Property

It's been a busy summer for property. The CEB parking lot was re-sealed; the CEB siding and roof were power washed and the windows were cleaned. It all looks great. The insurance settlement from the July flooding problem has been received and work has begun to replace the damaged baseboard moldings. Thank you, Bob Delia and Jim Dornbusch, for stepping up to do the repairs. At the parsonage, the hanging tree limbs left over from Hurricane Sandy have been trimmed and removed from the property. The large oak tree, or what is left of it, next to the driveway will be taken down in October. The most exciting news is that the Mission 300 work at the parsonage to replace the siding, windows and add insulation has started. Jack Hall with Cornerstone Custom Construction was awarded the renovation contract after approval by the Tewksbury Historical Preservation Society. The windows will be replaced barring no unforeseen problems when the siding is removed. A big thank you to Jay Wieder and Harold Wrede for their hard work and dedication to this important project. A couple of other things - mark your calendars for the 300th annual Fall clean up/Work day scheduled for Saturday November 23 from 9 am to 1 pm. A light breakfast and lunch will be provided. Watch for clean up updates in the coming month. Also I am in the process of getting the property committee's "To Do" list posted on the Zion website. Keep an eye out for it and get back to me with any questions. Thanks again to all property committee members and volunteers. You make Zion shine!

Anniversary Trip to Germany

"What a wonderful trip!” “It was wonderful to visit our Lutheran roots—especially with such a great group of friends! We will cherish the memories!” “So many memories attached to fun, laughs, and pride in our common heritage as Lutherans. Being with fellow worshippers for over a week was a special joy.” From September 1 to 10, 37 Zion members and friends traveled to Germany where our founding members and first pastors came from 300 years ago, not to mention where Martin Luther began the Reformation 500 years ago. Our very first stop was in Worms to see the largest monument to the Reformation in the town where Luther refused to recant his beliefs. We then spent 2 nights in Heidelberg, the center of the Rhineland Palatinate which Zion’s first members left to journey to America. We traveled on to Eisenach where Luther went to school as a young boy and later returned to Wartburg Castle to translate the New Testament into German. While there we also saw the birthplace of J.S. Bach. The next 2 nights we stayed in beautiful medieval Erfurt where Luther became a monk in the Augustinian monastery and was ordained a priest in the cathedral. We learned about the Romantics Goethe and Schiller and more German history when we visited the lovely town of Weimar. Then it was on to 24/7 Luther in Lutherstadt Wittenberg. We visited the church where Luther preached, was married, and where his children were baptized, his home, and the home of Philip Melancthon. Our visit was capped with a vespers service at the Castle church where Luther is buried. Pastor Summer read the lesson and Ron Rupp and David Wintemute served as ushers. Our trip ended in Berlin where we were confronted with signs of the previously divided Germany—Checkpoint Charlie, remnants of the Berlin Wall, and a museum about the escape attempts from East Germany. We were moved and literally confused at the Judisches Museum, and despite the rain, marveled at the architecture of the Bundestag Dome. A visit to the ornate Berlin Cathedral and the magnificent art of the Pergamon Museum rounded out our stay in Berlin. Throughout the 10 days, we enjoyed great German food and drink, had daily prayer and devotions on our bus, handed out our Zion calling cards (Ted Jermansen wins the prize for most cards given out), and learned much about German history, both political and religious (thank you, John, our wonderful tour guide).

IHN Hosting

Please mark your calendars. Zion will be hosting IHN November 10 –November 24. To make a hosting cycle successful we need volunteers to cook a dinner, share a meal with our guests, spend a couple of hours at the CEB, and sleep overnight. If you have any questions about how you can help make our guests feel comfortable while staying here at Zion feel free to contact Linda Held. Fall Food Drive continues. See earlier posting.

Parish Life - Dinner Groups

Do you like to eat good food? Would you like to meet new people from the congregation and get to know others better in a relaxed setting? If you answered "yes" to these questions, then consider signing up for Dinner Groups. Participants will be grouped with two other couples who then rotate homes and meal contributions (appetizers, main course, dessert). The hosting family invites a fourth member or couple from the congregation to the dinner. It is a great way to share fellowship and to make new friends. Look for the sign up sheet in the narthex. If you have any questions, email Wendy Minerowicz.

Pet Blessing

Final Call for the 300 Pet Blessing ( Commemorating Zion’s 300th Anniversary) Sunday, October 13, at the CEB at 2:00 pm If you’re planning to be there with at least one pet OR Have recruited a friend, neighbor, co-worker, or classmate to be there with at least one pet, You’ve been most helpful. If neither, you still have a chance to make this 300th Anniversary Pet Blessing a success by doing the above!

Women's Retreat

Cross Roads Camp and Retreat Center is hosting a Women’s Retreat the weekend of October 18-20. Visit www.crossroadsretreat.com to register. Cost is $170 and the topic is “Leaning into Christ.”

Book of Faith

Book of Faith meets every Wednesday at noon in the CEB conference room. We are presently discussing Chapter 5 of the Gospel of John. If you can’t join us for stimulating discussion, follow Pastor’s blog here on Zion’s website.

Discipleship Class

Discipleship will be meeting at the CEB on October 23. Check the Sunday bulletins for more details.

Lunch Bunch

Lunch Bunch will be returning to another favorite spot, the Gladstone Tavern, 273 Main St., Gladstone on October 16 at noon.

ENDOWMENT FUND NEWS

The Endowment Committee will be having our last Endowment Sunday for 2013 on Sunday, November 3. Please consider giving to the Zion Lutheran Church Endowment Fund to commemorate and celebrate a significant milestone in your family’s church life such as a baptism, confirmation or wedding. Envelopes marked “Endowment Fund” will be placed in all the pews. The Endowment Fund only grows with contributions from members and friends of Zion. Those who share the vision of not only a living memorial for loved ones, but also recognize that upon maturity, the fund will provide significant monetary grants for many new mission oriented programs–forever…. Please contact any member of the Endowment Committee (Mike Donnelly, Geof Close and Rick Schroeder) if you have any questions!