East Zorra Mennonite Church
Volume 67 Sunday September 15, 2024 No. 37
Sunday September 15, 2024
What is the Gospel?
Surprisingly Good News About Jesus Christ the King
Prelude: Katie Wagler Accompanist: Katie Wagler
Worship Leader: Dawn Bender Song Leader: Connie Yantzi
Greeters: Carol & Owen Cook Offering: Leadership
Audio/Visual: Greg Pye/Brian Wagler Message: Pastor Mike
Coffee Hosts: Gloria & Tom Roth
Welcome & Announcements
Call to Worship & Opening Prayer
Song of Gathering & Praise
VT #7 “Come let us all unite to sing”
Offering – Leadership
Song of Praise
VT #594 “Over my Head”
Time with the Children Pastor Mike
Scripture Readings: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
Message Pastor Mike
Song of Response
“You are my King”
Prayer of the Church Pastor Ray
Sending Song
HWB #355 “Savior, like a shepherd lead us”
Benediction
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.
11 a.m. Attention Parents: During Coffeetime please take advantage of the opportunity to fill out registration/waiver forms for your children in the basement. Our Safe Church Policy requires that parents complete a separate form for each child involved in Sunday School, Junior Youth, and MYF who are under the age of 18.
Attention Volunteers: Our Safe Church Policy requires all volunteers that work with children, youth, seniors and other vulnerable persons complete and sign a volunteer commitment form for each program year (ie. Sept 1 2024 – Aug 31 2025). Copies of the forms are available downstairs during coffee time. The EZMC Safe Church Policy and Social Media Policy are available if you need to read them before signing.
Junior Sunday School classes JK to Grade 8 will meet in the assembly room and then move to the green space. Please dress for the weather. Nursery/Preschool children are welcome to join us outside with a parent.
Senior Sunday School classes will begin.
This Coming Week
Tuesday September 17th
- 7 p.m. Mission Committee Meeting
Wednesday September 18th
- Play Group set up
Thursday September 19th
- 9:30 – 11 a.m. E Z Play Group
- 7 p.m. Church Ministry Council Meeting
Friday September 20th
- MYF Sponsor/Parent Meeting. Youth will meet outside in the green space during the meeting.
Saturday September 21st
- 6:30 – 9 p.m. JWalkers (Junior Youth) in the green space. Please see announcement on page 6 for more information.
Next Sunday – September 22, 2024
What is the Gospel?
The Gospel is about a God who forgives
Prelude: Brandy Sell Accompanist: Bethany Zehr
Worship Leader: Caleb Leis Song Leader: Myron Ruby
Greeters: Jessica & Tyler Yantzi Offering: Local Ministries
Audio/Visual: Drystan Bender/Larry Kropf Message: Pastor Ray
Coffee Hosts: Kristen & Daryl Cressman
On Monday September 16, Wallace Steinman will turn 99. Wallace is the oldest member of East Zorra Mennonite Church.
Wallace is currently in the hospital and we would like to bless him with a Birthday Card shower filled with notes of encouragement. It would be wonderful to get 99 cards! We invite you to prepare a card and bring it along to the church by Sunday.
The Care Team will arrange for the delivery of the cards on Monday.
Thanks so much for sharing in this gift to Wallace!
There will be a table by the greeters on Sunday morning where you can put your card.
EZMC Announcements
Refugee Resettlement Update as of September 15, 2024:
Thank you for your prayerful and generous support of our refugee resettlement commitments. While additional funds are in need, your support has been gratefully received.
Prayer Shawl will not be meeting in Sept.
I look forward to seeing you Tuesday, October 15, 1:30 to 3:30, 182 Rudy Ave, Tavistock, ON.
Anyone interested in joining us for knit and chat is always welcome.
Jean
As the fall approaches, your Junior Christian Education Team (JCET) invites you to prayerfully consider how you will support our children’s Christian Education Program. Possibly teacher, helper, make playdough, purchase snacks, prayers, are a few ideas. The sign-up sheet will soon be posted on the bulletin board but will also be online or talk to Jess Yantzi, Erin Yantzi., Holly Barron, or Sue Martin.
A reminder that all who volunteer with children during Junior Sunday School are required to submit a Vulnerable Sector Check (VSC) and Volunteer Commitment Form before volunteering. If you have a VSC that was done within the last 6 months (because you volunteered with another organization ie. school or sports team) you can submit it to update your EZMC file. Please check in with Lisa in the office to see if your VSC is current or if you need to apply for a new one. Thanks so much.
Attention J-Walkers (Junior Youth)
We are excited to kick off the new year with our first event at the church, in the Green Space, on Saturday September 21st from 6:30 -9 p.m. We will have a campfire with s’mores and play some games/sports outside. This will also be our welcome night to all the new grade 6’s who will be joining us. Bring a lawn chair and a friend! Looking forward to seeing you there.
**Parents please plan to stay a few extra minutes at drop off to fill out waiver forms**
The Anabaptist Community Bible Orders are due soon.
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 will 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.
Save the date! Saturday December 7.
The Christmas Story – Live Nativity!
We are hoping to do this again. Please talk to Sheryl Leis or Kim Leis if you are interested in being a part of this special day. We look forward to another fun time.
Beyond our Church Community
The New Hamburg Thrift Centre invites you to join their volunteer team. They are currently seeking enthusiastic volunteers to support various areas of work. For more details, please refer to the poster on the main bulletin board. If you have any questions please call 519-662-2867 or email emmanorris@mcco.ca..
Interfaith Counselling Centre has a number of support groups that are beginning in the Fall. Please see the poster on the bulletin board for more information.
Steinmann Mennonite Church is celebrating their bicentennial this year. We invite you to a “Hymn Sing: Music Through the Years” on Friday September 20th at
7 pm in the sanctuary. An offering will be received for the Wilmot Family Resource Center. Following the singing, there will be refreshments in the Fellowship Hall. All are welcome.
***NEW DATE*** Monday September 23rd MCC Ontario annual general meeting
7 p.m. Grounded in the church, our Annual General Meeting (AGM) is an opportunity for us to be accountable, transparent and responsive to you. We invite you to join in celebrating the impact you’ve made of sharing God’s love and compassion in the lives of so many in Ontario and around the world. Delegates from constituent congregations are invited and authorized to vote. The meeting will take place over Zoom. For more information, go to mcc.org/Ontario-AGM.
The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was included in the 94 Calls to Action in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s final report. This federal holiday is intended to recognize and commemorate the legacy of residential schools, honour Survivors, their families and communities and ensure that public commemoration of the history and heritage of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process. We’ve created a learning resource on how we can all participate in reconciliation. Go to mcc.org/resources/national-day-truth-and-reconciliation to download the resource.
MCC Ontario will recognize this important day on Tuesday September 24th. All thrift shops and offices will be closed, and staff will spend this day in learning activities related to the ongoing impact of this dark chapter in Canada’s history.
Montreal River Alternative Service Camp Historical Plaque to be installed!
The Mennonite Historical Society of Ontario and the Ontario Heritage Trust will install a commemorative historical plaque at the site of the WW2 Alternative Service (Conscientious Objector) Camp at Montreal River, just north of Sault Ste Marie, Ontario. All are invited to the official unveiling of the plaque on Thursday, September 26 at 4:00 pm at Conrad Grebel University College. The next day, September 27, the MHSO has arranged for two buses to go from Waterloo to Montreal River for the installation of the plaque on September 28. Overnight accommodation has been reserved for bus participants for Friday, September 27 so they can take part in the Plaque installation the next day at the Montreal River site. The buses will then return to Waterloo.
For further details, and to reserve a spot on this trip (accommodation deadline is August 27), go to https://www.mhso.org/content/montreal-river-alternative-service-camp-bus-trip
Saturday October 5th 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Bucket of Thanks at Material Resources Warehouse, 65 Heritage Dr, New Hamburg. This fall, the Material Resources warehouse is opening its doors and welcoming visitors to an event for the whole family with games, snacks and hands-on activities for all ages. Enjoy activities for kids, pack a kit or two and experience the joy of community service. Admission is free, but we kindly ask for donations of large bath or laundry bars of soap (in original wrapping) to help fill our kits. Learn more at mcc.org/events/bucket-thanks.
Monday October 7th Fall Seniors Retreat at Hidden Acres
You are invited to the beautiful Hidden Acres Camp to explore the theme of Falling in Love with Creation – For God so loved the world. What does loving God’s good creation look like? What changes in us when we pay loving attention to creation? Come join us for a day of encouragement, reflection and good food. To register visit hiddenacres.ca/programs/seniors-retreat. See poster for more details.