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September Foundation Fellowship & Bible Study, Surprise Recognition (Pastoral Emphasis for 8/29)

I want to remind all of our members to please take our Foundation Fellowship survey . Your feedback is vital to help with our planning.  Starting next Sunday in Foundation Fellowship, we'll be taking a deep look at the Doctrine of Election in our September series, Chosen by God .  Also, on Wednesday, Youth Bible Study resumes and the Adult Bible Study will start studying the book of 2 Corinthians .  When the pandemic started, I had to produce the service and preach from my basement. Thankfully, I had some people to tell me that I shouldn't have to do this by myself. So while all other ministries stopped, we had three individuals that stepped up big time to get the virtual service broadcasted from the church.  Today, we had a surprise recognition for the following from our IT Media Ministry... Deacon Rufus Credle (on his birthday today) Minister Matt Darby Minister Brandi Hancock (on her birthday today) who has gone by so many titles such as... Virtual Service Pro...

We're a Family, Prayer Concerns around the World (Pastoral Emphasis for 8/22)

Let's continue to pray for Bro. Britt Norton after the passing of his wife, Norma (and mother-in-law). You didn't have to know Sis. Norma or know Bro. Britt well to care and check on him. We're must get out of our individualized mindset and remember that we're a family .  Whether we know someone or know them well, if they are members of our church, we should be intentional about being there for each other in good and bad times.  And let us not forget any of our widows and widowers. As we look around the world, we have much to pray for.  Including... Haiti , which was recently hit by a 7.2 earthquake that killed 2,189 lives and counting.  Afghanistan ,  which has taken been taken over by the Taliban. Pray for the civilians especially women, children, and Christians.  The Northeast , that's about to feel the wrath of Henri. I'm not talking about Deacon Spivey but Hurricane Henri.

Prayer & Bereavement, Virtual Prayer Rally, Back to School Prayer (Pastoral Emphasis for 8/15)

We have much to pray for as many of our members are experiencing difficulties and bereavement.  Pray for Sis. Annie Brice who is in the hospital  Pray for Bernard Clark on the loss of his great aunt which is former member, Sis. Regina Jarmon's mother  Pray for Minister Jackie Harrison and family who recently lost her nephew  Pray for Bro. Britt Norton whose wife, Sis. Norma, and mother-in-law passed last week. Bro. Britt gave me permission to share that his wife and mother-in-law died from COVID. Although Bro. Britt had gotten vaccinated, they decided not to. Bro. Britt wants to encourage everyone to consider getting vaccinated if not for yourself, for your family and friends. It's those you leave behind that are impacted.  Our next Virtual Prayer Rally will be on Tuesday, August 17th, at 7:00 pm. If you cannot attend, please submit your prayer request online on our Prayer Request Form .  September’s Foundation Fellowship will be on the Doctrine of Elect...

Foundations Fellowship & Bible Study, New Sermon Series (Pastoral Emphasis for 8/8)

Today, Minister Jae Smith challenged us with " What Do You Need to Confess ?" from Joshua 7:16-26 . Public confession of sin brings glory to God and strengthens the church. Don't forget to join us for our virtual Foundations Fellowship and Bible Study . This month, we're looking at Faith and Fear during FF. We're also working through our hybrid setup in the MPR. You are more than welcome to join us in person in the MPR so you'll be here for the start of the service. This month in Bible Study, we're finishing up 1 Corinthians, looking at worship, love, hope, and work.  I'm amazed how last week's and today's sermons have been wonderful lead-ins for our upcoming sermon series. Next Sunday, we dig into Philippians in a series called Unchained Joy ! Despite our situations and circumstances, we can have joy because of our relationship with Jesus. Even when we are bound, we can have unchained joy!

Mt. Zion's Mask Policy Update

  Starting on Sunday, 8/8/21 , Mt. Zion is requiring masks to be worn when inside the building.  In light of the increase in COVID cases due to the delta variant , the CDC recommendations , and the vulnerability of our children who cannot get the vaccine, we will be requiring masks (regardless of vaccination status) while inside the building during worship service and other functions.  Those who are on the platform talking or singing will be able to take off their masks. We ask everyone to love their neighbor enough to wear a mask. The church will continue to provide masks for those who may need one. We have sanitizing stations throughout the church and we've installed a new air filtration system.  Do not let this cause you to be too fearful to come back to church services and to minister to those inside and outside the church. As A.W. Tozer said, " A frightened world needs a fearless Church ". We will continue to be wise and take necessary safety precautions but...

Rejoice & Be Glad In It, VBS Survey, August Birthdays & Anniversaries (Pastoral Emphasis for 8/1)

Evangelist Tayon Dancy preached from Psalm 118:19-24 on "Rejoice and be glad in it".  Psalm 118:24 says "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it". We can rejoice and be glad in “This Day” because it is the day prophesied about when Jesus would make His triumphant entry into Jerusalem to become our Savior. He completed His mission on the cross after the entry of “This Day”, and it can never be taken away. We welcome back Sis. Jakayla Allen , who has recently returned to rejoin the church.  Thanks to all who attended VBS . We're asking all attendees to please take this survey to give us feedback.  Happy Birthday to all August babies! Happy Anniversary to our August couples!

Virtual Prayer Rally, Church Family Meeting, VBS 2021 (Pastoral Emphasis for 7/18)

Our next Virtual Prayer Rally will be on Tuesday, July 20th, at 7:00 pm. If you cannot attend, please submit your prayer request online on our Prayer Request form .  Next Sunday, we're having our Church Family Meeting right after the church service. The meeting will be in-person and on WebEx. We'll send out the special WebEx link . This will be an important meeting where we'll be discussing more plans for re-opening and we have a Board of Directors election. All members are asked to attend.  Please register for this year's VBS 2021: Run with Endurance: Stand, Walk, Run which will be on July 29 and 30 at 7:00 pm and July 31 at 10:30 am. My family and I are going on vacation this week so we'll be out next Sunday. Your prayers for our trip is greatly appreciated.

PackHope Results & Thanks, VBS 2021 (Pastoral Emphasis for 7/11)

Thanks to all who served at the PACKHOPE event yesterday.     (email subscribers: click  here  if you can't see the video) We completed 29 pallets. Each pallet is 4,320 meals (30 boxes x 144 meals per box). So the unofficial count is 125,280 meals . We had 267 people check in to package meals. These numbers do not include Unto volunteers, event coaches and Mt. Zion volunteers in additional roles who did the check-in (which would be anywhere between 50 - 60 people). BIG thanks to Minister Matt Darby and Elder Sean Cherry for organizing our participation for the event.  Yes, we're having Vacation Bible School this year! VBS 2021: Run with Endurance: Stand, Walk, Run will be on site, July 29 and 30 at 7:00 pm and July 31 at 10:30 am. Register on Realm . If you have any questions, you can email christianed AT mtzioncary.org.

July Birthdays & Anniversaries, PACKHOPE, Happy 4th of July (Pastoral Emphasis for 7/4)

Happy Birthday to all July babies! Happy Anniversary to the July couples! Thank you all for signing up to serve at the PACKHOPE event on Saturday, July 10. Our morning session is overcapacity so please register for the afternoon session from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM. If you registered for the morning session and are able to switch to the afternoon session that would be helpful.  Happy 4th of July ! Enjoy the holiday with family and friends. And remember that true freedom is found only in Jesus Christ.

Class of 2021 Recognition, J Allen Lewis Scholarship Winners, Next Sermon Series (Pastoral Emphasis for 6/27)

Congratulations to the Class of 2021! (email subscribers: click here if you can't see the video) We also recognize Donovan Bethea who graduated from Apex Friendship High School. He will be attending NC A&T to study Business Administration. Congratulations to all the 5th graders who are moving up to the Youth's Ministry's Spiritual Warriors class.  This year's winners of the J Allen Lewis Scholarship are... The 2nd place recipient of $500: Teara Anderson  The 1st place recipient of $1000: Jamari Dancy  Don't forget to register for the PACKHOPE event on Saturday, July 10. You can register for either the morning session from 10 AM - 1:30 PM or the afternoon session from 12 PM to 3:30 PM. We will share lunch and fellowship outdoors between sessions at 12 PM and 1:30 PM. Boxed lunch is provided at no cost. Please bring a blanket or your own lawn chairs for lunch. Please register by Monday, June 28. After that, we will allow those on our waitlist to fill any remain...

Register for PACKHOPE, HS Graduates, Happy Father's Day (Pastoral Emphasis for 6/20)

Our Cary PACKHOPE Experience is approaching fast. Mt. Zion has 40 volunteer positions remaining before we open it up to a waiting list that is already growing. We are partnering with seven other churches that will populate the other volunteer positions. We anticipate over 300 volunteers to help pack meals consisting of dried rice and dried beans on Saturday, July 10 .  You can register for either the morning session from 10 AM - 1:30 PM or the afternoon session from 12 PM to 3:30 PM. We will share lunch and fellowship outdoors between sessions at 12 PM and 1:30 PM. Boxed lunch is provided at no cost. Please bring a blanket or your own lawn chairs for lunch.  Please don't wait:  Register through Realm or email "packhope AT mtzioncary.org" or call 919-675-2692. We will allow our waitlist to fill our remaining spots by Monday, June 28, and spaces are filling up.  Next Sunday, we'll have a special recognition of our  High School graduates and announce the winner o...

Welcome to New Members, Virtual Prayer Rally, PACKHope (Pastoral Emphasis for 6-13)

Welcome to our latest members who have completed New Members Orientation:  LaDonna Bethea and Stacy Colbert   Our next Virtual Prayer Rally will be held on Tuesday, June 15th, at 7:00pm on WebEx . If you cannot attend, please submit your prayer request online .  Mark your calendars for Saturday, July 10.  We partner with Unto , the humanitarian ministry of Cru, to pack 120,000 rice & bean meals for people worldwide. Cary PACKHope is a family-friendly event for kids 12 years and older and will make a significant difference in the lives of families living in the most challenging places on earth. You can volunteer to pack meals and pray for the people groups receiving the meals. There is no cost to participate as a volunteer. Registration details will come shortly. If you are interested in volunteering to pack meals or operate in a hosting capacity for this event, please contact Matt Darby for more details.

June Birthdays & Anniversaries, PackHope, 24-Hour Prayer Rally (Pastoral Emphasis for 6/6)

Happy Birthday to all the June babies!  Happy Anniversary to all the June couples!  You can relieve the suffering of hungry people by joining us for our PACKHope Experience on Saturday, July 10. We are partnering with Unto , the humanitarian ministry of Cru, to pack 120,000 rice & bean meals for people worldwide. This event will be family-friendly for kids 12 years and older and will make a significant difference in the lives of families living in the most challenging places on earth. Come join us at Mt. Zion with nine other partnering churches.  Our 24-hour Prayer Rally starts tomorrow at 7am. We want to have members of the church praying around the clock for repentance, restoration, and revival. Members should have received the prayer guide and model yesterday via Realm. We'll also be fasting from 1 meal a day from Monday through Saturday.  Next Sunday, I'll be preaching at Christ Family Church  at their 11am virtual service for Pastor Patricio Wilson'...

Prayer Request, Signing up for Prayer Slots, Happy Memorial Day (Pastoral Emphasis for 5/30)

Please keep Sis. Hattie Williams in your prayers. She is currently at the Swift Creek Health Center until Tuesday. For those who like to contact her, additional details about her phone and room number was sent out via Realm.  As part of our pastoral prayers for revival next month, we'll be having a special 24-hour Prayer Rally . The theme is “Repentance, Restoration, & Revival” with the focus on praying for the church. We want members to sign up for 30 minute slots prayer slots from June 7th, 7 am through June 8th, 7 am. There are plenty of available slots especially from 11:30 am to 5:30 pm. We'll also be fasting the week of 6/7. We'll have a prayer guide for you to use. It will be available on June 1 . Contact Sis. Sandra Broadwater for more information.  I would like to wish everyone a Happy Memorial Day . As more people are getting out, many people use this Memorial Day weekend for travel, shopping, or cookouts. But let's remember that Memorial Day is for r...

24-hour Prayer Rally, Support Singleton Family, Back to Church (Pastoral Emphasis for 5/23)

Next month's pastoral prayer topic is Revival . As part of our pastoral prayers for revival, we'll be having a special 24-hour Prayer Rally. The theme is “Repentance, Restoration, & Revival” with the focus on praying for the church. We want members to sign up for 30 minute slots prayer slots from June 7th, 7:00 am through June 8th, 7:00 am. We'll also be fasting the week of June 7th. The event is being coordinated by our Prayer Team. Sign-up and more details are forthcoming but you can contact Sis. Sandra Broadwater for more information.  Thank you all for your prayers and support for Sis. Josephine Singleton and family during the homegoing services for Evangelist Barry Singleton . Sis. Josephine will need our support in the months to come so let's continue to be there for her and Liz and Auggie (in particular).  We want to encourage you all to come back to the church for in-person worship. As COVID numbers and hospitalizations continue to fall, let's not for...

Bereavement, 5K Walk/Run, Virtual Prayer Prayer (Pastoral Emphasis for 5/16)

My dear brother in Christ, Evangelist Barry Singleton has passed. He went into the hospital early Saturday morning and passed that evening. My heart is heavy at the loss of this dear brother, but I’m thankful that he is no longer suffering but is with the Lord. Please keep his wife Josephine, daughters Shannon and Liz, and the grandchildren in your prayers.  Don't forget to register for the 5K walk/run that Mt. Zion is doing with Trinity Park Church on Saturday, May 22 at 8:00am. This will support Corral Riding Academy that ministers to at-risk girls. Contact Evangelist Tayon Dancy for more information.  Our next Virtual Prayer Rally will be held on Tuesday, May 18th, at 7:00 pm on WebEx . If you cannot attend, please submit your prayer request online.

Walk/Run for Corral Riding, Happy Mother's Day (Pastoral Emphasis for 5/9)

Mt. Zion is partnering with Trinity Park Church for a 5k (3.1 miles) walk/run on Saturday, May 22 at 8:00am. We will walk at the Black Greenway Trail off of Maynard Road near the church. The mission is to support Corral Riding who ministers to and supports at-risk girls and for us to show love in action with our neighboring church. Register today . Contact Evangelist Tayon Dancy for more information.  Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers! But we should acknowledge that Mother's Day can be bittersweet for many for various reasons. Some of you have lost your mother. Take comfort in God, our heavenly Father. The Bible says that God watches over His people like a hen who protects her chicks under her wings. If you are in Christ and your mother was in Christ, then you shall see her again.  Some mothers have lost children (some by miscarriages or abortion). God has mercy on children and I truly believe you shall see your child one day in eternity. And even if you have aborted ...

May Birthdays & Anniversaries, 1 Corinthians Bible Study, Theological Seminar (Pastoral Emphasis for 5/2)

Minister James Warmack preached today on James 1:2-4 , 12 on the topic "Perseverance in Suffering: How Committed Are You?" .  We have arrived at the BEST month of the year! This month I will celebrate my 50th birthday ! Happy Birthdays to all May babies. Happy Anniversaries to May couples.   We finished our study of Romans and now we'll start digging into 1 Corinthians in our Adult and Youth Bible Study. We start with the theme of “Let's Examine Ourselves Closely”.  Don't forget to register for our next Virtual Theological Seminar on Saturday, May 8th, at 9 am ET on “Thinking Biblically About Transgenderism” . We will dive into understanding the worldview behind Transgenderism and how should believers think and respond to it. Our guest speaker will be Dr. Peter Goeman, a professor at Shepherds Theological Seminary in Cary, NC.

1 Peter Series Break, Youth Scholars, Church Family Meeting Announcements (Pastoral Emphasis for 4/25)

We're taking a little break from 1 Peter but we'll resume on 5/23.  Congrats to our first quarter Youth Scholars ! (email subscribers: click here if you can't see the video) We had our Church Family Meeting today after the service.  A few items from the meeting... Please join us on Saturday, May 8th, at 9:00 am ET for our next Virtual Theological Seminar on “Thinking Biblically About Transgenderism”. Our guest speaker will be Dr. Peter Goeman, a professor at Shepherds Theological Seminary in Cary, NC. He will help us understand the worldview behind transgenderism and how we can respond from a biblical worldview. Please register here for the free seminar. In 2019, we had a PACKHope event with other churches to package seeds to send to countries in need of a sustainable food supply. We are now preparing for another large PACKHOPE event with Unto , the humanitarian aid ministry of Cru (Campus Crusade for Christ International). On Saturday, July 10th, the event will be h...

Virtual Prayer Rally, Church Family Meeting, Theological Seminar (Pastoral Emphasis for 4/18)

Join us for an hour of prayer at our Virtual Prayer Rally on Tuesday, April 20th, at 7:00pm on WebEx . If you cannot attend, please submit your prayer requests online .  Our next Church Family Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, April 25th, following church service. All members are asked to attend. The special WebEx link will be sent out this week.  Please join us on Saturday, May 8th, at 9:00 am ET for our next Virtual Theological Seminar on “Thinking Biblically About Transgenderism” . We will take a deeper dive into the scriptures to learn what the scriptures reveal about this topic that has recently gained greater visibility and exposure in our society. Our guest speaker will be Dr. Peter Goeman, a professor at Shepherds Theological Seminary in Cary, NC. Please register here .