Are you looking for a way to contribute to ministry at Zion? Do you like to sing? Do you want to have fun with a great group of people? Then come to the Zion Senior Choir and Adult Handbells kick-off supper at 6pm on Wednesday, September 8. Join us for some good home cooking (burgers provided, bring a salad or dessert), great socializing, and stay for the rehearsal at 7pm.
For more details or any questions you might have, contact Mike Walsh, Minda Squadroni, or Sherilyn Burgdorf.
Make this a great year by adding your tunes to a choir. Vocal and handbell choirs are available for all ages and will be starting up again in September:
Parents, did you notice there’s room for you, too? All are welcome! Child care is available on Wednesday evenings during rehearsals.
Most adult choirs will begin in early September, and most youth choirs will begin the week of September 12. Registration will be available online later in August and on Homecoming Sunday, September 12.
A crowd of about 500 enjoyed beautiful music and gorgeous weather in Sturges Park on July 18 at the “Reaching Out” Gospel Festival. The festival featured a massed gospel choir including community members from both Buffalo and North Minneapolis, which performed several pieces under the direction of Lisa Olson, former pianist for the Twin Cities Community Gospel Choir for twelve years.
The event was sponsored by Zion Lutheran Church of Buffalo and Redeemer Lutheran Church of North Minneapolis, who are partners together in mission.
Between sets from the massed choir, the “Redeemer Jump Crew”, from Redeemer Lutheran Church energized the crowd with some spirited hip-hop music. A smaller gospel ensemble also performed and both Pastor Kelly Chatman of Redeemer Lutheran Church, and Pastor Ted Vanderpan of Zion Lutheran Church spoke briefly.
The evening ended with gospel singer Robert Robinson, well known singer and director of the Twin Cities Gospel Choir, joining the massed choir as a soloist and finally leading the massed choir and audience in “This Little Light of Mine.”
Facebook photo links are posted at www.ZionBuffalo.org/GospelFestival, and video information will be posted there when it is available.
Bring a picnic, bring friends and family, bring chairs and blankets and come to enjoy a great evening of music in Sturges Park this Sunday evening, July 18, beginning at 5pm.
A collaborative effort between Zion Lutheran in Buffalo and Redeemer Lutheran in North Minneapolis will bring together multiple congregations to form a massed gospel choir, led by Lisa Olson, former pianist for the Twin Cities Community Gospel Choir for twelve years, with soloist Robert Robinson, well known singer and director of the Twin Cities Community Gospel Choir.
The evening will also include various small groups, and accomplished band members. The event will also include a praise and worship element, hip hop ministry presentations and a pastoral message.
Inclement weather location is the Zion sanctuary, just south of Sturges Park on Highway 25.
Buffalo rehearsals start tonight, Wednesday, June 23, for the special massed gospel choir that will be a part of the Reaching Out Gospel Festival at Sturges Park on Sunday, July 18.
The festival is a collaborative effort between Zion Lutheran in Buffalo and Redeemer Lutheran in Minneapolis bringing together multiple congregations and the entire community to form a gospel choir under the direction of Lisa Olson, former pianist for the Twin Cities Community Gospel Choir for twelve years.
Tonight’s rehearsal is at 7pm at Zion. There will be another rehearsal next week in Buffalo, and there are also some rehearsal options in Minneapolis. All are welcome (you do not need to be involved with one of the sponsoring congregations)!
A collaborative effort between Zion Lutheran in Buffalo and Redeemer Lutheran in Minneapolis will bring together multiple congregations to form a gospel choir which will perform on July 18 at 5:00pm in the Sturges Park bandshell. Inclement weather location is the Zion sanctuary.
Since the concert is in Sturges Park you’re invited to bring a picnic, your lawn chairs or blankets and enjoy a night of great music at the bandshell. We may also have vendors at the park selling treats during the concert. Put the date on your calendar and invite your neighbors and friends for a great event.
Gospel music is the core unifying thread and will be presented by a mass choir, various small groups, and accomplished band members. The event will also include a praise and worship element, hip hop ministry presentations and a pastoral message.
Come and join a gospel choir that’s being formed especially in preparation for this event! Led by Lisa Olson, former pianist for the Twin Cities Community Gospel Choir for twelve years, there will be spirited rehearsals held right in Buffalo as well as Minneapolis.
All ages of gospel fans from the community are welcomed to come and be a part of the mass choir. Scored music with parts will be provided, but songs will be taught so that non-readers of all ages can still fully participate.
Rehearsals are at Zion Lutheran, 1200 South Highway 25 in Buffalo
Rehearsals will also be held in Minneapolis . Details at ZionBuffalo.org/GospelFestival. Attendance at rehearsals at both Zion and Minneapolis locations is not required.
Lee Kjesbo was a part of the brass section for the recording. (Photo by Nick Weeks)
On May 8 the Zion Senior Choir and Joyful Ringers worked with Doug Geston from Westmark Productions in Golden Valley to record tracks for a CD.
The challenge of making music that goes further than a three minute contribution to worship takes time and lots of concentration. Four hours of recording time will come together to produce a good variety of the favorites from Senior Choir and Joyful Ringers.
The CD will be available this summer. Cost is $15, checks payable to Zion Lutheran. Reserve a copy of the CD at the information desk or on the Zion website.
By Delaney Freer
The First Sunday Praise and Worship Team introduces each new month by leading the congregation with popular and easy to sing songs. The majority of their songs can be heard on KTIS 98.5, which many team members listen to daily.
First Sunday Praise and Worship Team members providing music for Easter Sunday Worship: Sue Lyrek, Amy Kellerhuis, Delaney Freer, Katie Mueller, Al Pecarina (behind Kaite), Matt Intreri, Pam Freer and Carol Clark ~Photo by Andrew Burgdorf
“First Sunday is a small but powerful group,” explains member Sue Lyrek. “We like to search [for] and sing songs not for performance, but for our souls and feelings. We try to listen to the group and make decisions together. We all have opinions, but we know that God wants us to be here for Zion.”
The thirteen members range from high school students to parents of high school students. First Sunday practices for an hour every Wednesday evening where they focus on songs with easy to sing notes, simple melody lines, and uncomplicated rhythms.
“I joined First Sunday because I really wanted to do something that was out-of-the-box for me,” says team member Carol Clark. “I love all kinds of Christian music- the more traditional stuff we sing in Senior Choir during first service, and the stuff they play all day long on KTIS. When I joined [First Sunday], I had never really played anything like we play. I love that I had to step way out of my comfort zone and learn to play a different way, after playing from written music for over thirty- five years.”
Before every worship service, the group gathers in a circle and Sue Lyrek leads them in prayer.
“I like to pray before we perform to help us get out minds together,” she explains, “and to help God see where we are hurting and how He can help. It makes us feel more like family and we help each other out by praying for what comes to us. That way we can let our light out from within and it can shine out to the congregation, so when they leave they can feel it, too.”
Musical friends, family members…people who say “I’ve always wanted to try playing bells…” are all invited to join the Family Ring bell choir. The music is manageable to any music reader (Grade 4-adult). If needed, your notes can be circled to make music reading easier. Parents and children are welcome to come together but having another family member in the group is not a necessity.
This is not limited to people already in a bell choir, but all bell folks are welcome!
We will ring in worship on Sunday, January 24 at the 8:30 worship.
Come to at least 2 of these rehearsals:
Sign up is necessary to assign parts! Contact Sherilyn… 682-1245 ext. 307 or 682-1954 or sburgdorf@zionbuffalo.org .
Kaleo will be re-forming in December and is also looking for new members.
If you are in Middle School or Senior High, and play guitar, piano, drums or can sing, please come to a meeting on Tue December 8 in the youth room at 6pm.
Kaleo is looking for sound techs and video arrangers as well. Please contact Myron if you are interested.
The Youth Choir is celebrating Christ’s birth in music and drama with “A Christmas Carol in Bethlehem” on Sunday, December 27, during the 8:30 and 10:30 worship services.
“A Christmas Carol in Bethlehem” is an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ story that places Scrooge in Bethlehem at the birth of Christ. Through an inventive blend of scriptural narrative, character development and traditional English carols and hymns, it conveys with great warmth and charm the promise of salvation for all through the birth of Emmanuel, God with us.
The 33rd Annual Community Festival of Thanksgiving and Praise will take place at Zion on Wednesday, November 25 at 8:00pm. Invite your neighbors and friends to attend this service of thanks that brings our community together. This is truly a faith-filled experience for all families.
Pastors from the Buffalo area churches join to give leadership to this community-wide time of worship. Choirs from six Buffalo churches will combine to present anthems of thanks and praise with organ and brass. The handbell choirs from Zion, Buffalo Covenant, St. Johns Lutheran, and Buffalo United Methodist churches are preparing pieces to be rung in a massed choir. There will be over 130 musicians from different churches.
Nursery is provided, and offerings are used to help those in need through the Buffalo Ministerial Association.
‘A Christmas Carol in Bethlehem’ is an adaptation of Dicken’s story that places Scrooge in Bethlehem at the birth of Christ. This will be performed during worship on December 27 at 8:30 and 10:30. Mark your calendars to enjoy the Christmas story retold in the eyes of Scrooge,Tiny Tim and the Cratchits.
Barbary Coast Dixieland Band
The Barbary Coast Dixieland Band will be with us again this year on November 8, as they have for the past several years.
The Barbary Coast Band started playing together as a banjo band leading group singing at a peanut and beer shack in 1967, and have lead worship services of different denominations throughout the area since 1984.
This been a very popular and well attended worship experience at Zion.
They will participate in both the 8:30 and 10:30 services. Please come early and enjoy this unique worship opportunity.
Bus connections from Buffalo schools to Zion have changed this fall. There is no longer an option for alternate destination for choirs, etc. from Buffalo schools because the busses are already very crowded. Zion now rents a bus for students from Buffalo elementary schools to ride to Zion on Wednesdays.
You can help! Contributions, large and small all add up. $50 will provide one week of bus service for the 40+ students that are already riding the bus to elementary choirs, bell choirs, and Kids’ Club.
Contact Sherilyn or give online at ZionBuffalo.org/Transportation.
Twin Cities Bronze, professional Hand Bell Ensemble from the metropolitan area, will be celebrating ten years of Musical Artistry in an energetic music concert on Sunday, September 20, at 2:00 p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, 601 E.2nd St., Waconia. Freewill offering and refreshments to follow.
Arrangements are being made to rent a bus for students from Buffalo elementary schools to Zion on Wednesdays. Parents would be asked to give a suggested donation of $40/family per year, which is approximately $1.50 a week… less than the price of gas to drive. The same bus will bring students from Tatanka, Northwinds, Parkside, and Discovery to Zion for SONshine Choir (switching to Wednesdays), Joy Choir, Ring Forth, and Kids’ Club. Parents still have the option to drive their children to Zion.
Sign up information for the bus will be available soon at ZionBuffalo.org/Transportation.
The bus company has just told us that the bus connections that we’ve been able to use directly from the schools for the past years are unavailable this fall. There will be no option for alternate destination for choirs, etc. from the grade schools, the middle school, or the high school because busses are already very crowded and there wouldn’t be room for more Zion students.
Starting This Week, September 9:
Starting Next Week, September 15/16
Sign up for all these and other musical opportunities at ZionBuffalo.org/music
The Senior Choir will have a potluck picnic on Wednesday, September 9 at 6:30 p.m. in the Zion Fellowship Hall. Anyone interested in joining the choir is invited. Burgers will be provided, sopranos and tenors can bring a salad, and altos and basses can bring a dessert (couples need only bring one item). Plan to eat a little, talk a lot and, of course, do some singing as well.
 | Angela on 8th Annual Redeemer Block… |
 | beth on 8th Annual Redeemer Block… |
| Angela on Scrooge in Bethlehem |
