East Zorra Mennonite Church
Volume 66 Sunday March 19, 2023 No. 12
Worship Service – Sunday March 19, 2023 at 10 a.m.
The Story of God, the Story of Us: Reading the Bible Together
God Rejected as King
Prelude: Brandy Sell Accompanist: Bethany Klein
Song Leader: Caleb Leis Worship Leader: Bevin Witmer
Message: Pastor Ray Audio/Visual: Todd Bender/Brian Wagler
Coffee Hosts: Gwen & Dan Matthews Offering: Local Ministries
Prelude
Welcome and Opening Greetings
Announcements
Call to Worship and Opening Prayer
Songs of Gathering & Praise VT #47 God of Our Strength
VT #91 We Praise Thee, O God
Song of Response VT #590 I know Not Why God’s Wonderous Grace
Time with the Children
Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 8:1-22
Message
Song of Response VT #790 How Can We Be Silent
Prayer of the church – Pastor Mike
Sending Song VT #815 We Will Walk with God
Benediction
Postlude
Today
Coffee Time – We would ask that everyone provides their own coffee 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.
Sunday School classes
Nursery to Grade 5 classes are being held downstairs.
Junior Youth class (Grades 6 to 8) meets upstairs in Room #9
Youth class meets upstairs in the MYF room (Room #11)
Adult Sunday School – God’s Story, Our Story: Reading the Bible Together
Following the service and a time of fellowship, you are invited to the basement for a time of discussion as we reflect on the Bible story for the week. Using the questions from the reading schedule to guide us, we will try and figure out what each story means to us today as God’s people. We will plan to keep the Zoom link open and will have a leader to guide discussion for Zoom participants.
This Coming Week
Tuesday March 21st
1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Prayer Shawl Ministry at Jean MacDonald’s.
7:15 p.m. Choir Practice in the sanctuary
Wednesday March 22nd
10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Unwrapping Scripture over Coffee
Winter blues got you down? Are you bored? Do you miss getting out of the house? Then come drop-in at the church and join us on Wednesday mornings as we open and read the Bible together over a hot cup of coffee or tea. Bring your Bibles and your questions as we reflect on a story from the Bible and what it teaches us about ourselves and God. Whether you are a Bible expert or completely confused, everyone is welcome!
Thursday March 23rd
9:30 – 11 a.m. E Z Play Group
12:10 p.m. Lenten Luncheon at Grace United Church at Grace United Church (Elevator and Hearing Assistance). Each Thursday during Lent beginning at 12:10 p.m. with meditation and music in the Sanctuary followed by Soup and Sandwich Lunch. Suggested contribution is $5-$10 for lunch.
Theme is “Giving it Up” Week 5: Giving up Our Lives
2 – 3:30 p.m. A time of sharing, prayer and singing with East Zorra members living at the Maples led by Pastor Ray, Pastor Mike, and Parish Nurse Heidi.
Friday March 23rd
7 p.m. MYF – Comforter Knotting
Next Sunday – March 26, 2023
The Story of God, the Story of Us: Reading the Bible Together
God Promises to choose a king like him
Prelude: Worship Band Accompanist: Heidi Wagler
Worship Leader: Tracey Kropf Song Leader: Lindsay Zehr
Audio/Visual: Dathan Bender/Larry Kropf Message: Pastor Mike
Coffee Hosts: Kristen & Daryl Cressman Offering: Leadership
EZMC Announcements
Don’t forget to sign up to sing in the Easter choir! Our first practice will be this Tuesday, March 21 at 7:15 pm, followed by the second and last practice on Sunday morning, April 2 at 8:45 am. It’s gonna be fun!!!
Faith Exploration Class
Sundays 8:30am-9:30am
April 16 – May 28
*Lite breakfast will be provided*
This Spring, Youth and Young adults are invited to join this learning class to explore the questions Who is Jesus and what does it mean to follow him?
Our goal during this time is to provide a space for youth to reflect on the faith of their family and community and what it means to them. Participants are welcome to consider this class as a steppingstone towards the commitment of baptism, but it is also open to those who simply want to explore and learn more.
This is a time where we will seek to be clear about what we believe at East Zorra Mennonite while welcoming any questions or doubts, and never demand fake agreement.
Anyone who is interested can contact Pastor Ray at ray@ezmennonite.ca or Pastor Mike at mike@ezmennonite.ca to register or learn more.
The Health Ministry Team is looking at offering a St. John’s CPR/First Aid training course for anyone that is interested. We are looking at March or April and have a sign up sheet on the bulletin board if anyone is interested. We are just getting a sense of how many are interested and then will find our a good date for everyone. The course is 8 hours long and will probably be on a Saturday and is roughly $125/ There is also a New Parent Course available that looks at infants specifically and CPR. This course if 3 hours longs and around $55. If you have more questions about the course you can ask Heidi or Phil.
Do you love music? Do you know how to play the organ, piano, guitar or other instrument? Or maybe you just love to sing? Is music at East Zorra an important part of your worship experience? If so, the worship committee would like to encourage you. Perhaps God is calling you to share your gift at East Zorra, and possibly discover and develop leadership skills. We would love to mentor new leaders and also find out if there are any musicians among us that we are not aware of. If your answer is ‘yes’ to any of the above questions, and you feel so led, please speak to Connie Yantzi or Lindsay Zehr.
Looking for folks who have used the Hearing Loop in the past and/or are currently accessing it. It has been 9 years since installation and we would like to do a review of its use. Asking that you contact either Marilyn Zehr (mbrownzehr@gmail.com) or Ashley Witzel (ashleywitzel@gmail.com) to share your experience.
And for those that do not know what a Hearing Loop is….stay tuned.
LADIES! LET’S WATCH GOD MOVE!
Join us for our first EZ Women’s IF: Gathering retreat
We desperately want to stay faithful in these times, but we know we can’t muster up the faith all on our own. Join us for IF: 2023 where we will gather for two days in worship, fellowship with one another, in prayer and with our Bibles, to remind each other that God is who we need and that He WILL provide.
Who: EZ Women of ALL ages. Invite your friends and family!
When: Friday May 5, 6:30pm and Saturday May 6, 8:30-3:00
Where: East Zorra Church
Cost: 25$/person. This includes breakfast Saturday morning and lunch. Friday evening we encourage all those who are able to bring an appetizer to share.
How: Signup on the sheet posted on the bulletin board at the back of the church or email Ashley Witzel at ashleywitzel@gmail.com so she can send you the registration form. If you have any questions please speak to, Ashley Witzel, Jess Yantzi, Erin Yantzi or Sheryl Leis. Please signup by April 16th
VBS 2023- July 10 -14
Please save the date for this year’s Vacation Bible School at East Zorra. Our theme this year is Babylon: Daniel’s Courage in Captivity. The week will be set up similar to last summer, with kids split into Tribes, daily Celebration Time, rotations to new shops in the Marketplace (crafts) and new games to play in the Palace Playground. We will also learn about Daniel’s story each day and how he stayed committed to the one true God when others were turning away from Him. We look forward to learning that God is with us through every situation and emotion!
We will be opening registration to the community this year so share these dates with your friends! To do this, we will need lots of volunteers. Please consider how helping out with VBS 2023 can fit into your summer plans.
Naomi Witzel naomiwitzel8@gmail.com
Ashley Witzel ezvbsbabylon@gmail.com
Beyond Our Church Community
Saturday March 25th 4 p.m. Hidden Acres Mennonite Camp’s 39th Annual Bowl-a-thon is happening again this year at New Hamburg Lanes (formerly Riverside Lanes). This is one of the camp’s main annual fundraising events with last year’s Bowl-a-thon raising over $30,000! You can show your support by donating on-line at hiddenacres.ca/donate, and select “Annual Bowl-a-thon” from the list. Thank you
Saturday March 25th 1:30 p.m. Wie Geht’s? In the Deitsch Language,
Local Residents Tell of their Life Experiences with Rev. Fred Lichti, Moderator
The Wie Geht’s Tavistock video recordings feature Wilmot-Tavistock residents who speak Deitsch, a German dialect which was brought from Europe by the settlers and spoken locally here for generations. 30 people from East Zorra-Tavistock (including some from EZMC), New Hamburg, Wilmot and Wellesley will be featured on March 25 in “Wie Geht’s Clips”, a story telling event in Deitsch (also called Pennsylvania German/Dutch) WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES. You’ll hear stories about barn raising, butchering, school days, weddings, life-changing accidents, making maple syrup, changes in farming, why Deitsch is being lost and much more. This special presentation is taking place during the Tavistock and District Historical Society annual meeting at Tavistock Mennonite Church. All are welcome. Donations gratefully accepted.
Tuesday March 28th 7 – 9 p.m. & Wednesday March 29th 1 – 4 p.m. Fostering gender equality and Becoming whole together at Conrad Grebel University College
Gender Equity & Reconciliation International (GERI) applies principles of Truth and Reconciliation to create practical new pathways for establishing gender equality. You are warmly invited to join us as we explore a compassionate application of Truth and Reconciliation principle toward achieving gender equality in society. To learn more and to register, go to mcco.ca/events.
Wednesday March 29th 7-9 pm Bison and a Buggy at Rockway Mennonite Collegiate, 110 Doon Rd, Kitchener, N2G 3C8. Join us at Rockway Mennonite Collegiate as we learn about The Landed Buggy artistic land acknowledgement and hear from Chef Destiny Moser about food sovereignty. Admission is free and open to all, however donations are appreciated. To learn more, go to mcco.ca/events.
Saturday April 1st at 7:30 p.m. Menno Singers and artistic director Brandon Leis present Rachmaninoff’s All Night Vigil (Vespers) at Trillium Lutheran Church (22 Willow, Waterloo) on. $25 Adults. $5 Children/Students. Tickets available on-line or at the door (cash or credit) www.mennosingers.com
Saturday April 14th 7 p.m. NHMRS Comedy & Music Night
at Waterloo North Mennonite Church (100 Benjamin Rd, Waterloo N2V 2G8)
Come on out for an evening of fun in support of the New Hamburg Mennonite Relief Sale. Laugh out loud with the award-winning, family-friendly entertainer JP and enjoy the honey-sweet vocal harmonies of Mike and Diane. To buy your tickets, head over to nhmrs.com. See you there!
Monday April 24th 6 pm New Hamburg Mennonite Relief Sale Promotion Dinner at Floradale Mennonite Church, 22 Florapine Rd, Floradale N0B 1V0More than just a meal, the NHMRS Promotion Dinner is a chance to connect with community and support MCC! Enjoy a delicious buffet-style dinner and hear an update on the stationary meat canner from MCC Ontario Material Resource Coordinator Jon Lebold. Tickets are $25 and are payable at the door. Reservations must be made in advance by emailing Justin Armitage or calling Justin at 519-745-8458 ext. 262.
MCEC Annual Church Gathering, April 28 & 29, 2023, Rockway Mennonite Collegiate, Kitchener, ON. Transformed. Inspired. Called. Join new and now friends as we grow, learn and serve together as a community of faith. Fanosie Legesse, MCEC Intercultural Mission Minister, will encourage and challenge us on Friday night at a Mass Intercultural Worship Service. Followed by a Saturday filled with celebration, learning, much discussion and worship. All are welcome! How do we choose to live a life of constant transformation, unceasing inspiration and filled with courage to stay strong in our calling? When we worship and pray togther, we become grounded in God’s love and conected to the Spirit’s movement. Come and gather as God’s people across MCEC. More information is available at the following link:
2023-04-28 – Annual Church Gathering 2023 – Mennonite Church Eastern Canada (mcec.ca)
Monday May 1st Hidden Acres Spring Seniors Retreat 2023 – Unlearning Loneliness: Relearning Community. Join us for a day or fellowship, learning and music with friends new and old! We will be hearing from Chip Bender and Cathi Watson as we reconnect and relearn how to live more fully as relational human beings created in God’s image. For more information and to register visit our website at www.hiddenacres.ca or contact the office at info@hiddenacres.ca or 519-625-8602.
New Hamburg Thrift Centre is 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 are in need of household donations to keep supplies strong on the sales floor. Pack up some boxes and head over to your local thrift shop today!
Raw Carrot soup is available at your local thrift shop
The Raw Carrot is excited to announce that our soup is available for sale at your local thrift shop! As an MCC Ontario program, The Raw Carrot provides a compassionate workplace to people on long term disability. Our healthy soups are handcrafted in small batches, packed with tasty veggies and free of added preservatives. Fresh ingredients are sourced as locally as possible. Our staff are “stirring up” change with their delicious, handcrafted gourmet soup!” Learn more at mcco.ca.
Could you be the next NHMRS Logistics Coordinator?
The New Hamburg Mennonite Relief Sale is searching for a volunteer logistics coordinator (or coordinators). The logistics coordinator handles all the logistical planning, setup and teardown at the Sale and leads a well-oiled team of volunteers. Orientation and training are provided. Please contact Duane Martin at duanemartin@nhmrs.com if you would be interested in joining the NHMRS organizing team.