From the whole church family, Happy Thanksgiving! It is our prayer that this encourages you to “give thanks in every situation” (I Thessalonians 5:18) and to “abound in thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:7).
Don’t forget to join us as we host the Community Thanksgiving Dinner today at noon!
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we Thine unworthy servants do give Thee most humble and hearty thanks for all Thy goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all men. We bless Thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for Thine inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ, for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.
And, we beseech Thee, give us that due sense of all Thy mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful; and that we show forth Thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to Thy service, and by walking before Thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with Thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory, world without end. Amen.
Book of Common Prayer
How To Lay Aside Thanklessness
“Heavenly Father, please let me know your will. I really need to know what you want me to do about . . .”
This is my will for you: “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
“Thank you, Lord, for this reminder. I really do need to be more thankful — but getting back to my request, I’m not sure what you want me to do about . . .”
I want you to “give thanks in all circumstances.”
“I know, Lord, I know. That’s important and I can see where I have neglected that. But thankfulness is sort of a constant need, isn’t it? I mean, everyone needs be more thankful, right? Seriously, this is urgent, and I don’t have clarity from you. I need your direction. What do you want me to do?”
I am being serious and specific. I want you to “give thanks in all circumstances,” and right now, in this particular circumstance.
Continue reading “How To Lay Aside” at Desiring God→
Instilling Gratitude In Your Family
With the approach of Thanksgiving, I am often struck with how people—young and old alike—lack an important attribute: gratitude. I’m not looking for a warm fuzzy thank you for a gift, but a deep rich appreciation for life and what we’ve been given. Why is this? What gets in the way of gratitude?
Here are two thoughts.
First, our society cultivates discontentment. Consistently, we hear a message of want. Mass media, advertising, and holiday seasons all capitalize on the misconception of necessity and the hungering for more…
Continue reading “Instilling Gratitude” at CCEF→
Giving Thanks When Your Family Is Struggling
Soon after graduating high school, our son had his first psychotic break. Eventually, he was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, a variant of schizophrenia. The past few years have been incredibly difficult for him. They have also been hard for us, his family. As his mother, I spent five years crying, and praying, and struggling to understand what had happened.
During that time, the Thanksgiving holiday was particularly trying. Of course, I had things to be thankful for. Food, family, friends, a roof over my head. But these blessings seemed insubstantial compared to the hollowing-out of my beloved son.
I knew believers are called to “rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thess. 5:16–18). But how could I fight my way to a place of gratitude? Would I ever find joy again?
Continue reading “Giving Thanks” at TGC→
This Sunday is our Annual Meeting!
On this day we celebrate Martin Luther nailing the 95 Theses
We have a wonderful opportunity to bless others as we serve in Jesus’ Name!
This winter clothing/outerwear drive will be a blessing to local kids and families to get through the bitter temperatures. Zion is partnering with 
In our most recent sermon from John 4 in our 
While much of our sermon and service are meant to unpack those ideas, there is so much more to say!
This Sunday, our adult Bible study will gather, and we want to ask an important question: can we get along with Lutherans?!
One resource that can benefit us is Between Wittenberg and Geneva: Lutheran and Reformed Theology in Conversation, a book by two respected theologians. Robert Kolb is an amazing Lutheran scholar at Concordia Seminary, and Carl Trueman is a Reformed professor and pastor. Writing this book together, both scholars help Christians from different traditions understand each other and their own churches better.
We are excited to get back to Sunday school!
This Sunday, Rev. Matt Stanghelle (PCA) will be at Zion to share about the ministry to Europe and Norway. 
Matt and his wife Deborah are leading a team of Norwegians and internationals to plant the first church in Norway with Reformed theology. Parents to four children, Norway runs deep in Matt’s family heritage. They consider it a great privilege to church plant in the land of his forefathers. Matt is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in America and is serving his call with the Ministry to the Military and Internationals.
