Upcoming Events
The Upper Room Annual Devotional Books are back in stock!! These annual devotional books are different from the bi-monthly ones. These are great gifts, especially for people who can't get out. If you can't make it to visit them, they will have their devotionals!! We have regular print and one large-print edition. Suggested donation is $15.00. There are donation envelopes in the books. You can put your envelope in the collection plate at service, or in with the Upper Room donations. You can also bring your donation in to the office or mail it! Mail to: Zion UCC, PO Box 10, Baroda, MI 49101. These went super-fast last time and I won't be ordering anymore unless I have enough requests, so get yours while you can!! Sundays Worship Service 9:00 am Everyone is welcome at our services!! If you are new to the neighborhood, come on in!! Even if you do belong to another faith, you are welcome to come to our services, make new friends, find out where things are, and pray with us until you find your church. As they say in the movie "Steel Magnolias" - God don't care which church you go to, as long as you show up! Mark your calendars!! February 5, 2023!! Rev. Dr. Lillian Daniel, our Michigan Conference Minister, will be out to pray with us at Zion UCC!! Come out and meet her and wish her the best of luck in her new role!! January Jan. 25 Hand Bell Rehearsal 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm Choir Rehearsal 7:15 - 8:15 pm Jan. 29 Worship Service 9:00 am February Feb. 5 Worship Service 9:00 am Guest Pastor - Rev. Lillian Daniel - the Michigan Conference Minister will give a sermon!! Now's your chance to come and meet her!! Sunday School 10:15 - 11:15 am Feb. 9 Hand Bell Rehearsal 6:00 - 7:00 pm Choir Rehearsal 7:15 - 8:15 pm Feb. 12 Worship Service 9:00 am No Sunday School Feb. 14 Soup Kitchen Prep Contact Elaine Jotzat at elainejotzat@gmail.com Valentine's Day Feb. 15 Soup Kitchen Serve Contact Elain Jotzat Feb. 16 Hand Bell Rehearsal 6:00 - 7:00 pm Choir Rehearsal 7:15 - 8:15 pm Feb. 19 Worship Service 9:00 am Sunday School 10:15 - 11:15 am Feb. 23 Hand Bell Rehearsal 6:00 - 7:00 pm Choir Rehearsal 7:15 - 8:15 pm Feb. 26 Worship Service 9:00 am No Sunday School 
The Ladies' Fellowship will meet again in March of 2023 in the Narthex. Our Cookie Walk was a huge success! Karen Harner and myself cannot Thank everyone enough for all those who baked, helped in setup/takedown, and supported the cookiewalk!! What an great group of church family and supporters we have in our area!! Thank you to all the ladies who were able to make it to the Ladies' Fellowship Christmas Party. It was a very enjoyable time! Special thanks to Jared for playing the piano for our Christmas Hymn Sing, such a talented young man. Thank you to all the Ladies for your hard work and a special thank you to our officers: Marcia Koehler (co-president) Delores Felton (Treasurer) and Debbie Keenan (Secretary). Ladies Fellowship will be putting together a yearbook for 2023, we have a few spots open: Chairperson for Soup and Salad Luncheon Chairperson for Visitation Outreach Chairperson for Bus Trip Communion Committee 2 people for July thru September and a helper for Elaine Jotzat (April thru June) There is a sign-up sheet on the communication desk for alter flowers, if you have questions, please see Diane Dasse. Ladies Fellowship is also looking for program speakers (or topics). If you have an interest in doing a presentation or know of someone who would, please let Marcia Koehler or Diane Dasse know. We hope to see all you Ladies in March! God's Blessing, Marcia Koehler and Diane Dasse We have many programs and activities throughout the year!! The Church picnic in June, the Rally Day in September, displays in the chapel, Rummage Sales, Bake Sales, and many other opportunities to help. If you would like to help with any of our activities, please contact us and let us know your interest and hours of availability. Contact Diane Dasse at sdsnowbabies@hotmail.com or Marcia Koehler at emkohler@att.net for more information! You don't have to join in order to help. ALL help is appreciated!! |
Mark your Calendars!!
Our own Michigan Conference Minister will be out to pray with us at our worship service on Feb. 5, 2023!! Rev. Dr. Lillian Daniel will be here to give a sermon and meet everybody! Make sure to get it on your calendar! Come out, say hello, and make her feel at home!! 
Worship GuidelinesThe MLG, Pastor Cal, and many of us are continuing to review our COVID-19 Guidelines.
We mourn with those who have lost loved ones due to this virus, or are currently suffering from it or its many impacts. May God and God’s people surround and comfort you. Currently, our sanctuary and church building are open on Sunday mornings. We are also open for other events by request. The church office is open as well. We have resumed coffee hour in the narthex after Sunday worship. We have taken down the dividers from the pews, and put Bibles and Hymnals back, and resumed singing together. Let us enjoy worshipping and fellowshipping in old and new ways together! While we are grateful to be able to do many of the things we love to do again, we continue to recommend following health department guidelines. Please take precautions to protect yourself and others, as well as respect one another’s boundaries. It is always a good idea to allow personal space between yourself and others, and ask before engaging in physical contact. Please leave the aisles and doorways into and out of the sanctuary and building clear, so that people are able to enter and exit easily. If you have been in our building and test positive, or learn you have been exposed to Covid-19, please notify the church so we can respond accordingly. Thank you for understanding and respecting these guidelines, which are in place to protect our neighbors and ourselves. Please contact us if you have any specific questions or requests: zionuccmlg@gmail.com Grace and Peace, Pastor Cal Nevenzel & The Ministry Leadership Group (MLG): Brian A, Moderator George S, Vice Moderator Carolyn S, Treasurer Matt S, Secretary; Ed K; Jess M Contact Us:
Rev. Calandra Nevenzel - Pastor pastorcalandra@gmail.com Sue S. - Office Manager zionuccbaroda@gmail.com Blue Ribbon Books - Accounting zionuccbaroda@gmail.com Douglas Macomber - Music Director zionuccbaroda@gmail.com Beth J. - Christian Education bethj@gmail.com Office Hours: Mon-Thur: 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. Letter from Pastor Cal
Dear Beloved of Zion UCC,
Wednesday, Feb.22 marks the beginning of the Lenten season with Ash Wednesday, as we prepare to journey to Jerusalem with Jesus. I am so glad to share with you that our journey this season will be Lookin’ For Love in All the Wrong Places by Worship Design Studio. Have you ever played Scrabble? If you have, you likely drew a hand of letters at some point that didn’t easily spell out anything right away. You had to search for opportunities to connect with a missing piece to make sense of what you had in your hand. Lent has traditionally been a time of searching for what’s missing. This year, we will admit that we have often been “lookin’ for love in all the wrong places,” as the song goes, and we will hear what the scriptures have to say about where love can truly be found. We come with our hearts open, our minds awake. During the season of Lent this year, Zion UCC will also be running our Stewardship campaign, titled “Beloved, Love.” Listen and Look out for materials and a stewardship letter and more throughout the season. This will connect with our Lenten journey to love, and to guide us in our journey, I encourage you to pick up the book “Money Matters: Faith, Life, and Wealth" by R. Paul Stevens and Clive Lim in the narthex. Suggested donation to cover cost is $25. Please do not let cost hinder you, and let me know if you need me to get one to you. Then join us for group discussion. Check out the details on this and other upcoming events below! In Peace and Gratitude, Pastor Cal Nevenzel 219-252-0378 pastorcalandra@gmail.com Schedule a meeting with me: https://calendly.com/cnevenzel Lent & Stewardship Book Study Grab your copy of Money Matters: Faith, Life, and Wealth from the narthex after the service on January 29 (suggested donation $25), and join us for reflection and discussion every Wednesday in March @ 6pm. in the Narthex. All are welcome. Please read the Intro thru Chapter 2 for March 1. Ash Wednesday Events Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the 40 days of Lent. To humble ourselves and be reminded of our own mortality, we are marked with the sign of a cross with ashes. We have two ways you can join us for Ash Wednesday this year on Wed. Feb.22. Drive-thru Ashes: Come and drive-thru at the front door of Zion UCC to receive your mark of ashes and a brief blessing anytime between 12-1pm. All forms of transportation welcome! Interactive Ash Wednesday Experience: This year, we join with our sister church Zion St. Joe in an interactive Ash Wednesday Experience. Feel free to drop by anytime between 5:00 - 7:00 pm. The address is 3001 Veronica Dr, St. Joseph, MI 49085 |