Mt. Z

ion Ev. L

utheran Church

320 Mt. Z

ion Dr.

Ripon, W

I 54971

The Sheppard’s PenThe Son of Man must be lifted up.Holy Week fast approaches. Soon in our worship services we will follow Jesus as his journey to the cross comes to an end.  We know why our Savior was there at that time because God has revealed it to us in his word. It was our sins

that earned each of us condemnation from our Creator.  The innocent Lamb took our place, replacing our sins with his perfect life and innocent death. This is all according to God’s plan for the rescue of all sinners.Earlier in Jesus’ time on earth a man named Nicodemus came to Jesus secretly to ask him who he was.  John tells us that Nicodemus was a Pharisee and also a member of the Jewish ruling council. Nicodemus knew of Jesus’ miracles and wondered if he was simply a prophet – or could he be something more?  He came to Jesus at night. As Jesus sought to teach him the very truth he was seeking, Jesus spoke of the crucifixion. He reminded Nicodemus of a familiar event of Old Testament history recorded by Moses.The people of Israel had grumbled against the Lord.  The Lord sent venomous snakes into the camp and many Israelites died.  When they cried out to Moses, he interceded with the Lord. The

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Lord told him to make a bronze serpent and lift it up on a pole.  The Lord promised that when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze serpent, they would be healed. The Lord kept his promise.Why did Jesus mention this event?  Because Nicodemus knew about it. Jesus used that historical account to explain to him that Jesus himself, the Son of Man, must be lifted up. Anyone who trusts God’s promise that Jesus has paid for our sins upon the cross has eternal life. This is God’s promise to us. We soon will see again, in our services on Good Friday, the Son of Man lifted up on the cross.  We who believe in Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins have eternal life.Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15so that everyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:14,15, EHV)

Council HighlightsMembership Changes: Laura Storzer and Wesley Picchiottino will be released from membership. Taran Smith was accepted into membership by affirmation of faith.

Hearing Loop Fund:There is now a dedicated fund to contribute to a possible hearing loop for our church. Thank you to those who have

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already contributed! Watch the newsletter and the church bulletin for updates.

Thursday Services:Thursday services resume after Easter, on April 25th at 6:30pm.

Council Positions:Justen Niemuth has been appointed the Evangelism Elder. He has put an ad in the Ripon Commonwealth Press for our Easter services.

If any voting member is interested in the Worship Elder position, please speak with Pastor Sheppard or Mark Roeder.

Timber Rattler Outing: An outing to a Timber Rattler game is being planned for July.

Ladies’ Aid HighlightsSunshine Lady: The ladies agreed to combine the positions of secretary and sunshine lady. The secretary of Ladies’ Aid will now be sending cards to those who need encouragement.

Advent Wreath: We are considering purchasing a new set of Advent candles and an artificial wreath.

Meeting Dates: The officers will meet this summer to decide on dates to meet next year. There has been brief discussion of whether to meet in summer and not winter, or vice versa, and other options.

Spring Banquet: The Ladies’ Aid Spring Banquet will be held Wednesday, May 8th, beginning at 6:00pm. At that time a meal will be served; following the meal, Sara

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Grunert will demonstrate how to make homemade greeting cards, and will help those in attendance make their own.

LWMS

Projects: The projects this year are Campus Ministry New Start, the Haiti Project and Hmong of Vietnam. The amount collected from the Beaver Dam circuit will be announced at the April 27th Spring Rally at St. John’s, Pardeeville. Registration for the rally will start at 9:30 am. Pastor Schupmann will be speaking about the mission church begun in Horicon.  The rally will conclude at about 2:30pm.  Ladies who wish to attend and want to carpool are asked to meet at the lower level parking lot of Mt. Zion at 8:30am.  All women of the church are members of LWMS and are invited to attend. The 2020 Spring Rally will be April 18 here at Mt. Zion.  

WHAT ARE THESE MISSION PROJECTS?CAMPUS MINISTRY NEW START– This ministry assists men and women during one of the most challenging times in their lives. Any tools that are purchased will help them to grow spiritually, build on their Christian roots, and reach out to other students on campus.Gifts to the HAITI PROJECT will support the work of the national pastor, provide nutritional and hygiene supplies, transport items to Haiti, and produce and transport Lutheran religion curriculum materials.HMONG OF VIETNAM -Monetary gifts will allow Missions to acquire land, cover construction costs, and fund initial operating costs of the theological training facility in Hanoi, Vietnam.

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National Convention: The 56th annual convention, "Let Us Ever Walk with Jesus In the Heartland,” will be held June 27-30 at the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in Des Moines, IA. It is hosted by the Wild Rose Circuit. Online registration and more information can be found at www.lwms.org.

Helping HandsMt. Zion’s Helping Hands continue to serve our members. Please let us know if you, a family member, or a friend needs help. If you are interested in becoming a helping hand, please fill out a form found on the table by the window as you enter church, or you could contact Lisa Tremore at 920-

229-1297, Tammy Niemuth at 920-299-0240 or Joanne Gregor at 920-896-1518.

Correspondence from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary

Dear Mt. Zion Lutheran Church,

“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident in this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

This is how Paul begins his letter to the Philippians – with thanksgiving for them and for their partnership in the work of the gospel. I don’t think he had in mind a Seminary student saying thank you when the Holy Spirit inspired him to write these words, but his joy is shared not just by me, but by the entire student body at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary because of you. Thank you from us to you!

Gospel ministry truly is a partnership between all believers. We all share in the mission to go and make disciples of all nations. I will be able to carry out that mission full time in just a few short

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months, but that would not have been possible had it not been for the kindness you’ve shown with your monetary gift to the Seminary. Through gifts like yours, students like me are able to focus on preparation for ministry without having to worry so much about payments for school. Your gift is such a blessing to us!

I am a Senior this year, with only a few short months to go before I receive my first call into the ministry. My parents live in South Carolina, where my dad serves as a pastor and my mom teaches kindergarten. I was blessed to have spent last year as a vicar in Denver, CO at Christ Lutheran Church, a diverse, multi-cultural (and multi-lingual) congregation in the heart of downtown. It was a wonderful experience that has equipped me even more for ministry!

Once again, thank you from the entire Seminary family for your support of ministerial education and the work of the gospel! I gladly say along with Apostle Paul – I thank God every time I remember you and take joy in the partnership of the gospel we share!

Church SecretaryIntroducing our new church secretary: Jo Meeker! Jo recently retired (mostly!) from the Ripon branch of Huberty CPAs. Huge thanks to Doug Jahnke for serving as church secretary for the past 6+ years, and for showing Jo the ropes.

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Meet The Confirmands

Roman Mueller is the son of Kim and Ryan Mueller. He was born August 15, 2004. Roman loves dirt biking, mechanics and hanging out with his friends. His favorite Bible story is David and Goliath, and his favorite Bible passage is 1 Peter

1:18-19 (For you know it was not with perishable things such as silver and gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.). Roman plans on attending Ripon High School in the fall. After graduation, he hopes to pursue a career as a lineman working on power lines.

Dawson Niemuth was Born December 17, 2004. He is the son of Jon Niemuth and Tiffany Shadick. Dawson enjoys hanging out with his friends, trap shooting, driving his remote-controlled car and

playing video games. His favorite Bible verse is John 3:16 (For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.), and his favorite Bible story is Jesus feeding the 5000. Dawson will be attending Ripon High School in the fall.

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Adriana Rushani is the daughter of Kim Quade and Jason Rushani. She was born July 4, 2005. She is a very organized young lady and enjoys cleaning, organizing and decluttering. Her favorite Bible story is the Resurrection according to

Mark 16:1-8. Isaiah 60:22 (When the time is right, I, the Lord, will make it happen.) is her favorite Bible verse. Adriana will be attending Ripon High School in the fall. She hopes to pursue a career in the medical field, perhaps as a labor and delivery nurse, obstetrician or a gynecologist.

Ella Weiske is the daughter of Mark and Deb Weiske. She was born October 29, 2004. Ella likes watching game shows and cheering for the Packers, Badgers and Brewers. Her favorite Bible story is Creation, and her favorite Bible verse is

Jeremiah 29:11 (“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”). This will be her confirmation verse. In the fall, Ella will be attending Ripon High School. Since she loves to read, she would like to become a librarian. Ella would like to thank everyone for all their help with her during her Sunday School and Catechism years! She really appreciates the help given her, whether it was a push to choir, or up and down the ramp at Christmas, or helping her grab a sweet

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treat before Sunday School! She thanks you all for your help each and every time!

Mallory Wichman was born April 21, 2005. She is the daughter of Sara Retelle and Tim Wichman. She loves shopping and spending time watching Netflix and Hulu. Noah’s Ark is her favorite Bible story, while her favorite Bible verse is 1 John 4:19

(We love because He first loved us.). Mallory will be attending Ripon High School. She plans on attending college, but is not sure what her career will be.

Thank You from DougMembers of Mt. Zion: Julie and I would like to thank everyone for the congratulations we have been receiving for our upcoming wedding. We also thank you for the gift cards to Hu Hot, Pizza Ranch, Jimmy John's and Olive Garden, and the cash we received in the homemade card made by Sara Grunert.  Thank you to the ladies who organized the muffins. Thank you to Carol Rosenberg for everything she has done. Thank you also to everyone who signed the big picture frame.  This was a very special day for us!! We are looking forward to starting our new life together in Oshkosh.      I would also like to thank everyone who has helped me the past 6 years in the church office. I have really enjoyed the church secretary job. Thank you to Helen Suits for stuffing the bulletins, and to Sue Sheppard and Mary Clement for taking over the newsletter and bringing it to new heights! It was a BIG improvement over what I could ever do. Thanks again to Sue for all the extra help she has given me when needed. Thank you to Pastor

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Sheppard for being easy to work with! This job was truly a blessing for me.      I also enjoyed being on the Church Council, singing in the choir and playing piano for the Sunday School songs. Thank you also to everyone who has touched my life in the past 25 years I have belonged to Mt. Zion.     Most importantly, I would like to thank God for giving me the talent to play organ/piano and to serve him here at Mt. Zion.  

     God's blessings to you all! - Doug Jahnke

Synod News

WELS Night at the Brewers, 2019Tickets are now on sale for the sixth annual WELS Night at Miller Park. Organize your group and plan to join us for the Milwaukee Brewers’ game against the San Francisco Giants. Seating will be in a block for all WELS members.

Time: 7:10 p.m.Date: Fri., July 12, 2019

Discounted Tickets: The Brewers are again offering WELS members up to 50 percent off the price of tickets. Seating will be in a block for WELS members in three seating areas.

Deadline to purchase tickets: June 28.For group sales and ordering questions, contact Greg Souza, 414-902–4492, greg.souza@brewers.comPricing:

Field Outfield – $21/ticket Loge Outfield – $17/ticket

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Terrace Reserved – $9/ticket

To purchase tickets online, go to https://www.mlb.com/brewers/tickets/specials/wels

To order a t-shirt for that night’s game, go to https://welsnight2019.orderpromos.com/

Featured Recipe

Welch’s ChiliSue Sheppard

3-4 lbs. ground beef (or turkey)2 tsp. pepper4 tsp. salt3 T. butter3 c. chopped celery (6-7 stalks)2 c. chopped onion (2/3 of large onion)1/8 c. chili powder (more if desired)3 large cans whole tomatoes, pureed2 16-oz cans dark kidney beans4 T. sugar4 T. apple cider vinegar

Brown the meat and drain. Add salt and pepper. While browning meat, cook the celery and onion with the butter in a large pot until tender. Add the meat to the celery and onion. Puree the whole tomatoes and add to the pot, along with the kidney beans, sugar and apple cider vinegar. Simmer on low heat for 1 hour.

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April BirthdaysNicole Guell 4/2David Smith 4/2Andrea Schwandt 4/3Mary Bradley 4/4Cole Frank 4/4Peggy Kutz 4/7Allison Taylor 4/7Connie Ernser 4/8Gracie Niemuth 4/8Ferd Roeder 4/8Kathleen Dorsey 4/9Liliana Villalobos 4/9Lynne Hartman 4/10Kyle Stollfuss 4/10Lola Heschke 4/11Chris (Mittelstaedt) Faulks 4/11Wesley Picchiottino 4/12Katherine Tremore 4/12Samantha Minch 4/13Dennis Gurke 4/14Claire Ernser 4/16Blake Stollfuss 4/17Edgar Bradley 4/18Brody Lietzau 4/19Nicholas Walker 4/19Tonya Dibelius 4/20Nancy Lemiesz 4/20

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Taylor Lemiesz 4/20Mallory Wichman 4/21JoAnn Milbrath 4/22Nicolas Schwark 4/24Debra Kotlow 4/26Brett Malkowski 4/26Brett Long 4/29Hailey Post 4/29Dorothy Frank 4/30

Birthday Club CelebrationApril 7th

AnniversariesLonnie & Jane Mann 4/4Lloyd & Rita Weisnicht 4/8Dennis & Robin Scott 4/24Dennis & Linda Schliepp 4/27David & Kathleen Sprague 4/30Richard & Susan Weckwerth 4/30

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Mt. Zion MessengerApril, 2019Mt. Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church320 Mt. Zion Dr. Ripon, WI 54971Pastor Michael Sheppard

Church Office: 920-748-5641Church Email: mtzionripon@centurytel.netChurch Website: www.mtzionripon.org

Pastor’s Cell Phone: 920-745-0883Pastor’s Email: revmikesheppard@gmail.com

The deadline for the May newsletter will be Monday, April 15th. Please email the church office, Mary Clement (maryclement1940@icloud.com) or Sue Sheppard (sheppwoman52602@yahoo.com) with articles.

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