Zion Hill’s 152nd Anniversary Celebration Emphasizes Love, Service and Praise
Zion Hill’s commitment to love and service was marked at the 8:30 a.m., kickoff of Zion Hill’s 152nd Anniversary Celebration. Pastor Aaron L. Parker arrived at the Atlanta Community Food Bank along with 50 outreach volunteers on Saturday, August 17, 2024, to demonstrate Zion Hill’s active commitment to the church’s motto of Living to Love and Loving to Serve.
Before packing hundreds of fivepound bags of onions, white potatoes,
sweet potatoes, and carrots, Zion Hill’s outreach volunteers along with a group representing Honda entered the Food Bank for orientation concerning food packaging, sanitation protocols and storage of personal items.
Excited food bank volunteer staff greeted the group as they gathered for introductions and orientation. Pastor Parker introduced Zion Hill volunteers with a declaration that the day represented the beginning of Zion Hill’s 152nd birthday
celebration and the church’s continuing dedication to loving and serving individuals and families in need in metro Atlanta as well as those experiencing need in other communities across the nation and abroad.
Pastor Parker’s comments attracted the interest of Honda participants and other volunteers. They responded quickly with questions about Zion Hill’s location and worship services. He urged them to
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REAP ROLL CALL
New Members | August 2024
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Noah Yisrael
Navayah Yisrael
Nehemiah Yisreal
At Least One
Sometimes we do not realize the major impact that a simple act of kindness can have on someone who might feel lonely, forgotten, or depressed about his or her current circumstances. That one selfless gesture, done in sincerity and love, can brighten a person’s day, ease a person’s stress, or possibly even save a person’s life. We see numerous examples of this sort of compassionate activity in the gospel stories about Jesus, who often stopped what he was doing to give attention to an individual who was sick, bereaved, distraught, desperate, lonely or otherwise pushed to the margins of society. Putting his schedule on hold, he ministered to their needs through healing, encouragement, and divinely directed assistance in discovering their best, God-infused selves.
During the month of September I am calling upon each of us to engage in a similar deed – to reach out to someone – a relative or friend to whom you have not spoken in a long time; a member of the Church Family who has not attended in-person worship
Take a little time to extend a word of encouragement, or to say that you care, or to provide a listening ear
CHURCH FAMILY ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
August 2024
ZHBC Bereavement
Thank You card
n The Family of Dr. Verdee Lockhart
for an extended period; a man, woman or child who has had some serious health challenges; one who is battling through a relationship crisis; or anyone else whom you think might need to experience a simple act of kindness. Take a little time to extend a word of encouragement, or to say that you care, or to provide a listening ear. Do this in a phone call, a text message, an email, a handshake, a card, or a hug. Let me recommend brevity in your contact, for this approach usually makes a more meaningful impression. However, if the person to whom you reach out desires a more extensive conversation, provide it if you can.
I believe this call ultimately comes from God, who wishes to use us as instruments to share his abundant mercy and amazing grace to those truly in need. Please, join me in this effort and contact at least one. n
—Pastor Parker
152nd Anniversary
learn more about the church with their visits to the campus located at 6175 Campbellton Road in the City of South Fulton as well as experiencing worship services on YouTube, BoxCast, or Facebook.
Following the orientation, Zion Hill members and other volunteers moved quickly to the massive warehouse area filled with dozens of large packing tables with scales for weighing produce and emptying hundreds of massive bags of vegetables sitting on pallets waiting to be weighed and placed in five-pound bags.
Before beginning their work, Food bank staff placed all volunteers in work groups of four to twelve people to weigh the produce, stuff the produce bags and place them into enormous boxes for storage until their scheduled distribution.
Once volunteers completed their tasks, food bank volunteer staff members congratulated Zion Hill members for exceeding the records of other organizations responsible for weighing and packaging vegetables within a time span of only two hours. According to a large poster displayed by the Food Bank, volunteers packed 5,687 pounds of food, which equaled 4,739 meals. The accomplishment surprised food bank staff because of the shorter work window that Zion Hill volunteers were available to help.
The enthusiastic and joy-filled 152nd Birthday celebration continued at 11:00 a.m.in Zion Hill’s Sanctuary with a Praise Fest opened by Mistress of Ceremonies Terry Crook. As she entered the Sanctuary, Ms. Crook reminded celebrants with a demonstration of how church choirs in the past would enter the sanctuary dancing and stepping while praising the Lord. Upon reaching the pulpit, Ms. Crook jokingly introduced herself as “the only legal crook” in the building. She welcomed everyone in the sanctuary as well as those participating by livestream. Minister Donnell Williams provided a prayer of thanksgiving to God for the blessings of the past,
present and those blessings that God will continue to provide in the future.
Have you ever believed that the arrival of the senior years meant slowing down? If you did, the Joy4Life Line Dancers ended that stereotype whether you were in the sanctuary or viewing the program virtually. They performed energetically with healthy portions of sass and rhythm. You witnessed the proof that just because you’re a senior does not mean that you lose your zest for life.
You can join Joy4Life program activities for seniors Monday through Thursday at Zion Hill beginning at 9:00 a.m.
until 1:00 p.m. Activities include exercise designed for all levels of fitness, arts and crafts, and computer classes, as well as other enrichment activities along with fellowship with other members and visitors who believe that a zest for life does not end when your senior years arrive. For more information, you can contact the church office at 404-691-8025.
As the program continued, soloist Tameka Hairston asked God “to receive our love as we love on you” and Kiroho Ministry dancers praised and honored God through the art of dance and the song “He (continued on page 4)
Turned It” by Tye Tribbett. Ms. Hairston returned for more praise with Jasmine Sullivan’s song “Masterpiece.” Kiroho Dancer Kaitlyn Siah followed with a moving solo demonstration of praise through dance.
The program then turned to recognizing Zion Hill members whether their membership represented one week or less, one year, or 50+ years. Minister Kathy Kneeland, a former cheerleader, demonstrated that her cheerleading days were not over. She invited members to play their roles and participate by shaking their pom poms. Members received pom poms with a color based on how long they have been members.
They included:
1week – 9 years: Babies of the family – Silver
10 years – 19 years: Middle Children – Red
20 years – 49 years – Purple
50+ years – Gold
Another highlight of the celebration included a performance by the West Lake Jazz Ensemble as they provided smooth
and vigorous “pat your foot” renditions of songs such as God “Bless the Child” and “Oh When the Saints Go Marching In.” The performance brought the audience to their feet in appreciation of ensemble members and director Cedric Young. Since the audience could not see pianist Shawn Patterson, a seventh grader, Ms. Crook recognized his performance with the high school students.
Playwright, Writer, and a past child of Zion Hill Nathaniel “Nat George provided a final program highlight with a special recognition of the late singer Sam Cooke “A Change Is Gonna Come.” As he closed his tribute to the late singer who would have been 93 years old this year, he performed “Twisting the Night Away.” If you were a child of the sixties, you remember “The Twist.” Dozens of members rose to their feet, including First Lady Shelia Parker who joined the group as Nat George took her hand inviting her to join the group of twisters.
As the program closed, Pastor Parker
invited his “love,” First Lady Parker, to give the blessing of the food as anniversary celebrations prepared to attend the “Feast.”
Describing it as a feast was an understatement. Celebrants enjoyed an abundance of culinary delights that included: cabbage with carrots, collards, rice, blackeye peas, macaroni and cheese, corn on the cobb, fried chicken, smoked chicken, gigantic turkey wings, smoked spare ribs, fish, speckled beans with okra, blackberry and peach cobbler, sweet potato pie, and bread pudding.
Did you need a nap after the work serving others through outreach, praising God during the Praise Fest, and finally enjoying the wonderful food provided by Culinary Ministry Members?
If you didn’t get to participate this year, become a part of the 153rd Anniversary Celebration of Zion Hill, a church working to live up to the motto “Living to Love and Loving to Serve”. n —Sis. Felecia Church
“The Wondrous Shake Up!”
Zion Hill’s 152nd Anniversary Worship Service
For 152 years from 1872 to 2024, Zion Hill Baptist Church has been and continues to be a beacon on a hill to light the way for many by “Living to Love and Loving to Serve.” The church’s theme this year, “The Wondrous Shake Up!” is not just words on a page, but it is embodied in all that Zion Hill does and seeks to accomplish for the Lord, under the superb leadership of our pastor, Aaron L. Parker, PhD.
The church’s anniversary on Sunday, August 18, 2024, began with reverberations of melodious, resonant organ chimes of “To God Be the Glory” followed by Dr. Parker’s reiteration of the song title and the congregation along with the combined choir, arrayed in a sea of red and black, spiritually praising God through song. A unique and special call to worship of a choral reading was integrated with the Ne-
gro National Anthem, sacred hymns, and the toll of the original 1923 Zion Hill Bell as it rang once for 100 years, five times for 50 years, and twice for two years to pronounce that God “has done great things.”
Brother Shean Atkins’s powerful prayer was followed by the choir’s roaring, “We Praise, God We Praise,” and the welcome/occasion by two youth whose family worshiped at Zion Hill over four generations reminded us, “We came to shake, rattle, and roll!”
Following the morning hymn, “Love Lifted Me,” the City of Atlanta’s Mayor Andre Dickens greeted and thanked the congregation, noting that Zion Hill has “grown in size and measure to have an outsized effect on our community.” Minister Sebe Dalieh and The Republic of Liberia presented greetings and a commemorative
Presidential Letter from President and First Lady of Liberia honoring Dr. Parker’s obedience to the Voice of God to “feed my lambs” and Zion Hill’s consequently feeding 200 children and 30 adults “to help alleviate food insecurity” and “impacting the country both socially and economically.” For “Sound of Sankofa,” a featured video of the church’s oldest living member, ninety-oneyear-old Sister Lesterine Hester Britt, shared her upbringing– “We were taught to give and we were taught to serve” and “Zion Hill has always been the love of my life.”
Elisa Tory Dixon then introduced Zion Hill’s own Rev. Dr. Andrew Wilkes, pastor of the Double Love Experience Church of Brooklyn, New York, who delivered the morning message, “Tree Shakers and Applesauce Makers” with the scripture Luke (continued on page 6)
“The Wondrous Shake Up!” (continued
18: 1-8. Dr. Wilkes illustrated the parable of the persistent widow with “steadfast immovable faith” who metaphorically “agitates” and wraps around a resistant tree of the unjust judge “until her change comes.” "Tree shaking and apple sauce making insists on justice,” said Wilkes, “The text acknowledges a double reality where unjust judges and authorities exist, but they can also be shaken towards justice.”
To apply the text to our lives, Wilkes related, “Great teachers shake school systems to educate , great nurses, great therapists, great social workers shake oftentimes
an unconcerning healthcare system so that we can have peace of mind in our spirit and in our body.”
He continued, “Tree shakers grab the trunk of the tree and rattle it until the fruit falls down. Tree shakers make social change by attending city council meetings, organizing prayer vigils, and knocking on doors. These are tree-shaking practices that make the fruit fall.” According to Wilkes, “Applesauce makers take the fruit fallen from the tree” and make it a delight with “daily unspectacular implementation of change.” Dr. Wilkes challenged Zion Hill to
continue being tree shakers and applesauce makers as the church has done for all of its years of existence.
Many thanks to the Zion Hill Anniversary Committee under the tremendous leadership of Sister Patricia George for this weekend celebration of fellowship, service, and worship experience! From the Brush Harbor on the Corner of Humphries and Glenn Streets to McDaniel Street to Lynhurst Drive, and now on 6175 Campbellton Road, Zion Hill continues to represent Christ with its love and service to all. n
Minister Laura Newsome
Men’s Conversations
Theme: “A Men’s Uprising” (Two days of conversations for, about and with men in their social, psychological, physical and spiritual lives.)
Theme Scripture: II Corinthians 5:17 –“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (KJV)
Location: Zion Hill Baptist Church Friday – September 13, 2024 – 5:30 pm -8:00 pm Saturday, September 14, 2024 – 8:00 am-3:00 pm
Registration: Sunday, August 11, 2024 through Sunday, September 8, 2024
the 9:30 am
Sipping With SIS
Hey Zion Hill! Sip With SIS for a minute. Let’s spill some tea. It is said, “What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul.” The SIS Women’s Ministry is dedicated to serving and uplifting the total woman of God.
A part of the SIS Ministry platform is the STRAWHATS series, where we gather in healthy social settings to enjoy the goodness of God by uplifting, encouraging, enjoying and supporting one another.
In the spirit of “Shaking it Up 2024”, Saturday, July 28, 2024, members of the SIS Women’s Ministry gathered at the Main Event in Cumberland. Believe me, there was a whole lot of Shaking It Up in that place!
Those in attendance wore their beautiful new SIS Ministry T-shirts and we were the cutest group there! Can you say “fashionista”? Say what? SISterhood, games, food and gleeful shaking of the spirit.
The pool table was a challenge for some and an outright joke for others. Then there was bowling. From the rambunctious background cheering that followed whenever even one pin was knocked over, you’d thought we’d arrived in Paris for the Olympic games. The little girlish giggles were contagious. The high five hand pounds and the victory dances rallied us on. The roaring cheers and laughter coming from this circle of Zion Hill ‘Church Women’ shook up all of those in the area.
SISters In Sync, if you missed this opportunity to SHAKE IT UP and relax with women of liked minds, please don’t miss our next adventure. Madam President, Tina Wright, will be sending out an email blast soon to share all details. Don’t forget to wear your new SIS T-shirts when you come.
Thanks for pausing to SIP With SIS.
SISter S. Abbo
September has been designated Sickle Cell Awareness Month. Sickle cell disease, the most common genetic blood disease in the U.S., affects about 100,000 people, primarily people of color. Patients with this lifelong illness may need up to 100 pints of blood each year. Donated blood must be very closely matched to the donor’s blood type to avoid transfusion-related complications. Since most patients with sickle cell disease are Black or African American, the most compatible blood type match is most often from a donor of the same race or ethnicity.
There is no substitute for blood. When a patient receives blood, it was given in advance by a generous donor. To improve health outcomes for Sickle Cell patients, the Red Cross has launched a national initiative to increase blood donations from African American donors.
Zion Hill Baptist Church is supporting the initiative by holding a blood drive on Saturday, October 12th as part of our annual
Health Fair. Registration is currently underway for those wishing to donate. Many people have concerns about donating, such as fear of needles. Here are some tips that may ease concerns.
n Take Pride: Try to focus on the good you are doing - your blood donation can help save more than one life.
n Be Prepared: Before your appointment, read up on the donation process so you know what to expect at every step.
n Relax: Listen to music (the staff always has a great playlist), read a book, talk to our staff, or simply close your eyes and rest for a few minutes.
Many people are reluctant to make their first blood donation, but once they do, they find the donation process to be easy and gratifying. If you are wondering if you can donate, there are eligibility guidelines for donating:
n Donation frequency: Every 56 days, up to 6 times a year*
n You must be in good health and feeling well
n You must be at least 16 years old in most states
n You must weigh at least 110 lbs.
To register for Zion Hill’s blood drive, go to www.redcross.org, click on Give Blood, Find a Blood Drive, and enter the Sponsor Code ZHBC.
Zion Hill’s motto is “Living to Love and Loving to Serve.” Please serve the sickle cell community by being a blood donor!
— Sis. Pearl Richardson Smith Zion Hill Health Ministry
References and Additional Resources: Information retrieved from www.redcross.org
CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS
Men’s Conversations
Friday – September 13, 2024
5:30 pm -8:00 pm
Saturday, September 14, 2024 8:00 am-3:00 pm
Registration: Sunday, September 8, 2024
Following the 9:30 am Worship Service Room 138
The Health Ministry: SAVE THE DATE "Shaking Up Hope & Healing"
Hope & Health Fair • Saturday, October 12, 2024, 10 am - 2 pm.
The Health Ministry will be signing up Volunteers, immediately after service in the Love Center.
JOY for Life Ministry: Our Seniors Ministry has weekly classes/activities MondayThursday, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm in the Love Center. This Ministry is designed to engage seniors 55+ with classes and activities that promote good physical, mental and spiritual health.
Noon Day Bible Study: Join Noon Day Bible Study, Wednesdays, 12:00 PM, In-person in the Fellowship Hall. This Bible study is on a regular schedule this week.
S.O.L.L.A.S. Traditional Bible Class Wednesdays at 12:00 Noon – Join us InPerson in the Executive Conference Room 109, or virtually via Zoom Link
Bible for Life: Join Pastor Parker in the Sanctuary on Wednesdays at 7:00pm for our weekly, “Shake It Up” bible study in-person and virtually. You can virtually experience Zion Hill at either of the following links:
YouTube ZHBCATL zionhill https://zhbc.pub/youtube Boxcast: https:// boxcast.tv/channel/ glwvkeoykzdo718oqmae Facebook: @zhbcatl, https:// www.facebook.com/zhbcatl/
Sign Language Ministry: This ministry meeting/class will take place in the Love Center on Thursdays at 11:00 am in-person or virtually via Zoom Link
ZHBC OPEN GYM: Weekly on Thursdays, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm in the Love Center Gymnasium. Adults Only
COVID-19 Vaccines/Boosters Program: The Fulton County Board of Health will administer Flu Shots only on Tuesday, September 3, 2024. COVID-19 vaccines are temporarily unavailable.
C.com Connecting Community Online Ministry: This ministry is designed for our brothers and sisters who are primarily online and those who cannot attend in-person worship service. To learn more about the ministry, please send an email to c.com@zionhill.org
Ministry Leaders: Reverends Tiffani Douglas and Dennis Brown
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CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS
MEETING/REHEARSAL REMINDERS
Monday, September 2, 2024
Campus Closed in Observance of Labor Day
Tuesday, September 3, 2024 Prayer Ministry Meeting — 7:00 pm Virtual
Thursday, September 5, 2024
Chorale Rehearsal — 6:45 pm Rehearsal Hall
Saturday, September 7, 2024
Baptism Class — 10:00 am Rehearsal Hall
Chorale Rehearsal — 10:30 am Chapel
Sunday, September 8, 2024
Worship Service — 9:30 am In person and Virtual
Baptism
Following morning worship service
SEPTEMBER 2024
We want YOU to contribute!
If your ministry has an activity or news that you want mentioned, you can send an email to zhbc@zionhill.org. We welcome all ministry contributions: writing, story ideas, suggestions, digital photographs, artwork, letters, responses to our columns, reviews, etc. and look forward to hearing from you.
All material is subject to approval and editing. ALL contributions must be submitted by the second Wednesday of each month. The LIU will be distributed once a month. If you do not see your contribution in the current issue, it will appear in upcoming issues.
CORRECTIONS
We attempt to be accurate and balanced. We apologize for any errors that occur and when notified we will print appropriate corrections.
The LIU is a publication of
6175 Campbellton Road, South Fulton/Atlanta, GA 30331
Rev. Aaron L. Parker, PhD, Pastor 404-691-8025 • www.zionhill.org • email: zhbc@zionhill.org
Join Pastor Parker in the Sanctuary on Wednesdays at 7:00 pm for our “Shake it UP”
BIBLE for LIFE
(BFL) bible study series
In-Person & Virtual
Wearing a mask is optional. BFL will still be offered via our live streaming platforms as well.
Boxcast: https://boxcast.tv/channel/glwvkeoykzdo7l8oqae
Facebook: @zhbcatl, https://www.facebook.com/zhbcatl/
YouTube: ZHBCATL zionhill https://www.youtube.com/zhbcatlzionhill Available after streaming as recordings.