Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church Pastoral/Council Letter
Lent/Easter 2026
Zion, “moved by the love and grace of God, welcoming, worshipping, and working together” in witness to Jesus Christ, is committed to supporting you, your loved ones and our community.
Holy Week – As Easter 2026 approaches, Zion’s pastors, council, and congregation invite you to attend Holy Week services and participate in Holy Communion. (A list of all Holy Week services is included.) We also encourage you to invite your loved ones – parents, children, grandchildren, spouses, partners, and friends. Zion practices open communion. All who are baptized are invited to commune and all others to receive a blessing during communion.
Holy Communion services offered weekly throughout the year are at the centre of our ongoing congregational life. Communing at the regular weekly and additional services during Holy Week and the Easter season, the pinnacle of the life of the Christian Church, can be particularly meaningful. We invite you to celebrate with us.
We also invite you to speak with Pastors Finnestad or Bestvater about baptism for infants, children, and other family members, or any other pastoral or congregational ministration or assistance. Zion, one hundred and seven years after its founding, continues to offer a church home, community, and support to a wide and diverse group of members, friends, and visitors through regular Sunday services; pastoral services for baptisms, confirmations, marriages, funerals, visitation and counselling; opportunities for participation in congregational ministries, projects and activities; and access to its various facilities. We invite you all to an active life of worship, communion, giving, and service. We always want to be here for you.
Pastoral Services – In preparation for Pastor Bestvater’s retirement from full-time service last December, Zion congregation adopted a resolution to explore, during the interim ministry to follow, a division of pastoral services between a) a pastor to tend to the regular life of the parish centred around the church year, weekly worship, the provision of the sacraments, and related congregational activities and programs; and b) a pastor devoted to visitation and encouragement of Zion’s membership and larger circle of responsibility, especially the inactive. This interim two-pastor ministry is now in place with Pastor Sonje Finnestad serving the congregation in the role of parish pastor, while Pastor Bestvater has returned in a part-time role as visitation pastor. A pastoral call committee has been installed to consider and provide recommendations to the congregation, in consultation with Bishop Ali Tote, for the longer-term direction of pastoral ministry at Zion.
Contacts and Records – Please consider providing the church office with updated contact and family information for church records and pass this letter to family members and others you know who have a Zion connection. If you have become a member of another church, please trust that we truly rejoice with you! We would appreciate you letting us know so we can transfer the information we have from you in our membership database to the congregation you have joined. Records of all Pastoral Acts (baptisms, confirmation, marriages, deaths and burials) are kept permanently in our Church Record book.
Please feel free to reach out to the pastors, our council, or Zion’s office staff. We are always very happy to hear from you and will do the best we can to answer your questions or address your concerns.
May you have a Blessed Holy Week and Easter Season.
Sincerely,
Sonje Finnestad, interim parish pastor – 306-653-2242 (ext. #1) or email zion.pastor@zionsaskatoon
Ron Bestvater, interim visitation pastor – phone 306-653-2442 (ext. #2) (leave message) or email zion.visitationpastor@zionsaskatoon
Andrea Cameron, Zion Church Council Co-Chair
James Lokken, Zion Church Council Co-Chair
Zion Lutheran Church – 323 4th Ave S, Saskatoon, SK S7K 1N3; zion.office@sasktel.net;
306-653-2442 (ext. #2); office hours: 9 am to 2 pm, Monday to Friday
Livestream: search for Zion Saskatoon on YouTube or go to Zion’s webpage: zionsaskatoon.com
Holy Week Services:
Palm Sunday at Zion – March 29
10:30 am service with communion
Scriptural Stations of the Cross at Zion (brief prayer services) – March 30, 31 and April 1
12 noon (M, T, W of Holy Week)
Maundy Thursday at Zion – April 2
7:30 pm service with communion
AT REDEEMER Good Friday – April 3
10 am service at 812 Preston Ave
Easter Sunday at Zion – April 5
10:30 am communion service with Easter
Brunch to follow
Zion Lutheran Church - Saskatoon 