Mount Zion United Methodist Church Sunday Bulletin, October 4, 2020

Live Streaming Sunday Worship Services at 10:00 AM

https://mtzionhighland.com/sermon-video

Rev. Daniel Mejia, Lead Pastor pastordaniel@mtzionhighland.com

Carol Wunderlich, Youth & Children’s Ministry youthandchildren@mtzionhighland.com

12430 Scaggsville Road, Highland, MD 20777 P.O. Box 134

301-854-2324 ~ 410-531-5173 office@mtzionhighland.com

Prelude – “Prayer” Larissa Sanders

Welcome & Opportunities to Serve

*Call to Worship Rev. Daniel Mejia

L: Welcome to God’s house, a place of faith. P: From our homes, we come seeking God’s word. L: Here you will find nourishment and hope. P: May we learn lessons of courage and peace. L: Here you will find rest from your struggles P: Lord, prepare our hearts to receive your words that we may leave this holy house of faith and return to our homes, encouraged and challenged to be your people. AMEN.

* Opening Hymn – “Jesus Shall Reign" UMH #157

Sharing of Joys & Concerns

Pastoral Prayer

The Lord’s Prayer

God’s Tithes and our Offerings

Thankfulness Moment Steve Dennis

Musical Offering – “Sanctuary" Trinity Choir

* Prayer of Dedication

First Lesson – Genesis 17:10-14 Elizabeth Dennis

This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male

among you shall be circumcised. You shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of

the covenant between me and you. Throughout your generations every male among you shall be

circumcised when he is eight days old, including the slave born in your house and the one bought with

your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring. Both the slave born in your house and the

one bought with your money must be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting

covenant. Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off

from his people; he has broken my covenant.’

10:00 a.m. Traditional Service

Second Lesson – Galatians 5:1-6 Elizabeth Dennis For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. Once again I testify to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obliged to obey the entire law. You who want to be justified by the law have cut yourselves off from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts is faith working through love.

Children’s Message Betty Routh Special Music – “Blessings” Praise Band Sermon Rev. Daniel Mejia *Closing Hymn – “I Come with Joy” UMH #617 *Sending Forth Postlude – “Postlude on ‘Duke Street’ " - Broughton Larissa Sanders

Choral Benediction "May the Peace of God Go With You" - Trinity Choir

10:00 a.m. Traditional Service

Leave to Serve God’s People

*You are invited to stand in heart or posture

We are glad God has brought you to worship with us today.

We look forward to getting to know you! If you are looking for a church home,

please speak with our Pastor after the service.

Tag Mt. Zion on social media @mtzionhighland or #mtzionhighland

Three Ways to Join the 10:00 AM Sunday Worship Service

Parents are invited to have your children join you as you log in to worship on Sunday morning.

Live Stream with Computer

Worship Service and Class links at https://mtzionhighland.com/sermon-video.

Enter Meeting ID: 841 2391 9911 / Password: 591584

Call in by Phone

301-715-8592 / Enter Meeting ID: 841 2391 9911

Watch a live stream on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/mtzionhighland/

Sunday Morning Christian Education Programs We invite you to join us for any of our Christian Education Programs for adults, youth, and children.

All Zoom meeting links are available at https://mtzionhighland.com/sermon-video

Adult Classes

Parenting Class at 11:00 AM

Drop-In Class at 11:00 AM

Family Connections Class at 11:00 AM

Youth and Children’s Sunday School Classes

Children through 5th grade Zoom Meeting at 9:00 AM Youth Zoom Meeting at 11:00 AM

Sunday Evening Youth Activities Youth Group for young people 6th grade – 12th grade will meet from 6:00 – 7:00 PM

in the back of the Youth Center for some outdoor fun! We are looking forward to welcoming our new 6th graders!

Youth Trinity Choir will meet 5:00 – 6:00 PM

in the outdoor courtyard at the back of the church. No singing experience required, and no auditions. Rehearsals last an hour, we sing a little bit, we have some camaraderie, and we finish with a game.

Choir is better with more people! Come on out and give it a try.

Welcome to Mt. Zion UMC!

https://mtzionhighland.com/calendar In compliance with Howard County’s social distancing guidelines,

Mt. Zion UMC building is temporarily closed.

Committee Chairs: If you plan to meet online or meet at another location during the building closure, please contact your members and contact the office to request calendar event updates.

All Bulletin content for the following Sunday is due to the office by 9:00 AM Wednesday morning.

ePointer announcements are due to the office by 9:00 AM Thursday morning.

To schedule an event, check the church calendar https://mtzionhighland.com/calendar for availability and then contact office@mtzionhighland.com to request a reservation.

Request Outdoor Spaces as Follows

Front Porch (FP) Front Yard (FY) - area under the trees between Fellowship Hall and 216 Parking Lot (PL) Court Yard (CY) - grassy area between the wings of the building Picnic & Rec Area (PR) - grassy area inclusive of picnic tables, Gaga Ball Pit, Volleyball net, small outdoor play equipment, stone circle Youth Center Grounds (YG) - front & back yard/patio around youth center Play Ground (PG)- fenced in playground area (not available at times when Preschool is in session) Upper Field (UF) - large grassy area at the west end of the property/parking lot

Scheduled Events, October 4 - 10, 2020

Sunday, October 4 12:30 PM: Stephen Ministries Cont. Ed 1:00 PM: Youth Hike 4:30 PM: Trinity Choir/CY Monday, October 5 10:00 AM: Bible Study 7:00 PM: Youth Outing Tuesday, October 6 2:00 PM: Winter Grace 7:00 PM: Trustees 7:00 PM: Worship Arts 7:00 PM: Mary Martha 7:00 PM: Christian Ed Leaders

Wednesday, October 7 9:30 AM: Preschool Board 9:30 AM: Seated Exercise Class 6:30 PM: Confirmation Class 6:30 PM: Boy Scout Troop 702 7:00 PM: Adult Education Thursday, October 8 7:00 PM: Book Study: So You Want to Talk About Race Friday, October 9 12:00 PM: Sage Brigade 6:30 PM: CBT Setup Saturday, October 10 8:30 AM: CBT Gather

Pastor Daniel will be away from October 2nd through Tuesday, October 6th. Debbie Burgio will be covering any pastoral emergencies. Her cell phone is 443-244-3060. Shepherding Team 9 on call this week, October 4 - 10. Contact Bonnie Luepkes at 301-854-0591. Monday Morning Bible Study of Romans is meeting Monday mornings at 9:00 AM at Jan Doherty’s home.

Scheduled Events, October 4 – 10, 2020

Join us for a Fall Hike. Saturday, October 10th from 8:00 am to 12:00 noon. Outside, fresh air, and exercise! We will h in the Middle Patuxent Environmental Area, 4 to 5 miles. This moderately easy hike is open to all. Meet at 8:00 am in the parking lot for the trails at 5795 Trotter Road, 21029. Masks will be required and we will practice physical distancing including breaking into groups of 10 or less. Remember to bring water, proper footwear and maybe a snack bar. Call or email Brian Cornell for more information at 301-776-3085 or bmcornell@comcast.net Discussion on Racism, October 15th at 7 pm. The Baltimore/Washington council and Bishop Easterling have

asked all churches to commit to becoming an anti-racist church. To get some background, we have been

holding a book study of the book “So You Want To Talk About Race.” If you missed out on that or were

unable to commit to an 8 week long study, it is not too late to join the discussion. On October 15th at 7:00

pm, we will do a summary review and discussion of the book and begin to identify steps Mt Zion can take

to dismantle racism. Zoom link is https://tinyurl.com/y9hp23au. You can get a copy of the book

on Cokesbury at https://tinyurl.com/ybznoase.

Mt. Zion Christian Preschool Fall Classes! In Person Classes for 4 year old and Pre-K age children, for the 2020-2021 preschool year. Online Class for 3 year old, 4 year old and Pre-K age children, for the 2020-2021 preschool year. Please email the preschool at mzcps@verizon.net, if you are interested in registering or if you have questions about the classes.

Youth Activities This Week:

Sunday, October 4th the youth will meet at 1 pm at the trailhead for Cascade Falls Trail on Landing Road for a hike. Students should bring a water bottle and a mask. We will be finished by 3 pm. Parents can pick up from the same location. No evening youth group.

Monday, October 5th at 7 pm at Pepperjacks the 11th and 12th-grade ladies from Mt Zion are meeting for dinner/desert outside. Rsvp to Carol at 240 446 1136 by Monday morning.

Tuesday, October 6th at 7:00 pm Christian Ed Leaders meeting via Zoom. Wednesday, October 7th from 6:30 - 8 pm Confirmation Banner-making in the Fellowship Hall.

Masks required and social distancing & safety protocols are in effect. Also... the youth will join in the October 11th outdoor Eucharist Service at 6 pm and not have a

separate youth group meeting. At this service, Bibles will be presented to our 2nd and 3rd graders. The United Methodist Women are again spearheading the Operation Christmas Child program this year, which involves filling Christmas boxes to be distributed to children in the USA and around the world. Due to the Covid-19 virus, the need is even greater this year. We encourage every Mt. Zion family to donate a box(s). Religious material in the language of the child is placed in each box by Samaritan’s Purse and classes are held in many countries to share Christ with the children. Boxes and information pamphlets will be available on the front porch of Mt. Zion on Saturdays in October between 10 AM and 4 PM. If you cannot get to church to get materials, you can use a REGULAR SIZE shoebox. Fill them with toys, hygiene items, school supplies, hats, gloves, (no toothpaste, gum, used/damaged items, war-related items, seeds, food, liquids, lotions, medications, vitamins, glass items, or candy). A $9 check payable to Samaritans’ Purse is to be included in each box to cover shipping costs or you can go on the internet, pay the $9 and receive a special label that will track your gift box as to its destination. If you have any questions, please contact Margaret Rose (301) 854-3558. I will have additional materials at my home which you can arrange to pick up if necessary. Please help us exceed last year’s total of 90 boxes. The filled boxes need to be brought to Mt. Zion no later than Sunday, November 22nd. Hopefully, we will be back in church by that time to make collection easier.

Meet and Greet Pastor Daniel. The SPRC is extending an invitation to the congregation to attend either a small group outdoor or Zoom session to meet and greet Pastor Daniel. Since we weren't able to participate in our normal eat-in-the-Fellowship Hall event in July, Pastor Daniel has identified nine initial time slots for smaller get-to-know-each-other gatherings; six of these will be in person at the church and three will be via Zoom for those concerned about attending in-person events. Each meeting will be limited to nine attendees to give him the opportunity to focus on each of you during the session. The outdoor meetings will take place in the courtyard area behind the building. Physical distancing will be maintained and all participants are asked to wear masks and bring their own lawn chairs. The Zoom sessions will be scheduled similarly to other church meetings or worship services. There will be daytime and evening sessions for both type visits, which will last about an hour. To sign up for one of these sessions, first please check the availability of times and dates on the church website https://mtzionhighland.com/calendar, assuming you have that access, then contact Dianne at office@mtzionhighland.com with your first and second choices. She will let you know the outcome. The groups will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

October 13 October 27 November 11

1:00-2:00 PM in person 12:00-1:00 PM Zoom lunch with pastor 4:00-5:00 PM Zoom

2:30-3:30 PM in person 6:00-7:00 PM Zoom

October 1st -15th Winter Grace Senior Ministries is hosting a Fall 2020 Virtual 50+ Resource Fair. The Fair will be online from Oct 1 to Oct 15th. www.Fall2020.WinterGrace.org For more information, please contact Debbie Burgio at debbie@wintergrace.org or call 443-244-3060. See poster, below. Thank You for Your Stewardship. Mt. Zion thanks you for your continued financial support to the church during this challenging time for all of us. We know this health crisis is affecting people’s lives in so many ways, emotionally, spiritually, and yes, financially, so the support you are able to give to the church means so much as we continue paying our bills. We thank you again for your continued stewardship. If you have questions, feel free to reach out to Rob Eidson or to other Finance Committee members.

Through Our Presence & Gifts, Week Ending Sunday, September 27, 2020

Attendance: Worship Sunday School

Detailed monthly financial reports are available in the Treasurer’s hallway mailbox.

97 via Live Streaming Adults: 9 Youth: 4 Children: 6

Financial Summary: 2020 2019

Weekly Receipts 7,266 6,941

YTD Operating Receipts 450,189 412,918

YTD Operating Disbursements 389,747 399,617

When you shop on amazonsmile (smile.amazon.com/ch/52-0748639), the amazonsmilefoundation will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to Mt. Zion United Methodist Church. The Counting Ministry needs YOUR help. Multiple spots are available on the counting team with only a one Sunday per month commitment. The Mt. Zion Counting team is responsible for recording and depositing the weekly offering. No experience necessary. Please contact Charles McEldowney at crmceldowney@verizon.net or call (410) 393-4161 to learn more.

Through Our Prayers: As a shepherd cares for the sheep, so also will Christ watch over His followers, Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers. Our Members: Dave Sealing; Connie Gull; Koral and Larry Murdoch; Jack Maloney; Helen Thomas; Don Kraft; Jean Sonneman; Lenore Holt; Frances Entsminger; George Bickerton. Our Homebound Members: Frieda Youngblood Members’ Family & Friends: The family of Wendell White who passed away on September 17; Charlene Fitzpatrick; Chelis (Pat) Patterson; Norm; Ireland Fitzpatrick; Carolyn Mackle; Caregivers; Stephanie; Jay; Marian Isley; Lisa Sayler; Frank Ziegler; Steven Harrison; Bill Jensen; Chet Kulawiak; Cindy Hobbs; Loretta Howe; Our Country and the World. Members Serving in Our Armed Forces: Jonyae Curry; Matthew Chadwick; Colin Klopp; Andrew Schmit; Victoria Wyler. Non-Members Serving in our Armed Forces: Patrick DuBoyce; Brad Cohn; Chris Mittuch; Dan Mittuch; Rondall Waltz-Wills; Derrek Koch; Luke Tung; Jason Walker; Mariah Mead; Andre; Lt. Mitch C. Names remain for one month. To add, remove, or extend a prayer request, email office@mtzionhighland.com.

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The Emergency Relief Committee’s purpose is to encourage church members to reach out to each other. We have a rotating telephone tree so you would contact a different person each day. Ideally, this will help social distancing not become social isolation, as well as encourage meaningful connections and new friendships. Conversation starters would include: How are you doing? Any tips on surviving this social distancing that you would like to share? Any prayer requests? Committee Members include Deb Leiss 301-535-1319, Ken Sines 443-790-9680, The Island Family 202-386-5404, and Liam Cusack 609-233-7670. If you are interested in participating, please contact Deb Leiss. News from Worship & Arts. Due to Governor Hogan's State Emergency requirements, County Executive Calvin Ball’s decision to postpone relaxing restrictions in Howard County, and Bishop Easterling’s mandate for all churches, we need to practice social distancing. We are using various ways for the congregation and community to participate in worship. Excited by the participation in our live streaming worship services, we continue live streaming the service at 10 AM each Sunday. Because of this order, instead of live-streaming from the sanctuary we will doing this at the homes of our selected worship participants. You can log on to the service on Sunday via the link on the Mt. Zion website — www.mtzionhighland.com. These are challenging days. The staff and leadership of Mt. Zion are committed to finding new ways to help connect you not only in worship but in other areas of the church’s life as well. We thank you for your commitment to Mt. Zion church and its continuing ministries.

We Serve God and God’s People