Newsletter

May 07, 2008

In Pastor's Words

My Child, What Can I Give You?

I should like to give you everything so that you lack for nothing, not even one single desire, but I know that for want of many things I have come to be satisfied with what I have and to think of others and their needs.

I should like to give you a life full of fun and games, but I know that because of many “chores” and responsibilities of my youth, I have learned to be responsible.

I should like to protect you from all the errors of your youth, but I know that because of my failures, I have learned to make better decisions.

I should like to give you a profession of wealth or importance, but I realize that man is truly happy only when he fulfills the purpose for which God has created him.  What then, my child, can I give you that would be of any real value?

I give you my love, which means that I accept you, without reservations, just as you are and will be.

I give you my personal presence in order that you will have the security you need during your childhood.

I give you my ears, in the sense that I will never bee too busy to listen to you—sometimes never uttering even one word.

I give you opportunities to work so that you might learn to do it without shame and come to enjoy the satisfaction of work well done.

I give you my counsel only when it is necessary or you ask for it so that you might avoid some of the mistakes I have made.

I give you my consolation when you have failed or feel discouraged but I will not always protect you from the consequences of your sins.

I give you instructions in the way of the Lord so that when you are old, you will never depart from it.

I give you my daily prayers that the Lord will keep you and guide you in such a way that you, my child, will be a man or woman who will serve and glorify your Heavenly Father.

This I give you with all my love.

    Your Mother, Lydia Lightner, Home Living, May 1980.

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 02:00 PM | Comments (0)

April 30, 2008

In Pastor's Words

God is There Even On Our Worst Days
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who
love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
     Have you ever had a really bad day?  A day when everything seemed to go wrong?  Thank the Lord that most days are good days, but every now and then a day comes along that really challenges our mettle.  It was our first year on the mission field in Africa and we had not seen a TV program or a movie in ten months.  Swiss Family Robinson was playing in a Nairobi theater and we thought going to watch it would be a nice first outing for the three of us.  Up to that point, our first ten months in Africa had been filled with ups and downs.  We arrived in Africa in December 1978, but really didn’t begin our ministry on the Scott Theological College campus until early 1979.  Our three-crate shipment arrived by ship to Mombasa (Kenya’s large port city located 300 miles away) around the last of January.  Upon claiming the goods, we discovered that about half of our belongings had been stolen at sea.  Following that disappointing surprise, serious sickness struck our four year old during the next three months.  Two debilitating bouts with malaria and food poisoning left Jonathan hospitalized near death with a third of his body weight claimed by the illnesses.  After recovering from those early setbacks in the next few months, we felt we were long overdue for some kind of an outing.  We were grateful that the car we shipped with the crates (a used ’74 Robin’s egg blue station wagon) had not been stolen or damaged.  However it did have a perpetual problem of the coil overheating and stalling at the most inopportune times, leaving us stranded on numerous occasions, requiring us to push, tow or coast it back to Machakos.  Now that you know all that, join with us for a day to Nairobi on September 21, 1979 as we begin our 40 mile journey to see Swiss Family Robinson.
     We made it to Nairobi and almost made it to the theater when the car, up to its old tricks, overheated and quit on one of Nairobi’s busiest traffic circles.  Some Africans standing near-by helped me push the car a couple of blocks down the busy six lane thorough fare to a service station for repair.  As we waited for the car to be fixed we walked to a close-by fast food outlet for some fish, chips and juice which did not set at all well with Jonathan’s touchy digestive system.  So, upon returning to the service station waiting room, he became suddenly sick and lost what lunch he had eaten all over the floor of the people-packed waiting room.  No one could find any towels or a mop to clean up the mess.  So there we sat for hours in that smelly waiting room, waiting for the car to be repaired and wishing we could have been almost anywhere else!   Finally qualified mechanics assured us that the car was fixed and we paid them handsomely to hear those words.  It was supper time, so we stopped at the Kentucky Fried Chicken place before leaving the city.  On the way home, we discovered the chicken was only half cooked and the rolls contained assorted insect parts and other indiscernible matter.  So much for supper!  We barely made it home when the engine of our just-repaired car quit on its own as we pulled into our driveway.  Within an hour of our arriving home, I became seriously ill with amoeba dysentery which lasted through the night into the next morning.  A visiting missionary neighbor discovered how sick I was and went to fetch a doctor in town who determined that I should really be in the hospital.  Recovery took several weeks.  Eventually, a local mechanic fixed the car so that it never stranded us again.
     Even on one of our worst days, when the car stalled on the busiest traffic circle in Nairobi, God sent people to help push it to a service station; despite the high cost of the car repair that day, God prepared people ahead of time to help with the expense; although our car just made it home before conking out again, God allowed us to arrive home safely; even though I fell ill with amoeba dysentery, God used the illness to bring us into contact with a doctor who would not only meet our medical needs for many years to come (and would be of indispensable help to Carolyn), but who would also become a great friend with whom we would be able to share the love of Christ many times in the next 25 years.  Take heart, God is there with us even on our worst days because, whether we are instantly aware of it or not, all things do work together for those who know and love Jesus Christ
Pastor Ralph Partelow

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 11:44 AM | Comments (0)

April 23, 2008

In Pastor's Words

Can Blessing Really Be Found in Illness?
     Almost no one wants to be sick.  In fact, a major goal in almost everyone’s life is to keep our health as good as it can be.  We spend a small fortune on health insurance, drug stores carry thousands of prescription and over the counter health care products, and we are reminded so often through the media that we are an overweight nation that needs a lot more exercise than we are getting.  Despite all of this, we do get sick, our bodies do wear out, and there are times when we feel so “under the weather” we may wish we would expire than to go through prolonged pain, discomfort or disability.  Can those times be of any benefit or blessing to us?  Can we find something good or learn some lesson in periods of physical trial?
     Even in those times when we feel the worst, some lesson can be learned and some blessing found that will encourage our hearts.  Sickness certainly is a trial and James encourages his readers, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2,3).  Even Paul, when requesting healing, found this response from God:  “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (1 Cor. 12:9).  Though the water may be deep and the fire of trials may be hot, God reminds us, “But now, this is what the Lord says—he who created you, O Jacob (put your name there), he who formed you, O Israel (put your name there):  ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you: I have summoned you by name; you are mine’” (Isaiah 43:1).
     Here are some blessings you can count on in times of illness:  1) It can awaken us to the sweetness of Scripture (Psalm 119:50, 71, 92, 143), 2)  It can drive us to prayer (Isaiah 38:1,2), 3) It can deepen the prayer lives of others (James 5:13-15), 4) It can lead us to spiritual self examination (Psalm 119:67), 5) It can humble our souls (2 Corinthians 12:7-10), 6) It can develop the qualities of patience and endurance in us (James 1:2-4), 7) It can develop maturity in our lives (Romans 5:1-5; Isaiah 48:10; Hebrews 2:10; 1 Peter 1:6-8), 8) It can enable us to empathize and comfort others who will later got through similar trials (2 Corinthians 1:3), 9) It can heighten our desire for heaven (Job 19:25-29), 10) It can provide an opportunity for us to witness to others (2 Corinthians 12:9-10), 11) God will be glorified (John 11:4; 2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

     Whatever illness you’re facing today or will face, be encouraged that God can bring blessing through it.
Pastor Ralph Partelow

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 11:50 AM | Comments (0)

April 16, 2008

In Pastor's Words

This Weekend
April 19 & 20 2008

Special Guest, Dr. Joseph Onyango Okello, who currently teaches Bible courses at Asbury Theological Seminary and Philosophy at the University of Kentucky will be our special speaker this weekend.  Joseph is a 1994 gradate of Scott Theological College in Machakos, Kenya where he was a student of Pastor Partelow.  He has received Masters degrees in music and theology from Asbury Seminary and a PhD from the University of Kentucky.  Joseph is a gifted musician and soloist as well as a dynamic speaker.  His plans are to return to Scott College in the near future as a full time faculty member. Joseph and his wife, Sophie, currently reside near Lexington, Kentucky.

You will have opportunity to meet Joseph and hear him speak:

April 19
At the Carry-In Dinner on Saturday evening at 6:00 pm

April 20
In the Sunday School hour at 9:15 am
In Morning Worship at 10:30 am
Fireside Chat at 6:00 pm (for everyone)

A love offering will be received for Joseph on Sunday morning.

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 11:54 AM | Comments (0)

April 09, 2008

In Pastor's Words

“A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”
Proverbs 11:25

Did you know that each of you is special? You have been blessed with at least one spiritual gift that is especially yours, and it has been given to you so that you can use it to bring glory to God and also build-up and refresh others around you. If you are wondering what your gift(s) might be, you can read about some of them in 1 Corinthians chapters 12-14, Ephesians chapter 4, and Roman chapter 12. Also, you might ask me, Pastor Ralph, or someone else in the church what your gifts might be. I have seen many of you exercising your gifts over the past several months, and I have seen how God is using you to build and strengthen us as part of Christ’s Body here in Worland. Some of you are leaders, some are gifted to teach, some are evangelists, some are encouragers, and some are gifted in caring for those in need. Some of you have entirely different gifts from those I have listed. Whatever your gifts are, they are important! You are important, and I want you to know that as you exercise your gifts you are making a difference in God’s Kingdom!

I want to give special thanks to so many of you for generously using your spiritual gift of giving to meet the needs of others. Did you know that giving generously is a spiritual gift? In Romans chapter 12, Paul exhorts those who are gifted in contributing to the needs of others to do it generously. I have seen many of you giving your time, energy, and resources to contribute to the needs of others in the church and in the community. I can’t name all of you, because it would take much more space than I have to write this article. Instead, I’ll give two wonderful examples of generous giving from the past two weeks. First, many dozens of people showed their generosity in planning, cooking, and serving at the Chakulafest luncheon after Sunday worship on March 30th. I wonder how many hours of service were tallied during that weekend!! In addition to the many hours of service, $1,163 was donated to help support the Kenya mission trip in 2009. Second, adults and teens alike served generously during the Pancake Supper and Youth fund-raising auction this past Sunday. In addition to all of the cooking, cleaning, and serving, $2,803 was donated to meet the needs of our youth ministry and another $350 was donated toward the Kenya mission trip!! Through your generosity, the needs of these ministries are being met, many lives are being impacted with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and God is most definitely being glorified!

My prayer for each of you this week is that as you continue to generously use your special gifts to bless and refresh others, you will in turn receive blessing and refreshing in Christ. Thank you all for refreshing me in so many ways through your loving and generous service!
Pastor Steve

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 03:33 PM | Comments (0)

April 02, 2008

In Pastor's Words

PROVIDENCE
     No, we’re not talking about a city in Rhode Island, but rather a doctrine in the Bible that touches every one of God’s creatures.  While our English dictionary simply defines “providence” as “God’s benevolent guidance for the future,”  God’s Word is much more descriptive.  Although the word “providence” is not actually in the Bible, the essence of it can be found throughout the Scriptures.  For instance, we find examples like, “gives food to every creature” (Psalm 136:25) and “He makes springs pour water into the ravines” (Psalm 104:10).  Providence is best illustrated in Jesus’ words, “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”  Even in Ephesians 2:10, Paul alludes to the doctrine of providence when he states, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  The words “prepared in advance for us to do” exactly captures the idea of providence that is played out in each of our lives.  Providence is God’s physical and spiritual provision for us that He planned to do beforehand.
     Scripture presents God’s “providence” for us in three categories.  First, He prepared Christ for us as “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Revelation 13:8). Jesus’ death and resurrection for the salvation of mankind were not accidents of history or alternative choices by the Almighty.  Knowing that man would sin and would need a Savior,  God prepared and provided His Son from eternity past in to be our Savior.  Second, God prepared in advance a witness to Himself through creation.  Romans 1:20 states, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”  Third, God provides in advance the care of his creatures, both physically and spiritually.  Jesus reminds His listeners in the Sermon on the Mount, “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26,27).  
     How does “providence”  play out in your life and mine?  History (yours, mine, the world’s) has been termed “His Story” or “The Hand behind the headlines.”  On the world stage, “despots may plan and armies may march, and the congresses of the nations may seem to think they are adjusting all the affairs of the world, but the mighty men of the earth are only the dust of the chariot wheels of God’s providence” (T. Dewitt Talmage).”  Reinforcing the fact that our God is the God of history, Daniel declares, “the Most High rules in the kingdom of men” (Dan. 4:25).  Likewise, God’s provident care is unmistakably seen in the smallest details of our lives.  Vance Havner said, “I thank God for the Unseen Hand, sometimes urging me onward, sometimes holding me back, sometimes with a caress of approval, sometimes with a stroke of reproof; sometimes correcting, sometimes comforting.  My times are in His hand.”  Whatever you’re going through today, whatever trial you’re going through, whatever joy you’re experiencing, whatever challenge you’re facing, God is behind the scenes causing “all things to work together for good” (Romans 8:28) for the believer.  Please join us this Sunday as we talk more about “God at work behind the scenes.”
Pastor Ralph Partelow

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 10:45 AM | Comments (0)

March 26, 2008

In Pastor's Words

There is no article this week. Sorry for any dissapointment this may cause.

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 03:19 PM | Comments (0)

March 12, 2008

In Pastor's Words

Sharing Our Wealth
Have you ever considered yourself to be wealthy? When we compare ourselves to others around us we might not think of ourselves as rich. We are constantly bombarded with information and images that tell us we need the latest model or the newest technology in order to just keep up with those around us. But did you know that in the eyes of most of the world we are the ones who are wealthy? I heard some statistics recently from a pastor named Rob Bell that really gave me perspective on this - The United States contains about 6% of the world’s population, but we consume 40% of its resources. Only 8% of people in the world own an automobile. That means 92% of the world looks at me driving around in my car and considers me to be rich. Somewhere around a billion people don’t have access to clean drinking water. Around 800 million people won’t eat today, and 300 million of them are children. Around a billion people live on less than a dollar a day. In our world, we might not feel rich. But in the eyes of the world, we are a people who are richly blessed.
As Easter approaches and we focus in a special way on the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus, I’m overwhelmed by the riches we have been given in Christ. The Apostle Paul said - “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). We are so privileged, and so wealthy!
All of this begs the question – what should we do with all of this wealth? The Bible gives us lots of insight on this question. For the sake of space I’ll focus on one particular passage of Scripture - “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life” (1 Timothy 6:17-19). We who are rich are commanded to be rich in good deeds. We must use our material wealth to bless those who are poor in material things, and our spiritual wealth in Christ to bless those who are spiritually poor. This could mean supporting the local food and clothing bank by donating time and materials, or sponsoring a child through an organization like Compassion International. It could also mean inviting someone to church on Easter Sunday, reaching out in love to someone who needs kindness and fellowship, sending a card or letter to someone who needs encouragement, and talking with someone about the hope that you have in Christ. What opportunities do you have to bless others with your spiritual and material wealth? May each of us celebrate Easter by being rich in good deeds, and in doing so may we take hold of the life that is truly life!
Pastor Steve

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 03:47 PM | Comments (0)

March 05, 2008

In Pastor's Words

Jesus Paid It All

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).
It is not possible to talk too much about the cross!  Everything we are as a Christian goes back to the cross.  When we speak of unity in the Spirit, giftedness for service, forgiveness of sin, hope of eternal life, all of it and much more takes us back to the cross where Jesus made it possible by His substitutionary death for us.
But not everyone embraces the cross or appreciates it.  To many it is an offense and a symbol of defeat and shame.  While several examples could be mentioned, one recent incident occurred this past Christmas when the presidential candidates were airing holiday greetings across America.  In Governor Mike Huckabee’s ad, a white bookshelf in the background suggested a cross and caused not a small negative reaction in the media.  Yet, despite suspicion, derision and rejection by the world, “to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”  The cross has the power to forgive our sins completely, erasing the debt and giving us the hope of heaven.  The word “forgive” actually means “to send away” and makes God’s forgiveness of us so much more vivid.  The essence of God “sending away” our sins is illustrated in Psalm 103:12 where the Psalmist says, “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.”
But the preaching of the cross also has the power to remove the blinders from the eyes of unbelievers.  While Satan seeks to spiritually blind those whose eyes are darkened to the Gospel (1 Cor. 4:2), the preaching and teaching of God’s Word, which includes the cross, enables the Holy Spirit to reach the human heart.  Paul asks, “how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard?  And how can they hear without someone preaching to them” (Romans 10:14)?  God uses our faithfulness in witness to open darkened eyes and convict hardened hearts to God’s truth which will lead them to salvation and hope.
For the payment of our sins, Jesus gave all.  Josh McDowell tells the story of a young woman who was picked up for speeding.  After being ticketed, she was taken to the judge.  The judge read off the citation and said, “Guilty or not guilty?”  The young woman replied, “I’m guilty.”  The judge brought down the gavel and fined her $100.  Then something amazing happened.  The judge stood up, took off his official robe, walked down to the front, reached into his pocket and paid the fine himself. You see, the judge was the young woman’s father.  He loved his daughter, yet he also had to maintain the integrity of his position.  His daughter had broken the law, so he couldn’t just excuse her.  If he had done that, he wouldn’t have been a righteous judge.  But the point is he loved his daughter so much, he took off his official robe, stepped down, and paid the fine.  Jesus stepped down from His royal position in heaven, paid the fine for our sins so that we would not only have His fellowship and guidance in this life, but have the hope of eternal life.
Pastor Ralph Partelow

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 10:39 AM | Comments (0)

February 29, 2008

In Pastor's Words

What Do We Know
For Sure
About the Hereafter?

A telephone poll of 1,018 American adults, conducted by Time/CNN and Yankelovich Partners, Inc., asked these questions:

1. Do you believe in the existence of heaven, where people live forever with God after they die?
    Yes:  81%
    No:  13%

2. Do you believe in hell, where people are punished forever after they die?
    Yes:  63%
    No:  30%

3. Do people get into heaven based mostly on the good things they do or on their faith in God, or both (asked of 809 who believed in heaven).
    Good things they do:  6%
    Faith in God:  34%
    Both:  57%

4. Immediately after death, which of the following do you think will happen to you?  (asked of 809 who believed in heaven).
    Go directly to heaven:  61%
    Go to purgatory:  15%
    Go to hell:  1%
    Be reincarnated:  5%
    End of existence:  4%

5. Which of the following do you believe are in heaven?  (asked of 809 who believed in heaven).
    Angels:  93%
    St. Peter:  79%
    Harps:  43%
    Halos:  36%

6. Does only a person’s soul live in heaven, or does a person have both a soul and a body?  (asked of 809 who believed in heaven)
    Only a soul:  66%
    Body and soul:  26%

7. Do you believe you will meet friends and family members in heaven when you die?  (asked of 809 who believed in heaven)
    Yes:  88%
    No:  5%

It is apparent from this polling data that there is not a small measure of confusion
regarding the hereafter among average Americans who, while they say they are Christians, are unsure of what the Bible teaches about it.  Please join us Sunday as we examine what the Bible teaches concerning the hereafter.
Pastor Ralph Partelow

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 11:37 AM | Comments (0)

February 20, 2008

In Pastor's Words

Be A Person Others Would Enjoy

     Most people want friends and want to be liked.  But what is necessary for us to make friends and to become people others would like being around?  The Bible is not silent on this issue and gives this counsel:  “A man that has friends must show himself friendly” (Prov. 18:24).  Best sellers like Becoming a Better You stress principles for us to follow which would not only please God, but which would make us happier people and more desirable to be around.  For decades, Dale Carnegie’s book, How to Win Friends and Influence People, has swept the world with practical advice for becoming successful in relationships.  My one time employer, friend and mentor, Norman Vincent Peale, who served as senior pastor of the Marble Collegiate Church (the oldest continuous church in America dating back to about 1628) in New York City for sixty five years, once shared ten rules for becoming the kind of person whom others would enjoy being around.  These rules have been a great help to me and I share them with you with the hope that they may serve to guide and inspire you to succeed in being a person others would admire, appreciate and enjoy knowing.

1. Learn to remember names.

2. Be a very comfortable person so there is no strain in being with you—be an old-shoe, old-hat kind of individual.  Be homey.

3. Acquire the quality of relaxed, easy-goingness so that things don’t ruffle you.

4. Don’t be egotistical.  Guard against giving the impression that you know it all.  Be normal and naturally humble.

5. Cultivate the quality of being interesting so that people will want to be with you and get something of stimulating value from their association with you.

6. Study to get the “starchy” elements out of your personality.

7. Sincerely attempt to heal, on an honest Christian basis, every misunderstanding you have had and now have. Drain off your grievances.

8. Practice liking people.

9. Never miss an opportunity to say a word of congratulations upon anyone’s achievement, or express sympathy in sorrow or disappointment.

10. Get a deep spiritual experience (with Christ) so that you have something to give people that will help them to be stronger and meet life more effectively.  Give strength to people and they will give affection to you.

     In my estimation, the practice of such rules will make us more joyful in our soul, more winsome in our personality, more confident in our relationships and more useful in our witness and service for Jesus Christ to the world around us.

Pastor Ralph Partelow

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 11:40 AM | Comments (0)

February 13, 2008

In Pastor's Words

This Sunday Meet Jason & Amanda Taylor
This weekend, February 15th-17th, we are excited to welcome Jason and Amanda Taylor to Zion as Jason comes to candidate for Minister of Youth and Worship at Zion. Jason has been unanimously recommended by the Search Committee and the Consistory to candidate for this position.
Jason is 28 years old and hails from Jefferson City, Tennessee. Amanda is 25 years old and is also from Jefferson City. Jason and Amanda were married on 7/7/07, and both have impressive backgrounds in ministry.
Jason has previously served as a youth minister at two churches. He also has extensive experience in counseling troubled teens. Jason has worked as a therapeutic wilderness master counselor in the mountains of East Tennessee, and as a direct care youth counselor in Knoxville, Tn. Jason plays the guitar and also sings. Amanda has been involved in short-term mission experiences in several countries and also loves to sing.
Jason earned a Bachelor’s degree in Religion from Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, TN. Amanda is also a graduate of Carson Newman College.
Please take advantage of at least one of the following opportunities to meet Jason and Amanda. The youth will be gathering to meet the Taylors on Friday, February 15th at 7:00 pm in the youth room. The entire congregation is invited to meet them at a carry-in dinner on Saturday evening, February 16th at 6:00 pm in the Fellowship Hall. On Sunday, Jason will spend the Sunday School hour with the teens, and will give the message during the morning worship service. A vote will be taken regarding offering this position to Jason immediately after the morning service.
Pastor Couch

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 11:09 AM | Comments (0)

February 06, 2008

In Pastor's Words

This Sunday is
Friendship Sunday

Bring a friend to Sunday School and Worship this Sunday and both you and your friend will not only receive a beautiful gift, but will be honored with a reception in the fellowship hall after the worship service.  How important it is to reach out to friends while we have them.  Today we have, but tomorrow is never guaranteed.  My homiletics professor at Denver Seminary, Haddon Robinson, once used this verse to press home just how short a time we have to see that friend or that family member and encourage them in the things of God.

Around the corner I have a friend,
In this great city that has no end;
Yet days go by and weeks rush on,
And before I know it, a year is gone,
And I never see my old friend’s face.
For life is a swift and terrible race.
He knows I like him just as well
As in the days when I rang his bell
And he rang mine.  We were younger then,
And now we are busy, tired men:
Tired of playing a foolish game,
Tired of trying to make a name.
“Tomorrow,” I say, “I will call on Jim
Just to show that I am thinking of him.”
But tomorrow comes—and tomorrow goes,
And the distance between us grows and grows.
Around the corner!—yet miles away. . .
“Here’s a telegram, Sir,” . . . ‘Jim died today.”
And that’s what we get and deserve in the end:
Around the corner, a vanished friend.
                          By Charles Hanson Towne

Why wait?  Invite that friend to come with you this Sunday. 
Hope to see you this Sunday and meet your friends.
Pastor Partelow

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 11:37 AM | Comments (0)

January 30, 2008

In Pastor's Words

IMAGINE THIS!
James King, a missionary in Africa, once told this amazing true story.  An African woman faithfully attended every service of the church and was accompanied by an old, mongrel dog.  As the woman entered the church, the dog would enter with her and sit beside her during the service.  She always sat on an outside seat beside the aisle.  At the conclusion of the service, when the invitation was given for folks to come up front to pray, the woman would always come and kneel at the altar for prayer and the dog would faithfully take his place beside her.
     The woman’s husband, a cruel man, deeply resented her devotion to Christ and one day beat her so severely that she died.  So hateful was he that he even denied his wife a Christian burial.  After the woman’s death and burial, only the husband and the dog were left in the house.  But the man noticed that the dog
disappeared every Wednesday night about 7:00 and didn’t reappear for about two hours.  Every Sunday morning the dog would disappear for a couple of hours, as well. 
     One day the man’s curiosity was aroused so he followed the dog to see where he went.  Hurrying to keep up, the man followed the dog to a little church and watched as the dog took his seat on the aisle while the service went on. At the close of the service the dog went to the altar and took his place where his wife had prayed.  The man became so moved in his spirit by what he saw that he, too, went forward and gave his life to Christ.  Now the dog comes to church with a new master.
     Imagine, that a woman’s example led to a dog’s devotion which led to a husband’s amazing conversion to Christ.  Imagine this!  Your faithfulness to Sunday School and Worship is setting an example for others to follow which will produce eternal results!
Pastor Ralph Partelow

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 03:18 PM | Comments (0)

January 23, 2008

In Pastor's Words

Let Your Light Shine

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they
may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16

It is a joy to see more and more making a commitment to honoring God with their presence on Sunday mornings for Sunday School and Worship.  Each person brings a special light to the whole as he or she joins with the rest.  Light reflects from each one’s face and clothing, in joining with the rest,  to create a masterpiece of vibrant and living color every Sunday morning.  Excitement, warmth, joy and hope are generated every time we meet.  God planned it that way and that is why the writer of Hebrews, under the direction of God’s Spirit, wrote, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).

There is a legend of a village in Southern Europe that boasted of a church called “The House of Many Lamps.”  When it was built in the sixteenth century, the architect provided for no light except for a receptacle at every seat for the placing of a lamp.  Each Sunday night, as the people gathered, they would bring their lanterns and slip them into the bracket at their seat.  When someone stayed away, his place would be dark; and if very many stayed away, the darkness became greater for the whole.  It was the regular presence of each person that lit up the church.  Likewise, it is our regular attendance to Sunday School and Worship that lights up our classrooms and Sanctuary each Sunday morning.  The light of Jesus in your life and mine brings untold encouragement to the rest when we are present to learn, pray, praise, and fellowship.

Pastor Ralph Partelow

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 10:52 AM | Comments (0)

January 16, 2008

In Pastor's Words

Tribute to a Sunday School Teacher
One of the most striking memories I have as a teenager is the dedication and faithfulness of my Sunday School teacher.  Harris Snowdon worked in a rubber factory who ended his nightly shift around 7:00 a.m. every day, including Sundays.  Harris would come home on a Sunday morning, clean up, eat breakfast, review the Sunday School lesson and head 15 miles to church to arrive by 9:30.  He was never late and he was never absent. His calling in life, according to his own assessment, was to teach our teens Sunday School class of six guys.  Each one of us was special to Harris.  We didn’t know it at the time, of course, but found out about fifteen years later.  It was while I was doing deputation for missionary service in 1978, and visiting my home church where Harris was still teaching Sunday School, though now retired from working in the rubber factory, that he handed me a piece of paper after the service with the names of all six of our original classmates.  Harris had prayed for each one of us every day and each one of us ended up going into a Christian ministry.

What I owe my Sunday School teacher is :
1) appreciation for his dedication to God and faithfulness to the class
2) application of the life lessons he taught us.
3) commitment to the ongoing rich ministry of the Sunday School wherever I would serve. 

It was he who instilled within us the conviction that
seven days without Sunday School makes one weak!

Our Sunday School teachers are waiting for you this Sunday.  The goal is 208 three times by March 9.  To reach the goal we need your support and prayer. Time is short, only 8 Sundays left!
Let’s Reach 208
This Sunday 9:15 am

Pastor Ralph Partelow

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 01:50 PM | Comments (0)

December 27, 2007

In Pastor's Words

WHICH ‘TATE’ WILLYOU IMITATE IN 2008?

Are you thinking about those resolutions?  We’re going to talk about them next Sunday.  As we make resolutions we need to think about the end product.  What do we actually want to see happen in our lives in 2008?  Who would we like to look like?  To help us along, someone has cleverly put together this little illustration about the “Tate” family which covers just about everyone.  So, as you read this through, and are thinking about those resolutions, which “Tate” will you imitate in 2008?

Members of the “Tate” family go something like this.  There is old man Dic Tate who wants to run everything, while Uncle Ro Tate tries to change everything.  Their sister Agi Tate stirs up plenty of trouble, with help from her husband, Irri Tate.  Whenever new projects are suggested, Hesi Tate and his wife, Vege Tate, want to wait until next year.  Then there is Aunt Imi Tate, who wants our church to be like all the others.  Devas Tate provides the voice of doom, while Poten Tate wants to be a big shot.

But not all members of the family are bad.  Brother Facili Tate is quite helpful in church matters.  And a delightful, happy member of the family is Miss Felici Tate.  Cousins Cogi Tate and Medi Tate always think things over and lend helpful hands.  And of course there is the black sheep of the family, Ampu Tate, who has completely cut himself off from the church.

As we move into a brand new year, following the examples of Facili Tate, Felici Tate, Cogi Tate and Medi Tate will go a long way in helping the church to move forward in accomplishing its God given mission for strengthening the local body and in reaching out to a world that desperately needs its message of Christ’s love and forgiveness. 

Pastor Ralph Partelow

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 02:33 PM | Comments (0)

December 12, 2007

In Pastor's Words

There is no Pastor's Pen this week. Sorry for any disappointment this may cause.
Jennifer

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 03:16 PM | Comments (0)

December 05, 2007

In Pastor's Words

Jesus
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under
heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
The Name of Jesus

Adam (1 Cor. 15:45) Advocate (1 John 2:1) Almighty (Rev. 1:8) Alpha and Omega (Rev. 1:8) Amen (Rev. 3:14) Apostle of our profession (Heb. 3:1) Arm of the Lord (Isaiah 51:9) Author . . . of our faith (Heb. 12:2) Author of Life (Acts 3:15) Author of Salvation (Heb. 2:10) Beloved Son (Matt. 12:18) Blessed and Only Ruler (1 Tim. 6:15) Branch (Isaiah 4:2) Bread of Life (John 6:32) Capstone (Psalm 118:22) Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4) Chosen of God (Isaiah 42:1) Christ of God (Luke 9:20) Consolation of Israel (Luke 2:25) Counselor (Isaiah 9:6)
Deliverer (Rom. 11:26) Desired of all Nations (Hag. 2:7) Everlasting Father (Isaiah 9:6) Faithful Witness (Rev. 1:3) First and Last (Rev. 1:17) Firstborn (Heb. 6:20) Forerunner (Heb. 6:20) Gate (John 10:7) Glory of the Lord (Isaiah 40:5) God (Isaiah 40:3) God Praised (Rom. 9:5) Good Shepherd (John 10:11) Great High Priest (Heb. 4:14) Head of the Church (Eph. 1:22) Heir of all Things (Heb. 1:2) Holy Child (Acts 4:27 )Holy One (Acts 3:14) Holy One of God (Mark 1:24) Holy One of Israel (Isaiah 41:14) I Am (John 8:58) Image of God (2 Cor. 4:4)
Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14) Jehovah/Yahweh (Isaiah 26:4) Jesus (Matt. 1:21) Jesus of Nazareth (Matt. 21:11) Judge of Israel (Micah 5:10) King (Zech. 9:9) King
Eternal (1 Tim. 1:17) King of the Jews (Matt. 2:2) King of the Ages (Rev. 15:3) Lawgiver (Isaiah 33:22) Lamb (Rev. 13:8) Lamb of God (John 1:29) Leader (Isaiah 55:4) Light of the world (John 8:12) Life (John 14:60) Lion of Judah (Rev. 5:5) Lily of the Valley (Hos. 14:5) Lord of All (Acts 10:36) Lord of Glory (1 Cor. 2:8) Lord of Lords (1 Tim. 6:15) Lord of Righteousness (Jer. 33) Man of Sorrows (Isaiah 53:20) Mediator (1 Tim. 2:5) Messenger of the Covenant (Mal. 3:1)
Messiah (Dan. 9:25) Mighty God (Isaiah 9:6) Mighty One (Isaiah 60:16) Morning Star (Rev. 22:16) Nazarene (Matt. 2:23) Offspring of Woman (Gen. 3:15) Only Begotten Son ((John 1:18) Our Passover (1 Cor. 5:7) Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) Prophet (Acts 3:22) Redeemer (Job 19:25) Resurrection and Life (John 11:25) Rising Sun (Luke 1:78) Righteous One (Acts 7:52) Rock (1 Cor. 10:4) Root of David (Rev. 22:16) Rose of Sharon (Song of Songs 2:1) Ruler (Matt. 2:6) Ruler of God’s Creation (Rev. 3:14) Savior (Luke 2:11) Shepherd (1 Pet. 2:25) Shiloh (Gen. 49:10) Son of the Blessed One (Mark 14) Son of David (Matt. 1:1) Son of God (Matt. 2:15) Son of the Most High (Luke 1:32) Son of Man (Matt. 8:20) Son of Righteousness (Mal. 4:2) True Vine (John 15:10) True Light (1 John 1:9) Truth (John 1:14) Witness (Isaiah 55:4) Word (John 1:1) Word of God (Rev. 19:13).

“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 01:38 PM | Comments (0)

November 14, 2007

In Pastor's Words

There is no artical this week. Sorry for any disappointment this may cause.

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 12:33 PM | Comments (0)

October 10, 2007

In Pastor's Words

There is no Pastor's Pen this week. Sorry for any disappointment this may cause.
Jennifer

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 02:47 PM | Comments (0)

October 03, 2007

In Pastor's Words

Breaking Bread Together
    
The first Christians knew the importance of breaking bread together, better known to us as the Lord’s Supper.  Acts 2:42 tells us that, immediately following Pentecost, the “breaking of bread” in the early church was a daily occurrence and became one of four basic pillars that supported the fundamental structure of the Church.  The “breaking of bread” was and is observed in response to our Lord’s institution of it in the Gospels, “And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying ‘This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.’  In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:19,20).  About a quarter century after later, in AD 55, Paul reiterated Christ’s instruction to the Church at Corinth, “For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you:  The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.’  In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink in, in remembrance of me.”
    
What we learn from the institution of the Lord’s Supper is that it is a command to all of us in the Christian church 1) to look outward to the precious fellowship we have with Christ around the Table with other Christians,  2) to look backward to Jesus’ shed blood and sacrificial body on the cross which was foreshadowed by the sacrificial lamb at the Passover in the Old Testament, 3) to look inward to the work of grace through salvation by faith in Christ’s work on the cross, and  4) to look forward to our eternal union with Christ when He returns for His church.  Until Jesus comes, we are instructed to be faithful at the Lord’s Table to “proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Cor. 11:26). 

All over the world this Sunday, designated “World Wide Communion,” Christians will observe the Lord’s Supper in obedience to Jesus’ command.  They may not always observe the Supper with traditional bread and wine.  While officiating at communion services in Africa, unique substitutes were sometimes used in dire circumstances.  On one occasion, while visiting missionaries in the remote northern frontier in the Turkana tribal territory, only cookies and orange drink were available.  On another occasion, during a bread shortage, fried egg substituted for the bread.  In Masai land in an outdoor church service, where congregants sat on logs under the shade of an acacia tree, crackers and soda were all that were available.  And so it will be this Sunday for world wide communion around the world.  Regardless of what substances that will actually be used for the traditional bread and wine, the significance will be the same as Christians look outward, backward, inward and forward.  And God will be pleased!  Will you join us at Zion this Sunday to break bread with us?
Pastor Ralph Partelow

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 11:15 AM | Comments (0)

September 26, 2007

In Pastor's Words

Harvest Time

This is celebration time! Another cycle of sowing, growing and harvesting is coming to a close and the ground will rest up during the Winter to give way for another cycle to begin in the Spring.  Why are the seasons so reliable?  Because of a promise of God in Genesis 8:22, which says, “As long as the earth endured, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”  Harvest time gratifies the harvesters especially, because they can hold in their hands the results of their hard work.  In addition, harvest time also generates thanks since we know that no matter how hard we may work, it is God who gives the increase and makes things grow.  Most important of all, our physical harvest provides examples of the existence of a spiritual harvest ready right now.
Jesus referred to a spiritual harvest in Matthew 9:37 when he said, “the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”  In those two verses “harvest” is mentioned three times to refer to people in need of salvation and who need our witness, prayer, encouragement and nurturing.  The harvest fields of the world are as close to us as our next door neighbors or as far away as the remotest outposts of our planet.  First, the harvest of people who are ready to receive Christ and be nurtured as disciples requires our prayer.  “Ask the Lord of the harvest . . to send out workers” (Matthew 9:38).  Would you be willing to take the time each day to pray for just one person, couple or family who may not attend church, who may not know Christ, and who needs to be part of the harvest?  Just as a physical harvest was once an idea and a plan, a spiritual harvest begins with a prayer.  Second, a spiritual harvest requires involvement.  Just as the physical harvest must have enough workers at the right moment to gather ripened crops, there must be sufficient workers for God’s harvest of souls.  Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (Luke 10:2).  We are the laborers!  We who know and proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are God’s harvesters out in the world, inviting, befriending, encouraging, loving, helping and sharing the Good News of Jesus.  Paul said, “we are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us” (2 Corm. 5:20).
While driving through vast orchards in Jericho, Israel one time, I was amazed to witness the total neglect of acres and acres of orange groves that contained some of the world’s most delicious oranges, oranges that would almost melt in your mouth.  Millions and millions of oranges were left ripened on trees or rotting on the ground because laborers were few, explained my Israeli host.  The lesson is clear from our Lord’s harvest instructions:  people are waiting for our willingness to reach out with friendship, love and sharing the Gospel and will respond if we will obey Him.  It’s harvest time now around the world and it’s harvest time in Worland.  Let’s not let this harvest go unattended!
Pastor Ralph Partelow

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 01:43 PM | Comments (0)

September 19, 2007

In Pastor's Words

The Enduring Influence of Our Words

     If ever you were to visit the Elsinore Castle of Denmark, erected about 1200 AD, you would hear the interesting story of how the king of Pomerania built the castle and another one across the Skagerrak Channel (Sweden, today) in order to control entrance into the heart of Europe.  Today the castle at Elsinore is in disrepair, the castle in Sweden is gone, and the Pomeranian king’s name is all but forgotten.  But tourists still flock to Elsinore because William Shakespeare later in history chose that castle for his drama, Hamlet, highlighting that the power of the pen outlasts the power of the sword.
     To an even greater degree, the Word of God is so enduring that it will never be outdated, diminished or eradicated.  Jesus promised, “I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished“ (Matthew 5:8).  Further, “heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35).  Peter also weighs in on this thought with, “the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever” (1 Peter 1:25).  The Bible, then, remains God’s absolute standard of faith and practice for all people for all time.
     As we mentioned on Sunday, our words also have an enduring effect upon others for good or for evil.  Words that leave our mouth cannot ever be retrieved, taken back, changed or improved upon.  If you live with the conviction that God’s Word is truth and to be heeded, as I do, then consider Jesus’ strong warning in Matthew 12:36:  “But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken.  For by your words you will be acquitted and by your words you will be condemned.”  Why?  Because, “out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt. 12:34).  What is in our heart comes out of our mouth.  What comes out of your mouth?  Profanity, criticism, slander, or other expressions of evil?  Or praise, affirmation, encouragement and other expressions of goodness?  Our speech betrays our inner identity and has an enduring influence over our family, our friends and even our church for good or for evil.
     For our words, the outflow of our heart, to have an enduring positive effect on those around us, our inner being must be surrendered to and controlled by Jesus Christ.  With the presence of Jesus and His enduring Word controlling our heart, negative influence will give way to positive influence in our relationships at home, at school, at work and with God.
Pastor Ralph Partelow

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 02:56 PM | Comments (0)

September 12, 2007

In Pastor's Words

Sunday School for All Ages
Begins THIS Sunday!

SUNDAY SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN
Birth - 2 years
The nursery is available for all children ages 0-2 years of age.

AWANA Program
Awana is an international, Bible-centered children's ministry program. The goal of Awana is to equip children with scripture and to know, love and serve Christ. This program is available for ages 3-5th grade. The ages are broken down into three classrooms.
Cubbies, ages 3-5; taught by Kim Sanford and Katy Asay
Sparks, K-2nd grade; taught by Nicole Scheuerman
T&T, 3rd -5th grade; taught by Joe Asay

SUNDAY SCHOOL FOR YOUNG ADULTS
Jr. & Sr. High
Both classes will be doing a Fall study on the life and ministry of Jesus. The Jr. High class is taught by Melissa Hefenieder while the Sr. High class is co-taught by Steve & Sue Kiracofe and Ryan & Amber Clark.

SUNDAY SCHOOL FOR ADULTS

New Membership & Friendship Class
Want to Find Out More About Zion? Or Join the Church? Come to the Membership & Friendship Class at 9:15 a.m., Sundays, beginning September 16th in Pastor Partelow’s office. 5 weeks only. Meet our leaders. Hear about our ministries, beliefs & history. The best way to get connected!

Pastor Couch’s Class
A Study In Jonah
Please join us in the sanctuary at 9:15am each Sunday for lively discussion and lots of interaction as we launch into the book of Jonah. Come and learn with us as we encounter God’s power and amazing grace, and as we gain insight into our own lives through studying the life of Jonah, as well as others, in this wonderful book!

F.A.I.T.H. FELLOWSHIP
Friends Advancing In True (Christian) Humility enjoy fellowshipping Sunday mornings from 9:00 to 10:15 in the Chapel. Each 4-6 weeks, we converse over a topic of interest to the group. Our texts are 32 page Radio Bible Class pamphlets and God’s Written Word. We discuss the topics and find personal applications through small groups, with lecture minimized. Come join us!

Come join us for a GREAT start!
Remember: "Seven days without Sunday School makes one weak!"

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 11:52 AM | Comments (0)

August 29, 2007

In Pastor's Words

Seven Days Without Sunday School

     How long has it been since you’ve given Sunday School a try?  If you think you’re too old, or too busy, or too advanced in your knowledge of Scripture for Sunday School, consider these thoughts.  Research tells us that a child’s impression and attitude about morality and religion begin in the formative years, develop more fully in grade school and become pretty well entrenched by the time teen years are reached.  Thinking parents will listen to Scripture:  “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it” (Proverbs 22:6).  Does it make sense to faithfully bring children to Sunday School and Church where they will receive Christian instruction that will be indispensable for shaping their thoughts about God and shaping their lives?  Absolutely!
     What about the rest of us?  Have we heard it all?  Are we too old?  Is there nothing more to learn?  Paul admonished the Romans, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Romans 15:4).  Is there ever a time when we do not need teaching, encouragement and hope?  The study of Scripture is so absolutely necessary to maintain a teachable spirit, and encouraged heart, and a vibrant hope in the Person and promises of Jesus Christ.
     What happens if I ignore the study of God’s Word?  Consider the implications of this true story.  Max Jukes lived in New York.  He did not believe in Christ or in Christian training.  He refused to take his children to church, even when they asked to go.  Of his 1,026 descendants, 300 were sent to prison for an average term of thirteen years; 190 were public prostitutes; 680 were admitted alcoholics.  Thus far his family has cost the state millions of dollars and they have made no contribution to society.  Jonathan Edwards, by comparison, lived in the same state and at the same time as Jukes.  He loved the Lord and saw to it that his children were in church every Sunday and served the Lord to the best of his ability.  Of his 929 descendants, 430 were ministers, 86 became university professors, 13 were university presidents, 75 authored books, 7 were elected to the U.S. Congress, and 1 became Vice President of the U.S.  His family never cost the State one cent and contributed immeasurably to society.
     Years ago a man came to our church and invited me to talk with him later.  He was the only Christian in his family.  His wife and two children were not.  He knew he needed to do something or he would lose his marriage and children, so he resolved to begin bringing them to Sunday School and church.  Within six months, both children and his wife accepted Christ and God mightily used that family to bless the church.  By putting God first in their private and public worship and study, God changed their direction to give them unspeakable fulfillment in their lives.
     So, how about giving Sunday School a try?   There’s no better time to get started than now.  If you need information, call us.
The bottom line:  Seven days without Sunday School…?

Makes One Weak!         

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 12:22 PM | Comments (0)

August 22, 2007

In Pastor's Words

Join us this Fall for exciting opportunities
to Fellowship, Study and Worship
Fellowship
Wednesday Night Dinners at 5:30 p.m.
Call Peggy Mangus 347-3511 to make reservations
Every Sunday following Morning Worship in the Fellowship Hall.

Small Groups & Bible Studies
Women
WOW (Women of the Word) meets at Donna Jones’ house
Hugs for the Heart - meets upstairs at the church
QFC (Quilts for Children) - meets in the Fellowship Hall
Men
Men’s Breakfast / Revelation Bible Study - meets in the Fellowship Hall
Couples & Families
Families In Christ - varied meeting place
Young Adults - varied meeting place
Son Shiners - varied meeting place
Lamplighters - varied meeting place
Youth
The Rock Youth Group - meets in the Youth Room
Children’s Choir - meets at the church
Confirmation Classes - meets upstairs at the church
Check the bulletin or call the office for meeting places and times.

Sunday School for All ages
Nursery available for 0-3 years of age
Awana
Cubbies - 3-5 yrs. Kim Sanford & Kati Asay
Sparks - 1st & 2nd grade - Nicole Scheuerman & Kay French
TNT - 3rd, 4th, & 5th grade - Joe Asay & Kay French
Young Adult
Jr. High - 6th-8th grade - Melissa Hefenieder
Sr. High - 9th-12th grade - Steve & Sue Kiracofe / Ryan & Amber Clark
Adult
Study of Jonah - Pastor Couch
F.A.I.T.H. Fellowship - Rev. Hansen
Friendship/Membership Class - Pastor Partelow & Dan Scheuerman

For additional information regarding Sunday school
contact Jennifer in the church office.   

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 02:45 PM | Comments (0)

July 25, 2007

In Pastor's Words

The Practice of a Living Faith

     It feels good to take an exam and do well.  I’m not sure how many exams I have taken in my life, when you add up driver’s tests in six states and two foreign countries, grammar and high school exams, college exams, seminary exams, acceptance exams for the Evangelical Free Church (with whom I’ve been ordained) and the Africa Inland Mission (with whom Carolyn and I served six terms in Africa), oral exams, written exams, class room exams, correspondence exams, aptitude tests, language proficiency exams for Swahili and Kikamba, and ministry placement exams. There may be others I have forgotten.  No matter what the subject or the manner in which the exam is given, preparation is paramount to passing.  Remember how it felt on the night before a major exam in high school or college, wondering, “am I ready,” “do I know the material,” “will I sleep tonight?”  Remember what you did to prepare?  Stay up all night?  Lock yourself in a room with “do not disturb” on the bedroom doorknob?  Compare notes with friends?  Drink lots of coffee for the long night?  For Hebrew class at Denver Seminary at 7:00 a.m., we had a mini test three times a week and I can remember driving the five miles from our house in early morning traffic up to the seminary studying Hebrew vocabulary cards on the steering wheel. For other exams I remember isolating myself from everyone and everything for hours studying, forgetting about meals and concentrating on nothing but the subject at hand.  It was important to pass!
     It’s important to pass God’s tests, too.  Facing a trial?  It takes faith!  Facing a challenge in your life?  It takes faith!  Facing an important decision?  It takes faith!  Facing a responsibility you think is too big?  It takes faith!  How do I prepare for God’s tests in my life?  Just as passing tests in school opens the door for advancement, passing God’s tests brings the benefits of strengthened faith, a deeper relationship with God and opportunities for service you could not have before imagined.  James says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.”  The tests of our faith are meant to strengthen our character, deepen our faith and enhance our relationship with God.  But how do I pass these tests of faith?
     Tests of faith are passed by preparing for them just like any other test.  What do I need to do to pass these tests of faith?  1) Study God’s Word through reading, memorizing and listening.  This means it’s important to get to church regularly and faithfully as well as to read the Bible at home.  “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11), 2) Stay focused on Christ.  Keep your eyes upon Him for guidance, example and help. “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1), 3) Shun evil, even the appearance of evil, that it may not hinder your walk with God.  “Resist him (the devil), standing firm in your faith . . “, 4) Serve the Lord with gladness in that spot that just fits you.  “Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men” (Ephesians 6:7), and 5) Seek God in prayer.  “in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6).
     Please join us this Sunday as we continue in the Book of James to consider “Faith that Does Work!”
Pastor Ralph Partelow

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 03:41 PM | Comments (0)

July 13, 2007

Enjoy One Another
One of the things I love most to see in the Church is people enjoying each other.  Whether it’s during a game of softball by competing groups in the church, or at a gathering of friends around the dinner table, or in the coffee hour after the morning worship service, or at a church picnic, seeing people genuinely enjoy one another is a blessing that brings gladness and encouragement to our hearts.  As the writer of Proverbs declared in 17:22, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”  The joy that will come from knowing and appreciating each other in the Body of Christ protects us from the despair of loneliness and the destructiveness of disunity.  One day a friend and I were talking about our respective churches.  I asked, “what is your church like?  Do people get along and enjoy one another?”  The answer was shocking.  He explained that in his church deacons don’t get along with trustees; trustees don’t get along with elders, Sunday School teachers don’t get along with each other or their students, the choir doesn’t get along with the organist and the pastor doesn’t get along with anyone!”  One can hardly imagine a situation worse than that.  It brings to mind the little rhyme, “To live above with the saints we love, oh that will be glory.  But to live below with the saints we know, well, that’s another story.”  While there is no specific Bible verse that explicitly tells us to enjoy one another, there are plenty of passages that implicitly encourage us to do that.
It is possible to live below with the saints we know in a way that demonstrates appreciation and enjoyment of each other.  The Bible gives us several pointers as to how to enjoy one another in the Body.  First, BE SPIRITUALLY MINDED yourself.  Spiritual life begins with our faith in Jesus Christ at which time the Holy Spirit makes us spiritually alive to the Word and will of God and gives us the inner craving for Christian fellowship with others in the local body.  It is important to note that our vertical relationship with God through Christ is a prerequisite to our horizontal relationship with other Christians.  I John 1:7 reminds us, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another . . .”   Second, BE THANKFUL FOR ONE ANOTHER.  To be devoid of jealousy or envy over another’s abilities, talents and gifts, and to genuinely appreciate them in their God-given uniqueness, is to bask in the blessing of enjoying one another.  Paul wrote to the Philippians, “I thank my God every time I remember you . . . I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now” (Phil. 1:4,5).  After a lengthy discussion about spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12, Paul concludes, “there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.”  Inside of that concern is an appreciation by each of us for others in the way God has gifted us to serve.  Third, BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER.  Both Paul and Peter stressed this basic component of our Christian interaction with one other.  Paul expressed, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”  Peter reasoned, “make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness.” Acts of kindness elevate our relationship with other people and contribute to authentic enjoyment of others.  Fourth, BE AFFECTIONATE TO ONE ANOTHER.  Peter admonishes, “have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart” (1 Peter 1:22).  The kind of love Peter stresses here surpasses mere enjoyment of others to excel in doing everything possible to contribute toward their spiritual and physical welfare.
If you’re not already doing so, why not experience the blessing of enjoying others in our wonderful Zion family through small groups, corporate worship, church activities or through extending hospitality in your own home?
Pastor Ralph Partelow

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 10:58 AM | Comments (0)

June 27, 2007

In Pastor's Words

How About Some “Let Us” This Summer!

It’s the “good ole summer time” again with beautiful warm days, long daylight hours, and fresh garden produce, with lettuce, of course.  The Bible would have us enjoy some of its own “let us” as we make our way through the next several weeks before school starts up again.  In Hebrews 10:19-25 the writer admonishes, 1) “let us” draw near to God, 2) “let us” hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, 3) “let us” consider how we may spur one another to love and good deeds, 4) “let us” not give up meeting together, and 5) “let us” encourage one another.  Central to the writer’s argument in this passage is “let us” not give up meeting together as a Church body for the purposes of drawing near to God, holding fast to our hope, spurring one another to good deeds and encouraging one another.
The writer of Hebrews admonishes us, “let us” not give up meeting together.  Why?  First, we meet together regularly that we might draw near to God.  One can certainly draw near to God through reading the Bible, prayer and service.  But part of our experience in drawing near to God “comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17).  Second, we meet regularly to “hold unswervingly to the hope we profess.”  Reinforcing our faith on a weekly basis, through recitation of the Creed, affirmation in music, study of the Word and the encouragement of others by our attendance, all help us to remain faithful to God.  Third, we meet regularly to “spur one another to love and good deeds.”  Our presence in the church body has a “spurring” effect to witness, to give, to serve and to love that has no equal.  Fourth, we meet regularly to encourage one another or to instill within our fellow and sister worshippers the courage to meet life’s myriad challenges.  At a time in history when our mechanical and technical devices seem to drive us farther and farther from the interdependence that God has designed for His people, the Church offers a place where personalized love and encouragement are still found in abundance.
One church goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained that it made no sense to go to church every Sunday.  “I’ve gone for 30 years now,” he wrote, “and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons.  But for the life of me, I can’t remember a single one of them.  So, I think I’m wasting my time and the pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all.”  This started a real controversy in the “Letters to the Editor” column, much to the delight of the editor.  It went on for weeks until someone wrote this clincher.  “I’ve been married for 30 years now.  In that time my wife has cooked some 32,000 meals.  But, for the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals.  But I do know this . . . they all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work.  If my wife had not given me these meals, I would be physically dead today.  Likewise, if I had not gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today! “
To help encourage all of us to enjoy some of God’s summer “let us,” we’ll be delving into the very practical and user-friendly messages from the Book of James for the next several weeks.  Please join us and find a warm welcome with our Zion family on Sunday mornings.
Pastor Ralph Partelow

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 02:47 PM | Comments (0)

June 20, 2007

In Pastor's Words

Who’s Your Bible Hero?

     People love to rally round a hero:  the soldier who valiantly defends his nation, the passerby who rescues a drowning child, the neighbor who helps in crisis, the doctor who saves a life.  We have our favorite Bible heroes, too.  Noah built an incredibly big ship on dry land at God’s direction in the face of decades of ridicule!  Abraham launched out in faith across miles of unknown wilderness to obey God.  Moses stood up to the greatest monarch on earth and demanded, “Let my people go!”  Gideon battled the vast Midianite army with a mere 300 men.  Joshua led the children of Israel into the Promised Land.  Daniel submitted to being thrown to the lions and survived without a scratch!  Samson was victorious over the Philistines.  On and on the Bible goes with one amazing story after another of people who endured unthinkable challenges and came out on top with God’s enabling.  Other heroes are highlighted in the Bible’s “Faith Hall of Fame” in Hebrews 11.  One name not mentioned among the heroes is Nicodemus, whom God strategically used.
     Heroes are usually marked by unusual courage.  You may be one of those who think you are not a courageous person and might feel more like one of two boys who went to the dentist’s office.  Two small boys went into the dentist’s office and one said to the dentist, “Say, doc, will you pull a tooth right this minute?  I don’t want gas or nothin.  Just give her a good yank.”  “Sure,” said the dentist, “now that’s what I call being courageous.  Just show me the tooth you want pulled.”  And the boy called, “Willy, come on over here and show the Doc your tooth!”  Amazing courage is even found in nature.  Did you know that there are 488 kinds of hummingbirds. You can find them from the top of Canada all the way down to the bottom of South America.  The smallest of these is found in Cuba where the hummingbird measures 1 ¼ inches long.  Despite its size it has a ferocious temper and will attack intruders with bewildering courage.  They are absolutely fearless! 
     Nicodemus, the Pharisee who came to Jesus by night to inquire about the new birth, has often been thought as a coward because of his surreptitious meeting with the Lord. But a closer look bears a different story.  A more correct conclusion about Nicodemus is that he was a man of courage who, first, sought Jesus (John 3).  Taking a huge risk to his position in coming to Jesus at all, when it was politically dangerous to do so, Nicodemus demonstrated a measure of courage that was more than amazing.  His inquiries about the new birth and hunger for truth were genuine.  Possessing an office in Israel that at that time was equal to being a college professor, a supreme court justice and the bishop of a church, combined, Nicodemus showed courage in coming to Jesus.  A second reason we believe Nicodemus was courageous is that he defended Jesus.  There is an interesting exchange in John 7:50,51 between Nicodemus and his colleagues concerning the sending of soldiers to arrest Jesus, but who came back empty handed and complained, “No one ever spoke the way this man does.”  The other Pharisees mocked the soldiers, but Nicodemus came to Jesus’ defense, saying, “Does our law condemn anyone without first hearing him to find out what he is doing?”  In defending Jesus, Nicodemus was willing to bear the scorn of his fellow Pharisees.  Yet a third reason that convinces us that Nicodemus was courageous is that, at last, he confessed Christ.  In John 19:38-40, following the crucifixion of Jesus, it is Nicodemus, together with Joseph of Arimithea, who step forward to claim the body of Jesus for burial after all of Jesus’ friends, family, followers and disciples had left the scene.  In that incredibly brave and meaningful act, Nicodemus confessed, by his courageous act, that Jesus was His Lord.
     Whether or not Nicodemus is your favorite Bible hero, he definitely stands out as a courageous New Testament character who sought, defended, and confessed Jesus.  This Sunday, in keeping with this theme, we’ll be considering, “Finding Courage for Life’s Challenges.”  Please join us.
Pastor Ralph Partelow

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 11:39 AM | Comments (0)

May 23, 2007

The Foundation Stone of Fellowship

Are we, the present day church, not to take our cues from the first church?  Four foundation stones or pillars of the early church are unmistakably clear in Acts 2:42:  “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”  Fellowship was, has been and is one of the most important aspects of church life.  It happens wherever the church meets and its importance cannot be overstated.

One of the most fulfilling and productive ways to achieve fellowship or true koinonia in the church is through the “small group” or “fellowship group” ministry.  In fact, during the centuries since Christ, whenever spiritual awakenings have occurred, fellowship or koinonia has been a significant result, wherein the Christian church has displayed repentance, confession of sin, love for one another, and care in burden-bearing.  During the Wesleyan awakening in England in the 1700s evangelist George Whitefield wrote this to his converts, “My brethren, let us plainly and freely tell one another what God has done for our souls.  To this end, you would do well, as others have done, to form yourselves into little companies of four or five each, and meet once a week to tell each other what is in your hearts; that you may then also pray for and comfort each other as need shall require.  None but those who have experienced it can tell the unspeakable advantages of such a union and communion of souls.  None, I think, that truly loves his own soul and his brethren as himself, will be shy of opening his heart, in order to have their advice, reproof, admonition and prayers, as occasions require.  A sincere person will esteem it one of the greatest blessings.”

Zion is already blessed by a number of “small” or fellowship groups where teaching, caring, sharing and prayer are already happening.  Praise God for this good thing that is happening among us.  But many more of us could be involved and, so, we encourage all to consider attending an existing small group or beginning a new one.  We would be delighted to assist wherever we can.

Not only is fellowship with other Christians in the church body fulfilling and productive, it is vital in establishing accountability with fellow believers and in bolstering our spiritual resistance against the insidious temptations of the evil one.  It is said that during World War II, the enemy conducted experiences to discover the most effective way to
elicit information from prisoners.  They found that solitary confinement was the most effective.  After a few days of solitary confinement, most men would tell all.  This is why we need fellowship.  Without it we unnecessarily become easy prey for harmful temptations and “the abandonment of our values” (Michael P. Green).

A foundation stone of the present church, as it was of the first church,  continues to be fellowship.  Join us this Sunday when we learn from Scripture how we can keep the koinonia.
Blessings,
Pastor Ralph Partelow

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 11:37 AM | Comments (0)

May 16, 2007

Move On With God

Graduation is a time for moving on.  It’s almost a rite of passage, at least from high school to full time employment or on to college.  The graduation ceremony, though a formality to recognize the accomplishment of graduates, can sometimes be a defining moment.  Cap and gown signify a transition from past to future.  One graduate standing in line behind me at a seminary graduation years ago, said, “I can’t figure out how I got to this point.  I can’t remember anything I’ve learned.  It scary thinking about the next phase of my life!”
Last Sunday we examined the 2 Timothy 1:1-7 passage from the standpoint of what a tremendous influence mothers, parents, and guardians are in the raising of their children.  However, in a sense, that same passage could be viewed as a kind of graduation challenge to Timothy.  Paul challenges the young Christian servant with these words:  “I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.”  Is Paul not encouraging Timothy to move on with God, to develop his ministry gifts for service, and to move on with faith and the confidence that God is with him.
This is moving on time for graduates.  May all whose accomplishments we recognize this Sunday not only bask in the glow of a job well done, but see the transition to the future as a challenge to move on with God in desiring a deeper relationship with Jesus and developing their spiritual gifts, talents and abilities for service to the Him.  Wise Solomon counsels, “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come. . .” (Eccl. 12:1).
I graduated from high school with forty eight other students in our small upstate town in New York.  Six of us, attending the same church, were recognized that Sunday in the worship service and given a small plaque with an inscription that has encouraged and challenged me since that day.  The writing by M. L. Haskins is an exhortation to move on with God and to trust Him with the future, whatever it may hold.  “I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year, give me a light that I might tread safely into the unknown.”  And he replied, “Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God.  That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way.”
Please join us this Sunday to celebrate with our graduates as we recognize their achievement and encourage them to move on with God. 
Pastor Partelow

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 02:20 PM | Comments (0)

May 09, 2007

FROM THE COUCH

The “Word” Most Beautiful!

Words like “lovely,” “pretty,” and “beautiful,” are adjectives which describe people, places and things that bring joy and sunshine into our lives. Beauty for one person is not necessarily beauty for another. An artist may see beauty in a landscape that may totally elude everyone else around him. A cattle rancher may see beauty in a prize bull that may not be totally appreciated by others except his peers. In Pennsylvania one time I visited a farmer just at the moment his new tractor was being delivered. When it rolled off the flatbed, he exclaimed, “that’s just about the prettiest little thing I’ve ever seen.” His wife standing nearby, muttered, “I wish he would say that about me!”
The Biblical writers were selective in their use of “beautiful,” employing the word to describe people, beasts, or feet that carried the Good News, human apparel, landscapes, and more. A classic reference is Ecclesiastes 3:11, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” Something beautiful is that which brings enjoyment, blessing and delight to our lives. In Philippians 4:7, Paul uses a synonym for “beautiful” in this exhortation: “Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think on such things.” To appreciate beauty, wherever it is found, is a virtue!
Despite differences we may have in what to call beautiful, I think there is wide agreement with the sentiments of one, who said, “the most beautiful word in the world is Mother.” She is described as such for her industrious nature, incredible energy, matchless wisdom, undying care, unconditional love and depth of faith. Godly mothers everywhere bear these marks. Years ago, during our fourth term of service as missionary teachers at a seminary in Africa, two brothers were graduating the same day. They had been raised by a single mother who had worked tirelessly doing the most difficult and menial tasks to pay for her sons’ education. The most anticipated day of her life was marked by a tragedy that none of us present at the time will forget. Just before the graduation ceremony, the mother was leaving her home when she attempted to pick up a rope that was crossing the path. Her poor eyesight failed to notice that the rope was a deadly poisonous spitting cobra that immediately bit her several times. She was rushed to the local hospital where an antidote was injected and her life was spared. When her sons were called to come forward to receive their degrees, they stood at the podium together and paid this tribute to their mom, yet in the hospital: “Mom, these degrees are a credit to your hard work, daily encouragement and faithful prayers. Mom, you are the greatest.”
To all who are called “Mother” this Mother’s day, we pay tribute to you. You are the greatest! Happy Mother’s Day. Please join us this Sunday for a special service to honor all mothers.
Pastor Partelow

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 02:23 PM | Comments (0)

May 02, 2007

FROM THE COUCH

National Day Of Prayer

I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone--for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet livesin all godliness and holiness. 1 Timothy 2:1-2

If you are reading this on Thursday, then today is the annual National Day of Prayer. It is a day when we are called to set aside some special time to pray for our nation and her leaders. As I look around at our culture, I’m convinced that every day should be a national day of prayer for Christians in the United States. We desperately need the Gospel to penetrate the hearts and minds of American people and be salt and light to American culture.
Today is set aside for us to cry out to our great God and ask Him to bring blessing, healing, forgiveness, and protection to our nation. This is nothing new. National prayer is something that is woven into the fabric of American history and has become the foundation of our greatness. In 1775, the First Continental Congress sent out a plea to the colonies to pray for wisdom and guidance in seeking independence from England. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln made a National Proclamation of Prayer and Repentance. In it, he wrote these words - “We have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us! It behooves us, then, to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.” In 1952, a joint resolution of Congress, signed by President Truman, declared an annual National Day of Prayer. Ronald Reagan amended it in 1988 to be held on the First Thursday of May each year. So you see that national prayer has been a big part of the life of our nation from the beginning. I think that it’s important to keep this perspective as we see how some in government and popular culture strive to remove this Christian heritage from the world around us. We can’t forget these words - “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain” (Psalm 127:1).
Let’s join together today and every day in acknowledging this great God who liberated us not only from the tyranny and oppression of a king, but also from the chains of sin and death through our Savior Jesus Christ. May the Lord hear our humble prayers, forgive us for our sins, rain down blessings on our lives, and may He continue to uphold our nation with His mighty Right Hand for all generations until Christ returns.
Pastor Couch

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 01:48 PM | Comments (0)

April 25, 2007

FROM THE COUCH

How Long?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
Psalm 13:2

Sometimes it’s impossible to understand what God is doing. Periodically, evil is allowed to manifest itself in such a way as to cause people to question whether God is really who He claims to be. This happened last week when a gunman murdered 32 people on the Virginia Tech University campus and then murdered himself. I’ve heard the questions before. I’ve wrestled with them myself. If God is really all-powerful and really infinitely good, how could He allow such a thing to happen? These are hard questions, and in our human nature we want firm answers. God clearly reveals Himself through His Word and creation to be both all-powerful and good, but He often chooses not to reveal to us specifically why He allows evil to manifest or specifically how He will work through its effects to accomplish His good purposes. He often leaves us in the dark, without answers to some very difficult questions. This is a difficult place to be, because we are forced to make a decision – walk by faith or look for another way
David found himself in that place as He wrote Psalm 13. Evidently, he had been enduring terrible suffering at the hands of wicked people. You can hear the pain in his voice as he cries “How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?” (Psalm 13:1). Sometimes we feel like that, too. When we see evil seem to triumph in the world around us, it can make us cry out to God with doubt. Where are You? How could you let this happen? Do You even care? I want you to be encouraged in knowing that God is patient with the sincere and painful questions that plague us. When we honestly cry out to Him with these burdens, He doesn’t just leave us to wallow in our anxiety and misery. Notice what happened as David approached God with these questions. The Holy Spirit brought David away from the unsteady ground of anxious doubting and led him onto the solid ground of simple trust, and He did it as David honestly poured out His heart in prayer. David ends this prayer with a song of faith. Even though David is still wrestling with the same unanswered questions, he is reminded of all of the ways that God has shown Himself to be good, and faithful, and trustworthy. “How long” turns into “I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me” (Psalm 13:5-6).
I pray that as you wrestle with unanswered questions in life, you will bring them honestly to our great God in prayer. He might not always answer the question “why?”, but He will minister to your heart and remind you that He is faithful, and good, and in control, and worthy of your trust. May He guard your hearts and minds this week in Christ Jesus.
Pastor Steve

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 01:58 PM | Comments (0)

April 18, 2007

FROM THE COUCH

Removing The Veil – Part 2Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Your Law
Psalm 119:18

Last week we looked at how we might tap into the wisdom and power of the Scriptures and experience the transforming power of the Holy Spirit working through them to impact our lives. We looked at how hard it is for many Christians to read the Bible, and how important it is to approach God’s Word on His terms, not ours. We looked at how this involves seeing God’s Character revealed in every sentence of Scripture. When we meet God Himself in the pages of the Scriptures, we can’t help but walk away from that experience unchanged. This week I’d like to build on that foundation by giving a few practical suggestions on how we might open ourselves up to better receive what the Holy Spirit has to give us through His Word.
First, we must make time to read the Scriptures every day. D.L. Moody explained it like this: “A man can no more take in a supply of grace for the future than he can eat enough for the next six months, or take sufficient air into his lungs at one time to sustain life for a week. We must draw upon God’s boundless store of grace from day to day as we need it.” It’s wise to read at the same time each day if possible to develop a routine. Avoid reading right before you go to sleep - we all know how that turns out!
Next, it’s very important to follow a reading plan. Simply reading the Bible randomly limits what we can receive from it, because it prevents us from seeing the larger picture and making connections between larger sections of Scripture. Reading three chapters a day and five on Sundays will take you through the whole Bible in a year. If you would like some help in developing a specific reading plan, give me a call and I’ll be glad to make some suggestions.
It’s also vital that you pray before you read. Thank God for revealing Himself so perfectly in His Word. Praise Him for His wonderful work in your life. Ask God to reveal Himself to you as you read, and to help you focus and concentrate. Ask Him to give you the discipline to carve out quality time to read and to follow your reading plan, to forgive you when you fall short, and to help you persevere when you want to give – up. Ask Him to frustrate the enemy’s attacks and protect you from them as you read. Ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate your heart and mind to the truth. Ask Him to give you a burning passion to know Him more intimately through His Word. Remember what Jesus said – “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Maybe you’ve been missing something in your Bible reading because you are approaching it like any other book. Don’t open the Scriptures without first preparing yourself through a time of focused prayer.
Finally, it’s important to take something from God’s Word each day on which to meditate. Fill your mind with a small portion of Scripture and let it absorb into your soul. Write it down on a note card, read through it repeatedly, and think about what it means and how it’s relevant in your life. Memorize it. Pray it’s truth back to God, and ask Him to open your heart to receive it and be changed, even if just a little. Even speak it out loud to yourself when you are in the car or someplace quiet.
Why are these things so important? Because they enhance our ability to drink deeply from the well of God’s Word. The primary source of the Holy Spirit’s wonderful work in our lives is His Word and prayer. To neglect either is just like walking past the only well of life-giving water that exists in the driest desert. If we don’t live our lives around it, and drink deeply from it on a regular basis, we can’t survive spiritually for very long. My prayer for you this week is that you will be like the man described in Psalm 1, who meditates day and night on God’s Word. He flourishes like a tree which is planted near a stream of water – growing strong and bearing fruit because he is continuously tapped into the source of life.
Pastor Steve

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 01:51 PM | Comments (0)

April 11, 2007

FROM THE COUCH

Removing The Veil – Part 1

Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Your Law
Psalm 119:18
Do you ever feel like you have a veil over your eyes when you are trying to read the Bible? Maybe you read a chapter or two, and almost immediately you can’t remember what you’ve just read. Or maybe you find it hard to bridge the considerable gap in time and culture between your world and the world of the writers of Scripture. Maybe reading any book is difficult for you in this fast-paced, high tech, image-oriented world. For a number of reasons, many if not most Christians really struggle when it comes to reading the Bible. So how do we remove the veil? How do we make the Bible come alive for us? Over the next few weeks, I’ll offer a few suggestions. I hope that they are useful.
This week, let’s focus on approaching the Scriptures with the right perspective. This is very important, because if we don’t read the Scriptures with the proper perspective, we are sure to walk away from our reading largely unaffected. So what is the wrong perspective? I think it involves approaching the Bible on my terms. This means focusing completely on me - what I want to get out of reading it, when I want to fit it into my schedule, how much I feel like concentrating as I read it, etc. It is a completely self-centered perspective. In reality, God gave us the Bible on His terms. When my central focus in reading the Bible is on God and not myself, it’s amazing what happens. I don’t have to make the Bible come alive, I find that it already is alive (Hebrew 4:12). When I can properly see God as the central focus of everything, then I can use the truth of the Scriptures to successfully navigate through life. However, if I approach the Bible with the idea that I can modify God to make Him closer to being made in my image, then none of it makes sense. But it’s not because there’s something wrong with the Bible. It’s because I have approached it with the wrong perspective.
Let me give you an example of one who approached the Scriptures with the right perspective. David wrote “I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold” (Psalm 119:27). In fact, David expresses His love for God’s Law no less than 10 times in this Psalm. David can express such great love for God’s commands because He sees them with the proper perspective. He sees God’s Character in them. He sees God’s Holiness, and goodness, and righteousness, and justice. He sees God! My prayer this week is that God would remove the veil from our eyes so that we can each experience the treasure of beholding the wondrous things that He has revealed in His Word.
Pastor Couch

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 01:25 PM | Comments (0)

April 04, 2007

FROM THE COUCH

The Oil Press

He was crushed for our iniquities…
Isaiah 53:5

It has been said that before we can truly experience the light of Resurrection Sunday, was must walk through the darkness of that which came before. As I walk through the Scriptures that tell of our Lord’s suffering and death, I have to stop for awhile in an olive garden on the Mount of Olives called Gethsemane. The name Gethsemane literally means the oil press. It was here that that we begin to see so clearly the great cost of Jesus’ love. It was here that Jesus began to be crushed in the oil press of suffering on our behalf. It is a place where we should stop for awhile and remember.
When I read the accounts of what happened in the garden that night, I can’t help but be overcome by Jesus’ agony. But I have to ask why? Why was He not immediately arrested? Why must we see Him wrestle in prayer as He accepts the cup of the Father’s wrath and waits to endure the unimaginable pain and separation that the cross will bring? Why couldn’t the writers of Scripture have taken us right to the cross and get it over with quickly? Even as I ask these questions, I think I already know the answer. At Gethsemane, Christ gives us a glimpse of something very important - His true humanity. Here I can begin to see how real His forty days of temptation was in the dessert. Here I begin to see how real the human experience of suffering was that He endured. He never ceased to be fully God through any of this, but at the same time He really suffered the punishment that I deserve. And He suffered it fully, just as I would have suffered it! The most overwhelming thing about all of this is that He did it willingly. “not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39). No one took His life, He laid it down in perfect obedience and love (John 10:14-18). The oil press of Gethsemane forces me to see how real all of this was. It brings a fullness of meaning to the great truth – God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
May each of you experience the great impact of Christ’s sacrifice in your life as you stop for awhile in an olive garden outside of Jerusalem and remember what He endured for You.
Pastor Couch

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 11:14 AM | Comments (0)

March 28, 2007

FROM THE COUCH

From the Couch

WINGS OF LOVE
Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
1 John 3:18

Have you ever heard or read something that just hit you like a ton of bricks? It happens to me all the time. This morning, as I was flipping through My Utmost For His Highest by Oswald Chambers, I read this – “If human love does not carry a man beyond himself, it is not love (page 36).” It’s very true that we cannot love someone else with the love of Christ unless we have the attitude of Christ – one of looking to another’s needs and interests over our own (Philippians 2:4-8). Love is by nature selfless and sacrificial. It is also active. Love doesn’t stop with words, but it must be exercised in acts of service and compassion.
I believe that it’s important to recognize and celebrate the things that God is doing in our body to make us more like Christ, and there’s one ministry in particular that I think we all need to recognize and support. The women of the church have begun a ministry called W.I.N.G.S (Women in Nurturing, Giving, and Serving). W.I.N.G.S. is organized like this – the women form groups of three, and each group is assigned two people to actively love. The women in each group also focus on serving and nurturing one another. As they are able, each group is encouraged to look for opportunities to expand their outreach by adding others to the list of people they serve and visit. This is a wonderful example of how God is at work in our body, teaching us to apply the truth of God’s Word in our lives. As these women look beyond themselves in love, they become the hands and feet and face of Christ. Isn’t that exciting?! If you would like to join them, please call the church office and Jennifer will get you in contact with the right persons to get connected.
We all have opportunities to look beyond ourselves and love others with the love of Christ. In fact, it is our responsibility. When Jesus describes the final judgment, He uses loving, compassionate service as evidence to recognize those who will inherit His Kingdom. “The King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me” (Matthew 25:34-36). When those ask Him how they did these things for Him, He will simply say – “as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (25:40). What’s your ministry of love? Is it volunteering at the nursing home, or visiting someone who is lonely or sick? Is it investing in the life of a child or teenager? Is it cooking meals for shut-ins or inviting people into your home for a meal whom you don’t know well? Maybe it’s simply writing a card of encouragement that can be a treasured reminder to someone that you care. The possibilities are almost endless. We have ordered 300 Easter outreach packets with an invitation to visit Zion that we will deliver door-to-door around town on Wed. April 4th at 6:30pm. This is a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate Christ’s love by welcoming a stranger into our fellowship. If you’re interested, please come join us. I pray that this week God will reveal new ways for each of us to look beyond our immediate surroundings and extend the love of Christ to someone new. May you be blessed and may He be glorified!
Pastor Steve

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 02:51 PM | Comments (0)

March 21, 2007

FROM THE COUCH

From the Couch
Sacramental Living

So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31

I love confirmation class. It’s my one opportunity each week to talk about theology for a whole hour with a captive audience! A few weeks back, we had a great discussion about sacraments. In case you might be wondering, a sacrament is an outward sign or seal of an inward work of the Holy Spirit. The sacraments of baptism and communion are visible signs that point to invisible things that the Holy Spirit is working in us. For example, the water of baptism signifies the washing away of sin, as well as the renewing and regenerating work of the Holy Spirit in salvation. Similarly, the bread and wine of communion signify the broken body and shed blood of Jesus Christ on Calvary’s cross. As we eat the bread and drink the cup together, we visibly demonstrate our personal union with Christ, as well as the unity that we share in Christ. The water, bread and wine are meaningful to us because we can see and smell and taste and touch them. They help us tangibly grasp what God is at work doing on the inside.
I was thinking the other day (which is usually dangerous), and I decided that all of life is kind of like a sacrament. Sure, I know that Jesus only gave us two sacraments. That’s why I’m careful to say that life is kind of like a sacrament. Here’s where I’m going with this – God designed the whole of life to be an exercise in devotion to Him. Each word, action, and decision is an opportunity to give outward testimony that the Holy Spirit is at work on the inside. That’s how life is like a sacrament. The outward things that show what God is doing on the inside are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control (Galatians 5:22-23). Paul tells us that even the small things in life, like eating and drinking, are to be done for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Every part of life is designed to be lived as an act of worship. And every area of life (family, church, work, school, finances, friends, recreation) should give outward evidence that the Holy Spirit is finishing the work that He has started in us. That’s sacramental living. It’s a high calling, and we can’t begin to reach it in our own strength. But we should be encouraged, because the Spirit who dwells in each of us is much greater than the flesh that we contend with each day.
My prayer for each of you this week is that you will find unbelievable joy and purpose this week as you live each moment of life in devotion to the One who bought you at such a great price. May the Lord bless and keep you!
Pastor Couch

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 02:31 PM | Comments (0)

March 14, 2007

Words From Dan

America’s Misplaced Component

"It is written, 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” (NAS Matthew 4:4)

We’ve lost it! At least that is my deduction as I look at the rapid decomposition of morality in American society. The “we” is the general American public, 80% of whom claim the title Christian. The “it” encompasses every aspect of our society:

*Marriage
*Science
*Government
*Medical
*Education
*Justice
*Work
*Integrity
*Religion
*Business
*Entertainment
*Media

Does that about cover it? The point being, that this one vital component either improves or degrades every facet of our culture, with all of its parts and interactions. If it can have that sort of impact on a nation/society, we probably need to get a handle on it, and fast.
What is this critical it? I believe that it’s a moral center – a common generally held standard of right and wrong. That being said, we can immediately see why things are becoming the way they are and the difficulty of coming to a unified stance in a multi-cultural/religious society as each vies for dominance (assuming that most cultures are built, to one degree or another, on some sort of religious or moral foundation). It is difficult enough being fractured using these large frames of reference, but our nation is further splintered as individuals begin to pick and choose their personal values from a smorgasbord of religious, philosophical, psychological, and political ideologies. In this way we loose the common ground that makes a society properly work.
It should be no secret that in order to be united in something there must be a common standard of some sort. This standard may include such things as currency, language, measurement, management, vision, goals, and procedures (to name a few) which are essential ingredients to a properly functioning organization or society. The economists would go crazy if each business or government entity in the U.S.A. were using a different currency. Our legal system would be, and many believe already is, a shambles if it used different interpretations of laws and penalties to either penalize or uphold the same activity. Differing political ideologies (Communism, Democracy, Imperialism, etc.) cannot subsist within a single governing body. But this is the actual effect of those holding to the philosophy of multi-culturalism – trying to maintain an equal value of different standards. This could be used as a good definition of insanity, or a recipe for anarchy.
But the question remains, Who’s standard should rule? All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God's paths to follow our own. (NLT Isaiah 53:6) From which god have we strayed? Is it the god of Hinduism? The god of Islam? The god of Buddhism? The godlessness of atheism? The god of humanism? None of these – it is God the Creator who speaks through Isaiah, the God of the Bible that we have ceased to follow. He is the God who is Supreme over all, Almighty, eternal, and all knowing. This God not only gave man life as a biological organism, but also fashioned him as a spiritual and moral being. This God, through His Word, is the One whom our founding fathers recognized as the proper Giver of the moral standard for all of mankind and our especially for our fledging nation, and it brought with it unity, prosperity and abundance.
Like Israel of old, our nation today has largely forsaken God’s standard and way of life for hodgepodge mixture of morals more to our individual liking. For a long list of reasons, the Word of God and its teachings are quickly fading from our priority list. We have fallen prey to the philosophy that we can pick and choose the path we want to take – a little here, a little there; some from the Bible, some from philosophy, some from modern ideologies, and some from ancient religions. The result is a fractured nation and a divided Christianity (about 2,500 denominations today) separated over the very thing (God’s Word) that should unite and enable us to live in peace and bring life and prosperity.
The decadence in America will only halt its downward spiral as we begin to live according to each and all the words that proceed from the mouth of God and once again expose the blessings of a life united under God’s standard. My evaluation is that the primary misplaced component in America’s culture today is a common acceptance of the moral standard of the Word of God – the moral center needed in all of the areas listed at the beginning of this article.
Pastor Garnett

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 04:26 PM | Comments (0)

March 07, 2007

FROM THE COUCH

From the Couch
Preparing For The Weekend
As we all gear up for a big weekend at Zion with the coming of Ralph and Carolyn Partelow, I think that it’s important for us to prepare ourselves spiritually for the decision that we will face on Sunday. The calling of a pastor is a very important time in the life of a church body. It can be a time of excitement and anticipation about what God will do through the ministry of the new pastor. It is also a time when each member of the body needs to be armed with the full armor of God, as the enemy often concentrates many attacks on the unity and focus of the church. I believe that where God is working, the enemy is often lurking, waiting for God’s people to present themselves unprepared for an attack. I have seen God working recently in mighty ways at Zion, especially through faithful prayer. I have seen God honor prayers for healing. I have seen Him loosen spiritual strongholds. I have seen Him make perfect His strength in our weaknesses. I have seen His protection and blessing in the lives of many people. God is working mightily as we pray. The enemy is also working hard to see that we do anything but pray. So it’s important that each of us approach this weekend with diligence and preparation through much fervent prayer.
Each Sunday we pray together by reciting the Lord’s Prayer. We pray “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). I believe this should be our model as we pray for the weekend. We should pray that God’s Kingdom come – that He should have rule in the hearts and minds of all people, especially us. We should pray that God’s will (not ours’) be done, here at Zion as well as in all of heaven and earth. We should pray that God would prepare our hearts and minds to be open and sensitive to His leading. We should also pray that God would deliver us from any temptation to act against His will, and that He would protect us from the concentrated spiritual attacks that come from the evil one (Matthew 6:13).
I pray that you will enter this weekend covered with the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and prepared to be used as God’s instruments. I pray that you will be greatly blessed as you enjoy spending time with the Partelow’s, and I pray that through each of us God’s will be done and His glory be exalted!
Pastor Steve

Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at 05:19 PM | Comments (0)

March 02, 2007

FROM THE COUCH

From the Couch

Testing The Spirits

If you have been keeping up with the news, then I’m sure that you’ve heard about the reports of the tomb that supposedly holds the bones of Jesus, his wife, and his children. Or maybe you’ve heard about the DVD that is being pushed on TV shows like Opra