Attention VBS Volunteers – Orientation Night is on Monday June 8th at 8 p.m. Please make it a priority to attend this brief but important information night – thank you!
East Zorra Mennonite Church
Volume 69 Sunday June 7, 2026 No. 23
Today, Sunday June 7, 2026 we will join Meheret Evangelical Church in Kitchener. (456 Krug Street, Kitchener, ON N2B 1L1)
Start time is 10 a.m. Please consider carpooling to support those less comfortable driving in the city and to accommodate parking at the church.
Following the service there will be a fellowship time. Coffee, tea and Ethiopian bread will be served.
Please note that there is no worship service here at EZMC.
This Coming Week
Monday June 8
- 8 – 9 p.m. VBS Volunteer Orientation.
Tuesday June 9th
- 12 p.m. Pies are to be dropped off at church for the Hidden Acres Chicken BBQ & Pie Auction.
- 5-7 p.m. Hidden Acres 59th Annual Chicken BBQ & 18th Annual Pie Auction Fundraiser. Please visit www.hiddenacres.ca for more details and to order your tickets. Tickets need to be purchased in advance. $22 (1 Piece Meal), $27 (2 Piece Meal).
Wednesday June 10th
- 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Coffee & Bible Study
- Play Group setup
- EZMC will volunteer at the MCC meat cannery in New Hamburg. Approximately 700kg of chicken will be canned that day and we are looking for help! Sign up on the bulletin board for the morning (9-12) or afternoon (12:30-3:30), we can have up to 15 people per shift. Any questions please speak to Dylan Yantzi.
Thursday June 11th
- 9:30 – 11 a.m. E Z Play Group
Next Sunday – June 14, 2026
The Fire and the Cloud: Finding Jesus in the Journey of the Old Testament
The Foreigner’s Grace: Ruth 4:13-22 (The Line of David)
Prelude/Accompanist: Bethany Zehr Song Leader: Susan Schmitz
Greeter: Dawn Bender Worship Leader: Alexis Leis
Audio/Visual: Todd Bender/Brian Wagler Offering: Leadership
Coffeetime: Megan MacDonald & Russ Schumm Message: Pastor Ray
8:30 – 9:30 a.m. Faith Formation Class will meet in the MYF room.
During Worship there will be a CENT Volunteer Appreciation.
11 a.m. JCET would like to invite you to our year-end Sunday School Celebration and Picnic. Children in grades 1-8 will participate in games and activities in the Green Space during the regular Sunday school hour. JCET is excited to announce that we have also rented an inflated obstacle course for the kids to use, weather permitting.
Please note that we will not be providing supervision for the Nursery and Preschool class but encourage these children to still join us in the Green Space while being accompanied by an adult. They are welcome to play in the sandbox and enjoy the outdoor space.
12 p.m. Following the Sunday school hour we invite everyone to join us for a free BBQ picnic lunch. This picnic is for our entire church family. All ages are welcome!
Please bring your lawn chairs and water bottles.
If the weather does not cooperate, we will be moving everything indoors but will not have the inflatable obstacle course.
We hope to see you there!
Extending God’s Love
The MYF appreciates your prayers for the 23 youth and 5 leaders going to the Gospel Coalition Youth Conference at Redeemer University on June 5-6. We are hoping for a faith-building and fun weekend for all attending.
Please join us in praying for our VBS.
Dear God, thank you for going before us as we prepare for VBS. Help us to meet any need for supplies, decorations, and volunteers we may have. We are grateful for each child that has registered to attend VBS. Thank you for the opportunity to pour into the lives of these kids in deep and meaningful ways. We pray above all else that You are glorified in our VBS. Amen.
EZMC Announcements
May 2026 Donations Received Summary
Offering Schedule – $41, 791
The Hidden Acres Chicken BBQ and Pie Auctionwill be taking place on June 9th. EZMC has been asked to provide 10 pies. If this is something you could do, please sign the sheet on the bulletin board or contact any member of the Mission Committee. The pie boxes are on the bench outside Lisa’s office. Please pick up as many as needed for the pies you are making. The pies need to be delivered to church on Tuesday June 9th by noon. Thanks so much!
Wednesday June 17th 7:30 p.m. Women’s Bible study and campfire in the Green Space.
Saturday June 20th 2-4 p.m. You are invited to an 80th Birthday Party Open House for Sherman Roth at Oxford Haus (65 Oxford St. Stratford). Best Wishes only.
If any Members of the Church would be interested in providing weekly custodial services for our church building, please reach out to Brett Zehr (519-272-3518) before June 17th. This is a paid position, approximately 10-14 hours a week, and would require some flexibility with hours.
Alternatively, we would also consider someone to assist a contract custodial service by providing “touch up” cleaning throughout the week (estimated 3-5 hours). Thank you for your consideration – Trustees
Holy Movement & Walking Club summer series! Summer comes with vacation time for many & lots of opportunities to be active. This is all good, keep moving! For those interested in Holy Movement and Walking Club over the summer, details and dates are provided below. Mark it in your calendar and join when you can! New participants always welcome!
Holy Movement – 7:30-8:30 – Thurs June 25; Tues July 14 & 28; Tues Aug 4 & 18
Walking Club – meet at 7pm – will continue on our bi-weekly Monday schedule – June 1, 15, 29; July 13 & 27; Aug 10 & 24
Upcoming Summer Services:
Sunday June 14 The Sunday School Year End Celebration will follow with lunch.
Sunday June 21 Baptism Sunday.
Sunday June 28 We will be welcoming Cassel Mennonite and Tavistock Mennonite at East Zorra as we meet for the first of our shared Worship services on holidays weekend this summer.
Sunday July 5 EZMC Worship Service in Queen’s Park.
Sunday August 2 Shared Worship service hosted at Tavistock Mennonite Church.
Sunday August 9 Tavistock & Area Ecumenical Worship Service in Queen’s Park.
Sunday Sept 6 Shared Worship Service hosted at Cassel Mennonite Church.
Upcoming Adult Fellowship Events – Save the Dates
Tuesday June 23rd 7 p.m. Strawberry Socialwith guest speaker Beth Hovius who will share her experience in Uganda on an MCC Learning Tour.
Tuesday August 27th Gunn’s Hill Cheese tour and lunch at Sunrise Pho Binh Thanh Ben Thah in Woodstock (more details to follow in July).
Please note that the 2026 Camp Subsidy Form deadline is June 15th and needs to be returned to our treasurer, Becky Bender by that date. This can be done either by email (treasurer@ezmennonite.ca) or put in her church mailbox. Forms are available in the literature rack beside the main bulletin board or you may email office@ezmennonite.ca to receive one. If you have any questions please contact one of the Christian Education Lay Ministers – Dawn Bender or Caleb Leis.
Student Aid Applications:
Students, are you considering a Christian school for your education for the next school year? (e.g. Rockway Mennonite Collegiate, Canadian Mennonite University, Conrad Grebel University College, Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary). East Zorra is committed to supporting individuals who consider Christian nurture and leadership development to be part of their education. Student aid applications are due June 30th for the 2026/2027 school year (Sept 2026 – Aug 2027). If you are interested in applying or would like to know more, you will find the Student Aid policy and application under the church mailboxes or contact Lisa at office@ezmennonite.ca who can email the application to you. You can direct the completed applications and any questions to Finance and Facility Chair Brendan Leis at b_leis@hotmail.com.
Community Campfires at East Zorra Mennonite
6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Green Space on June 24, July 22, August 5 & 19, September 2.
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 and children will be free to use the equipment and play. Alexis will plan to provide a few organized events for the children for about 30 minutes.
We look forward to enjoying each other’s company.
For those that are on the subscription list for Salt & Light and the Rejoice magazine you will find them in your church mailbox. This will be the last issue for those who cancelled starting this Fall. If you recently asked to have your name added to the list you will receive your first issue in late August.
VBS Rainforest Falls 2026
Calling all Grandparents!
We need your help at VBS July 6 -10. Bring your lawn chair and sit under a tree in our green space. Kids may come visit you to take a rest in the shade on a blanket, to take a break from the busyness and fun activities, when they need a friend to sit quietly with, or maybe they need a Band-Aid.
This was a favourite spot for many and gives a glimpse into our fun activities at VBS! Come for one day or all five, whatever suits your schedule. If you think you might be interested in helping in this role, please contact Ashley Witzel or Chelsea Sider.
As VBS is approaching, we are looking for some grade 6-8 volunteers that will be at VBS who are willing to come up to the front and lead the actions during our worship time. Their role will be to learn the actions to the songs and look happy and engaged while leading at the front of the church. We are planning to have one practice sometime mid June and you will get access to the videos beforehand. The videos with actions will be playing during the worship time so they will not need to be memorized, you will just need to be familiar with them. If you are interested or have any questions please contact Alexis Leis at 226-581-5661 or alexisezmennonite@gmail.com
Beyond Our Church Community
Saturday June 13th 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Strawberry Thanksgiving and Communion atSix Nations Polytechnic, Ohsweken, ON. This year’s event will seek to build on the momentum of last year’s conversation about the Spiritual Covenant, which is a way to acknowledge Indigenous jurisdiction over lands through an annual token lease payment. $25 is recommended to help cover the cost of lunch. Visit mcc.org/strawberry-thanksgiving to learn more.
Get your Early Bird tickets for Rockway’s BIG Night Out before we change the price on June 15! Join us Friday, September 25 at the Tapestry Hall in Cambridge. For more information and to get your tickets, visit rockway.ca/events.
Come to Hidden Acres Summer Camp!
Are you looking for a fun, safe summer camp experience? Hidden Acres’ camp provides great opportunities to connect with God, each other and nature. Campers get to enjoy swimming, canoeing, archery, nature exploration, rock climbing, low ropes, camp-outs, sports, group games and more, all in the company of peers and our fun and supportive staff team. Check out www.hiddenacres.ca for our dates & rates. Contact our Program Director, Josh Penfold at josh@hiddenacres.ca for more information. See you for summer 2026!
Lunch and Listen: MCC in Asia
Tuesday, June 23, 12 – 1:00 p.m., 50 Kent Ave., Kitchener
Bring your own lunch and hear about MCC’s work in Southeastern and Northeastern Asia. We’ll hear about MCC’s work of relief, development and peace in this region of the world, with a special update on MCC’s work in Myanmar. Special guests Arthur and Phyllis Mann are MCC Area Directors for Southeast and Northeast Asia and are based in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Attend in person at the MCC office or live on our Facebook page. Learn more here.