Hilltop Headlines
November 13, 2022
Great News to Share
Rev. Zach McIntosh, executive pastor at Concordia Lutheran Church in San Antonio, has accepted the call to become the new senior pastor at Zion. This is exceptionally good news for the congregation, not only to get a new pastor on the first call but to have someone of such caliber agree to take the senior pastor position. Pastor Zach sent the note below. It news is being released to Concordia San Antonio at 1:30 PM today (Friday). Pastor and his wife Melody and their two children (Hope and Hayden) will be moving to the area in early January. It is likely we will have an installation in mid-January.
We pray for the members of Concordia San Antonio as they prepare for this change in ministry leadership. Please keep them in your prayers. Melody also teaches at Concordia, so this is a double loss for that congregation.
Keep the McIntosh family in your prayers in the coming weeks as we prepare to welcome them to our family of faith. It likely will be difficult for them to leave their current congregation and school after a lengthy ministry, but your warmth and love will be especially important for the McIntosh family during the transition.
PRAISE GOD from whom all blessings flow!
FROM PASTOR ZACH
November 11, 2022
To my brothers and sisters in Christ at Zion:
I am excited to write and tell you that, after seeking guidance from Christ’s Spirit through much prayer, struggle, counsel, and reflection, Melody and I have decided to accept the call to serve as pastor at Zion Walburg!
In just two short visits, we have grown to love Zion and are excited about what God is doing at and through this ministry. The opportunities – and challenges – are immense. We have come to believe that the Holy Spirit is calling us to pursue these opportunities and tackle these challenges together.
Zion, you are an incredible congregation. Your staff is wonderfully talented and deeply faithful, your ministries are thriving and joyfully outgrowing their current facilities, and your vision of what lies ahead as Georgetown and Jarrell continue to grow is compelling.
As it is any time a pastor is deliberating between two calls, this has not been an easy decision to make. Melody and I have served in our calls to Concordia for over 14 years. We have gotten front row seats to the amazing ways God has worked in this ministry. It will be very difficult for us to leave these seats and watch from afar. Please pray for Concordia as she moves into her next chapter.
Please also pray for us as we begin our transition. Now comes a crush of details and responsibilities – from packing, to selling our home, to moving, to finding a new place and becoming more familiar with our new community. This will all be daunting to navigate, but exciting to watch unfold. Please pray that the Spirit would help and guide us.
Even as I ask for your prayers, I offer you mine. I am praying for my new spiritual family. Together, God will work in us and through us “to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20)!
In Christ,
Zach McIntosh
Zach McIntosh, Executive Pastor
Concordia Lutheran Church
16801 Huebner Road
San Antonio, TX 78258
210.479.1477 ext. 1008
Serving this Week
8am:
Organist: Jim Marriott
Elders: Roy Capdeville, Jaime Urias
Greeter: Debbie Teinert
Audio: Clay Braun
Tech Director: Cody Stephens
10:45am:
Elders: Chad Mathews, Bert Holmstrom
Greeters/Ushers: Lisa Barton, Gwen Glover, Tyler Glandorf, Stephanie Zinsmeyer
Parking Lot/Golf Cart: Mark Kinard
Hilltop Cafe': Darlene Zinsmeyer
Communion Assistants: Robert Glover, Steve Cashio, Todd Glandorf
Connections Coordinator: Jenny Kinard
Presentation: Jen Jordan
Camera: Chad Mathews
A Return of Our Blessings
Offerings/Electronic Giving:
Home $20,930.; General $8,361.32; Cemetery Fund $15; Annual Fund $280; Wurstbraten $1,005; Landscape Improvement Fund $100; Missions $5; Braille $5; Learning Legacy Endowment $105; Capital Campaign $280; Sunday Attendance: 8am - 121; 10:45am - 254.
10% of General Funds go to the following organizations: TX Dist LCMS, The Caring Place, CHS Round Rock, Water Mission, The Locker, Camp Lone Star, Driving Hope of Texas, Brookwood in Georgetown and Concordia University: $929.04
From Your Pastors
What a great start to the week on Zion's Hilltop! The blessing of some soaking rains giving way to sunshine and the celebration of Zion's 50th Wurstbraten! A big word of thanks to all the hands that helped along the journey this year, especially Steve Cashio and Dan Cowen for leading the charge. Wurstbraten really is a team effort that fosters great unity and fellowship within the congregation!
Our current message series focused on spiritual gifts conclusions this Sunday. God has gifted every member with “spiritual” gifts that can be used in service to the Lord to help spread the Good News of Jesus and grow the Lord’s family of believers. This Sunday, Pastor Dave will look at the gift of “Teacher” in the life of the congregation. We welcome to the hilltop again the Rev. Dr. Jim Marriott as our organist for early service. And we continue to give thanks for the gifts and talents shared through Zion's Praise team! If you believe the Lord has provided you with musical gifts that our Praise team could use, let us know. There will be some new faces sharing their musical talents at late service in the coming weeks. Next Sunday is the last Sunday of the church year. We will begin Advent on Nov. 27. NOTE: there will be a Thanksgiving Eve communion service on Wednesday, Nov. 22 at 7 PM in the Sanctuary.
Bible study opportunities continue between services this week. Pastor Dave continues a study on Job in the sanctuary at 9:30 AM. Kids Connect takes place in the gym. A study on the Catechism marches forward in the parlor. Activating Your Spiritual Gifts (Arts/Science Lab) with Pastor Kevin is on a one-week pause and will continue back up on November 20.
Please keep your pastors informed on how we can serve you and your family. Call (512.863.3065) or email the church office (church@zionwalburg.org) with any news to share. And if you need to miss a Sunday, you can always view the messages and worship services archived on our website: www.zionwalburg.org. See you Sunday!
THE LESSONS THIS SUNDAY – Proverbs 22.6, 2 Timothy 3.1-17 , Matthew 5.1-16
Pastor Kevin & Pastor Dave
Kids Connect Reminder
Just a reminder that there will be NO Kids Connect November 20 for Thanksgiving Break.
Nominations needed!
The Nominating Committee is looking for Candidates to fill openings on the following Boards: President, Vice President, Elders, Parish Education, Stewardship, Missions, Christian Education and Trustees. Zion Nominating Committee seeks your participation. If you are interested in serving, please contact a Nominating Committee member :
Bert Holmstrom 512-635-0647
Yvonne Miller 512-818-2884
Stephanie Zinsmeyer 512-868-7802
Dan Cowan 817-992-1138
Bluegrass Worship November 20
Join us is in worship and praise of God on Bluegrass Gospel Sunday, November 20 during the 10:45am service. Invite a friend or neighbor to join you!
Danke Schön!
The Wurstbarten Committee thanks all the members and guests who helped make the 50th Annual Wurstbraten possible. To God be the glory!
Voters Meeting November 13
Poinsettias To Adorn Sanctuary
Poinsettias are $12.00 each.Make checks payable to Zion Lutheran Church. You may leave your check in the Church Office. Poinsettias will adorn the Sanctuary Sundays, December 25 and January 1.
Deadline to order is Monday, November 21. See order form in the button below or in the Narthex/Lobby.
Evening Circle Ladies Group
ALL ladies are invited to join the Evening Circle LWML ladies group Monday, November 14 at 6:30pm in the Parlor. The group will be sewing shawls for all residents in Will-O-Bell Nursing Home, Bartlett. NO sewing skills are needed…easy instructions will be given! Come enjoy this special opportunity to join other women in fellowship while serving others at the same time. Contact Joy Cowan with any questions 817-229-8151.
Photography Interest?
The Board of Stewardship is looking for a photographer, or folks with an interest in photography, to be available to take family portraits a couple of Sundays in December and one Sunday in January. The photos will be used to update the online directory in Realm, and will also be used in an updated print directory to be released early next year. If available to help, please contact Jessica Preston at (512)590-2883 or at jessica.rosenbam@gmail.com.
FRUITCAKE & CINNAMON PECAN SALE
Those delicious Fruitcakes and Cinnamon Pecans made by Gladys’ Bakery of Weimer will be available for purchase at Zion on November 20 and 27:
1 lb. loaf cake $18.00
1 lb. pkg. Cinnamon pecans $21.00
2 lb. loaf cake $27.00
1 lb. tin Cinnamon pecans $23.00
2 lb. tin cake $29.00
(You will select your items, and then pay the amount due to the cashier.)
For those unable to come in person to purchase something, please contact Peggy Turnipseed at 512-413-1113 and make arrangements to get your order.
A Thrivent Action Team grant of $250.00 has been received. This fundraiser will again assist Zion’s Lutheran Braille Workers’ Mission Center in purchasing supplies to make Books of the Bible. Your purchase is a tremendous benefit to our Braille ministry!!
Cards for Sale
Thanksgiving, Friendship, Miss You and many other cards are available at the Card Ministry cabinet located by the Church Nursery. Boxed cards are $6.00, individual cards are $0.50. Christmas cards will be available in November. Thank you for supporting Zion Evening Circle Lutheran Women’s Missionary League LWML.
Landscape Improvement Fund
The Board of Trustees are beginning the process to provide new landscaping within the asphalt driveways surrounding the Sanctuary/Worship Center (new building) to the South parking lot. The costs are estimated to be around $180,000. Therefore, the Landscape Improvement Fund will be created as a new church dedicated account to help fund these efforts. Please prayerfully consider donating to the Landscape Improvement Fund to help cover these costs to beautify Zion’s campus.
CONCORDIA CHANGE IN GOVERNANCE
Concordia University Texas has received permission to change its governance structure where the university would be solely governed by its Board of Regents rather than the bylaws of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. A notice was sent out this week sharing this decision with the members of the Texas District. The university will still be affiliated with the LCMS, but the change makes it possible for the university to make different decisions related to appointment of members to its Board of Regents and likely provides different financial options making it possible for the school to operate as an independent Lutheran education institution. This move had been discussed for many years. Other Concordias likely will follow this model in the future. This link will provide some information: https://www.concordia.edu/about/lutheran-identity.html. This link is a letter from the CTX president: https://www.concordia.edu/about/PRES-Memo-11.8.22.pdf. The university will share more information in the coming months.
The Lutheran Hour
"A Son Is Given" - Advent Devotions from LHM
In "A Son Is Given", an Advent devotional booklet from Lutheran Hour Ministries, we look at the promise of God to send His Messiah as fulfilled in Jesus. Our heavenly Father made good on His ancient pledge. In Jesus, we see the love of God come to earth in the form of a Child, the Savior of the World.
Go to lhm.org/advent to download the Advent devotions or subscribe to receive them daily in your inbox. You can also listen daily through Spotify, iHeart Radio, Alexa, or Google Home. Or, download the LHM devotions app on your iPhone to read or listen daily! These Advent devotions are a perfect way to focus on God's promises this Advent season.
Sermon Schedule
Nov. 13
"Still Holding On"
Speaker: Rev. Dr. Michael Zeigler
God's judgement clears the way for God's new creation, in Christ. (Luke 21:28)
You can listen to The Lutheran Hour on KLBJ on Sunday mornings at 7 a.m. or online at lutheranhour.org, through a mobile app, and on new media platforms like Spotify, iHeartRadio, Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Sirius XM satellite radio.
Pastors: Kevin Hintze and David Kluth
Principal: Thomas Wrege
Church Office Hours: 8-4:00 Monday-Friday
Church Phone: 512-863-3065
School Phone: 512-863-5345 Fax 512-686-5807
6001 FM 1105, Georgetown, TX 7862