Verse for the week:
Rejoice in Your hope; be patient in tribulation; be constant in prayer.
Romans 12: 12
Worship leader: Walter Dyck
Song Leader & Pianist: Erica Rempel
Welcome and announcements
Call to worship
Prayer
Worship in song
Lighting of the First Advent Candle
Offertory – Ingrid Dyck
Prayer Time
Worship in song
Scripture reading – Jeremiah 33: 14 -16; Luke 21: 25 – 38; Kathy Franz
Message –“Watching & Praying” – Pastor Rudy
Service of Communion
Closing song
Benediction
Prayer & Praise
~Welcome to this first Sunday of Advent in which our focus shifts to the time when the promise of a child was fulfilled and made known to the shepherds by the angel’s message. We rejoice in the reality that a child came to dwell among us. Thank you so much to the decorating committee for all your work in helping us anticipate the season.
~ Congratulations to Kyle & Ally Fehr, on the birth of a son, Benjamin Cosmos, on November 28, 2018. He is a brother to Nathan and a grandson for Jack & Ang Driedger. Blessings to your family as you welcome this newborn into your home and hearts.
~ Wednesday, December 5 marks the date for our 24 hour prayer vigil for Eagles Wings Children’s Village in Uganda. We are also invited to pray for the continued health and well-being of Jim & Anne Peckham.
~ Boys & Girls clubs on Wednesdays, from 7-830pm. A cookie sign- up sheet is in the front foyer. Feel free to message or call Rachelle Loewen with questions 362-8323
~ Welcome back to Jon, Natalie & Peyton Neudorf. We trust that this time of transition will be an opportunity to reconnect with family & friends. May you continue to experience peace about the decisions you have made and will continue to make from here.
~ Continue in prayer for Tenley Falk and family, and Nettie Ginter and family, Tim Wiebe and family as they continue to deal with the challenges of after effects of treatments.
~ Dave Rempel as he continues to recover from knee surgery.
~ Bernie Kehler as he continues to recover from heart surgery.
~ Kelly Fehr as she continues to build up strength and energy.
– Austin Penner, as he rejoins the PASS program in Winnipeg in December
~ The keeping of traditions is important, and all the more so when such traditions bring blessings to those less fortunate. The dressing of the mitten tree provides warm mittens/toques/scarves/socks/slippers for local children in need. Thank you, in advance, for your generosity.
~ Those in various care homes that we remember in our prayers include: Helen Janzen at Bethania Mennonite Personal care home and Jake Rempel at Donwood Personal Care Home.
~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, Andrea Fehr in Hawai’i and Tyler Loewen in Cambodia with MCC
Prayer for the Week:
We are waiting, O God. We know You work wonders; You announce mysteries; You choose the surprising; You startle the unsuspecting; You keep hope, joy and peace alive; You fulfill Your promises. May we not only know, may we also practice believing while we are waiting.
Announcements:
~ Audio services and bulletins are now available at our Church website. The address is http://blumenortchurch.com
~ Please get your announcements in early. Call and leave a message, or email blumenortmc@gmail.com. For any rentals of the church basement or the youth centre, please call Dorothy Hildebrandt at 204-324-4426. Remember to clean up after your event!! Thank you.
~ Thursday, December 6 – Church Council Meeting at 7pm
~ For our deacon elections this year we needed to fill one position for another three year term. Jake & Agatha Falk agreed to a one year term last year. This was to fill a vacancy in the number of deacons as well as to get our rotation for nominations back on track. After prayerful consideration they have agreed to an additional three year term. Thus for this year we will not be needing any further nominations. We thank them for their willingness to serve and would like to have a vote of affirmation for them next Sunday, December 9, 2018.
~ It is good to give to our God the praise that is his. Are you interested in sharing your musical gifts? We are looking for people willing to play offertory & prelude, special music, etc.
There will be a sign up sheet on the bulletin board in the foyer. You can also contact the music committee members-Angela Fehr, Ravae Wiebe, Harley Dyck, Corinne Peters with any questions.
From the Finance Committee
Budget for 2018: $ 375,000.00
Income to November 30, 2018: $ 277, 187.35
Expenses to November 30, 2018: $ 309, 502.53
Deficit: $ 32, 315.18
Thanks for your gifts and continued giving.
Youth
~ BMC Youth is for youth in grades 7-12, and happens Wednesdays from 7:00pm-9:15pm
~ For updates follow us on Social Media:
instagram: @bmcyouthmin
facebook: facebook.com/groups/BMCYouth (Group)
facebook.com/bmcyouthmin (Page)
twitter: @bmcyouthmin
or contact Gerry Giesbrecht @ 204-362-7262
Youth Calendar:
December 5 – Bible Study
December 12 – Bible study
December 19 – Christmas Party – dress up
Community Announcements
~ Ten Thousand Villages Altona is currently looking for volunteers to work in the store, operating the cash register and assisting customers, and one or two volunteers to open and close the store on a rotating basis. If you are interested in volunteering in our store and would like more information or to apply, please contact Sara Wall at the store on Monday or Thursday afternoons, or by email at altona@villages.ca.
~ On December 6th, the fourth annual “Merry Little Christmas show” will be held at the P.W. Enns Centennial Concert Hall. The show will be an evening filled with great musical entertainment from We Who Wander, Ed Wayne, Orlando + Grace, Paul Bergman, Henry Abrams and more! All proceeds will be donated to Central Station in Winkler. Visit www.bowenmusic.org/events to purchase tickets.
~ Faith & Life Male Choir and Women’s Chorus Christmas Concerts, December 16, 2018 at 3 pm at the Altona Bergthaler Mennonite Church. A freewill offering to support the choir ministry will be taken. All are invited.
~ Mennonite Collegiate Institute, Gretna MB, invites applications for the position of Principal commencing August, 2019. For more information or to submit a resume, please email searchteam@mciblues.net. More
Church Calendar
December 9 – Speaker – Gerry Giesbrecht
December 16 – Speaker – Cheryl Pauls – President of Canadian Mennonite University.
December 23 – Sunday school Christmas Program at 10: 30am
December 24 – Candlelight Service at 7: 30pm
December 25 – Christmas Day Worship Service at 10:30 am
December 30 – Sharing Sunday
December anniversaries
None
December Birthdays
1 – Alyssa (Friesen) Fehr
7- Tyson Fehr
8- Betty Ens (Teichroeb), Kenleigh Friesen
11- Sara Ens
12- Ang Fehr
13- Sara Froese, Maury Peters
14 – Josh Driedger, Lauren Fehr
17 – Lindsay Ginter
18 – Kelly McDonald
20 – Mary Fehr
21 – Ray Friesen
22 –Jack Driedger
23- Margaret Dyck, Rudy Franz
24 – Bernie Kehler, Joelle Fehr (Warkentin)
25 – Cliff Peters, Robyn (Fehr) Voth
27 – Natalie (Rempel) Neudorf
28 – Jaime Falk
29 – Helena Falk
31 – Matthew Penner