Rev. Dr. Eric L. Bodenstab, Pastor
pastoreric@zionsandusky.org
Carolyn Steinfeldt, ELCA Deacon
csteinaim@zionsandusky.org
Lori Harris, Office Administrator
loriharris@zionsandusky.org
Lori Wobser, Secretary
loriwobser@zionsandusky.org
Grace and peace to you from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is up to something here. Building on the seeds planted before I arrived, the people of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church help their neighbors in need in prayer, through their work, and by offering financial support to people here in Sandusky and Erie County, in Ohio, in the country, and across the world.
The Holy Spirit is up to something here. Through the challenges and difficulties of life, God still calls us to gather for worship, to receive the sacraments, and to support one another in our times of need. God is still gathering us into Zion for each other’s sake, for Jesus’ sake, and for the sake of the gospel.
The Holy Spirit is up to something here. You, taking a moment to read this message. Me, writing to you, whoever you are. This could just be coincidence, but it could also be God at work. The Holy Spirit is up to something here. Come and see!
Peace,
Pastor Eric
The Reverend Doctor Eric L. Bodenstab began serving Zion on March 16, 2017. He was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and attended Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics. He graduated from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary with his M.Div. and began serving congregations as their pastor. After participating in the Partnership for Missional Church in the Central States Synod, Pastor Eric left congregational ministry for a time to pursue his Ph.D. in systematic theology. During his studies he met his wife, Erin, whom he followed back into congregational ministry. You can explore his blog at www.theothru.net.
Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Sandusky, Ohio, was founded in 1852 by a group of German immigrants who started worshipping together in 1848.
If you’re in the area, consider yourself invited to come and worship with us. If you’re not in the area, you can listen to the live broadcast of our Sunday 10:30 a.m. service on 1450 WLEC through their live feed. You can also follow us on Facebook.
All women are invited to join together to celebrate their faith through the ZELCW Spring Fling held in May, the Thankoffering Worship Service held in November and the Advent celebration at the beginning of Advent.
Other opportunities include Eastern Conference events, Northwestern Ohio Synod gathers and Region 6 Spiritual Gatherings. All women are welcome to attend any of these events.
In addition, there are four circles who gather for a variety of studies.
Agape: Meetings are held the First Wednesday evening of the month at 7:00 p.m. in the Stellhorn Library at the church. This group uses Lutheran Woman Today as their study text.
Priscilla: Meetings are held the First Thursday morning of the month at 9:30 a.m. Locations are announced in the Zionews and weekly church leaflets. This group uses Lutheran Woman Today as their study text.
Book Connection: Meetings are held on the Fourth Wednesday of the month at 2:30 p.m. in the Stellhorn Library at the church. The book connection uses a designated book which is read ahead of time. They meet to discuss the book together.
Short Description of Services:
We gather to offer our thanks and praise to God on a regular basis.
On Saturdays at 6:00 p.m., we offer a relaxed service that uses songs from contemporary Christian music as a way to experience the presence of God. This service includes communion in the round and usually lasts an hour or less.
On Sundays we gather at 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. to worship in a liturgical style using songs from throughout the history of Christianity. While the order of these services is more stable, we do make changes to reflect the seasons of the Church year. Both of these services include communion and usually last between an hour and an hour and fifteen minutes.
Our three choirs regularly provide special music at one of the three regular services from September through May.
We do also offer special services based on the season of the Church year. Check our calendar for more information on those.
There are two opportunities to study the coming lectionary readings. Both are open to everyone.
First: Join Pastor Eric and Pastor Katie Suggitt every Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. @ Mr. Smith’s Coffee House, downtown Sandusky, as they lead a discussion on the lectionary readings for the coming weekend. All are welcome! Bring your Bible, a way to take notes (if you would like), and a willingness to discuss. Enjoy great coffee, fellowship, and discussion as we dig deeper into God’s Word. Weekly readings will be posted on Facebook for your convenience and will also be provided at the study.
Second: We also meet every Wednesday at 7:00 a.m. in the Stellhorn Library.
Lutheran World Relief
Northwestern Ohio Synod
Lutheran Outdoor Ministry of Ohio
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Christian Education Network of the ELCA
Firelands Lutherans Active in Mission (FLAMe)
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