Due to Social Distancing, this week’s service will be held online on Zoom

 

Gathering

Welcome

Call to worship/prayer

Song

      What a friend we have in Jesus   # 574

Announcements

 

Hearing the word

Children’s Story – Donna Yost

Scripture - John 14:1-14

Message  “Flummoxed”  Susan Janzen

 

Responding to the word

Time of response/offering

Sharing and prayer

Hymn response

     They that wait upon the Lord   # 584

Theme Verse – Isaiah 40:31

Dismissal to Sunday school

 

Verse for 2020

But those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.         Isaiah 40:31  NRSV

Mais ceux qui se confient en l’Éternel renouvellent leur force. Ils prennent le vol comme les aigles; Ils courent, et ne se lassent point, Ils marchent, et ne se fatiguent point.     Ésaïe 40:31     LS1910

               

Servers

Pastor - Dave Nickel

Worship Leader - Caleb Thiessen

Music Leader - Julie/Jeremy/Rachel/Laura

Next Children’s Story - Donna Yost

             

Calendar

Thursday - Virtual Shop Hours

             

Sunday School

Library - Adult Class – Uniform Series

Room # 1 - Adult Class – The Bible Unwrapped

Room # 6 - Adult Class – Uniform Series – Take 2

Nursery - Pre-K – Grade 1

Room # 8 - Grades 2-5

High School Room - Grades 6-12

             

Record for May 3

98 - Virtual Attendance

 

Theme

John includes a series of hard questions the disciples and other pose to Jesus. When he says (in chapter 14) that he’s going to prepare a place for them, they wonder how they’ll know the way when they don’t even know where he’s going. We have similar questions today, especially in relation to life in this time of pandemic. There is no easy way through this crisis, yet when we look to Jesus the way becomes clear.

 

Announcements

Sunday we will have Sunday school both before and after worship on Zoom. The meeting will be "open" from 9:15a-12:30p. Meet with your class and come for fellowship other times as well:-) Worship will begin at 10:30a, and Susan Janzen will have the message from John 14:1-14. Here's a bit of Susan's bio:

Susan Janzen began serving Central Plains as Conference Minister for Ministerial Leadership last August. She came to this role from 20 years in congregational ministry in Central Plains, first at New Hope Mennonite Church in Omaha (which closed in 2003) and then for 15 years at Cedar Falls Mennonite Church in northeast Iowa. When she's not sheltering at home in Tiffin (just outside Iowa City) with her cat, Maxine, she commutes through farm fields and the Amish community to the ministry staff office in Kalona.

 

Next Sunday we will read Acts 18:1-4 and, more than likely kick off a series on 1 Corinthians... unless we take another look at our theme verse. It will be a closer to game time decision.

 

Sunday school materials and other materials for yourself/family are available electronically at www.ShineCurriculum.com/ShineAtHome for kids of here.

 

As Tim said Sunday, we are further developing a sharing fund with funds from less traditional sources: we want to assist our members as well as those more loosely connected who are struggling with financial hardship. Please speak with someone on leadership board. We will work to maintain the confidentiality of requests.

 

Please continue to be prayerful in thinking about virtual and physical worship: we will probably continue Zoom-only Sunday school and worship for at least the rest of May.  Please be talking with one another as well as elders and leadership board members as we are beginning to brainstorm what practices might be safe and practical in coming weeks and months.  We need to discuss this together openly and honestly as we long to be together and safe.

 

Please be thinking about how you would like to serve at FMC for the new year and consider nominating someone else for a position. Contact Julie, Brett, or Becky to volunteer yourself or nominate someone.

 

The treasurer is collecting weekly offering during this time away from regular in person worship services.  Any questions should be directed to Brett.

 

Please continue to be extra intentional in connecting in order to fight social isolation: let's love our neighbors around the area and world. With the nice weather, reach out and gather while keeping safe outdoors with physical distance. Bikes and lawn chairs, I'm just saying.

 

The elders and I would love to chat with you and/or pray with you.  Please connect with Anita, Rick, Sheri, or me if you'd appreciate this.

 

The shop will continue to be warm for shop hours Thursdays from 3-8 (though we usually take a supper break around 6p). We are meeting virtually on Zoom.  Stop by to chat if you'd like.

 

CONFERENCE PRAYER REQUEST -  Pray for the Board of Central Plains Mennonite Conference. We pray for wisdom and courage as they discern the best ways for Conference to continue supporting and encouraging and resourcing each local congregation for ministry.