Eric Jurmu | The Voice of Zion May 2022 - News and Notes --
In May, let us remember the special occasion of Mother’s Day. It is the day of the year which is set aside in honor of our mothers. Do we remember to notice all our mother does and thank her for it? And do we also remember to be thankful to God for the parents we were given?
May God richly repay you mothers for the devotion you provide for your families. We wish you God’s abundant and continued blessings! May He protect and keep you always as His own.
Thank you, mother dear, so precious for the love that you have shown. We thy children are so grateful for this love that we have known.
Give abundant gifts, dear Father, to our mother on the way. Guide her on the way to heaven unto rest with Thee one day.
(SHZ 425:1,4)
May also marks the beginning of graduation celebrations. Congratulations, 2022 graduates! May God grant life’s blessings for each of you.
Updates on LLC Activities
God granted His abundant blessings for the LLC Ministers Camp which was held at SLC April 1–3. Approximately 100 ministers experienced very concretely the unity of faith and mutual love which joins God’s children together. In addition to many hours of open discussion the following presentations were kept over the weekend:
– The Duty of the Servant of the Word in this time, a translation of Samuli Korteniemi’s presentation to the 2022 SRK ministers meeting.
– Current Work and Conditions in North America: Adrian Pirness
– Faithfulness to the Chosen Text: Jouko Haapsaari
These opportunities give younger and older ministers needed time to gather to discuss the mutual work of serving and to be refreshed and encouraged in their walk of faith.
The agenda and meeting details have been sent to LLC congregation boards, delegates, and ministers for the Board Members Workshop to be held in Monticello, April 30.
2022 Summer Services
The service schedule can be found on the LLC website. The services motto, Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness (Matt. 6:33), will be the topic for the congregation presentation on Friday evening.
A children’s service will be held in the tent on Friday and Saturday afternoons.
A Sunday school lesson will be held in the tent on Sunday morning.
Youth activities will be hosted at the service site.
Over 150 RV sites have been reserved.
Camping areas for families, adults and youth 18 years and older will be available during the service weekend.
Please see the LLC website for additional details. There, you will also find an online signup for those wishing to volunteer in support of services.
In conjunction with 2022 LLC Summer Services, the LLC Annual Meeting will be held at the Rockford church on July 2. In preparation for the meeting, a video with highlights of the 2023 Draft LLC Operating Plan was sent to congregations in mid-April. There are two discussion items in addition to the normal business – LLC Area Realignment, which will also require a revision to LLC bylaws, and the question of moving LLC Summer Services to the weekend following SRK Suviseurat.
Construction of the new bathhouse at Silver Springs is under way. Excavation work started in early April with completion of the bathhouse scheduled for mid-summer.
Mission Work
Travel for foreign LLC mission trips is scheduled to resume in the 3rd quarter of 2022.
Communications
We feel very fortunate that the LLC Publications App Hearken has been well received. Within a month of its release, we already had over 700 subscribers. This number exceeded our expectations! We continue to welcome your input and feedback on what kind of content you’d like to see on the app. Email us at hearken@llchurch.org
We recently released a Sunday school video lesson on Joseph. This was our fourth and final video for this school year. Look for more instructional videos next fall!
We are busy preparing for Summer Services broadcast content. Once again we will provide broadcast content between service blocks. These will include children’s programming, interviews and discussions on timely topics as well as biblical content.
We are holding a spring music sale! Look for information on that in this issue of The Voice of Zion!
Applications for opisto scholarships for the 2023–2024 opisto year are being accepted through May 15. Send in your application soon!
God has graced us a time of work. May He continue to guide and bless the efforts of His children.