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December 2017
The Pastor’s Ponderings Pastor David’s cell phone—348-330-4170 and email address—[email protected]
At the Gideons’
Pastor Appreciation
Banquet last month,
we saw a video of a
pastor sharing his tes-
timony on how the
Gideons changed his life. And what a
dramatic testimony it was! He told
the congregation about his atheistic
and abusive family of origin, sub-
stance abuse following a tour of duty
in Vietnam, promiscuity, involve-
ment in domestic terrorist organiza-
tions, and eventually, imprisonment.
It was in prison that he received a
Gideon Bible, which he was happy to
receive because it had thin pages for
rolling cigarettes! (He mentioned that
Louis L’Amour “smoked rough”.)
When he got to the Gospel of John,
he began to read it. He discovered
there the truth of what God in Jesus
Christ had done for him, and had a
powerful salvation experience which
would change his entire life.
What struck me as I watched
this was how extraordinary his ex-
perience was. Most of us don’t have
experiences like this. Most of us
have belonged to the Church our
whole lives, including those of us
who did not grow up Lutheran. We
may have a “wild oats” story or
two, but not a dramatic story of de-
pravity and redemption like his.
Sometimes these stories can
inspire us, but often they leave us
(or at least me!) feeling left out in
the cold. We who have not had
such dramatic experiences can be
left wondering if God really cares
about us. Where’s our dramatic, life
-changing story?
As we enter the Advent and
Christmas seasons, the Scriptures
call us to remember how God
worked in and through ordinary
people, even when they did not re-
alize it. From generation to genera-
tion, God communicated to and
worked through all kinds of people
in all sorts of ways. All of this culmi-
nated in the birth of Jesus the Christ
– an event far more ordinary on the
surface than we’ve been led to be-
lieve. The birth of a baby boy to a
teenage mother was (and still is) an
everyday occurrence in the world,
but this baby boy turned out to be the
embodiment of God’s Word. The
clearest way God communicates is
through a human being, whose story
becomes our story.
God still communicates that liv-
ing Word to us today. Word and Sac-
rament are the means God has given
to the Church to communicate that
Living Word, but God communicates
through our experiences all the time,
whether inside or outside our congre-
gation’s building. At this special
(and hectic) time of year, we may
find it helpful to remember that God
communicates through it all.
Love to you all,
Pr. David
Zion’s 2017 Council Members
Elder & President .......................................................................... Larry Hile
Elder & Vice-President ............................................................. Fred Walker
Secretary ............................................................................. Cathy Willmann
Deacons .................................................................................... Drew Walker
Allen Stallsmith
Mike Clamme
Trustees ................................................................................ Tom Armstrong
Mark Prout
Neil Stroble
Treasurer ............................................................................... Dennis Walker
Financial Secretaries ............................................................ Sandy Langdon
Anita Reid
December Birthdays
Betty Hendricks 12-2
Owen Ehlers 12-3
Cynthia Knote 12-3
Peggy Willmann 12-5
Ashley Armstrong 12-11
Brady Monce 12-14
John Hendricks, Sr. 12-15
Vikki Armstrong 12-22
Shelly McCammon 12-22
Mark Grile 12-23
Mary Ehlers 12-27
December 2017
Advent 1 - December 3rd
1st Reading - 1 Chronicles 1:1-10, 28
-37; 2:1-4; 3:1-4
Psalm 128
2nd Reading - Galatians 3:6-9
Gospel - Matthew 1:1-17
Advent 2 - December 10th
1st Reading - Genesis 17:1-22
Psalm 127
2nd Reading - 2 Timothy1:1-7
Gospel - Luke 1:26-38
Advent 3 - December 17th
1st Reading - Genesis 28:10-17
Psalm 146
2nd Reading - Titus 1:4-9
Gospel - Matthew 1:18-25
Advent 4 - December 24th
1st Reading - Ruth 4:9-22
Psalm - 1 Samuel 2:1b-10
2nd Reading - Galatians 4:1-7
Gospel - Luke 1:39-56
Christmas Eve - December 24th
Lessons and Carols
1st Lesson - Isaiah 9:2-7
2nd Lesson - Micah 2-5a
3nd Lesson - Luke 1:26-35, 38
4th Lesson - Luke 2:1-38
5th Lesson - Matthew 2:1-18
6th Lesson - John 1:1-14
1 Christmas - December 31st
1st Reading - Isaiah 61:10—62:3
Psalm 148
2nd Reading - Galatians 4:4-7
Gospel - Luke 2:22-40
December Lectionary Readings
Advent Dinner
Come and join us for the annual
Advent Dinner, December 10th,
following the worship service.
Bring a covered dish to share. Get
ready to enjoy music, playlets, and
homemade give-aways!
—Nyla and Jody
Zion’s Christmas
Eve service will begin
at 7 p.m. with music
provided by members
of our congregation.
Pastor Fleener will lead our service
of Lessons and Carols with a cele-
bration of Holy Communion. The
service will close with candle-
lighting and the hymn “Silent
Night”.
Offering received at the Ad-
vent services and at our Christmas
Eve service will be divided as fol-
lows: 50% to our local Food Pan-
try, 25% to Grace Village, and 25%
to the Wernle Youth & Family
Treatment Center.
Christmas Cantata
The Blackford
County Com-
munity Choir,
conducted by Pr. David, will per-
form Night of the Father's Love, a
cantata for the Advent and Christmas
seasons, by Pepper Choplin. The per-
formances will be here on Sunday,
December 17th, at 3 and 6 p.m. There
is no admission fee. A freewill offer-
ing will be taken to support the
choir's ministry.
Christmas Eve Service
Soup Suppers and Evening
Prayer Advent Soup
Suppers and Evening
Prayer begin on
Wednesday, Decem-
ber 6th. Supper is at 6
p.m., followed by worship at 7:00.
The Choir members will serve
the supper on Dec. 6th, Church
Council on Dec. 13th, and Nolan’s
Sunday School Class on Dec. 20th.
Donations to Wernle
Thanks to your
generous donations
Tim and Jody Stan-
ley delivered over
200 items to the
Wernle Youth & Family Treatment
Center in Richmond. They included
person care items, socks, towels,
and bedding.
A thank you letter has been re-
ceived from Wernle for your sup-
port. They are very thankful for the
items donated to benefit the chil-
dren who call Wernle their home.
December 2017
October Council Minutes Congregation Council
met on October 12,
2017.
Larry Hile, presi-
dent, called the con-
gregation council
meeting to order on
Thursday, October 12, 2017 at 7:00
p.m. Devotions were led by Allen
Stallsmith.
Present: Dennis Walker, Mark
Prout, Tom Armstrong, Anita Reid,
Cathy Willmann, Allen Stallsmith,
Sandy Langdon, Larry Hile, Fred
Walker, Drew Walker and Pastor
David Fleener
Absent: Mike Clamme and Neil
Stroble
Secretary’s Report was read and
approved as amended.
Add Items to agenda: Up to
$245 for mentoring background
checks
Pastor’s Report: Pastoral Care in
September—Pastor’s totals: 5 shut-
ins, 3 sick/hospital, 1 pastoral visit, 5
home/hospital communions.
Deacons’ Fund use in Septem-
ber—Check 1038 – $45 to The Vil-
lages at Van Cleve for rent assistance
Christian Education—Because of
the uncertainty of our youths’ sched-
ules, I am scheduling our confirma-
tion classes from month-to-month.
We will meet on October 15 and 22
this month.
The Parables in Matthew class
concluded on Tuesday, September
28th. We may have another study
next month. Considering an on going
Bible Study class.
Other events in September
3 – Worship at Crown Pointe
4, 11, 18 – “Joe and Jesus” lectionary
study at Common Grounds
5, 12, 19, 25 – Parables in Matthew
12 – Attended lectionary study with
Lutheran pastors at First Presbyteri-
an, Muncie
14 – Lunch at the Pickle with
Blackford County pastors
18 – Pastor Appreciation Luncheon
at the Senior Center
19 – ECIC Ministerium at Church
of the Cross, Muncie
20 – Reformation committee
21 – Lunch with Sr. Rita (3 parish-
ioners from Zion attended)
24-26 – IK Synod Professional
Leaders’ Conference at Clifty Falls
State Park, Madison, IN
Upcoming events: On October
14th, I will attend a benefit dinner
for Helping Hands at Lake Placid, a
pregnancy resource center which
opened a location in Montpelier.
Community choir rehearsals have
begun on Tuesday nights and will
continue through December.
My next Spiritual Companionship
Program class session is Fri., Oct.
20-Sat., Oct. 21 at Mahseh Center
near Kewanna, Indiana.
Committee reports—Worship/
Music/Memorial: Met September
21st. Picked out hymns for several
months. Meeting again in Novem-
ber.
Land Use: Larry Hile
Larry talked with Chris Coy
about using $300 from June Miller
memorial for plants, shrubs or flow-
ers.
Constitution Committee: Fred
Walker, Sandy Langdon and Mark
Prout
Lengthy discussion about pro-
posed changes to the constitution
and by-laws. No vote was taken.
Mission and Mentoring: Cathy
Willmann
Met Wednesday, October 11th.
Have 7 members (including Pastor)
interested in mentoring students at
Northside. Met with Dr. Biddle,
School principal, and Jenny Jacobs,
School social worker. We must have
an extensive background check be-
fore we can mentor. Cost is between
$25 to $35 per person. Requesting to
use approximately $245 from the
Rogers Memorial to pay for them.
Mark Prout made a motion to
accept the request. Sandy Langdon
seconded the motion. Motion carried.
Council reports—Deacons: Drew
Walker, Allen Stallsmith Attend-
ance and Holy Communion report—
9/3 - 66 attended, 61 communed;
9/10 - 72 attended; 9/17 - 75 attend-
ed, 74 communed; 9/24 - 75 attended
Financial Secretaries: Sandy
Langdon and Anita Reid
Loose offering discussion.
Should they continue to have it re-
ported separately?
Treasurer’s Report: Dennis
Walker
Loose offering has occasionally
been designated for special projects,
but now we have a separate place on
our envelopes designated for it.
Pastor’s discretionary fund and
the Deacon’s fund have been logged
but have never been reconciled.
There are also lots of missing bank
statements.
Met with Courtney Clay for the
final time and thanked her for her
help.
Debbie found $55.16 in a filing
cabinet that was to be used by trus-
tees, but hadn’t been used for several
(continued on following page)
December 2017
years. Mark Prout moved to put it in
the General fund. Fred Walker se-
conded. Motion carried.
Budget Committee will meet next
Monday at 7:00 p.m. in the library.
Fred Walker made a motion to
accept all committee and council
reports. Mark Prout seconded the
October Council Minutes continued motion. Motion passed.
Old Business: Reformation din-
ner - Thrivent funds were not ap-
plied for soon enough. Dinner is
October 18th. Cost will be taken
from the general fund.
New Business: Money from
background checks already taken
care of.
Closing: Meeting was closed by
all praying the Lord’s Prayer.
Next meeting: November 9, 2017
with Cathy Willmann giving the de-
votions.
Respectfully submitted,
Cathy Willmann,
Recording Secretary
We are adopting
three families from
Southside Elementary
that need a little help
for Christmas. Each
family has three chil-
dren and the ages range from 9
months to 15 years old. Typically
we buy each child an outfit, coat,
PJs, boots and a toy. We have spent
between $75-100 for each child pre-
Christmas Giving - “Adopt a Child”
viously. If you would like to
"adopt" a child, there is a sign up
sheet on the back table. We will
shop for the families on Saturday
December 16th. We will plan to
meet at the church at 12pm - go to
lunch - and then shop. We'd love to
have more shoppers! We have a
Thrivent Action Team card that will
cover the first $250 of costs. If you
would like to donate, you can add
to your donation envelope with the
memo Southside or put cash in the
basket at the back of the church. We
will have a wrap-
ping party on De-
cember 17th during
the Sunday school
hour (9am). There
will be donuts, cof-
fee and juice for all
our volunteers!
Members on Zion’s Visitation List
The following is list of the names and addresses of members on Zion’s visitation list. They would be happy to receive a Christmas card, a letter, or a visit during the Christmas season.
Betty Bell c/o Troy Bell 3709 Langhorst Ct. Cincinnati, OH 45236
Carolyn Chandler 1601 N. Richmond, Apt. #204 Hartford City, IN 47348
Rita Ferguson 422 S. Richmond St. Hartford City, IN 47348
Margaret Hunnicutt 801 Huntington Ave. Warren, IN 46792
Sue Rinker 1587 E - 075 S Hartford City, IN 47348
Imogene Schmidt 4571 E—200 S Hartford City, IN 47348
Russell & Joan Stanley 1925 Memorial Blvd., Apt. #313 Murfreesboro, TN 37129
Helen Stroble 801 Huntington Ave. Warren, IN 46792
Barbara Thomas 801 Huntington Ave. Warren, IN 46792
Bill Thomas 508 S. Poplar Hartford City, IN 47348
Mable Marie Uhrick, Room 301 c/o Waters of Yorktown 2000 S. Andrews Rd. Yorktown, IN 47396
Miriam Wise 1591 W - 100 N Hartford City, IN 47348
It's back! We're going caroling at Common Grounds on Thurs., Dec. 21st at 6:30 p.m. Bring the whole family! Cook-ies, hot chocolate,
and the Christmas spirit await you!
December 2017
Community Thanksgiving
Worship Service
92 people from Blackford County
churches attended our Community
Thanksgiving Worship Service on
Sunday, November 19th, and $361
was raised for Helping Hands and the
food pantry. Thanks to the Community
Choir for singing and to area pastors
for their leadership.
God's Promises
in Romans This Ad-vent, Pr. David will lead a ses-
sion on God's promises in Paul's Letter to the Romans on Wednes-days, Dec. 6th, 13th, and 20th, at 5 p.m., before the soup supper and worship.
Christmas Caroling
at Common Grounds
God’s Blessings to You this Christmas!
The Zion Herald December 2017
“Happy are those whose strength is in God, in
whose heart are the highways to Zion.” (Psalm 84:5)
Sunday School at 9:15 a.m. with Worship at 10:30 a.m.
Zion Lutheran Church
308 S. Monroe Street
Hartford City, IN 47348
David Fleener, Pastor
Church Office: 348-3157
www.zionhc.org
Serving the Lord in Gladness
December 2017 Lay Ministry Servers
Greeters
Ushers
Lectors
Assisting Ministers
Dec. 3 Steve and Viola Willmann—Larry and Virginia Langdon
Dec. 10 Louie and Joyce Willmann—Edi Tarter
Dec. 17 Claretta Dutro—Steve and Viola Willmann
Dec. 24 Pat Gillis—Barb Hardwick
Dec. 31 Becky Saylor—Louie and Joyce Willmann
Dec. 3 Drew Walker, Allen Stallsmith, Mike Clamme and Chris Walker
Dec. 10 Allen Stallsmith, Chris Walker, Neil Stroble and Larry Hile
Dec. 17 Mike Clamme, Chris Walker, Neil Stroble and Larry Hile
Dec. 24 Drew Walker, Chris Walker, Neil Stroble and Larry Hile
Dec. 24 Drew Walker, Allen Stallsmith, Mike Clamme and Neil Stroble
Dec. 31 Allen Stallsmith, Chris Walker, Neil Stroble and Larry Hile
Dec. 3 Virginia Langdon
Dec. 10 Neil Stroble
Dec. 17 Libby Stroble
Dec. 24 Sarah Fleener
Dec. 31 Megan Stroble
Dec. 3 Mark Prout
Dec. 10 Sarah Fleener
Dec. 17 Jody Stanley
Dec. 24 Mark Prout
Dec. 24 Sarah Fleener
Dec. 31 Jody Stanley
Acolytes
Dec. 3 Keaton Walker and Ryne Clamme
Dec. 10 Kaylin Clamme
Dec. 17 Keaton Walker
Dec. 24 Bryce Stroble and Sydney Stroble
Dec. 24 Kaylin Clamme and Ryne Clamme
Dec. 31 Keaton Walker