Help Worship Sound Great

Are you interested in helping Zion deliver  smooth, distraction-free worship services each week? Bob Strommen is  recruiting additional volunteer sound technicians. Please contact Bob or the church office or any sound tech on duty on a Sunday morning if this sounds like you:

  • Have some kind of musical background, i.e. playing an instrument or singing in a choir or small group.
  • Previous experience with sound equipment is a plus but not required.
  • Willing to commit some time in learning to operate Zion’s equipment.
  • Available at least two Sundays a month and some Jubilee rehearsals  on Tuesday evenings.
  • Able to work with others on special projects.

Office Volunteers Needed

Please contact Diane Montplaisir if you would be interested in volunteering in the church office on a regular basis on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays from 9am-noon.

Gardens in Bloom

Summer at Zion finds the grounds in full bloom. Great color everywhere!! Zion is so blessed to have a talented group of individuals willing to share their time to improve the grounds for visitors and members of Zion. Thanks God‘s Gardeners!

It takes many seeds to make a Garden…. Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches. (Matthew 13:31-33)

Member Needs Help Moving

If you can [physically] help a member of the congregation who needs to move (within Buffalo) on Thursday due to eviction, please contact Holly or Angela in the office for details.

Summer Ushers

UshersSherilyn has come up with a new plan for ushering at the 8:30 and 10:30 services over the summer months with a few changes from ushering in the past:

  • Families would be invited to usher together. As always, individuals are also welcomed as ushers.
  • You would choose one Sunday each month to usher. It would be best to usher on the same Sunday each month (1st Sunday, 2nd Sunday, etc.) so that you get used to the flow of the usher duties, but if vacations require different schedules you can make other arrangements.
  • Usher duties include coming at 8:00 or 10:00, handing out bulletins and greeting worshipers, taking offering, and picking up bulletins left in the pews following worship.
  • First, third, and fifth Sundays involve ushering during communion.
  • You can sit in the sanctuary for worship between duties, especially if someone in the family needs to take sermon notes or if younger children want to go forward for the children’s message.
  • A reminder card, email or phone call will come to you during the week before your ushering Sundays.

This is a short term plan for June, July and August. If families enjoy working together as usher teams, we may reschedule the upcoming year of usher duties using the same plan. Please contact Sherilyn as soon as possible if this is a way you could serve Zion this summer.

To Our Volunteers

by Lisa Ellinwood

V is for the Very special people that you are

O is for the Overwhelming support & compassion you offer others during their time of need

L is for the Little things you do that make such a difference in someone’s life

U is for the Unspoken words that sometimes mean just as much

N is for the Need you fill when others aren’t able

T is for the Time you give of yourselves on top of your own busy schedules

E is for the Emotional support you continually give

E is also for the Endless energy you all seem to possess

R is for the Responsibility you have taken on & never once complained

S is for the Smiles you bring to everyone by just being you

Garden Spots Available

Spaces still available for 2010There are 6 garden spots still available for those that would like to be part of the God’s Gardener’s program this year. The available spots will be marked with signs this Sunday, please contact Diane Huston or Carol Olson, or the church office to sign up for one of these spots.

Marysville Church Cleaning May 15

Cleaning Day at Zion’s historic Marysville church will be on Saturday May 15 from 9am-noon. Contact Lisa Mills for details, or just show up to help.

Zion Cemetery Cleaning May 3

The spring cleanup date for Zion Cemetery, south of the church on Highway 25, is Monday May 3 at 6pm. Bring rakes, shovels, etc. In the case of rain, the cleanup will be rescheduled to May 4.

Thanks Dean!

New ShelvesCome into the Wilderness Room to see the new shelves Dean Guida built and installed. He donated his time and energy for this project, and those that use that room for sewing mission quilts and for crafting for Harvest of Hands are especially grateful for their new storage area. It is amazing what a difference the new shelves make.

At last there is a place off the floor to store materials where they are accessible and organized. The whole room is a much more pleasant workplace for the crafters, as well as more functional for Sunday school and the other groups that use the room.

What Would You Write

Do you like to write? Would you like to contribute to Zion’s newsletter and website?

Some of the most popular articles in both the newsletter and the website are profiles of members and commentary by members like these. To submit an article or commentary, send it by email to Angela in the office. If you would like to write a member profile but would like a suggestion of someone to write about, Angela can help you with that too.

Submissions of photos and short videos of are welcome too :)

Easter Basket Volunteers

packing Easter baskets for the food shelfDuring Lent, Zion’s Social Ministry committee will be coordinating Easter Baskets to be distributed to families in need in our community through the Buffalo Food Shelf.

Here’s how you can help:

  • Help assemble bags in Trinity Hall on Tuesday, March 30 from 9:30-11:30am
  • Help prepare and serve a meal for recipients of the bags at Zion on Tuesday, March 30 at 3pm
  • Help distribute bags at Zion on Tuesday, March 30 from 4-7pm (including greeting, registering, and carry out)
  • Help clean up after the meal and distribution
  • Make a designated cash donation (make payable to Zion with ‘Food Shelf’ in the memo to offset the costs of the meals and grocery items

Sign up at the information desk or in the office.

Visitors are Coming

People are drawn to the church during Easter like no other time of the year. You can help get Zion’s building ready to welcome our guests by stopping by on Wednesday, March 31, for a couple of hours to help with some light cleaning and tidy up.

Come anytime between 2-7pm. There is no need to bring anything, and all jobs are indoors. If you know that you will be able to help, please sign up at the information desk on Sunday or through the office.

God’s Gardeners

All the garden areas looked great in 2009, and many visitors and members of Zion enjoyed the colorful greeting.

Gardeners, it‟s time to start thinking about planting your garden spaces for this year. Keep an eye open for upcoming information for the 2010 season.

If you have a new interest in God’s Gardeners please call the office for contact information.

Sewers Needed for VBS Mission Project

Do you enjoy sewing? Would you share your time and talents to help out Zion‟s VBS mission project? The project for this year involves creating 150 stuffed animals to be sent to children in need through Sharing & Caring Hands and local emergency services.

Volunteers are needed to help sew the stuffed animals, so the VBS children and stuff them and send them on their way. Volunteers can work at home or together at a “sewing party” at Zion at 9am on April 13 with the Harvest of Hands crew. Please contact Holly Husom if you are interested in helping.

Of course, if you want to help in any other way with other VBS preparation or during the week of VBS, Holly or Roxie would love to hear from you!

Foundation Investment Committee

The Zion Foundation was established in 1978 as a separate financial entity from Zion Lutheran Church. The Foundation receives gifts, invests them and uses only the earnings from these gifts to disperse grants to support projects outside of the normal church budget.

The Foundation is currently looking for 3 congregational members to be on a new Foundation Investment Committee. Applicants must have knowledge and/or expertise in financial investing.

This committee will meet at least twice per year or more often as necessary. If interested, please contact the church office by April 15.

Worship Volunteers

It takes all of us to make things run smoothly for the extra worship services at this time of year. Please contact Sherilyn if you would like to serve as an usher, greeter, nursery worker, communion server, altar guild member, coffee fellowship host or Family Express host.

A Note from Holly and Roxie

We want to thank all of the volunteers who help with the Children’s Ministries. We could never take 60 kids tubing (not safely anyway), nor could we teach approximately 460 Sunday School children or 350 Vacation Bible School children to love and serve the Lord without every one of you. You who are willing to volunteer your time. We lead busy lives and time is such a precious commodity. We (along with the kids whose hearts you touch) want you to know that your kindness does not go unnoticed. We want to thank you so much for giving of your time.

Roxie Otten & Holly Husom

Co-Directors of Christian Education

Wanna Hang Out With Us?

Volunteers are needed to to spend time with 2nd-6th graders who are playing board games, doing homework, and/or watching a movie on Wednesday evenings from 6-8pm while their parents are in choir, adult education, or other programs. Volunteers must be high school or adult. Please contact Roxie if you might be interested in helping either one time or on a regular basis.

Freezer Cooking January 16

Food For Friends will be doing freezer cooking on Saturday, January 16, from 9—noon. Join them for a fun time of cooking and fellowship. Please contact Julie Kabe or the church office if you can help.

Remember, if you know of someone who could benefit from the Food For Friends ministry (a warm meal or a frozen meal), please call the church, email FFF@zionbuffalo.org or bring them a meal from the church freezer.