Pastor Chris Kumpula - May 25, 2023
Memorial Day marks a year since our first visit to Zion. We have truly experienced God's blessing and His grace through an incredibly challenging season of transition. We sold our home in MN, moved to Tioga, welcomed baby Zach into our life, and walked through a heart surgery.
God has seen us through. He has also seen Zion through the last year of transition as we near completion of this major phase of construction of a new facility. God has directed, God has provided, and God has blessed.
A year after our first days "scanning for signs of life" in a new home world, there's much to reflect upon.
I share the excitement of our lay leadership for the future of Zion. God is at work in the community and in our congregation. Whether celebration or loss, we've experienced what it means to be a member of Zion: to serve in the light, hope, and love of Jesus.
To see the servants of God so passionate to win and nurture precious eternal human souls for Jesus, one sees no end to the opportunity. I believe God will honor our prayerful preparation with slow-growing and long-lasting fruit.
We want to share our freedom in Christ and cultivate a living life of faith. To that end, we continue our labors along five mission practices:
1 - REACH Zion’s Neighbors
2 - WELCOME Zion’s Visitors
3 - ENGAGE Zion’s Worshippers
4 - CONNECT Zion’s Members
5 - PREPARE Zion’s Disciples
These five practices reflect the biblical disciple-making habits of Jesus to deliver His life-changing love. They help remind us of what we're doing and who Jesus has called us to serve: neighbors, visitors, worshippers, members, and disciples.
Jesus went out of His way to reach those who were written-off by others. Jesus demonstrated great hospitality towards outsiders. Jesus shaped and pointed hearts of worship toward God. Jesus diligently built relationships. Jesus constantly invested in forming growing and serving disciples.
I hope that with each year that passes, we recognize more and more that we're simply doing "Jesus stuff," and doing it well.
On the way to Zion,
Pastor Chris
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