Grow

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever!" 2 Peter 3:18

Once a person is invited to a church, it is important to give him or her the opportunity to grow in faith. At Zion UMC, there are many opportunities to grow on a spiritual journey that will last a lifetime. From our very youngest children to those who are in their nineties, many educational opportunities exist in a wide variety of settings that are geared to help people grow in their understanding and love of Jesus Christ. Please take a couple of minutes to look at the many ways a person can connect with different groups in order to learn more about their faith and grow in their relationship with God.

Bible Studies
  • Companions in Christ

    Companions in Christ

    Thursdays - 7:30pm
    Meets in Room #15

    This group is studying “GRACE” by Max Lucado.

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  • Women's Bible Study

    Women's Bible Study

    Thursdays - 9:00am-10:30am
    Zion UMC

    The group is currently studying “That The World May Know” by Ray Vander Laan.

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Small Groups
Zion Methodist Community Church offers many small group opportunities for Bible Study and Fellowship. Some groups are ongoing; others are short-term, lasting just a few weeks. If you do not find a group or subject that suits your needs, Zion is very open to starting new groups.
  • Book Club

    Book Club

    Meets every other month

    February – The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate

    When Iola Anne Poole, an old-timer on Hatteras Island, passes away in her bed at ninety-one, the struggling young mother in her rental cottage, Tandi Jo Reese, finds herself charged with the task of cleaning out Iola’s rambling Victorian house.


    Running from a messy, dangerous past, Tandi never expects to find more than a temporary hiding place within Iola’s walls, but everything changes with the discovery of eighty-one carefully decorated prayer boxes, one for each year, spanning from Iola’s youth to her last days. Hidden in the boxes is the story of a lifetime, written on random bits of paper—the hopes and wishes, fears and thoughts of an unassuming but complex woman passing through the seasons of an extraordinary, unsung life filled with journeys of faith, observations on love, and one final lesson that could change everything for Tandi.

    April – The Far Side of the Sea by Kate Breslin

    In spring 1918, Lieutenant Colin Mabry, a British soldier working with MI8 after suffering injuries on the front, receives a message by carrier pigeon. It is from Jewel Reyer, the woman he once loved and who saved his life—a woman he believed to be dead. Traveling to France to answer her urgent summons, he desperately hopes this mission will ease his guilt and restore the courage he lost on the battlefield.


    Colin is stunned, however, to discover the message came from Jewel's half-sister, Johanna. Johanna, who works at a dovecote for French Army Intelligence, found Jewel's diary and believes her sister is alive in the custody of a German agent. With spies everywhere, Colin is skeptical of Johanna, but as they travel across France and Spain, a tentative trust begins to grow between them.


    When their pursuit leads them straight into the midst of a treacherous plot, danger and deception turn their search for answers into a battle for their lives.

    June – The Reckoning at Gossamer Pond by Jamie Jo Wright

    For over a century, the town of Gossamer Grove has thrived on its charm and midwestern values, but Annalise Forsythe knows painful secrets, including her own, hover just beneath the pleasant façade. When a man is found dead in his run-down trailer home, Annalise inherits the trailer, along with the pictures, vintage obituaries, and old revival posters covering its walls. As she sorts through the collection, she's wholly unprepared for the ramifications of the dark and deadly secrets she'll uncover.


    A century earlier, Gossamer Grove has been stirred into chaos by the arrival of controversial and charismatic twin revivalists. The chaos takes a murderous turn when Libby Sheffield, working at her father's newspaper, receives an obituary for a reputable church deacon hours before his death. As she works with the deacon's son to unravel the mystery behind the crime, it becomes undeniably clear that a reckoning has come to town--but it isn't until another obituary arrives that they realize the true depths of the danger they've waded into.


    Two women, separated by a hundred years, must uncover the secrets within the borders of their own town before it's too late and they lose their future--or their very souls.

    August - The Accidental Guardian by Mary Connealy

    She's the only witness to a wagon train attack. Keeping her safe, though, means his world is about to be turned upside down.


    When Trace Riley finds the smoldering ruins of a small wagon train, he recognizes an attack by the same group who left him as sole survivor years ago. Living off the wilderness since then, he's finally carved out a home and started a herd--while serving as a self-appointed guardian of the trail. He'd hoped the days of driving off dangerous men were over, but the latest attack shows otherwise.


    Deborah Harkness saved her younger sister and two toddlers during the attack, and now finds herself at the mercy of her rescuer. Trace becomes an accidental guardian when he offers the only shelter for miles around and agrees to take them in until they can safely continue their journey. His simple bachelor existence never anticipated kids and women in the picture and their arrival is unsettling--yet enticing.


    Trace and Deborah find themselves drawing ever closer as they work together to bring justice to the trail and help the group survive the winter--but every day closer to spring means a day closer to leaving the mountains forever.

    October – Whose Waves are These by Amanda Dykes

    In the wake of WWII, a grieving fisherman submits a poem to a local newspaper asking readers to send rocks in honor of loved ones to create something life-giving but the building halts when tragedy strikes. Decades later, Annie returns to the coastal Maine town where stone ruins spark her curiosity and her search for answers faces a battle against time.

    December - An Endless Christmas by Cynthia Ruchti

    An award-winning novelist’s heartwarming story about family and love lost, found, and finally truly revealed at Christmas.

    Christmas takes a very different turn when the guests of honor break up instead of announcing their engagement. Trapped with his family, they learn that love looks different than either imagined. Both in their eighties, Dodie and Wilson Binder celebrate every Christmas as if it were their last. This year, their grandson Micah is planning to ask his girlfriend, Katie, to marry him so they can celebrate with the whole family. But things go very wrong when she says "no." Now they are stuck. Too many people, too much snow, and too little room should be a recipe for disaster. But sometimes too much is just enough. Especially when it's Christmas.

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  • Creole Class

    Creole Class

    Thursdays - 6:30pm
    Zion UMC

    Do you want to learn Kreyol (Creole)? You are welcome to join and learn Creole as a second language. If you plan to attend please contact Sandy Kalmar.

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  • Men's Breakfast and Book Study

    Men's Breakfast and Book Study

    Fridays - 6:00am-7:00am
    King's Family Restaurant - Sarver

    Led by Pastor Rob Wilson, this group is open to men of the church and community.

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Sunday School
Our Sunday School classes are based on Scripture and follow the doctrine of The United Methodist Church. We provide classes for people of ALL ages. Most classes are long-term established groups, always open and willing to accept new members and visitors. In addition to these classes, we occasionally offer short-term topical studies for 6-12 week segments. Each adult visitor and member is encouraged to visit the available adult classes before choosing one to meet your needs. We also encourage ALL Sunday School members to bring a Bible to class with them. If you do not have a Bible, one will be provided. All classes meet every Sunday at 9:30am.
  • Children and Youth Classes
    • Toddler 2s and 3s

      Toddler 2s and 3s

      Teacher: Ethan Fritz
      Meets in Room #9

      Learning materials are from Grow, Proclaim, Serve!. It incorporates Bible stories, activities, crafts, media, and games geared towards children. Kids will develop the skills to unlock the Bible message and grow their faith.

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    • Preschool

      Preschool

      Teachers: Linda Benzinger and Millie Rudish
      Meets in Room #5

      Students must be three by September 1

      Learning materials are from Grow, Proclaim, Serve!. It incorporates Bible stories, activities, crafts, media, and games geared towards children. Kids will develop the skills to unlock the Bible message and grow their faith.

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    • Kindergarten-Grade 1

      Kindergarten-Grade 1

      Teacher: Sarah Blose
      Meets in Room #6

      Learning materials are from Grow, Proclaim, Serve!. It incorporates Bible stories, activities, crafts, media, and games geared towards children. Kids will develop the skills to unlock the Bible message and grow their faith.

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    • Grades 2-3

      Grades 2-3

      Teacher: Cheryl Peters
      Meets in Room #7

      Learning materials are from Grow, Proclaim, Serve!. It incorporates Bible stories, activities, crafts, media, and games geared towards children. Kids will develop the skills to unlock the Bible message and grow their faith.

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    • Grades 4-5

      Grades 4-5

      Teachers: Pat Gray, Ginger Miller, and Brian Blose
      Meets in Room #8

      Learning materials are from Grow, Proclaim, Serve!. It incorporates Bible stories, activities, crafts, media, and games geared towards children. Kids will develop the skills to unlock the Bible message and grow their faith.

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    • Grades 6-8

      Grades 6-8

      Teacher: Brian Kalmar
      Meets in Room #&3

      The class studies various topics throughout the year. The next topic they will cover is the Pastor's interview.

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    • Grades 9-10

      Grades 9-10

      Teacher: Steve Kladny
      Meets in Room #1

      The class is studying “Developing Character to Stand Strong” by Francis Chan.

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    • Grades 11-12

      Grades 11-12

      Teacher: Jennifer Cadamore
      Meets in Room #1

      The class is studying “Everything is Possible with God” by Rick Warren.

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  • Adult Classes
    • Post High/College-Age

      Post High/College-Age

      Teacher: Cindy Shick
      Meets in the Balcony

      The lesson each week is independent and has no bearing on previous classes. The class looks at the challenges and blessings of our lives.

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    • Young Adult

      Young Adult

      Teacher: Lisa McClelland
      Meets in Room #14

      The class is working on an 11-week study by James McDonald titled “Lord, Change My Attitude Before It's Too Late”

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    • Exodus

      Exodus Class

      Teacher: John Woitas
      Meets in Room #4

      The Exodus class is comprised of a mix of adults. They are currently studying “Leading the Way Through Ephesians” by Dr. Michael Youssef.

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    • Faith Weaver

      Faith Weaver Class

      Teacher: Becky Janoski
      Meets in Room #1A

      The Faith Weaver class studies spiritual gifts.

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    • Short-Term Study

      Short-Term Study

      Teacher: Lois Lang
      Meets in the Fellowship Hall

      This latest short-term study is focusing on parables and the book of “Proverbs”.

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    • Uniqueness

      Uniqueness Class

      Teachers: Sandy Kalmar and Becky Ross
      Meets in the History Room

      The Uniqueness Class is comprised of a mix of adults. They are currently studying “Multiply” by Francis Chan.

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    • Genesis (women)

      Genesis Class (women)

      Teachers: Amy Haponski and Lori Smiesko
      Meets in Room #12

      The women in the Genesis class are studying the books of “Ruth” and “Esther”.

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    • Man-to-Man (men)

      Man-to-Man Class (men)

      Teacher: Rob Peters
      Meets in Room #11

      This group of men is studying the book of “Romans”.

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    • Light of Zion (seniors)

      Light of Zion Class (seniors)

      Teacher: Ginny Besterman
      Meets in Room #16

      The Light of Zion class is learning about christian living for the mature years.

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    • Seekers (seniors)

      Seekers Class (seniors)

      Teacher: Norma Laughner
      Meets in Room #15 (Library)

      The Light of Zion class is learning about christian living for the mature years.

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