As the world deals with the COVID-19 pandemic, we have made the difficult decision to suspend worship services and activities for the near future. Acting with an abundance of caution, our Zion Church family as well as neighboring churches, friends, family and neighbors are observing social separation and quarantine if/as necessary for the protection of everyone.
In doing so, we have come together virtually, to provide the word of God during this time apart through the use of technology.
Download the Worship Plan for Sunday, March 15, 2020
including Lessons, Psalm, Gospel and Prayers of the Church for your worship purposes.
Also, Pastor Katie Brantner has invited the people of Zion to live stream worship from home.
This will take place tomorrow morning, Sunday 3/15/20, at 10:00am via Zoom.
If you have an internet connection, click on the link provided below. You should do this prior to 10:00am, as there is a download that needs to happen before you can enter the meeting ID number.
Link: https://zoom.us/j/7527077666
Meeting ID: 752 707 7666
If you do not have an Internet connection, use the following telephone number provided for you to join. Please note that this is NOT a toll free number. If this number is outside of your regular calling plan, a charge will appear on your phone bill for the call.
Dial by your location: +1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
Meeting ID: 752 707 7666
If you prefer, you can view the pre-recorded service anytime.
Pastor Katie has prerecorded the same service, in case there are issues with the Facebook Live option.
(Many churches will be trying to live stream at the same time. Facebook may not be able to keep up.)
The prerecorded service can be found here, https://www.facebook.com/StPaulHametown/videos/3282229015124637/ ,
and it is the same service that will be on Facebook Live via Zoom.
In her message to this church about the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, said that even though “this is a time of disruption. It is also a time for us to live and act as faithful people of God.”
Resources that offer guidance for congregations and members are available at www.elca.org/PublicHealth.
UPDATE: Due to the potential community impact of the COVID 19 virus, Zion Lutheran Glen Rock Church Council leadership has made the decision to CANCEL worship and other activities until we are directed otherwise by our state leadership. Activities include those including those provided by community organizations which use our facility.
Please share this information with anyone you know who may not have access to social media.
Keeping our communities safe seems like the best choice at this time – we want to keep everyone healthy. The best practice is to stay home. The church office will be staffed but not open to the public. Please use telephone, text, social media or email for communication. Check the church website for updates.
Please continue to give offering which can be mailed to 47 Hanover Street, Glen Rock, PA 17327. You can also request your bank to send an electronic check. We support mission and ministry in the US and the world through giving in addition to providing salaries for staff and upkeep of our facility.
As the cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) continue to spread internationally, across the US, into Pennsylvania, and now into our own community, we need to think about changing our normal day-to-day behaviors to reduce the spread. We don’t want to panic, but we also need to make smart decisions. We must do our part to follow social distancing measures to avoid spreading it to others, and keep the epidemic in slow motion. This decision was not taken lightly. Worship and communal church activities are critical to our mission. I encourage you to set a common prayer and reflection time even though we are physically apart. On behalf of Zion, thank you for your understanding.
Should you have any questions, feel free to email me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Stay healthy,
Joy Keller-Brown,
Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19), so instructs Jesus. The command is general in nature, and thus the sacrament of Baptism tends to be interpreted and handled differently within different Christian religions.
You might have had the occasion in the past to witness a number of baptisms here at Zion – all beautiful and meaningful ceremonies – rites of passage conferring blessings and God’s Grace upon the recipient. Since Lutherans practice infant baptisms, most of those baptized here are babies who have no real participation in the process and who are brought to the baptismal font by parents, guardians and sponsors who promise to see that the child is raised according to the Word of God.
However, from time to time, we have the chance to take part in the baptism of one who is no longer a baby – someone who has come to the ceremony knowingly prepared to accept the sacrament. When this happens, the process is slightly different; and it gives us as a congregation the chance to be a little more involved and to interact differently with our newly baptized member.
Such was the case on Sunday, January 12, 2020, when we welcomed Jayden Nicole Rizzo into our church family here at Zion Lutheran Church in Glen Rock, PA . Since this young lady is fairly new to our Zion family, we thought you might be curious as to what brought her to us. So we asked her to introduce herself, and she certainly did. Here is what Jayden wrote:
Hi! My name is Jayden Rizzo. I’m 7 years old and I’m in second grade at Friendship. I have lived in Glen Rock since I was a baby. My friends, Sam and Henry Fisher, invited me to Zion Church. Carrie [Drury] took me to church and I loved it, but I was shy.
Miss Kelley [Fisher] and Carrie are my best friends; they are my Baptism Sponsors. My PopPop, Mrs. Felicia [Ernst], my church friend, Dina [Harden], were my special guests.
I love learning about God! I like to read, do crafts and gardening. When I grow up, I want to be an art teacher and help rescue animals.
So Jayden, everyone at Zion welcomes you. We are pleased to know you, and we are very glad that you decided to join our congregation. We were grateful to be a part of your baptism celebration, and we look forward to watching you grow and serve God and your community as time goes on.
Anyone who might be curious about exactly what took place during the Baptism ceremony can listen to the whole thing right here…
We are able to help save the world!
You likely recall last November when we offered a display of Barnyard Ornaments in the Fellowship Hall as part of our funding campaign for ELCA Good Gifts -- in particular God's Global Barnyard as we have done in previous years. Many in our Zion family selected ornaments and purchased them through cash donations. These donations were then collected and sent to ELCA where they are being allocated to support communities and families in need in underdeveloped countries throughout the world.
We are thankful for everyone who participated, and we are excited and grateful to announce that your generous hearts have donated a total of $700.00 during the funding drive.
This represents a total of all the barnyard ornaments that were purchased through donations. They included the following:
Honeybees (9 sets)
Help sustain honeybee colonies throughout the world and provide beeswax and honey that can be sold at market, honey to nourish the family, and bees to pollinate plants and thus help crop growth.
Chicks (8 sets)
Chicks quickly grow into full size chickens which will produce eggs and perhaps new chicks. This not only provides protein-rich food sources for the family but also offers a means to sustain a small business selling the products.
Piglets (3)
Waste from the piglets offers a source of fertilizer to help crops grow. Once the pigs have matured, they can not only produce more piglets to sustain the farm or they may be sold at market to supplement the family's income.
Goats (4)
Communities in rough terrain areas of the world rely on goats which can survive where cows cannot. Goats produce milk to nourish the family; and, since they tend to reproduce quite quickly, they can also be sold at market or offer enough milk to sustain a small business.
Roosters (2)
On a farm that relies on hens to produce chicks to grow the flock and/or for sale, a rooster is necessary. More chickens in the flock produce more eggs to feed the family and to sell at market.
Fruit Tree Seedlings (12)
Since many of the underdeveloped communities we serve are located in challenging climates, special varieties of low-maintenance fruit trees are known to thrive and produce fruit to nourish the families. They live for generations and have root systems that protect the soil from erosion in these harsh environments.
We can only imagine the joy that will be felt by those who will benefit from these wonderful gifts!
Bless you, one and all,
Christian Education Committee
Baby, it’s Cold Outside!!
In fact, as we look out our window at the snow blanketing the ground here in Glen Rock today, it’s partly cloudy, 27 degrees with winds out of the east at 3 mph causing it to feel like 23 degrees. No big deal, right? If you’re headed out, you’ll be sure to wear a warm coat, warm gloves, and warm socks – and don’t forget the hat and scarf as well.
The bad news is that there are people in York County who are living on the street or have a long walk to work or school and don’t have those items. Brrrr!! That is miserable and can be dangerous.
The Good News
The good news is that our Zion Family has been able to help. Once again as in previous years, we have stepped up throughout December and filled our Gifts of Warmth Tree in the Fellowship Hall with hats, scarves, gloves, socks and more. Specifically, we gathered: 86 pairs of socks, 50 hats, 28 sets of gloves, 5 hat/glove combos, 2 hat/glove/scarf combos, 4 leggings, 4 pairs of slipper socks, 1 scarf, 3 child’s pant/top combos, 1 child’s top, 1 child’s undies, and 1 fleece blanket.
The Christian Education Committee wants to thank everyone who donated to help fill the Gifts of Warmth tree this year. Our campaign has ended for this year, but we hope you’ll begin setting aside items for December 2020. Bless you, one and all!!
Who Will Benefit?
Bev Reindollar will be delivering all the Gifts of Warmth to the Salvation Army in York today.
We offer a big Thank You to Bev and the Christian Education Committee for giving us yet another way to open our hearts to those less fortunate.
If you would like to know more about the Gifts of Warmth Tree or the Christian Education Ministry, just check out our website or contact Bev Reindollar (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.). You can also speak with any of the members of the Christian Education Committee which includes:
Lois Goodling
Gevene Harden
Pam Hoffman
Jeff Hoffman
Bill Ream
Gloria Ream
Jim Ream
Bev Reindollar
Evelyn Roser
Pam Spangler.
They would love to share details and answer your questions.
On a wet and chilly afternoon in mid-December, 2019, a small convoy made its way through our area from Glen Rock to York and back again. It carried 16 of Zion's member -- from the young to the young-at-heart -- all eager to bring Christmas carols and cheer to our "Zion VIPs" who welcomed us eagerly. Of course, the VIPs are those special longstanding members of our congregation who can no longer make it to church on Sundays. Some are now residents in local nursing facilities and others live at home.
Our first visit was to the Brunswick at Longstown facility in York. Then on to the Spirit Trust Lutheran Villages of Sprenkle Drive and Kelly Drive and finally to Country Meadows before heading back to Glen Rock for a local home visit.
At each stop, we offered a Christmas Gift Basket full of greeting cards, gifts, and home-baked goodies to our VIP and then left them with a few christmas carols, always ending with a round of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas". In each case, we were met with big smiles and excitement; and facility staff and residents were also delighted.
We filled the air with Christmas cheer as we sang everything from "Joy to the World" and "O Little Town of Bethlehem" to "Silent Night", "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" and so many more. It was dificult to know who was happier -- the VIPs and their friends or we, the Carolers. Suffice it to say that we all had a wonderful afternoon; and by the time we arrived back at Zion, we were already talking about doing it again next year.
Congratulations are in order for our 2019 Carolers: Tom Bailey, Diane Bortner, George Brown, Felicia Ernst, Sandy Fair, Mariane Harden, Butch Hengst, Jeff Hoffman, Pam Hoffman, Gloria Ream, Evie Roser, Shirley Seitz, Alice Simmons, Pam Spangler, Tom Spangler, Marian Williams.
Of course, a huge Thank You to Marian Williams who heads up the Visitation Ministry and to her committee which also includes Gloria Ream, Alice Simmons, Terry Cox, Marilyn Cox, and Brenda Davis. They take care of Zion's VIPs throughout the year with cards and visits.
If you'd like to take part in this ministry or know of a member of Zion who is confined to home or a facility and would welcome a visit from us, please contact Marian Williams (717-235-1978 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.).
On October 27, 2019, the congregation and many neighbors and friends came together to enjoy a piano and organ recital in the sanctuary here at Zion Lutheran Church.
Nick Galanaitis, Jacob Ziegler and Ian Hoke performed many selections from Mozart, Chopin, Bach and others including original pieces by Nick Galinaitis. The Zion Gethsemane Choir took part in the performance as well. We were treated to a piano and organ duet, a four-handed piano duet, and we even took part in singing some familiar hymns.
Nick Galinaitis is the Director of Music at Zion Lutheran Church and St. Jacob's Lutheran Church in Glen Rock PA. He studies with Dr. David Kreider and has performed for venues including the L.A. Breakfast Club in Los Angeles, CA, and for the Arts for Hearts Sake Recital Series hosted by the Villa Assumpta in Baltimore, MD.
Jacob Ziegler is the Director of Music at St.Mark's Lutheran Church in Hampstead, MD. He teaches organ at McDaniel College in Westminster, MD, and has studied with Ted Dix as well as Dr. Tim Murphy at Towson University where he obtained his Masters in Organ performance in 2019.
Ian Hoke is the Director of Music at Keysville Lutheran Church in Keysville, MD. He studies with Dr. David Kreider and has performed for many recitals at McDaniel College in Westminster, MD. He currently studies music at Carroll Community College.
The congregation at Zion Lutheran Church is honored to have been designated as an important historic structure by the Glen Rock Historic Preservation Society. To mark this occasion, the GRHPS dedicated the 2019 Historic Landmark Plaque during a ceremony on Sunday, October 27, 2019. The plaque has been installed just to the right of the main entrace to the sanctruary. The presentation shared the high points of Zion's history and importance of Zion Lutheran Church in the borough of Glen Rock.
Zion Council member, George Brown, composed the verbiage on the plaque which he gleaned largely from the book titled "Zion Stands With Hills Surrounded: A History of Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church", by Dr. Charles H. Glatfelter. Dr. Glatfelter was a local historian and author, born and raised in Glen Rock and personally familiar with Zion's history which dates back to 1860. The original brick church was completed in 1863, replaced by the current stone structure in 1905.
We here at Zion are honored to have our church recognized, and we were certainly pleased to host the Plaque Dedication and to welcome many neighbors and friends from Glen Rock and the surrounding area to the event.
We hope you will drop by and view the plaque when you have a chance; and, in fact, you can learn more about Zion's history and view the video on our website.
Trail of Doom - a perfect theme for Halloween
Youth Group meetings usually take place on Sunday evening; but this being the week leading up to Halloween, we couldn't resist a little extra fun. So we moved our meeting to Friday evening and added a pizza party.
Our topic for the week being "Trail of Doom", we focused on activities to show that disciples of Christ follow Jesus no matter the costs. It is learning about how following Jesus is not always easy and how we face challenges every day. Realizing that there are challenges is the first part of following Christ.
To observe this spooky season, we took some time for some Halloween games as well.
If you would like to learn more about our local Youth Group here at Zion Lutheran Church in Glen Rock PA and perhaps think about joining in our fun, then just visit our website and/or contact Kelley Fisher (410-598-0586) or Bill Ream (717-873-4821). We'd love to hear from you.