THIS IS ZION
Love God
Love People
Make Disciples
OUR HISTORY
A THRILLING JOURNEY!
1800's
Zion Church was founded in the 1860’s by a group of immigrants from the Evangelical Synod, which was a break off group from the German Lutheran Church.
They built a building and cemetery in what is now “Old Bland”. When the train line came through at the top of the hill, the town now known as Bland started to build up with stores and restaurants and homes.
1900's
In the late 1920’s the church building in Old Bland burned down, so the church rebuilt in Bland the brick building we worship at now on the corner of Sycamore and St. Louis Streets.
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In the 1940’s the Evangelical Synod merged with the Reform Synod, another branch off of the German Lutheran Church, and formed the Evangelical and Reformed Church.
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In the late 1950’s the Evangelical and Reformed Church merged with two other denominations to form the United Church of Christ.
Two additions have been built on to the our current church building over the years. In 1954 the current nursery and preschool classroom space was added as well as the expansion of the sanctuary, which now seats over 300 people. In the 1983 the ZC Kid's wing was added to provide room for kids, youth and other church activities.
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2,000's
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In the early 2000’s Zion Church withdrew from the United Church of Christ and in 2004 began fellowship with the Evangelical Free Church of America.
For over a 150 years, God has shown his faithfulness to the community of Bland and the families in the Tri-County area of Gasconade, Osage, and Maries Counties through the mission of Zion Church.
THIS IS NOW
Because of the faithfulness of pastors, elders and members over the decades, some families at Zion now have a legacy of God's goodness with four generations of their family attending and serving God right here at Zion weekly. What a testimony of the power of God! We truly are a church for the whole family.
Zion Church is not a building. It is a house of prayer, a house for the presence of God, a house for people. We are the church. We, God's church here in the Tri-County area, have not only endured for over a century, but are alive and well. We are growing and passionate about leading families to Christ.
In April of 2022, Pastor Keith came to pastor Zion Church, embracing the sacred privilege that it is to serve God in preaching, teaching, leading and equipping as we together make an impact in our community.
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We welcome you to start your journey pursuing God and declaring with us, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." We can't wait to see what God has in store for the future!
OUR BELIEFS
WHAT WE BELIEVE
THE BIBLE IS
GOD'S WORD
TO US
The Bible was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs about living.
The Holy Bible, and only the Bible, is the authoritative Word of God. It is inspired, inerrant, infallible, and the final authority in determining all doctrinal truth, righteousness, morality, and Godly living.
REFRENCES
Proverbs 30:5
Romans 16:25-26
2 Timothy 3:16-17
2 Peter 1:20-21
GOD IS THE CREATOR AND RULER
OF THE UNIVERSE
He has eternally existed as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are coequal and co-eternal and are one God.
REFERENCES
Genesis 1:26-27, 3:22
Deuteronomy 6:4
Psalm 90:2
Isaiah 9:6
MORE REFERENCES
Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19
Luke 1:35
2 Corinthians 13:14
Hebrews 3:7-11
1 Peter 1:2
I John 5:7
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Jesus is the Son of God.
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We believe Jesus Christ was conceived by God the Father, through the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Trinity) in the virgin Mary's womb; therefore, He is the Son of God. He is coequal with the Father and Holy Spirit.
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He is the second person of the Trinity. On earth, Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. He is the only man ever to have lived a sinless life. Jesus performed many miracles. Jesus offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross.
Jesus arose from the dead on the third day to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He died on the cross for mankind and thus, atoned for our sins through the shedding of His blood.
On the 40th day from his resurrection, Jesus ascended to heaven to the right hand of the Father as true God and true man. We believe in His personal future return in power and glory to rule a thousand years.
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Isaiah 7:14
Isaiah 9:6
Matthew 1:18-25
Matthew 1:22, 23
Luke 1:27-35
John 1:1-5, 1:14, 14:10-30
Acts 1:9-11,
Romans 1:3-4, 9:5
1 Corinthians 15:3-4
Philippians 2:5-6
Hebrews 4:14-15, 12:2
1 Timothy 2:5, 316, 6:14-15
Titus 2:13
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Jesus' Blood
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The Blood that Jesus Christ shed on the Cross of Calvary was sinless and is 100% sufficient to cleanse mankind of all sin.
Jesus allowed Himself to be punished for both our sinfulness and our sins, enabling all those who believe to be free from the penalty of sin, which is death.
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I John 1:7
Revelation 1:5, 5:9
Colossians 1:20
Romans 3:10-12, 23, 5:9;
John 1:29
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Salvation/Redemption
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We believe that all mankind was created in the image of God, but fell from relationship with God by voluntary disobedience.
Only through accepting Jesus Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice of His shed blood for our sins, can we be forgiven of sin and restored into fellowship with God.
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Genesis 1:26-31
Romans 3:23; 5:1; 5:12-21, 6:23,
Ephesians 1:7
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We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ: His death, burial, and resurrection. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or of any human efforts.
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Ephesians 2:8-9
Galatians 2:16, 3:8
Titus 3:5
Romans 10:9-10
Acts 16:31
Hebrews 9:22).
Repentance
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Repentance is the commitment to turn away from sin in every area of our lives and to follow Christ, which allows us to receive His redemption and to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Thus, through repentance we receive forgiveness of sins and appropriate salvation.
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Acts 2:21, 3:19
I John 1:9
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Jesus Christ Indwells All Believers
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Christians are people who have invited the Lord Jesus Christ to come and live inside them by His Holy Spirit.
As Christ followers Christians, relinquish the authority of their lives over to Him thus making Jesus the Lord of their life as well as Savior. They put their trust in what Jesus accomplished for them when He died, was buried, and rose again from the dead.
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John 1:12; John 14:17, 23; John 15:4
Romans 8:11
Revelation 3:20).
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Eternity
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We believe in the personal and imminent return of our Lord Jesus and the following bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, with everlasting joy for the saved and everlasting, conscious punishment of the lost.
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Acts 1:11
1 Thessalonians 4:13-17
2 Corinthians 5:10
Revelation 20:4-6; 11-15
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Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is coequal with the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make people aware of their need for Jesus Christ.
The Holy Spirit provides Christians with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. He gives every believer spiritual gifts when they are saved. As Christians we seek to live under His control daily.
At the point of salvation the Holy Spirit fills each believer to be a source of strength, assurance, and wisdom. Regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for personal salvation. He indwells and empowers believers to become and live like Christ. He is our teacher, comforter, counselor, helper, intercessor, and advocate.
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John 6:44, 65;
Matthew 19:28
Titus 3:5
1 Corinthians 2:9-14; 6:19-20
Matthew 3:11
Acts 2:4, 38-39
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The Church
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We believe that the Church is comprised of all those who acknowledge Jesus as Lord and Savior and that scripture instructs believers to identify and regularly assemble with other believers to devote themselves to worship, prayer, teaching of the Bible, fellowship, and works of service.
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It is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of Jesus' Great Commission. Every person who is born of the Spirit is an integral part of the church as a member of the body of believers. There is a spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-22
Hebrews 12:23
John 17:11, 20-23
Hebrews 10:24-25
Acts 2:42-47; 16:5
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Sanctification
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Sanctification is the ongoing process of yielding to God’s Word and His Spirit in order to complete the development of Christ's character in us. It is through the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that the Christian is enabled to live a Godly life.
I Thessalonians 4:3, 5:2
II Corinthians 3:18, 6:14-18
II Thessalonians 2:1-3
Romans 8:29, 12:1-2
Hebrews 2:11
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The Baptism in the Holy Spirit
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Every believer has available to them a distinct and subsequent experience as promised by the Father known as the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, which is evidenced by speaking in a heavenly prayer language as the Spirit gives utterance.
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Given at Pentecost, it is the promise of the Father, sent by Jesus after His Ascension, to empower the Church to preach the Gospel throughout the whole earth.
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Joel 2:28-29
Matthew 3:11
Mark 16:17
Acts 1:5, 2:1-4, 17, 38-39, 8:14-17, 10:38, 44-47, 11:15-17, 19:1-6
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Gifts of the Holy Spirit
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We believe that the Holy Spirit has supernatural abilities to distribute to Christians for the instruction and empowering of every believer and when operated in balance and order will bring God glory.
The Holy Spirit is manifested through a variety of spiritual gifts to build and sanctify the church, demonstrate the validity of the resurrection, and confirm the power of the Gospel. The Bible’s lists of these gifts are not necessarily exhaustive, and the gifts may occur in various combinations.
All believers are commanded to earnestly desire the manifestation of the gifts in their lives. These gifts always operate in harmony with the Scriptures and should never be used in violation of Biblical parameters.
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Hebrews 2:4
Romans 1:11, 12 :4-8;
Ephesians 4:16
I Timothy 4:14
II Timothy 1:6-7
I Corinthians 12:1-31, 14:1-40
I Peter 4:10
1 Corinthians 12:1-12; 14:40,
John 16:13-14
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Healing of the Sick
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The redemptive work of Christ on the cross provides healing of the human body in answer to believing prayer. Healing of the sick is illustrated in the life and ministry of Jesus, and included in the commission of Jesus to His disciples.
Healing of the sick is given as a sign, which is to follow believers. It is also a part of Jesus' work on the Cross and one of the gifts of the Spirit.
Psalm 103:2-3
Isaiah 53:5
Matthew 8:16-17
Mark 16:17-18
Acts 8:6-7
James 5:14-16
I Corinthians 12:9, 28
Romans 11:29
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Resurrection and Rapture of the Church
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Jesus Christ was physically resurrected from the dead on the cross in a glorified body on the 3rd day.
In addition, both the saved and the lost will be resurrected; they that are saved to the resurrection of life, raptured to the marriage supper of the Lamb, and they that are lost later to the resurrection of eternal damnation. All will stand before God.
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Luke 24:16, 36, 39
John 2:19-21, 20:26-28, 21:4
Acts 24:15
I Corinthians 15:42, 44
Philippians 1:21-23, 3:21
I Thessalonians 4:16-17
Heaven
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Heaven is the eternal dwelling place for all believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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Matthew 5:3, 12, 20, 6:20, 19:21, 25:34
John 17:24
II Corinthians 5:1
Hebrews 11:16
I Peter 1:4
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Hell
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After living one life on earth, the unbelievers will be judged by God and sent to Hell where they will be eternally tormented with the Devil and the Fallen Angels.
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Matthew 25:41
Mark 9:43-48
Hebrews 9:27
Revelation 14:9-11, 20:12-15, 21:8
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Second Coming
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Jesus Christ will physically and visibly return to earth for the second time to establish His Kingdom. This will occur at a date undisclosed by the Scriptures.
Matthew 24:30, 26:63-64
Acts 1:9-11
I Thessalonians 4:15-17
II Thessalonians 1:7-8
Revelation 1:7
SACRAMENTS
BAPTISM IN WATER
Water baptism by immersion in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in the authority of Jesus’ name, should be followed by all believers as commanded by the Word of God as a public profession of their faith in Christ.
Mark 16:16
Acts 8:12, 36-38; 10:47-48
Matthew 28:19
Acts 2:38; 8:36-38
THE LORD'S SUPPER
COMMUNION
The holy ordinance of Communion should be received by believers walking in fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is a unique time of communion in the presence of God when the elements of bread and grape juice (the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ) are taken as a remembrance and celebration of Jesus' sacrifice and accomplishment for us on the Cross.
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Matthew 26:26-29
Luke 22:19-20
I Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-29
MARRIAGE
The Bible defines marriage as a covenant, a sacred union between one man and one woman instituted by and publicly entered into before God.
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Matthew 19:4-6
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The Bible teaches God’s design and purposes for sexual relations is solely to be in the context of a biblical marriage between one man and one woman. The Bible teaches all sexual behavior or sexual relations outside of a biblical marriage between one man and one woman is sin and against God’s moral law.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
1 Corinthians 6:9-20
GOD'S WILL FOR PROVISION
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It is the Father's will for believers to become whole, healthy and successful in all areas of life. But because of the fall, many may not receive the full benefits of God’s will while on Earth. That fact, though, should never prevent all believers from seeking the full benefits of Christ’s provision in order to better serve others generously.
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Spiritual
(John 3:3-11; II Corinthians 5:17-21; Romans 10:9-10)
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Mental and Emotional
(II Timothy 1:7, 2:11; Philippians 4:7-8; Romans 12:2; Isaiah 26:3).
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Physical
(Isaiah 53:4,5; Matthew 8:17; I Peter 2:24).
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Financial
(Joshua 1:8; Malachi 3:10-11; Luke 6:38; II Corinthians 9:6-10; Deuteronomy 28:1-14; Psalm 34:10, 84:11; Philippians 4:19).
HOW TO BE SAVED
