the Logos

We are hosting a "Back to School Jam" for students in grades K-12 and their parents on Friday, September 11th, at 6:30pm. The program will include drama/skits, activities, and a panel discussion with local school administrators, etc. Refreshments will be provided so please sign up at the Welcome Center so we can get an idea of how many to prepare for. Due to Labor Day weekend, we will not have communion on next Sunday, but on the second Sunday in September. Be safe if you are traveling next weekend. Today's love offering will go to bless the Walden family and others in our church family. Thanks to those who gave generously today.

Imagine yourself debt free! We will be starting the Financial Peace University course on 9/26, but you can catch a free preview of what the course is all about on Wednesday at 6:30pm in the Multi-Purpose Room. This preview is about 20 minutes long and will explain exactly how the program works, what you'll get out of it, and how it can completely change your life! On Saturday, 8/29 at 4pm, we will be hosting a free Gospel stage play entitled, " Yet, Praise Him! " Everyone is invited to attend and to bring a friend. If you haven't done so yet, please take the current quarterly online survey which ends on August 31st. Copies are also available at the Welcome Center. Thanks in advance for your participation! Keep in the Walden family in your prayers. Next Sunday, we will take the love offering to bless the Walden family and other members who are in need. So please come prepared to give generously to next Sunday's love offering.

Last Sunday (8/9), we had three people come to Jesus! We continue to celebrate the amazing work that God is doing in the lives of people. We had an incredible time at the Men's Retreat! I've blog about the retreat later. Ladies: the Women's Ministry's "Chocolate and Friends" event on this Friday, August 21st, at 7:00pm. See announcements for further details. Another outreach opportunity, Mt. Zion ministered at Chatham Creek Nursing Home on Sunday at 2:00pm. Deacon Cherry gave an inspirational message and our Men's Choir sang. Mark your calendars: 8/29 at 4pm, Mt. Zion and Gifts of God Ministries Theatre Company is sponsoring a free Gospel play entitled, "Yet, Praise Him!" With sadness I announce the sudden passing of Bro. Douglas Walden on last week (husband of Minister Candice Walden & brother of Sis. Beatrice Fields). His home going service was held on Monday. Please keep the Walden family in your prayers.

We had a nice time at the Skits & Pizza event on Friday. The skits were performed by our children to some adults. The best part was some of the discussions about the skits (prosperity gospel, diversity in the church, overcoming that annoying sin in your life, and avoiding false accusations. Thanks to the College/Young Adult ministry for sponsoring. All men who are planning to attend the Men's Retreat are asked to meet on tomorrow, August 3rd, at 6:30pm in the Multipurpose Room. Parents of the young men who will be attending the retreat should also be present for additional information and to sign permission slips. All of the parents of teens should have received a letter about an important meeting on August 10th at 6:30pm to discuss some critical things in our Youth Ministry. I also want to extend an invitation to parents of 10-12 years old to attend as well in preparation for your children being a part of the Youth Ministry. Mt. Zion would like to hear from you. We are go...

Thanks to all who came out to the Church Family Meeting. Our focus is reach the lost with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Even though we don't have a formal dress code at church, I think we have an unspoken one. Our guest may perceive a dress code based on what they see on the stage from leadership. So in order to remove any barriers that might prevent some from visiting us or feeling comfortable in our service, the leadership will dress a little more casual. We will try this out until the end of the year and then evaluate. So don't be surprised when you see me not wearing a tie! I shared the following email that we got via our website to show that we are spreading the Gospel worldwide. To God be the glory! Greetings Mt. Zion Church Family...Today is July 27, 2009 and I would like to share the blessing that I have received from your church. I was talking to my very dear sister, soror, friend Sis Brandi Hancock and she and I were having a heart to heart. I told her that I was...

I give a BIG shout-out to all the men that participated on the Habitat for Mt. Zion project. These men came out and worked hard over two Saturdays to do some renovations at our old facility. Thank you all for your service and hard work! It is greatly appreciated. On Sunday afternoon, Mt. Zion ministered at Cary Health & Rehab Center at 2:00pm. Sis. Angela Cody was the speaker and the Senior Choir brought the music. If you are looking for opportunities to reach out to our community, this is a great one. Often, the residents at these homes are so neglected and it's great for the Body of Christ to share with them that God loves them. Starting Wednesday, we're starting a new Bible Study series called "Dual Citizenship". Everyone is invited to join us for this new series. Our next Church Family Meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 27th, at 7:00pm. All members are asked to be present.

I've been been quite busy the last couple of weeks preparing for a couple of outside speaking engagements. On last Sunday evening, I spoke at Greater Love Worship Center where Robert Mason is the pastor (he is the son of our very own Sis. Beatrice Fields). The Everready Gospel Choir accompanied me and we had a great time. I spoke on "How Big is God?" On this Friday (7/10), I will be speaking at Scott's Grove Church (on Hwy 55), for their Deacon's Program at 7:00pm. The Male Chorus is coming and I anticipate a great time in the Lord. Everyone is invited to join us. Our "Habitat for Mt. Zion" project has finally be rescheduled for Saturdays, July 11th and 18th, at our old facility.

Thank you Mt. Zion for showing the love of Christ. I received the following email via Facebook regarding VBS: "This is Jonathan Lewis, Doug's cousin. Tell the church I miss them and I can't wait to come back next year. Ya'll treated my mother and I like we were members of the church I love yall and can't wait to come back to Cary again". I will be speaking at Greater Love Worship Center (Pastor Mason) on Sunday, July 5th at 6:30pm. Everyone is invited to attend. We started a new Bible Study series. . " Life. Money. Hope: Biblical Advice in Difficult Times ," on Wednesday, July 1st. This 3-week series features David Ramsey. If you are interested in his Financial Peace University , check out this series. Due to July 4th holiday this weekend, we will have Communion on the second Sunday in July.

Happy Father's Day! If earthly fathers, with their sinful nature, delights to do right for their children, it makes sense that the righteous, Heavenly Father will much more reward His children spiritually. I praise God for being our Heavenly Father who has given us the good gifts of His Son and His Spirit. His Son provides access to a relationship with the Father and His Spirit indwells within us and seals us for the day of redemption. We had an awesome VBS last week. The theme for the week that really stuck with me is "God is unforgettable". God has done so much for us that we should never forget His goodness towards us. Men: The deadline to pay your $150 toward the upcoming Men's Retreat on August 13th to 15th is Sunday, June 28th. The table is still open at the Welcome Center for you to pay your money up until this date. Mt. Zion will partner with "With Love from Jesus" Ministries in Raleigh for outreach on Saturday, June 27th from 9:00am to 12:30pm....

Vacation Bible School is starting tomorrow. You can still register for VBS. Join us for a week of food, fellowship, fun, and learning. We will conclude with a tailgate party on Saturday. Invite someone to be your guest for VBS and/or the tailgate party. Mt. Zion ministered at Phoenix Assisted Care this afternoon at 2:00pm. The College Ministry accompanied Minister Jacquelyn Harrison as speaker and the Sisters of Praise rendered the music. The Couples Ministry is doing the Love Dare challenge. All the Love Dare books have been sold. If you still would like to participate in the Love Dare challenge you can purchase the book from any area book store. Then contact Janice Long, Michele Skeen, or Cynthia Whitney for further details. The Youth Ministry Car Wash is on Saturday, June 27th from 8:00am to 1:00pm. The Men's Ministry will be providing a hot dog and drink to everyone making a monetary donation at the car wash! Volunteers are needed. Please sign up at the Welcome Center. Al...

It's so easy to talk about bad fathers, but I want to celebrate and encourage our good fathers by giving away study resources (commentaries, concordances, dictionaries) to a few deserving fathers on Father's Day. See the details below...

I missed the Mt. Zion family on Sunday as I was speaking at Christ First Christian Fellowship Center for their First Church and Pastoral Anniversary. My topic was "The End of One Era, the Beginning of a New Era" (Deut. 34:5-9). God's word was to exhort Pastor Snead to not dwell heavily on what he use to do at Mt. Zion but to do a radical new things at Christ First! I attended their afternoon service where Pastor Marshall Mays from Virginia (Pastor Snead's home church) preached on "Stay" (Acts 27:31). He encouraged Pastor Snead to endure to the end even though storms will come. And congratulations to all of our High School graduates. I'm so proud of you for reaching this significant milestone in your life. Also, very proud of all the youth and children for the wonderful job I heard they did for the Children & Youth Day service. While I was away...Elder Roderick Harrison provided the following pastoral emphasis... There is a sign-up sheet at the...

Parents: There was a brief meeting after church on Sunday for all parents who participate in the Children's Ministry. If you missed the meeting, please see someone in the Children's Ministry to get updated. And we do need more parent volunteers. Just a little bit of your time makes a big difference. On Monday night, we hosted a replay of the Town Hall for Hope featuring Dave Ramsey. I found it to be very enlightening and encouraging. We are also gathering interesting in Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University . Please sign up at the Welcome Center if you would be interested in attending this course. Tentative plans are to offer it in the fall. The "Habitat for Mt. Zion" project that was scheduled for this Saturday has been postponed. We are waiting on an inspection. We hope to do this project next Saturday. This Sunday is our Children & Youth Day. All High School seniors should wear their caps and gowns. Our young people will be leading and parti...

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...