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Praise Report: Jabari Dickerson was released from the hospital (after being in ICU from serious car accident) and is receiving physical therapy services at home. Please continue to keep him uplifted in prayer. The Couples' Ministry would like to invite all couples to the Couples' Cafe, entitled "Fireproofing Your Marriage" on Friday, May 29th from 6:30pm to 9:00pm. Refreshments will be served from 6:30pm to 7:00pm. Please see the announcement for more details. Pastor Snead & Christ First Christian Fellowship Center will be celebrating their First Anniversary on Sunday, June 7th. I will be their guest speaker at their 10:45am service. At 4:00pm, the guest speaker will be Pastor Marshall Mays from Virginia, along with musical guest, the Triangle Spirituals of Raleigh. On next Sunday, the love offering will go to bless the CFCFC ministry. The Children's/Youth Day will be on June 7th. All High School seniors should wear their caps and gowns. The Youth M...

Our Youth Ministry did a great job with the car wash on last Saturday. In fact, I got quite a few comments that people didn't realize my car is actually white (I had been keeping it extra dirty just for them)! On Sunday afternoon, Mt. Zion visited the Chatham Creek Nursing Home at 2:00pm. The Ushers & Greeters Ministry accompanied Elder Wilbur Lucas who was the speaker. Music was provided by the Senior Choir. Thursday morning Bible Study will not be held on May 21st and May 28th. It will resume on June 4th. Due to the upcoming holiday weekend, the College/Young Adult Ministry is rescheduling their "Mt. Zion's Got Talent" showcase from this Friday to a later date. Mark your calendars: On June 1, we will host The Town Hall for Hope (featuring Dave Ramsey) from 7:00 to 8:30pm. Dave Ramsey will give real answers about today's economic and also provide hope based on Biblical principles. Everyone is invited to come and bring a friend. There was a trivia ques...

We recognized all mothers on Sunday and wished them a Happy Mother's Day! Please continue to pray for Jabari Dickerson who was in the recent serious car accident that claimed the life of another teen. Thankfully, Jabari has been getting better and better. And I also heard that four teens got saved in the hospital waiting room! Praise God! God can use a tragedy for His divine purpose! The Single Sip Café is starting a new 7-Session Series called "Being Single and the Spiritual Quest". Singles of all ages (never married, divorced, widowed) are invited to attend on Sunday, May 24th, at 8:30am in Adult Classroom 3. On Monday, the Poe Health Center presented "Drugs Uncovered: What Parents Need to Know!" at Mt Zion. It was a very informative presentation. It's amazing (and truly sad) what kids will do to hide and take drugs. Hopefully, this will help parents be more aware about potential drug abuse. The Youth car wash takes place on Saturday, May 16th from...

Our next Bible Study series, "Prosperity and Faith," will begin on Wed., May 6th at 7:00pm. Everyone is invited to join us for this dynamic new series. Thursday is the National Day of Prayer. I will be participating with other local pastors for a NDP service at First Baptist Church of Cary (downtown) at noon. If you are available, please come and pray with us. Attention: Mt. Zion High School Seniors: Applications for the J. Allen Lewis Memorial Scholarship are available at the church office. Completed applications should be returned to the church office by Sunday, May 31, 2009. Congrats to Sis. Faith Chilongo who will be getting her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology on May 9th! Attention, Men: We invite all of you to join us for our quarterly Spring Prayer Breakfast on Saturday, May 9th at 8:00am in the Multipurpose Room. This will be a great opportunity to hear the Word and fellowship with your brothers in Christ. Come early so Doug and Mike don't eat up all the food! Att...

On last Saturday, 65 churches came together for Convoy of Hope to show the love of Christ and give our community some hope. 6,134 guests were admitted through the site front entry. They were able to get free groceries, free haircuts, free lunch, free job fair, entertainment for the kids, and more. In our Prayer Tent (where I volunteered), we prayed for 5,900 people! They told us that the national average for response forms for a crowd our size is 150-220. There were 455 family unit response forms submitted which is 2-3 times more than that was projected. These response forms represent people who received Christ, rededicated their lives, or were seeking a church home. Now the churches will be following up with these families. I am so proud of all the volunteers from Mt Zion. Serving at Convoy of Hope is the work of ministry. We have to get out of our churches and go to where the hurting people are. That's the real work of ministry! On Sunday afternoon, we licensed Sis. Jo...

I will be the guest speaker at New Destiny Christian Fellowship Church in Raleigh for its 5th Anniversary on Thursday, April 23rd at 7:30pm. Their theme is "Be of Good Courage, Go and Possess It" (Joshua 1:6-9). Everyone is cordially invited to attend. Here are directions to the church: New Destiny Christian Fellowship is the white church with purple doors. 100 Jones Franklin Rd. From Durham I-40 East toward Raleigh 40 East will take you into Cary Get off on Exit 290 Turn left at the end of the exit ramp onto Chapel Hill Rd/NC-54 Turn right onto Nowell Rd. (Landmark: State Surplus) Turn left onto Hillsborough St. (Landmark: Han Dee Hugo’s Gas Station) Turn right onto Jones Franklin Rd. From Raleigh I-440 West/US-1 South Get off on Exit 1C Turn right onto Jones Franklin Rd. Keep straight approximately 2 miles (Church sits on the left, Landmark: Sonic on the right)

I will be speaking at New Destiny Christian Fellowship Church (Pastor Maurice Wright) in Raleigh for its 5th Anniversary on Thursday, April 23rd at 7:30pm. Everyone is cordially invited to attend. Our next Church Family Meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 27th at 7:00pm. We will be giving some vital information regarding security procedures. All members are asked to be present. Attention, Ladies: We will be serving a meal at the Helen Wright Center on Thursday, April 30th. If you are interested in serving, please sign up at the Welcome Center. Congratulations to Bro. Tim Ballard who recently graduated from the City of Raleigh Firemen's Academy. Convoy of Hope is almost here! Don't forget to attend the Volunteer Rally on this Friday, April, 24th from 7 to 9pm at Raleigh First Assembly of God. It is extremely important that all volunteers attend so you can get vital information about the event (parking, tent locations, logistics, etc). And then we have Convoy of Hope on S...

"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! " The cross that was intended for evil was the means to redeem lost humanity. If God can bring good out of the crucifixion of His Son, then He can bring good from any horror that befalls His children. Happy Easter! Attention: All Mt. Zion Members Ages 50 & Above...The Music Ministry is gearing up for the singing debut of the Mt. Zion Senior Choir on Sun., Apr. 26th. Be a part of this new choir by coming to rehearsal on Monday, Apr. 20th at 7:00pm and on Saturday, Apr. 25th at 10:00am (if you are not participating in Convoy of Hope). The Initial Sermon of Sis. Joyce Chilongo will be held on Sunday, April 26th at 4:00pm. Everyone is invited to this special occasion. As lent is ending, many of us have been fasting. God really hit me as to what should be the results of true fasting. I encourage everyone to read Isaiah 58:4-10. Fasting should result in action…to help others especially the poor a...

Good Friday was humanity's darkest day. When one thinks of how unjust the crucifixion was, one could easily get the impression that might makes right, that justice is a joke, goodness a farce, and that righteousness is of no consequence. When one looks at Good Friday, one could get the impression that God's face had been turned away from the creation and we had been left to the reign of human beings who had the power to manipulate and control our destinies to fit their selfish purposes. When one looks at Good Friday, one could get the impression that money and power control human destiny. What is so good about Good Friday? It is the fact that it was God's plan for His Son to willingly give His life on the cross for us! It is the fact that the death of Jesus accomplished God's purpose to redeem mankind. Friday was good so that Sunday could be GREAT! Have a blessed Good Friday!

On Sunday, I celebrated my seventh pastoral anniversary. I thank everyone for your prayers, encouragements, and well wishes. I thank God for my wife, Anita, for being a great support to me. She is a strong woman and wonderful mother who is able to care for our three children while I'm out doing pastoral ministry. Seven years have gone by quickly and God has accomplished much in the ministry. But I believe we have have only begun. Looking forward to all that God has in store for us! Any men who are interested in mentoring our male youth are asked to sign up at the Welcome Center. Please see Bro. George Richards for more information. This coming Sunday is Easter. We will be having our sunrise service at 6am, followed by breakfast around 8am, Sunday School, and our regular morning service. Join us and bring a friend as we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Quick update on last Saturday's Convoy of Hope Prayer Bus Tour: about 25 people came fr...

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We're so proud of our own Braxton Payton for "standing out" with good manners and good dance moves. Check him out on this news report . The Youth Contemporary Service held this afternoon at 4:00pm was a great success! All of the youth from both Mt. Zion and PCC did an awesome job singing, dancing, and reciting poetry. Elder Mike Smith of Phillipian Community Church of Raleigh gave a great word from Romans 12 . Pastor Larry Snead and Christ First Christian Fellowship Center's Music Ministry invite the Mt. Zion family to their Easter Musical, "Morning Glory," on next Sunday, April 5th at 6:00pm. I got the following email that shows the power of sharing free audio CDs of sermons. So don't forget to order free CDs of sermons and share them with family and friends. I had the privilege to be able to hear the sermon [Practical Atheist] on CD sent to my co-worker by her family. I must say if you love Jesus and want to serve Him in every way this sermon is ...

This year's Youth revival is already in full effect this week. So far, one teen has accepted Christ and many have came forward for prayer and deliverance. Praise God!!! The Youth Ministry will also have a fellowship activity on Saturday. And we'll wrap everything up with our Youth Contemporary service on this Sunday afternoon at 4pm. Convoy of Hope: Sunday was the last chance to volunteer! I hope you signed up to serve. You have the opportunity to help in the areas of media relations, food services, kid's zone, groceries, guest services, and connections (includes the prayer tent). Here are some important details... Guest Services Responsibility is: (1) Pre-outreach Guest Promotion and (2) day-of-outreach Guest Services. (1) Guest promotion involves the distribution of promotional handbills and posters through community distribution locations, door-to-door invitations, and public school distribution. (2) Day-of-outreach Guest Services is responsible to provi...

We had a blast last Sunday at our first Pastor’s Tea with our New Members. I look forward to the next one. Men, just a reminder that March 29th is the last day to pay your $25 non-refundable deposit for the Men's Retreat. Also, this is last day for single parents to register their sons (up to age 17) for the retreat. There are several activities happening with Convoy of Hope: There's a prayer rally on the 17th at 7pm at Bethlehem Baptist Church in Raleigh. Guest Services will be passing out flyers for Convoy beginning Saturday, March 21st. They will be meeting each Saturday at 9:45am at Mt Pleasant Worship and Outreach, 1424 Sawyer Road, Raleigh until April 18th and leaving the church promptly at 10:00am to pass out the flyers. There will an Urban Prayer Journey (A Bus Prayer Tour Through Urban Raleigh) on Saturday, April 4 9:00 - Noon. You must RSVP if you want a spot on the bus. This is first-come, first-served. See the community section of our website for details. B...

I'm looking forward to participating in the Convoy of Hope on April 25th in Raleigh. Check out this video...

Boy, I'm glad that getting into heaven is not based on your bowling score! The men had a great time bowling on last Friday. My goal is to always break a 100 but on the first game, I missed it by 1 pin! And my good friend, Bro. Barry Singleton started singing " 99 and a half won't do "!! You could truly feel the love at the bowling alley. On Sunday evening, we had our first Pastor's Tea with our newest members. The tea was a great time for me and the elders to interact with these new members. I got a chance to share God's vision for Mt. Zion but most importantly I got a chance to hear from these members what drew them to Mt. Zion. A few things that I heard were: loving, welcoming atmosphere; family-oriented; and an active children's ministry. Philippian Community Church (Pastor Eric Ellis) is having their first Dance Extravaganza on March 13th at 7:30pm. Our Fine Arts Ministry will be participating. Be sure to go out and show your support.

Our next Adult Bible Study series, "Does God Always Bless Believers?" began on Wednesday at 7:00pm. Everyone is welcome to join us for this exciting series. Men, don't miss our 2nd Sunday Men's class at 8:30am this coming Sunday. We'll be talking about "A Good Man Assuming His Assignment". We'll be looking at scriptures from Jonah and Job. I'll see you in class! The Men's Ministry will be going bowling at Buffaloe Lanes at High House Road in Cary on Friday from 7:30pm to 9:30pm. Come show us your skills...or do you need the bumpers?? We invite all of Newer Members (October 2007 to present) to join me for a special Tea on this Sunday, March 8th from 5:00pm to 6:30pm. The Tea will include refreshments and time for you to interact with me and the Elders. I look forward to meeting and interacting with all of you. Convoy of Hope: Mt. Zion has volunteered to help in the areas of media relations, food services, kid’s zone, groceries, guest s...

We had a great time at the Gift of Heritage program on Saturday. We have a great bunch of talented people at Mt. Zion who use their gifts of drama, dance, and creativity to bring honor to God. A special training workshop is scheduled on February 28th for ALL Children's/Bible Study/Sunday School Teachers and Volunteers of children ages 12 and under for the new Discipleland curriculum. Sign up at the Welcome Center. Don't forget the "LOVE, SHARING, AND GIVE" Food Drive (sponsored by the Children’s Ministry) which ends this week. Bring your canned goods and nonperishable items and place in the designated boxes. This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of Lent . Ash Wednesday is a day of repentance and Lent is the season of prayer and fasting. We will be anointing with oil mixed with ashes right after Bible Study.

Our youth (ages 13-17) had their first Youth Enrichment Service on Sunday and the word I'm hearing is that they really enjoyed it. I was told a few teens had rededicated their lives back to God. Everyone that attended the Couples Sweetheart's Ball on Valentine's Day had a great time. There was a lot of dancing going on! So if anyone has photos that they want to share, please send them to our web admin so we can post them on our photo gallery! As you know, the primary part of our vision is to spread the Gospel. To that end, we've renamed one of our Outreach sub-ministries from "Discipleship" to the more accurate "Community Evangelism". As the name suggests, this ministry evangelizes to the community (whether by doing door-to-door or other methods). If you have the gift of evangelism, then you should really check this ministry out. Please see the ministry director, Minister Amekuedi, to get involved. Don't forget that our "The Gift o...

Men, I remind you that there's a payment table out front for the Men's Retreat (coming up in August). Single parents, you can sign your boys (up to the age of 17) to go at no cost with a mentor to watch over them during the retreat. The Couples' Ministry will host a Sweetheart's Ball on Saturday, February 14th at the Radisson Hotel, RTP, starting at 6:30pm. "The Gift of Heritage" Program will be held on Sat., Feb. 21st at 1.00pm. Everyone is invited to attend and invite others you know to the program. Flyers are available at the Welcome Center. The Children's Ministry is sponsoring a "LOVE, SHARING, AND GIVE" Food Drive during the month of February to support the community. Each family member is asked to bring canned goods and nonperishable items and place in the designated boxes. Mt. Zion will be partnering with dozens of area churches for a special day of Gospel-centered ministry of compassion called Convoy of Hope on April, 25th. On the...