ATTENDANCE During the month of April, Sunday School and Worship Services in the Sanctuary were not held due to Coronavirus Pandemic. Online Zoom Worship was held instead, with approximately 110 devices signing in and joining us each week. We also created YouTube Lenten Services for Wed. April 1, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.

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With Sympathy

We wish to extend heartfelt sympathy to the family of Tamara Lingafelter. Tammy passed away April 10, 2020 at the age of 54. Private funeral services and burial were held April 14 at Zion. We cherish many good memories of Tammy.

A WORD OF THANKS . . .

Thank you to Steve Martin for cleaning the carpet in sanctuary and cleaning and waxing the floor in upstairs Sunday School Hall.

We would like to thank Pastor Jeff for all of the extra work and time that he puts in to provide zoom church services, chat times with a message also, and the little things that he does to try to keep our Zion family together in these troubled times. Without hugs, handshakes, kisses, and close personal contact, it is difficult on us and our pastor. We really appreciate everything that Pastor Jeff does to help. To Our Zion Church Family, Thank you Pastor Jeff for your kind words to us individually and at Tammy Lingafelter’s funeral. Thanks also for the tremendous number of vehicles that drove past the gravesite. Such a wonderful organized gesture of support during the current social/medical environment. We are so grateful for all your comforting words, phone calls, cards, food and prayers. Bryan, Ben, Ashley & Beckett Lingafelter Cory and Kelsey Lingafelter Travis, Amanda & Abby Reese John, Tina, Austin & Owen Spears Elwood & Laverne Deal ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

May 7 Senior Citizen Dinner has

been cancelled. We hope to continue

our gatherings later in the year.

MAY 2020 VOICE OF ZION A Monthly Publication of

Zion Lippe United Church of Christ 9000 Copperline Rd E Mt Vernon IN 47620

812 985-2437 website: zionlippe.org

Secretary email: zionlippesecretary@gmail.com Secretary Hours:

Tues, Wed and Thurs 8:30 am – 12:30 pm Normal Secretary office hours may vary during

Coronavirus outbreak

Rev. Jeff Long, Pastor Pastor cell: 812 306-4675

Pastor email: zionlippepastor@gmail.com

Sunday Family Worship at 10 am Sunday School for all ages at 9 am

May In order to share in the

joys and celebrations of our

lives as a congregation we

publish a monthly list of

birthdays and anniversaries of

members and friends of Zion.

Happy Birthday!

1 Owen Spears, Martha Ziegler, Warren

Bredemeier, Miranda Pieszchalski

3 Patti Parker, Ruth Wintczak

4 Shelley Schmitt

6 Lilly Donner

7 Anne Nicholson

8 Donald Hoenert, Ryan Ploetz

10 Dustin Bredemeier, Ashley Lingafelter

12 Sarah Reed

13 Kendall Reidford, Camron Cotton

14 Nicholas Voegel

16 Terry Freeman, Janie Cummings

17 Anna Mae Droege, Amber Sattler

18 Monica Cullman, James Barrow

19 Judy Rueger

22 Chris McCutchan, Abigail Reese

23 Tom Wintczak, J.J. Mohr

24 Carol Jo Droege, Travis Reese,

Matthew Coon

26 Scott Lewis, Caleb Voegel, Logan Turner

27 Joanna Dickhaut

28 Tyler Schroeder

29 Chloe Schroeder-Lambert, Hudson Key

30 Brenda Bean

31 Missy Ludwig

Happy Anniversary!

1 Dan & Linda Koch (10)

11 James & Jennifer (Droege) Hargett (13)

14 Steve and Sally (Nicholson) Noelle

15 John & Miranda Pieszchalski (99)

16 David and Dawn Strupp

17 Darwin and Gail Lashley (80)

Ryan and Amy Steinhart (98)

21 Jacob & Kirstin Gibson (16)

Josh & Maggie Dye (11)

23 Ralph & Colleen Heneisen (65)

26 Paul and Martha (Donner) Ziegler (62)

27 Elwood and Laverne (Schroeder) Deal (61)

28 Gabe and Amy (Seibert) Schroeder (11)

29 Chris and Beth McCutchan (04)

31 Tom and Ruth (Droege) Wintczak (80)

Greg & Sandy (Dougan) Schmitt (03)

If your birthday or anniversary is not listed

or not correct, please call the office at 985-2437 so

we may update our records. Thanks for your help!

Attention High School and

College Graduates! So we may honor our graduates, please let

the church office know about any members

or friends of Zion who will be graduating

from high school, trade school or college

this year. For college graduates, please

include degree.

Zion Nursery Center Graduation will be scheduled later after public

gathering restrictions have eased. ZNC staff ask that attendance be

limited only to immediate family of the students involved.

Merom Camp & Retreats Check Merom.org. for their newsletter and

what the schedule will be this summer for

Camp and Retreats. Funds are available to

assist with youth camp expenses, contact

Pastor Jeff or a council member. Adult

Retreats are also available at various times

throughout the year.

It has become a comfortable habit to sit down and write a message to you for a new month, in a

communication – this newsletter – that’s meant to offer a glimpse of what the next handful of

weeks will hold in our life together at Zion church. What could be more familiar than calibrating

yet another “click” of the turning calendar, another time-released dose of energy and enthusiasm

stirred up by the Spirit of God in this beloved community as we cross the threshold into yet

another season?

And instead… here we are in a season that has scrambled our every habit, disrupted the rhythms by

which we calibrate the flow of time through our days, and left us with little sense of what to expect or,

even, what to hope for in the next handful of weeks. At a time when we look forward to the relaxation

of winter’s grip, we find ourselves bound by relentless new disciplines of withdrawal that nothing

prepared us for.

A church sign that I saw several weeks ago - actually during the Lenten season read this way -

“HAD NOT PLANNED ON GIVING UP QUITE THIS MUCH FOR LENT.”

And yet we mobilize our best energy, our resilience, our network of care and outreach, our trust

in God and in one another. That’s why we’re here. And yet we put one foot in front of the other

and choose life over death whenever we can. We need to continue to resist the cheap grace that

tries to entice us to return to comfortable routines before it’s safe or responsible to do so – and

the theology that holds that, if a pandemic happens, it must be because God wants it to – and the

cultural individualism that privileges personal comfort above social welfare.

None of those forms of resistance to the rigors of this season come easily. The way to the good

news we expect from the Easter promise invites a kind of rigor the likes of which humanity has

seldom had to practice before. And yet … we all scour the landscape, the time, the season for

signs of reassurance that will strengthen us to persevere.

One of the places I continue to find signs of grace and love and commitment is on Sunday

morning Zoom worship times where our attendance has grown substantially. We have

welcomed people to worship with us from England, Dubai, Missouri, Nebraska, California,

Arizona, Texas, Iowa, and more.

But that’s how God works I believe… just when we think there might not be a way to accomplish

our goals, God has a way of directing us forward toward hope and inspiration.

It strikes me, as I look at a myriad of faces, living rooms, hot tubs, virtual backgrounds, and

faithful leadership that we shall overcome this also.

God has equipped this church with the leadership, the faith, the resistance it needs to abide.

There’s a profound sense in which we have to say – newsletter or not – that, this year, we can’t

know when things will return to a semblance of normal and what our new normal might be… but

tomorrow will come. Let’s all do our best to let God continue to stitch us together and keep hope

safe and warm, one day at a time.

Blessings and Peace to all of you… Pastor Jeff

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WORSHIP NEWS AND SCHEDULE FOR MAY…

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? - Psalm 27.1

Along with our brothers and sisters all around the world, we’re now coming to terms with the

“new normal” brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. It is our hope and goal to continue to

meet the needs of our congregation and community through the sharing of information along

with Wednesday evening “check in times” on Zoom along with Sunday morning online worship at

10:00 a.m.

In order to keep everyone as safe as possible during these unsure times, the leadership of

the church council and Pastor Jeff have agreed to continue Sunday morning “Zoom”

worship through the month of May. Throughout the weeks of the month of May we will

continue to work with our local and state leadership to determine the best way and time to

resume some sort of worship experience in the church building. We do not take this decision

lightly and will make a decision based upon what we feel to be a safe and responsible way to

proceed regardless of other churches, businesses, etc.

Please continue to pray for our future. The church continues and will always be a strong

presence in our community and beyond and we look forward to the exciting and blessed future

that God continues to unfold before us. Right now things certainly don’t seem overly positive

however, in due time God will bless us and guide us into our “new” reality and future together.

Thank you all so much for your support and prayers.

Facing Grief Caused by Covid-19 and Other Losses

Join Us On “Zoom” beginning the first Monday of May...

Every day we receive updates on the COVID-19 Pandemic. This crisis has resulted in another pandemic - a pandemic of grief. These sessions will help us as individuals and as a church to face all the emotions that we are experiencing as a result of the Coronavirus, as well as other losses. The focus

will be two-fold. First, we will be taught some principles that we can use in "Coaching Ourselves Through Our Grief." Secondly, we will have a time to share openly with each other, proving the support that we desperately need in this difficult time. Don Eisenhauer is a pastor and hospice chaplain and also the founder of Coaching at End of Life, LLC. and will lead each of our Monday sessions. During these presentations Don will share his strategies for dealing with grief, including recognizing what "normal" grief looks like and maintaining a healthy emotional state during this time of stress. We will share links through facebook and group emails for these weekly “Facing Grief” Zoom gatherings. We hope you can join us and we encourage everyone to share this information with anyone you know who might be interested in joining us. This is an open to the community event.

4 one hour long sessions all on Monday evenings at 6:00 p.m… May 4th

May 11th May 18th

May 25th - No meeting - Memorial Day June 1st

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Zion Lippe UCC Council Meeting Highlights 4/21/20

YTD thru March Regular offering $35,886.98 YTD thru March General Fund Income $38,155.62 YTD thru March General Fund Expense $43,812.11 Difference -$5,656.49 Through May if you are not actively working for the church your pay is suspended. Services in the church are suspended due to the COVID-19 virus. Online services will continue using zoom throughout May. Hopefully regular services will return in June. The tuck pointing project will be finished in about a week to 10 days. Donations to the Tuck-Point Fund are being accepted for this project. The new doors have been hung but still need to be latched. We had some minor wind damage to our sanctuary roof. After talking to 2 roofing contractors and an insurance adjuster, we found out the existing roof was about 30 years old. Council decided we should replace the roof, after looking at the estimates and the adjuster’s information, the church will only have to cover the $5000.00 deductible. Chapman Construction won the bid to replace the roof, the bid is $25,400. If you would like to give any monies toward the roof project please direct donations to the Building Fund. There are three plans for the new playground. When we return to having services in the church it has been suggested that there be no Sunday school; instead have two services, one at 8:00 and one at 10:00, the church will be sanitized between the services.

Memorial Day - May 25, 2020