April 28 Letter

Happy Thursday Church!

I hope you are having a blessed week!  I know today is cool for April in Virginia but I saw on the news this morning that places in the mid-west are expecting over a foot of snow today.  I also was speaking with my dad yesterday and he said it was cold where he lives and they were expecting snow overnight.  When you are tempted to complain remember that someone, some other place has it worse than you.

This Sunday at Zion

This week we will celebrate the Lord’s Table.  We typically would have had communion the first Sunday of April but because we had just had it as part of our Holy week services the week before I thought it would be good to wait until May to have it in the worship service.   I will be sharing a short message highlighting the unity seen in the elements of communion.

Eagle Scout Project Fundraiser – Next Friday, May 6th

Please set this date aside and join us for dinner and a silent auction to help Caleb Laxton fund his Eagle Scout project, which by the way will be a huge benefit to our church.  Caleb will be constructing a new out building for storage at our church.  This dinner is a win-win-win.  You win by getting a great meal (donation basis), Caleb wins by raising the money and our church wins by getting a new storage building!  Plan to join us and come prepared to give and buy at the silent auction.

Kristie Annis is organizing the silent auction.  She asked me to share with the church that she can accept donations at any time for Caleb’s silent auction but that all auction items will need to be in the social hall by Friday, May 6 at 5:00 p.m., if possible.  If you have something you can donate that might fetch a good donation for this project please be in contact with Kristie Annis.  710-2717 / stevenkristie@verizon.net

I hope you have a great weekend!  A few days ago Sue found some fresh rhubarb and made me stewed rhubarb with strawberries.  This was something my mother made all the time when I was growing up – it’s delicious with some lightly toasted bread.  God blesses us with wonderful things from the ground this time of year – enjoy and give thanks to him.  I look forward to seeing you this weekend.  I love you and love being your pastor.

In His Service with You –

Pastor Andrew

April 21 Letter

Happy Thursday Church!

I hope you are having a blessed week!  Fellowship – spending time with believers is so important to the Christian experience.  Sue and I had a nice visit with Chris last weekend in New York.  He will be leaving to go back home to China within the month and we wanted to see him one more time this year before he left. The weekend was full: lots of sightseeing, lots of eating delicious food but mostly enjoying some really great fellowship.  Saturday night I was in Times Square – Monday afternoon I was on Metompkin Bay digging clams with some other men for the dinner this Saturday.  And that too was great fellowship.  Fellowship is an intangible that fits in any circumstance.  While the environments are drastically different fellowship happens in Times Square and Metompkin Bay because Holy Spirit, the fellowship maker, dwells within God’s people.

This Saturday at Zion – Seniors Honor Dinner

If you consider yourself a senior (that’s a personal decision) you are invited to a dinner in your honor Saturday evening in the Social Hall at 6 pm. The menu includes ham and clam fritters.  If you need a ride please contact either Rick Wallace or me and we will make arrangements for you to get to the dinner.  If you are not a senior and would like to help cook or serve the meal contact Rick.

This Sunday at Zion

This week my message is titled “Help Wanted: Foot Washers Needed” from John 13.  The day before the crucifixion at the last supper Jesus assumed the role of a servant to his disciples by performing the most menial of tasks; washing their feet.  In the ancient world feet would get very dirty because the roads were dirt and the common footwear still left much of the foot exposed.  A person could have just bathed, but walking only a few hundred feet could make your feet dirty – thus the need to wash your feet often.  This is a picture of the Christian journey.  We are made clean in Christ (like a bath) but in the normal “walk” of life we can pick up some dirt from this world that can really stink up our witness for Christ.  Jesus has given us a way to deal with the dirt.  We don’t need to be saved all over again (take another bath) but we do need to get our feet washed . . . washed by someone else no less.  In the body of Christ we need to be willing to get our feet washed and to be a foot washer.  In short, we need each other to really live the kind of lives God has called us to live.

Business Meeting

After service this Sunday we will be having a short business meeting to deal with only two items: 1) the nomination of Kit Laxton as deacon and 2) a new Memorial Fund Secretary.  There will be no other business so this should not take long.

Men’s Movie Night – Sunday @ 7 pm in the Social Hall

Courageous is an entertaining and challenging movie.  Every man will connect with the stresses the men in this story are dealing with and will find hope for dealing with those tensions from the resolution the men make at the conclusion of the movie.  Join us and invite a friend to come.

Beth Moore Conference Ticket

The women’s ministry has one ticket left for the Beth Moore Conference next Weekend.  Please contact Michelle Williams if you are interested in it.

I hope you have a great weekend!  Tonight I am speaking at the Exmore Baptist Church’s men fellowship dinner.  If any guys from Zion would like to come along with me let me know and we can travel together.  I look forward to seeing you this weekend.  I love you and love being your Pastor.

In His Service With You,

Pastor Andrew

Ministry for the Long Haul

Minstry for the Long Haul

April 7

Happy Thursday Church!                                                                                    April 7, 2016

I hope you are having a blessed week!  Sue and I have found over our years of ministry that when we openly share our lives, God prompts others to share openly as well.  That has already happened after last Sunday when Sue and I shared our testimonies during the service; some with us and I know some with other people.  The important thing is that we take a good look in the mirror and ask God what he wants to do to make us more like him.  That is what last Sunday was about.  I think you have always gotten the sense that I am proud to have Sue as my wife . . . now you know a little more of why I feel the way I do about her.

This Sunday at Zion – This week we are not in a series but I’m excited to share a message with you from Matthew 6 titled “Establishing Priorities for Healthy Living.”  God’s priorities are the right priorities and are what is best for us in the long run.  Do you ever get caught up in responding to the urgent (what makes the most noise at the time) at the cost of being able to do the important things in life?  This week’s passage will address that very issue, showing us ways to have time for the important things in life by establishing priorities.  BAPTISM CLASS – this Sunday during Sunday School on the second floor of the CE building.  Please remember that the Backpacks / Duffle bags for foster children are due at the church this Sunday.

Bridge Network of Churches Spring Meeting – This Tuesday is our Association’s Spring Meeting at the Exmore Baptist Church – 7 pm.  We do send delegates from our church but anyone form the church is welcome to attend.  As I said last Sunday our association is one of the factors that attracted me to serve God in this part of Virginia.  Our association has good leadership and provides good support to the churches of the Eastern Shore.

New Faces at Zion – I’m sure you have noticed a number of new people in our Sunday morning services recently.  I’d like to say I know how this happened but I don’t . . . other than that last summer I asked you to pray for our church to have positive contact with unchurched people in our community, and some of you prayed.  Some of you have been praying the Prayer of Jabez, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory . . .”  I believe God is honoring that attitude of prayer.  Pray now that God would help all of us to befriend people new to our church so they will feel comfortable and be drawn closer to God.

I hope you have a great weekend! A number of years ago we had an Italian friend and his wife had an authentic, from scratch, recipe for Chicken Parmesan.  She taught it to Sue and my life has been all the fuller ever since (my belly as well.)  Saturday Sue is making this for me – it is my favorite meal she makes.  My mouth is watering already.  I look forward to seeing you this Sunday at church.  I love you and love being your Pastor.

In His Service with You,

Pastor Andrew