Verse of the Week:
Be watchful, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong.
1 Corinthians 16:13
Worship leader: Rudy Franz
Song Leader& Pianist: Gerry Giesbrecht
Welcome & announcements
Call to worship
Prayer
Worship in Song
Offertory
Prayer Time
Children’s Story – Robynn Friesen
Installation of Deacons
Worship in Song
Scripture Reading – Ephesians 6:10-20
Message – Be Strong in the Lord – Walter Dyck
Closing Song
Benediction
Prayer & Praise
~ We are grateful to Abe and Viola Fehr and Garry and Karla Fehr for accepting to serve as deacons for a three year term. We appreciate your willingness to fill these positions, in this significant ministry within our congregation. May you know God’s nearness and guidance as you serve in this way.
~ We are also grateful that Tenley Falk has been able to be at home and out of isolation at the hospital. The family is waiting to see if she will be healthy enough to continue her chemotherapy sessions. This comes with its own sense of challenges, yet we continue to trust in our God, the God of our past, present, and future. Updates can be found at: http://www.tenleysjourney.wordpress.com
~ Terrell and Janna Wiebe have been working as co-pastors of the Gretna Church since last summer. Terrell recently underwent surgery for cancer. During the surgery the doctor noticed another cancerous mass on his back. They are now waiting to hear from Cancer Care about further treatment options. The family and congregation would value our prayers on their behalf.
~ Those in various care homes that we remember in our prayers include: Susan Janzen, Trudy Harms, Helen Fehr, 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, Kendra Fehr studying with YWAM in San Diego, CA, Andrea Fehr with YWAM in Hawai’i (leading an outreach team to Uganda), Nettie Dyck working with School of the Kingdom (leading outreach in Houston, Texas)
Prayer for the Week:
Dear Lord, we gladly and without reservation assert that you are the one who gives life, you are the one who hears our prayers; you are the one who has kept us since birth, who stands by us in our failure and shame, who moves against our anxiety to make us free. You are the one who does not hide your face when we call. So we praise you, we worship you and adore you. As an act of praise we submit more and more of our own life to you. As an act of praise we notice your poor and pledge our energy on their behalf. We submit to you those who struggle with their health and those who grieve the loss of loved ones. As an act of praise we claim you as our Lord and Savior, today and always. Amen.
Announcements:
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 Youth Pastor Gerry Giesbrecht @ 204-362-7262
Junior Youth (Mondays 7pm-9pm):
February 13 – Minute to Win it
February 20 – No Youth – Family Day.
Senior Youth (Wednesdays 7pm-9:30pm):
February 17 – |FRIDAY| Bowling and DQ – Bring $10 and a friend. Drop-off: 6:50pm | Pick-up: Between 9:45pm and 10pm
February 22 – Media. Faith. Culture talk for Youth and Parents – Brett Ulman. Victory Family Church in Altona @ 7pm. Youth and parents of youth are invited to attend. Drop-off: 6:30pm | Pick-up: Between 9:30pm and 10pm.
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.
~ We are looking to see if the Church Council meeting scheduled for this coming Tuesday, February 14 can be postponed until the following Tuesday, February 21 at 7:30pm. Marlin will be in touch with us to see if this would be workable.
~ The Education Committee will be meeting Monday, February 13th @ 7:30pm.
~ John and Hedy Falk expect to return this coming Saturday, February 18. If you have any announcements for the bulletin please check with Gerry or Rudy. Also, Pictorial directories will be available on February 19th, when Hedy is back. $10 per copy.
~ The Library is selling duplicate and older copies of books before and after the worship service today for $0.25 a book. Check with Sue Peters and Judy Dyck if you’re interested in those.
~ If you are interested in attending Catechism (membership) classes, it is not too late to check with Rudy. We will be discussing what we believe and how that is important for our ongoing journey of faith.
~ As we kick off our series on “The Armor of God,” the ministerial would like to invite you to join with us in memorizing Ephesians 6: 10 – 20.
Community
~ Mennonite Collegiate Institute presents the musical production “Seussical” March 9, 10 & 11. Show times at 7:30pm with a Saturday matinee at 2:00pm. If you are a student in Grade 5-11, you may be eligible for a free ticket! To purchase tickets visit our website at www.mciblues.net or to inquire about a free ticket call us at (204)327-5891.
~ Rosemary Siemens in concert with Ray St. Germain, March 18, 7 pm in Buhler Hall hosted by Mennonite Collegiate Institute. Visit www.mciblues.net to purchase your ticket or call MCI at (204)327-5891.
~ Camps with Meaning is looking for a volunteer nurse for the ADV Winter Retreat at Camp Assiniboia February 20-22. If you or someone you know can help in any way please call 896-1616 ext. 254 or email sklassenkoop@mennochurch.mb.ca
~ Camps with Meaning camper registration is now open for all three locations! For details visit www.campswithmeaning.org
~ Save the date! The Camps with Meaning “Raise the Roof” Song-a-thon will be March 18th from 1-9 PM!
~ Camps with Meaning staff and volunteer applications are now available at www.campswithmeaning.org/summer/camp-staff
~ Justice and peace in Palestine and Israel: a gathering in follow-up to Mennonite Church Canada’s resolution on Palestine and Israel, passed in July. If you are interested in moving the resolution forward or want to know more about what the resolution means for our churches, please join us for: a) fellowship around Palestinian snacks; b) updates from the national working group assigned to the resolution; c) information on MCC’s advocacy on Palestine and Israel; d) discussion about avenues for awareness and action in our congregations. Wednesday, February 15, 7:00-8:30 p.m., Home Street Mennonite Church, 318 Home Street. For more information call Carolyn Epp-Fransen (204 488-6354) or Byron Rempel-Burkholder (204 831-5207).
~ Mennonite Church Manitoba gathering will be happening at Emmanuel Mennonite Church in Winkler over March 3,4. March 3rd will have worship and March 4th will have business.
Church Calendar
February 19 – Belt of Truth – Ephesians 6:14a | Pastor Rudy
February 26 – Breastplate of Righteousness – Ephesians 6:14b | Youth Led Service
Memory Passage
Ephesians 6: 10 – 20 NIV
10. Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.
11. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
12. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
14. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15. And with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
16. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
18. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
19. Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,
20. for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.