Fourth Sunday of Lent
March 26, 2017
Verse of the Week:
For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4: 12
Worship leader: Kathy Franz
Song Leader: Kendra Fehr
Pianist: Kirsten Friesen
Welcome & announcements
Call to worship
Prayer
Worship in Song
Offertory – Kirsten Friesen & Kristina Zacharias
Prayer Time
Children’s story – Sara Wall
Worship in Song
Scripture Reading – Ephesians 6: 17
Message – The Sword of the Spirit –Gerry Giesbrecht
Closing Song
Benediction
Prayer & Praise
~ Congratulations and God’s blessings to Tyler & Heather Falk on the birth of Levi David, on March 20, 2017. He is a brother to Jakob & Jeffrey. Proud grandparents are Larry & Helena Falk. We want to wish you well as you assume the responsibility of parenting and grand-parenting this gift of God, entrusted to your care.
~ We continue to offer our prayer support for Tenley Falk and her family as she carries on with her regular treatment schedule. We continue to trust that God will provide what is needed for each day. Updates can be found at: http://www.tenleysjourney.wordpress.com
~ There is no further update available from Mennonite Church Canada regarding Michael J Sharp, a Mennonite peace worker, formerly with Mennonite Church Canada’s ministry partner Mennonite Mission Network and Mennonite Central Committee, who was kidnapped in the Democratic Republic of Congo, on March 12, 2017, along with his United Nations colleague and four Congolese Nationals. We pray for a peaceful resolution, for safety for all those involved.
~ During spring break Nick Driedger, Caleb Rempel, Shania Ginter and Jesse Miller are involved with SOAR Heartland in Winnipeg, together with a number of other MCI Students and staff. Our prayers on their behalf are appreciated, as there are many demands on their time and energy.
Let us also remember Lauren Fehr, Josh Dyck & Marilyn Dyck, who joined a group of fellow MCI Students, staff & parent volunteers for a spring break trip to Italy
~ Those in various care homes that we remember in our prayers include: 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, Andrea Fehr with YWAM in Hawai’i, Kendra Fehr studying with YWAM in San Diego, CA
Prayer for the Week:
Lord God, You feed us with the Living Bread from Heaven; You renew our faith, increase our hope, and strengthen our love. Teach us to hunger for Christ who is the True and Living Bread, and to live by every Word that comes from Your mouth through Jesus the Christ, our Lord. 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 Gerry Giesbrecht @ 204-362-7262
Junior Youth (Mondays 7pm-9pm):
March 27 – No Youth Spring Break
Senior Youth (Wednesdays 7pm-9:30pm):
March 29 – No Youth – Spring Break
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!!
~ Rudy Franz is leading worship this morning at Eden & Salem in Winkler.
~ Wednesday, March 29 – Ministers meeting at Esther Zacharias’ place at 7 pm
~ 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.
~ From the Finance Committee:
Income to March 24, 2017 – $ 75,365.60
Expenses to March 24, 2017 – $ 103, 963.82
Shortfall – $ 28,598.22
Thank you for your continued giving.
Community
~ 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 either the Arborg area supper at the Morweena E.M Church on APRIL 8th; or 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
~ Mennonite Collegiate Institute Celebrates 50 Years of Musicals! Join us for our Fundraising Gala Concert and Reception, featuring musicals from the past 50 years, on April 8th at 7:30pm in Buhler Hall, Gretna, MB. To reserve a seat for the show, call MCI at 204-327-5891. Opportunity for donations will be available at the concert.
~ Camps with Meaning camper registration is now open for all three locations! For details visit www.campswithmeaning.org
~ Camps with Meaning staff and volunteer applications are now available at www.campswithmeaning.org/summer/camp-staff
~ Salem Foundation presents “Faspa, Fellowship and Song” Sunday, April 2, 2017 at the Winkler Bergthaler Mennonite Church. Program begins at 3:30 pm Faspa is at 4:30 pm. Freewill offering for Bathing Room upgrades. Featured will be the quartet “Glorybound”.
~ We are invited to the Gideon Banquet on Thursday, April 4 at 6:30pm in the Altona EMMC. Tickets are available from Werner & Marlene Ens or Garry & Karla Fehr and are complimentary.
~ 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.
~Emmaus House in Winnipeg is accepting applications for students looking for accommodation for the summer or the 2017/18 academic year. Check us out at www.emmaushousewinnipeg.ca
~ Women Encountering Jesus – Saturday, April 29, 2017 from 9 am to 4:30 pm. 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
~ The Future Directions Proposal outlining the re-vitalization of Mennonite Church Canada and Area Churches has been posted at http://futuredirectionsmc.ca/the-proposal
Church Calendar
April 2 – Ephesians 6: 18 – 20, Pastor Rudy
April 9 – Palm Sunday – Esther Zacharias
April 14 – Good Friday & Communion at 10:30am
April 16 – Easter Sunday – Pastor Rudy