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The Minneapolis Area Synod Women of the ELCA’s Annual Gathering will be held at Christ Lutheran Church in Blaine on Saturday, September 25. This year, the program will focus on how churches can get involved with women and families in Africa through the Lutheran Malaria Initiative as well as the Operation Bootstrap Africa Program.  Other options will include heart health, financial independence, and a prayer and movement group.

• The keynote speaker will be Janet Letnes Martin, author of Growing Up Lutheran which was the inspiration for the popular Church Basement Ladies.
• Bible study will be led by Rev. April Ulring Larson who is currently senior pastor at First Lutheran Church in Duluth, MN, after completing three terms as Bishop of the LaCrosse Area Synod.
• The worship leader will be Rev. Margaret Guelker, executive pastor of the host, Christ Lutheran Church.

Contact Phyllis Bengtson or Pastor Karri if you are interested in attending this gathering. Cost is $40 (or $45 after September 15).

The Zion Foundation, which supports projects outside of the normal church budget, 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.

Contact the church office or Scott Morin.

The week of June 27 through July 2, Zion will be sending a group 2nd to 5th graders to camp at the Shores of St. Andrew. Watch for the tent in the narthex later in the month, with an opportunity to write to and encourage some of our kids while they are at camp.

Make this a great year by adding your tunes to a choir. Register online for  children & youth choirs, both vocal and handbells.

Parents, there’s room for you, too. Find a place in the Senior Choir or in Joyful Ringers. All are welcome! Child care is available on Wednesdays during rehearsals.

Call any of the directors with questions about choirs. We’ll see you soon!

Details about all choirs, handbell choirs, praise bands, and other musical opportunities are listed on the Music Ministry webpage.

Even before the printed newsletter gets to your door, there has been at least one change:

• Senior Choir will NOT have a picnic on September 2.  Rehearsals start September 9

“To be a Christian means to forgive the inexcusable, because God has forgiven the inexcusable in you. This is hard. It is perhaps not so hard to forgive a single injury. But to forgive the incessant provocations of daily life – to keep on forgiving the bossy mother-in-law, the bullying husband, the nagging wife, the selfish daughter, the deceitful son – how can we do it? Only, I think, by remembering where we stand, by meaning our words when we say in our prayers each night, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” We are offered forgiveness on no other terms. To refuse it means to refuse God’s mercy for ourselves. There is no hint of exceptions and God means what He says.”

-C.S. Lewis

• To all those who are helping maintain the gardens at Zion this summer.
• To those who have already volunteered in the Sunday School and Confirmation programs for the coming school year.
• To those that help prepare the bulletins each week and newsletters each month.
• To those that have helped with food and other needs for Summer 2nd Wednesdays this summer.
• To those that helped make the Marysville Ice Cream social such a success (photos).

Join Hands Day is sponsored by America’s Fraternal Benefit Societies, including Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. It is designed to generate awareness about the impact of grassroots volunteerism.

It also encourages youth and adults to come together to improve their communities while building lasting friendships across generations.

$500.00 of Join Hands Day seed money is available through the Thrivent Wright County Board. Money can be used to purchase supplies or refreshments for an activity, or Thrivent promotional items.

Activities can be held anytime between April 1st – June 30th. There is more information on the Thrivent.com or JoinHandsDay.org.

When you begin planning your activity, you need to complete and submit a “Request for Funding Form” to the Thrivent Wright County Leadership Board before that activity date. You can ask any of the Thrivent Zion Congregational Coordinators for this form or print it from Thrivent.com.

Some activity ideas are:

• Pot flowers in planters with seniors at a senior living facility
• Volunteer at an animal shelter
• Go grocery shopping for seniors who live alone
• Write letters to Armed Forces soldiers

If you have any questions about Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and its products, please call Mark Worner at 763.682.6011

St. John’s Lutheran Church in Buffalo invites you to a concert performance of the Litchfield Area Male Chorus on Friday, April 24th at 7:00 pm.  It will be held in the new Family Life Center.  Refreshments will be served at intermission and there will be a free-will offering taken.  Reservations are not needed.  St. John’s is located at 302 2nd Street NE in Buffalo.  For more information call 763.682.1883 or email info@stjohnsbuffalo.org.

Look for the current Bulletin Insert at http://www.zionbuffalo.org/LiteratureRetrieve.aspx?ID=22375, or find the link at http://www.zionbuffalo.org/News.

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