MENDOTA ZION UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

Come, Share, Grow!

Described as a storyteller for the young and the young at heart, Kay Price has been tickling the ears of audiences of all ages & touching the souls of many with her humor and inspirational stories for over 15 years. She has visited Israel as a Christian storyteller, where she told Bible stories on site. Kay is a member of the Peoria Prairie Storytellers and performs at multiple events they hold during the year. She will come to Zion on Palm Sunday costumed as a 1st century women and tell us about that grand day as she saw it.  Listen to the tale come alive before your eyes.

A slightly shortened church service will begin at the regular time of 9:00am, followed by the storyteller's presentation. Plan to stay for a pot luck brunch in Fellowship Hall.  Invite friends and family to this unique way to celebrate Palm Sunday.

On a recent Sunday afternoon, the Fishers of Men (plus a few women) helped a local resident.  Illness had caused her to need some help in her apartment.  The team worked hard for several hours cleaning, organizing and fulfilling other requests.  It was an afternoon of hard work and satisfying accomplishment.  Zion's men's group, named "Fishers of Men" hopes to be of service again & invites other interested Zion members and friends to volunteer with us. The "Fishers of Men" usually meet on the 3rd Thursday of the month-but are skipping March due to the Men's Lenten dinner & other planned Lenten activites. Next meeting will be April 16th.

For more information about this service group call Eric Mede at 224/805-9514.

A collection to benefit "Imagine No Malaria" kicked off on February 22 and will continue through April. Your loose change can change lives.

During Lent, we'll be collecting loose change ( and bills & checks) to support the UMC's effort to eradicate Malaria in Africa.  Every 60 seconds, someone dies from Malaria in Africa.

This international project started as the "Nothing But Nets"mission to provide mosquito netting for families.  Now this program provides nets, health care training, and clinics to combat the disease and to fight the causes of Malaria, and in the process bolster the health care system in impoverished areas of Africa.

Malaria is a preventable and treatable disease that infects over 200 million people each year, killing 650,000 individuals, many of them children.  Malaria is contracted by being bitten by an infected mosquito.  The symptoms are like a severe flu, and if not treated within 24 hours, can be fatal.

The United Methodist Church has set a goal to raise $75 million to combat Malaria in Africa. Currently they have raised about 85% of that goal. The UMC operates 300 hospitals and clinics, and has distributed 2,800,000 mosquito nets with these funds, as well as providing health training and developed other efforts to eliminate the disease.

Zion UMC wants to do our part to "swat Malaria" by collecting our change and donations to reach our goal of $1,000 towards the "Imagine No Malaria" project.

On March 19th Zion will be hosting a fellowship meal at 6pm for all church members, friends, and family who would like to join us. Last month, Pastor Dee & Eric, hosted this ALL CHURCH fellowship meal, this month Dan & Sue Doyle are preparing Jambalya and sandwich fixings.

The 2nd Thursday of each month will be a time of community for Zion; March is the exception due to the Men's Lenten Dinner on March 12.  A time to come together as a congregation to break bread and enjoy each other's company. This will be followed by the Administrative Council meeting at 7pm.  Come for the Fellowship meal and stay for the church meeting, or just come for the meal.  All are welcome each month.  There will be "kid friendly food" for the little ones.

The Mission Committee is planning a day trip to Chatham, Illinois on July 7th to spend the day working at the Midwest Mission Distribution Center.  No skills are required to go on this trip, just be available and ready to spend the day preparing materials to be sent to needy people all over the world. You will have fun, fellowship, and you will want to go back !  Here are the details:

When : Monday, July 7, meet at the church at 6:45a.m.

Return : early evening

Bring : 1. Completed medical waiver form. 2. Sturdy shoes with closed toes. 3. A sack lunch.4. possibly some money to check out the gift shop that benefits international cottage industries.

Please sign up on the bulletin board if you are interested, and take a form to fill out, or talk to Bev Richardson if you have questions.

BREAKFAST and LUNCH for KIDS

We have donated 45 pounds of food for the kids lunch project so far !  We will continue to collect items for several Sundays throughout July:

individually packed main dish items ( pasta, soup, etc.) individually packed breakfast items and juice boxes are needed.

Items can be placed in the basket at the back of the sanctuary.

On June 12, five Zion members went to the Mendota Area Christian Food Pantry to pack these breakfast and lunch kits that will be distributed to hungry children during the summer months when school breakfast and lunch programs are not available.  Thanks to Fern Wangler, Carolyn Bond, Sue Doyle, Beth Browder & Bev Richardson for spending a morning on this project.

Many thanks for the generous donations of nickles, dimes, pennies & dollars that were collected for Heifer Project International in our Lent Loot jars.  An amazing $1160 was collected, which will be used to purchase a variety of animals to benefit needy families around the world, who will then share the offspring with neighbors who are in need.

The congregation's Heifer Project choices will include these gifts:

1 Heifer $500      1 goat $120    1 sheep $120    1 pig  $ 120

1 water buffalo $ 250    1 flock of chicks $20   Honeybees $ 30  

The mission Committee will be sponsoring a Lenten collection that will benefit the Heifer Project International in April.  This mission helps the neediest families throughout the world by providing farm animals that can provide food and a cash income.  Those who receive animals are then asked to share the offspring of that animal with another needy family, so that ultimately many families can benefit.

Start to collect your chnage now (and we will also accept money that folds as well !!)  Jars for collecting your Lent Loot will be distributed to each family at the beginning of Lent, and we will collect your change periodically to see how our fund is growing.  The more money we collect, the larger the animal we can donate !  Will we purchase some bees, or some chickens, or a goat, or a pig, or  . . .?  Watch for a display that will show our progress.

This Annual ecumenical event serves up a new menu featuring a selection of different Chili con Carnes & hearty soups.  Men are invited to enter a pot of their favorite Chili in the Blue Ribbon Chili contest. Call Eric Mede for more information, 224.805.9514. or  Zion UMC, 815.538-2186.

Please RSVP by March 17th.

Mendota Zion United Methodist Church "Fishers of Men" group is hosting the dinner & Zion Clarion Lutheran has invited the special guest speaker, Tom Odell.  Tom teaches Bible to grades 5-8 at Christian Academy in Princeton.  This is a kid friendly event, so bring your sons to enjoy good food and Christian Fellowship.  The popular pie auction plus free will offerings support the Mendota Area Ministerial Association.scholarship fund.

March 6  Martha Fouts

March 8  Herschel Tolley

March 10  Brayden Phalen

March 11 Trevor & Travis Chaon

March 12  Ruth Schnuckel

March 23  Marian Munson

& Happy Anniversary to : Matt & Gwen Vincent on March 22

Al & Dixie Archer on March 26th & Dave & Beverly Westerman on March 29th