News Archives - Page 6 of 23 - Zion Lutheran Church

Summer in the Northland

04/24/2023

Summer will soon be here! After the deep snows in April, it seemed like we’d never see green grass again. As all Minnesotans know, summer will be fleeting, and we need to take advantage of the nice days while they are here. But just like the inevitable road construction season, Zion, along with most churches, will be facing the traditional ‘Summer Slump.’ The ‘Summer Slump’ is a slowdown in church attendance and giving during the summertime when many people are

Zion Mission Team members Annie & Caley in Zambia

Future Mission Trip Opportunities

04/19/2023

For many years, Zion has provided global travel opportunities to participate with our mission partners in Jamaica and Zambia. These mission trips combine a service project with time for reflection and spiritual rest. The Mission trip schedule has been alternating between odd and even years between Jamaica and Zambia. Participating in one of these mission trips is a great way to serve others and surround yourself with people of different cultures. The next planned trips are expected to be in

Looking west along the tree line between Section E and the new Section E extension.

Zion Cemetery Update

04/18/2023

During its spring meeting, the Zion Cemetery Board approved a number of improvements at the Zion Cemetery for the summer of 2023. The Zion cemetery is located about two miles south of the church, at the intersection of Hwy 25 and 10th Street SE, and was the location of the original Carlslund Lutheran Church building. In 2021, Zion purchased three acres of land, shaped in an “L” around the cemetery; approximately an additional 50 feet along the south and 300

Financial Report 2023.03

04/17/2023

The income/offering to the General Fund in March again exceeds that given in March of 2022. This month’s increase amounts to almost $1,800 per Sunday. At the same time, our General Fund expenses for the month have exceeded our monthly income by about $29,000. This month’s deficit is primarily due to greater participation in our youth programs (a wonderful problem!), increased food costs for the Wednesday Night Suppers, and an additional payroll. Year-to-date General Fund giving is up over 11%

Foundation vs Memorials

04/10/2023

At Zion we talk about both the Zion Foundation and the Memorial Fund, but what is the difference? One major difference is that the dollars donated to the Zion Foundation are invested, and only the gains from the investment are spent on projects (often called an “endowment”). All dollars given to the Memorial Fund are spent. Another difference is that the Zion Foundation is a separately incorporated entity created to serve the ministry of Zion and the Foundation Board is

A New Beginning

03/23/2023

“Jesus said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” John 19:30 If this is where our story ended, we would be living a very different kind of life. Death would have the final word. Where would our hope be? Dead. Where would our joy be? Dead. We would stand at a crossroads that offered nothing but a dead end. Thanks be to God! This is not where our story ends. This is just the

Perspective

03/22/2023

We recently experienced a good, old-fashioned, snowstorm. While it didn’t quite live up to the media hype of a “Storm of the Century”, it definitely did have a high impact, making a mess of travel plans and closing schools and businesses, but quietly, I enjoyed it! Don’t worry, I am not suffering from cabin fever, (at least not too badly), nor have I lost my mind in stating I enjoyed the storm. Admittedly, shoveling and snow removal followed, but big

Financial Report 2023.02

03/21/2023

Contributions to the General Fund continue to exceed our giving of last year. In February those amounted to about $51,000 which is 11.5% more than last February. Expenses for the month exceeded our income by about $9,800. These are only 1.4% greater than those of a year ago. For the year so far our giving to the General Fund is around $129,400. Our expenses have been about $128,400. While the Building Fund income for February was slightly down from a

A Previous SERVE Weekend

03/20/2023

Steve joined us as we took our break. John, Dave, and I had started the morning in jackets and sweatshirts and now we were down to our t-shirts as the day warmed. We ate burgers and fries but he was satisfied with only a malt. Tim had stopped by earlier and dropped off tools and much-needed advice. The prep work was done and we would paint as much as we could on the stairs, deck, and porch that day. Now

ReLENTless

02/19/2023

In last month’s newsletter article, I shared a quote from Andy Mcilvain, who is the author of the blog Enacted Word. Now that we are further into the season of Lent, it bears repeating: God deserves more than our attention; He deserves our affections and focus. He doesn’t just want us to listen to Him. He desires us to know Him. He wants us to pursue Him. We are pursuing the theme “reLENTless” this Lenten season. It is a juxtaposition