East Zorra Mennonite Church
Weekly Letter and Announcements – No. 105
Resources to help us to stay Rooted in Christ and Growing together in Faith
Sunday March 20, 2022 Worship Gathering 10 AM – 3nd Sunday of Lent. ‘Seeking God’s Ways – Moving from Earning to Receiving’
** Our children will gather with their parents in the sanctuary for the first part of the worship service. Following a children’s time, they will be invited to move down to the basement for their Sunday School time.
We are grateful for your financial giving to the ongoing work and ministry of the church. This week our offering focus is “Local Ministries”.
**On Sunday March 27 we will begin including a second hour to our Sunday morning gathering experience. This second hour will be our Sunday School time for all ages. On March 27 all adults and youth are welcome to remain in the sanctuary for this second hour. We will have further opportunity to hear and engage in conversation with our pastoral candidate. He will be formally introduced and will be preaching in our worship hour. We will be continuing with our hybrid Zoom so that everyone has access to both worship and Sunday School time.
Extending God’s Love
Coming in April……….
Your congregation is coming together and joining hands with our Ukrainian brothers and sisters through a “comforter knotting” blitz.
Planning is underway for 10 separate sittings over two weeks respecting that we are still in Covid.
So make a plan – come by yourself, gather your family, bring your “bubble”.
Sign up opportunities available soon.
The comforter committee is looking for excess material you may have stored at home. Any that you would be willing to donate could be turned into comforter tops.
Any color, pattern and size would be welcome.
Please contact Marilyn Zehr at 519-462-2320 or Ruth Wagler at 519-588-1660. We can arrange for pickup.
Prayers for Peace in Ukraine: Tavistock Mennonite Church invite us to join them outside in the prayer garden behind Tavistock Mennonite Church for a time of prayer and singing for peace in Ukraine at 8:30 am, Sunday March 20. May God have mercy.”
EZMC Announcements
Church Ministry Council Minutes are attached to this email. Please contact Lisa if you have any trouble opening the attachment.
Attention EZ Families and Congregation!
Our next EZ Family Event is scheduled for Saturday March 26th at 3:30 pm at QUEEN’S PARK in Tavistock. Please note the date, time and location! We are excited to welcome our Pastoral candidate and his family to this event and look forward to getting to know them better, and for them to get to know us better. We invite everyone in our congregation, of all ages, to join us at this special event!
We will begin with a time of acoustic worship, followed by visiting, and playing on the playground equipment and open green space. Please dress for the weather as we will be outdoors. The Pavilion will provide some shelter pending weather. Bring lawn chairs, warm drinks, and any acoustic instruments you would like to contribute to our worship time. Can’t wait to see you all, and worship and fellowship together!
Inviting Nominations for Lay Minister Positions
Your Gifts Discernment Committee welcomes your prayerful discernment and nominations for Lay Minister Positions that will need to be filled this Spring. We will be filling the following positions: Congregational Chairperson, Lay Minister of Missions and one male Care Team position.
We are providing 3 options for making your nominations
- Send an email to ezmcgdc@gmail.com
- Phone Wayne Yantzi or Marv Yantzi
- For those worshipping in person a ballot box will be available at the top of the steps as you prepare to enter the sanctuary if you would rather nominate as we always had prior to Covid limitations.
We are asking that you submit your nominations by Sunday April 3. Thank you so much for your prayerful consideration as you make your nominations. If you sense God calling you into one of these roles please share that with us.
A DVD is now available for our Live Nativity Production that happened in December. If you have not been able to access that or would enjoy seeing that again, please contact Lisa at office@ezmennonite.ca
VBS July 11 – 15, 2022
Who is planning on joining us at Jerusalem Marketplace this summer?
If your child is planning on attending VBS this summer or if you would like to volunteer to help (youth and adults) it’s not too early to let us know. Please contact Naomi naomiwitzel8@gmail.com or Ashley ashleywitzel@gmail.com to let us know. Please see attached document for more details or contact us for more information.
Are you interested in being part of a visioning team to dream about building improvements to help us live into our purpose of being Rooted in Christ, Growing Together in Faith, Extending God’s Love? Questions come up regularly regarding our facility including a kitchen upgrade, gym, air conditioning, basement renovation etc. What building improvements are important for us? How should we prioritize and sequence investments in our facility? This is important, exciting work! If you want to be part of the visioning team, please contact Tracey Kropf tracey.kropf@gmail.com. Thank you!
Beyond Our Church Community
Many of you have asked how you can still make a difference in Ukraine (…thank you!). Here are a few ways that I can share right now:
- Continue to pray for everyone caught up in this conflict: we want nothing more than a peaceful and just end to the violence. We pray that God’s spirit of healing and hope is present.
- Donate to our Ukraine Crisis Appeal. Our partners on the ground are already at work—setting up temporary shelter and handing out emergency supplies like food and water to people in need.
- Ask the Canadian government to use non-violence and encourage the use of tools such as diplomacy, disarmament and conflict resolution at the international level. And ask the government to provide more substantial support for non-violent locally-led peacebuilding.
- **NEW: Sign this digital greeting card to pass along a word of encouragement to our staff and partners in Ukraine. Together, we can remind them that they are not alone.
Thank you for your continued support. I’m so grateful to be part of this community.
Rick Cober Bauman
Executive Director, MCC Canada
After a two year hiatus of the in-person New Hamburg Mennonite Relief Sale, we are excited to announce that the NHMRS team is planning for an in-person sale in 2022 on Friday May 27 and Saturday May 28 at the New Hamburg Fairgrounds. Your safety is our highest priority and we will be working closely with public health to ensure a safe and fun festival. Keep up to date on the latest NHMRS news by following us on Facebook, Instagram or sign up here to receive updates.
New Hamburg Mennonite Relief Sale Promotion Dinner
Monday April 25 at 6:30 pm, Bingemans Conference Centre
More than just a delicious meal, the NHMRS Promo Dinner is a chance to connect with community and support MCC! Enjoy a delicious buffet-style dinner, view a display of historic feature quilts and get an update from MCC staff. Tickets are $25 each (children 10 and under are free) and must be purchased in advance by ordering online at nhmrs.square.site or by calling the MCC office at 519-745-8458 (press 3).
The NHMRS 2022 Feature Quilt was revealed
On Tuesday, February 15th, the New Hamburg Mennonite Relief Sale 2022 feature quilt was revealed on Facebook Live. “Glimpses of Nepal” is a collage of life in Nepal, designed by acclaimed quilter Renske Helmuth. The quilt will be auctioned off at the 2022 New Hamburg Mennonite Relief Sale on Saturday, May 28.
Make a global impact
From bake sales to bike-a-thons, there are so many ways church groups can fundraise for MCC and share God’s love with those in need. Gather some friends, choose an activity, and get started. Visit mcco.ca/DIY-fundraising to learn more.
Celebrating 50 years of MCC Thrift
Fifty years ago, the grassroots movement of MCC Thrift shops was born. It has grown from a small dream and a handful of shops to a thriving, network across Canada and the U.S. A journey made possible by the thousands of volunteers who greet customers, accept and sort donations or work the checkouts each and every day. This legacy is worth celebrating!
New Hamburg Thrift Centre is in major need of Volunteers!! With society opening up and the busy spring season ahead, we are looking for people available through the week during regular business hours. Our Receiving manager is asking for people who can sort and help with receiving donations as they come. Please reach out to Jennifer Woolner at jenniferwoolner@mcco.ca or 519-662-2867. You can also go to newhamburgthrift.com and fill out a Volunteer application.
“Indigenous-Mennonite Encounters in Time and Place, Conrad Grebel University College, May 12-15, 2022. Pre-registration is open for this gathering offering stories and analyses of encounters and relationships between Indigenous peoples and Mennonite settlers from point of contact through to the present. Visit the conference website for more information and to pre-register: https://uwaterloo.ca/indigenous-mennonite-encounters“
Ontario Election 2022
The 2022 Ontario provincial election is an opportunity to address policies that contribute to poverty and injustice. MCC has gathered some resources at mcco.ca/ontario-election, including a blog, to assist you in exploring how candidates and parties fit into Ontario’s political landscape. Be sure to read the first blog post and sign up to receive notifications whenever we update this resource.