Financial News Page 2

Birthdays and Anniversaries Page 3

Area WELS News Page 3

Zion Lutheran Church News Page 4

School Supply List Page 5

Principal’s Report Page 6

Church & School Calendar Page 7

Sam and Harry are two brothers who are able to see eye to eye on just

about everything. But every August, it seems that they have a hard time agree-

ing on anything. Whenever football season starts up, Sam and Harry are al-

ways at odds. Though these two men had been born brothers, they grew up

rooting for different teams. And whenever their rival teams play each other,

Sam and Harry leave the stadium with very different views of the same game.

In many ways, Christians and non-Christians are able to see eye to eye

when it comes to the ways of the world. Most people, no matter what their be-

liefs may be, like to be treated fairly, to have a feeling of personal security, and

to have a sense of purpose in life. There are times, however, when a Chris-

tian’s view of this world can be very different than their neighbor’s. Often, it’s

the joys and woes of daily life that demonstrate the differences. Whether cele-

brating a milestone, or coping with a disappointment, or even facing death,

Christians and non-Christians can think, talk, and act very differently.

What makes a Christian ‘tick’? Why do believers look at their world

with such a different perspective? The answers to these questions reveal what

Christian faith is all about. While the world around them believes in things like

fairness, decency, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, a Christian be-

lieves in the God who is this world’s Maker, Savior, and Counselor. Simply by

speaking the words of a Creed, every Christian makes a powerful statement of

who they really are—not only in relationship to their world, but also in rela-

tionship to the God whose world it is.

When a non-Christian sees a lifetime’s worth of achievements as the

sum total of hard work or as simple dumb luck, the Christian sees the hand of

God. When a non-Christian sees a world filled with madness and uncertainty,

the Christian sees a world for which Christ died. When a non-Christian strug-

gles to see their purpose in life and where they ought to fit in the world, the

Christian sees God’s own Spirit at work.

Christians confess their faith in God. “This is the God who made me

what I am, gives me what I have, and who holds this whole world in his

hands!” Even if Christians and non-Christians can’t see the world eye to eye,

the truth of God is always in view.

For more Questions & Answers, go to www.WhatAboutJesus.com,

then Questioning God.

$24,476.49 May 2015 Offerings/ 4 Sundays, 1 Monday

-$2,995.50 minus memorials and non-budget offerings

$21,480.99 Offerings to pay 2014-2015 budget

$5,370.25 Offerings per week, 4 Sundays/ 1 Monday

$5,328.00 Offerings per week needed to pay budget

$42.00 Over/needed per week in May 2015

$264,375.53 July 1,2014 through May 31, 2015

-$20,869.44 minus memorials and non-budget offerings

$243,506.09 Offerings to pay 2014-2015 budget

$5,073.04 Offerings per 48 Sundays

-$5,328.00 minus needed to meet budget

$254.96 Under budget per week

$12,238.08 Under budget for 48 Sundays

June 28, 2015

$4,091.00

June 29, 2015

$673.00

July 5, 2015

$4,747.50

July 6, 2015

$561.00

July 12, 2015

$4,181.62

July 13, 2015

$490.00

July 19, 2015

$5,137.58

July 20, 2015

$360.00

When we discuss stewardship, we may immediately start to think of giving our time and money. Stew-

ardship certainly involves giving and serving, but, even more, our stewardship is incorporated into a way of

life. It does not consist of just isolated events. When God’s Word and love fill our hearts and minds, our stew-

ardship becomes a lifestyle. As a lifestyle, it defines who we are and what we do. It is our vocation. With

transformed hearts, we express our faith in the way we live our lives. Through faith, God provides motivation

and power to live the Christian life in a growing awareness of redeeming grace.

In defining stewardship, the Rev. W.H. Greever once wrote, “Christian stewardship is the practice of

the Christian religion. It is neither a department of life nor a sphere of activity. It is the Christian conception of

life as a whole, manifested in attitudes and actions.” Our faithful stewardship, as it reflects God’s love, be-

comes our approach to life. It is more being than doing. Our deeds of stewardship such as using time wisely or

helping the needy arise out of being stewards. Stewards are who we are. Stewardship is a whole life response

to God out of gratitude and thanksgiving for all of his love, goodness, and mercy. Theologian T.A. Kantonen

wrote, “The life of stewardship is nothing less than ‘total devotion’ to the Christ who is known as a real, living

personal presence in the hearts of believers, a genuine loyalty that is expressed not in mere opinion or senti-

ment but in character and conduct.”

It does not take talented people to be faithful stewards, but it takes all there is of us. It takes our total

commitment. Stewardship is our response to God’s abundant grace in all aspects of life. This faithful steward-

ship is only possible when we acknowledge our sinfulness and our forgiveness through faith in Christ. God

gives us faith so he can use us to carry out his plan, which is to save all people. Through the work of the Holy

Spirit, we acknowledge God in all things and in all places. As faithful stewards, we know that all we have be-

longs to him so we can give generously of our time, talents, and money.

- WELS Ministry of Christian Giving

Zachary Emmendorfer 8/2

Nicole Hedrich 8/2

Riley Hedrich 8/3

Samantha Wille 8/4

Lindsey Borucki 8/5

Ian Gross 8/6

Piper Turnwald 8/6

Karson Agnew 8/9

Gary Fall 8/9

Jerry Kukulis 8/9

Arthur Schroeder 8/9

Lawrence Thiel 8/10

Frank Rieder, Sr. 8/11

Jennifer Wiltsee 8/12

Theresa Jensen 8/13

Elaine Schoch 8/14

Kalie Lane 8/15

Marilyn Mose 8/15

Jean Gregory 8/16

Stephanie Hemesberg 8/16

Dennis Peters 8/18

Gregory Baker 8/21

Ryan Baker 8/22

Ferris Farmer 8/23

Scott Cohoon 8/24

Bernard Schoch, Sr. 8/25

James Miller, Sr. 8/26

Lynn Deming 8/27

Hazel Schoch 8/27

Wayne Barckholtz 8/28

Jeannie Gregory 8/30

Kristy Birchmeier 8/31

Daren & Tamara Quackenbush 8/1

Harold & Betty Blaine 8/7

Donald & Jean Gregory 8/10

Neil & Annette Schulz 8/10

Donald & Carla Krause 8/14

David & Paula Huggard 8/17

Thomas & Carol Sevech 8/17

Brian & Janice Rohac 8/25

Phil & Carol Schmiege 8/30

Every day matters, because every day is a blessing

from the Lord! Whether you are at work, on vaca-

tion, or have your hands full with the kids, make the

most of today. Northwestern Publishing House has

books and more to help you let your faith shine

wherever you are. Visit www.nph.net or call 1-800-

662-6022.

The Tri-City WELS Men’s Basketball League will

be hosting its first ever softball tournament on Au-

gust 22-23, 2015, and mem-

bers from Zion are encour-

aged to participate. It is open

to all WELS/ELS members,

high school and up. The price

is $100/team and includes

softballs, ASA umpires for

the championship round, and

great fellowship with many other area WELS

churches! The tournament will be played at Monitor

Township Park (4585 3 Mile Road, Bay City, MI

48706). Our roster and payment is due on August 8,

2015. If you are interested, please sign up on the

sheet provided on the bulletin board in the lobby of

church. If anyone is interested in being the contact

person for this event, please let Pastor Thomford

know. Thank you!

The MLS

Foundation invites you to wear an MLS jersey to the

first home football game of 2015, August 28, 2015.

There will be a drawing among all who wear a jersey

and register at the foundation table.

Michigan

Lutheran Seminary has received a $35,000 grant

from the MLS Foundation. The school has decided to

use this money for much needed renovation by the

triple door entrance and the gate to the athletic field.

They will also be replacing the checkerboard tile in

the 50’s wing. The hanging lights in the commons

have been removed and some of the more worn out

door will be replaced. There will also be new auto-

matic fire doors installed. We thank the Lord for

these generous donations!

Adalyn Flowers 8/31

Hannah Mose has joined the Zion faculty as the new church

and school secretary. She began work on July 15, 2015. She will work usual summer secretary hours (typically

Wednesday-Friday from 8:00am-4:30pm) until August, when she will resume full-time secretary hours. Han-

nah’s employment is overlapping with our current secretary’s employment for training purposes. Katie’s last

day of work will be on July 31, 2015. We rejoice that God has blessed our church with Hannah, and look for-

ward to her working with the faculty as the new church and school secretary!

The Zion tradition continues as we will be hosting a movie night on Friday,

August 7, 2015 starting at 7:00 p.m. There will be games and camp fire food until it gets dark and then we will

be showing the film Big Hero 6. We host this event to encourage soccer camp families to return to Zion for

more events and possibly learn about our school. This event is definitely open to everybody, so bring your

family and friends along for a fun night of fellowship! We hope to see you there!

Zion invites you to join us as we

host this year's church picnic in the evening! Events will be held at

school and will include a bonfire, supper, kids' games, and volleyball.

A timeline of events is as follows: 6:00 pm, supper begins. 6:30 pm,

bonfire begins. 6:45pm, kid’s events such as water balloon toss, relay

races, etc, begins. 8:00pm, kickball begins. 9:00 pm, volleyball, bas-

ketball or soccer begins. Please bring your own chairs, dish to pass

for the potluck, and drinks. We'll see you the evening of August 9th!

This year’s Zion camping weekend will be held August 21-23, 2015 at Bay City State

Park, home to a campground, nature center, and many walking & biking trails. The cost for two nights will be

$54, plus $11 if you need a State Park sticker for your vehicle. Activities and group meals will be planned

soon; please check the weekly announcements or website (www.zionlutheranwels.com) for that information in

the next few weeks. Campsites can be booked now! Call Jeff or Terry Barancik at 989.845.7777 for informa-

tion about which campsite to reserve to make sure you get a site close to other members. We look forward to

camping with you August 21-23, 2015!

Zion Lutheran Church and School gives thanks to an anony-

mous donor who gave a brand new lawn mower to the school. This gift will make lawn maintenance much

easier and more reliable in the future. Praise God for sending gracious people to take care of our needs!

We take Scripture seriously, of course, but God also gave us the ability to laugh. Enjoy these Biblical jokes:

Q: Who was the fastest runner in the Bible?

A: Adam. He was first in the human race. Q: Where is baseball played in the Bible?

A: Genesis 1:1 reads “In the big inning.” Then Eve stole first, and

Adam stole second. Cain struck out Abel, and soon everything was

rained out. Q: Who was the best financier in the Bible?

A: Pharaoh’s daughter. She went to the Nile bank and pulled out a lit-

tle prophet.

Q: What was Boaz like before he got married?

A: Ruthless.

Although students are probably still enjoying their summer, we’re already thinking

about next school year! School supply lists for the 2015-2016 school year have been published so that parents

may school shop at their leisure this summer. We can’t wait to see you all again in September!

In the final month before the 2015-16 school year begins, we at Zion recognize the blessings of serv-

ing in our Lutheran Elementary School. Our church and school is supported by a network of talented indi-

viduals who are motivated by Jesus' love to keep this ministry alive. This month's report recognizes the dif-

ferent forms of servitude at work in our congregation.

The ministry our school provides has reached dozens of families in our three decades of work, but

none of it would be possible without the financial support our church gives to the school. Affordable tuition

is available because our members subsidize over 90% of the actual per pupil cost for our member students.

Although we have a separate tuition level for non-member families, our congregation shows their desire to

bring in families from the community by subsidizing roughly 66% of their tuition. Large subsidies like this

show the excitement and dedication that our members have for offering Christian Education to member and

non-member families alike.

Our church and school also relies on the generosity of people who give their time and expertise.

Men and women who mow lawn, serve hot lunch, or repair our facilities are necessary for allowing our

workers focus on teaching and preaching. Over five acres of lawn, forty weeks of hot lunch, and countless

sports practices are possible because of volunteers. Zion Lutheran School relies on many unnamed servants

for leadership and service.

Our faculty also thanks the families of our church and school who support our ministry by attending

services, camps, and our elementary school. Spending your time and effort at Zion is a powerful message of

support. Our school may not be the most convenient education, but families who choose Zion believe in the

product of Christian Education – faith-filled children ready to do Christ's work as they grow into adults. We

rejoice in the greatest defining difference in our school: the opportunity we have to help parents raise God-

fearing children.

Soccer Camp – We thank all the volunteers who helped make soccer camp possible, and were proud

to serve over 90 children at the camp (50% of whom were new to the camp!).

Student school cleaning – We are asking for students in grades 4 and older to help shampoo the car-

pets of school on Wednesday, August 19, 2015 at 4:00 pm. Pizza supper will be provided! This

school cleaning project was typically done by parents, but at the ZEL meeting last April, parents

unanimously voted to have their children take over. :)

School Registration – Wednesday, August 26th from 3:00-7:00 pm.

Mower donated – We thank the family who stepped forward to donate a new 60” zero-turn Gravely

lawn mower. The timing couldn't have been better as our other mower broke down just a few days

earlier. God truly provides! Thank you!

Home soccer games – Zion will host three soccer matches on the same night (our team will play in

the first and third game). All members are encouraged to cheer on our soccer team on Friday, Sep-

tember 18. Game 1 begins at 4:30pm, Game 2 at 5:30pm, Game 3 at 6:30pm.

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Wednesday,

August 26, 2015

3:00-7:00 p.m. at

Zion

Lutheran School

8:00 & 10:00 a.m. Worship

7:00 p.m.