Wednesday is Call Day 2025 at Concordia, St. Louis, MO

Assignment of Vicarages 3:00 p.m. (CDT) and Assignment of Calls 7:00 p.m. (CDT)
Call Day, an annual event, is the day when concluding students receive their first pastoral or diaconal ministry placements, and second-year students receive their vicarage or deaconess internship assignments. All calls and assignments for service are to churches or ministries within The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS).

Look for Zion’s own Charles “Chuck” Wallace at Wednesday’s event!
Read more about Charles on Zion’s Website:
LINK: From Your Seminarian: How We Are “Chosen for More” and
LINK: Thank You! ... from Zion’s own Charles Wallace

Join friends and family of the seminarians in-person in the chapel, via livestream, Facebook or YouTube.

Monday is Call Day 2025 at Concordia Ft. Wayne, IL

Call Day 2025 at Concordia Ft. Wayne, IL
Attend in person or watch online at ctsfw.edu/callday
Join us in Kramer Chapel for Call Day 2025 as we celebrate the placement of our students into their respective fields of service. On Monday, April 28, at 7:00 p.m., second-year students will receive their vicarage and deaconess internship assignments, marking an important step in their formation.

Look for Seminarian Sergiu Trifa who led Zion’s Bible study hour on March 9, 2025
Read more about Sergiu Trifa

Then on Tuesday, April 29, at 7:00 p.m., graduating pastoral ministry students will learn where they have been called to serve as pastors. Both services will be livestreamed on CTSFW’s Call Day service pages (see below), the Chapel page, on Youtube, and on our Facebook page. Following each service, a complete list of assignments and calls, along with photos of the students, will be available on the service streaming pages, accessible using the links below.

VIDEO: Sunday, April 27, 2025 - Complete Service

View the bulletin for Sunday, April 27, 2025
Archive of AUDIO “Readings & Sermons”
Archive of VIDEO “Complete Service”
Archive of Bulletins

AUDIO: Readings & Sermon for Sunday, April 27, 2025

View the bulletin for Sunday, April 27, 2025
Archive of AUDIO “Readings & Sermons”
Archive of VIDEO “Complete Service”
Archive of Bulletins

First Reading -- Acts 5:12–20 
Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed. 

But the high priest rose up, and all who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and filled with jealousy they arrested the apostles and put them in the public prison. But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, “Go and stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this Life.” 

Second Reading -- Revelation 1:4–18 
John to the seven churches that are in Asia: 

Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. 

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. 

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” 

I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” 

Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest. The hairs of his head were white like wool, as white as snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength. 

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades. 

The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the twentieth chapter
On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of anyone, they are forgiven; if you withhold forgiveness from anyone, it is withheld.” 

Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” 

Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” 

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name. 

VBS Registration Now Open

Vacation Bible School 
Zion Lutheran Church, Bridgeville, PA 
July 7-11, 2025 – 9:00-11:30 
Ages: 4 years old (prior to 9/1/25) through 4th grade 

FREE! 😊😊 
At “Epic Australian Adventure” Vacation Bible School, kids will learn how Jesus calls, leads, teaches, saves, and sends us to share the Good News with others through five exciting Old & New Testament stories that trace God’s epic plan of salvation. Jesus is our Savior and faithful guide, who shows us the right way to go and guides us on the path of truth that leads to eternal life. 

Program Details 

• VBS kids will be organized into either early childhood or elementary crews. Each crew will have 6-10 children per crew and two crew leaders. 

• We'll enjoy Bible stories, crafts, games, snacks and lively music as we celebrate God’s gifts. 

Registration Details (DEADLINE 6/8) 

• Complete the online REGISTRATION FORM (one per each child in a family) no later than Sunday, June 8th. 

• VBS is FREE … no fees to attend! 

• In order to ensure the best VBS experience for all children, the number of “crews” is limited, so be sure to register early to reserve your spot. 

Visit Zion’s website at www.zlcb.org/VBS for important information. Questions??? Contact Deaconess Joanna Lee, VBS Asst. Director at 412-221-4776 ext. 204 or deaconess@zlcb.org, OR Susie Bishop, Reg. Coordinator, at 412-221-4776, ext. 203 or secretary@zlcb.org. 

Download a PDF of the above information

Click Here to Register Online

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Vacation Bible School 2025 is Monday July 7th through Friday July 11th from 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. 

We hope you can join us in the Australian outback! Volunteers are needed.

Volunteer Opportunities:
There are lots of opportunities to help in hands-on roles with kids, and with behind-the-scenes tasks!  Volunteer all five days, or less to fit your schedule. 
Use the VOLUNTEER NOW button below to help

Spring Cleanup – Saturday, May 3, 2025 at 10:00 a.m.

Spring Cleanup
Saturday, May 3, 2025 starting at 10:00 a.m. 

The Board of Trustees will host an outdoor Spring Cleanup of the church grounds.
Your help is needed to clean out flower beds, rake up debris, and spread mulch. 
Please sign up on the sheet in the Narthex. 

Many hands make light work. Your support is greatly appreciated! 

Pick Your Free Copy of “Portals of Prayer”

Pick Your Free Copy of Portals of Prayer in the Narthex or in the Atrium
APRIL - JUNE 2025 ISSUE
Portals of Prayer is a favorite of readers looking for ways to stay in God's Word with easy, daily devotions.

A great way to start each day, readings feature a Bible passage, meditation, and prayer in an easy-to-read format. Portals of Prayer is great for personal devotions and can be used to open church meetings or Bible studies. Published in the convenient and popular pocket size, large-print, or digest editions. Published quarterly, authors change each month.

Portals of Prayer has been a source of strength and comfort since 1937.