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Upcoming Events
09/10/2010
7:00 pm ACOA Group
09/17/2010
7:00 pm ACOA Group
  
Daily Discipleship

Mt. Zion has been inspired by the work of Michael Foss and Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Burnsville, MN. Foss’s book, PowerSurge, outlines a way of looking at the church that is less about membership and more about discipleship. This attitude seeks to replace an old model, focusing on membership and committees, with one that equips and calls all members of the body of Christ to discern how God can do ministry through their gifts.
One of the hallmarks of the PowerSurge model is the emphasis on personal gifts and discipleship, rather than simply belonging to a church. The model includes 5 “Marks of Discipleship” that identify and guide a life of faith.

These "Marks of Discipleship" include:

Praying Daily: To pray means to talk with God; to set aside time to be intentionally focused on God and the things God is teaching you; to spend time communicating with God about your needs, wants, plans and ideas, and then, listening and waiting for God’s response.

Worship Weekly: To worship means to encounter God; to join in the community of the Church in praising God, by participating I the gathering of believers to hear God’s word, share in communion, and confess your sins. Worship is not just being present in the sanctuary for these events, but implies personal participation in the worship service.

Read the Bible Regularly: To read the Bible means to understand the Scriptures and be able to apply the lessons to your life. It is not just reading for facts, but reading for understanding, to be able to answer the question, “What does this mean for me?”

Serve at and beyond Mt. Zion: To serve means to fill a need whenever the Holy Spirit guides us. It can be done through service projects and organizations, or by looking for ways we can change the world of people we come into contact with everyday.

Give of our Time, Talents, and Resources: To give of our time, talents, and resources means to share everything we have with others as the Holy Spirit guides us. Our talents and time are not our own, they are gifts from God, so we should be free to share them with others. Our finances are also God’s and we need to be giving part of our resources back to God as the Holy Spirit guides us. We teach tithing as the biblical expectation of our God for us to return at least a tenth of our resources to God. This includes a substantial part returned to God through the congregation.

It is our hope that every disciple at Mt. Zion engage in these marks in a process of seeking to determine God’s call for his or her life.


Discipleship Links

ELCA Daily Discipleship Bible Studies:
http://www.elca.org/evangelism/dailydiscipleship/index.html

ELCA Resources for Prayer:
http://www.elca.org/prayer/

ELCA Links for Giving Resources:
http://www.elca.org/stewardship/links.html

Luther Seminary GodPause daily devotion:
http://www.luthersem.edu/godpause/daily_view.asp

ELCA Worship FAQ’s
http://www.elca.org/worship/faq/index.html

“Pray as you go” (a podcast produced by Jesuit Media Initiatives in London, UK)
http://www.pray-as-you-go.org/

Café Magazine (a monthly online e-zine created by the ELCA for younger women)
http://www.boldcafe.org/index.html

Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Burnsville, MN
http://www.princeofpeaceonline.org/index.asp


Book of the Month
During the season of Lent, the Adult Education on Sunday mornings is discussing N.T. Wright's book Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense.  If you are able, please join us for conversation from 9:45-10:45 Sunday mornings in the Upper Room.  Or, you can enjoy it on your own!   Books are available in the church office for $16.  

Mt. Zion Community Blogs
Mt. Zion has two blogs about our life together in community.  The first is written by the pastors, called Here We Think We Stand, and includes their thoughts on ministry, life, literature, music, food, and probably much more.  The second, Monday Morning Quarterback, is written by Vince Prantil, a member of Mt. Zion, who blogs on his experiences on Sunday morning in worship and education.  Join our online discussions!    

Prayer Requests
You are always welcome to submit a prayer request to the church.  We have prayer groups that meet twice during the week who pray for many people throughout the country and around the world.  To submit a prayer request, please email admin@mtzionlutheran.org, or either of the pastors.  

 
 
   
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