January 14, 2024
Gathering
Prelude
Words of Welcome
Call to Worship
Prayer
Hymn: Jesus Calls Us VT 30
Hymn: God Welcomes All/Amen VT 32
Receiving
Scripture: Luke 15:11-24
Children’s Time
Hymn-of-the-month: We’ve Come This Far by Faith VT 599
Scripture: Luke 15:25-32
Sermon: Soggy French Fries, Royalty, & Flip-Flops: Whose Feast is it Anyway??
Responding
Hymn: Sing a New World into Being VT 809
Congregational Sharing & Prayer:
Offering & Offertory
Announcements
Hymn: Go, My Children VT 830
Benediction
Postlude
An unsupervised nursery is available across from the washrooms for children ages 5 and under. Parents are expected to supervise their children while in the nursery.
Leading us in worship:
Worship Leader: Kim Lichti
Accompanist: Doris Martin
Song Leader: Sara Roth
Children’s Time: Suzanne Bender
Congregational Prayer: Pastor Louise Wideman
Scripture Reader: Shirley Kennel
Preacher: Pastor Ben Cassels
A/V: Ben Winter & Paul Hammer
January 2024 Special Offerings are in support of LYNC (Love Your Neighbour Communities), building affordable housing in New Hamburg. For more information or to donate directly, please visit https://lyncommunities.com/donate/
Today
Coffee & tea available in the fellowship hall following the service.
Christian Education (Sunday School) for all ages:
11:00 – 12 p.m. Children’s Sunday School (Age 2 – Gr. 5), basement
11:15 – 12 p.m. Jr. Youth (Gr. 6-8) & MYF (Gr. 9-12+), basement
Adult Ed., Fireplace Room
Next Sunday January 21
9:45 a.m. Livestream and in-person worship .
Scripture: Matthew 11:25-30
Speaker: Pastor Sara Erb
11:00 a.m. Zoom Coffee Time.
This week at Steinmann MC
Jan. 16 (Tues.) 4 – 5 p.m. & 6:30 p.m. Pickleball.
Jan 16 (Tues.) 5:15 p.m. Lent Planning Meeting at the church
Jan. 17 (Wed.), 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. KidsLIFE (Grades 1-5) Games Night
Jan 17 (Wed.) 7 p.m. VFT Meeting at the church
Jan. 18 (Thur.) at 9 a..m. – 12 noon Steinmann members are needed to help cut rags at the MCC Material Resources Centre. Thank you for your help.
Jan 18 (Thur.) 8 p.m.. MYF (Grades 9-12+) Bible Quizzing Study Night, read Luke Chapters 1-4 ahead of time.
Jan 19 (Fri.) 7:40 p.m. MYF (Grades 9-12+) Virtual Reality Gaming at CTRL V. Carpooling, meet at church at 7:40 p.m., or meet there at 8 p.m.
Congregational Life
Thank you to everyone for the prayers and generosity of financial offerings through December to help close the Church Spending Plan budget gap. A full update will be available in the coming weeks, but we are once again amazed by the generosity and faithfulness of our congregational community through gifts of finances. Steve Wagler – Vision Focus Team
Missing from a church shelf : Volumes one & two of “Building Communities” by Ron Schlegel. Please return to Ardys Brenneman or call 519-662-2861.
Pastor Sara is seeking your help with her sermon for January 21st. Please fill out the sheet in your bulletin on “Meaningful Bible Stories”. Thank you!
Jan. 26 (Fri) 5:30 p.m. TGIF is a monthly casual gathering of families with children for food and fun, and is open to all. Please RSVP to Darryl at ad.drudge@gmail.com by Wed. January 24th so food can be ordered.
Jan. 28 (Sun.) noon: All Church Potluck to mark the beginning of our bicentennial year. Bring food to share (enough for your household plus) and own dishes. There will be a church history quiz and a life sized Dutch Blitz game. You won’t want to miss this gathering.
MYF (Grades 9-12+)
Jan 18 (Thur.) 8 p.m.. Bible Quizzing Study Night, read Luke Chapters 1-4 ahead of time.
Jan 19 (Fri.) 7:40 p.m. – Virtual Reality Gaming at CTRL V. Carpooling, meet at church at 7:40pm, or meet there at 8pm.
Jan 26, (Fri.) 7-10 p.m.. Bible Study at the church.
Jr. Youth (Grades 5-8)
Jan 21 (Sun.) 1-5 p.m. Jr. Youth Day at Rockway. Register by TODAY, and let Pastor Sara know once you’ve registered.
KidsLIFE (Grades 1-5)
Jan. 17 (Wed.), 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. Games Night
Small Groups
Jan. 25 (Thurs.) 10:00 a.m. – Women’s Bible study group meeting at the church in the Fireplace area. Read chapter 4 of “Let The Light In”. All women are welcome. Contact person – Darlene Gingerich.
Remember in Prayer
Congratulations to persons celebrating 80th birthdays this week: Rick Brenneman, today, January 14; Eileen Erb, January 16; and Shirley Gingerich, January 16.
Let us remember Sam Roth in prayer as he prepares for outpatient surgery on Jan. 17.
We are grateful to learn that Norma Iutzi does not need to have surgery; her knee will heal on its own over time. Continued prayer support is appreciated.
We remember persons coping with ongoing health related challenges.
Pray for persons who mourn the death of a loved one or friend.
We lament the ongoing warfare and violence in the world – Lord, have mercy.
This week join Mennonite Church Eastern Canada (MCEC) in prayer for Église Mennonite Agape. , Drummondville, QC.
Community
Jan. 16 (Tues.) 7 p.m. Free film screening of “Night Raiders” at Zion United Church, 215 Peel St., New Hamburg. No registration necessary. Sponsored by Wilmot Ecumenical Working Group on Indigenous/Settler Relationships.
Jan. 19-21 (Fri. – Sun.) Father & Kids Retreat at Silver Lake Mennonite Camp. Every year, Pastor Ben & his two kids attend and it would be fun to have others come too! Info & registration at slmc.ca
Jan. 26-27 (Fri.-Sat.) Becoming Good Relatives. In this one-and-a-half-day retreat sponsored by MCC, author and speaker Patty Krawec will use Anishinaabe teachings to help participants reflect on their social and individual histories in order to improve their capacity to have difficult conversations with others about Canadian history and current impacts on Indigenous people. If interested contact Gladys Bender
Jan. 27 (Sat.) 9 -4 p.m. Great Winter Warm-up, comforter-knotting blitzes at the New Hamburg Material Resources Centre, 65 Heritage Dr, New Hamburg. Knotters of all skills are welcome and snacks and drinks will be provided. Learn more at mcc.org/events.
Jan. 27 (Sat.) 7p.m. Join Menno Singers and Menno Youth Ensemble for an evening hymnsing – ‘My God is Here: Hymns for Lonely Hearts.’ Stirling Ave. Mennonite Church (57 Stirling Ave. N., Kitchener), There will be a free will offering.
Hidden Acres Mennonite Camp
- Free Family Day Open House Mon. Feb. 19th from 10:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. for more details https://bit.ly/4aSnqQn . RSVP to info@hiddenacres.ca.
- Summer Camp Registration 2024 opens Thursday, February 1st at 7 a.m.
Silver Lake Mennonite Camp Retreats – Many fun retreats coming up this winter! Detailed descriptions and to register for the weekends slmc.ca/retreats