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Outreach and Mission Our Churches Wider Mission
OCWM is our church's tithe.
This money goes on to the
Conference 70% and National Church 30%.
While giving towards this is
voluntary, we regularly meet and
even surpass our goal for the
year. Our Conference supports local
churches and pastors by providing
Association ministers and offices, helps
with search processes, organizes churches
to work together, facilitates
communication between the local and
national church, and carries out
ministry specific to our Northern
Illinois area. Our National Church, seeks to
share the vision of our
General Synod (gathering of the
national church every two years) in
resources and programs, it advocates
for the poor and the persecuted
on a national level, it funds many
colleges and seminaries in the US
and abroad. It funds many national
programs and ministries, and it
funds worldwide missions and emergency
disaster relief.
Like Windows, OCWM is the
operating system of our church, it
provides programs and opportunities
for ministries in abundance !
Local Outreach
Zion has a long tradition of being involved in local mission. A
number of it's Pastors and members have served on the local
organizing boards for the local hospital, the Illinois Valley Food
Pantry, and PADS (public action to deliver shelter), and the Lighted
Way (for handicapped children).
The mission committee of Zion, continues to find and encourage
members to participate in a number local missions each year. In the
last 5 years we have annually, worked and/or given to Relay for
Life (American Cancer Society), Labor of Love (Home repair for low
income folks), Illinois Valley Crop Walk, Pilgrim Park church camp,
Lighted Way, PADS, Domestic Violence Center, and Food Pantry special
distributions.
The Women's Guild, Wedding Band, and other fellowship Groups have
given to Bensenville/Lifelink family services, CUE Seminaries, Sunburst
Children's Home, Emmaus home for the mentally handicapped, American
Bible society, the English Youth Exchange program, and others.
From time to time, our Council designates special gifts for flood,
hurricane and earthquake disasters.
Within the Church
Our Pastoral Care committee, has been visiting and keeping up with
our shut-ins and hospitalized. They started a prayer chain for those
in need. Our members respond tremendously with cards and visits
whenever they hear of someone in need or in the hospital. And they
started a one to one visiting program with many of our elderly.
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