THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE (December 22nd- December 28th, 2014)
Monday:4:00 pm Children’s Christmas Eve dinner & rehearsal
Wednesday:Christmas Eve- OFFICE CLOSED
9:30 am Children’s Dress Rehearsal
7:00 pmChildren’s Christmas Eve Concert
Thursday: Christmas Day- OFFICE CLOSED
10:00 amPick-up Choir Rehearsal
11:00 am Christmas Morning Worship Service
- Message by Pastor Rudy Dirks
Friday:Boxing Day- OFFICE CLOSED
Next Sunday December 28th
8:45 amPraise & Worship Practice
10:00 amGerman Service- Messages by Lani Gade, Udo Woelke &
Ramona Neufeld
10:00 amSunday Morning Youth
11:00 amWorship Service – Message by Pastor Rudy Dirks
Our Nursery volunteers for next week: Matt & Melanie Scott
*For a complete listing of church events, please see our online calendar on our church website.*
NUMC Services & Sermons are available online.
Individual Sermons or Sermon Series are available for purchase, formatted on CD or DVD. Please place your order through the church office.
Church Contacts:
Church Phone: (905) 468-3313 | Website:
Office Administrative Assistant: April Michon
Lead Pastor: Rudy Dirks
Associate Pastor: Youth and Christian Education:
Stephen Cox
Minister of Pastoral Care: Sharon Dirks
Budget $11,275.00
Christian Witness $230.00 / MCC Food $316.00
MCC General $1,415.00
Attendance December 14th, 2014: Worship Service - 227
We give thanks to all our givings this year. With only 2 weeks left, we find ourselves in need of $60,000 to meet our Budget. Please consider giving to this financial need before us by marking your envelope "Budget". Donations can also be made conveniently on line, by debit, by direct bank or internet transfer, and of course by cash or cheque. Thank you.
Live Streaming Privacy Notice – Our church services are live streamed over the internet, capturing the stage and up to the front half of the church in the picture that is transmitted. We encourage all ages to sit towards the front of the church to showcase our lively and active congregation! Thanks for your support.
“Called to be Servants of Christ in Our Community”
Niagara United Mennonite Church
December 21st, 2014
~ Fourth Advent ~
Worship Service – 11:00 a.m.
Gathering Rachael Peters
Call to Worship Linda Friesen
Lighting of fourth Advent candle
Litany
Worship in Song
“Holy Emmanuel” Praise & Worship
“Jesus, what a wonderful child”
“Come thou long expected Jesus”
Congregational Life & Announcements Linda Friesen
Offering Focus- MCC
“Born in Bethlehem” Praise & Worship
Proclamation
Children’s Moment John Tiessen
“Hope was born this night” Praise & Worship
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 40, pew Bible pg 700-702 Beverly Devolin
“The Strength in Waiting” John Tiessen
Silent Reflection
“Holy is His Name”
Silent Reflection
Sending
“They that wait upon the Lord” HWB #584
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German Worship Service – 10:00 am
Andachtsleiter: Gunnar Doerwald – Grusswort: Jesaja 40:1-3
Orgelspiel: Giesela Doerwald
Chorlied: “WelchenJubel, welche Freude!”
Opfergaben Fokus: MCC
Lied: “Fveve dich, Welt” GB #44
Chorlied: “Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen”
Schriftwort:Mattäus 1:18-2:2
Botschaft: “Wo passenwir in die Geschichte” – Joachim Dau
Lied: “Alle Jahrewieder” GB #510
Today’s nursery volunteers: Erica Ferguson & Laurene Nickel
MENNONITE CENTRAL COMMITTEE:
Walking with men and women experiencing homelessness MCC Ontario's Circle of Friends program is excited to announce that we will be expanding our program to support men as well as women transitioning from persistent homelessness to stable housing and are seeking both men and women volunteers. For more info, call 226-339-6898 or visit
Expand the CircleCircles of Support and Accountability is seeking financial donations and new supporters to meet an immediate need due to the end of National Crime Prevention Council funding that we have not been able to replace. More info at mcccanada.ca/stories/expand-circle
OUR COMMUNITY AND BEYOND:
CARE, a local group of concerned parents and community members, is showing the movie, The Polar Express, this afternoon at 1:00 pm at the Shaw Festival Theatre, as a fundraiser towards covering our legal costs related to the Judicial Review to keep Parliament Oak School open.
The Christian Benefit Shop is commemorating their 40th Anniversary with the sale of a cookbook entitled, “40 Years of Thrift.”Available at the shop in St. Catharines and through our Benefit Shops Representative. Cost is $15.00.
Fathers & Kids Retreat: January 16-18th at Silver Lake Mennonite Camp: Skating on the lake, building snowmen and igloos in the field, following animal tracks through the woods, roasting smores over the campfire, playing board games by the fire in the dining hall and just being at camp is loads of fun, but the best part is doing it with dad! For more information and to register visit or call 519-422-3200.
Women’s Retreat: February 27-March 1stat Silver Lake Mennonite Camp. Skating on the lake, relaxing in the sauna, enjoying a massage, snowshoeing, cross country skiing or walking through the woods, stargazing on a horse drawn sleigh ride and savouring exceptional food. For more information and to register visit or call 519-422-3200.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Called to be Servants of Christ in Our Community” expresses our desire to share our faith and love of Jesus Christ with all we meet. We welcome you and hope that your time with us will be enjoyable and enlightening. Families with children are invited to worship together with us in the service. For children 5 yrs old or younger who are not able to sit through the church service, there is a nursery downstairs, or a glassed-in room behind the sanctuary where you may sit with your baby and still follow the service. If you feel a sense of belonging, you are most welcome to be with us. Talk to us about how you can participate.
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Advent 2014:
Why Wait?
Nobody likes to be kept waiting. Whether it’s in a doctor’s office, at a traffic light, for a friend at an agreed upon time and place, or for someone not responding to your text message – waiting arouses feelings of frustration, impatience, anger, and even rejection. That’s why Advent can be so helpful for our everyday life. Because Advent (the four Sundays leading up to, and including, Christmas) is all about waiting – that most dreaded of life experiences.
Advent reminds us that much of life involves waiting, and our relationship with God is no exception. The scriptures are full of stories of waiting; couples waiting for a child, oppressed people waiting for deliverance, a nation waiting for God to act, and God’s people waiting for a promised Messiah. Advent is the season when we remember that before Jesus was born; before Jesus taught and healed; before Jesus died, rose and saved the world; before the fulfillment of all the prophecies – there was a season of waiting.
As we observe this Advent season we want to enter into a season of waiting. We want to be reminded of those who were waiting for the Messiah. And we want to be reminded that waiting itself is not just “putting in time”, but that we can learn to wait. We can learn that the waiting itself has a purpose. We can learn to be open to how God may want to use our seasons of waiting in our own life, to bring us his presence more closely and intimately.
You will notice in our services during this Advent that the sermons will be shortened to give more time for your active participation in singing, silence, and prayers. Each sermon will focus on some aspect of waiting. We hope that by the end of the Advent season you will have a new appreciation for the crucial role that waiting plays in your life. We invite you to embrace this opportunity to learn from the Spirit what God wants to do in your life in your season of waiting.
1st Advent, Nov 30th, 10:45What Are You Waiting For?(Communion)Romans 8:18-27
2nd Advent, Dec 7thThe Spirituality of Waiting
James 5:7-8, Lamentations 3:21-26
3rd Advent, Dec 14thThe Helplessness of Waiting
Ps 33:20
4th Advent, Dec 21stThe Strength in Waiting
Isaiah 40:31
Christmas Day, Dec 25thThe Fulfillment of Waiting
Galatians 4:4
JOYS & CONCERNS:
Victor Dyck, son of Maria Dyck and brother to Hannelore Krugel and Erika Dyck passed away on December 18. His wife Christine passed away earlier this year. Our prayers are with the family including his daughter Suzanne.
This Christmas week we want to rejoice with those who are experiencing good health and restored well-being! However, there are many in our congregation who are not able to celebrate Christ's birth as they once did. Please pray for those who are in the hospital as well. Frieda Braun is still in Shaver Hospital, while Esther Wright has returned home. Erna Delesky, Betty Friesen and Anne Woelke are receiving treatments for cancer, while Annie Pankratz will be starting therapy in the new year.
Pray for Elizabeth Koehn, Nettie Goerz, Juliana Neuhof, Anna Neustaedter, Victor Braun and Anna Toews at Heritage Place. Also, Eleanor Suckau, Carl Neumann and Fran Longnecker at Upper Canada Lodge; Henry Heidebrecht at Albright Manor; and Helene Nickel and Harald Schmidt at Heidehof. There are several others who are in transition or who are suffering in ways we don't know. As we are reminded of them, keep them in your prayers as well.
Let's also pray for the bereaved among us. This is a difficult time of year for those who have lost or are in the process of losing a loved one. God knows their needs, and we bless them with our prayers and gentle, loving concern. May the hope of the newborn Jesus bring his shalom to all of us.
A Heartful Thank you from Anne Pankratz and family, who want to express how grateful they are to our church family and the healing hand of God. We appreciate your prayers, cards, flowers, hospital visits, meals, words of encouragement and ongoing support. Anne is now at home and is looking towards ongoing outpatient rehab in 2015. Merry Christmas and Blessings for the New Year.
VOLUNTEER REQUIRED:
ARCHIVIST NEEDED:
An Archivist is: A person who keep records that have enduring value as reliable memories of the past, and they help people find and understand the information they need in those records.
WHO could do this job? Someone interested in preserving our church memories and history.If interested in doing this much needed job please call George Pauls 905-7221 or Linda Pankratz 905-935-7152.
WITHIN NIAGARA UM CHURCH:
Christmas Carol song sheets have been made available to us by the Mennonite Savings and Credit Union. Please feel welcome to help yourself to these beautiful resources, and take them home to enjoy with your family. They can be found free of charge at the Welcome Centre.
CANDLELIGHT SERVICES - The choirs of Bethany Mennonite and Niagara U.M. churches join together again this year to share Christmas music with you. The first performance was last night at Bethany, and the second will be held tonight, here at Niagara U.M. Church beginning at 6:45 pm with the Bell Choir prelude. Refreshments will follow the program. Please join us for a wonderful time of praise in song!
Everyone is invited to a time of fellowship next Sunday after the Candlelight Service in the gym. If you could, please bring a dozen squares or Christmas cookies to share.
Holiday Hours Our church office will be closed from Wed. Dec. 24th- Sun. Dec 28thinclusive. All submissions, including the order of service for the Sunday December 28th bulletin are due in to the office by tomorrow-Monday, December 22nd at 12:00 noon.
Our Christmas Day service begins at 11:00 am. There is a pick-up choir available to anyone interested in participating. Please be at the church, ready for practice at 10:00 am Christmas morning.
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Workshop will be held on Saturday, January 10th from 8:30 am – 2:00 pm, with lunch included. Please sign-up in the office by Tues. Jan. 6th to participate in this event. A questionnaire must be completed before participating in this event, with resulted sent in to April. Please speak with her regarding any questions.
Anne Pankratz begins out-patient care in the new year on January 6th. Her care will include two three hour visits (9 am – 12 noon) per week for 7 weeks. During this time, we are asking if anyone is willing and able to help her out with drives to and from these appointments. If interested, or for further information, please connect with Anne at (905) 688-5767.
Have you been baptized? Beginning January 25th, baptism classes will be held on Sunday mornings at 10:00 am in the boardroom. These classes will focus on what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, and to prepare for baptism. The class is open to anyone who has made a commitment to follow Jesus, or who wishes to do so, and who wants to take the next step of obedience to Christ in baptism. If you are interested please call the office at 905-468-3313 or email
Who turned out the lights?A friendly reminder to everyone- please make sure to turn lights out behind you when you leave a room. Also, if you are the last one leaving the building, please take a moment to scan the church and ensure that we are conserving electricity wherever possible. If you are shutting everything down on your way out, please make sure you are the last one to leave so that we don’t leave anyone here in complete darkness! Thanks for your attention to this.
Sermon Notes: ______