East Zorra Mennonite Church
Volume 66 Sunday March 12, 2023 No. 11
Worship Service – Sunday March 12, 2023 at 10 a.m.
The Story of God, the Story of Us: Reading the Bible Together
The God Who Is Above All Others
Prelude: Chantelle McNeish Accompanist: Chantelle McNeish
Song Leader: Connie Yantzi Worship Leader: Dawn Bender
Message: Pastor Mike Audio/Visual: Drystan Bender/Larry Kropf
Coffee Hosts: Gloria & Merv Ropp Offering: Student Aid
Prelude
Welcome and Opening Greetings
Announcements
Call to Worship and Opening prayer
Songs of Gathering & Praise VT # #137 “Holy, Holy, Holy”, (Holy is the Lord)
VT # 160 “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms”
Prayer of Confession & Song of Response
Response VT #49 “All who are thirsty”
Time with the Children – Pastor Mike
Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 5:1-15
Message – Pastor Mike
Song of Response VT #437 “The Lord Is My Light”
Prayer of the church
Sending Song VT #849 “We Your People Sing Your Praises”
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
Wednesday March 15th
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 16th
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 4: Giving up Enemies
Next Sunday – March 19, 2023
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
EZMC Announcements
Easter Choir – You’re invited to add your voice to the choir on Easter Sunday morning! There will be two practices….on Tuesday, March 21 at 7:15, and Sunday, April 2 at 8:45. Please sign up on the back bulletin board.
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
Monday March 13th Grandparent and Grandchild Day at Hidden Acres Mennonite Camp. The annual Grandparent-Grandchild Days sponsored by Hidden Acres Mennonite Camp.. This retreat is for grandparents and their grandchildren in Grades 1-6. Greg Taylor will be leading the day, focusing on the theme of God of Wonders: Discovering the Creator Through Space. More details at www.hiddenacres.ca
Saturday March 18th & Saturday March 25th 10 am – 12:30 pm Stitching and Stories at 50 Kent Ave, Kitchener, N2G 3R1. Join our Indigenous Neighbours team for a time of storytelling and stitching as Niska artisan Lucie Iserhoff teaches us how to bead a simple pin. A kit will be mailed to you with sewing materials. Register by March 6th, 2023 at 12 p.m. to ensure the arrival of your sewing kit before the event begins. All proceeds from this event will go toward supporting the Niska program and future workshops. For more info, go to mcco.ca/events.
Hidden Acres Mennonite Camp’s 39th Annual Bowl-a-thon is happening again this year on Saturday, March 25 at 4:00pm at New Hamburg Lanes (formerly Riverside Lanes).! This is one of the camp’s main annual fundraising events with last year’s Bowlathon raising over $30,000! You can show your support by donating on-line at hiddenacres.ca/donate, and select “Annual Bowlathon” from the list. Thank you
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
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)
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.
EZMC Contact Information
Pastor Ray Martin ray@ezmennonite.ca
Pastor Mike Williamson mike@ezmennonite.ca
Parish Nurse Heidi Wagler heidi@ezmennonite.ca
Office Admin Lisa Suderman office@ezmennonite.ca