April No Supply Fellowship Sunday Hosted by Property and Hospitality 24– May 10:15 AM Day of Pentecost LBW I Greg Yes R Pentecost Sunday 31– May 10:15 AM The Holy Trinity LBW I Sue Yes R Holy Trinity Sunday 2015 DATE SUNDAY 3– May Jeff Comm.Ast. Kelly Knutsen, Sue Stemko Flowers Bulletins Helen Wessner & family in memory of Paul’s birthday May 31 10:15 AM Acolyte Vicky McAteer Greeters Jean Wetzel, Esther Kerr Lector Eloise Tucker Ushers Church Council Comm.Ast. Diane Laub, Dean Scott Flowers Michelle & Dan Batz in honor of their 11th Wedding Anniversary Bulletins April Osterstock in honor of son Jeff’s birthday Church Fellowship Hour for May May’s Fellowship Hour on Sunday, May 17, will be hosted by the Hospitality and Property Committees. Thank you! Keep Your Information Current. Month after month we run reminders about keeping your e-mail address current in order to receive up-to-date information. We also want to remind you about keeping your pertinent information current with the church as well. Whenever you move or change your phone numbers, please remember to let us know as well. Send the information by e-mail to [email protected] or [email protected] or call the office at 610/ 756-6210. Thank you. 17 Community Yard Sale Sponsored by LSO Saturday, June 6, in our picnic grove- 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM Bring those items you no longer need and turn them into cash! Pre-registration is requested — $5.00 per space with a limited number of tables available. For more information and to register contact Janice Clemmer at 610-683-7901 or [email protected]. Zumba Fitness class every Tuesday from 6:30 - 7:30 PM. $5 per class, instructed by licensed instructor, Stacey Meckes. Please wear comfortable shoes and bring water. Also, Zumba Toning classes every Saturday at 9:00 AM. Students can use light hand weights (1-2 pounds). 18 Local Shared Outreach Update Do you know that Friend tries to give each family it serves 3 cans of soup a month? They serve over 300 families so they need about 1000 cans of soup each month. When their supply gets depleted it takes them a long time to get it built up again. As a result of this information, our group has decided to continue with soups/stews as our focus item for May. The tally for our granola bar collection for March: 11 boxes granola bars 1 box stuffing mix 1 box chicken bouillon 1 pouch stroganoff pasta 1 can coffee 1 box julienne potatoes 1 cake mix Total items 17 The total Jingle monies collected in the first quarter of the year for the Greater Berks Food Bank totals $451.02! THANK YOU for your Friend donations and your Jingle contributions. We appreciate your support of our efforts to better the lives of our neighbors in need! As reported last month, our Jingle Project recipient for the this quarter is We Agape You, Inc., the non-profit organization working to provide the homeless, in particularly veterans, of the Reading area with housing, employment, and treatment for those with mental illness and/or addiction. Thank you to everyone who attended the Catch the Vision workshop. Rev. Wanda Craner, workshop leader, asked us to “dream” for a bit, to share our ideas of what it might mean to further share ministry between Mt. Zion and New Jerusalem Zion UCC. It was an exciting and energetic time of exploring our common vision, and what our impact on the community could be. Watch for information on the next step in the process. Our next LSO meeting will be on Thursday, May 14. We will begin with our regular discussion at 6:30 PM. Then at 7:00 our guest speaker, Kristin Hoffa, Berks County’s Advocate for Homeless Children, will give a presentation. Please join us!!! The Property Committee Needs Your Help! It’s that time again, yep, time to tune-up and gas-up the mower and start mowing! We are looking for a few people to help with the mowing of our church property. Four people on the rotation schedule would mean you’d only have to mow once a month. Please consider helping to lighten the load. Contact any of us to volunteer. Martin, Ed, & Ken Geraniums For Pentecost The Worship & Music Committee will once again be taking orders for geraniums to beautify the sanctuary on Pentecost Sunday, May 24. They are plants in 4 1/2” pots and the cost is $3.50 each. Sylvia Keller and Helen Wessner will be taking orders after worship on the following Sundays: May 3, May 10, May 17. You may designate your geraniums to be planted in the flower beds around our church building, or you may take them along home. Why do we decorate the church with red flowers on Pentecost, what does it signify? Read here from the second chapter of Acts: 2 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Memorial Day Remembrance As we celebrate the Memorial Day weekend, May we remember those who gave their lives for our freedoms. 19 20 2015 Summer Fest Recipient Nominations Do you know of a family or organization in our community (or the surrounding area) that is in need? Please complete this form and submit it to Michelle Batz by May 7, 2015. The Summer Fest committee will meet that evening at 6:30pm to vote on all nominations and choose a recipient for our 2015 Summer Fest. All are welcome to join us to vote! Nominee name:_________________________________________ Nominated By: _________________________________________ (Your name will remain anonymous during the voting, this is needed so we can contact you regarding additional details if your nominee is selected) Please provide rationale for nominating this family/person/organization and some background about their situation. These details will be provided to the committee prior to voting. More detail is better! ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 1-May 1-May 1-May 2-May 2-May 5-May 7-May 12-May 13-May 15-May 16-May 17-May 18-May 18-May 19-May 22-May 22-May 23-May 23-May 26-May 27-May 27-May 27-May 29-May 30-May Doug Brandon Lilia Irene Nancy Aubrey Gia Jaimee Jacob Blaik Billie Jo Justin Marion Donald Makayla Katie Daniel Helene Dominick Sandy Fay E. Susan Adrienne Yolanda Kerry Dietrich Mengel Pizzelanti Grim Miller Grym Danenhower Stemko Wessner Losito Rehrig Renninger Schappell Lauer Miller Emore Batz Weigle Ruth Pizzelanti Newkirk Miller Fritzinger Kline Fegley Dietrich ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________ 21 05/04/1974 05/07/1983 05/17/1980 05/20/2006 05/22/1976 05/22/2004 05/28/2005 05/29/2003 05/31/2003 Happy Birthday ! Happy Anniversary ! Cynthia & Jeffrey Wetzel Cindy & Steven Meigio Susan & Louis Lorenzetti Diane & Robert Kern Darlene & Daniel Kurtz Valerie & Brent Rutherford Adrienne & Craig Kline Tina Butz Michelle & Daniel Batz 22 FREE PLATES—Please help yourself!!! While cleaning the kitchen the women came across some extra dinner plates. They would work great if you are taking a cake to a bake sale or cake walk, you don’t need to get the plate back! They are downstairs in a box on top of the shuffleboard. Mt. Zion Lutheran Church Mission Statement The Mission of Mt. Zion is focused on supporting people in their faith journey with Christ at the center. This is accomplished by preaching God’s crucifixion, teaching the Gospel and helping all members to witness God’s grace in their daily lives. Mt. Zion is a cornerstone of faith and a spiritual home for all who embrace God. The future of Mt. Zion is our youth. The members of Mt. Zion commit to invest in our youth by providing an education in Christ’s love, supporting their endeavors and mentoring them to live as Christ has taught us. The members of Mt. Zion embrace the community in which we exist. The doors of our church are open to all who wish to enter. Within our walls, we will use the many talents God has blessed us with; the leadership skills of our members, the musical ability and the natural willingness to serve each other and Christ. While achieving our goals, Christ will always remain at our center, and we will continually work toward being ONE in our feelings and mission at Mt. Zion Mt Zion Youth Group Mission Statement The Mt Zion Youth Group is a community of caring, supportive, encouraging, understanding, enthusiastic, fun-loving , and creative young people who want to work together to help people in need and our church. As we personally grow in our faith and in our understanding of God’s relevance in our lives, our goal is to follow God’s word and grow spiritually as we become the church leaders of tomorrow!” 23 24
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