Services of Renewal
Renewal Through Story
East Zorra Mennonite Church
Volume 68 Sunday January 19, 2025 No. 3
Prelude/Accompanist: Glorify Song Leader: Glorify
Greeters: Tracey & Larry Kropf Worship Leader: Bevin Witmer
Audio/Visual: Todd Bender/Larry Kropf Offering: Leadership
Coffee Hosts: Brett Zehr & Ryan Wagler Message: Pastor Ray
Prelude
“Jireh”
“Praise”
“Good, Good Father”
Words of Welcome & Announcements
Call to Worship
Opening Prayer
Songs of Gathering & Praise
“Praise”
“Cornerstone”
Offering: Leadership
Offertory – “Jireh”
Time with the Children
Scripture Readings: Acts 2:37-47; 1 Corinthians 3:10-11
Message Pastor Ray
VT#439 “True Evangelical Faith”
Sharing & Prayer of the Church
Sending Song
“Sanctuary”
Benediction
Today
Coffeetime in the basement immediately following worship. Everyone is welcome. We would ask that everyone provides their own mug to help simplify the preparation and clean up time. We will provide mugs for those who forget theirs or who come as guests on a Sunday morning.
11 a.m. Sunday School classes for all ages.
2 p.m. EZMC will lead the afternoon worship service at peopleCare and then at the Maples.
This Coming Week
Tuesday January 21st
- 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Prayer Shawl at Jean MacDonald’s (182 Rudy Ave, Tavistock). Anyone interested in joining us for knit and chat is always welcome.
Wednesday January 22nd
- 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Coffee and Bible Study
- E Z Play Group setup
- 7 p.m. Gift Discernment Meeting
Thursday January 23rd
- 9:30 – 11 a.m. E Z Play Group
Friday January 24th
- 7 – 8:30 p.m. JWalkers (Junior Youth) Winter Fun Night. We hope to skate on the pavilion ice surface at the Optimist in Shakespeare as well as go tobogganing down the Optimist hill located there. We will have a telescope for those that would like to take in the Planet Parade 2025. There won’t be public washrooms available just as a heads up. We will have hot chocolate and timbits to share. Please bring a helmet and your skating/sledding equipment. Dress very warm!
- 7 p.m. MYF – Movie Night
Next Sunday – January 26, 2024
Anabaptism at 500 – Services of Renewal
Renewal Through Repentance
Week Two Bible Readings for January 20-24
Monday 2 Chronicles 7:11-22
Tuesday Psalm 51
Wednesday Mark 1:9-15
Thursday 2 Corinthians 7:8-11, 12:19-21
Friday James 4:7-10, Revelation 3:14-22
Prelude/Accompanist: Laurie Yantzi Song Leader: Lindsay Zehr
Greeters: Elaine & Dale Leis Worship Leader: Tyler Yantzi
Audio/Visual: Greg Pye/Brian Wagler Offering: Local Ministries
Coffee Hosts: Kristen & Daryl Cressman Message: Pastor Mike
12 p.m. Private Party
EZMC Announcements
The 2024 EZMC Annual Meeting will be held on Sunday February 23, 2025.
- The meeting will be from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., in person and available virtually on Zoom.
- Please submit your Annual Reports, to Lisa by Tuesday January 28th. Email to office@ezmennonite.ca or place in her church mailbox.
- The Annual Report will be sent by email but if you would prefer a paper copy, let Lisa know by Thursday February 6th. Please note that paper copies of the report will be delivered to those who receive a printed copy of our Sunday bulletin each Friday.
Please check the lost and found table in the basement. Any items that are not claimed will be donated.
MYF Crokinole Night – The MYF will be hosting an evening of crokinole and card games on Friday January 31st at 7 pm at the church. Please bring your crokinole board and finger foods to share. All ages are invited to attend.
The 2025 Big Church Read
2025 marks the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism, our church tradition. At its heart, Anabaptism was a movement that sought to return the church to the heart of its beliefs and practices.
This year we want to recapture this spirit by reading and reflecting on a book together.
Each month we will read a portion of the book and then gather over dinner once a month for casual conversation about what we have heard and questions we have.
(That’s right – there’s food!)
This year’s book will be Letters to a Future Saint: Foundations of Faith for the Spiritually Hungry by Brad East.
Why is the gospel worth living for? Why is it worth dying for?
The book seeks an answer through a series of letters by a fellow pilgrim who addresses future saints: the bored and the distracted, the skeptical and the curious, the young and the spiritually hungry. Lively and readable, these bite-sized letters explain the basics of Christian life, belief, the story of Scripture, the way of discipleship, and more.
The church subsidized price of the book is $20.00 or it can be purchased on your own through a bookstore.
Please e-mail Pastor Mike if you are interested or sign-up on the bulletin board in the church lobby by Sunday January 19.
We plan to meet for dinner and conversation at the Church at 6:00pm on Thursdays:
February 20th, March 27th, April 24th, May 29th, June 26th
Summer Mission Trip – Are you looking for a summer vacation where you can serve those in need? If so, Missions is planning a service trip to West Virginia or Kentucky August 9/10 to 16/17. We would work with MCC Appalachia Build (formerly SWAP). Before we can proceed, we will need to have a good idea of how many youth and adults would like to participate in the service trip in the next few weeks. If interested, feel free to speak with Pastor Ray or Susan Schmitz, or sign up on the sign-up sheet on the lower foyer bulletin board. More details to follow.
Please note that to reach the church you need to dial 519-462-2692. We no longer have a 2nd line and 519-462-2814 has been disconnected.
Congregational Covenant Litany – Please feel free to take a copy of the Congregational Covenant Litany that we read together a few weeks ago. As we continue to live into this covenant, and grow together in faith, may we remember and give thanks for the faithfulness of our God. God is faithful to the covenant made to us, his people. The copies of the covenant are on the table in the foyer.
Treasurer Transition – Effective immediately please direct all questions or correspondence about donations or expenses to our new treasurer, Becky Bender. Becky’s email address is treasurer@ezmennonite.ca.
Save the Dates – Vacation Bible School at EZMC will be held on July 7-11, 2025
Beyond our Church Community
Exciting News! The New MCC Meat Cannery is ready!
Saturday January 18th from 1:45 – 4 p.m., 65 Heritage Dr., New Hamburg
After months of hard work and anticipation, the MCC Meat Cannery in New Hamburg is complete—and it’s time to celebrate!
🎉Join us for the grand dedication event 🎉
✨ Explore the new facility.
🌎 Discover the life-changing impact of MCC’s canned meat around the world.
🍴 Enjoy delicious refreshments and appetizers.
No need to RSVP—just come as you are and be part of this special moment.
For details, visit mcc.org/meat-cannery-dedication.
We can’t wait to celebrate with you!
The January edition of On the Level is now available from MDS. In this edition, you’ll read about MDS’ response to the California wildfires and a gas station conversation that led to a first-time donation.
Read On the Level: https://conta.cc/3DTzoxh
MDS invites volunteers to help rebuild a flooded home in Constance Bay (near Ottawa, ON). Sign up for a week, beginning in March, to help rebuild a house along the Ottawa River. Contact Clara Flores at cflores@mds.org or 1 (866) 261-1274 for more information and to sign up.
Tuesday January 21st 7 p.m. at Hillcrest Mennonite Church, there will be a special showing of The Radicals. January 21, 2025 marks the 500th Anniversary of the first re-baptisms of the Radical Reformation. The Radicals tells the story of the early Anabaptists through the lives of Michael and Margaretha Sattler. A cautionary note; the movie depicts scenes of violence and is therefore not suited for young children. Executive Producer Michael Hostetler has been invited to offer an introduction to the film based on his experience of making it. Admission is free and all are welcome to attend. (Presented by the Wilmot Ignited Churches; Hillcrest, Mannheim, Nith Valley, St. Agatha and Wilmot).
Thursday January 23rd 7:30 a.m. Breakfast with Students – Connect with Conrad Grebel students who attended this year’s MEDA Convention by engaging in meaningful networking and dialogue, as they share their insights and reflections on the event. Enjoy a variety of breakfast options thoughtfully prepared by the Conrad Grabel University College dietary staff in their state-of-the-art kitchen facilities. A parking pass will be provided once you have registered.
Saturday January 25th 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Join us for the Great Winter WarmUp!
at the MCC Material Resources Centre, 65 Heritage Dr, New Hamburg
Get ready to cozy up at the Great Winter WarmUp! We’re inviting you, your friends and your family to the MCC Material Resource Centre for a fun-filled comforter knotting blitz. Together, we’ll create handmade comforters that bring warmth and remind those in need that they are loved and cared for. No experience? No problem! Whether you’re a pro at knotting or trying it for the first time, everyone is welcome. Enjoy some hot beverages, connect with great people and help us spread warmth and comfort this winter. We can’t wait to see you there and share some warmth together! For more info, go to mcc.org/events.
Sunday, January 26th 7 p.m. – Join choristers and instrumentalists for a 3-Chiors Mid-Winter Hymn Sing at Waterloo North Mennonite Church, hosted by the Inter-Mennonite Children’s Choir, Menno Singers and the newly-formed Menno Youth Ensemble. A variety of selections from the Voices Together hymnal and ample room for requests will be sure to warm your mid-winter spirits as we raise our voices in song. Admission is by donation.
Tuesday January 28th 9:30 a.m. New Hamburg Mennonite Relief Sale Feature Quilt Reveal, Mennonite Central Committtee, 50 Kent Ave., Kitchener.
Each year, a talented individual or team creates the feature quilt for the New Hamburg Mennonite Relief Sale. Feature quilts have depicted historical churches, the play of colour and light across fabric, a journey through Africa, among other innovative designs. On January 28, the curtain will be removed and the 2025 feature quilt will be revealed. Join us in the lower atrium at 50 Kent Ave, Kitchener or on the NHMRS Facebook page. Learn more at mcc.org/events.
Saturday February 1st MCEC Intercultural Volleyball Tournament, Kitchener.
A day of intercultural, intergenerational volleyball, fellowship and fun with MCEC congregations. This event has been growing with more teams each year!
Interfaith Counselling Centre in New Hamburg invites you to the Hold Me Tight Couple’s Workshop. The Hold Me Tight Workshop is based on the award-winning and research-proven Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) approach developed by Dr. Sue Johnson. You will learn how to: Acknowledge strengths in your relationship. Identify negative communication patterns. Develop skills to de-escalate conflict in your relationship and heal from past relationship injuries. Dates: Friday, February 14th, 6pm-10pm Saturday, February 15th, 9am-5pm Sunday, February 16th, 1pm-5pm (See poster for further details)
Rockway Mennonite Collegiate is turning 80 this year! Join us on Friday, February 14, 2025 for our special 80th Anniversary Chapel with guest speakers Ray Boehm ‘84 and Mary Groh ‘49, followed by our Tea & Pastry Reception. That evening, celebrate the school you love with the people you love at our annual Soup Supper Fundraiser (featuring SIX scrumptious soups) and cheer on your favourites at the Alumni Sports Challenge. To RSVP and pre-purchase your soup or to learn more about Founders’ Day, visit: rockway.ca/events
Saturday February 22nd 5 p.m. Coldest Night of the Year Fundraiser for the Wilmot Family Resource Centre! WFRC will be running this event in New Hamburg. CNOY is a walk to help raise awareness and funds in support of those who are experiencing hurt, homelessness, or hunger. The Wilmot Family Resource Centre (175 Waterloo St.) provides these supports in Wilmot and Wellesley townships, including weekly food hampers, warm clothing, mental health supports, and much more!
February 27th – March 1st Rockway Mennonite Collegiate proudly presents their all-school musical, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.rockway.ca/events. We look forward to welcoming you and your family into Wonka’s world of Pure Imagination!
Gathering 2025 – Mennonite Church Canada – July 2-5, 2025 in Kitchener/Waterloo.
This Gathering is shaping up to be an incredible experience with three unique avenues for engagement:
1.Congregational Gathering: Join delegates and congregational representatives for inspiring sessions, worship, and connection.
2.Youth Gathering: A vibrant, energetic event designed specifically for youth, hosted on the University of Waterloo campus.
3.U30 Young Adult Gathering: Engage with peers through tailored events, including a special post-Gathering celebration at Hidden Acres!
More info coming soon!