January 2015
The Pastor’s Ponderings Pastor David’s cell phone—765-330-4170 and email address —fleeneda@gmail.com In the bleak mid-winter Frosty wind made moan, Earth stood hard as iron, Water like a stone; Snow had fallen, snow on snow, Snow on snow, In the bleak mid-winter Long ago. When we sing this beautiful hymn on Christmas Eve, I cry. Not because it’s necessarily theologically or even meteorologically correct, but because it touches on the human conditions under which Christ came to Earth. It was in the bleak mid-winter of the human race that Christ came - the mid-winter of human sin and suffering. God’s people were subjected to an oppressive government. The Roman client king Herod terrorized the local population. The people waited and hoped in a Messiah to save them. Amid all this darkness, Light entered the world - and was not overcome. Christ is our light in the darkness. And there is plenty of darkness in our lives. We know it all too well. We can wonder where God is; we question God and God’s timing; we cry out to heaven, “How long, O Lord?”
And Christ enters our darkness and brings light - a light that will never be overcome.
As I write this, it is the 26th of December. The shortest day of the year has passed, but colder weather is still to come. I know folks don’t like to hear about it, what with the milder weather we’ve had so far, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we had a winter like last year’s. Our human condition seems to be like that. The darkest days of humanity are gone with Christ’s return. But there still is plenty of cold and snow that we go through before we come to God’s new Spring. In the meantime, Christ is with you. Never forget - at the Incarnation, God threw his lot in with humanity for all time by becoming human, to enlighten and redeem you.
Christ knows our Winters. And Spring will come.
See you in church!
Pr. David
Zion’s Annual Meeting
The 2015 Annual Meeting of Zion Lutheran Church will be held on Sunday, January 25th. We will have a Carry-in Dinner following the worship service and the Annual Meeting will be held immediately after the dinner. All members are encouraged to attend the meeting. All church treasurer’s are asked to turn their books in at the church office for audit by January 11th.
January 2015
Lunch with Pastor
Pastor David invites you to meet him at the Pickle for lunch on Tuesday, January 6, 2015, at 12:30 p.m.
January Lectionary Readings Christmas 2 - January 4th 1st Reading - Jeremiah 31:7-14 Psalm 147 2nd Reading - Ephesians 1:3-14 Gospel Reading - John 1:1-18 Baptism of Our Lord - January 11th 1st Reading - Genesis 1:1-5 Psalm 29 2nd Reading - Acts 19:1-7 Gospel - Mark 1:4-11 Epiphany 2 - January 18th 1st Reading - 1 Samuel 3:1-20 Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 2nd Reading - 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 Gospel - John 1:43-51 Epiphany 3 - January 25th 1st Reading - Jonah 3:1-5, 10 Psalm 62:5-12 2nd Reading - 1 Corinthians 7:29-31 Gospel - Mark 1:14-20
Thrivent Financial Event SAVE THE DATE – February 11, 2015 Do you own a family farm? If you do, we’d like to invite you SAVE THE DATE for an educational event called Keeping the Farm in the Family. Keeping the Farm in the Family is a complimentary one-hour educational event designed for farm owners who want to smoothly transition their farm to the next generation. The event provides a general overview of how you can take steps to help secure your financial future, avoid transition obstacles and develop a transition strategy to transfer your business and maintain family harmony. The event will be presented by Thrivent Financial representative Michelle Walker, FIC and attorney Dan Gordon. This is an educational experience. No financial products will be sold. Please plan to join Michelle and Dan at the Lake Placid Confer-
ence Center in Hartford City on Wednesday evening, February 11th at 6:00 PM. A complimentary buffet is included. If you’d like to register early or need more information, contact Michelle Walker at (765) 635-6253 or michelle.walker@thrivent.com. You can also register at Find Events & Workshops on https://www.thrivent. com/mythrivent/ Thrivent Financial and its respective associates and employees cannot provide legal, accounting, or tax advice or services. Work with your Thrivent Financial representative, and as appropriate your attorney and/or tax professional for additional information. Insurance products issued or offered by Thrivent Financial, the marketing name for Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Appleton, WI. Not all products are available in all states. Thrivent Financial representatives are licensed insurance agents/producers of Thrivent. For additional important information, visit Thrivent.com/disclosures.
Epiphany January 6th Tuesday, January 6, 2015, an Epiphany service with Holy Communion will be held at Zion at 7:00 p.m. We hope you will plan to attend.
January 2015
November Council Minutes Congregtion Council met on November 13, 2014. Present: Pastor David Fleener, Scott Clamme, Chris Coy, Pat Gillis John Hendricks, Cindy Knote, Allen Stallsmith, Linda Stanley, Megan Stroble and Linda Walker. Absent: Denise Hile, Chris Stroble and Neil Stroble. Linda Walker called the meeting to order and Pastor David gave the devotions. The minutes from the previous meeting were read. Chris Coy made a motion to accept the minutes. John Hendricks seconded the motion. The motion passed. Correspondence: Zion received a thank you note for the gift we sent for the Cub Buck Program. Pastor’s Report: Pastoral Care and Soul Team: Pastor David visited 2 shut-ins, gave 2 home communions, made 3 sick visits and had 6 one-onone sessions during the past month. The Soul Care Team made 3 shut-in visits, 1 sick visit and administered 3 communions. Christian Education: The Lutheran Refreshment class ended on November 5th. The class seemed to go well with 10 to 15 in attendance. Pastor David hopes to offer these classes again every few years. Pastor is now conducting a similar class with the young adult class on Sunday mornings. 9 attended the first session. Pastor has ordered a starter kit for VBS for 2015. It is another Holy Land Adventure from Group Publishing set in Nazareth. Thanksgiving Dinner: Thanks to Michelle Walker and Thrivent, we have $250 in seed money for the Thanksgiving Dinner the Friday after Thanksgiving.. This is one of our few outreach events to the community each year. We will partner with the Presbyterians again this year, and
several young adults from our church have already signed up to serve. Worship: We will be having Advent evening services on December 3, 10 and 17 at 7 PM. Pastor David participated in the synod campus ministry committee meeting on October 17th and 18th in Indianapolis. He was pleased to be part of the installation of Pr. Jim Bischoff at Cross, Muncie on October 25th, and part of the ordination of Robert Abner at Redeemer, Bryant on November 1st. Zion hosted the ECIC ministerial meeting on October 14th. Eight pastors from the conference were at that meeting. Committee Reports—Parish Education and Youth: Pastor reported that there has been good Sunday school attendance. The younger children are learning the 10 Commandants and the Lord’s Prayer. Worship/Music/Memorial: They met and picked out hymns through Advent and Christmas to the end of the year. Land Use Committee: Chris Coy reported that he talked to a man from Wearly Monuments about plaques for names of those who contributed trees on the land behind the church. He is considering one plaque with all the names. Someone expressed a fear that one of the pine trees looked like it might be dying. Chris thinks they are all doing well but he thinks we are beyond the free replacement of trees because a year has passed since they were planted. Council Reports—Deacons: Pastor David used $42 from the Deacon’s Fund to put up someone in the local motel. Treasurer: Pat Gillis reported That there is $8857.93 in the checking account.
Scott Clamme made a motion to accept the Council Reports. This was seconded by John Hendricks. The motion passed. New Business: There was a discussion about the offerings from the Wednesday night Advent Services and Christmas. Chris Coy moved that it be divided between Wernle and the Food Pantry. This was seconded by Scott Clamme. The motion carried. There was a discussion about the amount of money there should be in the Deacon’s Fund. Chris Coy made a motion to always keep $200 in the fund. Whenever it gets below $200 take money from the General Fund. If money is donated for this fund it should stay there. This was seconded by John Hendricks. The motion passed. There was a discussion about the 2015 budget. It needs to be increased by around $7000 from what it was one year ago. This is a 5% increase in the last two years. This is mostly due to increase in salaries and health benefits. Chris Coy moved to accept the budget as proposed. This was seconded by Cindy Knote. The motion passed. Pastor David stated that he thought it might be a good idea to have an external audit of the books by a professional. Some stated that this might be too expensive. Pastor will get some estimates on the cost of such an audit. There being no further business the meeting closed with all praying the Lord’s Prayer. The next meeting will be Thursday, December 11, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. John Hendricks will have devotions. Respectfully submitted, Linda Stanley Recording Secretary
January 2015 Lay Ministry Servers Greeters Jan. 4 Tom Armstrong—Jim and Betty Rinker Jan. 11 Max Hile—Max and Sandy Langdon Jan. 18 Ray and Linda Stanley—Louie and Joyce Willmann Jan. 25 Don and Carolyn Goetz—Bill and Joretta Hiday Lectors Jan. 4 Sandy Langdon Jan. 11 Max Hile Jan. 18 Neil Stroble Jan. 25 Carolyn Goetz
Assisting Ministers Jan. 4 Mark Prout Jan. 11 Chris Coy Jan. 18 Jody Stanley Jan. 25 Denise Hile
January Birthdays Carolyn Chandler 1-12 Pat Gillis 1-12 Val Hiatt 1-12 Les Love 1-12 Mike Clamme 1-14 Kathryn Rogers 1-16 Elonda Pethtel 1-19 Virginia Langdon 1-23 Jared Stanley 1-24 Larry Hile 1-28
The Zion Herald
“Happy are those whose strength is in God, In whose heart are the highways to Zion.” (Psalm 84:5)
Zion Lutheran Church 308 S. Monroe Street Hartford City, IN 47348
The Baptism of Our Lord will be celebrated at Zion on January 11, 2015.
U Serving the Lord in Gladness U
David Fleener, Pastor Church Office: 348-3157 zionluth.hc@gmail.com www.zionhartfordcity.org
Sunday School at 9:15 AM followed by Worship at 10:30 AM