East Zorra Mennonite Church
Volume 68 Sunday November 16, 2025 No. 46
Prelude/Offertory: Brandy Sell/Rebekah Williamson Accompanist: Brandy Sell
Song Leader: Lindsay Zehr Greeters: Brendan & Sheryl Leis
Worship Leader: Bevin Witmer Offering: Leadership
Audio/Visual: Greg Pye/Larry Kropf Message: Pastor Mike
Coffee: Gloria & Tom Roth
Prelude
Welcome & Announcements
Call to Worship & Opening Prayer
Songs of Gathering & Praise VT #75 “Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven!”
HWB #288 “Rejoice, the Lord is King”
Offering – Leadership
Children’s Story
Scripture Readings Jeremiah 32:6-15, Philippians 4:1-8
Message Pastor Mike
Song of Response VT #563 “Come, Thou Fount”
Service of Commissioning Dawn Bender, Lay Minister of Christian Education
Congregation: Dawn, we promise our support and encouragement as you serve as a Lay Minister of Christian Education. We urge you to consider your assignment as God’s occasion to work through you. May Christ express himself through you in word and deed. May our prayers uphold you and God’s love surround you.
Prayer of the Church Pastor Ray
Sending Song VT #169 “Mercy, Mercy, Lord”
Benediction
Postlude
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.
Today is the last day that the draft Church Directory will be available in the basement. Please check your household listing and make any edits that are needed. There is still time to send photos to the church office atoffice@ezmennonite.ca. If you are unable to be at church today, please email any phone/address/email updates to Lisa this week. Thanks so much.
11 a.m. Sunday School classes for all ages.
12 p.m. Private Party (in the basement)
This Coming Week
Monday November 17th
- 7 p.m. Walking Club – Finding the dark evenings difficult? Come walk with friends under the street lights in Tavistock! Meet at the Memorial Hall.
Tuesday November 18th
- 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Prayer Shawl at Jean MacDonald’s (182 Rudy Ave, Tavistock).
Wednesday November 19th
- 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Coffee and Bible Study
- E Z Play Group setup
Thursday November 20th
- 9:30 – 11 a.m. E Z Play Group
- 7 – 9 p.m. Jr Youth – Games Night at church with Pastor Mike
- 7 – 9 p.m. MYF – Pickleball at the Tavistock Memorial Hall. If you have any paddles, please bring them with you.
Saturday November 22nd
- 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Private Party
Next Sunday – November 23, 2025
Service of Remembering
Prelude/Accompanist: Worship Band Song Leader: Connie Yantzi
Greeters: Marilyn & Bob Zehr Worship Leader: Caleb Leis
Audio/Visual: Drystan Bender/Brian Wagler Offering: Local Ministries
Coffee: Nicole & Duane Swartzentruber Message: Pastor Ray
2 – 4 p.m. Please join us in celebrating Lorne Metzger’s 85th birthday at the East Zorra Mennonite Church. It is drop in with best wishes only please. Everyone is welcome to come share some memories and refreshments.
EZMC Announcements
October 2025 Donations Received Summary
Offering Schedule – $38,175.45
Please consider joining our Christmas Choir this year! We will be taking part in the Christmas Eve service and possibly Sun, Dec 28 morning worship. All ages welcome! Please sign up on the lobby bulletin board so we know how many pieces of sheet music we will need. Thanks for sharing your voices!
Practice Dates will be:
Sunday, Nov 30 from 4-5 pm
Sunday, Dec 14 from 4-5 pm
Monday evenings, Dec 1 – 22 from 7-8 pm
Service of Remembering
During our worship service on November 23, we will take time to remember those who have died this past year by naming their names and lighting a candle in memory of them.
As we name each person we would like to project a picture of them. As in previous years we plan to name our congregational members, along with other close family members (siblings, parents, children) of our congregational members. If you have experienced another significant loss through death this year and wish to have that person named in our service, please contact Marv Yantzi, or Pastor Ray and please forward a picture that we could use.
Thursday November 27th 6 p.m. Adult Fellowship Christmas Banquet
Cost $40.00 per person
Christmas concert to follow by Julie Gerber.
Tickets will be available from committee members.
Ray and Laurel Zehr, Owen and Carol Cook, Mike and Karen Wirth.
Final numbers are needed by Tuesday November 18th so please purchase your tickets before then.
Beyond Our Church Community
Sunday November 16th 3 p.m. Come out with your voice and your score to join Menno Singers in a Singalong Messiah with orchestra and soloists at St Matthews Lutheran Church (54 Benton St, Kitchener). The audience is the choir! Entrance by donation. www.mennosingers.com
Wednesday November 19th 7:30 p.m. Sawatsky Lecture and Gospel Music Workshop with Rev. Dr. Braxton Shelley Attend a lecture exploring “The Gospel Imagination” and/or a Gospel Music workshop on Thursday November 20th 7:30 p.m. presented by minister, musician, and musicologist Rev. Dr. Braxton Shelley. Both events are free, hosted at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo. Please register in advance. More information at grebel.ca/sawatsky
Rockway Mennonite Collegiate will hold their Annual General Meeting on Wednesday November 19th at 7:30 pm on ZOOM. All are welcome to attend. The link will not be published on our website so please email AGM@rockway.ca to get the link today.
Saturday November 22nd Make A Difference Holiday Market 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
This festive event brings together local vendors and artisans for a joyful day of community, shopping, and giving back at Conrad Grebel University College (Atrium). Proceeds support The Working Centre.
More information at uwaterloo.ca/grebel/events
Thursday November 27th – Saturday November 29th Ten Thousand Villages and Friends are holding a Christmas Market at MCC Ontario, Kitchener. Your purchase of these unique, fairly traded and handcrafted products supports employment and skill development. Come check it out. Please see the poster on the main bulletin board for more details.
Friday November 28 – Saturday November 29th Men Listening, Men Talking: A Men’s Retreat at Hidden Acres Mennonite Camp and Retreat Centre.
Just a few spots remain for this men’s retreat that will focus on building healthy relationships of peace in your daily roles as fathers, sons, husbands and neighbours. We’ll learn lessons from guest speaker Arthur Boers, teacher, author and pastor, as he reflects on the impact and healing of generational trauma in his childhood. Learn more here.
Saturday November 29th 6 p.m., 6:30 p.m., & 7 p.m. Journey to the Stable at Grace United Church in Tavistock. A shepherd will lead an outdoor 20 minute retelling of the journey of the shepherds with live animals and actors. There will be refreshments and fellowship inside. All donations will go to the ministry of youth at Grace United.
Sunday November 30th 7 p.m. Three Choirs at Christmas. Ring in the Advent season with choral favourites, readings and carols, sung by Menno Singers, Inter-Mennonite Children’s Choir and Menno Youth Ensemble. Trillium Lutheran Church (22 Willow St, Waterloo). Adults $30, Students $5. Tickets at the door or online at www.mennosingers.com
Sunday December 7th 2 p.m. An A Cappella Christmas with the Twin City Harmonizers at Tavistock Mennonite Churchin support of TMC Refugee Sponsorship Fund.All your favourite Christmas songs sung in 4-part harmony. Special Guests “The Loo Wops”. For tickets call Tavistock church office (519-655-2581) or email office@tavistockmennonitechurch.ca, visit twincityharmonizers.com or go to Eventbrite. Adults $20, Youth & Students $15, under 12 free.
Sunday December 14th A LYNC Christmas 2 – 4:30 p.m. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. at Steinmann Mennonite Church. Come join us for an amazing multimedia, light, and music extravaganza as we celebrate Christmas with our community. Enjoy the sights and sounds of Christmas with Juneyt an award winning, world renowned musician and flamenco and Nuevo-flamenco guitarist, Anat Hector one of KW’s finest singer/pianist, Lisa Hagen and the Local Vocals, Derek Goupil and the Hillview Band present “let it be Christmas, A multimedia musical presentation of the Christmas story with the music of the Beatles. The event is free but guests are encouraged to make a donation in support of LYNC’s Millblock Community Development. Tickets are free through Eventbrite. https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/a-lync-christmas-tickets-1720500044949?aff=oddtdtcreator
Interfaith Counselling Centre Calendar Fundraiser – Help Us Bring Hope and Healing to Our Community. This October, we’re inviting you to support the Interfaith Counselling Centre through our Calendar Fundraiser—a beautiful way to give back while celebrating the seasons of life and wellness. Each calendar features inspiring artwork and messages that reflect the heart of our mission: to provide accessible, compassionate counselling to those in need. Your purchase directly supports our programs and helps ensure that no one in our community is left without support during difficult times.
Calendars are available at our office and select community locations. You can also order online at interfaithcounselling.ca or by calling (519) 662-3092.
Turn Time into Meals: Group Canning at MCC Material Resources
MCC Material Resources (65 Heritage Dr., New Hamburg) is inviting workplace, church, and community groups to can nutritious food for communities in need. Groups are asked to contribute $6.50 per can to cover costs and keep this vital work going. Flexible scheduling is available. A typical daily output can range from 350–1,200 cans. Learn more or book a canning date today! Contact Reid Kennel at reidkennel@mcco.ca or by calling 226-338-4956.
Join the Mennonite Central Committee team!
We are excited to announce new opportunities to join our team and make a meaningful impact in communities across Ontario. If you are passionate about community engagement, collaboration and fostering belonging, we invite you to apply.
- Thrift Marketing and Communications Manager (Full time)
- Volunteer Engagement Manager – Elmira (Full time)
For full job descriptions and to apply, visit mcc.org/serve
Give gifts of comfort and joy this Christmas
This Christmas season, choose a gift that will honour your loved ones and change lives across the globe. MCC’s Christmas Giving Guide lets you celebrate what you hold dear about your loved ones, from the art lover to the gardener. By helping people build skills, grow food or meet basic needs, the impact of your generosity is a cause for celebration long after the lights and tree are taken down. Pick up a gift catalogue at church (on the table in the sanctuary foyer), a local MCC Thrift Shop or give online at mcc.org/Christmas.