Three Opportunities for Christmas Worship at Zion

There will be three opportunities for Christmas worship at Zion: 

• Christmas Eve (Wednesday 12/24) service at 2:00 p.m. 

• Christmas Eve (Wednesday 12/24) service at 7:00 p.m. 

• Christmas Day (Thursday 12/25) service at 10:00 a.m. 

A Prelude of special Christmas music will be played prior to the start of each Christmas Eve Worship Service. The afternoon prelude will begin at 1:30 p.m.; while the evening prelude begins at 6:00 pm. Come early to enjoy the beautiful sounds of this holy season! 

Attention all musicians!
We are looking for people to perform for prelude at the 2:00 and 7:00pm services on Christmas Eve. If you are interested in performing, please email Mark Killinger at Killingermued@hotmail.com with the following information: Which service you plan to attend, and the name and duration of the piece. If you are interested and available to perform at both services, please indicate that as well. Thanks! 

New Year’s Eve (Wednesday 12/31) services at 2:00 & 7:00 p.m. 

Merry Christmas, Pastor, Deaconess & Staff

Dear Brothers and Sisters of Zion,

Once again we begin a new church year. As we move through the season of Advent, we prepare for the celebration of the birth of Christ, our Savior. It is a joyful season, when we focus on giving to others because we have been given so much, including the forgiveness of sins and salvation.

It is the tradition of Zion to take a collection for Christmas gifts for the Pastor and Staff to show our appreciation for their efforts throughout the year. Enclosed are three envelopes in which you may contribute a free will offering toward their Christmas gifts.

• In the envelope marked Pastor insert either cash or a check made out to Pastor Edward Grimenstein.

• In the envelope marked Deaconess insert either cash or a check made out to Joanna Lee.

• In the envelope marked Staff, please insert cash only. Monies collected will be distributed between six staff members: Susie Bishop (Office Admin), Jim Oelschlager (Custodian), John Migyanko (Treasurer), Mark Killinger (Music Director), Sandra Quinlan (Lead Organist), and Doug Krantz (Asst. Organist).

You may deposit the envelopes in the large collection box in the Narthex up until Christmas Eve; hower, please make every effort to return your envelopes by Sunday, December 20th.

We also want to gratefully acknowledge our Preschool Staff. Zion members Tracey Harris .(Preschool Director), Kari Gresh (Asst. to the Director) and Barb Oechslein (STEM Curriculum Leader), Marian Oelschlager (Teacher’s Aide), and Tevia Grimenstein (Enrichment Teacher) -- together with 14 additional teachers and aides in the classrooms - diligently share Christ's love with hundreds of children each week. Their efforts are vital to Zion's mission, and they have received a Christmas gift from the operating budget of the preschool, thus are not included in the church staff collection.

On behalf of the congregation, we thank you for your generosity in donating toward the Christmas gift for Pastor, Joanna, and the Staff.

Merry Christmas,
The Board of Elders
Bill Bishop, Jon Dever, Roger Diederich, Tom Erbrecht, Jim Neill, Sam Garloff & Mike Kroeger

Remembering Your Brothers and Sisters in Christ … with a card

Share the Joy of Christmas with our homebound members ... 
Send them a card this Season! 

Download a list of Zion’s Homebound Members

VIDEO: Wednesday, December 10, 2025 - Complete Service

Second Mid-Week Service in Advent
View the Bulletin for Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Worship Service: 2:00 p.m. with communion
Worship Service: 7:00 p.m. with communion
All are welcome, bring a friend, neighbor or relative

Visit our YouTube channel — Click the red “subscribe” box, and then click on the “bell” next to that box to receive Live Streaming notifications. You must be logged into YouTube to activate these features.

Archive of AUDIO “Readings & Sermons”
Archive of VIDEO “Complete Service”
Archive of BULLETINS

AUDIO: Readings & Sermon for Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Second Mid-Week Service in Advent
View the Bulletin for Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Worship Service: 2:00 p.m. with communion
Worship Service: 7:00 p.m. with communion
All are welcome, bring a friend, neighbor or relative

Visit our YouTube channel — Click the red “subscribe” box, and then click on the “bell” next to that box to receive Live Streaming notifications. You must be logged into YouTube to activate these features.

Archive of AUDIO “Readings & Sermons”
Archive of VIDEO “Complete Service”
Archive of BULLETINS

First Reading – Isaiah 9:1–2, 6–7 
But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time He brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time He has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. 

The people who walked in darkness 
have seen a great light; 
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, 
on them has light shined. . . . 
For to us a child is born, 
to us a son is given; 
and the government shall be upon His shoulder, 
and His name shall be called 
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, 
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 
Of the increase of His government and of peace 
there will be no end, 
on the throne of David and over His kingdom, 
to establish it and to uphold it 
with justice and with righteousness 
from this time forth and forevermore. 
The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. 

Second Reading – 2 Corinthians 4:3-6 
And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 

Third Reading -- John 1:1-9 
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 

The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 

Food Bank Sunday: Sunday, December 14, 2025

The December collection for the Bridgeville Area Food Bank is Sunday, December 14th
The “items of the month” are HOT DRINKS. Items may be placed in the wicker bin in the narthex near the coat rack. During the November Thanksgiving distribution, 122 families were assisted. Thank you for supporting this vital community service! 

REMINDER:
Please Return your unwrapped Angel Tree gift with the gift tag attached no later than Sunday, December 14. 
Thank you for sharing God’s love with local families in need during this holy season! 

Zion is a church partner of the Bridgeville Area Food Bank, which is operated out of Bethany Presbyterian Church on Washington Rd. in Bridgeville. The food bank distributes non-perishable food and hygiene products to needy families within the Chartiers Valley and South Fayette communities. Our congregation collects food monthly for the Food Bank. 

Barb Oechslein is Zion's volunteer Food Bank coordinator. Additional volunteers are always needed! If you're looking for a way to serve others and get involved in the community, reach out to Barb at barb@zlcb.org to learn more! 

Bulletin: Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Second Mid-Week Service in Advent
View the Bulletin for Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Worship Service: 2:00 p.m. with communion
Worship Service: 7:00 p.m. with communion
All are welcome, bring a friend, neighbor or relative

Visit our YouTube channel — Click the red “subscribe” box, and then click on the “bell” next to that box to receive Live Streaming notifications. You must be logged into YouTube to activate these features.

Archive of AUDIO “Readings & Sermons”
Archive of VIDEO “Complete Service”
Archive of BULLETINS

LIGHTS 
“Prepare!” is often the watchword of the season as the world gets ready for another celebration of Christmas. An integral part of any preparation is decoration. We see decorations everywhere this time of year. The world may not comprehend the real meaning of Christmas, but even secular preparations use many of the same decorations beloved by Christians—an appropriation we shouldn’t mind at all, because these decorations point us to Christ. This year, as we look forward again to the coming of the Messiah, we take a fresh look at how the adornments of the season draw our eyes to Jesus, that we may more richly behold the love, peace, joy, and hope He comes to bring as this beauty is set before us. 

Tonight, we focus on lights. You see them everywhere this time of year. Some neighborhoods even compete, and tourist destinations spend millions on attractive light displays. Like evergreens, this is something nonreligious people do this time of year without appreciating their true significance. Yet we know that Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12). He came to restore righteousness to the world. This restoration continues to unfold through the ministry He has entrusted to His church. As Zechariah sang, “In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death and to guide our feet into the way of peace” (LSB, Benedictus, Morning Prayer). We gather this evening to bask in the light of Jesus that His Word would have its way with us and so reflect His saving light into the darkness that remains in our world.