News and updates
FAITH WEAVERS
Faith Weavers will take place every Wednesday evening from 5:15PM-6:45PM as long as school is in session, or otherwise announced. As we continue in the month of February, though, please remember to check our website, Facebook page, and News Channel Nebraska for program and weather-related updates and cancellations. We have had a few cancellations this past month already, so we do encourage you to continue to check back weekly for any updates. Again, if the public school cancels due to weather, or other factors, on a particular Wednesday, Faith Weavers will be likewise canceled for that evening. Otherwise, if your child is between kindergarten and 6th grade, please consider having them join us for more fun during our second semester of classes! Parents can find more information and register on our church website under “Educational Ministries” and “Faith Weavers.”
Also, if you would be interested in donating to support this program, besides monetary donations, included below is a list of some requested food items. As always, your support and encouragement is greatly appreciated!
Please put non-perishable donations in the marked bin in the kitchen with a note (from whom, for whom) and alert church staff about your donation. Cold items should be put in the refrigerator, and frozen items should be placed in the freezer. For more information, contact Mr. Jareske.
For February
1. 16oz packages of spaghetti noodles
2. 24oz jars of spaghetti sauce
3. Bags of shredded cheddar cheese
4. Bags of shredded mozzarella cheese
5. Regular bottles of mild taco sauce
6. Regular jars of mild salsa
7. Large packages of frozen chicken nuggets
8. Large packages of frozen french fries
9. Boxes of Kraft macaroni and cheese
10. Regular cans of fruit cocktail
11. Regular cans of mandarin oranges
FAITH WEAVERS HELP
If you feel called to help with Faith Weavers in 2025, week to week, please contact Kim Baumann, Suzie Wachter, or Mr. J (402-329-4313) in the near future. Volunteers can be 7th grade and older. At this time, we are specifically looking for, at least, one new volunteer to assist in the kitchen with cooking, several volunteers to help by serving the meal, without cooking, and several volunteers to assist with the Crafts Station. For more information, please contact Mr. J to inquire.
ZION TUITION ASSISTANCE FUND
If you would like to help provide students with a Christian education, please consider donating to the Zion tuition assistance fund. It is easy to donate! Make checks payable to Zion Lutheran School and just write in the memo tuition assistance. Have a special student in mind for assistance? Contact the school office at 329-4658 to set up a donation for them.
SCRIP
If you would like to purchase Scrip, order forms are available in the Narthex. Order forms and/or RaiseRight purchases need to be submitted before Tuesday of each week. Contact the school office at 329-4658 with any questions.
ZION NEWS
If we have an email address on file, we will be emailing you rather than sending out a hard copy in the mail due to rising costs of postage. You can view the Zion News on the church website as well. If you would still like a hard copy mailed out to you, please let the office know. An email was sent out with the most recent Zion news a few weeks ago. Thank you.
LUTHERAN HOUR MINISTRIES
Lutheran Hour Ministries Sunday is on February 16th. There are daily devotions, video Bible studies, and many other resources that are free. Visit their website to find a helpful resource today.
ZION LUTHERAN SCHOOL
The TENTATIVE completion date for the new school is February 7th. If everything goes well, the dedication service for the new school will also be in February with the date TBD.
USHERING
If any youth students would be willing to assist during church services on Sunday mornings, please call 402-329-4313 to let the church office know. We are currently looking for both ushers and technology booth assistance, and training will be provided for anyone willing to serve in either capacity. We have recently begun live-streaming our Sunday morning services with our new camera equipment, and in an effort to better manage all of the moving parts within a typical service, a few additional volunteers to assist with either running the soundboard, running the camera, or managing the slideshow would be very much appreciated.
LWML AGAPE GROUP
Do you have greeting cards to recycle? The LWML Agape group is collecting greeting cards for a service project. The cards will be cut into crosses and will be given to a missionary to distribute amongst the people of Hong Kong. The cards can be from any season and can be left at the church office.
LCMS YOUTH GATHERING
Due to a change in plans for a few students, we have two openings for students to substitute in for attending the LCMS Youth Gathering in New Orleans this coming July. If any youth students between the ages of 14 and 19 years old would be interested, please speak with Mr. J at your earliest opportunity to learn more about how this can take place. The deadline to complete all necessary steps in this process is March 1st, and these spots will be filled on a first come, first served, basis.
RED CROSS BLOOD DRIVE
The Christ Lutheran Church will be holding a community blood drive in their fellowship hall on Tuesday, February 4, from 12 pm– 6 pm. Call Lori Wragge at 402-860-1441 or visit redcrossblood.org to schedule an appointment.
OFFERING/CONTRIBUTION STATEMENT
Please contact the church office if you’d like a statement of your 2024 contributions. We can print them off, mail them, or email them for any church members.
PAST STUDENT FILES
Any past students that would like their cumulative file are welcome to stop by the school office to get them. If you do not want the files, they will be shredded. Please contact the school office with questions 402-329-4658.
THRIVENT CHOICE DOLLARS
Eligible benefit members (age 16 and older) of Thrivent Financial, can help choose
where Thrivent distributes part of its charitable funds each year. Call 1-800-847-4836 and say “Thrivent Choice” or visit www.thrivent.com/thriventchoice. The deadline to designate for 2024 is March 28, 2025. You do not need any certificate number or birth date. It is very simple. Zion Lutheran Church or the School both can receive these choice dollars.
FUSION YOUTH MEETING
Our next monthly Fusion Youth Group meeting for 7th-12th grade youth students is scheduled to take place next Sunday, February 9th, from 2PM to 4PM in the Zion gym/fellowship hall. In an effort to be conscious of those with Super Bowl plans, please note the earlier timeframe for this meeting, and although snacks will likely be provided, no formal meal will be offered during this meeting. If you are considering joining us for the fun, consider bringing a friend!
THANK YOU
Zion’s LLL-MC promoted a Christmas Project for the “Pierce Community Food Pantry”. Our Christmas Project raised $230.00 via four gifts. Some families may have given their Christmas gift privately. The Lord’s blessings to you for your assistance in this community project. You may send a gift to: Pierce Community Food Pantry; Betty Leisner; 420 S. Pleasant St.; Pierce, NE 68767.
YOUTH FUNDRAISER
The youth students from Zion Lutheran Church will be selling Pastry Puffins for $15 per frozen package beginning on Sunday, February 2nd, and they will be taking orders until Wednesday, February 19th, which is when all order forms will be due to be returned. For those that don’t know, Pastry Puffins are frozen filled pastries, and unlike some other varieties, these can be made directly from frozen without the need for the pastries to rise before baking. They come in multiple types of fillings, including fruit, cream, dessert, and even breakfast pizza, and they come in packages of between 6 and 12 count per package. For those that would like to order, all orders will be available for pick-up, barring an unforeseen delay, on March 5th, and we are asking for payment at the time that orders are placed. Cash and checks are accepted, and all checks can be made out to Zion Lutheran Youth Group. Please speak to a youth student to learn more and place your order, or if you would like to place an order, Monday through Thursday, please speak with Mr. J during regular business hours. In addition, if you feel our short description didn’t do the product justice, please join us after services today, February 2nd, in the church narthex to sample some Pastry Puffins flavors, and if you like what you see, you can place an order with one of our youth students at that time.