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Prayer is the cornerstone of a life of discipleship, of following Jesus. The Psalms encourage us to pray as many as seven times a day, but we have many choices as to when or how to pray. Some people pray before meals, while others pray to begin and end their day. Some "pray where they are," while others benefit from a dedicated space or environment.
Worship is at the center of everything we do at Zion. Through God’s Word, water, bread and prayer, we are nurtured in faith and sent out into the world. Central to our worship life is the presence of God through word and sacrament. The word proclaimed and the sacraments — both Holy Baptism and Holy Communion — are called the means of grace. We believe that Jesus Christ is present in these means through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Learning is one of our core values at Zion. The Bible praises knowledge, wisdom, and understanding as spiritual gifts worth pursuing. Zion has a long history of formal educational ministry, including our preschool Evergreen Academy. We also prioritize reading and studying God’s Word together and as individuals, so that we can learn and grow in our faith.
As we strengthen our spiritual foundation, we are also all about building relationships with each other, our larger Zion community, and the neighborhood. Whether it's the faith formation moments that are few, but memorable, or the many fellowship events we sponsor, these events allow us to strengthen our bonds with each other and with God. We also look for the many opportunities we have beyond Zion to build relationships with the synodical, national, and global church community. We are church together, for the sake of the world.
To learn more about faith formation opportunities, click here. If you are interested in faith formation, please e-mail Cantor Kurt Schmidt.
Zion's history has been shaped by identifying and responding to real needs in our community. We are committed not only to social ministry to those in need, but also to outreach and social justice so that God's voice can be heard through us. To learn more about our work with Deerfield Beach Community Cares, click here
Giving involves time, talent, and treasure; and God values all three. At Zion, you may give by using our online giving platform or by mailing your contribution to Zion (959 SE 6th Avenue, Deerfield Beach, FL 33441). You may make special, designated gifts toward our different giving campaigns (for example, the Reverse Advent Calendar) knowing that designated gifts are always applied to the cause(s) you designate. You may also give to one of our named funds for capital repairs, educational scholarships, and music ministry.
The Story of "The Doors"
On February 2, 2020, Zion was visited by a group of protesters from Westboro Baptist Church, a nationally-known hate group infamous for picketing churches and military funerals. They had made known their intention to visit, and Zion's leadership decided to counter their message in several strategic ways. That morning, we rolled out the piano and spent an hour before our worship service singing hymns about love, justice, and compassion for all. We did so next to a display of doors, lovingly curated and painted by Drew Shimkus and Bruce Elkins (with assistance from Michele Clancy). The doors, painted in the colors of the LGBTQIA+ flag, represented our commitment to love our neighbor for who they are with no exceptions. Since then, our commitment has not changed and these doors have become one of Zion's signature images; our resolve has also strengthened in the belief that we could and would do more to speak out publicly for all those who have been marginalized by the church and our society.
Zion is a Reconciling in Christ (RIC) community.
We believe God loves you for who you are, as you are – no exceptions. We welcome you in the spirit of God’s unconditional love, whatever your race, culture, ethnicity, age, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, physical and mental abilities, socioeconomic position, family status, or background.
Our Leadership Team
Pastor Cathy Lauterhahn
Pastor Cathy Lauterhahn
Pastor Cathy Lauterhahn
Pastor in Stated Supply
To contact Pastor Cathy Lauterhahn, contact Cantor Kurt Schmidt and he will forward your message.
A bibliophile and reader's reader, a compassionate listener, and a lover of vegan food, Cathy is a mother, grandmother, friend, and beloved child of God.
In this transition between formally called pastors, Cathy is serving as our stated supply pastor. Her primary responsibility is to preach and preside over our Sunday morning worship services. Cathy has been a pastor in the ELCA for twenty years, and her full-time work is as a chaplain for Vitas Healthcare. Prior to ordination, Cathy worked in the finance and business world for many years.
Cantor Kurt R. Schmidt
Pastor Cathy Lauterhahn
Pastor Cathy Lauterhahn
Cantor & Church Administrator
Music, Communications, and Outreach
954-421-3146, Option 2
Lover of iced coffee, syndicated sitcoms, and non-fiction books (especially biographies and memoirs), Kurt is a son, grandson, uncle, an expert at canes, wheelchairs, scooters, and a beloved child of God.
Kurt serves as our Cantor and Director of Music, planning and organizing all of our worship services, leading our choirs, and accompanying on our piano and organ. He also serves as our Communications and Outreach Specialist, handling all printed materials, the website and social media, and community relations. Before joining Zion in these roles, Kurt was a full-time teacher in Christian schools for a decade.
Cantor Peter J. Rizzo
Pastor Cathy Lauterhahn
Mrs. Erica Blankenship
Associate Cantor
Music & Music Enrichment
(954) 421-3146, Option 2
A musician's musician and one zealous for the coming of the Lord, Peter is a father, son, friend, and a beloved child of God.
Peter serves as our Associate Cantor, assisting with playing for worship and restarting preschool chapels and providing musical enrichment for the preschoolers. When Peter first came to Zion in 2013, he did so after 30 years as a church musician and teacher in the New York public schools. In the final years of Zion's school, he served the K-12 music teacher. In between his tenures at Zion, Peter has been a street evangelist full-time, bringing the Gospel to the streets, showing and sharing the love of Jesus.
Mrs. Erica Blankenship
Mrs. Erica Blankenship
Mrs. Erica Blankenship
Preschool Director
(954) 421-3146, Option 4
eblankenship@zion-lutheran.org
Passionate about her family, her country, and all things Disney, Erica is a wife, mother, grandmother (call her Gorgeous), friend, and a beloved child of God.
Erica serves as the Director of our Preschool, Evergreen Academy of Zion Lutheran Church. Evergreen Academy's ministry includes over twenty teachers and staff members and almost 100 students. Erica came to Zion in 2019 with over 30 years of experience in early childhood education as a teacher, administrator, and peer educator.
Mrs. Janel Rafael
Mrs. Erica Blankenship
Mrs. Janel Rafael
Our Congregation Council
Dr. Robin Larson, President
Ms. Michele Clancy, Esq., Secretary
Dr. Robin Larson, President
Mrs. Gail Schmidt, VP
Ms. Michele Clancy, Esq., Secretary
Dr. Robin Larson, President
Ms. Michele Clancy, Esq., Secretary
Ms. Michele Clancy, Esq., Secretary
Ms. Michele Clancy, Esq., Secretary
Mrs. Debbie Burns
Ms. Michele Clancy, Esq., Secretary
Ms. Michele Clancy, Esq., Secretary
Mr. Scott McElroy
Pastor Jonathan Gantt, Administrative Vice Pastor
Pastor Jonathan Gantt, Administrative Vice Pastor
Pastor Jonathan Gantt, Administrative Vice Pastor
Pastor Jonathan Gantt, Administrative Vice Pastor
Pastor Jonathan Gantt, Administrative Vice Pastor
What is a Lutheran?
A Lutheran is a Christian: one who trusts in Jesus Christ as Savior.
As a Christian denomination, our beginnings go back to the evening of October 31, 1517, when Martin Luther (a professor and pastor) nailed his 95 Theses Against the Sale of Indulgences (promissory notes guaranteeing admission to heaven) to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. What began as an invitation to discussion grew into a movement aimed at reforming the established church.
Like other Christians, we accept the Bible as the Word of God, the true and trustworthy (infallible) source of God's love and guidance. We also profess the same ancient creeds (statements of belief) as billions of other Christians worldwide.
We emphasize the teaching of justification by faith, the belief that a person is saved by grace through having faith in Jesus Christ, and not by works or anything a person does. We distinguish between law (what God does for us) and gospel (what we do for God). We celebrate two sacraments: Baptism and the Eucharist (also called Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper). We call them the means of grace, because we receive God's grace through the water, bread, and wine.
Worldwide, Lutherans that accept the Augsburg Confession (written in 1530) as an accurate explanation of their beliefs belong to the Lutheran World Federation, based in Geneva, Switzerland. In the United States, there are three major Lutheran groups: the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod (LCMS), and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS).
What is the ELCA?
We are Lutheran.
We are church together.
We are church together.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with about 4 million members in nearly 10,000 congregations across the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The national level of the ELCA is referred to as the "churchwide organization" (because the ELCA extends beyond the boundaries of the United States into the Bahamas and the Caribbean). The churchwide organization is based out of the Lutheran Center in Chicago where Its staff and elected officers work as administrators, advisors, conveners, partners and resource people for the ELCA and its ministries. (ELCA on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram)
We are church together.
We are church together.
We are church together.
We are proud to be a congregation of the Florida-Bahamas Synod of the ELCA, along with 176 other congregations and over 49,000 baptized members.
A synod, like a diocese, is a geographical division of a larger (national) area. The ELCA's 65 synods vary greatly in size, geography, membership, staffing and program. Synods unite the work of congregations within their areas, serve as regional support, and guide pastoral and other staff members.
We Are Church Together: Relationships Beyond Zion
Lutheran World Relief
Lutheran World Relief is the international arm of Lutherans all over the world, responding to needs including (but not limited to) disasters. (LWR on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube)
Lutheran Disaster Response
Lutheran Disaster Response is the domestic arm of Lutheran social response in the United States and the Caribbean. (LDR on Twitter, Facebook)
ELCA World Hunger
ELCA World Hunger is the ELCA's program that administers food and water programs to those in need locally, nationally, and globally.
Lutheran Services in America
Lutheran Services in America leads one of the largest health and human services networks in the U.S. with over $22 billion in annual revenue, made up of over 300 Lutheran social ministry organizations that touch the lives of 1 in 50 Americans each year. (LSA on Twitter, Facebook)
Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Services
Lutheran Immigration & Refugee Service works to protect and embrace refugees, migrants, and children seeking a new life in America. Having carried out this work for more than 80 years, LIRS is uniquely equipped to provide holistic, trauma-informed, and age-appropriate care to the vulnerable individuals they serve. (LIRS on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram)