Sunday, March 3, 2024 Bulletin

March 3, 2024
Lent 3: Coins – Joyful Stewardship
Lent 2024: Lent in Plain Sight

Drawing Near to Jesus …

Prelude

Welcome

Call to Worship & Prayer

Hymn: Over My Head     VT 594

Hymn: Rain Down      VT 703

Confession and Assurance

Children’s Time & Object Prayer Luke 21:1-4 (Widow’s Offering)

Hymn of the month: How Many Times We Start Again     VT 553

… Reawakening to God’s Spirit …

Scripture: Luke 15:8-10

Sermon: A Snap Bracelet, a Ball Pit, & Snow Angels: Joyful Stewardship

Scripture: Luke 15:8-10

Ritual & Hymn of Response: Sizohamba naye  (We Will Walk with God)     VT 815

Congregational Prayer

… Living as Transformed People.

Offering & Offertory

Announcements

Blessing for Youth Trip

Sending Hymn: Take My Life, and Let it Be      VT 759

Benediction & Object Prayer

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:
Prelude/Offertory/Postlude: Grant Movold
Song Leader:  Suzanne Bender
Worship Leader:  Dwight Brenneman
Children’s Time:   Ben Winter
Scripture: Paulette West & Dwight Brenneman
Congregational Prayer: Pastor Louise Wideman
Sermon: Pastor Ben Cassels
A/V: Steve Kennel, Ben Winter

March Special/Coin Offering is in support of Mennonite Central  Committee’s response to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. To read more about their work, who they partner with, or to give directly please visit: https://bit.ly/3OYDy9V

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
11:00 – 12 p.m.  Jr. Youth (Gr. 6-8) & MYF (Gr. 9-12+), Prep for Chili fundraiser in the kitchen
Adult Ed., Fireplace Room

11:00 a.m. Zoom Coffee Time.

12p.m. Chili Fundraiser Lunch, prepared by the youth. Funds raised help cover costs of big events such as the Winter Retreat, and the upcoming MYF Formation Trip to Winnipeg over March Break. Donations above $10/person can be receipted.

Following chili fundraiser lunch, plan to stay for 30 minutes of Bicentennial stories –  through word and a slideshow!

Next Sunday March 10
Lent 4: Gratitude for Daily Bread
9:45 a.m. Livestream and in-person worship .
Scripture:   Matt. 6:11, Exodus 16:4-12
Speaker:  Pastor Louise Wideman

This week at Steinmann MC
Pickleball:
March 4 (Mon.) No Pickleball
March 5 (Tues.) 3 – 5 p.m. & 6:30 p.m.

March 6 (Wed.) Morning & afternoon – All women invited to the church to knot comforters and/or quilt. Bring a bag lunch. Drinks provided

March 6 (Wed.) 6 p.m. KidsLIFE

March 6 (Wed.) 7 p.m. VFT meeting

March 7 (Thurs.) 3 p.m. Care Team

March 7 (Thur.) 8:15 p.m. Baden Summer Bible Camp meeting

Congregational Life
Lent prayer cards for this this week’s object (and previous weeks) are available for all ages on the little table in the hallway, under the timeline.

Steinmann Mennonite Church seeks a Church Office Manager.  This position includes a wide variety of administrative responsibility including the oversight of some financial operations in conjunction with an external bookkeeping service.  Hours  range from 25-32 per week. Applications accepted until March 8.  Full job posting is found at https://smchurch.ca/

April 7 (Sun.) is the new date for the AGM – mark your calendars.

April 20 (Sat.) the Peace and Justice Committee will be hosting a breakfast fundraiser to support the MCC food security initiatives of our Indigenous Neighbours in the isolated communities of northern Ontario. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend. Details will   follow.

MYF (Grades 9-12+)
March 9-12, Winnipeg Formation Trip exploring: “Peace. What is it and why does Jesus call us to it?”
March 21 (Thur.) 7:45 p.m..  Bible Quizzing Study Night, read Chapters 17-20  ahead of time.
Mar 22 (Fri.) 7-10 p.m. Family Dinner

Jr. Youth (Grades 5-8)
Mar 3 (Sun.) 11 a.m. Chili Fundraiser Lunch
March 20 (Wed.) 5:30-7:30 p.m.. Dinner out at Swiss Chalet. Meet at the church for carpool. Bring $15.

KidsLIFE (Grades 1-5)
March 6 (Wed.), 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. Jobs that Help.

Small Groups
March 7 (Thurs.) 10:00 a.m. – Women’s Bible study group meeting at the church in the Fireplace area. Read chapter  7 of “Let The Light In”. All women are welcome. Contact person – Darlene Gingerich.

Remember in Prayer
AnnaMae and Ken Hofstetter would like to thank God for seeing   AnnaMae through breast surgery on February 16. Remember us in your prayers for healing.      ~AnnaMae & Ken

Congratulations to Leonard Schwartzentruber who is celebrating his 85th birthday today, Sunday, March 3 and Keith Bast who is celebrating his 83rd birthday on Wednesday, March 6.

This week join Mennonite Church Eastern Canada (MCEC) in prayer for  First Mennonite Church in Kitchener, ON.

Community
March 4 (Mon.) 2 – 8 p.m. Blood Donor Clinic at Steinmann Mennonite Church. Appointments are required. To book an appointment call 1-888-236-6283 or https://www.blood.ca/en

March 6 (Wed.) noon Ecumenical Lenten Lunches at Zion United Church 215 Peel St., New Hamburg.

March 9 (Sat.) 7:30 p.m.: Menno Singers present ‘At the Foot of the Cross,’ with cellist Ben Bolt-Martin and Menno Youth Ensemble at Trillium Lutheran Church (22 Willow St., Waterloo). Tickets $25, Child/Student $5 at www.mennosingers.com or at the door.

Mar 21 (Thur.) 7:30 pm (Free Public) Conrad Grebel Bechtel Lecture:  A lot-Driven People: Mennonite Narratives in Age of Nationalism (1870-1945), John P. Eicher grebel.ca/bechtel.

Mar 23 (Sat) 10 a.m. Grebel and UW Open House for prospective students. Visit grebel.ca/events for more information.

March 23 & 24 (Sat. & Sun.) 9 – 5 p.m. Interfaith Counselling Center (ICC) (23B Church St, New Hamburg) is hosting a two-day Hold Me Tight® couple’s workshop. The cost is 500$ per couple. For more information contact ICC at 519-662-3092.

March 23 (Sat.) 7 p.m. Rosebank Church (1434 Huron Rd. Petersburg) presents The Chapelaires in Concert. No admission, free will offering. For more info https://www.rosebankchurch.org/.

April 11, 12 & 13 (Thur. –Sat.) Rockway Mennonite Collegiate’s grades 9-12 students as they take on the world of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson. Tickets are $15 per person and go on sale, March 1 at  rockway.ca/sherlock.

April 24 (Wed.) 9:30 a.m.  –  12 noon MCC presents Active Bystander Training provides participants the opportunity to see themselves as potential Active Bystanders who can intervene when they are witness to abusive, isolating or stigmatizing behaviour. Register at https://bit.ly/495Xdg5.

April 29 at 6 pm New Hamburg Mennonite Relief Sale Promotion Dinner at Calvary United Church, 48 Hawkesville Rd, St. Jacobs.  Tickets online at https://bit.ly/3IbdIMa or contacting Justin Armitage at 519-745-8458 ext. 262.

May 5 (Sun.) The Inter-Mennonite Children’s Choir is looking to run an Adult/Parent Choir for their Spring Concert.  If interested in participating please sign up at  https://forms.gle/qcMWTws19SD6j6Do7 by March 5th. Our first rehearsal is Tues. March 19 from 6:15 – 7:15 at W-K United Mennonite Church.

May 27, (Mon.) Rockway Mennonite Collegiate 29th Annual Golf     Classic. Contact Chris Ainsworth, Director of Advancement, at advancement@rockway.ca to learn more.

Aug. 11 to 23 Ontario Mennonite Music Camp  grades 6-12. Hosted at Conrad Grebel University College in Waterloo. Register by April 12 for early-bird camp fees. uwaterloo.ca/grebel/ommc.

Rockway Mennonite Collegiate is accepting nominations for the Rockway Board of Directors. If you are a champion of Rockway and wish to apply, visit www.rockway.ca and fill out the google form. If you wish to nominate someone else, please email your suggestion at: nominations@rockway.ca