We're calling 2011 "The Year of Prayer for our Families," dedicating ourselves to pray for the many families within our congregation: those new to Zion, and those who have been here for generations. Our families are the source of our greatest joys, but sadly our greatest sorrows as well. As we dedicate our families to God, praying God’s blessing upon them, we look for new strength and unity among Zion’s grandparents, parents, children, brothers, sisters, and more. We are God’s family together!
For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being! (Ephesians 3:14-16)
We will be gathering to sing praises to the Lord at Zion in celebration of our 164th Anniversary, on the weekend of May 28-29. The party begins on Saturday, May 28 from 2-4 p.m. with our Senior’s Celebration, where we will honour and thank our many Seniors who have contributed so much to the life of our church family. As always, great food and joyful music will be a part of this wonderful time together. Seniors needing a ride to the celebration can contact the office. All are welcome! Come and have fun!
Our weekend continues on Sunday, May 29 at 10:30 as our church family and friends gather for worship. This will be an outstanding service with traditional hymns, a Communion meal to share, and special musical presentations to lift our spirits. You won’t want to miss this inspiring time of worship as we express gratitude to God for over 160 years of bringing families together in worship! There is a full Sunday School program and Nursery as our Zion Church Family gathers together to celebrate God’s generous love!
And rejoice! Celebrate all the good things that God, your God, has given you and your family! (Deuteronomy 26:10)
The good people of Zion have been generous in responding to God’s generosity over the many generations of our church life. We too have discovered what a difference generosity can make in our lives and in the lives of others. This year, your compassion and care continue to make a real difference in the lives of many people, young and old, near and far. Right here in Charlottetown, you have supported our Upper Room Food Ministry teams, as they have served hundreds of meals to needy, hungry folks. And our teams were blessed as they prepared and served these meals as a way of providing for others, as God has provided for us.
Provincially, your support of Missions has meant that Camp Keir was able to maintain and improve our Summer Camp for Children and Teens. Located in beautiful Canoe Cove, generations of children – our children and others – have come to know the love of God in their own lives through this all-important ministry. Are your children – your grandchildren – going to experience God’s love through the ministry of Camp Keir this summer?
Internationally, your gifts to the Canadian FoodGrains Bank has meant that we have been able to extend our ministry of care and compassion to God’s family throughout the world, making a truly significant impact in the lives of thousands of families!
I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us--yes, the many good things he has done for his family, according to his compassion and many kindnesses.
June 5 at 10 a.m. is Zion’s Sunday School Celebration, where our church’s children give thanks to God for his wonderful love – and they’ll share God’s love with us, through an exciting and inspiring programme. This is a great chance to see what your kids have been learning throughout the year as they share their faith with music, skits and more! Help us celebrate our children and teachers by joining us for this special kid-friendly service. And don’t miss the party after the service! Cake! Ice Cream! Hot Dogs!
Remember that our Children’s Programme continues throughout the summer, with “The Kingdom of the Son – The Lord’s Prayer Safari!” This great summer Sunday School adventure features weekly ways in which children can learn to apply the Lord’s Prayer in their lives. There will be snacks, crafts and activities for your children to enjoy and learn!
The cornerstone of this church was laid in 1911. This year, we are celebrating the 100th anniversary of that momentous step of faith. Let’s make sure it is still standing beautiful and strong, in a manner that enables us to continue to be a witness to the faithfulness of God in our community, in testimony to our gratitude, and in respect to our Zion forebears who laboured and gave so generously to see this vision take form.
We began our work with much-needed repairs to our Tower, renovations to our lobby, and replacement of the worn carpet throughout the church. Together with painting and repairs, our entrance-way and lobby is bright and welcoming once again! Our next major project is the Church Roof, scheduled to commence this July. A lot of hard work by our dedicated Roof Committee means that this will be a blessing not only to us, but to future generations to come.
To help pay for these much needed projects, we established our Century Fund, our goal being to raise $100,000 over three years, with 100 Century Fund participants making it happen. We will be making a big announcement on Anniversary Sunday to update you on this very successful campaign! Even bigger plans are underway to celebrate the upcoming 100th Anniversary of our Sanctuary in 2013.
In the middle of our busy repair and renovation projects, and our exciting ongoing Missions impact on our community, province and world, it is easy to lose sight of the ongoing needs of our overall ministry. This is the ministry you so generously support through your Tithes, Gifts and Offerings – particularly the Sunday Offering and the monthly Automatic Debit Offering. Where does that money go? In short, it provides the staff, materials and the facility to do the work God has brought us together to do.
Our Family Quiet Room and Nursery are a welcoming place for the many young families among us. Our Kindergarten provides loving care to our cherished little ones. Our Sunday School nurtures the faith of our children. The Youth Group provides a refuge of good clean fun and guidance for our teens. Our Bible Studies bring us all closer to one another and deeper in our faith. Our Music Program lifts our spirits Sunday by Sunday. Our Ministry to Seniors honours those whose stories of faith span many years. Our Sunday Worship proclaims the Grace of God, and gathers us as a family together. None of what we do could be done without you! Zion is moving forward as the Joyful People of God!
The whole family was filled with joy, for they had come to believe in God! Acts 16:34
Thanks to your faithfulness, 2010 was marked by a level of generosity which met all the needs brought before us, and enabled us to reach out in ways that made a real difference. Thank you so much for your cheerful sharing! In addition to your weekly and monthly gifts, you responded with special gifts throughout the year, gifts which made all the difference.
Zion has always been blessed with faithful supporters. But maintaining our facility and providing for our ministry has brought ever-increasing challenges. This year, we are already experiencing a substantial deficit, as we seek to pay our bills and meet our many obligations. We have regularly faced similar short-falls in previous years, preventing us from moving forward in much work that needs to be done. As we approach the 100th Anniversary of our facility, we need to reconsider our level of support.
To carry out our ministry and mission; to serve you and others as we should; to maintain our facility; and to keep up with the same power and heat and bills which face us all at home; costs upwards of $7000 a week. That means that if our envelope holders and automatic debit contributors each shared twenty five dollars a week, we would be able to meet our challenges. However, there are those of us who don't have twenty-five dollars a week to give. And there are those of us who have far more than that. The only clear directions of scripture are that "each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the LORD your God has blessed you," (Deuteronomy 16:17) and, "Each one should give as you have decided in your heart to give. You should not be sad when you give, and you should not give because you feel forced to give. God loves the person who gives happily" (2 Corinthians 9:7).
What we can say is that if each person were able to contribute an additional $3.50 per week over and above their current commitment (about the price of two large Double-Doubles!), we would be able to make up our current deficit, and go into 2012 with a clean slate. Those on Automatic Debit can do so by simply calling Dianne at the office (902-566-5363), with the adjustment easily made. Those wishing to inquire about Automatic Debit – a great way to share your Offerings – can also call Dianne for more information.
Included in this mailing is a Special Offering Envelope. We ask that you prayerfully consider making a special Anniversary Offering on May 29 to give thanks to God for the year past, and for the year to come. We very much appreciate your faithfulness and conscientious stewardship. Your special gifts make a tremendous difference in helping us not only address the current serious shortfall, but will carry our work forward.
Zion has been here for many years. It has been here for our ancestors, and it is here for us. Together, let’s make sure that Zion is here for our children and for theirs, standing strong and beautiful as a sentinel to our faith, the sun streaming through the stained glass windows, the music soaring from the organ pipes, the nursery and Sunday School joyful with a new generation of faithful ones, and the pews filled with the Family of God.
May the LORD bless you from Zion all the days of your life! Psalm 128:5
Coffee, Tea and Fellowship brings us together for a weekly celebration of God's goodness. Join us for fellowship and refreshments following the service and enjoy your church family !
Come and Worship!