Arvin Pirness | The Voice of Zion April 2023 - News and Notes --
Thinking of Easter, I recall singing: on Easter Sunday morning the congregation, in the depth of gratitude, sings praise and thanks to God for the gift of the Lord Jesus – our Redeemer who atoned for our sin debt through His blood. May our voices and hearts join in song yet this Easter, with songs such as this:
Here is the Paschal Lamb, the Christ, whom God so freely gave us, who on the cross is sacrificed in flames of love to save us. See, His blood doth mark our door; faith points to it, death passes o’er, the strangler cannot harm us. Hallelujah! – SHZ 112:5
I wish for you and your family a time of still reflection and thankfulness as you celebrate Easter – our day of victory!
Updates on LLC Activities
The 2023 LLC Annual Meeting notice, agenda, and delegate packet will be sent to congregations mid-April. In addition, the 2024 Draft Operating Plan will be sent for review. The Plan’s theme, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength,” from Isaiah 40:31, reminds those together in the kingdom of God that it is of God where our trust is and from where strength is provided for the endeavor. The 2023 LLC Annual Meeting will be held at the Rockford church Friday, July 7, 2023.
Planning advances for 2023 Summer Services at Silver Springs. We are receiving quotes for Summer Service expenses and have prepared a budget. We expect the event to cost slightly over $400,000. To fund these services at break-even, we will need approximately $150,000 in collections from congregations and individuals. We will provide more information regarding collections soon.
Work continues developing teaching aids for Sunday School and Preconfirmation curriculum. An effort to emphasize preconfirmation lessons as an integral part of confirmation school continues and, during 2023, three preconfirmation schools will be held at Hasscib Lake, one at Kamp Kipa, one in Washington and one in Alaska.
Stony Lake camp season began March 31. Spring maintenance projects have been distributed to camp board members and they will be looking for volunteers to complete them. We are planning on 1900 participants at Stony Lake this season. Registration to attend camps is open on the LLC website.
Hasscib Lake’s and Kamp Kipa’s spring maintenance weeks are scheduled for May 15–20. Kamp Kipa’s work week will end with a Men’s Camp, May 19–21. Hasscib Lake’s work week will end with a traditional Open House on May 21.
Camps operate on a host of volunteers. Please consider volunteering your time and talents. Apply at www.llchurch.org/work-at-camp
The Mission Department held a webinar for the newly configured area mission committees (AMCs) on March 7. The webinar focused on the AMC administrative and mission work responsibilities.
The LLC Home & Family Committee will hold a webinar touching on the concerns associated with the issue of sexual fluidity in our society on April 14.
We have two new publications this spring. One is a board book, the seventh in our current series of board books. It is called Now the Day Is Over and it contains two evening prayers and an evening song. Our other new publication is a choral music album Gentle Shepherd. This contains 20 songs recorded at last summer’s LLC International Choir Camp in Washington. Look for these in your church bookstore or order them on our website.
Our Easter magazine Easter Messenger should have arrived in the mailboxes of those who subscribe to The Voice of Zion. May this special publication help bring Easter into your home and your hearts.
Once again we completed a weekend of online broadcasting from Winter Services. Over the weekend, there was nearly 20 hours of broadcasting in addition to the service blocks. We will be on air again at Summer Services in July. Meanwhile, you can relisten to some of the broadcast content on Hearken or on our YouTube channel.
The LLC Board approved establishment of an Opisto Fund. Donations to this fund via our website will directly benefit LLC Opisto Scholarship recipients.
It is our hope that all families with children are aware of our children’s magazine The Shepherd’s Voice. Encourage the young families in your life to subscribe. This magazine is published six times a year. It contains devotional writings, Bible stories and other content and activities geared toward children ages 0–12. It helps support the upbringing in faith done in Christian homes.
We occasionally receive requests for new albums of congregational singing. We will be recording congregational singing at Peace Gardens later this year. We are also looking into recording singing at next year’s Winter Services.
It has been shown to us that in the publications area of work, our workday includes a mix of digital and traditional forms of publication. We do our best to answer both of these needs. We thank all of you who contribute to our publications with content and input and other assistance. We thank all who subscribe. Above all, we thank our heavenly Father, for this work, along with the other work done in God’s kingdom, is gospel work. May our publications be a comfort and support in the life of believers everywhere.
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