Easter Sunday, April 16, 2017
Verse of the Week:
Jesus said to her (Martha), “I am the Resurrection and the Life, those who believe in Me, though they die, yet shall they live, and whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to Him, “Yes Lord; I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.
John 11: 25-27
Worship leader: Rudy Franz
Song Leader: Jake Friesen
Pianist: Kirsten Friesen
Organist: Vi Fehr
Welcome & announcements
Call to worship
Prayer
Worship in Song
Offertory –
Prayer Time
Children’s story – Gerry Giesbrecht
Easter Monologue – Esther Zacharias
Worship in Song
Scripture Reading – Matthew 28: 1 – 10, Caroline Ens
Message – He has been Raised – Pastor Rudy
Closing Song
Benediction
Prayer & Praise
~ Welcome to our Easter Sunday Worship Service. We come to celebrate the reality of the empty tomb and how the risen Christ is able to break down the barriers which inhibit new life in Him. Thanks be to God for the possibility of fresh starts, new beginnings, life abundant, and eternal life.
~ Tenley Falk has received good news regarding the recent MRI which showed no change from the results of a previous test. She is able to keep going with her regular treatment schedule. We give thanks to God for this good news. Updates can be found at: http://www.tenleysjourney.wordpress.com
~ Samara Thiessen, great granddaughter of Elma Kehler, has experienced difficulty breathing and is now on a ventilator. This will help her immune system enable her lungs to recover. So far the bone marrow transplant appears to be working. The family is grateful for wise and caring medical staff, for research which continues to guide the treatment and for God’s infinite wisdom in the bigger picture.
~ Congratulations to Joshua Driedger on the occasion of your graduation from CMU’s Outtatown Discipleship Program which took place last Sunday, April 9. We want to wish you God’s blessing and guidance as you make the transition from the school to life outside of that context. May you sense God’s nearness and direction as you continue to seek His will for your life.
~ Those in various care homes that we remember in our prayers include: Trudy Harms, Helen Janzen, and Jake Rempel.
~We continue to offer our prayer support for Laure and her family, as well as for the Paroisse Missionaire Congregation in Kinshasa, DR Congo; Ryan Thiessen in San Carlos, Mexico; Murray and Carol Honsberger in Papua New Guinea, Eagles Wings Children’s Village in Uganda, Jon & Natalie Neudorf in Chiang Mai, Thailand working with YWAM, Andrea Fehr with YWAM in Hawai’i,
Prayer for the Week:
On this Easter Sunday morning we acknowledge You as the Companion of the lonely, Binder of wounds, Seek of lost souls, Friend of the poor, Source of all that is, Forgiver of sins, Voice of the voiceless, Counsellor of the confused, Shelter from the storm, Creator of Heaven and Earth, Defeater of death, Provider of life and hope. We come to worship and adore the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Amen.
Announcements:
[ Paste announcements here that don’t fit under “Youth”, “Church”, or “Community” headings. ]Youth
~ Go to http://blumenortchurch.com/calendar/church-calendar/ for updates regarding youth events. For the most recent updates, check out the groups on Facebook named “BMC Youth”, and “BMC Jr Youth” or contact Gerry Giesbrecht @ 204-362-7262
Junior Youth (Mondays 7pm-9pm):
April 17 – no Youth (Lasertag on Friday)
April 21 – Friday – Lasertag ($20) Drop off: 6:45 pm
Pick up: Between 9:30 & 10 pm
May 1 – Guy/Girl split night
Senior Youth (Wednesdays 7pm-9:30pm):
April 19 – Small Group night
April 26 – Testimony night
Church
~ Audio services and bulletins are now available at our Church website. We are working at streamlining this, and keeping it current. Please be patient with us as we continue to update our web presence. Go to http://blumenortchurch.com to see what’s new online.
~ The updated pictorial directories are available for $10 per copy. See Hedy Falk if you’d like to pick one up or stop in at the library and Judy Dyck or Sue Peters will be able to sell you one.
~ Please note that the mailboxes have a new order to them…yours may have been moved!!
~ We are looking for more people to help out with our audio visuals. There are openings in each department. If you are able and interested, check with the nominations committee: Joyce Hildebrandt, Charlotte Klassen, or Armin Ens. We would welcome you to come on board and fill these vacancies.
Community
~ South Park MB Church in Altona extends an invitation to attend a seminar on Saturday, April 22 from 9 am to 12:30 pm on the topic of “Sexuality and Identity: Gaining understanding and Hope”.
Session 1: God’s intention for Sexuality & Cultural breakdown
Session 2: Identity and Development: the heart of the matter.
Session 3: Ministry and relationship with people struggling in their sexuality and identity.
Free admission
~ Women Encountering Jesus – Saturday, April 29, 2017 from 9am to 4:30pm. You are invited by Mennonite Women Manitoba to come spend a day together at the Bethel Mennonite church in Winnipeg, exploring stories of women’s encounters with Jesus, then & now. Our day will include: worship, engagement with a variety of spiritual practices, storytelling, lunch and introduction to resources for the journey. Resource person is Spiritual Director Laura Funk. Register online at: www.mennochurch.mb.ca or call 204-896-1616 and ask for Kathy Giesbrecht. Registration is $ 50.00
~ Mennonite Church Manitoba is accepting applications for the position of Resident Manager at Camp Moose Lake. This is a 4 month term position (1.0 fte) from May 1 – Aug 31. The Manager is directly responsible for the management of Camp Moose Lake, overseeing all aspects of its operation including facilities and the guest group rental program. Please send inquiries to Dorothy Fontaine 204-896-1616 ext. 256 or dfontaine@mennochurch.mb.ca. A detailed job description can be found at www.campswithmeaning.org.news
~ Eden Foundation invites us to a choral concert featuring the Winkler Community Male Choir with conductor Ray Giesbrecht, and the Prairie Singers, with conductor Loretta Thorleifson, on Sunday, April 9, 2017 at 7 pm at the Emmanuel Mennonite Church in Winkler. Rush seating. Donations will be accepted for Eden’s mental health recovery programs.
~ The annual Manitoba MDS Awareness & Fundraising Events are approaching. Come hear MDS stories from 2016 projects and plans for 2017 – especially, Fort McMurray. Please attend the Altona area event (Details to follow shortly) on APRIL 22nd. See the poster for details. Reserve your complimentary attendance by calling MDS at 1-866-261-1274.
For those churches that, due to distance, are unable to attend either of these events we invite you to join us in prayer for the work of MDS and the Manitoba Unit.
Thank you for your continued support of Mennonite Disaster Service
Church Calendar
April 23 – Pastor Rudy John 20: 19-31
April 30 – Harley Dyck 1 Kings 18
May 7 – Rudy Franz
May 14 – songs of Praise