DANFORTH MENNONITE CHURCH
416-422-2406
Pastor Stephen Reist
We welcome all guests who have joined us.
Danforth Mennonite Church
September 24, 2023 11 a.m.
Order of Service
Welcome & Land Acknowledgement
Call to Worship
Opening Hymn: VT #95 Praise the Lord, Sing Hallelujah
Announcements
Giving thanks for our gifts
Hymn: VT #123 Come. Ye Thankful People Come
Prayers of the people
Hymn: VT #36 Let us Build a House
Scripture Reading: Deuteronomy 16: 13-15
Sermon: What is the harvest you are waiting for?
Hymn of Response: VT #747 We Plow the Fields and Scatter
Benediction
Leading Us in Worship
Message Carol O.
Worship Leader Dalton J.
Song Leader Sue S.
Musicians Jessica M. (piano), Ray W. (tuba)
Greeters Anne R., Vic G.
Zoom Host Bonnie W.
A/V Technician Don B.
September Hymn of the month VT #36 Let Us Build a House
Adult Discussion group – 10:00 a.m.
September
24 Safe Church – Carol O.
October
1 Hymn Sing
8 Justice Discussion – Pastor Stephen
15 TBD
22 Justice Discussion – Pastor Stephen
29 TBD
Call to Worship
One: Let anyone who is thirsty come!
Many: We come to receive the living water.
One: Let anyone who is hungry come!
Many: There is enough food for all.
One: Let anyone who is tired come!
Many: God calls us to a time of holy rest.
One: Let anyone who is grateful come
Many: and join this celebration!
One: Thirsty and hungry, tired and grateful,
All: we come together now in worship.
Scripture Reading
Deuteronomy 16: 13-15 (NRSVUE)
The Festival of Booths Reviewed
13 “You shall keep the Festival of Booths for seven days, when you have gathered in the produce from your threshing floor and your winepress. 14 Rejoice during your festival, you and your sons and your daughters, your male and female slaves, as well as the Levites, the strangers, the orphans, and the widows resident in your towns. 15 Seven days you shall keep the festival to the Lord your God at the place that the Lord will choose, for the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all your undertakings, and you shall surely celebrate.
DANFORTH ANNOUNCEMENTS
Treasurer’s Report: We received $5,920 in donations in August. $8,200 is needed each month to meet our 2023 operating budget. Our deficit is now running at -$3,168 to the end of August.
A $565 expense was approved by council for the purchase of a new Treasurer’s Laptop Computer. This money was taken from our General designated fund.
Email-donations are welcome at
dmmc2174@gmail.com.
Donations can also be made through the Sunday offering plate, by mailed cheques, or by participating in the automatic bank transfer on the 15th of each month. Thank you for your ongoing support for our church and its programs.
I want to say a big thankyou to our volunteers: Ray & Cindy, Dalton & Carol, Roger and Carolyn, Murray, Linda and me (Bonnie) for moving and reorganizing the lower hall storage cabinets. We are making room for the Dismas group’s cabinet.
Our next session is starting Tuesday, October 3rd for 5 weeks.
There will be a short zoom training session for volunteers on September 28
at 11:30 a.m.
If you are interested in helping Carol O., please sign up or contact Bonnie.
Bethany will have Girl Guide cookies for sale on Sunday morning. She will have chocolate mint cookies and the classic chocolate and Vailla sandwich cookies as well in a more limited quantity. The cookies are $6 per box. The cookie sales support programs and activities of both the Sparks (5 & 6 yr old girls) and the Embers (7 & 8 yr old girls) who meet at Danforth on Thursday evenings.
Council is pleased to recommend that we extend Stephen R.'s term as Intentional Interim Pastor through the end of January 2024. You are invited to a brief congregational meeting after worship on Sunday Sept. 24, to deal with questions or comments. We will keep the Zoom session open so everyone can participate. Why extend Stephen's term? One reason is that Council is developing a specific project that Stephen should be able to complete by that time. (Council will provide more details in the near future). Also, as Sue Schultz reported on behalf of the Pastoral Search Task Force, no-one has applied yet to become our new long-term pastor. So extending Stephen's term will provide pastoral continuity over Advent. from Mike D., chair, DMC Council
The Safe Church Committee has recently met and made a few updates to our policy. The Safe Church Policy is available for you to read on our website (CHURCH LIFE tab), or a hard copy can be made available if you would like.
If you have any questions about this policy, feel free to contact any of the committee members.
Pastor Stephen, Anne R., Erma M.
Come and join us for
MESSY CHURCH which is a
FREE FAMILY EVENT
for children 4-12 on
Saturday, September 23
from 5 – 7p.m.
It includes crafts, games, Bible stories, music and dinner. We ask that parents/caregiver accompany their children at this family event.
Ladies Walking Group
will start up October 3. Watch the bulletin each week for our meeting place.
We meet at 10:30 a.m. at a trail or park for an hour walk. If you have a suggestion for a new location, please let Bonnie know so it can be slotted into the schedule.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Parking on Cedarvale Avenue as changed to one-hour parking for weekdays and weekends.
DMC Outreach and Services Committee
is promoting the wearing of a White Poppy this fall. The idea is a project of Conscience Canada. The wearing of a white poppy, which is completely voluntary would begin on Thursday September 21 – International Day of Peace through Monday October 2nd – International Day of Non-Violence and continue to Sunday December 10 – International Human Rights Day. This is not meant to replace the wearing of the red poppy if desired in the weeks leading up to and on Remembrance Day, Saturday November 11.
A message from Conscience Canada states:
Wear a White Poppy – to Remember All War Casualties, to Challenge Everyday Militarism, to Commit to Peace.
Tessa Rose has kindly agreed to make white poppies for us. We hope to have them ready for Sunday September 17.
For more information please
see https://tinyurl.com/38v6af77
and https://tinyurl.com/43jywhen
Worship Schedule reminder
October 1
Speaker Stephen R.
Worship leader Sue S.
Song Leader Sue S.
Musicians Emily L. (piano), Ray W. (tuba)
Greeters Leslie S., Anne R.
ZOOM host Bonnie W.
A/V Tech Roger H.
October 8 – Thanksgiving weekend
Speaker Murray L.
Worship leader Mike D.
Song Leader Kathy W.
Musicians Roger H.(piano), Ray W. (tuba)
Greeters Leslie & Fazal S.
ZOOM host Bonnie W.
A/V Tech Don B.
WIDER CHURCH ANNOUNCEMENTS
MCEC Truth and Reconciliation Working Group – Indigenous Relations
Marking National Day of Truth and Reconciliation /Orange Shirt Day
Jesus said our highest calling is to love God and love our neighbour (Matt 22:35-40). The Christian call to reconciliation is rooted in 2 Corinthians 5:18. Reconciliation is love in action. The practices of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples in Canada of the 21st century are also guided by the 94 Calls to Action of the National Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Read more.
Support Grassy Narrows
A practical act of walking side by side with Indigenous people on the path of reconciliation: join the “Free Grassy Narrows” march on September 27 to demonstrate their demand of the Ontario government that there be no mining and development on their land and that they be consulted because their way of life will be impacted. (https://freegrassy.net/) To join the Truth and Reconciliation Working Group on this march contact Ron Flaming at trwg@mcec.ca.
Willowgrove Reconciliation Announcement – Saturday, Sept. 23 @ 4-5pm Join Willowgrove in their public commitment to Reconciliation. The organization will be unveiling a four-direction mural by Scugog artist, and will be announcing a new policy which provides free land-use to Indigenous communities. To RSVP, please email:
rebecca@willowgrove.ca
Willowgrove Hootenanny – Saturday, Oct. 14 @ 3-8pm Celebrate 55 years of Willowgrove’s mission with live music, BBQ, stories, auctions, and more! All proceeds from this event go towards supporting Willowgrove’s Helping Hand Subsidy Program. For tickets, visit willowgrove.ca/events/hootenanny
Voices Together Resource Day
October 28, 2023, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
Shantz Mennonite Church, Baden, ON.
Come explore the music and resources of the new Voices Together Hymnal with some of the members of the VT Committee and other MCEC musicians. Register at https://mcec.ca/event/22582-2023-10-28-voices-together-resource-day . The day ends with a Voices Together Hymn Sing at 7 p.m. open to the whole community. All are invited to bring your voices.
In summary, upcoming events
At Danforth
September
23 Messy Church
October
3 Healthy Eating
3 Ladies walking group
10 Healthy Eating
10 Ladies walking group
14 Men’s breakfast
17 Healthy Eating
17 Ladies walking group
21 Messy Church
24 Healthy Eating
24 Ladies walking group
31 Healthy Eating
31 Ladies walking group
November
7 Healthy Eating
7 Ladies walking group
11 Men’s breakfast
14 Healthy Eating
14 Ladies walking group
18 Messy Church
21 Healthy Eating
21 Ladies walking group
28 Ladies walking group
December
2 DMC Christmas banquet
12 Healthy Eating
Wider Church
September
23 Willowgrove Welcome Day
23 & 24 Yorkshire Rose Quilt Show
25 MCC Ontario AGM
27 Free Grassy Narrows March
30 National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
October
14 Willowgrove 55th anniversary celebration
14 Danforth Grow Hope tour & dinner
28 Voices Together Resource Day
November
29 ToTB at Hart House