Caribbean Christmas This Saturday....its not too late to attend.

Tickets will be available at the door for the Caribbean Christmas Party with its feast of

turkey and oxtail dinners along with all the fixings. After a hiatus of a few years, the in-person Caribbean Christmas Party is back on the calendar when Mrs. Bell and her crew cook up a storm  Wonderful food along with fun  and music and singing will be on offer on November 19.  The doors will be open at 5:45. Festivities  will begin at 6:00 pm. Tickets are $45 and will be available at the door.

Pick Up Dinner Also Available 
A pick up dinner will also be available for those of you who are not able to attend. You can choose from  a turkey, oxtail or vegetarian dinner. (Vegetarian dinner will probably be Portobello Mushrooms although that is not firm yet.) Turkey and Portobello dinner will come with mashed potatoes, Oxtail will include rice. All options include cooked vegetables, corn bread salad and dessert. Cost is $40. 

Please Note that Pick up time is between 4:00 and 5:15 pm. 

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Advent is coming

It is nearly Advent, it starts Sun Nov 27 and at Mount Zion we will be celebrating the season with Holden Evening Prayer Wednesday nights starting Nov. 30 and continuing on Dec 7, 14 & 21.

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Musical notes from Sarah

This Sunday we will observe the Reign of Christ with a lively setting of the hymn "You Are Holy" with instrumental accompaniment by Glen Soulis.

We are looking forward to participating in a service of Advent Lessons and Carols on November 27 at 7:30 pm at St. Matthew's with their choir along with Joyce Knarr's choir from St. John's Roman Catholic church. I would encourage everyone to attend this event. There will lots of lovely Advent music, a fine way to get yourself into the spirit of preparation and expectation for Christmas.

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Advent Carol Service - November 27, 7 pm at St Matthews

Mount Zion’s choir  will be participating in an Advent Carol Service hosted by St Matthews,  Kitchener. They will be joining singers from St John’s Roman Catholic,  St. Matthews Sanctuary Choir and Celebration Bells in a service of readings, anthems and hymns for Advent. "A Star from Jacob Comes Forth" is our theme: Christ the Morning Star who comes to bring hope and salvation.

Parking is available in the Duke Street garage across from the church for free on Sundays. Freewill offering. Reception to follow the service. Sunday, November 27, 2022 at 7 pm.

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Christmas Poinsettias

White Poinsettias will be ordered again this year to enhance our chancel for our Christmas Services.  If you would like to participate there is a signup sheet in the narthex or you may call Margaret in the church office at 519-886-5820 or email her at mtzion@mzlc.ca.  Your poinsettia plant can be picked up immediately after the Christmas Day service.

The cost of the poinsettias is $13.00 for the 6-inch pots and $34.00 for the 10 inch pots.  12/ 16

 

Office Memos

Pastor Philip will have limited availability next week as he works at home while Joy is recovering from surgery.

Margaret will be on holidays from November 21 to November 25.  Volunteers are covering for her Tuesday to Friday from 9 am to 12.

Changes to picture phone directory

We are doing our best to keep you informed about any changes to members’ contact information. Please note this change in your directory  for Ross and Jane Schlegel - Email: ross_jane@rogers.com and remove 519 638 8960. It is a good time to remind to get in touch with the office if you make changes to your contact information. It is particularly important at this time of year, as it will be soon time to send your donation receipts.

Also if you have not picked up your copy of the new directory, they are available in the office To help defray printing costs we are charging $10 for the directories.

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Mount Zion Cafe is Back! Nov 23 & Dec 14

The Mount Zion Café continues to offer coffee and goodies on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month. Please join us on Nov. 23. Coffee is on at 10 a.m.

Also on Wednesday December 14th from 10 AM to noon, we invite you to join us at the Café for our Christmas Celebration.  Coffee and Christmas goodies will be there for you. In addition, we will be serving homemade soups (made by your church members) along with delicious bread made by Dennis Eaton. We hope you will join us.

This winter we are offering transportation for those who cannot otherwise come to the church. If you would like a ride to the Café, please call Margaret at the church office.  Margaret will order a taxi for you (prepaid by the café). Please call Margaret by Tuesday morning before noon.

In the new year, we will be offering optional walking to music exercise in the auditorium for those who wish a little exercise in the morning, as well as special events from time to time.   Please consider joining us for a good social time.  Your Health Council.

 

Update on Coalition of the Willing Family Sponsorship Initiative — from the Justice Through Service Committee

We are pleased to report that there seems to be a good possibility of more churches joining the coalition to try to bring to Canada two connected families from Liberia. We would be happy to provide further information on request.  If you are in a position to contribute to this new cause, we'd be grateful for donations, small or large. A big thank you to those who have contributed so far —   since the project was first announced, over $5,000 has been donated or pledged by Mount Zion members.  We are hoping it might be possible to get to $10,000 by the end of the year.  Mary Thompson 

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An opportunity to let Ontario Government know how you feel about Bill 23.

At a recent Justice Through Service Meeting, we talked about the new omnibus bill that the Provincial Government tabled on October 25, Bill 23.  Our fear is that, if passed as-is, this bill will have enormously negative effects on the future of affordability, livability, and sustainability in our cities and our province, at a time when we are already confronting the impacts of climate change.  We agreed we would like to share these concerns and encourage the congregation to write to the government about this issue by printing a letter from Femmy Birks, a member of the Faith Climate Justice letter-writing group in our next Mount Zion newsletter with hopes that you will sign and send and distribute to others..

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Mindfulness Meditation Practice Nov 22

Everyone is welcome to attend our Mindful Meditation group every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month. Meet upstairs. Tues. Nov. 22, 1.30 pm

Wear a mask and be fully vaccinated (preferential) and be frangrance free. Be prepared to maintain a two-meter separation. It is suggested to wear comfortable clothes and bring a pillow, mat, or blanket and water. Open to all. No charge and no previous experience necessary.  Just come.  Call Henriette Stumper  519.885.3434 for more details.

Upcoming meetings:

2022  Tues  Dec 27, 1.30 pm, upstairs  12/16

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An Invitation to take part of 2023 Spring Tai Chi training courses at Mount Zion

The WCCA Tai Chi club which meets in our auditorium has invited anyone interested to be a part of their classes.  It was founded in 2016 by several local residents passionate about Tai Chi exercise and education and has provided Tai Chi training courses to the community since then. To better serve the community is one of their major club missions. More information about the club, times, dates and levels are included here.  

 

In Our Prayers

In our prayers let us hold up Joy and Philip as Joy recovers from surgery, Ladona, and family as they mourn the loss of Ed Riegert who died October 24, Dianne, Sandra, Jim, Julian, George, Betty, Marjorie, Rosalie, James, Thelma, Helen, Gladys and Don and Jean and their daughter Tai.

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Please keep Kata Kuhnert in your prayers as she attends the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) meetings here in Sharm El-Sheikh Egypt.  She writes on her Facebook account  that this is the implementation COP to focus on delivering on climate commitments. This is an African COP which intentionally will centre on the needs of African countries and communities. 

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The Mitten Tree

Help Others Stay Warm!

Mount Zion, in arrangement with the Anishnabeg Outreach Centre, is collecting donations of hand-made, purchased or gently used items to decorate our Holiday Mitten Tree. Warm items, for all ages, such as gloves, mittens, toques, hats, scarves, socks, slippers, are needed.  Even warm winter coats will be accepted.
Donations to decorate The Mitten Tree are now being accepted until December 11th. These items will then be delivered to the Anishnabeg Outreach Centre for distribution, to those in need, throughout the Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph and Cambridge area.
If you have any questions, please contact: Joan Schweitzer, 519-886-5977

Mount Zion Kitchen

On the Menu

• Nov. 24 – Chicken stew, salad, roll; Vegetarian stew  $15
• Dec. 1 – Italian pasta with Fagole;(beef) Vegetarian Minestrone Soup+ salad + roll
• Jan. 12– Lentils and ham Soup + salad + roll; Vegetarian Coconut Split Pea Soup

Also Christine reminds us that she has set aside a few servings of soup and entrees in the freezer that are available for anyone who needs some assistance in making meals for themselves. Please reach out to her if some meals would be helpful to you.

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ShuffleBoard every Wednesday night

It’s baaaack!  Shuffleboarders meet Wednesday nights, starting at 7pm in the auditorium. Everyone is welcome to attend. Experience is not necessary.  If you need more details, please call Vi Rank at 519-584-0011.

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Upcoming Lessons

Sun. Nov. 20 — Christ the King Sunday / Last Sunday after Pentecost 

Jeremiah 23:1-6

Psalm 46 (10)

Colossians 1:11-20

Luke 23:33-43 

Sunday Nov 27 - First Sunday of Advent 

Isaiah 2:1-5

Psalm 122 (1)

Romans 13:11-14

Matthew 24:36-44 

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Sing Fires for Justice Nov 20 2:30 pm

Join us for Sing Fires of Justice: As the Earth Warms with special guest Kelly Welch and Sing Fires Community Ensemble with Gerard Yun and Lee Willingham. This event of story and song will take place on November 20, 2022 at 2:30 – 4 p.m. at Kitchener Public Library, central branch.

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Handbell music to ring in the season at Trillium Lutheran  December 4

The Christmas and pre-Christmas seasons have long been accompanied by the mellow peal of bells, a sound sorely missed in many community spaces over the past two years when Covid-19 made singing and playing together difficult.
But as we slowly and carefully transition back into live music, bell choirs are making a welcome return. Unlike brass and wind instruments, massed bells can fill large spaces with rich sound, minus the risk of dispersing viral moisture into the air. 
Early in December, Trillium Lutheran Church in Waterloo, along with guest musicians from several other local Lutheran churches, will present a special Advent Lessons and Carols afternoon built around the mellow resonance of handbell harmony.
While based on the Christian tradition of interspersing seasonal Bible readings with special music and hymns, the service will be non-denominational; Trillium welcomes people of all ages, backgrounds and faiths to this free event.
What: Hand Bell Advent Lessons and Carols Service
When: December 4, 2022 at 3:30 pm
Where: Trillium Lutheran Church, 22 Willow Street Waterloo
Who: Trillium Lutheran Church Hand Bell Choir, with guests from St. Luke’s Lutheran, Kitchener; St. Matthews Lutheran, Kitchener; and Trinity Lutheran, New Hamburg.