The Minneapolis Area Synod is sponsoring a video contest in conjunction with the 2010 Synod Assembly on April 24. Bring the synod theme, “A Community Gathered by Christ: from Stranger to Neighbor,” to life by submitting a video of how Zion or a Zion ministry lives out this theme in our lives together.

Please contact Angela if you are interested in entering this contest. Videos should be two minutes and submitted to the synod by April 1. Any submitted videos may be played at the Minneapolis Area Synod assembly and on the synod website.

The Council has recently received a few questions concerning our decision at the December 16 meeting not to add a general forum back into the agenda at council meetings. Dirk Foster, president of the church council, provides the background and the basis for that decision:

The open forum was removed from the standard council agenda when Pastor Chris first arrived at Zion. This was done to help focus the discussion at the meetings on agenda items and to allow the council the time needed to work though the difficult decisions required at the time. In December 2009, the Executive Board raised the question as to whether it was time to re-introduce the open forum in the standard agenda. This was discussed at the December 16 meeting of the council and it was decided not to add back an open forum. Even with just concentrating on the items on the agenda, the meetings can sometimes be 2 to 3 hours long and it was felt that members did have many opportunities available to bring concerns to the council. Having those concerns identified ahead of time, helps the council manage the length and prioritize the meeting much better.

Here’s how the agenda for a council meeting is set.

• The Executive Board usually meets the first Sunday of the month to set the agenda for the council meeting which usually occurs on the third Wednesday of the month.
• Members are encouraged to contact the Pastors or an officer if they are interested in getting an item on the agenda. Prior to the first Sunday of the month is preferred, but not necessary.
• The agenda is usually emailed out to council members about a week prior to the meeting and any council member may identify an additional item for the agenda at that time.
• Finally, at the beginning of each council meeting the agenda is again reviewed and modifications are made, if necessary. A member could ask at this time to be placed on the agenda.

If you do have a concern for the council, you are encouraged to identify it as soon as possible so that we can priorities the items on the agenda. We will make every effort to address your concern as soon as possible.

Please contact any council member if you have questions.

to set sail / Nautical ► to unfurl or spread the sails; hence, to begin a voyage

During Lent we will be learning just what it is we need to do in order to raise our sails and get ready for the upcoming voyage into the future of Zion. Using John Ortberg’s book “The Life You’ve Always Wanted”, we will look at what we can do in our everyday lives to grow spiritually and to help us respond to the fresh wind of the Spirit in our sails. Ortberg presents the life giving spiritual disciplines as relevant, realistic steps to personal spiritual growth and transformation, a way to live life joyfully and abundantly.

The study begins on Ash Wednesday and will meet throughout Lent:

• After the noon Wednesday Lenten worship services at Zion
• After the 6:30pm Wednesday Lenten worship services at Zion
• 10:30 Friday mornings at at BJs Deli in downtown Buffalo
• Get your own group together
• Or just get a book and read along!

Weekly topics  include It’s Morphing Time, Slowing Down and Celebrating, Praying and Confessing, Meditating on Scripture and Seeking Guidance, Practicing Servanthood, Finding Freedom, and Going the Distance with a Well Ordered Heart.

Please plan to be a part of this time of learning, sharing, and transformation as we prepare for the voyage of a lifetime!

Sign up and reserve your book today.

St. John’s Lutheran Church in Buffalo invites you to a free Bluegrass and Christian music concert on Friday, March 5th with the Kingery Family. For this family of 10 from Atwater, MN, music has always had an influence beginning with piano lessons for the girls when they were young followed by other instruments which were added as the family grew. After being exposed to bluegrass music from different sources, they were inspired to work on their own Bluegrass and Christian music. Their first CD was just released last March. The Kingery Family enjoys being able to sing together for the glory of God. Their prayer and vision is that their music will praise and honor Jesus and that many souls would be brought to Him.

Please plan on attending this rousing, entertaining and uplifting concert by the Kingery Family. There will be refreshments at intermission and a free-will offering will be taken. St. John’s is located at 302 2nd Street SE in Buffalo. Additional information can be obtained from the church office at 763-682-1883 or info@stjohnsbuffalo.org.

As seen in the Wright County Journal-Press, February 4, 2010

To The Editor:

Guess I’m considered the “new kid on the block,” having just moved here from So. Dak.

I would like to take this opportunity to say what a beautiful community you have here in the Buffalo. The lakes, the lighting of the trees downtown, the wonderful, well kept parks, walking trails, historical museum, cultural activities, schools, churches and so many other very interesting places.

But most of all I want to express my feelings for all of the people. There are not enough adjectives in the English language, or any other language, to describe the friendly, caring and amazingly wonderful people her in Buffalo. Everyone here has been so helpful in every way. To the wonderful people of Zion, worshiping with you hand working on the various committees and events has been so uplifting (at a time when I really needed it). People here are not just “Sunday morning Christians” but people who live their faith every day to so many people.

I am so glad that God led me here. “I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” To all of you my eternal, heart-felt thanks.

Pat Peterson

Sheldon Fertig passed away on Tuesday, February 2.

There will be  a memorial service at Zion at 11am on Friday, February 5 with visitation one hour prior to the service and a luncheon following the service.

ELCA Disaster Response has begun to post details of their current work in Haiti.  Check this page for updates and links including their Haiti Earthquake blog and detailed situation reports.

Sunday school children up to 4th grade will sing in worship on Sunday February 28. This is a Sanctuary Sunday which means all children are encouraged to worship with their families. The children have been practicing their songs during opening at Sunday School, and we need all of their voices. Please plan to worship together on that morning.

Sunday, February 7
Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
Luke 5:1-11
Called
Pastor Karri Preaching

Sunday, February 14
Transfiguration of Our Lord
Luke 9:28-36
Pastor Ted Preaching

Wednesday, February 17
Ash Wednesday
Romans 12:1-2
Becoming Seaworthy
Pastor Karri Preaching

Sunday, February 21
First Sunday in Lent
Luke 4:1-13
Pastor Ted Preaching

Wednesday, February 24
Mark 6:30-32
Treasure the Voyage
Pastor Karri Preaching

Sunday, February 28
Second Sunday in Lent
Luke 13:31-35
Pastor Ted Preaching

• February 3: Pasta
• February 10: Sub Sandwiches along with the New Member class
• February 17: Chicken Kiev
• February 24: Tacos

Wednesday Suppers are served at Zion each Wednesday from 5:00-6:15pm for a suggested donation of $3 per plate.

World Vision’s 30 Hour Famine is an international movement of students who are serious about serving God and fighting hunger – all on an empty stomach. For 30 hours, participants get a taste of hunger by not eating – something more than a billion people around the world experience every day. And by doing fundraising activities, community service projects, and learning more about the facts of world hunger, students are changed in amazing ways as they help others and save lives.

Today, 25,000 kids under age 5 will die – most of them from preventable causes like hunger, poverty, and disease. That’s one child every three seconds.

Something is seriously wrong with this picture. Nobody should die because of an empty stomach.

But here’s the good news. You and your (temporarily) empty stomach can do something about it. That’s right. You’re the answer that millions of hungry people are waiting for.

The actual event date is February 26-27 @ St. John’s Lutheran Church in Buffalo… but come to Zion on Wednesday,  February 3 during Graceland (7:30–9pm) to learn more about the hunger issues that the world faces each day and how you can be a part of the solution!

[Update 2/4/10] Date has been changed to April 23/24.

Zion’s mission partner for March will be the Buffalo Food Shelf.  This is a Christian based organization that provides food and hygiene items to residents of Buffalo in need.  March is National Food Share Month and Zion will be collecting contents and assembling Easter Baskets containing meals to feed over one thousand men, women and children in our community.  This year we will also be doing the distributing of these baskets at Zion on Tuesday, March 30.  Specific food and volunteer needs will be available sometime in February.

Imagine improvisational comedy played as a sport! (If you’ve ever seen Whose Line is it Anyway, you’ve got the general idea.) Two teams of actors compete for the biggest laughs while a referee calls the fouls and gets suggestions from the audience… 5-7pm on February 13 at St. John’s Lutheran Church (302 2nd Street NE in Buffalo)

The dinner menu is Chicken Parmesan, Pasta, Caesar Salad, Breadsticks, and a Chocolate Fountain for dessert. There will also be a variety of great raffle prizes to take chances on! Tickets are $20 per person and benefit St. John’s Youth for their trip to the National Youth Gathering in New Orleans. Child Care is available by reservation. A free will donation will be accepted to help defray the cost of food for the children. Make your reservations by calling Kelly Ohland at 763.684.0460.

The Zionaires 55+ Senior Group has several events planned for upcoming months:

• On February 16, Interim Associate Pastor Karrie Anderson will introduce herself and share a short pre-Lenten devotion, followed by a Fat-Tuesday lunch.
• On March 30, Zionaires will assist in putting together the Food Shelf Easter Baskets which Zion will distribute to needy families
• April 20 is tentatively planned for a visit to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum in Chaska, MN.

Everyone 55 and better is invited to participate in Zionaires’ great educational, fellowship and fun activities!

You are invited to join Women United in Faith for an ongoing Bible Study on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at Zion from 6:30–8pm.

The mission of Women United in Faith is to strengthen our faith and provide a safe, comfortable and confidential environment where women can share their hurts, struggles, joys, and heartfelt emotions, while maintaining respect for each other.

The group will study the book of Ephesians using the Life Changes bible study series and the study guide in the Serendipity Study Bible. That Bible version is not a requirement; bring your own Bible, as different versions can give different insight. If you’ve never been in a bible study before, don’t let that keep you from joining. Many participants are just beginners. Bring a friend and come when you can.

Contact Cheryl Mager (682.3777) or Judy Weis (682.7014) if you have questions.

A second round of prayer sisters will be starting up in early February. Women of any age can sign up to be secretly partnered with someone that you will remember in daily prayer throughout the year. You can also send cards and or gifts for special occasions, or whenever God moves you to do so, In December, the identity of your Prayer Sister is revealed to you at the annual Christmas Tea.

Please sign up by the end of January.

Pastor Karri Anderson

One of the things I love the most about interim ministry is the opportunity it gives me to “sail on different ships.” I get to see the amazing variety of ways that God’s people gather together, worship, and serve. This image of the body of Christ sailing together through the waters of life comes from the early church when congregations would gather in the nave to worship.

The nave is the architectural term for the place where a congregation gathers for worship. It is taken from the Latin term “navis” which means ship. (This is also where the terms navigation and navy originate.) The name came from the vaulted ceilings in early churches which resembled the shape of a ship’s keel.

When I “board”, most ships are floating aimlessly in the waves. Some of them are just drifting along not really sure where they are going. But many of them are in the midst of storms. The real challenge is not how bad the storms are, but how well each sailor has trained for the voyage and how well they work together.

Gary Wilburn, a Presbyterian pastor and author writes; “The fact is our religious ships are dead in the water. The answer is not bigger and better sails. It is how we ‘listen to the wind in the riggin’” and how we position our sails to the wind. If anything is going to change, we need to take personal responsibility for our own spiritual voyage.”

If we want to be ready to catch the wind of God’s Spirit in our sails, we need to be ready when it blows. We need to know which sails to use and when, and how to watch for approaching storms. Sometimes sailing on the wind of God means we have to lower the sails and just hang on for dear life and sometimes it means we must wait patiently while no wind seems to blow at all.  But no matter what the circumstances, our mission is to have our boats and our sails prepared to catch the wind of God – however it may blow. Our task as children of God is to do our best to position our sails to the Wind.

As a community of faith, Zion has already done so much to get ready for the next burst of God’s wind. During Lent we will have the opportunity to do even more by learning how to grow the life giving habits that will help us carry out our mission statement and set sail for the future. We will look at the core habits that Christian’s have practiced for centuries; scripture reading, prayer, worship, community, service and giving in order to strengthen our faith both individually and corporately.

I am so excited and feel so privileged to sail with you on this voyage of a lifetime, and I pray that the preparation we do together will make us ready to set sail with the good news of Jesus Christ, into a waiting, needful world.

Let the voyage begin……

Pastor Karr

Dirk Foster, President

Steve Peterson, Vice President

Devonne Kent, Secretary

Roger Brenny, Treasurer

On Wednesday, January 13, the Church Council elected new officers for 2010.

Dirk Foster was elected for a second term as Council President, and newly elected officers are Steve Peterson, Devonne Hermosillo, and Roger Brenny. The Council also expressed a thank you to the outgoing officers from 2009.  The officers of the Council, along with a pastor, make up the Executive Board which meets to set the agenda for the council meetings and to discuss and resolve issues and questions that do not need to go to the full Council.

At the January meeting, the Council also reviewed and approved the timeline and process for naming a Call Committee to call a permanent Associate Pastor.  If you are interested in serving on this Call committee, please submit your name to any member of the Council.  The full Council will elect the seven members of the Call committee on Wednesday, February 17.

In other business the Council :

• reviewed and approved modifications to the fundraising guidelines for the church, approved a recommendation to take over the administration and management of the Buffalo Community Ministerial Association’s Assistance Fund for three years
• assigned Council representatives to the various committees
• approved a recommendation to conduct a special Congregational meeting for the purpose of discussing a new capital funds campaign.

The next meeting of the Council will be a 2/3 day long retreat on Saturday, February 6, when the Council will be discussing the Bridgebuilder reports and the motion that was tabled at the 2009 annual meeting.

Zion’s local mission partner for February is Park Terrace Assisted Living and Memory Care. Park Terrace is a 46-unit facility for senior adults who are seeking to retain their independence but may also need some help with daily living activities. Volunteers from Zion will provide two Valentines bingo events for residents at the facility in February.

The first Bingo event will be on Friday, February 12, from 7-8pm. Volunteers from Zion will play Bingo with about 30 residents and serve refreshments. It would also be great if some volunteers would provide music or entertainment.

On Saturday, February 13, there will be another Bingo event for 10-12 memory-care residents. The event will run from 1:30-2:30pm and volunteers will be one-on-one helpers for the residents.

Sign up for either event at the information desk.

To encourage students to live out their faith life, Zion will not be going to Confirmation Camp this year. Instead, 6th, 7th & 8th Graders are invited to take part in a Middle School Mission Trip to Duluth, MN, June 20-25, 2010.

There will be a brief meeting at 7:15pm Wednesday, February 3, to discuss fundraising, trip details and more. This is for all participants, their parents and those not yet registered. Please make every effort to be in attendance!