January 2012

Small Groups are still going strong at Zion. In 2012, prayerfully consider joining a Small Group to help you get more connected, discover your S.H.A.P.E. and find your place at Zion. Each Small Group has an empty chair policy, which means that there is a place for you. We especially invite those newcomers to our congregation to visit a Small Group. This is a great way to quickly get connected at Zion.

Small Groups help create healthy communities. They are a place where you can get to know others on a more intimate basis, share your stories, study God’s Word, serve others and find your place in the church.

In Christ’s service,

Your Shepherds: Alyce, Denny, Dave, Diana, Ethel, Peter, Amy, Mike & Camerone
Pr. Steve is forming a small group in the new year exploring “Grace”. All are welcome. If you are interested, please talk with Pr. Steve or contact him via e-mail at pastor@zelc.org.

December 2011

Community in Small Groups

Our Small Group Ministry has benefits. Diana and I have talked before about how Small Groups build community - that is one of the missions of any Small Group Ministry. So, community is happening at Zion. Diana and I have experienced community at work in a way that has impacted our lives.
How that has happened is really very simple. At the last Men’s Small Group that I was able to attend, I let the guys know that Diana and I would be moving soon, and if anyone had a truck and could help out, we would appreciate it. Now, I had a 24X40 garage packed with stuff, and Diana and I had packed up as much of the house as we could and still be able to live there. When it came time to move all of that stuff (over 100 boxes), my small group friends were there to help haul that “stuff” to our new home.
Then came moving day, and we had more help moving things I didn’t want the movers putting their hands on, so more trips from old house to new house. We are so thankful for the help we had, and those who helped us know who you are.
There is another story to tell, and, again it comes from the Men’s Small Group. We have a member of our group who is looking for work. That fact came up at one of our gatherings. I don’t have the details of what happened next, but another member of the group was able to start a process for employment. I can’t write any more about that as what is said in the group stays in the group, as that is part of our privacy covenant.
The point in all of this is that the mission of Small Group Ministry is building community, and these are two examples of community at work. Dave & Diana Robertson,
Small Group Administrators

November 2011 

Small Groups are meeting again after a summer vacation.  I can’t speak for the other groups, but our group getting back together was like coming home after a long trip, and as though we had never stopped meeting.  It’s good to be back with our friends.

This past month we had a visit from Ron Wrightson who visited with our Small Group Facilitators and a few members of council at the downtown Episcopal Retreat Center.  Some of the presentation was a review of things we studied last academic year, and Ron helped us revisit our vision of small groups and put that into some perspective of where we are and where we are going with this ministry.  We thank Ron for taking the time to travel from Michigan to be with us and guide us. 

Part of Small Group Ministry is that every group has an empty chair at each gathering.  This is an invitation for you to fill that chair and become a part of a smaller community within Zion.  There are no expectations other than a willingness to come and visit and see what our groups are about. 

Small Groups are becoming a fabric of life at Zion.  Almost every Sunday you hear Steve+ relate the Gospel to what is happening in Small Groups, and how Small Groups fit into the readings of the gospel and to the teachings of Christ.

There is an open chair for you. Dave & Diana Robertson

Church and Small Group Health
Diana and Dave Robertson, as Small Group administrators, attended a two-day seminar on Small Group Health. Below is a partial summary of what they came away with from the seminar. While the discussion below is centered on Small Group health, these same areas of discussion apply to our church at large. After reading this article, please take the time to reflect on where you are in these five areas in relation to your life at Zion.
Fellowship is the Social time at the beginning of each Small Group gathering, and any social gathering, such as a potluck or anytime the group gathers outside of meeting time. Fellowship can also be the celebration of birthdays, anniversaries, or any other personal special occasion.
Worship is opening and closing prayer, and the time you take to lift up those who are in need, and perhaps saying a prayer as we do in church for those in need.
Discipleship can be the time you spend on what study the group wants to do. You can plan ahead and decide what future studies will be. And studies can be bible based or life based (centered around scripture) or bible history based. Mixing up studies is a good part of discipleship. Giving of time, talent and personal recourses to Zion is discipleship.
Ministry can be serving your group, serving the church, doing outreach to a needy non-profit or helping a neighbor.
Evangelism The empty chair in a small group is a form of evangelism. Doing a Small Group study of Evangelism. Evangelism takes many forms and does not mean we have to go knocking on doors. Asking someone to join Small Groups or come to church at Zion is a good way to practice evangelism.
Having a balance between these five activities is what makes a Small Group and our church successful. All of these build community in the Small Group and at ZELC.