Services of Renewal: Renewal Through Repentance
East Zorra Mennonite Church
Volume 68 Sunday January 26, 2025 No. 4
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
Prelude
Welcome & Announcements
Call to Worship and Opening Prayer
Songs of Gathering & Praise
VT #25 “Brethren, We Have Met to Worship”
VT #57 “Holy Spirit, Come with Power”
Offering: Local Ministries
Time with the Children – Pastor Mike
Scripture Reading: Mark 1:9-15
Message – Pastor Mike
VT #606 “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah”
Sharing & Prayer of the Church – Pastor Ray
Sending Song
VT #628 “What a Friend We Have in Jesus”
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.
12 p.m. Private Party
2 – 3:30 p.m. JWalkers (Junior Youth) – Sledding and skating at Erin and Dustin Yantzi’s (1018 Huron St. New Hamburg). We will have hot chocolate and timbits to share. Please bring a helmet and your skating/sledding equipment. Dress very warm!
This Coming Week
Tuesday January 28th
- EZMC Annual Reports are due to the church office
Wednesday January 29th
- 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Coffee and Bible Study
- E Z Play Group setup
- 6:30 p.m. CENT Meeting
- 7 p.m. Worship Committee Meeting
Thursday January 30th
- 9:30 – 11 a.m. E Z Play Group
Friday January 31st
- 7 p.m. MYF will be hosting an evening of crokinole and card games at church. Please bring your crokinole board and finger foods to share. All ages are invited to attend.
Next Sunday – February 2, 2025
Anabaptism at 500 – Services of Renewal
Renewal Through Trust and Yieldedness
Week Three Bible Readings
Monday January 27 – Jeremiah 17:5-10
Tuesday January 28 – Proverbs 3:1-12
Wednesday January 29 – Isaiah 12:1-6
Thursday January 30 – Matthew 18:1-5
Friday January 31 – John 15:1-17
Prelude/Accompanist: Brandy Sell Song Leader: Myron Ruby
Greeter: Jean MacDonald Worship Leader: Kim Leis
Audio/Visual: Drystan Bender/Larry Kropf Offering: Mission Partners
Coffee Hosts: Gloria & Tom Roth Message: Pastor Ray
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.
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.
If you ordered the Anabaptist Community Bible, it has arrived and you will find it in your church mailbox this morning.
The Missions Committee is planning to organize a volunteer opportunity for our congregation with Ray of Hope in downtown Kitchener by serving a meal to those who are in need early this Spring. We would be responsible for preparing and serving a meal for approximately 200 people. Anyone interested in serving in this way please contact a member of the missions committee. Susan Schmitz, Ray Martin, Duane Swartzentruber, Amy Yantzi, of Dylan Yantzi.
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). The service trip would involve home repair ministry to make homes safe, warm and dry while developing relationships. 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 by February 10. If you’re curious or have questions, feel free to speak with Pastor Ray or anyone on the Missions Ministry team. If interested, add your name(s) to the sign-up sheet on the lower foyer bulletin board. This is one way to respond to human needs abroad in the name of Christ.
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
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.
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!
Silver Lake Mennonite Camp (slmc.ca)
Summer Camp: Mark your calendar! Registration for overnight camp and day camp opens February 1 at 8am. Outtrip registration is already open – sign up before Jan 30 to get $100 off! Visit slmc.ca/summer-camp to have a look at the 2025 schedule. Excited to see your kids at Silver Lake this summer!
Winter and Spring Retreats registration now open. Go to slmc.ca/retreats for more info. Coming up soon: Women’s Retreat (Jan 31-Feb 2) – Come, experience the beauty of camp in winter. Be nourished by the relaxed pace, good food and meaningful conversation. Play in the snow, breathe deeply in yoga, read by the fire, cross country ski, go on a snowshoe hike through the woods. Reflection time led by Wendy Janzen. There are still spots available!
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
Monday February 17th – Family Day Open House – From 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Hidden Acres is hosting a free Family Day Open House. Bring your family for a day of indoor and outdoor activities such as crafts, sledding, snowshoeing, pretzel making, games, and more! Bring a bag lunch or purchase a hot lunch for $6/person. Please RSVP to info@hiddenacres.ca. More information at hiddenacres.ca
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!
Monday March 24th 6 p.m. Hope Starts at Home: An evening with Phyllis Webstad, at Bingemans Conference Centre, 425 Bingemans Centre Dr, Kitchener. Phyllis is the founder and ambassador of the Orange Shirt Society. Phyllis will share her childhood of healing and reconciliation in Canada as we seek to restore justice, foster belonging and address poverty in Ontario. Funds raised at the event will supply MCC Ontario’s new meat cannery. To learn more and order your tickets, go to mcc.org/evening-with-phyllis-webstad.
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!
Please see the bulletin board for more information about this opportunity.