FROM THE CHURCH COUNCIL PRESIDENT           Steven R. Brown 

I hope that the new year has started well for every member of my Church family at Zion. We can all be pleased and thankful for the many positive developments for Zion at the end of 2006 and the beginning of 2007. We ended the last year with no deficit at all! We actually managed to show positive income for the year. That is the first time that Zion finished a year in better financial shape than when it started in recent memory. We were able to do this because of two unexpected gifts from outside sources and because our Church family was extremely generous during the holiday season. Because we were so blessed, we were able as a Church to fully meet our benevolence obligation for 2006. Thus we were able to give to others which is reason in itself to rejoice. Giving is not good because it will result in good to the giver. Giving is its own reward and we are thankful that we had something to give to our brothers and sisters outside of Zion who are in need.

            We truly are on a roll in other ways as well. The construction of the elevator is now scheduled to start on March 1, 2007 with a summer completion expected. The painting of the sanctuary will start soon after Easter and should take about five weeks to complete. Just this past Saturday we received an offer to clean and restore the Luther portrait that hangs in the sanctuary as a gift to the Church. Each week seems to bring good things and I am thoroughly excited about Zion’s prospects for this and future years.

            I would like to thank the Church Council for allowing me to spend another year as Council President. This position gives me the chance to serve my Church. I am happy to do whatever is in my power to preserve Zion and to help her in her renaissance. And I would be remiss to not thank Council Vice- President Robert Lichtfuss for the support and friendship that he gives on a constant basis. He is a man that I truly admire and count on when things get tough.

            Let’s continue with the work of Zion at the congregational meeting on February 25, 2007. Please come because we need to hear your thoughts and to benefit from your leadership.

Steven R. Brown

A PAST ZION CHURCH COUNCIL IN THE GARDEN FROM SPRING 2001