Saturday October 31st 6 p.m. Creation Celebration
This is an intergenerational event and all ages are invited to come and enjoy the fun, food & fellowship.
Donations of cash and candy can be dropped off at the Welcome Table.
As allergies are an on-going concern, we are asking for NUT FREE treats only – please carefully check the package ingredient list (contains or may contain peanuts or tree nuts – we are unable to put these treats into the bags).
Food will be prepared and served by our Congregational Life Committee. Thank you to everyone who donated pies.
Thanks so much to all our volunteers who make this event possible each year. We couldn’t do it without you!
East Zorra Mennonite Church
Volume 69 Sunday November 1, 2026 No. 44
Sunday November 1, 2026 – Join Sunday Worship Zoom at 10 a.m.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83137404938?pwd=hcotNxuDaoj9icACblTui3Jcsx9aOK.1
Meeting ID: 831 3740 4938 Passcode: 415319
Prelude/Accompanist: Laurie Yantzi Song Leader: Lindsay Zehr
Greeter: Flo & Lorne Metzger Worship Leader: Dawn Bender
Audio/Visual: Greg Pye/Brian Wagler Offering: Mission Partners
Coffeetime: Nicole & Duane Swartzentruber Message: Pastor Mike
Prelude
Welcome & Announcements
Call to Worship & Opening Prayer
Songs of Praise
VT #31 “Come, We That Love”
VT #10 “Here in This Place”
Offering – Mission Partners
Children’s Story
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 56:1-8 Kurtis Waymouth
Message Pastor Mike
Song of Response
VT #390 “In Christ There Is No East or West
Prayer of the Church Dawn Bender
Sending Song
VT #847 “You Shall Go Out with Joy”
Benediction
Today
Coffeetime immediately following the worship service. 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.
This Coming Week
Monday November 2nd
- 7 p.m. Fall Walk and Connect – Come embrace the outdoors, invite your friends and neighbours, & enjoy great connection with a fall walk & refreshments to follow for those interested! Meet in the parking lot behind Sprucewood Tack (101 Woodstock St Tavistock).
Tuesday November 3rd
- 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Sewing Circle
- 7 p.m. Mission Committee Meeting
Wednesday November 4th
- 10:30 – 11:30 a.m. Coffee and Bible Study.
- 1 p.m. Health Ministry Team Meeting
- Play Group setup
- 7 p.m. Finance & Facility Meeting
Thursday November 5th
- 9:15 – 11:15 a.m. E Z Play Group
- 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. Men’s Bible Study in the MYF Room.
Friday November 6th
- 7 p.m. MYF – Bigger and Better Night. The youth will be split into groups to compete in a Bigger and Better competition. Each group will start with a paper clip and trade up for Bigger and Better things. Please note that youth may stop in at your home that evening between 7-8:45pm and anything you give as a trade will not be returned. MYF parents: if you are willing to drive a group around please contact Katie Wagler.
Saturday November 7th
- 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. JWalkers (Junior Youth Gr 6-8) Rake and Run. Drop off and Pick up near the water tower/yard waste drop off in Tavistock – 18 Hendershot Street. Bring along a rake and water bottle.
Next Sunday – November 8, 2026
Prelude/Accompanist/Song Leader: Glorify
Greeter: Erma & Jill Repei Worship Leader: Sheryl Leis
Audio/Visual: Drystan Bender/Larry Kropf Offering: Local Ministries
Coffeetime: Kristen & Daryl Cressman Message: Pastor Ray
12 – 5 pm Private Party
EZMC Announcements
Listening to Scripture: 1 Peter – Living as Exiles
Do you ever feel like a stranger in your own culture — like your convictions put you out of step with the world around you? If so, you’re in good company.
This fall, we are listening 1 Peter, a letter written to those facing hostility for their faith as Peter reminds them not to fight back or to disappear but reminds them who they are: adopted into God’s family, citizens of a kingdom that doesn’t waver, and people whose suffering can become a refining fire rather than a defeat.
Together we’ll explore what it means to:
- Live as “exiles and wanderers” whose true home is with God
- Meet hostility with love, honor, and generosity instead of retaliation
- Root our hope not in circumstances, but in the resurrection of Jesus and His promised return
Whether you’re wrestling with cultural pressure, personal hardship, or just want to grow deeper in the Word, this study offers real encouragement for real life.
Space is limited. Contact Pastor Mike to register.
Wednesdays 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. November 11, 25 and December 9
Adult Fellowship Christmas Banquet! Come join us on Thursday November 26 for our annual Adult Fellowship Christmas Banquet. Quehl’s is catering our dinner for 6 p.m. Doris Brubacher is our guest speaker followed by a sing-along. Tickets are $40 and may be purchased from Carol and Owen Cook, Karen and Mike Wirth or Susan and Bill Schmitz, starting today, Sunday November 1st.
Practising Hope Together – A four week community Advent Bible Study starting on Tuesday November 24th from 2-3 p.m. Explore scripture, share conversation, and discover way to practise hope in our community. This will be at Churchy’s Pub & Kitchen in Tavistock. Refreshments provided by Tavistock & Area Ministerial. All are welcome. Bring your questions – and a friend. Please note that we will not have a Wednesday morning bible study at EZMC on Wednesday November 25th but the evening bible study will continue as usual.
Beyond Our Church Community
The October edition of On the Level is now available from Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS). In this edition, Kevin King, retiring MDS U.S. Executive Director, shares his reflections on MDS partnership across borders.
Read On the Level: https://conta.cc/4BzpR87
The transition to middle school or high school is a big step. Rockway’s programming is designed to give young adolescents the chance to be known and supported while being challenged to grow academically, socially and personally. We invite interested families to join us at our Discover Rockway Open House on Thursday, November 5 from 7 – 9 pm and see what Rockway Mennonite Collegiate has to offer your family. For more information, to watch video affirmations from current parents and to register for this event, visit our Discover Rockway webpage.
Friday November 6th 7:30 p.m. at St Jacobs Mennonite Church (1310 King St N, St Jacobs).Menno Singers, with Artistic Director Brandon Leis, presents its first concert of the year, ‘Pale Blue Dot Earth’, a musical exploration of the seasons and places of our world. The concert also includes Lieder and Art songs performed by tenor Brandon Leis and pianist Charmaine Fopoussi. Tickets available atwww.mennosingers.com or at the door.
Saturday November 7th Peace Conference: Nourishing Peace Together at Rockway Mennonite Collegiate, Kitchener. Registration opens August 1st. If you’re hungry for connection, meaning and practical ways to resist despair in a world that feels overwhelming, plan to be at this year’s Peace Conference. MCC Ontario is hosting an in‑person event for people who don’t have everything figured out but who want to build peace. Attendees will:
- Learn how to practice peace in everyday life
- Hear from courageous people pursuing justice, reconciliation and care in hard places
- Share food, stories and space
- Take action, like knotting comforters and sending advocacy letters, to remind us we’re not powerless
Monday November 9th 7 p.m. Mend: An invitation from Jesus to return to land-based repair: An evening with author Jodi Spargurat Parkminster United Church, 275 Erb St. E, Waterloo
Join MCC Ontario Indigenous Neighbours and New Leaf Press for an evening of honest truth-telling, biblical reimagining and hopeful conversation with author Jodi Spargur. Explore how Scripture, history, and Indigenous witness call us away from polite lament and toward tangible, land-based restoration. Discover next steps for you and your church on your journey to restore right relationships with neighbours and the land itself. Copies of Mend will be available for purchase and signing. Free admission, donations welcome.
Thursday November 12th 12 p.m. High Noon Seniors Lunch at Grace United Church in Tavistock. A homestyle lunch (Cost: Freewill offering) will be served followed by a presentation by Jean Aitcheson “Stratford Mission Depot”. Please bring unused/outdated prescription drugs
Fair Trade Pop-Up Coming to New Hamburg
The Village Fair is a new local not-for-profit working to carry forward the fair trade mission of Ten Thousand Villages. This November, we are hosting a seasonal pop-up in collaboration with Ten Thousand Villages Cobourg. Shop a beautiful selection of fairly traded, handcrafted products made by artisans around the world.
Dates: November 12–14, 19–21 and 26–28
Hours: Thursdays and Fridays, 10 a.m.–7 p.m.; Saturdays, 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Location: 112 Peel Street, New Hamburg
Please note that handwoven rugs will not be available November 12–14. They will be featured November 19–21 and 26–28.
Volunteers are also needed. To get involved, email info@thevillagefair.ca.
Follow The Village Fair on Facebook and Instagram at @villagefairwaterloo.
High School Students! Are you thinking of attending the University of Waterloo? OnSaturday November 14th 10am-4pm, attend the UWaterloo Open House and stop by the Conrad Grebel University College residence, right on the Waterloo campus. Learn about the supportive residence environment that this small and vibrant faith-based community can provide for students studying in any faculty or program at UWaterloo. uwaterloo.ca/grebel/tour
Sunday November 15th 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
Benjamin Eby Lecture, with Assistant Professor David Neufeld | Thursday, November 19, 7:30 pm. “Credit Worthy: Anabaptist Debt and the Material Bases of Coexistence.” Hosted at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo. Please register in advance. More information at uwaterloo.ca/grebel/events/credit-worthy
The New Hamburg Mennonite Relief Sale is urgently looking for two volunteers to help with planning the auctions at the sale. The Auction Coordinator is a position on the Planning Committee and the Auction Assistant provides support to the Auction Coordinator. We are hoping to fill these positions before Christmas. Job Descriptions are available on our website or by contacting John Reimer at johnreimer@nhmrs.com.
Free Noon Hour Concerts | Most Wednesdays from September to November at Conrad Grebel University College. Enjoy performances by professional musicians during the lunch hour. All are welcome! Concerts begin at noon in the Grebel Chapel. Full schedule: grebel.ca/music/events
Kits, Cans and Comforters: Tours of the MCC Hub
1st Tuesday of the month at 1 p.m. and 3rd Thursday of the month at 10 a.m.
65 Heritage Dr., New Hamburg
You don’t have to wait for a special event to explore the MCC Hub. Invite a friend and join one of two monthly tours open to the public. Learn what’s involved in packing and preparing kits and comforters for international shipment, and tour MCC’s new meat canning facility, which sends thousands of pounds of nutrient-rich meat to countries facing food shortages. No RSVP required.
Join the MCEC Team
A calling to serve youth and young adults!MCEC seeks a Regional Minister who is passionate about helping congregations nurture the faith, gifts and leadership of youth and young adults. This role will equip and encourage ministry leaders across MCEC. This is a .50 FTE position and is based in Kitchener, ON.More information at mcec.ca/careers.