Connecting Ministries
Women's Oasis
This group targets the young(er) women of Mt. Zion. They have monthly meetings on the last Thursday evening of the month, usually in the Hearth Room (behind the fireplace in the Gathering Space). They meet to talk, listen, pray, laugh, relax, and enjoy the time together to reflect on lives as women and children of God. Feel free to bring your favorite snack, dessert or bottle of wine. In addition to those meetings, they also gather for social events, movies, sporting events, and exercise. This group recognizes the crazy schedules that many women keep, so come when schedules permit, and enjoy the time set apart. There is childcare available upon request. For more information, contact Lisa Becher, Kristin Westrick, Melissa Stuczynski, or
Pastor Mohn.
Men's Ministry
The men of Mt. Zion gather often for fellowship, Bible study, service projects, sporting events/tailgates, and time to meet new guys. For more information about Men's Ministry, please contact Jim Stuczynski.
Love Circle
This group of women meets on the second Thursday of the month, at 1:00 p.m. for fellowship and education. Programs include speakers, Bible study, and touring facilities in the area. For more information, please contact Pat Grant.
Women's Retreat
Each fall, the women of Mt. Zion get together to recharge, learn, and get to know one another. The retreat takes place in the fall, usually September, and is a wonderful time to get away. For more information on the Women’s Retreat, please contact
Peg Pignolet.
Book Club
Mt. Zion’s Book Club meets on the 4th Monday of the month, at 7:00 pm; except for December and August. Meetings include an informal discussion of the book listed and light refreshments. Please contact Pat Campbell for more information.
Book List for 2008-2009:
September 22, 2008 — The Devil in White City by Erik Larson
Bringing Chicago circa 1893 to vivid life, Erik Larson's spellbinding bestseller intertwines the true tale of two men--the brilliant architect behind the legendary 1893 World's Fair, striving to secure America's place in the world; and the cunning serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims to their death.
October 27, 2008 — A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Francie Nolan was born in 1901. Her Brooklyn neighborhood was populated by a poverty-level mix of the two great waves of immigrants, the Irish and the Germans of the mid-19th century and the East European Jews and Italians who followed. Smith wrote our best depiction of this city's poor at the turn of the century.
November 24, 2008 — Dinner with a Perfect Stranger by David Gregory
Cynical but successful businessman Nick Cominsky accepts an invitation to join Jesus of Nazareth for dinner at a local restaurant. Nick is convinced it is a prank, but the man sitting across from him appears to be quite serious. A fascinating conversation that covers family relationships, world religions, and the afterlife, is recorded in this novella length parable.
February 23, 2009 — Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri
Ashima and Ashoke Ganguli are recent immigrants to Boston from India in 1968 when they give birth to their first child, a son. Gogul grows up as American as he can while his parents cling to their Bengali past while living what appears to be a typical American suburban lifestyle. Jhumpa Lahiri has written a novel about immigrant lives, families, and bonds that can never be broken.
March 23, 2009 — Lazarus Project by Aleksandar Hemon
In 1908, 19-year-old Lazarus Averbuch, a Jewish immigrant from Eastern Europe to Chicago, went to the house of George Shippy, the chief of Chicago police. Shippy shot and killed Averbuch, and accused Averbuch as a would-be anarchist assassin and foreign agent. Now, in the 21st century, a young Chicago writer Chicago, Brik, and his friend Rora retrace the story.
April 27, 2009 — My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
By age thirteen, Anna has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate. Questioning who she truly is, Anna makes a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for her sister.
May 18, 2009 — Mrs. Keckley Sends Her Regards by Tim Jorgenson
Elizabeth Keckly, who bought her way out of slavery shortly before the Civil War, was one of the city’s top dressmakers in Washington DC. Mary Todd hired her to make her dresses and both Lincolns develop a deep friendship with Elizabeth. The novel focuses on events leading up to and following Lincoln’s assassination and how those events tested the friendship and faith of the main characters. Author Tim Jorgenson will be our guest at this meeting.
June 22, 2009 — Loving Frank by Nancy Horan
Set in the decade before World War I, the novel tells of the architect Frank Lloyd Wright; and his affair with Mamah Borthwick Cheney, who scandalized Chicago when she left her husband and two young children to flee to Europe with Wright — who left behind a wife and six children of his own. A novel based on true characters.
July 27, 2009 — The Last Templar by Raymond Khoury
The Last Templar is a fast paced contemporary adventure/thriller set in New York and in various settings around the Mediterranean, intercut by five epic chapters set during the closing years of the Crusades. The Last Templar also works as a thought-provoking exploration of religion in today's world, and of historic fact versus faith.
August, 2008: No Meeting
