Zoar  Church,  Tofte,  MN  is  affiliated  with  Lutheran  Congregations  in  Mission  for  Christ        May,  2016  

 

Gathering  Room  Thrivent  Action  Team  Volunteers  

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-May Sermon Series -

Come, Now is the Time to Worship!

Psalm 95 says, "Come, let us worship and bow down: let                      us kneel before the Lord our maker." Trends in worship                    attendance across the country suggest that for many                Christians the invitation of the Psalmist gets drowned out                  by the din of the modern world. So what's the big deal                        about worship? Can't you worship God just as well on                    the Golf course as you can in a church? What's worship                      supposed to be all about anyhow? These are the                  questions we’ll be looking at during our upcoming series                  of  messages:    

➢ May  15  “Spirit  &  Truth  -­  Pentecost”  ➢ May  22  “Prayer  &  Praise”    

Fishing Stories Still Needed!

If you have a favorite fishing story you’d                be willing to share, I’d love to include it in                    the June sermon series, “Gone Fishin’ -­              

The Fishing Stories of the Bible”. Give me                a  call  or  send  it  to  blanckd@gmail.com.              ~  Pastor  Daren    

Paint, Faith, Action!

Volunteers Make-Over the Gathering Room

Saturday April 23, 2016 brought a great group of people                    together from our community. We all came together for                  a purpose -­ to give the Gathering Room at Zoar Church a                        makeover! A member of our congregation spent the                week prior getting the walls prepped for painting. We                  were thankful to have this part of the job completed                    before we all gathered that morning to start the project.                    (Thanks  Spencer!)    

We started by hauling everything out of the room to get                      a clean space. Other jobs included sanding and staining                  shelves that were in the room in order to reuse them                      (they look new!), scraping old glue off the floor from the                      old carpet, and moving all furniture out. The energy was                    amazing and we got the job mostly done within the four                      hours that we were there together. The room looks great                    and will be so much fun to use for many purposes within                        our church: Bible studies, Youth and Family activities,                coffee time and visits after Sunday morning worship,                small group prayer meetings, and other activities our                church would be open to hosting. We prayed together,                  worked together, and ate together that day. The room                  was filled with energy, joy, a sense of community, and a                      strong sense of accomplishment. We had a lot of fun                    and created a fresh space that will be used for years to                        come!    Thank  you  Action  Team!    

You can be part of an upcoming Action Team too!                    There are action team projects planned to update the                  church office and paint the church exterior. Breakfasts                and fundraisers this year will also be funding these                  projects and upgrades to our kitchen. If you have an                    idea for an action team that benefits our church                  community or the greater Tofte-­Schroeder North Shore              community, let us know and we will help you get it                      organized  and  underway!            ~  Michelle  Blanck  

Zoar  Church  Office  Hours:  10:00  a.m.  to  1:00  p.m.  on  Wed.  and  Thurs.  •  www.zoarchurch.org.  •  (218)  663-­7925  •  zoarlc@boreal.org     1      

 Zoar  Church,  Tofte,  MN  is  affiliated  with  Lutheran  Congregations  in  Mission  for  Christ        May,  2016  

   

Caring for God’s Creation

“The  earth  is  the  Lord’s  and  the  fullness  thereof.”    

         ~  Psalm  24:1.      

It seems as if every day we are beset with news that we                          are destroying our planet. The monarch butterfly is                facing extinction because of genetically modified crops              that kill the milkweed plants that sustain them.                Groundwater is polluted by by runoff from chemicals                used by agri-­business to increase yield. Rainforests are                clear  cut  to  make  way  for  cash  crops.    

The news is distressing. What can we do to be good                      stewards of God’s creation? The answer seems              daunting. We recycle, compost, carpool, and use energy                efficient light bulbs. Whenever possible we purchase              locally grown food and fair trade items. Somehow,                though, it seems like our efforts are as effective as the                      drop  in  the  proverbial  bucket.      

One person cannot do it alone. If, however, many of us                      work together, good things can be accomplished. You                may remember the palm fronds that decorated the                sanctuary on Palm Sunday: families who live in small                  South American communities select and harvest the              palm fronds. Zoar church        helped to support those families.          We were one of 2,100 Lutheran            congregations to purchase the        fair trade palm fronds. In doing            so, we helped to protect the            rainforest in which the palm          trees grow. Working together        we  can  make  a  difference.            ~  Diane  Parker    

-May Mission Support Project-

Adult and Teen Challenge

Our mission for May is Teen Challenge of Duluth. On                    Sunday, May 29th a choir of 10 to 12 young men from                        Teen Challenge will be at Zoar to sing and give their                      testimonials. If past visits are any example, it will be a                      very moving service! This organization has been              instrumental in changing the lives of many young men                  who have been headed in the wrong direction -­ using                    drugs and alcohol and in trouble with the law. With the                      help of Teen Challenge, they have found Jesus and have                    turned  their  lives  around.            ~  Polly  Erickson  

Spring Thaw

Lord, melt the cold snows of my heart,

And let them become

a rushing,

roaring,

river of living water.

           ~  Marsha  Hansen  

 

Summer Youth Camperships

Zoar Church will be offering camperships for the 2016                  summer season. Camperships are $100 each to be used                  toward the fee for attending any Bible camp, Christian                  outdoor adventure camp, or another Christ-­centered            outdoor learning opportunity. Pastor Daren is happy to                suggest good Christian camping programs locally or              across the country. Parents and young people are                encouraged to find a program that they are most                  interested  in.      

Eligible young people include Zoar member or associate                member children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews,            and Birch Grove Good News Club students and their                  siblings ages 6-­18. Applications should be made by                May 20. Awards will be announced byMay 30. Include                    the applicant’s and parent’s name, address, and              telephone number, the name and address of the camp or                    program, the dates of the camp or program, and the                    relationship of the applicant to a member or associate                  

member of Zoar Church or the Birch              Grove Good News Club. Applicants          should also relate how they feel this              experience will benefit them in their            faith journey. Send applications as an            email to zoarlc@boreal.com with the          subject line “Campership      Application.”  

Zoar  Church  Office  Hours:  10:00  a.m.  to  1:00  p.m.  on  Wed.  and  Thurs.  •  www.zoarchurch.org.  •  (218)  663-­7925  •  zoarlc@boreal.org     2      

 Zoar  Church,  Tofte,  MN  is  affiliated  with  Lutheran  Congregations  in  Mission  for  Christ        May,  2016  

   

International Worker Ministry

Sharing Jesus’ love with neighbors

from around the World

In the parable of the sheep and the goats Jesus tells his                        listeners that on the last day his true followers will be                      told, “I was a stranger, and you invited Me in.” Later                      He told his disciples, “Go into the world and share the                      

Good  News  with  everyone.”        

We have a great opportunity each summer to live the                    gospel -­ the world comes to us as student workers from                      all over the globe arrive in Cook County to live and                      work. For many of them this will be their first                    experience away from their home country, their first                experience living around Americans and you may be the                  first Christian they might have ever met. The leadership                  team of Zoar Church has committed to working with                  other churches in Cook County to reach out to                  international workers this summer. There are four ways                we are asking members and friends of Zoar Church and                    others in the Tofte-­Schroeder community to become              involved:    1.  Welcome  Dinners  

Together with Lutsen      Lutheran Church, we are        planning to host two        welcome dinners. One      dinner will be in early June            and another is planned for          late June. Members and friends of Zoar Church are                  asked to help prepare food for these dinners and meet                    international workers who are employed at Lutsen              Resort, BlueFin Bay, and by other employers in                Schroeder,  Tofte,  and  Lutsen.      2.  Bicycle  Lending  

In cooperation with the        UCC Church in Grand        Marias, Zoar Church will        be a satellite for their          bicycle lending program.      International workers who need a bicycle to get around                  will be offered the use of a bicycle furnished through                    this program. You can help by donating a bicycle you                    aren’t using anymore, providing some bicycle            maintenance, or perhaps storing a few bikes at the                  beginning of the season while we are gearing up to                    distribute  them.    

3.  Befriending  Groups  

International students often come to          the North Shore from an urban area              and may be unaware of how remote              it is here. They’d love to get out and                  see what the North Shore has to              offer! We are asking members and            friends of Zoar Church to form            groups of 2-­4 people to befriend            some international workers. You might take a few                hiking on a state park or national forest trail, go fishing                      on Lake Superior or an inland lake, or hunt for agates on                        a beach. You might take some up into GrandMarais or                      down to Duluth on occasion. You may find one of them                      needs someone to talk to from time to time about                    something that is going on in their life as they are away                        from home and you might find an opportunity to share                    your  faith.      4.  Worship  Outreach  

Some international visitors may be          uncomfortable walking into a church for            worship because they are afraid they might              not be welcome. However, if someone is              offered a ride to worship and greeted warmly                at the door, they may cherish it forever. This summer                    we are asking members and friends of Zoar to volunteer                    to provide transportation to worship services. We are                also asking everyone to greet international visitors              warmly on Sunday morning, ask them about their stay                  here and be willing to lend a listening ear and an                      encouraging  smile.    If you are willing to serve your international neighbors                  in any of these areas, please call the church office or                      send  an  email  to  zoarlc@boreal.com.    

Next Month

In the next issue of “The Beacon” look for more                    information on Summer Good News Club, an update on                  the Bell Tower Project, more details on Gone Fishin’-­                  

The Fishing Stories of the Bible, Summer Worship                Services at Father Baraga’s Cross, a report from the Zoar                    Church leadership team, Confirmation, Remembering          

Your Baptism, and more. Zoar Church is a vibrant                  worshipping community and we’d love for you to be a                    part of what God is doing among us. If you have an                        article or creative writing for “The Beacon” please                submit  it  to:  zoarlc@boreal.com.  

Zoar  Church  Office  Hours:  10:00  a.m.  to  1:00  p.m.  on  Wed.  and  Thurs.  •  www.zoarchurch.org.  •  (218)  663-­7925  •  zoarlc@boreal.org     3      

 

 

Zoar  Church  (LCMC)  PO  Box  2098  7239  W.  Highway  62  Tofte,  MN      55615  

  Non-­Profit  Org.  U.S.  POSTAGE  

PAID  Tofte,  MN  Permit  No.  1  

   

 

 To:  Box  Holder  

Good  News  Club  kids  show  us  their  Mission  Hygiene  Kits.      The  

first  week  of  May  was  the  last  week  of  Good  News  Club  for  the  

school  year,  but  look  for  more  information  next  month  about  

Summer  Good  News  Club  coming  up  in  August!

Missionary Kits

In April we put together Mission Hygiene Kits in

Good News Club! We were learning about

missionaries all around the world. Missionaries go

to places around the world and teach about Jesus,

how he loves us, and how he is good to us.

Missionaries also help people with their health. I

learned about jungle pilot Nate Saint who died

when he was telling people in Ecuador about Jesus.

I also learned about Father Baraga who was trying

to go from Michigan to Grand portage to help

people in Grand Portage who were sick. A storm

came up and he was blown to the Cross River in

Schroeder. He prayed a prayer of thanks and built

a cross out of logs. It was replaced by a stone one

later. The hygiene kits we put together had a

toothbrush, hand towel, wash cloth, soap, a nail

clipper, a comb, band-aids, and a note from Birch

Grove Good News Club. The health kits will be sent

somewhere in the world where refugees need them.

~ Sophia Blanck

Youth and Family Nights: May 8 - Bible Skits and Drama, May 15 - Worship & Praise with Dave,

May 22 - Campfire at Tofte Park, No Youth and Family Activities May 29.

Bible Study: Tuesdays at 10:00 - All Are Welcome ! • North Shore Care Center Worship: May 22