A message from Pastor Summer -- July 2016

 If you want to do your heart some good, you should come to Vacation Bible School.  Amidst the heartache of this world and the divisiveness that surrounds us, Vacation Bible School is a welcome celebration.  There is no greater joy than spending time with the children of our church and our community.  This year, we were on a “Cave Quest.”  We spent a week telling the stories from the Bible that lifted up the gifts Jesus has given us.  We celebrated the gifts of hope, courage, direction, love, and power.  We learned new songs like “He is the Light of the World” and sang old favorites like “All God’s Critters Got a Place in the Choir.”  We had the chance to make butterflies, salamanders, and cave goo.  We learned about the creatures who make caves their homes and had their own lessons to teach.  We ran and played outdoors and enjoyed refreshments to cool us down.  We laughed, prayed, learned, sang, and built friendships old and new.  For everyone, from 3 to 90, the week was a special time together.

What is the magic of Vacation Bible School?  We are certainly blessed with a wonderful, creative, and caring staff, but it’s more than the program we run.  In this crazy world of ours, an intentional faith community is a gift, even if it’s only for a week.  We need to come together.  The church has always recognized this fact.  God built us for community.  “Where two or more are gathered in my name” that is where God is made known.  Vacation Bible School simply gives us the opportunity.  Certainly, we all felt God’s presence as we gathered together.  I was so taken with each thank you offered by the children as they left on Friday.  The staff shared the same gratitude.  Everyone is planning to come again next year.  The good news is that Vacation Bible School need not be an end.  We have many more opportunities to gather as an intentional faith community.  Every Sunday, we have the chance to come together for worship, learning, and fellowship.  With every one of those experiences, we have the opportunity to be in community.  We have the chance of God being with us.  Every Sunday is an occasion for healing, renewal, and joy.  It’s the same joy we experienced at Vacation Bible School.  Do your heart some good.  Join us this Sunday.

Peace,

Pastor Summer

Chrismon Class

Have you always admired the Chrismons that hang on our church Christmas tree?  Have you wished you could make/have a Chrismon to hang on your own tree?  Betty Lanka has offered to teach a class on making Chrismons on July 25th from 10:00am - 2:00pm.  Come when you can and leave when you need to.  Bring a lunch if you want.  There will be a small cost to cover the supplies.  We will be making simple designs, but if you are already skilled in this craft, Betty will have more complicated patterns available for you.

Please sign up for this class in the church narthex or call the church office to reserve your spot.  If you would like Betty to schedule another class at a different time, please indicate that on the sign up list.  Let us know a day of the week and time that would work for you.

SAVE THE DATE!

After a long hiatus, the Steak and Lobster Party is returning on Sunday, September 4th (Labor Day weekend), hosted by Ron & Joanne Rupp.  The cost will be approximately $20/person and covers the cost of either a lobster or filet mignon steak, wine, beer and other related costs.   Everyone brings an appetizer, salad/side dish, or dessert.  Lots of fun!  Please sign up on the sheet in the narthex, or call/email Joanne at 908-832-5220 / jzrupp51@gmail.com.

A message from Pastor Summer -- June 2016

“And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language?  Parthians, Meds, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs – in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” – Acts 2:8-11

Besides being one of the more difficult passages for lectors to read, this text for Pentecost Sunday speaks of the challenge to proclaim the Gospel in every age.  How do we speak to people in their own native language?  For us, in contemporary times, the challenge is to use the language of Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram.  These are the languages we need to use.  Social Media is where the conversation is taking place.  Who knew we would be exploring cyber evangelism, but we are.  The possibilities are both daunting and amazing.  To think, through Social Media, we have a platform to the world.  We have begun to move away from just having a website to venturing out into social media to tell others about the story of the gospel and the story of Zion.

Here are some examples.  Our recent video about Feed My Starving Children has received over 1,300 views.  My sermons are posted every week and every week people watch them.  One week, over 500 people clicked on that particular sermon.  We regularly have pictures posted of people in the life Zion, events of Zion, and thoughts from Zion.  This is a start, but we have just scratched the surface.  How else can we use these languages?

I want to invite everyone to participate in the conversation.  You can send you ideas to me or the church office.  They will be passed on to the Communications Committee.  In the meantime, you can always share a video or sermon that speaks to you with others.  You can add your comments to the things that are posted on the Zion sites.  You can find additional resources we might use.  We have the opportunity to speak to the world for the sake of Christ.  In the spirit of Pentecost and by the Spirit, may we, like those early disciples, speak in the languages of others about God’s deeds of power. 

Peace,

Pastor Summer

REFLECTIONS ... by Joanne Rupp

The addition to the CEB was completed 19 years ago.  From day one, the steep hill that was created in front of the original building has been a problem.  The first solution was planting cotoneaster.  That was a disaster.  Turns out thistle, poison ivy and weeds in general were impossible to control.  The next plan was to cover the hill with river rock.  As we all know, gravity and weeds won the day.  I couldn’t look at that hill without getting a pit in my stomach.  I wanted to include “fixing the hill” in our will.

And then came Harold Wrede who had similar feelings about the hill.  Harold investigated, planned, measured and measured again.  He found a way to construct the retaining wall without the need for permits ($$$).  He got estimates; he oversaw the entire project.  And now I smile when I look at the hill.

*Anyone and everyone is invited to submit a “reflection” to Good News from Zion.  Please send your article to the church office any time before the last Tuesday of the month.

Stewardship News

The Stewardship Committee has determined the overall Stewardship theme for 2016.

Christ has called you to:

Worship — How are you worshiping in your own way? How is Christ calling you to worship? What does worship look like if you can't worship in a traditional setting?

Serve — How are you being called to serve in Christ's name? How are you serving in faith today, tomorrow? What is it you want to do in serving Christ?

Pray — How and when do you pray? Is Christ talking to you through prayer?

Give — How is Christ calling you to give of your time, talent, and treasures? How do you give in Christ's name? Are you giving from your heart or your head?

The Stewardship Committee will promote the theme via social media, Gathering discussions, and small group meetings in the Fall. 

Seersucker Sunday - June 19th

Break out your seersucker and celebrate summer, the first 9:30 summer worship service and the ultimate seersucker wearer, the late Ernest (Ernie) Stellke.  Seersucker Sunday is June 19th (Father’s Day and the second Endowment Sunday of the year).  The Endowment Fund was started with a generous gift of $50,000 from Ernest Stellke.

Steak & Lobster Party!

After a long hiatus, the Steak and Lobster Party is returning on Sunday, September 4th (Labor Day weekend), hosted by Ron & Joanne Rupp.  The cost will be approximately $20/person and covers the cost of either a lobster or filet mignon steak, wine, beer and other related costs.   Everyone brings an appetizer, salad/side dish, or dessert.  Lots of fun!  The sign up list will be in the church starting Sunday, June 19th, or call/email Joanne at 908-832-5220 / jzrupp51@gmail.com. 

Lunch Bunch -- June 9th

The Lunch Bunch will be meeting on June 9 at noon.  We will be returning to Sky Cafe at Sky Manor Airport, 48 Sky Manor Rd., Pittstown, NJ.  The phone number is 996-4200.  Join the fun.  We’re looking for you!

Salad & Dessert Picnic -- Women of Zion

Please join the Women of Zion on June 8th for their annual Salad/Dessert Picnic at 6:30 p.m. at the home of Betty Lanka.  Please call or email Anita Zarate to sign up and to let her know whether you will bring a salad or dessert – we definitely need more salads than desserts!  This continues to be a wonderful annual event, so come again – or for the first time.  Anita can be reached at 908-534-2994 or anita.zarate@mac.com.