Zion Lutheran Church
Green Isle Twp., MN (LCMS)
Divine Service: Sundays 10:30 AM
Green Isle Twp., MN (LCMS)
Divine Service: Sundays 10:30 AM
grow your faith in good soil
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If you've never been to Zion before, you might find the following information helpful.
If you've never been to Zion before, you might find the following information helpful.
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How to get here
We're set back a ways from MN-5, about three miles south of Green Isle, so look for the cross sign on the northwest corner of 381st Ave. After turning in there, take the first left, then a right. Our U-shaped drive goes all the way around the church. If you come in the far end (past the church), you'll find cars parked diagonally on the grass to your right and perpendicular on the left, among the trees.
We're set back a ways from MN-5, about three miles south of Green Isle, so look for the cross sign on the northwest corner of 381st Ave. After turning in there, take the first left, then a right. Our U-shaped drive goes all the way around the church. If you come in the far end (past the church), you'll find cars parked diagonally on the grass to your right and perpendicular on the left, among the trees.
What do people wear? You'll find a variety of styles among us, as our community includes office workers and farmers, retirees and stay-at-home moms. Skirts and slacks and blue jeans and shorts may all be in evidence, depending on the season. When you're coming to meet with the Almighty, it's never wrong to spiff up a little, but He will never turn you away because of your clothing (and neither will we!).
Entering the building, you'll find wide stairs leading up to the narthex and sanctuary (narrow stairs on the left lead down to the restrooms and fellowship hall). On your right at the top of the stairs is our fellowship register—please sign in and leave us some contact information so we can touch base after your visit (we won't spam you!).
In the narthex (the gathering area just outside the sanctuary) we have information tables, coat racks—one of which features busy-bags for young children—and a communion sign-in sheet on a podium next to the loft stairs.
Should you commune? If you are not a member in good standing of a Missouri Synod Lutheran church, we respectfully ask that you not come forward for the Lord's Supper, because you could be taking Christ's body and blood to your harm and also because communion expresses unity of doctrine. Our pastor would welcome an opportunity to discuss communion and our doctrine with you in preparation for your joining us in the sacrament on another day. If you are a Missouri Synod Lutheran, please sign the communion registry and introduce yourself to the pastor before the service, letting him know you will be coming forward.
Entering the sanctuary. Some folks go right in and sit as soon as they arrive, and some chat in the narthex before service, so feel free to do what feels comfortable to you. In addition to the main floor pews, we have a good-sized loft upstairs. Don't feel you have to sit in back if you have children with you—children often respond well to sitting up front where they can see better and can feel closer to the action.
Entering the building, you'll find wide stairs leading up to the narthex and sanctuary (narrow stairs on the left lead down to the restrooms and fellowship hall). On your right at the top of the stairs is our fellowship register—please sign in and leave us some contact information so we can touch base after your visit (we won't spam you!).
In the narthex (the gathering area just outside the sanctuary) we have information tables, coat racks—one of which features busy-bags for young children—and a communion sign-in sheet on a podium next to the loft stairs.
Should you commune? If you are not a member in good standing of a Missouri Synod Lutheran church, we respectfully ask that you not come forward for the Lord's Supper, because you could be taking Christ's body and blood to your harm and also because communion expresses unity of doctrine. Our pastor would welcome an opportunity to discuss communion and our doctrine with you in preparation for your joining us in the sacrament on another day. If you are a Missouri Synod Lutheran, please sign the communion registry and introduce yourself to the pastor before the service, letting him know you will be coming forward.
Entering the sanctuary. Some folks go right in and sit as soon as they arrive, and some chat in the narthex before service, so feel free to do what feels comfortable to you. In addition to the main floor pews, we have a good-sized loft upstairs. Don't feel you have to sit in back if you have children with you—children often respond well to sitting up front where they can see better and can feel closer to the action.
About the Service
God is with us. We believe that when we gather for worship, the one true God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—is present among us, bringing us his gifts of the forgiveness of our sins and new life in Christ. He is our loving Father, Redeemer, and Comforter, but he is also our Lord, worthy of our highest respect and reverence. We come to be filled with all he has to give, since as sinful human beings we have nothing he needs—he is serving us. The means he uses to give us these gifts are his word—the holy Bible, absolution, the Scripture readings, and preaching—and the sacraments Jesus instituted during his earthly life: baptism and the Lord's Supper.
We follow a formal order of service, or "liturgy," for several reasons. It is a historic practice of the Christian Church, it keeps us grounded in Scripture, and it provides for uniformity across Christendom. If you attend a church that uses a traditional liturgy, you can be at home in churches all over the nation and even the world. People who know the liturgy often can still participate in it long after their mental faculties have deteriorated. And it helps buffer the human weakness of a pastor—if a particular sermon isn't quite as biblical as it should be, you still leave having been fed on God's word in the rest of the service.
The Sunday bulletin is your road map through the service. For a quick overview, open it up and look at the right-hand column, which provides an outline of the entire service. "LSB" indicates page numbers in the Lutheran Service Book (hymnal). Wherever you see the words "In bulletin," look on the left-hand page for the Introit (responsive psalm readings), the Collect (pronounced "COLL-ect"—a prayer), and the Gradual (short responsive Scripture reading) or psalm of the day. Note that the section of the outline below the words "use for communion service" will only be used when communion is celebrated—it begins after "Prayers of the Church."
If the service includes communion (usually the first and third Sundays of the month), communicants will be invited forward by an usher, from the pulpit-side first. A group will stand at the chancel steps to receive communion together. If you need to avoid alcohol, you may choose the nonalcoholic wine in the center cups of the tray. If you are not a a member in good standing of a Missouri Synod Lutheran church, you are welcome to come forward for a blessing, crossing your arms over your chest to indicate you are not communing. The pastor will also bless children who accompany their parents to communion. After the pastor dismisses a group, communicants place their cups on the tray provided near the first pew and return to their seats.
We follow a formal order of service, or "liturgy," for several reasons. It is a historic practice of the Christian Church, it keeps us grounded in Scripture, and it provides for uniformity across Christendom. If you attend a church that uses a traditional liturgy, you can be at home in churches all over the nation and even the world. People who know the liturgy often can still participate in it long after their mental faculties have deteriorated. And it helps buffer the human weakness of a pastor—if a particular sermon isn't quite as biblical as it should be, you still leave having been fed on God's word in the rest of the service.
The Sunday bulletin is your road map through the service. For a quick overview, open it up and look at the right-hand column, which provides an outline of the entire service. "LSB" indicates page numbers in the Lutheran Service Book (hymnal). Wherever you see the words "In bulletin," look on the left-hand page for the Introit (responsive psalm readings), the Collect (pronounced "COLL-ect"—a prayer), and the Gradual (short responsive Scripture reading) or psalm of the day. Note that the section of the outline below the words "use for communion service" will only be used when communion is celebrated—it begins after "Prayers of the Church."
If the service includes communion (usually the first and third Sundays of the month), communicants will be invited forward by an usher, from the pulpit-side first. A group will stand at the chancel steps to receive communion together. If you need to avoid alcohol, you may choose the nonalcoholic wine in the center cups of the tray. If you are not a a member in good standing of a Missouri Synod Lutheran church, you are welcome to come forward for a blessing, crossing your arms over your chest to indicate you are not communing. The pastor will also bless children who accompany their parents to communion. After the pastor dismisses a group, communicants place their cups on the tray provided near the first pew and return to their seats.
Next Steps
Get social
Visit our YouTube channel to view our recorded services. "Like" our Facebook and/or Instagram pages - these sites contain the most up-to-date news about events and opportunities at both Zion and St. Paul's.
Check the Calendar
Take a look at our Calendar for an at-a-glance view of what's happening.
Explore other resources
Our Links page connects you with sites that dig deeper into faith, the Bible, current issues, our district and synod, and more.
Get involved
Take a look at the prayer requests in the weekly bulletin and schedule some prayer time for them. We need ushers and greeters for Sunday mornings—there's usually a signup sheet on the desk in the narthex.
Our sister church, St. Paul's, hosts a Sunday morning adult Bible study and, from fall through spring, Wednesday night classes for kids. There's a chapter of the Lutheran Women's Missionary League, who do all kinds of service projects in and beyond Green Isle. In the late summer we need lots of volunteers to make our Vacation Bible School happen.
Don't see an activity you're interested in? Talk to the pastor—maybe you can help start something new! God has given you a unique set of gifts and abilities—ask the Lord to show you where and how he would like you to use them!
Visit our YouTube channel to view our recorded services. "Like" our Facebook and/or Instagram pages - these sites contain the most up-to-date news about events and opportunities at both Zion and St. Paul's.
Check the Calendar
Take a look at our Calendar for an at-a-glance view of what's happening.
Explore other resources
Our Links page connects you with sites that dig deeper into faith, the Bible, current issues, our district and synod, and more.
Get involved
Take a look at the prayer requests in the weekly bulletin and schedule some prayer time for them. We need ushers and greeters for Sunday mornings—there's usually a signup sheet on the desk in the narthex.
Our sister church, St. Paul's, hosts a Sunday morning adult Bible study and, from fall through spring, Wednesday night classes for kids. There's a chapter of the Lutheran Women's Missionary League, who do all kinds of service projects in and beyond Green Isle. In the late summer we need lots of volunteers to make our Vacation Bible School happen.
Don't see an activity you're interested in? Talk to the pastor—maybe you can help start something new! God has given you a unique set of gifts and abilities—ask the Lord to show you where and how he would like you to use them!
Zion Lutheran Church
20199 385th Ave.
P.O. Box 25
Green Isle, MN 55338
P.O. Box 25
Green Isle, MN 55338
507-326-3451
lutheranchurchesofgi@gmail.com
lutheranchurchesofgi@gmail.com
