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Children

2022 Camp Scholarships

Zion’s is committed to making sure everyone in our congregation can experience Lutheran church camp, regardless of the family’s ability to pay. We believe that summer camp is a wonderful opportunity for people of all ages to live in Christian community, to experience God’s presence in the great outdoors, and to be renewed in their faith. We believe that participation in outdoor camps helps to strengthen disciples for service and proclamation of the Gospel, and we are excited to offer camping opportunities through our partnership with the Lutheran Camping Corporation. Our congregation’s generous giving to our General Fund makes possible camping scholarships for all who are interested.

Camp Scholarship Instructions and Form –>

zion camp scholarship 2022

Outreach

2021 ENDOWMENT APPLICATIONS

It’s that time of year! Time to apply for monies from our Touching Tomorrow Endowment Fund. Applications are due by December 1 and can be submitted via email, snail mail, or by placing your application in Jim Gill’s “Endowment” mailbox, located outside the Church Office. More information on how to apply and how these monies can be used is in the application below.

CLICK HERE to download –> 2021 Endowment Application

GOOD NEWS from Zion's, Uncategorized

Capital Campaign Update

“[God’s] faithfulness endures to all generations; you have established the earth, and it stands fast.” Psalm 119:90

September 14, 2021

Dear Members and Friends of Zion’s:

God’s grace and peace be with you! Last November, we officially launched the fundraising part of our “Renew, Restore, Remain” Capital Campaign. We are grateful for the contributions you immediately shared, and for the commitment you made to support the campaign over the next three years. Today, we have the privilege of sharing the wonderful news that we only have $9388 remaining on this loan! We had hoped to pay off the loan by November 2023 but now it looks like we’ll be able to beat that goal by months, or even years!

Since the Capital Campaign was approved at our January 2020 Congregational Meeting, we have completed all but one of the projects. We have installed a heating/cooling unit in the Pastor’s Office, replaced three A/C units in the sanctuary, and re-rubberized the Social Hall roof. We’ve encountered roadblocks in repainting and repairing the cracked molding in the sanctuary as two contractors who initially agreed to do the job were unable to do so. We are back to looking for a skilled painter for the high ceilings of the sanctuary…if you have any leads, please let Pastor Caitlin, Christine Techky, or Steve Morris know!

We have raised $66,612 of the total $76,000 (which also included the remaining $25,000 in debt from the 2012 Social Hall renovations) through individual contributions, Thrivent Choice dollars, Amazon Smiles money, and the support of the Koinonia class. Can you help us knock out the remaining $9388 by the end of the calendar year?? Perhaps you are in a position to fulfill your three-year commitment a little early. Maybe you missed the first opportunity to respond, but now would like to participate. Or, perhaps you’ve already given and are able to give again to help bring us across the finish line. Contributions of any amount are greatly appreciated, and can be made on Sundays, by mail, through PayPal, or through your Simply Giving account.

It’s been a heck of a year. Many of you haven’t even seen the inside of our building since COVID began, and yet remain committed to God’s work in this place. We are grateful for your support. We have learned, through this pandemic, that ministry can and does happen in a myriad of ways inside and outside of a physical building, and, yet, in our longing to be back together in this sacred space, we have also learned that there is great value in having a safe, comfortable, accessible place to gather. Thank you for your generosity that has brought us this far in our campaign, and for your generosity that will see us through to the end. I look forward to celebrating the fulfillment of this Capital Campaign with you, and to utilizing the fruits of these labors for many years to come.

In hope,

 

Pastor Caitlin Kurtz and the Capital Campaign Team (Ed Ludwig, Jack Beidler, Deb Reiner, Terry Ludwig, Linda Toth)

Children, Outreach, Special Events

VBS 2021

We are excited to once again partner with Jonestown United Methodist Church for Vacation Bible School! As you might imagine, this year’s VBS will look different than previous years due to COVID, but we trust that it will still be a meaningful and FUN experience for your children.

More information and the registration website are located on Jonestown UMC’s website. CLICK HERE to be re-directed. 

Teens and adults are welcome to volunteer–please see Pastor Caitlin or Monica Bortz. Any questions can be directed to Pastor Caitlin: pastorckurtz@gmail.com or 717 865 3652.

Outreach

Packing Personal Care Kits for LWR

This Lent, we are encouraging households to pack one or more personal care kits for Lutheran World Relief. These are distributed to families in crisis throughout the world and, right now, the warehouse shelves that typically hold these kits are EMPTY.

Here’s how to pack a kit:

Packing a Personal Care Kit for Lutheran World Relief

 

Every kit needs:

  • ONE light-weight bath size towel (between 20” by 40” and 52” by 27”), dark color recommended.
  • Two or three bath-size bars of soap equaling 8 to 9 oz (any brand, in original wrapping)
  • ONE adult size toothbrush in its original packaging (multi-packs may be used by sealing an individual toothbrush in a business-size envelope; no plastic bags or wrap)
  • ONE sturdy comb, remove packaging.
  • ONE metal nail clipper (attached file option), remove packaging

To assemble: Fold the towel in half. Place the rest of the items in the towel, fold and roll so nothing falls out, and secure with yarn, ribbon, string or rubber bands.

Important guidelines:

  • Be sure it’s a light-or-medium-weight towel which are easier for recipients to hand wash and dry
  • Please only include NEW items
  • Please do NOT include items with any religious symbols, the US flag, patriotic or military symbols, including camouflage (if discovered, these can threaten Lutheran World Relief’s ability to serve in certain countries)
  • Please do NOT add, or leave out, any of the items listed, and please do NOT enclose the kit or any of its contents in plastic bags

Bring your completed kit to Zion’s anytime throughout Lent (and by Easter Sunday, April 4); we’ll pack it up with others and make sure it gets to the Lutheran World Relief distribution center in Maryland. THANK YOU for helping to care for our global neighbors at a time when distribution shelves are empty!

 Each kit assembled will be matched by a Thrivent Action Team grant.