VIDEO: Wednesday December 4, 2024
Each service at Zion Lutheran Church (normally the first of our two services) is streamed LIVE on our YouTube channel. This includes Sunday’s, Wednesday’s, Lenten, Advent and special services. The entire service is streamed from beginning-to-end. Weddings and Funerals can also be streamed, if requested in advance.
View the Bulletin for Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Advent Worship Service: 2:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
During Advent, there will be no Wednesday Bible Study, it will resume Wednesday January 8, 2025
All are welcome, bring a friend, neighbor or relative
Visit our YouTube channel — Click the red “subscribe” box, and then click on the “bell” next to that box to receive Live Streaming notifications. You must be logged into YouTube to activate these features.
Archive of AUDIO “Readings & Sermons”
Archive of VIDEO “Complete Service”
Archive of BULLETINS
Advent Bulletin: Wednesday December 4, 2024
View the Wednesday Bulletin for December 4, 2024
Click to download the Wednesday Bulletin which includes all of the scripture readings and the Order of Service. Posted later in the day you will find an audio-only recording of the announcements (if there are any), readings and sermon. Also posted later in the day you will be able to view the entire service on our YouTube channel – broadcast live at 2:00 p.m. For an archive of bulletins visit: BULLETINS. For an archive of Sermons, visit SERMONS. For an archive of videos, visit VIDEOS.
View the Bulletin for Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Advent Worship Service: 2:00 p.m. & 7:00 p.m.
During Advent, there will be no Wednesday Bible Study, it will resume Wednesday January 8, 2025
All are welcome, bring a friend, neighbor or relative
Visit our YouTube channel — Click the red “subscribe” box, and then click on the “bell” next to that box to receive Live Streaming notifications. You must be logged into YouTube to activate these features.
Archive of AUDIO “Readings & Sermons”
Archive of VIDEO “Complete Service”
Archive of BULLETINS
Complete Advent/December Service Schedule
Sunday’s in Advent (December 1, 8, 15 & 22)
Service Times at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
Adult/Teen Bible Study and Sunday School at 9:15 a.m.
Wednesday’s in Advent (December 4, 11 & 18)
Service Times at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
No Bible Study on Wednesdays until Jan. 8, 2024
Christmas Eve (December 24)
Service Times at 2:00 p.m. and Special Candlelight Service at 7:00 p.m.
Christmas Day (December 25)
One Service Only at 10:00 a.m.
Sunday December 29
Service Times at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
Adult/Teen Bible Study and Sunday School at 9:15 a.m.
New Year’s Eve (December 31)
Service Times at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
New Year’s Day (January 1, 2025)
No Services
Wednesday Service with Bible Study returns on january 8th at 2:00 p.m.
Sunday’s in Advent (December 1, 8, 15 & 22)
Service Times at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
Adult/Teen Bible Study and Sunday School at 9:15 a.m.
Wednesday’s in Advent (December 4, 11 & 18)
Service Times at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
No Bible Study on Wednesdays until Jan. 8, 2024
Christmas Eve (December 24)
Service Times at 2:00 p.m. and Special Candlelight Service at 7:00 p.m.
Christmas Day (December 25)
One Service Only at 10:00 a.m.
Sunday December 29
Service Times at 8:00 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.
Adult/Teen Bible Study and Sunday School at 9:15 a.m.
New Year’s Eve (December 31)
Service Times at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.
New Year’s Day (January 1, 2025)
No Services
Wednesday Service with Bible Study returns on january 8th at 2:00 p.m.
Decorating Party: Saturday December 7th @ 10:00 a.m.
Join us & lend a hand … we’re decorating the Sanctuary
Saturday December 7th @ 10:00 a.m.
Lunch will be served
Sign Up in the Narthex!
Join us & lend a hand … we’re decorating the Sanctuary
Saturday December 7th @ 10:00 a.m.
Lunch will be served
Sign Up in the Narthex!
Bus Trip: Gingerbread House Display
City of Pittsburgh’s 22nd Annual
GINGERBREAD HOUSE DISPLAY
Bus Trip on Monday December 9, 2024
No Cost to Participate • 14 Seats Available
We will load up the bus at Zion Lutheran Church at 12:30 p.m. and be back to Zion around 3:00 p.m.
Sign Up in the Narthex or e-mail: deaconess@zlcb.org
City of Pittsburgh’s 22nd Annual
GINGERBREAD HOUSE DISPLAY
Bus Trip on Monday December 9, 2024
No Cost to Participate • 14 Seats Available
We will load up the bus at Zion Lutheran Church at 12:30 p.m. and be back to Zion around 3:00 p.m.
Sign Up in the Narthex or e-mail: deaconess@zlcb.org
December 2024/January 2025 Newsletter
Download December 2024/January 2025 Newsletter
Click (here or above) to download the November 2024 Newsletter
To access older Newsletters, Calendars or Service Participants choose from the options below:
>Archive of Newsletters
Download December 2024/January 2025 Newsletter
Click (here or above) to download the November 2024 Newsletter
To access older Newsletters, Calendars or Service Participants choose from the options below:
>Archive of Newsletters
Effective Outreach
Effective Outreach Creates Connections with Nonchurched People
Part Two of a Four-Part Series
The previous article in this series identified three things that make up effective outreach. Let’s look at the first one:
Effective outreach is the “planting and watering” (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:5-9) through which a congregation intentionally engages nonchurched people in ways that … provide the congregation with means of continuing contact with the nonchurched people.
It may seem obvious, but it’s important to be clear that outreach has to do with our congregation engaging nonchurched people – that we are doing something that gets the members of our congregation interacting with people who are not connected to the Church. By ‘Church’ I mean the capital ‘C’ Church – “the one holy Christian and apostolic Church” we confess in the Creed. Outreach is not “sheep stealing.” If someone is connected to another Christian congregation, he is ‘churched’ not ‘nonchurched.
Use the link below to read the complete text …
Effective Outreach Creates Connections with Nonchurched People
Part Two of a Four-Part Series
The previous article in this series identified three things that make up effective outreach. Let’s look at the first one:
Effective outreach is the “planting and watering” (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:5-9) through which a congregation intentionally engages nonchurched people in ways that … provide the congregation with means of continuing contact with the nonchurched people.
It may seem obvious, but it’s important to be clear that outreach has to do with our congregation engaging nonchurched people – that we are doing something that gets the members of our congregation interacting with people who are not connected to the Church. By ‘Church’ I mean the capital ‘C’ Church – “the one holy Christian and apostolic Church” we confess in the Creed. Outreach is not “sheep stealing.” If someone is connected to another Christian congregation, he is ‘churched’ not ‘nonchurched.’
‘Engaging’ nonchurched people means that we, as a congregation, are doing something that brings us and nonchurched people together and that we interact with those nonchurched people. In other words, that we create connections with nonchurched people. We can engage nonchurched people in many ways, including our human care activities (e.g., a food pantry, disaster response), our ministries (e.g., day school, early childhood center), events that we host (e.g., Oktoberfest, sausage supper), or community activities that we support (e.g., a local festival, holiday celebrations).
From what I’ve seen in working with churches across the Synod, most congregations are good at coming up with ideas to engage people through their activities. I find that congregations are very busy planning, organizing, and doing things to engage people.
The problem is that many of the things that we are doing as outreach are not outreach at all – and they are certainly not effective outreach. Ouch! The reason that much of what we call ‘outreach’ is not outreach is that we’re not engaging nonchurched people through our ‘outreach’ efforts. Instead, we end up attracting and engaging churched people. There is certainly nothing wrong with churched people engaging other churched people. In fact, God’s word encourages it! It is a good thing for believers to serve each other and enjoy each other’s company, but it isn’t outreach.
Outreach always involves engaging nonchurched people.
Effective outreach always involves creating connections with nonchurched people – engaging them in ways that enable us to continue contact with the nonchurched people we engage through our outreach ministries and activities.
Continuing contact with the nonchurched people we engage isn’t rocket science. It simply involves asking people to provide their contact information. Some will, some won’t. That doesn’t matter. What does matter is that we are intentional about asking for it.
Gathering contact information from nonchurched people should be simple, natural, and voluntary. We need to ask, not insist. We should let people know that we are asking for it so we can stay in touch with them. And then not act surprised when they give it to us.
Many people want to be connected to a community of caring people. They will be glad to give us their contact information. When they do, we’re on our way to effective outreach.
Questions to consider:
When does “outreach” become “sheep stealing”? Are we doing any of this?
How well do our existing outreach activities create connections with nonchurched people? What can we do to improve this?
What are we currently doing to gather contact information from nonchurched people who participate in our outreach activities? What are we doing with that information?