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Pastoral Relations Committee:
Any group of people needs a way to communicate feelings. This is true in a family, a business, and the church is no different. Sometimes a congregational member will see something that they feel needs to be changed or could be improved and sometimes a pastor has concerns about church relationships or activities. When this happens, the person can make their feelings known individually or, if they are uncomfortable doing this and want representation, they can seek help from others. Zion has established a method to do this called the Pastoral Relations Committee. Any concern can be shared with any member of this committee and it will be discussed at a committee meeting and resolution sought. But, if you feel so strongly that what is being done is so wonderful it needs to be shared, feel free to take that to the committee also!
EVANGELISM MINISTRY:
This is a ministry that can and should involve everyone who attends Zion. It stems from Christ's Great Commission. When the eleven disciples went to Galilee following the first Easter, they saw Jesus and worshiped him. Then He said (Matthew 28:19-20): "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Sprit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
People often make the decision to come to a specific church because someone has invited them, or they have been happy with that denomination in another town. Let us invite people to join us, let us make them welcome and share the Good News!
Martha Circle:
The Martha Circle meets the first Thursday of each month (except January & July) at 1:30 pm in the church dining room. Members work in the Marion Ministerial Alliance Soup Kitchen, prepare funeral dinners and contribute to various projects as part of our mission. New members are needed and welcomed and we believe you will find satisfaction in our group.
Deborah Circle:
DEBORAH CIRCLE
Deborah Circle meets the second Thursday of each month except for July and August. Deborah Circle promotes Christian fellowship between women of the church.
A Blessing Scripture begins each meeting, as we remember to be thankful for our daily blessings. Our extra programs will include craft projects, a speaker from C&T Recycling sharing the importance of taking care of "Mother Earth", and many mission projects. We also enjoy a devotion given by members.
As we celebrate Mothers Day in May, Deborah Circle will be supplying the table decorations and favors for the evening. Each year a Zion Mother of the Year Award goes to a dedicated lady of Zion, whose service has been an inspiration to the ladies of the church.
Deborah Circle enjoys a salad supper at our June meeting, a wiener roast in the month of September, a Thanksgiving feast in November, and Christmas goodies in December.
We are continuing our contribution with our "Celebration Jars" where we celebrate the joys in our daily lives. God gives us so much that we do not want to take those joys for granted. This is just one way to keep us grounded in our abundance, love, and joy. The monies raised will be used to benefit a charity to be determined each quarter. Our budgeted benevolent contributions include Hoyleton's Children's Home, Marion Ministerial Alliance, American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, and Kindercottage.
If you are looking for a Christian Women Fellowship, consider joining the Deborah Circle. Everyone is welcome.
Stewardship:
The United Church of Christ web page includes this article on Stewardship: "The fruit of the spirit is generosity
If we boldly "re-wrote" the Apostle Paul's Letter to the Galatians, we might say that "the fruit of the Spirit is generosity, and from it flow love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, and self-control."
Generosity is more than giving our money or sharing our belongings: it is a setting of the heart. For example, generosity is the source of hospitality, when we open our homes, our churches, our lives, and our hearts to others, and say, "Come on in and make yourself at home—you are welcome here. There is room for you here. We've been waiting for you." Generosity opens us to hear the story of the newcomer and to be changed by it; generosity enables us to receive the gifts of the newcomer and to make room for the changes those gifts may bring; generosity is the opposite of "We've always done it that way."
We who love God and love the church need to share our stories and our love for the church, and to invite others to share theirs, too, at a table that is large and set full of good things, plenty for all, a table where all are welcome and the meal waits, no matter "when they come home." We need to prepare and build a church home that will sustain and support, challenge and include all who seek to "take hold of the life that really is life."
Our generosity builds that kind of church home, makes that kind of hospitality possible, and nurtures the gifts of the Spirit we have received: joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, and self-control."
The Zion UCC Stewardship committee holds its regular meetings on the third Monday of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the Conference Room. We welcome all who would like to join us and help us to enhance Zion's glorious opportunity to give back to God! In our love for God, we want to share what we have with joy!
Ministry of Flowers:
Our Flower Ministry is spearheaded by our own very talented floral artist, Satoe Dahmer. Satoe is a true artist when it comes to flowers: fresh from the florists' coolers, from home gardens, riotous roadside "weeds", or silk arrangements. She finds true joy in this gift and gives joy to others by sharing this talent.
We rejoice in the arrangements on the altar every Sunday, they enhance the environment of worship in our beautiful sanctuary. We have a calendar in the bell tower just outside the sanctuary where one can sign up for special flowers on certain Sundays. These arrangements can be in joyful celebration of birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, graduations, honoring loved ones or any special events and well as in memory of our beloved departed. If the Sunday you would like to commemorate someone is already chosen, you may have a single arrangement placed in the front, not on the altar.
The altar arrangements cost approximately $30.00 each Sunday for fresh flowers that Satoe provides and checks may be made payable to Zion United Church of Christ with the notation line saying "flower fund". Any amount is acceptable should one choose to just "grow" the flower fund. Thank you for helping our flower ministry flourish and thanks to Satoe for this wonderful gift.
LOGOS:
We've got spirit, yes, we do. We've got spirit, how about you? What kind of spirit, you ask? We have God's spirit working through the LOGOS program to help us "Build God's Team." Come and find out about our new "spirit stick" and see how we are working together to nurture our youth. There is room for adults and children and childcare is available for the younger children.