ZION E-NEWS 3-20-25

ZION E-NEWS 3-20-25

AS WE GATHER in person for Worship each Sunday at 9:30am the service can also be viewed on our website at zionreformed.online.church and streaming on our YouTube channel.

CAPITAL CAMPAIGN NOTES: Our Capital Campaign is underway, with a goal of raising $300,000 by May for needed building repairs and updates. Would you consider a gift to help us?  Checks or pledge cards can be placed in the box in the narthex, or gifts can be made online through Breeze. Thank you for helping us prepare our building for the next season of ministry.

PRAYER REQUEST:  Continue to pray for those in our congregation who deal with ongoing health issues.

SUNDAY we celebrate with Bronson and Ashley Swan as they present their child Harper Alaina Swan for baptism. Baptism is a sign and seal of God’s covenant of grace with us and our children. The sacrament of baptism is done in community; we as a church make promises to help nurture these children in their faith. One way we as a church family can tangibly express this commitment is by writing and sharing a blessing with the child being baptized.  You may write this blessing on your own piece of paper and bring it with you, or on the note cards provided on the table in the narthex with the blessing jar on it.  A blessing can include words of encouragement, empowerment, commendation & protection. You can find a scripture passage to use or you can write your own blessing. If you really want to make it personal, you can use the name of the child being baptized in your blessing.

MEN OF ALL AGES:  Interested in being a part of a team to brainstorm and cast vision for a Men’s Ministry at Zion?  If so, reach out to Angie.

WOMEN OF ALL AGES!  Interested in being a part of a brainstorming/vision casting team that thinks about what Women’s Ministry could look like at Zion?  If this is you, reach out to Angie.

DEAR MEMBERS of Zion Reformed Church:  Thank you for your ongoing. faithful support these many years. I am happy to report that I am coming to the end of writing the commentary on Matthew. I have written the commentary (with the help of consultants) and handed in all the chapters to my book editor, and he has approved chapters 1-23. He still has to approve the final chapters and the Introduction to the book, which I added to recently. I hope that when I next come to visit, this commentary will have been published and that I can present a copy of it to the congregation. Please pray with me that this will happen. And I pray that many translators will use it in order to understand the content of Matthew and be able to translate it into any language in the world. Thank you all for your participation in making this commentary a reality. It has been a long, detailed, difficult, and rewarding production. Also, thank you to those who attended my brother Will’s funeral. It was appreciated. ~A fellow worker, Albertha Kuiper

ZION’S Personnel & Administration Team, with the support of Consistory, has approved a job description for a new Director of Youth Ministries at Zion. The open position is in the process of being posted and a Search Team has been formed. Search Team members include: Marcia Pratt (Lead Pastor), Adam Eriks (Chair of P&A), Tom MacGraw (Middle School Leader), Kim Schultz (High School Leader), Jacki Deiter (parent), Erin Eriks, Ryan and Austin Kwiatkowski (teens). Please join us in prayer for this process and for the person the Lord will lead to us.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS is looking for a couple more volunteers to join our team! You would serve one Sunday morning a month as a greeter, child check-in assistant,  ushers, or making coffee. All positions are easy and training is available. If you’d be willing to be part of this team contact  Angie.

CAMP ZION: It is time to begin the search for our Teen Staff members for Camp Zion 2025. Any teen who attends Zion and/or Zion HS Youth Group is welcome to apply. Click on the following link to submit an application. Camp Zion Teen Staff Application.
All applications are due by March 31. Interviews will be held in April, after spring break. Camp Zion 2025 quick details:  June 16 – July 24, 2025. M-Th each week. (M/T: 8am-1pm, W/Th: 8am-2pm)

DONATIONS of the following items (full size – not travel size) are needed for the Personal Care Pantry and can be placed in the box in the narthex marked “pantry donations”.  Laundry Soap,  Bar Soap,  Dish Soap,  Disposable Razors,  Shampoo,  Conditioner,  Toothpaste,  Paper grocery bags, Deodorant, Tampons, Maxi Pads, Paper towels (1 or 2 pack) and  Toilet paper (1-4 pack).

IF YOU need help, either with food, personal care items, or financial needs, please contact Austen DeHaan, our chair of deacons, and he can help connect you with the appropriate resources at Zion. His e-mail is austin331@gmail.com and his phone number is (269) 762-9748

WE CONTINUE to thank God for his provision of all of our needs and the generous support of our congregation with their time, talent, and resources.

2024/25 YTD Budget:  $483,759.78
2024/25 YTD Contributions:  $430,766.46
Giving Last Week: $15,825.73
Capital Campaign Donations received to date: $217,095.00