EZMC Outdoor Service at Queen’s Park – 10:30 AM
East Zorra Mennonite Church
Volume 67 Sunday July 7, 2024 No. 27
Sunday July 7 2024 – Morning Worship – 10:30 a.m.
Please note that there will not be a Zoom service on this day.
Worship Leader: Dylan Yantzi Song Leader: Caleb Leis
Prelude & Accompanist: Bethany Zehr Offering: Mission Partners
Sharing by: Rick Roes with Pastor Ray Audio: Drystan Bender
Prelude
Welcome & Announcements
Call to Worship & Opening Prayer
Songs of Gathering & Praise
HWB #340 – ‘Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus
HWB #598 – A wonderful Saviour is Jesus
Offering – Mission Partners
Time with the Children
Scripture Readings: Isaiah 55:6-9; John 5:36-47
Sharing by Rick Roes with Pastor Ray
Song of Response: HWB #545 – Be thou my vision
Sharing and Prayer of the Church Pastor Mike
Sending Song: HWB #154 This is my Father’s world
Benediction
This morning we will begin our Summer worship series entitled: “Experiencing The God Who Is With Us.” In the message time each week Ray or Mike will interview a congregational member who will share from experiences of their life.
We pray that the stories and experiences shared this summer will be an encouragement, and a reminder to each of us that God is with us.
Jesus left this promise as he prepared to ascend to the Father: “And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20)
Today
Potluck immediately following worship. Please bring your own dishes and cutlery, lawn chairs, (and of course delicious food!). Drinks will be provided.
This Coming Week
Monday July 8th – Friday July 12th
- 8:45 – 8:55 am VBS drop off
- 9 – 11:45 am VBS
Thursday July 11th
- 6:45 pm VBS Program
Next Sunday – July 14, 2024
Prelude: Katie Wagler Accompanist: Katie Yantzi
Worship Leader: Bevin Witmer Song Leader: Lindsay Zehr
Greeters: Joyce & Howard Ropp Offering: MCEC & MC Canada
Audio/Visual: Dathan Bender/Brian Wagler Coffee Hosts: Gloria & Tom Roth
EZMC Announcements
Refugee Resettlement Update: Mansor and Masoud Tokhi arrived safely on Monday July 1st. (The date the other six family members arrive is yet to be confirmed.) Tamim Tohky’s family welcomed their nephews/cousins at Toronto Pearson Airport and will help them settle in their new home in Kitchener. Our initial commitment to cover one year in rent has risen to $40,800. Maryam Mosrafa Al Younes and her family of five, who were co-sponsored with TMC (Tavistock Mennonite Church),arrived safely April 4, 2024. Due to the increased prices in housing, the initial cost of the co-sponsorship has risen since we approved this mission ministry. Our initial commitment of $25,000 to co-sponsor Maryam Mosrafa Al Younes and her family of five, should be adjusted to $35,000. Please prayerfully and generously support our refugee resettlement commitments.
Further to the request for prayers and financial support for our refugee resettlement fund, Tamim Tokhy would gratefully receive any of the following for the Daud Tokhi family. 1) a queen size bed and box spring; 2) 3 or 4 single bed mattresses and box springs; 3) one double bed and box spring; 4) a dining table with six chairs; and 5) clothing of all sizes for cooler weather. Should you have any of the furniture listed to donate, please contact Tamim at 226-808-4001 or tamimtokhy1@hotmail.com to arrange drop off at 50 Ingleside Dr. Kitchener. For clothing of all sizes, including men’s size 28 and 30 waist, please contact Tamim at 226-808-4001 or tamimtokhy1@hotmail.com to arrange pick up.
You are invited to attend Agape’s final service July 14 at 4 p.m. There will be a time of sharing and refreshments afterwards and saying goodbye. If you would like to attend, please contact Susan Schmitz (ws.schmitz23@gmail.com or 519.505.1638) or Pastor Ray no later than Thursday July 11.
Community Campfires at East Zorra Mennonite
6:30-8:30 in the Green Space
July 24, August 7, August 21
Everyone of all ages is invited to bring a lawn chair, a snack and a refreshment to drink and join us this Summer in our Green Space around the campfire for a time of fellowship, conversation and fun. There will be no set agenda (though Pastors Ray and Mike may spark some short conversations…) and children will be free to use the equipment and play.
We look forward to enjoying each other’s company.
Upcoming Summer Services:
Sunday August 4
Shared Worship service hosted at Tavistock Mennonite Church.
Sunday August 11
Tavistock and Area Ecumenical Worship Service in Queen’s Park.
Sunday September 1
Shared Worship Service hosted at Cassel Mennonite Church.
Saturday September 7th Adult Fellowship
2 p.m. Play “Onion Skins and Peach Fuzz”, the story of the Farmerettes, at Blyth Theatre. Tickets are $43.00. For tickets speak to Owen and Carol Cook as soon as possible. Deadline to order is July 28th. We will carpool to Blyth and plan to stop at Swiss Chalet in Stratford for Supper after the play. More info to follow. Payment for tickets is due by July 28th and can be given to Carol & Owen Cook.
Staff Congregation Relations Committee (SCRC) would like to let everyone know that our treasurer, Dawn Zehr, will be retiring at the end of this year. We’d like to thank her for 23 years of faithful service to our church. We have started conversations about how best to fill this huge responsibility. Please stay tuned over the next few months as we work through this process.
Blessings Dawn as you work towards wrapping up your role and all the best for your future endeavours.
The Anabaptist Community Bible.
Celebrate 500 years of Anabaptism with the Anabaptist Community Bible. This study Bible features commentary from 60 Anabaptist scholars, biblical insights from 16th-century Anabaptists, and marginal notes from nearly 600 study groups from Anabaptists around the globe. The Anabaptist Community Bible uses the Common English Bible (CEB) translation.
There are 3 editions available, Hardcover ($55.49), Soft Touch ($69.49) and Genuine Leather ($152.49). If you would like to pre-order a bible please put your name on the sheet posted on the main bulletin board or email Lisa at office@emennonite.ca. by September 30, 2024. Please specify which edition of bible you would like. Ordering in bulk with mean savings on shipping costs. Please see the main bulletin board for photos of the bibles and example pages or go to www.CommonWord.ca for more information. Once we know how many bibles we will be ordering we can determine shipping costs per bible. Payment will be due when our order is placed in early October. Publication date is January 2025.
Hidden Acres Mennonite Camp is once again offering two weeks of camp for Low Income single moms and their children (between ages 5 to 12) this summer.
For any single parent families in our congregation that are interested in this opportunity, please contact your pastors or any member of the Care Team. If you are aware of single parents in our community who could benefit from this, please also contact us. If anyone wishes to offer financial assistance or support of any kind, please contact Maryanne Lebold at Hidden Acres Mennonite Camp.
Beyond our Church Community
Saturday July 13th
Cassel Mennonite Church invites you to their Community Tractor Breakfast.
Breakfast will be served between 8:30 – 10 a.m. Tractors optional. Donations to the Canadian Food Grains Bank. Everyone welcome. 17th Line and Cassel Sideroad.
MCC Thrift Stores are looking for household donations!
Have you been meaning to clear out household items that you no longer use, but haven’t gotten around to it yet? Well, now’s the time to do it! Our thrift shops need household donations to keep supplies strong on the sales floor. Pack up some boxes and head over to your local thrift shop today!
Food Truck Thursdays at the New Hamburg Thrift Centre. Every Thursday from 4-8 pm, food trucks will be at the New Hamburg Thrift Centre beginning on June 20th. A poster and schedule of the different food trucks is on the main bulletin board.
Urgent Call for Soap Donations!
Help make a difference with MCC! We urgently need your support to provide soap to communities where it’s in short supply. Whether bath soap (85g or larger, in wrapper) or laundry soap (Fels Naptha, Sunlight, or Zote), every donation counts.
Please consider donating today to meet this crucial need. You can drop off your donations at your local MCC Thrift Shop, MCC office, or the Material Resources Warehouse.
Together, we can ensure hygiene and health for those who need it most. Thank you for your generosity!
The School Kit Challenge
Enter the School Kit Challenge: 24,000 school kits to help 24,000 kids during the month of August. To help you meet this challenge, we’ve got a fun school kit activity resource for Sunday school and VBS students! Sign up to receive our free resource full of activities for kids to learn how school supplies help children around the world receive an education. Learn more at mcc.org/school-kit-challenge.
Join MDS and respond to wildfire in Shuswap, B.C. this September! Sign up to volunteer for a week and help rebuild a home lost to wildfire. Construction experience not required. To learn more and sign up, visit mds.org/canadian-opportunities or call Clara at 1-866-261-1274.
GTA Mennonite Festival
Sept 23 from 10 AM to 4 PM | Stouffville
It starts with the food! Come hungry for traditional and not-so-traditional Mennonite favourites. Bring the whole family for fun activities like wagon rides, apple picking, and more. Shop for beautiful crafts, fresh produce, and don’t miss the famous Quilt Auction. More info.
Thursday September 26th The Mennonite Historical Society of Ontario, along with the Ontario Heritage Trust, will unveil a commemorative plaque to be placed at the site of the Montreal River Alternative Service camp (just north of Sault Ste. Marie). Canada’s Alternative Service program ran from 1941-1946, with over 10,000 participants, many of them Mennonite. The unveiling will take place at Conrad Grebel University College at 4:00 pm. Then on September 28, the plaque will be installed at the Montreal River site. For more information, please visit the MHSO website at MHSO.org
Signs of Peace: A Retrospective of Peace Posters | July 2 – October 31, 2024 at the Grebel Gallery. Featuring over 40 posters from organizations and initiatives connected to Grebel, this pop-up exhibit encourages viewers to reflect on the messaging and design work that goes into inspiring peace action. uwaterloo.ca/centre-peace-advancement/grebel-gallery
A virtual space for Indigenous art
As part of MCC’s ongoing work towards reconciliation between Indigenous and settler peoples, MCC has curated this gallery space featuring photos of artworks by Indigenous artists on the theme of Transforming Relationships.
View the gallery and meet the artists in this new virtual art space.
Learning Tour: Travelling Together Through Truth
October 21-25, Timmins, ON
Get ready to be inspired and learn as we embark on an exciting journey of connecting and engaging with First Nations communities, organizations and partners of MCC Ontario’s Indigenous Neighbours program in Timmins. To learn more, conatct Cam McEachern at 705-264-2494, ext. 220 or by email at cammceachern@mcco.ca.
Men Listening, Men Talking Retreat
November 29-30, 2024 at Hidden Acres Mennonite Camp & Retreat Centre
Who are men called to be in 2024 and beyond, and how can they live lives that matter? Join a two-day retreat to take a deep dive into honest conversations on healthy masculinity. The cost is $115 and includes refreshments, meals and accommodations. Learn more at mcc.org/events/men-listening-men-talking-retreat.