The News of Zion
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. but take heart! I have overcome the world."
John 16:33
May 28, 2020
Musings ~ Fire

When I was just taking the first steps on my Christian journey, people at the church I attended referred to people who were new to their faith journey and excited about it as ‘on fire’. People in this state would join committees and ministries, take on responsibilities in the church, jump into bible studies and classes and try to soak up whatever they could about their new relationship with and to God. More than that, they were often excited and excitable about their faith, very vocal during services, anxious to testify, anything to express the way they felt about their newfound faith. Usually, those who were ‘on fire’ would be that way for a while, a few months, maybe a year, and then settle into the routine on being like everyone else; still committed just more reserved (unless there was a revival going on and then everyone would get fired up again for a while before calming down again).
I remember being that way for a while myself. I was a student at the end of my ninth-grade year, talking about God to people who had never heard me use the word in any meaningful way. I spent the summer learning the ropes on what it meant to be a good independent, fundamental, premillennial, 1611 King James Version believing Baptist. It was intense for a while and so was I. But then I started seeing things over the next couple of years that cooled that fire a bit. I began to see some people, leaders in my congregation, fear people who were different in any way and get angry if you asked too many questions about it. There was an undercurrent of hate in some of them and I couldn’t square that with the things I was reading in the Bible. When all of that happened, I started to cool off a bit. So much so that during college, I went looking elsewhere for spirituality, but didn’t find anything too much different at that time. The flame sort of burned out. I gave up and walked away.

That’s when I found something, an ember. All flames have a source, something at their base that fuels them. If you watch a fire, one properly built, the flames start out big with kindling and quick burning fuel but the fire stays because of the coals at the bottom of the fire that fuel it. These coals or embers are where the real heat is. A good fire has a lot of embers and small flames. The fire burns hotter that way and lasts longer than if it were just all flame. Fires that are all flame look good but burn out quickly. The ember of faith for me was something very simple, but very powerful: God is . It was no more complicated than that and from it, the Spirit of God could begin rebuilding my faith as I was led on a journey that I could not have imagined would lead me where I have been and God has been in the embers since.

I guess the question to ask is this: do you have a flame or an ember? Is your faith something that looked good to start with and flamed out or have you learned to stoke the embers of something lasting, deeper, more meaningful? 

Pastor Michael
On Sunday, June 14, we plan to have our first In- Person Worship at Zion since our closing in March at 11:00 AM in the Thompson Family Life Center. The building will be sanitized before and after our service.  We do ask each one who chooses to attend to please follow the guidelines we have adopted so that we all remain safe. We will enter the life center from the covered walkway. This will be the only entrance and the doors will be propped open. There will be tables set up with limited seating around the tables for families and the tables will be spaced apart. There will not be any printed materials or hymnals used and the worship service will be somewhat different than our traditional service. Following worship, everyone will be asked to exit the life center through the double doors where the bus drop off is. We will not be passing offering plates for the offering however, as you leave, there will be a drop off container for you to drop your offering in as you exit. Everyone is asked to please adhere to the following:
·  Do not attend if you are sick.
·  Keep a distance of at least 6 feet away from other members.
·  Please do not hug or shake hands (socially distanced waves are the new thing!!!) 
·  Utilize hand sanitizer (which will be available at the entrance and throughout the facility) and use good hand washing skills before and after worship.
·  Wear a mask or face cloth that covers both your nose and mouth (masks will be available at the entrance for those who do not have one.)
·  We ask that members please do not wear gloves as gloved hands touching multiple surfaces and not being changed frequently further spreads bacteria.
 
We hope and pray that this will be a good move forward in these unprecedented times. May He be with each of us as we try a new way forward.
High School and College
Graduate Recognition:
We are planning on honoring our High School and College Graduates with a drive thru celebration!! We are planning for this to happen on Sunday, June 14 from 2:00-2:30 PM. Our college and high school graduates are invited to be recognized and honored and we hope many of you will take the time to come and drive by the bus drop off where our young adults will be socially distancing. Everyone is asked to enter at the lower parking lot and drive up and past the covered porch and honk and wave at our graduates!! Our 2020 High School graduates are: Emma Curtis, Taylor Faile, Luke Massey, Zachary Parker, Caleb Payne, and Hannah Steen. Our college graduates are Ashley Cauthen, Ashley Thomas, and Keli Thomas. 
Ashley Cauthen has graduated with her Doctorate of Dental Medicine, Ashley Thomas has graduated with her Masters in Nursing, and Keli Thomas has graduated with her Masters in Sport and Fitness Administration. 
We are so very proud of each one of these!! 
We hope you will come out and show them your support
on June 14th!!!
Join us each morning at 7:00 AM for Prayer and meditation. Join us, also on Thursdays at 12:00 Noon for Bible Study. Pastor Michael is hosting these LIVE from our Facebook page. If you are unable to log in LIVE, these offerings remain available for viewing after on our website and FB page.
While the church office remains closed, you are encouraged to reach out if you have a need or know of a need. You may call Pastor Michael at 1-859-475-8800, call the church office, 285-3864 and leave a message, call Missy at 804-2434 or email [email protected] or [email protected]; these emails are being monitored daily. The answering machine will also be checked daily. During these troubling and unprecedented times, we ask everyone to pray together for each other, our church family, our community, our country, and our world. May God be with us all.
Please remember these in prayer:
Nancy Ackerman
Angela Bailey
Francis Bell
Gene Blackmon
Marion Boswell
Carol Boyles
Randy Boyles
Caleb Catoe
Sue Catoe
Brandy Champion
Ann Chappell
Linda Coker
Sandra Cope
Bill Dingler
Sophia Dixon
Angie Dobson
Heather Elder
John Elder
Ashley Fort
Betsy Gardner
Mike Gay
Steve Ghent
Judy Goodnight
Travis Gordon
T.R. Grier
Ovedia Griffin
Catherine Hammond
JoAnn Hinson
Rev. Shelly Holder
Julia Horne
Kevan Horton
Eric Hough
Libby Hunter
Melinda Hunter
Rick Joyner
Henry Ray Knight
Mary Jane McAteer
Kevin McCorkle
Tammy McMillian
Debbie McWaters
Marie Moree
Rusty Mosier
Bell Perry
Betty Jo Phillips
Ann Powers
Vicky Pickett
Ann Reed
Kathleen Robinson
Mayme Jo Robinson
Nancy Rushing
Bonnie Sears
Eva Small
Greg Smith
JoAnne Smith
Mike Smith
Billy Sowell
Robbie Stepp
Jim Thomas
Laverne Thompson
Mike Vick
Pat Vick
Ellen Walters
David Woodruff
Kim Yost
Our President & Troops
Those affected by the COVID-19 virus
Online Worship this Sunday!!!
Log in to our Zion United Methodist Church Facebook LIVE service at 10:55 AM this Sunday for our service!!
Worship will begin
at 11:00 AM.

If you are unable to join us live, the service will be available online on our FB page or on our website at www.zionumc.com
The Upper Room daily devotionals are available for pick up at the church. We will place some of these in the church vestibule and some in the plastic communication box outside of the life center doors where the buses are for those who do not have access to the church for you to pick up.
While our United Methodist Women will not be meeting for now, our thoughts and prayers remain with each one of you and with all in need during these trying times! If you know of a need that our women can help with, please contact an officer in the women’s group so that we can try and meet any needs! Executive officers are Sharon Haile, Darlene Hallman, Terry Robinson, Missy Snipes, Dianne Sweatt, and Mary Knight.
May 27: Marie Malm
May 28: Mr. and Mrs. Mike McKenna
May 29: Richie Burn
May 30: Courtney Broughton, Trisha Wilson, Lewis Thomas
May 31: Kathryn Hicks, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Couch
June 1: Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Craig
June 2: Jonathan McAteer, Rock Love, Avery Jarrell
June 3: Autumn Webster, Joyce Weathersbee
June 4: Mary (Mrs. Jack) Knight, Hannah Rowell, Emmie Lou Haigler
June 5: Danny Thomas, Matthew Snipes, Mr. and Mrs. Wade McAteer
Our United Methodist Men's third Sunday meeting and our weekly Saturday Bible Study meetings have been suspended until the stay at home order has been lifted and we are told that we can begin to gather again.

To all church members: please understand that we are unable to allow folks to meet inside the buildings at this time. If you had a reservation for personal use inside of one of the buildings over the next few weeks, we are unable to honor those reservations at this time and will announce when we will again be able to honor reservations. As it is, gatherings inside our facilities is not possible.
The members of Zion ARE CONTINUING
to support the ministry and outreach
of the church!!!
Thank you to each one of you who have adjusted to this change in our lives and have continued to support the ministry and outreach of Zion UMC and for your continued presence at online worship!!! Each ONE of you ARE the CHURCH! You can continue to give online through the website, www.zionumc.com by clicking on the donate tab. You do not need to have a PayPal account to use this option, simply click on the donate button and follow the prompts, you can text your giving to 803-525-1834 and follow the secure link, or you may give by mailing your tithes to the church at 1665 Zion Road, Lancaster, SC, 29720. Pastor Michael is also available on Sunday afternoons at the church from 2:00-3:00 PM to accept your donations and have a word of prayer with you! If you have misgivings about online donations or mailing your donations, a locking mailbox has been installed under the covered carport where the buses are. You may place your contributions in the box and it will be checked daily.
Together we can move forward.
Together we can continue and make a difference!
TOGETHER, WE ARE the CHURCH!!
Special Gifts to Zion Church
In Memory of:
Julia Horne by Marion and Sonny Curtis and MBD Consulting Engineers, PA of Conway, SC
 
Special Gifts to Building Fund
In Honor of:
Becky Barton by Mike and Diane Rape and Beth Craig
Diane and Mike Rape—Thank you! by Brenda and William Robinson
In Memory of:
Bennie Moseley, Sr., Julia Horne, and Dillon Knight by Libby, Jo Jo, and Alicia Morris
Julia Horne by Mike and Diane Rape and Beth Craig
 
Special Gifts to Children’s Ministry Fund
In Honor of:
Colton Thomas on his birthday by Beth Craig
Our seven confirmands, who have concluded their classes online with Pastor Michael, will be joining the church in the next few weeks. We look forward to rejoicing in these new members of our church!!
Our deepest love and sympathy are extended to Jody and Linda Pardue and their family in the death of Linda's mother, Linda Barrett Johnson
The Record Speaks.....
May 24, 2020

Present for online Worship: 27
Needed each week for the General Fund $4,360
Received for General Fund $3001
Received for Building Fund$230
Received for Children's Fund $25

"...because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to."
Deuteronomy 15:10
285-3864 - www.zionumc.com