“Religion that is pure and undefiled before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction.” (James 1:27).

Zion takes seriously the call to ministries of mercy. We have a FoodNet distribution that serves over 100 families per week, a Teen Moms program, and a number of other diaconal ministries to those in need. We invite you to discover ways to show mercy even as God has shown you mercy.

Listen to Rob Hotz, chairman of the Deacons in his class Shaped by Mercy:
Week 1 — The Loving Neighbor (The Good Samaritan) audio: MP3. (class notes: PDF)
Week 2 — The Basin and the Towel (class notes: PDF).
Week 3 — A Reformed Theology for Mercy Ministry (class notes: PDF).
Week 4 — Principles and Practice. audio: MP3. (class notes: PDF)

FoodNet

Zion volunteers participate in the community FoodNet program by collecting and distributing food every week. Volunteers visit cooperating grocery stores to pick up surplus food that has been removed from shelves during the normal rotation of stock. Every Saturday morning, produce, meat, dairy, bakery, packaged, and canned goods are picked up by volunteers and taken to Cooper Park at 8th and E Streets (or the Redeemer Church building at 8th and D when weather forbids outdoor distribution). Volunteers unload the food, sort and arrange it for free distribution.

All who want food are directed through the food line. To ensure fairness, quantities are limited and monitored. The actual distribution takes about half an hour for about 150 people. Then volunteers stay to clean up and send any leftover food to another FoodNet site.

Project Serve

Zion is one of the sponsoring churches that initiated an annual Project Serve Lincoln weekend.

In October 2009, over 2500 volunteers from 36 churches participated:

In October 2008, over 3,000 volunteers from many congregations spread out into the community to work together on jobs at schools, parks, mission agencies, and other venues.