Newsletter:  January 2010


Worship in January is defined by the Epiphany season.   The themes of Epiphany are symbolized by the star, the water of baptism, and the call of the disciples as they leave their fishnets and follow.  Epiphany means to reveal something that has previously been hidden, and it refers to the revealing of the Messiah to the whole world.   It begins with the visit of the Persian astrologers, or Magi, who traveled many desert miles with only a star and curiosity to guide them to a tiny king.   This is the first revelation of Jesus as king.  Once the young Jesus had been revealed to the Magi, his blessing extended beyond the Jewish people and was available to the Gentile people as well. 

 

The next revelation takes place at the baptism of Jesus.  Jesus is being baptized by his cousin John.   God in human flesh humbly takes his place among others waiting to be plunged into the chilly waters of the Jordan River.   Just as he came up from the waters the heavens opened up, the Spirit of God descended like a dove, and God was heard to say, “this is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”   Jesus is revealed as the Son of God.   We often ask why he who was without sin needed to be baptized.  Baptism is dying and rising to new life.  So the baptism of Jesus signifies that Jesus was living a resurrected life, showing us how to live a resurrected life, long before Easter Sunday happened.

 

The third revelation takes place on a high mountaintop to which Peter, James and John had followed Jesus.   A cloud overshadowed them and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my Son the Beloved, listen to him!” Jesus is transfigured into a dazzling white figure, and Moses and Elijah appear.  After this, Jesus sets his face toward Jerusalem and his death. 

We begin with a star and tiny baby, plunge into the chilly waters of baptism, and then stand on a high mountain with a transfigured Jesus.  From the mountain we turn and head into the valley of Lent, marked by ashes.  Like the disciples traveling with Jesus, we are learning what it is to live a life formed by the cross.  Jesus talks to us along the way, encourages us, tells us stories of faith--and loves us.  There is no safe way to travel on this path because being a discipleship means taking risks.   There is a risk in putting down our nets and being revealed to the world as a disciple of Christ.  It was radical then and it is radical now.   I share a prayer by Roberta Porter:

 

            Lord, those were heavy nets, carefully mended and tended, a means of sustenance in a difficult time.

            What a risk to leave them; a radical decision, reckless by the world’s standards.

            But, you ask us too, to leave our nets full of false securities, and worn-out idols, ever present pride and worry, all those things that tangle and entrap us, whatever their names.

            You call us to trust, to follow your radical transforming path of love and to find freedom. 

            Strengthen us Jesus, in the task and the journey.  Amen

 

See you in church,

 

 

Pastor Kim

 

 

 

Worship In January And February

 

Sunday, January 3                                                                    Sunday, February 7

2^nd Sunday after Christmas                                                       5^th Sunday after Epiphany

John 1:  (1-9) 10-28                                                                  Luke 5: 1-11

                                                                                             

Sunday, January 10                                                                  Sunday, February 14

Baptism of Christ                                                                     Last Sunday after Epiphany/Transfiguration

Consistory Installation                                                              Luke 9: 28-36 (37-43)

Communion                                                                            

                                                                                              Ash Wednesday Service, February 17

Sunday, January 17                                                                  7:30 p.m.; communion

2^nd Sunday of Epiphany                                                           

John 2:  1-11                                                                            Sunday, February 21

                                                                                              1^st Sunday in Lent

Sunday, January 24                                                                  Luke 4: 1-13

3^rd Sunday of Epiphany                                                           

Luke 4: 14-21                                                                          Sunday, February 28

                                                                                              2^nd Sunday in Lent

Sunday, January 31, Casual Sunday                                          Luke 13: 31-35

4^th Sunday of Epiphany                                                           

Confirmation class following Sunday School                             

Luke 2: 41-52                                                                         

                                                                                               

                             

                                 

 

Inclement Weather Policy

If snow or ice force cancellation of Sunday services, here’s how to get the word on whether or not worship services will be held:

1.     Call the church at 677-8319 and listen to the answering machine message.  The message will be updated to tell you if services have been cancelled due to inclement weather.

2.    Tune in to WGET.

3.     Check the church web site:  www.zionuccarendtsville.org

4.     Contact a Consistory member.

 

 

“Somebody has said there are only two kinds of people in the world.  There are those who wake up in the morning and say, ‘Good morning, Lord,’ and there are those who wake up in the morning and say, ‘Good Lord, its morning.’”

 

 

 

Chocolate, Coffee, And Christian Caring

Sunday, February 7, 2010

2-4 p.m.

Location:  Nicary Center, the Brethren Home, at Cross Keys in New Oxford

 

Do come to enjoy the refreshments and to learn about the missions of the UCC.

 

 

 

Hoss’s Steak and Seahouse.  Mark Your Calendars!  Our next Community Night at Hoss's Steak and Seahouse in Gettysburg is Monday, January 11, from 12:00 to 8:00 p.m.

 

 

 

The Book Discussion Group is meeting on Thursday, January 28, 7:00 p.m. at Zion House.

 The book being discussed is The Help by Kathryn Stockett.

 

 Synopsis:  Be prepared to meet three unforgettable women:

Twenty-two year old Skeeter has just returned home after graduating from Ole Miss.  She may have a degree, but it is 1962, Mississippi, and her mother will not be happy till Skeeter has a ring on her finger.  Skeeter would normally find solace with her beloved maid Constantine, the woman who raised her, but Constantine has disappeared and no one will tell Skeeter where she has gone.

 

Aibileen is a black maid, a wise, regal woman raising her seventeenth white child.  Something has shifted inside her after the loss of her own son, who died while his bosses looked the other way.  She is devoted to the little girl she looks after, though she knows both their hearts may be broken.

 

Minny, Aibileen’s best friend, is short, fat, and perhaps the sassiest woman in Mississippi.  She can cook like nobody’s business, but she can’t mind her tongue, so she’s lost yet another job.  Minny finally finds a position working for someone too new to town to know her reputation.  But her new boss has secrets of her own.

 

Seemingly as different from one another as can be, these women will nonetheless come together for a clandestine project that will put them all at risk.  And why?  Because they are suffocating within the lines that define their town and their times.  And sometimes lines are made to be crossed.

 

In pitch-perfect voices, Kathryn Stockett creates three extraordinary women whose determination to start a movement of their own forever changes a town, and the way women – mothers, daughters, caregivers, friends – view one another.  A deeply moving novel filled with poignancy, humor, and hope.  The Help is a timeless and universal story about the lines we abide by, and the ones we don’t.   Join us!

 

           

 

A new  church directory is in the works.  Under the direction of the Membership Committee, Kelly and Kortney will be heading up this endeavor as their senior project.  The directory is expected to look much the same as those in the past; however, casual photos will be used rather than those taken by a professional photographer.  We will begin taking family photos in December after Sunday church services and before the Christmas Eve cantata.  Photo collections will continue throughout the winter months with a finished directory expected in the spring of 2010.  More information will be coming in future newsletters and bulletins.

 

 

Upper Adams Food Pantry

 

 

One Of Zion’s Ministries is supporting our local food pantries.  The congregation is asked to donate a food item every month to the pantry located at Centenary United Methodist Church in Biglerville.  At the end of each month, Gina Bushey delivers the items to the food pantry.  The Food Pantry item for January is juice boxes.

           

                                                                       

Food Pantry - 2010

January              Juice boxes                                                   July                      Canned vegetables

February             Canned meat                                                 August                 Pancake mix and syrup

March                Peanut butter and jelly                                    September            Toilet tissue and soap

April                   Cereal                                                           October                Canned soup

May                   Boxed macaroni and cheese                           November            Baby food, juice, and cereal

June                   Canned fruit                                                  December            Coffee, tea, hot chocolate

 

                                                                                               

 

Consistory News From. . .

 

 

Consistory President (Tony)	“Merry Christmas and Joyous New Year” from all of us at Zion to all that are reading this!
Consistory Vice President, Christian Ed, and Worship (Minda)	Thirty-five people attended Christmas caroling; it was enjoyed by all.
Consistory Secretary and Finance (Jeffrey)	Congregational giving increased significantly during the month of November.
Fellowship (Donna)	An Advent Brunch was held on Sunday, December 6, and a Christmas Social on Sunday, December 27.
Membership (Dave)	Care packages were sent to our college students for finals, fall semester.  Work on the new membership directory is underway.
Mission (Wayne)	Money from wreath and swag sale went to the Hoffman Home therapeutic program.
Personnel and Website (John)	A revised Money Counting Job Description/Instructions will be implemented.
Property (Eddie)	A fan was replaced in the church refrigerator. Thank you to Chub and Bob for helping to remove snow from the church area.
Stewardship (Fred)	Christmas Fund for Retired Clergy will be received on December 27, 2009.

 

 

 

 

Seminary Fund    

Remember that we have a Seminary Scholarship Fund to encourage one of our young people to go into the ministry.  A contribution would be a great way to honor a loved one.  The current balance of the Seminary Fund is $­­­500.88.

 

 

February            Peanut Butter and Jelly

Zion’s Budget

 

                                               

                   To Meet the Budget                                    2009

                   Annual Budget = $182,016.19 (Yearly)         Annual Budget =$15,168.02 (Monthly)

                   Actual Income for Budget Purposes             Cumulative Deficit or Surplus To Date

January                                          $11,091.25                     ($4,076.77)

February                                          15,030.19                     ($4,214.60)

March                                             15,419.00                     ($3,963.61)

April                                                15,247.41                     ($3,884.21)

May                                                16,021.73                     ($3,030.50)

June                                                13,349.68                     ($4,848.83)

July                                                 11,083.52                     ($8,933.33)

August                                             16,320.00                     ($7,781.35)

September                                       14,652.00                     ($8,297.36)

October                                           12,385.50                     ($11,079.88)

November                                        20,646.00                     ($5,601.89)

December                                        16,915.34                     ($3,854.57)

   Total                                        $178,161.62                      

 

 

Matthew 25 Update

 

Our Matthew 25 fund is set up to provide assistance to families in need, whether members or non-members.  It is not designated for general mission or relief work; for that we use the Samaritan Fund.  Each month we will report in the newsletter on the ways that the monies are being used.  Typically, what happens is that a social service agency will call and report a need, and a small committee decides on whether the funds should be given.  It really functions as a “front line” measure when families are experiencing a crisis.  The Matthew 25 Fund receives its money from donations and the interest from the Edward Jones account.  Remember, we no longer give to non-members directly when they phone the church office for assistance; we only work through county agencies who refer needs to us.  The current balance in the Matthew 25 account is $3,985. 

 

Date            Referrals                       Amount and Type of Assistance

12-2             Re-Entry Services            $300; rent assistance

12-2             Pressley Ridge                 $450; rent assistance

12-9             SCCAP                           $83.98; hospital bill paid

12-16            Re-Entry Services            $402.68; rent assistance

12-16            SCCAP                           $300; rent assistance

12-18            Local physician                $500; pharmacy assistance

 

 

 

Long-Range Plan

Who We Are – Based on the Core Values Outlined On Our Long-Range Plan

 

Each month we will feature a different core value, and highlight the way in which the long-range plan is shaping our ministry.

 

Our Vision Statement:

Through the transforming power of Jesus Christ, we strive to be disciples, and to make disciples, as we:

            Worship God with all our heart, mind, and soul;

            Serve our neighbors through civic engagement and by being a moral presence in the community;

            Grow in faith through study of scripture, prayer, and spiritual discipline;

            Seek closer fellowship within the Body of Christ by being a church where our members find nurture and                challenge;

            Witness to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ by bringing the light of Christ into the lives of     others.

 

Our Mission Statement:

Called by God and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we covenant to embody the love of God in word and action.

 

Core Value Statements:

1.         Worship:  Zion values worship that is Spirit-led and Spirit-filled.  In our worship program we honor our past and are open to God moving us into the future.  We value preaching that is biblically based and applicable to daily life.

2.         Prayer:   Zion values a culture of prayer that provides the foundation for our relationships with God and others.

3.         Mobilized Laity Leadership:  We seek to foster and develop servant leadership among the laity.

4.         Evangelism:  Zion strives to reach seekers and those without a church home in the Upper Adams community as taught by Matthew 28 and the Great Commission.

5.         Community:  Zion provides a spiritual foundation from which our members go forth to serve in the community.  Our moral presence, civic engagement, and outreach in the community are based on our love of Christ and one another.

            We used our Christmas Eve offering to serve the needs of wounded military personnel at Walter Reed.

 

6.         Family:  Families are the cornerstone of our church.  We strive to strengthen and empower families within our church and community.

7.         Stewardship:  Zion believes that God calls us as stewards and caretakers of the earth, our church property and other Zion assets, through our time, talents, and personal finances.

8.         Christian Education:  Zion encourages life-long learning that equips us for discipleship and enables us to teach others about the life of faith.  We promote biblical literacy among children and adults.

            We used our Christmas Eve offering to serve the needs of wounded military personnel at Walter Reed.

 

9.         Music:  Zion strives to honor and worship God through the art of vocal and instrumental music, while growing an appreciation and understanding of the ways in which music informs and enhances worship.

10.        Fellowship:  Zion’s fellowship is a Christ-like companionship in times of recreation, learning, joy and sorrow.

 

Use this long-range plan outline in your committees and small groups.  Make this a living document!

 

 

 

 

 

 

2009 And 2010 Signups For Greeters, Scripture Settings and Nursery Attendants

For Your Convenience, You May E-Mail the Church

 

Zion Greeters Needed!!  Please consider volunteering to help with this worthwhile ministry in greeting those attending our services.  The sign-up sheet is on the clipboard at the rear of the sanctuary.

Available Dates:    Feb. 14, 21; Mar. 7, 28.

  

 

Scripture Settings Available Dates.  To sponsor the scripture settings, complete the information on the clipboard at the back of the church.

                                      Available Dates:    (All January and February dates)

            (Sponsorship is $10 per Sunday.  Please place your remittance designated for Scripture

                                          Settings in the offering plate.)

 

Nursery Attendant Available Dates.    2010:  (All Sundays)

 

 

                                               

                                    Greeters                                   Acolytes                           Nursery                                                                                                                                                       

Date                   Volunteer                                   Volunteer                 Volunteer

January 3               Miriam/Ernest                                    Brady                             (volunteer/s needed)

January 10              Pam and Tamara                                Eleanor                           (volunteer/s needed)

January 17              The Ehlys                                          Caroline                          (volunteer/s needed)

January 24              Jane                                                  Mileigh                            (volunteer/s needed)

January 31              Confirmands                                      Kristin                             (volunteer/s needed)

 

 

Altar Guild Representative                           Head Usher                                          Hospital Visitation

Joyce                                                          Wayne                                                  Tom and Linda

 

           

 

 

Offering boxes for 2010 are available at the rear of the sanctuary.  If you cannot locate yours, please contact Laurie.

 

The 2010 Flower Calendar is now posted in the vestibule.  Please be sure to sign up.

 

The Altar Guild prepared and delivered 11 cheer baskets to our shut-ins and nursing home residents.  Lyle, stationed at Fort Polk, also received a care package.