Festival of Friendship

February 17, 2019

Mt. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church

320 Mt. Zion Dr., Ripon, WIwww.mtzionripon.org

Facebook: Mt. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church

Pastor Michael SheppardPastor’s Study: 920-748-9734

Cell: 920-745-0883E-mail: revmikesheppard@gmail.com

Welcome to Mt. Zion!

We are happy that you are joining us for worship! Please sign the Friendship Pad located on the pew at the center aisle. If you are visiting with us today please list your full name and home congregation. As you leave worship today, please hand the sheet to the ushers. We look forward to worshiping with you again. If you have any questions about our congregation, you may speak with Pastor Sheppard or contact him by phone or email.

Parents of little children: The Ladies’ Aid has assembled bags for the children to use during the church service. The bags are located in the hallway by the men’s and women’s restrooms. Please return them at the end of the service. Enjoy!

Handicapped accessible restrooms are located upstairs next to the Pastor’s Study and downstairs next to the elevator.

Festival of Friendship Sunday February 17, 2019

We Worship The Lord

Welcome

Call to Worship

M: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you.

C: And also with you.

Hymn: On Eagles’ Wings CW: 440

We Confess Our Sins To God

M: We have come into the presence of God, who created us to love and serve him as his dear children. But we have disobeyed him and deserve only his wrath and punishment. Therefore, let us confess our sins to him and plead for his mercy.

C: Merciful Father in heaven, I am altogether sinful from birth. In countless ways I have sinned against you and o not deserve to be called your child. But trusting in Jesus, my Savior, I pray: Have mercy on me according to your unfailing love. Cleanse me from my sin, and take away my guilt.

M: God, our heavenly Father, has forgiven all your sins. By the perfect life and innocent death of our Lord Jesus Christ, he has removed your guilt forever. You are his own dear child. May God give you strength to live according to his will.

C: Amen.

We Thank The Lord For His Forgiveness

Hymn: Just As I Am, Without One Plea CW: 397 v. 1,2,6

1. Just as I am, without one plea But that they blood was shed for meAnd that thou bidd’st me come to thee, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

2. Just as I am, and waiting not To rid my soul of one dark blot,To thee, whose blood can cleanse each spot, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

6. Just as I am; thy love unknown Has broken ev’ry barrier down.Now to be thine, yea, thine alone, O Lamb of God, I come, I come.

Prayer of the Day:

M: Let Us Pray.

Lord God, in mercy receive the prayers of your people. Grant them the wisdom to know the things that please you and the grace and power always to accomplish them; through Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

C: (sung) Amen.

We Listen To God’s Word

The First Lesson Deuteronomy 30:1-10

When all these things come upon you, both the blessing and the curse that I have given you, and you take them to heart while you are among all the nations to which the LORD your God has banished you, 2and when you return to the LORD your God and listen to his voice with all your heart and soul, in every way that I am commanding you today, you and your children, 3then the LORD your God will restore you from your captivity. He will have compassion on you, and he will gather you together again out of all the peoples where the LORD your God has scattered you. 4Even if your banished people are at the end of the heavens, the LORD your God will gather you together there and take you away from there. 5The LORD your God will bring you back to the land that your fathers possessed, and then you will possess it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers.

6The LORD your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, with the result that you will live.

7Then the LORD your God will place all these curses on your enemies and on those who hated you and persecuted you. 8Once again you will listen to the voice of the LORD, and you will carry out all of his commands that I am giving you today.

9The LORD your God will cause you to be overflowing with good things from all the work of your hands, in the fruit of your womb, in the fruit of your animals, and in the fruit of your soil. For once again he will rejoice over your prosperity, just as he rejoiced over your fathers, 10when you obey the voice of the LORD your God by keeping his commandments and his statutes written in this Book of the Law, when you return to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

The Psalm Psalm 1, hymnal page 64

The Second Lesson II Corinthians 12:7-107Therefore, to keep me from becoming arrogant due to the extraordinary nature of

these revelations, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me, so that I would not become arrogant. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that he would take it away from me. 9And he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, because my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will be glad to boast all the more in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may shelter me.

10That is why I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For whenever I am weak, then am I strong.

The Verse Of The Day Alleluia. “Lord, to whom will we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Alleluia. (John 6:68 EHV)

Senior Choir Song “In the Valley Flows a River”

Flowing with impressions of grace, this song of devotion is a musical reminder of God's blessings. Rain Sticks -  Mary Clement and Kari Hielke

The Gospel Lesson Luke 6:17-2617He went down with them and stood on a level place with a large crowd of his

disciples, and a large number of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, as well as from the coastal area of Tyre and Sidon. These people came to listen to him and to be healed of their diseases. 18Those who were troubled by unclean spirits were also cured. 19The whole crowd kept trying to touch him, because power was going out from him and healing them all.

20He lifted up his eyes to his disciples and said: Blessed are you who are poor, because yours is the kingdom of God. 21Blessed are you who hunger now, because you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, because you will laugh. 22Blessed are you whenever people hate you, and whenever they exclude and

insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man. 23“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy because of this: Your reward is great in

heaven! The fact is, their fathers constantly did the same things to the prophets.

24But woe to you who are rich, because you are receiving your comfort now. 25Woe to you who are well fed now, because you will be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, because you will be mourning and weeping. 26Woe to you when all people speak well of you, because that is how their fathers

constantly treated the false prophets. The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version® (EHV®) copyright © 2018 The Wartburg Project.

All rights reserved.www.wartburgproject.org

Hymn Speak, O Savior; I Am Listening CW: 283

Sermon II Corinthians 12:7-10 God’s Love Is Sufficient For Us.

We Make Known What We Believe

Apostles’ Creed

Offering Please sign the Friendship pads!

Offering Hymn: Evening and Morning CW: 430

We Make Our Requests of the Lord.

Prayers

Prayer Requests: Steve Kemnitz, Benji Niemuth, Alexee & Chandler Nitzke and Lyle Strook

The Lord’s Prayer

C: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Hymn: Be Still, My Soul CW: 415

We Leave With The Lord’s Blessing

The Benediction

M: The Lord bless you and keep you,The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.The Lord look on you with favor and give you peace.

C: Amen.

Hymn: May We Your Precepts, Lord Fulfill CW: 458

Announcements

You’ve got mail! Please check your mailboxes!

Mt. Zion has a new updated website! It is mobile friendly! Please check it out!!

Council Openings: We currently have two open positions on the Church Council: Evangelism Elder and Worship Elder. If any voting member is interested in either position please talk to Mark Roeder, Tim Lynch or Pastor Sheppard.

We need you! Our tenor and bass sections of our senior choir need more men to help us sing!! Just talk to Kathy Schaub or just come to choir on Wednesday at 6:15 pm !!

Seminary Pantry: From now until March 17th we will be collecting items for the Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary pantry. Please see the insert in this week’s bulletin.

“To The Ends of the Earth” DVD: The latest WELS Evangelism DVD is available free of charge. Please feel free to share with your relatives and friends, especially those who are unchurched.

Newcomers’ Potluck will be held at 11:30 am on Sunday, February 24. Please bring a dish to pass. Council members are to bring two dishes to pass and work in the kitchen. New members who joined Mt. Zion in 2018 were sent a letter inviting them. Please encourage them to join us and then stay for the pine car races!

Pine-Car Derby: will take place on Sunday, February 24 after the Newcomer’s Potluck. There are car kits available if any child or adult would like to make a car to race. Talk to Rick Niemuth to get your car or pick one up next to the “Peace Scrip Table.” Ken Hielke has offered to help anyone who wants to make one and are without the correct tools needed, but will only be able to do so until February 20 th. Weigh-in of cars will be Saturday, Feb. 23 from noon until 2 pm in the basement. If you can’t make that time, please call Rick Niemuth to schedule another time. (920-810-2242)

Milk Moola Fundraising Is Ending: Kwik Trip will soon be ending the Milk Moola fundraising program. Peace school need to have the last redemption postmarked by March 31, 2019. So, if possible, please bring them to church by March 15, or drop them off at Peace, so they can process them. Thank you for your support!

WLA Drama: Please see the bulletin board for posters announcing the the next WLA play “Holder Posey, The Felonious Photographer…” on March 8 and 9.

The Helping Hands Ministry is ready to serve the needs of our members. If you have a need you can contact Joanne Gregor at 920-896-1518, Lisa Tremore at 920-229-1297 or Tammy Niemuth at 920-299-0240. We will get in touch with you as soon as possible. We are still looking for more Helping Hands. Survey forms can be found on the table by the windows as you enter church.  “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10).

Greetings from our Befriend A MissionariesDear Friends in Christ,

WOW!!! Thanks you so much for your awesome words of encouragement, support, and prayer in all

of the Christmas cards you sent. What a fun Surprise!!!Our kids loved opening them with us. thank you for thinking of us and reaching out in that special way. We had a great Christmas celebration and are getting ready for an outreach event to celebrate Chinese New Year. We pray that God blesses your ministry throughout 2019.

In Christ, Pastor Geoff and Alicia Cortwright, Silas, Hannah, and Mica Saviour of the Nations, Vancouver, BC, Canada Dear All,

Thank you so much for your cards and information. Thank you so much for your support both spiritual and physical. Nongkhai’s mission is a blessing. Please continue to keep us in your prayers.

May God bless you all. Tom and Kay Chaleunsouk NONGKHAI, Thailand

For Your InformationAttendance 2/10: 148 Communion: 121 Offerings: $ 3,087.00

(includes $150.00 for possible hearing loop)

Serving Our Lord Thank you to everyone for your service to our Lord!Greeters:

February 17 & 24 Brad Pick FamilyUshers:

February 17 Justen Niemuth, Ed Manske, Warren Schwandt, Derek Chitwood and Dick ZellmerFebruary 24 & March 3 & 6 Scott & Ethan Schuld, Dave Smith, Josh Niemuth and Bill Bitter

February Communion Set up: Joann GregorFebruary Communion Clean up: Donna Mueller & Sue Sheppard

This week at Mt. ZionSunday 9:00 AM Worship

10:15 AM Sunday School 10:15 AM Bible Study (Augsburg Confession)

Monday 7:00 PM Bible Study (Judges)Tuesday 9:00 AM Bible Study (Angels & Demons)

7:00 PM Men’s ClubWednesday 3:30 PM Assembling Newsletters

5:00 PM Confirmation Class6:15 PM Senior Choir

Saturday NOON Weigh in cars until 2 pm (downstairs)Sunday 9:00 AM Worship with Communion

10:15 AM Sunday School 10:15 AM Bible Study (Augsburg Confession)11:30 AM Newcomers’ Potluck (Pine car Derby to follow)

 Church Secretary: Doug Jahnke

Hours: M-Tu-W from 3:30-5:30 pm Church Office: 920-748-5641E-mail: mtzionripon@centurytel.net