Zion E-News (3-5-2020)

For years, Georgetown Township has had a dark, dingy looking library. It held the books. Their staff were welcoming and helpful. But, it wasn’t the kind of space you wanted to hang out in. It served its purpose, but did not draw people to the library.

But recently, the new library opened. I finally made it there on Saturday and have been back 2 times since. Each time, I see students studying together in the teen study room. Kids are playing with the puppets in the clubhouse in the kids area and reading books in one of many reading nooks. Adults are doing puzzles, writing papers, and reading books by the fireplace in the quiet reading room. Small groups are using the conference rooms upstairs. And, others are sitting around tables talking near the entrance. They even have board games you can rent. As a lover of books and reading, I am so excited for our community to have a library space that feels inviting and welcoming.

Space matters. Decor matters. They shape how we experience a building and a community. That’s why McDonald’s invested $6 billion dollars in 2018 to remodel many of their stores. Target spent $7 billion in 2017. Qdoba invested in a significant remodel of its buildings in 2016 to remove the vaguely southwestern feel of cacti with the distinctive Q. Every organization from time to time needs to invest in its facilities to make them more inviting and welcoming to new patrons/customers or members.

I have been praying for our church, the potential remodel, and our current capital campaign. I do not know what God will do in this time, but I am hopeful that on the other side God will bless us with a space more naturally welcomes and invites people into the community of Zion I love and that better supports our mission to connect our neighbors with the God who loves them.

Connect to God
There is perhaps no greater influence in Christian discipleship and moral thinking than the Sermon on the Mount. In three short chapters, Jesus lays out a vision for how to live the good life, the life God intended for us, in our personal, public, and spiritual lives. This week, we continue our study of this influential sermon as we consider the motivations of our actions. Do we obey to impress the crowds or to please God?

If you would like a copy of the worship service, you can receive a complete copy by contacting Tom Verbrugge or you can find the weekly messages on our website.

Grow in Community
I love the community and relationships we all enjoy at Zion. And, with the concerns about the spread of the Corona Virus we will be instituting some changes in worship this Sunday. During our greeting time, we will ask people to simply welcome one another verbally or with an elbow bump rather than a hand shake. Also, please feel free to take advantage of the hand sanitizer placed in the exits on the left and right side of the sanctuary. And, if you are working with children, please make sure to wash your hands well and remind the children to do so as well. There is a great article on appropriate responses to the outbreak at Christianity Today here.

All 2020 Mission Trip Shareholders are invited to join our youth for a meet and greet being held in the fellowship hall downstairs after worship on March 8.

Serve the World
Planning is underway for another great summer ta Camp Zion. If you are a high school interested in serving on staff, applications are available on the Camp Zion bulletin board near the office. Applications are due Sunday March 29. Please keep Camp Zion, our staff, and the kids who will be attending in your prayers as we prepare for the summer.

City Chapel continues to worship at City Flats Hotel. They continue to see new visitors and have especially enjoyed new college students attending and have several families expecting new children as well. Please be in prayer for them as Pastor Ron prepares for changes in his responsibilities this summer as he and Anna anticipate welcoming their first child.

Administrative Details
This Sunday, we will kick off 27 days of pray for our church as part of our capital campaign. We have daily devotionals available as well. There are physical copies in everyone’s mailbox at church or you can access them on our website here. If you want to keep up with our capital campaign, you can find all sorts of information on our website here.

If you receive the denominational magazine RCA Today, you may have seen an article about our church. I was interviewed last fall to talk a little about what God has been doing through all of you here at Zion. I never want to pass up on a chance to brag about the great people of Zion, so I was happy to share. Unfortunately, I cannot share a link to the article here as it is not available on-line. But, you should check it out in the magazine and join me in thanking God for the work he is doing among us.