Journey to Growth at Zion (J2G@Zion)

The Spirit is moving at Zion!  Since the beginning of October, our congregational life and worship have focused on prayer and faith sharing.  We’re on a “Journey to Growth” at Zion, and many have already noticed changes that God is making in our faith lives as individuals and in our ministries as a congregation. 

Eight small groups, including ZYM (Zion Youth Ministry) and the ministry staff, have been meeting weekly to discuss the book, Unbinding Your Heart by Martha Grace Reese.  With the small group “guides” included, between 60 and 70 youth and adults are gathering to share faith stories and prayer for six weeks.   In addition to their time together, these individuals are participating in a 40-Day Prayer Journey involving daily prayer exercises for spiritual growth. 

Each Sunday, worshippers are included in the journey through a sermon series and children’s chats that highlight themes of prayer and evangelism.  In Sunday School, children are involved in special activities that teach ways to talk to God in prayer.  They have been given special tools to help them pray such as:  mealtime or bedtime prayer cubes, pray beads, and printed resources with simple prayer examples and practices to use at home.  A resource booklet for families was distributed at the beginning of October, and more copies of this resource and others are available on the “J2G@Zion” Table in the narthex by the mailboxes.

Prayer surrounds and undergirds everything at Zion during our journey. Each week, children, youth and adults are welcome to write prayers on “sticky notes” and place them on the Prayer Walls in the church education wing.  Also, individual prayer requests are welcomed by our J2G@Zion Prayer Team which meets weekly.  Forms for these requests are available on the table outside the Nave (worship area) near the “Prayer Request Box”, where they may be deposited.  Even our homebound members are involved!  Several of our “elders” are including special prayers for J2G@ Zion, our members and our congregation each day. 

A few highlights of the past weeks of J2G@Zion:

Pastor JMe used a garden hose as an analogy for how our relationships with God and our sisters and brothers at Zion through prayer and faith-sharing connects us to the flowing, living waters  of the Holy Spirit given through Baptism and fill us to overflowing with the desire to share our lives and faith with others.  Thankfully, she didn’t have the hose connected to a water source, or we would have really been “walking wet.”

Every pew was emptied for the Prayers of the Church during the 10:30 service on Oct. 20 when all went “down to the river to pray” by gathering around the altar rail.

Before beginning the October meeting of the Congregation Planning Council, the group of leaders spent 20 minutes in prayer for one another and the church.  It was powerful!  Shall we try 30 minutes the next time?

Prayer Walls in the education wing hallways are filling up with sticky note prayers written by members of all ages.

Shy Lutheran Christians are actually sharing faith stories with and praying out loud for one another!  Many had never done this before. Now they are doing this every week!

Stay tuned for more highlights and stories of the power of prayer and growing together in Christ during the next portion of this leg of our Journey to Growth at Zion.  Better yet, come and grow with us!