Have You Joined the Thanksgiving Day Parade?

Posted on November 23, 2011 by blund

Happy Thanksgiving! (tomorrow!) We hope you have so much to be thankful for, especially for the mercy and grace we have through Christ Jesus the Lord.

Did you know there are three Thanksgiving parades? Have you joined yet?!

Joining the Thanksgiving Day Parade

by Michael S. Horton

One of the earliest dates I had with my wife was a Macy’s Day Thanksgiving Parade. Huddling together (close, but not too close) on the grand boulevard, we nearly froze during one of the coldest days in New York City on record for that festive occasion. It was fun, but it was largely a parade of consumerism more than thanksgiving.

University of Chicago historian B. A. Gerrish has suggested that John Calvin’s entire theology can be summarized by the word, “eucharistic,” from the word meaning “thankful.” Human beings were created to live in gratitude and the goal of salvation is ultimately to restore this life of thanksgiving. The Heidelberg Catechism, in fact, is structured in terms of Guilt, Grace, and Gratitude, leading G. C. Berkouwer to conclude, “The essence of theology is grace; the essence of ethics is gratitude.” Or, as we have say around here, duties (imperatives) are always grounded in gospel promise (indicatives). The appropriate response to a gift is thankfulness.
The First Thanksgiving Parade

Every ancient pagan religion grounded its worldview in a creation story. Typically, these stories begin with war and strife, with one of the gods achieving a bloody victory. However, Genesis begins the story of God’s covenant with God. There are no other gods who can frustrate God’s plans and God alone is to be praised. He is to be praised, first of all, because he created all things by his Word and pronounced them good. Creation originates in truth, goodness, and beauty, not in calamity, evil, and violence. Continue reading at the White Horse Inn →

Posted in ministry, resources | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Youth Philosophy of Ministry

Posted on November 22, 2011 by blund

1. Call youth to a commitment to God. Our primary responsibility is to teach our youth the promises, privileges, and responsibilities of the Covenant of Grace. This includes the understanding that faith must be their own. A confirmation of their faith is to be encouraged. A faith that is solid, passionate and real is what is desired.

2. Develop Christian Discipleship in our youth. If a commitment to God is evident, a call to discipleship is necessary. Discipleship includes the fundamental principles of following Christ’s example of living everyday life. This includes our use of time, money, attitudes, and behaviors.

3. Teach God’s Word from a Reformed perspective. Our historical Reformed faith must be taught to the youth and distinctions made clearly as to the differences with non-reformed beliefs.

4. Provide Service opportunities – a fundamental responsibility of a Christian is to live a life of service. The Service projects must teach the youth by example how to give unconditionally and humbly to others. It is also a way to encourage youth to consider life as a missionary.

5. Develop one-on-one relationships between Leaders and the Youth. Many youth require a secondary outlet for advice and counsel. Youth Leaders, volunteers, and other mature Christians are to be there to support parents and encourage youth in their Christian walk. Youth leaders must be a Christian model for youth.

6. Develop leadership skills in the youth. As the future of our church, youth must be taught how to lead and be given opportunities to lead. All gifts that are evident in a youth should be given the opportunity to be shared and nurtured.

7. Provide a time of praise to God in a non-formal setting. Youth should be taught that outside of the formal God-honoring corporate worship with the congregation, they are called to give proper respect and reverence for God through prayer, singing, and praise to Him in non-formal settings.

8. Provide fellowship opportunities that are positive. Showing youth that they can have fun and fellowship with other believers promotes unity and a sense of belonging in the family of God.

9. Prepare youth for the outside world. Youth must be prepared for the freedoms they will experience once they leave high school. Discernment and self-control are values that historically have been difficult to maintain by some youth once they are in college or away from home.

10. Challenge their faith. A true test of faith is when it is challenged.  Providing opportunities for youth to test and defend their faith allows them to grow and mature.

(with thanks to RYS for the 10 point outline)

Posted in resources | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Upcoming Events for Zion Youth

Posted on November 22, 2011 by blund

Be sure to get these on your calendar!
Youth Ministries

December 11, 2011
All Church Sledding @ Klemme Golf Course @ 2:00p.m.
Bring your sleds! (Weather Pending)
**Alternate date is January 15th.**

January 6th-8th: IMPACT
Impact @ Iowa City
All Sr. High Youth invited!
(Sign up in the back of church)

January 20th: Winter Jam
Winter Jam Concert @ Des Moines
Jr. and Sr. High Youth welcome!
Invite your friends!
Will be leaving from church right after school!

Feb. 12th: Jr. and Sr. High Planning Party
Youth Planning @ 5:00 p.m. Meet at the Parsonage basement.
Pizza and pop will be provided.
Planning for ALL Church Family Night.

*Feb./March Keep watching for a date for
An All Church Family Fun Night!!!

March 3rd Ski Trip!! Reserve the date!
More information to come later…
Tell your friends!!!

Posted in news | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Missionary Scot Myhr To Visit Zion

Posted on November 5, 2011 by blund

Scot Myhr, 4Cs Missionary and OMF worker, will be visiting with Zion Evangelical & Reformed Church on Wednesday, November 9. We are thrilled to welcome Scot back to his native state of Iowa, and to hear from him what the Lord is doing in his life and in mission work. He’ll be joining us at 5:30 for our New Life meal, and then staying in the evening to share with us starting at 6:15 p.m. Please plan to join us for this fantastic opportunity, and something that is sure to be important for thinking and praying about missions opportunities.

Scot, his wife Sheryl, and their children Corrie and Esther, have been with OMF since 1998. They lived in China from 2000 – 01 and again from 2004 – 08. Scot has worked with Chinese culture to share the Gospel, and is currently working Chinese students studying at American universities near Pittsburgh, PA.

Posted in news | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

November Newsletter Posted

Posted on November 1, 2011 by blund

Zion NewsletterThe Zion Chronicles for November 2011 is now available for download. You can view the document or download it here. Also, we have updated the church calendar for the month. You can view that by month, week, daily, or agenda style, by clicking here.

Posted in news, resources | Tagged | Leave a comment

How To Think Like A Christian About Halloween

Posted on October 31, 2011 by blund

“Among all the festivals which we celebrate today, few have histories stranger than that of Halloween. It is the eve of All Hallows—or Hallowmas or All Saints’ Day—and as such it is one of the most solemn festivals of the church. At the same time, it commemorates beings and rites with which the church has always been at war. It is the night when ghosts walk and fairies and goblins are abroad… We cannot understand this curious mixture unless we go back into history and unravel the threads from which the present holiday pattern has been woven.” (from R. & A. Linton)

How should believers think about Halloween? Must it be rejected as an “evil” or “devilish” holiday, or can Christians receive aspects and redeem others of this candy-coated dress up day? Justin Holcomb writes an engaging article that explains the history of the holiday, how Christians in various ages and denominations have reacted to Oct. 31, and encourages all Christians – whether you like his article or not – to engage carefully and thoughtfully about the idea of Halloween. Hopefully, reading this article will stimulate us all to think biblically about Halloween and all holidays.

Continue reading “What Christians Should Know about Halloween” at TheResurgence.com…

Posted in resources | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Basics of the Reformed Faith: Holy Trinity

Posted on October 27, 2011 by blund

Here on the Zion blog, we will be offering a series that will cover the basic subjects of Reformed theology. You can see the whole series of “Basics of the Reformed Faith” here. This week: the Holy Trinity.

It is common to hear people claim that Christians, Jews, and Muslims all worship the same God. Not true. Unlike those who worship Allah, or those Jews who claim to worship the God of Abraham, Christians worship the true and living God, who reveals himself in three persons as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It has been said that the Holy Trinity is Christianity’s most distinctive doctrine. Although in many ways the doctrine of the Trinity is beyond our comprehension, we believe this doctrine because this is how God reveals himself to us in his word, as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who are the one true God.

The doctrine of the Trinity is a difficult topic to discuss, because it stretches the limits of human language and logic. Despite the difficulties this doctrine presents to us, we must believe and confess that God is triune, because this is how God reveals himself to us in his word. The three persons of the Godhead are revealed as equal in divinity, glory, and majesty. Each of the three persons are expressly called “God” in the New Testament. And to each of them is assigned the same divine attributes, as well as the same glory and majesty which are ascribed to the other persons of the Trinity.

The Scriptures are absolutely clear that there is only one God. In Deuteronomy 6:4, Moses declares “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” Continue reading at WSCal Valiant for Truth Blog…

Posted in resources | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Standing Firm in the Faith: Reformation Day 2011

Posted on October 7, 2011 by blund

As a congregation that stands proudly in the tradition of the Protestant Reformation, we are grateful for an opportunity to remember God’s gracious kindness to His Church around the anniversary of the Reformation. On the Sunday closest to October 31, the day history tells us Martin Luther nailed his famous 95 Theses to a church door in Wittenburg, Germany, we pay special attention the details of the Reformation.

Our worship service will take special care to reflect the liturgies of the Reformed tradition of Christianity, especially in the songs and arrangement of psalms that came out of this historical era. Then, be sure to join us later that afternoon at 3pm for a special service and lectures on how the precious truths of the Reformation that were recovered can challenge, equip, and impact Christ’s church afresh today.

Keep your eye open for further details as they become available. We hope you’ll join us to find your own faith challenged and strengthened, to the glory of God alone!

Posted in news | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Basics of the Reformed Faith: Scripture’s Sufficiency

Posted on October 6, 2011 by blund

Here on the Zion blog, we will be offering a series that will cover the basic subjects of Reformed theology. You can see the whole series of “Basics of the Reformed Faith” here. This week: The Sufficiency of Scripture.

The sufficiency of Scripture is closely related to the inspiration and authority of the Bible. When we speak of the inspiration of Scripture, we refer to the fact that the various books of the Bible have their origin in the will of God. The books of the Bible have been breathed forth by God the Holy Spirit through the agency of human writers (2 Timothy 3:16). When we speak of the authority of the Bible, we mean that since the Holy Spirit is Scripture’s divine author, the Holy Spirit is alone able to bear witness to the truthfulness and divine origin of God’s word. The church does not give the Bible its authority. Rather, the church can only recognize that authority which Scripture already possesses because God has breathed it forth.

When we speak of Scripture as “sufficient,” we mean that the Bible reveals everything God wants us to know about his will, and how to be saved from his wrath. The Bible was given for a very specific purpose. The Bible does not teach us everything that might be useful or practical to know, nor was it intended to do so. The Bible was not given to satisfy sinful human curiosity, nor will we find answers to all of the mysteries of life. The secret things belong to God (cf. Deuteronomy 29:29).

But the Bible does reveal both the law and the gospel. The law is that which God commands of us and is found in a passage such as Exodus 20 (the Ten Commandments). The gospel is what God gives to us in Jesus Christ which meets the demands of his law, and is spelled out by Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 (as but one example). Although the moral law is universal–it us written upon our hearts because we are created in God’s image–only in the Bible do we find God’s law in written form so that God’s will is perfectly clear to all. Continue reading at WSCal Valiant for Truth Blog…

Posted in resources | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

How to Get The Most Out of Your Pastor’s Preaching

Posted on October 5, 2011 by blund

Over at TrueWoman.com, a website to help women “discover and embrace God’s design and mission for their lives, reflect the beauty and heart of Jesus Christ to their world, intentionally pass on the baton of Truth to the next generation, pray earnestly for an outpouring of God’s Spirit in their families, churches, nation, and world;” asks the following question:

Do you ever find yourself:

  • waking up on Sunday morning and wishing you didn’t have to go to church?
  • having a hard time staying awake in church?
  • daydreaming during the message, or making a mental “to-do” list while the pastor is preaching?

… and several other questions. Can you relate? What is going on?

Nancy Leigh DeMoss notes, “If we’re not benefitting from the ministry of the Word as it is publicly proclaimed in our local churches, the fault may not lie in the one proclaiming the Word. It may lie in our readiness to hear, receive, and respond to the Word.”

So what can we do in these situations? DeMoss gives the following suggestions that ties in nicely with the articles in our recent newsletters:

Before the service
1. Pray for your pastor as he prepares for Sunday. Pray that his schedule would be free from unnecessary distractions. Pray that God will give him understanding into the meaning of the Word. Pray that God will speak to him personally through the Word and that he will respond in humility and obedience. Pray that God will help him to communicate the truth with clarity, freedom, passion, and power.

2. If your pastor is preaching a series from a particular book of the Bible, take time during the week to read ahead and meditate on the text. Ask God to speak to your heart before you even hear the message.

3. Prepare for public worship the night before. Turn off the TV, limit social activities, and instead do things that will cultivate your appetite for God’s Word.

During the service
1. Participate—you need to be there. You’re not going to get a lot out of church if you don’t go.

2. Get to church early enough to spend a few minutes before the service quietly preparing your heart for worship. Pray for God to move—in the pastor, in your heart, in others’ hearts—and surrender your heart to whatever God will say.

After the service
1. Ask God to give you at least one takeaway from the message—a key concept, phrase, or verse that you can review throughout the week. Jot it down so you don’t forget.

2. While it’s still fresh on your mind (before you leave church, on the way home from church, over the meal following the service, etc.), discuss the message with others. Share how God spoke to you.

3. Be a doer of the Word and not just a hearer (James 1:22). Apply what you heard Sunday morning to real-life, everyday circumstances and situations throughout the week.

Making It Personal

  • Do you highly esteem, respect, and reverence the Word of God (Neh. 8:5; Ps. 138:2)?
  • Do you prepare your heart to hear the Word of God (Ps. 119:18)?
  • Do you find delight in hearing the Word proclaimed?
  • Do you listen attentively when the Word is being read or preached (Neh. 8:3; Ps. 85:8)?
  • Do you expect God to speak to you every time you hear His Word proclaimed?

These are just a sampling from DeMoss’ article, so be sure to click over to her article and read the whole thing. Women and men can benefit from her sage words in thinking about how to hear and live from God’s Word.

Posted in ministry, resources | Tagged , | Leave a comment