Zion’s (Spies) Evangelical Reformed Church
MAY 2026
Parson’s points
When Motherhood Doesn’t Look Like a Hallmark Card
by Lisa Starr
She gave this name to the LORD who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” Genesis 16:13
Mother’s Day is upon us once again. It’s a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our mothers. Many ladies will receive flowers and gifts and phone calls and visits. Some might even get breakfast in bed or a trip to Olive Garden so that they don’t have to cook. But I’d like to take a moment to remember the moms whose day doesn’t look like a Hallmark Channel movie. Mother’s Day is a painful day for some people because not all relationships in this imperfect world are happy and a source of joy.
I want to tell all those people today that, like Hagar from the verse mentioned above, God sees you. God grieves with you and He wants you to receive His healing for your pain.
To the woman whose teenage children roll their eyes and pay more attention to their phones than to their mother, God sees you today.
For the woman whose children are in jail or are lost due to poor life choices, God sees you today.
For the woman whose child is sick or disabled, God sees you today.
For the woman who has children in heaven or has children who never drew breath in this world, God sees you today.
To the woman who longs for a baby but has not been able to conceive, God sees you today.
To the woman who has foster children, stepchildren, adopted children, or nieces and nephews they have helped to raise and wonders if she counts as a “real mom,” God sees you today (and yes, you are!).
To anyone who is missing their mom and cannot celebrate with her, God sees you today.
Let’s celebrate our mothers and grandmothers and give them their well-deserved thanks. And at the same time, let’s remember and reach out to those who might be having a tough Mother’s Day. Join me in praying God’s peace, comfort, and blessing on them. In His Service,
Pastor Vaughn & Lisa 610-396-5942
BREAKFAST CLUB
May 6th, @ 8 A.M. @ Breakfast Hut
May 19th, @ 8 A.M. @ Mt. Penn Family
CONSISTORY MEETING
Our next meeting will be MONDAY,
May 18th Elders @ 7:00 P.M.
Consistory @ 7:30 P.M.
2026 NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER
The upcoming Annual National Day of Prayer is on May 7, 2026 @ 7 PM The theme for 2026 is
“Glorify God Among the Nations Seeking Him In All Generations”
I Chronicles 16:24
Please mark your calendar now to come out and join in prayer for our nation @ 7:00 P.M.
MOTHER’S DAY –MAY 10th
Happy Mother’s Day
Our prayers go out to all of our
church family homes, we are always thankful for the mothers who have given and done so much for their families. May God bless you. We thank you for your dedication and unselfish love.
MEN’S MINISTRIES
Our next meeting will be May 9th at 7:30 A.M.
All men encouraged to come and share in the food and fellowship.
CONFIRMATION- May 24th
CONFIRMATION LUNCHEON
The following young people will be confirmed into the fellowship of the congregation, accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior:
Brinley Dorner, Jaden Dorner
And Ben Starr
There will be a luncheon following confirmation on May24th. All of the confirmand’s families and friends are invited along with the church family. A sign-up sheet is available on the table in the Narthex so that we will know how many people to expect. We trust that you set aside this date and find it in your heart to support these new incoming church members both at being at the church service and the luncheon to follow.
First Holy Communion May 31st
HOLY COMMUNION – May 31st
Trinity Sunday
Be sure to join us as the church family celebrates together at the “Table of the Lord.”
OUTDOOR SERVICES FOR 2026
Our last Sunday inside will be May 31st which is Trinity Sunday with Holy Communion. This will also be the first communion for our confirmands.
The month of June we will be outside.
July 5th will be an indoor service with Holy Communion, the rest of July outside. August 2nd will be an indoor service with Holy Communion, the rest of August outside.
We will move inside if the temperature is going to be above 85 ° or rain is expected.
We will move back inside for services on
September 6th.
NEWSLETTER
Newsletter articles due second last Sunday of the month- May 24th
ANSWERS GROUP
Have you become estranged from the church? Do you struggle to believe? Do you have questions and you’re not sure where to get the right answers? Well – this is what our Answers Group is all about – a safe, non-judgmental place where you can find out more about the evidence for Jesus. Beginning
April 9 Answers will meet Thursday evenings at 7:00 in the Fellowship Room.
SPECIAL MUSIC NEEDED
I am looking for special music for the summer months when we go outdoors. Please see me! Thanks. Jeff Griffin 610-217-7624.
HELP OUR HOMELESS VETERANS
They are no longer taking clothes, blankets or sleeping bags. Donations they do need are hand soap, wipes, toilet paper, and paper towels. Envelopes are available on top of the mailboxes if you would like to make a monetary donation.
Next lunch items due May 17th Sign-up on the table
CARD SHOWER LISTS
Card shower lists for members of our congregation 80 yrs. of age and over provided by Evangelism Outreach, are on the table in the narthex. Help yourself to the lists each month as we honor these special folks.
It is also posted on the church website.
2026 ALTAR FLOWER/BULLETIN SPONSOR CALENDAR
The new altar flower and bulletin reservation calendar is available in the Narthex. Please reserve a date now. Should a specific date already be filled, you are invited to sponsor a “separate arrangement” on that date which will be placed in the chancel area. When we move to the grove, we will use Centerpieces only @ $35
May 17th available
STEWARDSHIP
We met on April 20th and looked at our budget.
We are over budget on electric and Snow removal but both should even out by years end.
Church insurance and Telephone were also slightly over budget.
Thank you for all your support.
Please remember with the summer vacation season coming we still need to continue to function in our financial obligations.
Next meeting is July 20th.
FUTURE PLANNING
Our next Future Planning Meeting will be held
May 12th @ 7:00 P.M. We will be making the final plans for the Festival on July 18th. We always need helpers. If you have any suggestions or ideas on how we can continue to keep events successful and growing, or if you would like to help or be a member of this committee we would like to see you at our next meeting.
EVANGELISM & OUTREACH
Here we are ready for May; remember that means a new birthday list is on the side table in the Narthex, this list is for May to August for people 80 years young and over or the whole year can also be found on the website.
Next meeting will be May 12th @ 7 P.M.
Vet lunch items due on May 17th.
We will be preparing lunches after the third Sunday of every other month; the following are the remaining dates for 2026- July 19th, Sept. 20th, & Nov. 15th. Since starting this mission in Jan. 2012, we have given “Veterans Making A Difference” just over $45,000. That includes 2,580 lunches.
We appreciate everyone’s help.
WOMEN"S MINISTRIES
We have been making preparations for the annual family banquet for the last several months and this is something we sponsor every year. This year’s banquet will be catered by Moyer’s Catering rather than Kathryn’s Katering, and the entertainment will be provided by a magician/ventriloquist, who is a very gifted gentleman. Out hope is that you will enjoy the food and the program. Deadline has passed to purchase your tickets (April 19th) from Sue Barnett and also to sign the sheet that has been on the table in the Narthex for a few weeks. There is a sheet enclosed in this newsletter with all the information.
Ladies, please consider attending our monthly meetings as we do many things throughout the year for Zion’s Spies and we always do so by putting the Lord in the center of our “busyness”. The meeting this month will be May 12th at 11:00 A.M. Don’t forget to buy your M&M Sandwich tickets from Sue Barnett, as we make a profit of $2.00 on each ticket sold.
FATHER’S DAY-June 21st
There will be a special Father’s Day tribute. Bring all the dads and grandfathers to church.
GRADUATE RECOGNITION
Anyone graduating from college or high school is asked to contact Sue Barnett, 610-779-9787 or the church office at 610-779-9787 so that they can be recognized during the church service on June 28th. Please fill out a form which can be found on the table in the Narthex and hand in to Sue Barnett.
UPCOMINGDATES MARK YOUR CALENDARS
May 2 Family Banquet
May 7 National Day of Prayer
May 10 Mother’s Day
May 24 Pentecost Sunday/Confirmation
May 31 Trinity Sunday with Holy Communion
June 21 Father’s Day
June 27 FREEBAY
June 28 Graduate Recognition/Picnic
CHURCH PICNIC- JUNE 28th
We will have our Church service in the church grove @10:30 A.M.
Following the service, we will have the Sunday School/Church picnic.
FREEBAY EVENT
JUNE 27, 2026
8:00 A.M.- 12:00 P.M.
Everything is free
Start saving donation items now. They may be dropped off at the church
2 weeks before the event.
A list of the type of items we are looking for is on the table in the Narthex.
JULY FLEA MARKET
FESTIVAL- JULY 18th -Date change
7:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M.
Come join us for the day. Flea Market starts at
7 A.M. There will be food-TBD. The women’s Ministries will have a baked goods stand - any donations appreciated. More information in the May Newsletter. If you would like to offer your services and volunteer for any part of the day, call the church office at 610-779-9787
Linda Wilson is looking for paperback books for the church stand.
GOD'S MASTERPIECE IS MOTHER
God took pieces of everything
wonderful to make moms.
God took the fragrance of a flower...
The majesty of a tree...
The gentleness of morning dew...
The calm of a quiet sea...
The beauty of the twilight hour...
The soul of a starry night...
The laughter of a rippling brook...
The grace of a bird in flight...
Then God fashioned from these things
A creation like no other,
And when his masterpiece was through
He called it simply – Mother.
Herbert Farnham
A MEMORIAL DAY POEM
Today we honor all of you,
Who served your country with pride,
You risked your life for all of us,
As you fought side by side.
Your strength and courage always showed,
No matter what the danger might be,
And you did all of this,
So that we could be free.
Thank you for what you've done,
And now we will all pray,
For each and everyone of you,
On this Memorial Day.
~ Debbie Bongiovanni ~
PRAYER REQUEST FORM
Please pray for___________________________
Prayer needs_____________________________
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Your name (will be used to get updates)
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