Women of the ELCA

Submitted by Dana Lee SmithGA. Come learn about what’s happening in our cluster, enjoy Bible study, be refreshed in worship and enjoy fellowship with others. There will be a group leaving from Zion at 7:00am. If you need more information or you would like to attend, please contact Cheryl Pannal (665-5315) or Dana Lee Smith (665-1377). Ladies, please check the Zionews calendar page and make plans to join in one of our Bible study opportunities. If you’re not sure which one fits your needs, you are invited to visit each group. We would love to have YOU involved!

to carry the flags for the ceremony and in the St. Patrick’s day parade also. Ella and Rebekah Rae HeidtHarris also took part in  the parade by riding on the Girl Scout float. Way to go Girl Scouts!

Congrats to Zion’s Girl Scout Troops who worshipped at our church during the 100th celebration weekend. Troop 30078 was selected to be flag bearers for the 100th Anniversary Celebration of Girl Scouts in Forsyth Park. Christian and Melina HeidtHarris were honored 

Youth Working on the Wash

submitted by Dana Lee Smith
March Highlights
Thanks to everyone who supported our carwash fundraiser! We raised $168.00! This money will be used to help with expenses for upcoming events and activities.
April Events
Sunday, April 1st: AFFIRM Registration Forms and Deposits Due
Sunday, April 8th 5:30am – 8:00am: Sunrise Easter Breakfast
LYO will host breakfast immediately following Sunrise Service. If you are
assigned to prep team, you need to report for duty in the kitchen at 5:30am.
If you are assigned to clean up, your job starts after the service!
Wednesday, April 18th 6:00pm – 7:30pm: LIFE! (Living in Faith
Everyday) – Come join Bible study!! Remember, meal starts at 5:15pm.
Please plan to be finished eating by 6:00pm.
Sunday, April 22nd 12:15pm – 1:15pm: Carwash Fundraiser
Immediately following worship youth will host a carwash fundraiser to
raise money for upcoming events and activities. We need all youth group
members to help. Please be prepared to begin washing cars immediately
following the service. The more we wash, the more money we raise!
Friday, April 27th – Sunday, April 29th: All GA Youth Event (FFA Camp
– Covington, GA) – The bus will leave Zion at 5:30pm on Friday. Youth
will need money for a meal (fast food) on Friday night and lunch (sit down
meal) on Sunday. Youth should also bring extra money for offering on
Sunday. Please pack the following; bedding (sleeping bag and pillow
works well), toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, deodorant, towel,
wash cloth, shower shoes (to wear in the shower), tennis shoes, and Bible.
Remember, all youth attending signed a covenant stating that they would
not bring any electronic devices (mp3 players, cell phone, CD player, hand
held game devices, etc.) Youth should be home by 6:00pm on Sunday.
The group will call as they get close to home. Jason Hall, Trey Davis,
and Amber Hall are leaders for this event. If you need to contact youth
during this event, please call Amber at 663-7357.
Plan Ahead
June 17th – 22nd: AFFIRM at Berry College – 6th thru 12th grade
July 18th – 22nd: ELCA National Youth Gathering – New Orleans, LA
All youth in grades 6 – 12 are invited to participate in youth activities.
For additional information about youth activities, contact
Dana Lee Smith at 665-1377.

In honor of the “Service of Darkness” we are using a black background to the site for the next 24 hours. The service begins at 8pm. If you have never been to one, it will be an experience you will never forget, just as we should never forget what Christ did for us!

Never Forget

Even the ELCA has blacked out their Facebook page in remembrance.

Mark your calendar! There will be special activities, refreshments and, of course, we’ll hunt for eggs! All refreshments will be provided. Just bring your Easter Basket! If you would like to help with the cost of this event, please give donations to Amber Hall or Dana Lee Smith.

I like old things. I have always liked old things. I like rummaging through dusty attics and poking around in antique stores and scrounging for bargains in thriftshops. I prefer classic cars and vintage motorcycles over their younger cousins, and understand completely when some old – timer mourns, “They just don’t make ‘em like they used to!”

There is such a history in old things! Even inanimate objects have a memory! When you run your hand over the fender of a Model T, or grip the handlebars of a ’39 Indian, memories of a former life drift up and hover in the air like dust motes on a sunbeam. You can sense the people who have owned it, the places it has been, the things it has seen. It makes me glad to see some old thing restored and put to good use by someone who loves it.

Bob and I have a motorcycle named Lazarus, because it was raised from the dead. For years it had stood, broken and neglected, behind the door of a barn. The seat was torn, it was missing a tire, there was rust on the tank, and the motor was blown. To me, it looked deader than a doornail. But, when Bob looked at it, he saw that bike not as it was, but as it would be when he got finished with it. Then, he proceeded to lovingly bring it back to life—hence the name.

God must look at us like that – like some old relic from the beginning of time. When God first created us, we were shiny and new and in perfect working order. But, the world has a way of wearing you down, and it didn’t take long before we were like fine machines that have stood too long behind the barn door; rusty and broken and missing some parts.

But, God has a passion for restoration! When God looks at us, he doesn’t see us as we are. He sees us as we will be when he gets finished with us. Then, he proceeds to lovingly bring us back to life. He binds up our broken hearts and smooths out our rough edges, and before long, weare up and running again, as God intended.

We are Easter people! People who were deader than a door nail, but now, are alive again in Christ; put to good use by our God, who loves us.

Slowly, but surely, God is restoring all things to himself. He started out with Jesus – the first to be resurrected. How I’d love to poke my head into that empty tomb, see the grave cloths, the stone on whichJesus lay his head! How I’d love to see Jesus,completely restored to his former glory, (give or take a scar or two.)

That day will come. Someday, when I least expect it, the trumpet will blow, the clouds will part, and Jesus will gather me in his arms and take me home to live with God forever! And, I will be changed! This old body of mine will be restored to the days of my youth, and I will forget all about old things. I will be too busy enjoying the new! That is the promise of Easter – the hope in which we who love the Lord live. May you see signs of restoration all around you this Easter as never before!

Blessings, Pastor Barb <><

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing. Isaiah 43:18-19a

Reminder: Zion is still collecting prescription bottles for Med-Share. They are recycling them to use in 3rd World Countries. Zion has already been able to donate 27 pounds of bottles to date!

On Easter morning, Sunday, April 8th, please help us decorate our “Living Cross” with fresh cut flowers. The cross will be located on the lawn in front of the church. You can bring flowers with you to the Easter Sunrise Service, Sunday School, or the Easter Festival Worship Service at 11:00 a.m. and simply tuck them into the netting on the cross.

At Home in Mitchford

Are you an avid reader? Do you love nothing better than to curl up with a good book? Then the Book of the Month Club is looking for you! We are currently reading At Home in Mitford, by Jan Karon.You can purchase the book or check it out at the library. Our next meeting is March 27th at 7:00 p.m. in ZFH. Bring a favorite book to share with the group! We have started lending them to each other!

Our annual Easter Egg Hunt will be on Saturday, April 7th from2:30pm to 4:30pm. Please mark your calendars and invite a friendas we have fun preparing for our Easter celebration! Our Mary/Martha WELCA group is sponsoring this event. Donations to helpwith costs can be given to Dana Lee Smith or Amber Hall. Pleasemake all checks payable to Zion.