The Lutheran Church - Missouri SynodMount Pleasant, Michigan 48858

Zion Lutheran Church & Preschool3401 E. River Road

(989)772-1516

Christ The King Lutheran Chapel1401 South Washington

(989)773-5050

September 2019 Jonathon J. Bakker and Benjamin J. Ulledalen, Pastors Volume 55, No. 9

‘I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I willstrengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.’

– Ezekiel 34:16

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, if you’veheard it once, you’ve heard it a thousand times –but if you’re like me, you need to hear it again. Just like we need to hear the Good News of theforgiveness of our sins for Jesus’ sake regularly,lest we come to doubt or despair, so also weneed to hear the rest of God’s counsel, includinghis teaching about stewardship. Christianstewardship is the faithful management of everytemporal thing you have received from God, andthat includes your time, the unique ways in whichyou are gifted by God, and your financial andmaterial resources. All that we are and all thatwe have we have received from God, and it allbelongs to him. Paul reminded Timothy, ‘Webrought nothing into the world, and we cannottake anything out of the world.’ (1 Timothy 6:7) Since everything we have belongs to God, allof it should be used for his purposes. Godreveals his purposes for you in your vocations. Those given the vocation by God of beingfathers and mothers, for instance, put theirtemporal blessings to Godly use when they feed,nurture, and protect their children. You haveother vocations, too, and each provides you withGodly ways to put your time, your talents, andyour treasures to good use for the sake of yourneighbor. Besides those vocations we have in family lifeand society, each of us also belongs to thefamily of God and this congregation. How areyou and I to use our incomes, our giftedness,and our time faithfully in light of being Christians

and members of Zion? The answer to thatquestion is found in God’s Word, and points usback to God himself. ‘I will seek the lost, and I will bring back thestrayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I willstrengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong Iwill destroy. I will feed them in justice.’ (Ezekiel 34:16). This passage may seem a bitstrange as a theme for an emphasis onstewardship, but it puts our focus precisely whereit must be – on God as our Good Shepherd whoprovides all things for us, and shows us in allthings what true stewardship is. Again, everythingis created by God and belongs to him. Godmerely entrusts it to our care temporarily. Hedoes this to teach us to learn to depend on him,to be thankful to him, and to recognize that thisstewardship is only temporal – none of the thingsthat we consider ‘ours’ will follow us into eternity. And so as God provides us with all of these things– time, talents, and treasures – throughout ourlives, we are given to return some of them to himin accordance with how we have been blessed. This September at Zion we will take a closerlook at some of those Biblical principles ofstewardship together as a part of our annualstewardship emphasis. We will consider God’sblessings to us and what he has to say about howwe use those gifts. True joy is not found in theaccumulation of earthly things, but rather in thegifts Christ freely gives – he poured out his life foryou on the cross and gives you life in Baptism,Absolution, and the Lord’s Supper.

Page 1

The emphasis this year will revolve around thetheme, ‘Stewards Under Our Good Shepherd,’based upon the passage from Ezekiel. The threeSundays of the emphasis will concentrate on thefollowing themes:

September 15: Steward of the Lost

September 22: Steward of the Heart

September 29: Steward of the Soul

The Holy Scriptures already appointed for thesethree Sundays lend themselves to these themes,and we will see, yet again, how our heavenlyFather cares for us and teaches us from hisWord about every facet of life. Please join us forthis stewardship emphasis, which will concludeon September 29 when you will have theopportunity to bring your pledges forward in asealed envelope. Your pledge will be, as always,between you and the Lord, and will remain in thesanctuary until it is returned to you, sealed, nextfall. God bless and keep all of us at Zion as weseek to live faithfully as God’s children andrejoice in his forgiveness!

Yours in Christ, Pastor Bakker

There are still openings in the three-year-oldclass for this school year. Please refer anycandidates to Tim in the church office.

Little Caesar Pizza Fundraiser The Little Caesar fundraiser has begun! Orders will be due by September 29 with deliveryon October 9. Help us meet our goal of $1800. Our Group ID is 359524. Profits will be used for equipment, supplies, fieldtrips and financial aid. Order forms are available in thechurch narthex and at CTK. Some help will be needed onOctober 9 for distribution.

CHRISTIAN EDUCATION NEWS Rally Day

Sunday, September 8 Join the fun! Bring a friend!

All are invited to join us for Rally Day on Sunday,September 8, for church at 8:30 a.m. at Zion. Sunday School will be from 9:45 a.m. to 10:30a.m. Following Sunday School there will begames for the children to be followed by a potlucklunch. Meat, chips and ice cream will be provided. ALL ARE WELCOME !

Children’s clothing and shoes should becomfortable...they will be running and jumping!

We are excited to begin this year with a newSunday School curriculum called Enduring Faith.This curriculum has its emphasis on Biblicalliteracy and life application with the goal ofhelping our students to discover, explore, defendand grow in their understanding of God’s Word.

“Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lordand Savior Jesus Christ” 2 Peter 3:18

2019-2020 Teachers Nursery/Kindergarten Karen Grossnickle, Dara Brown & Reyna Brown Grades 1 - 3 Jill Davis & Sharon Milan Grades 4 - 7 Brad Coulson, Luke Epple Sr, Luke Epple Jr, Chad & Tina Roe Confirmed - High School Pastor Bakker & Pastor Ulledalen Adult Bible Class Pastor Bakker & Pastor Ulledalen Music Janah Aldrich, Mitzi Chaffer & Maggie Polley Substitutes Teachers Beth Brostrom, Linda Emery, Linda Fauver & John Schimmelmann Administration: Julie Courtney

Page 2

STEWARDSHIP CORNERMonthly Income & Expense Report

through July 31, 2019 2019 2018 YTD Budgeted Expenses $ 262,804.98 $ 266,256.39YTD Actual Expenses $,258,359.85 $ 266,086.56 YTD Balance $ 4,445.13 $ 169.83

YTD General Fund Income $ 237,096.06 $ 251,197.26 YTD Actual Expenses $ 258,359.85 $ 266,086.56YTD Income Less Expense $ (21,263.79) $ (14,889.30)

What is a steward? Most people will say asteward is a manager. That is correct, but it is only half right. A stewardis indeed a manager, but he is a manager ofwhat does not belong to him. Someone else isthe owner, and the steward manages theowner’s property on the owner’s behalf. We are God’s stewards. Our stewardship is thatGod has made us managers of what belongs toHim: “For we brought nothing into this world, andwe cannot take anything out of the world” (1 Tim. 6:7) Everything that we have and everything that weare comes from God’s fatherly divine goodnessand mercy. God is the owner. This is not only because He created all things;He is also the redeemer. He has redeemed –that is, purchased – and won all things.Therefore, it all belongs to Him. We are simply managers of everything in thisworld. Like Joseph in Egypt, we are put incharge of managing what belongs to God. Whata privilege. Think about that for a minute. The all-knowing,all-powerful, all-wise God has asked us tomanage his possessions on His behalf here onearth. And by doing this, He invites us to take part inthe allocation of His good gifts. He wants us togive our input and advise Him in where His giftsare to be used. What a privilege indeed. But what a responsibility! “Everyone to whom much was given, of himmuch will be required” (Luke 12:48b). We are not the owners. And while He puts us asmanagers, we are still to do with His propertywhat He wants done with it. That means weneed to know what He desires and wills for Hisproperty.

How do we know this? How can we know the willand mind of God? We find the will of God in the Bible. There Godtells us what His will is for all of His gifts. He tellsus how we are to spend our time and use ourtalents and treasures. He instructs us in the use ofour minds, bodies, and souls. There is nothing we have that doesn’t belong toHim. “Or do you not know that your body is a temple ofthe Holy Spirit within you, whom you have fromGod? You are not your own, for you were boughtwith a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Cor. 6:19–20). God informs us of the big picture, the overarchingpolicy, of how we as His stewards – managers andcustodians – are to manage His property. And that is stewardship. It is simply doing whatGod wants us to do with what He has given us. As St. Paul said, “Do not present your members to sin asinstruments for unrighteousness, but presentyourselves to God as those who have beenbrought from death to life, and your members toGod as instruments for righteousness” (Rom.6:13). So, let’s dive into God’s Word, and listen to whatHe desires from His stewards.

September Mission of the Month

LCMS Mercy/ Human CareLCMS Mercy and Human Care is the synod’smercy arm providing physical and spiritual care inthe wake of disasters and needed health care inthe name of Christ and His Gospel and accordingto our Lutheran confession of faith.

LCMS Mercy and Human Care depends largely ondonor support to fund this mercy ministry.“Http://worldrelief.lcms.org

Page 3

A huge thank you thismonth to all who have

worked so hard and gave so much of their timeto help get things going for another new year inour preschool and in our campus ministry. Forour preschool teachers, students, and theirfamilies – thank you. For our Campus Ministryboard and all who volunteer and help withInternational Student Ministry and the campusministry – thank you. Please consider how youmight be able to help and support theseministries in the coming school year. Begin bypraying for these ministries and those who areinvolved in leading them. Contact PastorUlledalen and Deaconess Anne Bakker for ideasand opportunities available at Zion’s campusministry. Reach out to our Board for ChristianEducation and Preschool Teachers about howyou could contribute to the outreach we areundertaking at the preschool. A great way tostart would be by showing up occasionally for thepreschool chapel services, held eachWednesday and Thursday around 8:45 a.m.when school is in session in Zion’s sanctuary. This is a great way to show our students andtheir families what a treasure we have in God’sWord. Thank you, all, for your kind and selflessservice to the ministry of our congregation!

Lifelight Returns Plan now to attend Lifelight biblestudy this fall as we dive into thebook of Genesis – because of thelength of Genesis and the breadth of material itcovers, the fall session will cover only the firsthalf of Genesis. The second half of Genesis willbe taken up in the winter. The study guides areavailable in Zion’s office and the readings foreach week have been compiled and publishedon Zion’s website in the Bible study section foryour use. As we have done in the past, we willoffer the same class at 10:30 a.m. and again at6:30 p.m. so that attendees can come towhichever is most convenient. The first Thursdayof class will be September 12.

Special Voters’ Meeting The past few regular voters’meetings have been tense andthis has only served to hinder us as acongregation of God’s children. It is my desire tohave an opportunity for us to come to peace overthe matter in question, and so I am calling aspecial voters’ meeting Sunday, September 15 atChrist The King Lutheran Chapel following the11:00 a.m. service at about 12:15 p.m. Here is thetext of the resolution to be considered at thatmeeting. In Christ, Pastor Bakker

To Come to Peace Over How Services areScheduled at Zion

WHEREAS, the subject of who is responsible forthe scheduling of worship services at Zion hascaused much disagreement, division, andexhaustion for an extended period of time,therefore be it RESOLVED, that the members of Zion affirm thebylaws of Zion Lutheran Church, that the board ofelders be encouraged to gather input andfeedback from the congregation when makingdecisions that impact the scheduling of worshipservices, and that the people of Zion togethermove forward in peace as the children of God inthe mission of the church. Coming Soon: Stewards Under Our Good Shepherd On Sunday, September 15, we will begin a three-week stewardship emphasis focusing onhow our Lord is the steward of the lost, the heart,and the soul. The final Sunday of the emphasis,September 29, will also be pledge Sunday. YourLord has called each of you to be disciples and hehas given you everything you are and everythingyou have. You are already stewards over all ofthese gifts that he has entrusted to you. It is ourprayer that you will be encouraged in your faithand life through the Word of God during thisemphasis to remain faithful in every aspect of yourlife. The theme verse for consideration throughoutthis emphasis is Ezekiel 34:16, ‘I will seek the lost,and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind upthe injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and thefat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them injustice.’

Page 4

Holy Scripture: Guided ReadingNumbers: In the fourth book of Moses,Luther says that the laws have beengiven, the princes and priests instituted,

the tent and form of worship set up, andeverything that pertains to the people of God hasbeen made ready, and now the whole thingbegins to function. Numbers shows us how thearrangement is supposed to work, and how,because of human disobedience, it fails. As youread, reflect on how God repeatedly speaks hisword of law and promise to the people whilesustaining them in the wilderness. A Savior is yetto come for the people of God.

Numbers 1 – Census of the Warriors of Israel Numbers 2 – Arrangement of the CampNumbers 3 – Levite Duties Numbers 4 – Kohathite Duties Numbers 5 – Unclean People and AdulteryNumbers 6 – Nazirite Vow Numbers 7 – Offerings at Tabernacle Consecration Numbers 8 – Cleansing and Retirement of Levites Numbers 9-10 – Passover, Cloud, Silver Trumpets, Departing SinaiNumbers 11 – Elders Appointed to Aid MosesNumbers 12-13 – Miriam and Aaron Oppose Moses; Spies to CanaanNumbers 14 – Rebellion of the People Numbers 15 – Laws Numbers 16 – Korah’s Rebellion Numbers 17-18 – Aaron’s Staff; Duties of Priests and Levites Numbers 19-20 – Purification Laws; Moses Strikes the Rock Numbers 21 – The Bronze Serpent Numbers 22 – Balaam’s Donkey Numbers 23-24 – Balaam’s Oracles Numbers 25 – Baal Worship Numbers 26 – Census of New Generation Numbers 27-28 – Joshua Succeeds Moses; Offerings Numbers 29 – Offerings Numbers 30 – Vows Numbers 31 – Vengeance of Midian Numbers 32 – Reuben and Gad Settle in GileadNumbers 33 – Recounting Israel’s JourneyNumbers 34 – Boundaries Numbers 35 – Cities Numbers 36 – Marriage of Heirs

Ladies’ Bible Study One Christ, Many Creeds: A Study of Denominationsfrom a Lutheran Perspective On the surface, this Bible study isabout the histories, concerns, and main teachingsof various Christian bodies. Beyond the surface,the Bible study is really about what Lutheransbelieve and why they believe it. We will meet onthe 2nd Saturday of each month at CTK at 9:30 a.m. All ladies confirmation age and older areinvited to attend! Childcare can be provided uponrequest. The dates for this fall are: September 14,October 12, November 9. Please contact AnneBakker with any questions –annekbakker@gmail.com

In memory of Diana Mallory

Dale & JoAnn Gust

In memory of Wayne Walker

Al & Janice Block Yvonne Fitzgerald Dale & JoAnn Gust

Men’s Breakfast Bible Study Saturday September 21 8:00 a.m. at Zion

Pastor Bakker will begin a study of Old Testamenthistory as the people of God entered the PromisedLand. First up will be the book of Joshua. Join us!

CCI Classes start September 11 Classes will begin at 6:00 p.m. for children ingrades 4-8.

There will be no meal before class as in past years.

Senior Choir rehearsals begin Wednesday,September 11 at 6:00 p.m. We are always lookingfor new singers! Please considerjoining us if you enjoy music andlove to laugh! Any questions contactMaggie at 989-400-3251.

Page 5

Campus CornerInternational Ministry Our International Ministry continues to grow atthe chapel, and there are so many ways that wecould serve internationals in Mt. Pleasant, but Ineed your help! I am always looking forconversation partners, and I am currently in needof one ESL teacher on Mondays from 1:00 p.m. -2:00 p.m. No experience is necessary. Trainingis provided. Interested teachers or conversationpartners are welcome to sit in on current ESLclasses to see what it's like working withinternationals. Please contact me atannkbakker@gmail.com or the chapel office773.5050 as soon as possible. Please also notethat our ESL classes will now be posted on thecalendar in our monthly newsletters. If you havefriends or family who want to increase theirEnglish skills, please encourage them to join usat the chapel for free ESL classes! Thanks! AnneBakker, Director of International Ministry.

Guest Speaker at CTK Sunday, September 22 Everyone is invited to a presentation byprofessional artist Ed Riojas on Sunday,September 22 at Christ the King LutheranChapel. Mr. Riojas attends an LCMScongregation in Grand Rapids. Some of his workhas been featured at ArtPrize as well as invarious Lutheran publications. The presentationwill begin at 6:00 p.m. There will be some snacksand refreshments following. Please mark yourcalendars and plan to join us! Learn more aboutour guest speaker, and see some ofhis work, at: edriojasartist.com"

Monday Lunches at CTK CTK provides lunch on Mondays forstudents and their friends at no cost to them.This provides an opportunity for students toinvite their non-Lutheran friends to the chapel aswell as for Pastor to interact with them. Drop offa meal (to feed 20) or if it is more convenientbring a side, some fruit, or a dessert. Have lunchand visit with Pastor as well as the students. It isa great way to help promote the ministry of Zionand CTK. Donations of food and or time wouldbe greatly appreciated. Call or speak with Kathyin the the office at CTK to sign up and be a partof this important ministry.

Women’s GuildWe are changing our namefrom LWML Women toWomen, back to Women’s Guild. Our plan is tomeet four Saturdays throughout the year forfellowship with women, brunch, a devotional, and aprogram or project. All women of Zion and CTK please join us for ourfirst gathering of the academic year on Saturday,September 28 at 10:00 a.m. at CTK. We will havebrunch, a brief devotional and a performance byour very own, Jon Goodwin. Jon writes andperforms one-man plays. He generally performsthese plays in a Historical Society setting, but has graciously offered to present to our group. Theplay that he wrote and will be presenting is titled,Wreck of The Gimpy Gin.

We are collecting School Supplies forthe Preschool for thru the end ofSeptember. A collection box is locatedat Zion and at CTK, or bring them tothe brunch on September 28.Suggested items are Clorox wipes,paper towels, masking tape, washable markers,glue sticks, boxes of crayons, colored pencils,Play-Doh, and Kleenex.

Looking Ahead

October 6 - LWML Sunday

November 23 - Saturday brunch, Paint with Prout, Paint and Pray.

December 7 - Cookie Walk and Craft Show

Altar flowers - Just a reminder that if you signedup on the Flower Chart located on the bulletinboard, the cost is $20.00 per Sunday.You canleave the money with Tim in the office, or if youwould like to place the money in the offering plateplease clearly mark the outside of the envelopeAltar Flowers, followed by your name and theSunday that the flowers are for. Make checkspayable to Zion Lutheran’s Women’s Guild.

Page 6

Nurse Notes Over the next few months, I plan to explore thepossibility of having one or two presentations onsome important topics you, or someone youknow, are facing. If you have a particular need orinterest, please let me know. That will make iteasier to know how to serve the members ofZion. Two topics that I have thought of are:Sandwich Generation and Diabetes. SandwichGeneration refers to parents raising their childrenin addition to caring for their parents. Here is mycontact information: email:zionparishnurse@gmail.com or cell phone: 989-421-8583. Please let me hear from you.

God Bless, Phillis Daws, RN, BSN

Can eating more whole-grain foods helplower blood pressure? Answer from Sheldon G. Sheps M.D.

It might. Eating more whole-grain foods on aregular basis might help reduce your chance ofdeveloping high blood pressure (hypertension).Whole grains are grains that include the entiregrain kernel – they haven’t had their bran andgerm removed by refining. Whole grain foods area rich source of healthy nutrients including fiber,potassium, magnesium, folate, iron andselenium. Eating more whole-grain foods offersmany health benefits that can work together tohelp reduce your risk of high blood pressure by:

- Aiding in weight control, since whole-grain foods can make you feel full longer - Increasing your intake of potassium, which is linked to lower blood pressure - Decreasing your risk of insulin resistance - Reducing damage to your blood vessels If you already have high blood pressure, eatingmore whole-grain foods might help lower yourblood pressure. The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension(DASH) diet and the Mediterranean diet bothrecommend including whole grains as part of ahealthy diet. According to the Dietary Guidelines forAmericans, as part of an overall healthy diet,adults should eat at least 85 grams of whole-grain foods a day – that’s about 3 ounces,or the equivalent of three slices of whole-grainbread.

Hymn Festival “Wide Open Stand the Gates” On Sunday, October 20, 2019 at 4:00 p.m. Grace Lutheran Church inAuburn, Michigan will be hosting“Wide Open Stand the Gates: A HymnFestival Extolling Christ’s Gifts inWorship.” The Commentators for thehymn festival will be Rev. Daniel Burhop of Trinity,Reese and Rev. Aaron Schian of Grace, Auburn.The organists will be Kantor Hannah Bjornstad ofTrinity, Reese and Kantor Nathan Beethe of Grace,Auburn. It will feature a brass ensemble,percussion, and a mass choir made up of membersof area churches. Anyone who wishes to participatein the mass choir should contact Kantor NathanBeethe at kantor.graceauburn@gmail.com or theycan call or text him at (989)460-8014.

Youth Pizza / Topic / Activity Sunday, September 15 – 12:15 p.m. – CTK

Following pizza and a topic discussion at CTK wewill go to the SAC for some activity about 1:30 p.m.Parent pickup will be at the SAC by 5:00 p.m.

Update from the EldersThe elders have been reassigned. Check the listbelow to see who you may call with questions,concerns, or other issues.

Last Name (letter) ElderA - Bl Richard HarlessBo – Cl Rod DentCo – De Kyle CampDr – Go Todd GreenleeGr – J Luke EppleK – Ma Brian TiceMc – O Wayne KieferP – R Ryan RollinS – Z Dale GustThe list is also posted on the bulletin board at bothZion and CTK.

You are also urged to sign the Red Bookslocated on each pew every time you attend

church.

Page 7