E M M A U S M E N N O N I T E C H U R C H

JUNE 2020 VOLUME 73 ISSUE 6

EMMAUS ECHOES

First Church 1878

Sunday School Addition 1962 & 1988 New Entrance 1988

Third Church 1929 Second Church 1908

I was glad when they said to me,

“Let us go to the house of the LORD!” Psalm 122:11 (ESV)

Current Church Building First Sunday May 30, 2010

June 2020 Page 2

Ten years ago we moved into this church building. What memories

do you have of the process? I remember the joyfulness of the first Sunday and we loved how it coincided with

Ralph’s class reunion so a number of his class joined us for the first service. But I also think back to being in a

group that came some and helped clean up the church at the end of the week. I remember verses being written

on the floor of the church before the carpet was put in. I remember the faithfulness of those at Berean who set

things up every week and Wednesday night. It seems like we had classrooms everywhere but we were able to

make it work. I remember the time we met at the old church site and many walked (and rode) to the new

church site for a time of worship. I remember the work of deciding what all we wanted to put in the new

church and how to set up the library and the kitchen and the luxury of many Sunday School rooms. And now

we have been in this building for 10 years and God’s faithfulness has not failed us and is now taking us

through another time when we are doing things differently. God is always there so let’s keep our eyes on Him.

Let His peace continue to be with us in all we do. - Debora Claassen

Sunday School is an important time for interacting and learning with

each other about the lesson for adults. You get as much out of it as

you put into it. It's also a great time for reinforcement for the children, hearing what mom and dad said just

might be right.

At Emmaus, we are privileged to have many wonderful Sunday School teachers. Many of the teachers of

adults and children who were teaching ten years ago are still teaching today. Some teachers have been teaching

for 40 or even 50 years!!! It's very encouraging to see our young people grow up and become teachers and to

have people marry into our church and be teachers.

In the old church, we used every area for Sunday School. The upper fellowship hall, the lower fellowship hall,

the basement, the sanctuary, the balcony, and even sometimes the kitchen were used for SS rooms. I remember

coming to Emmaus in high school and thinking the stairway to the girls' SS room was dark and scary. But I

soon learned to enjoy it, and today would love to walk those steps again! I am so thankful for the high school

teachers who invested in our lives, not only teaching, but on a personal basis, and are still friends today!

In our new church, we have very nice rooms, with a fresh coat of paint for our classes.

Some of our classes are growing, and we may end up using more “available” space like before. This year we

have 2 classes for the 3 year olds. We have had to move a few of the adult classes around because of more

people in the class, and that is great!

It's a joy for me to see the children coming down the hallway to SS each Sunday. Some are eager and running,

some are hanging on tightly to a hand. What a joy and privilege to have the legacy of Sunday School and faith-

ful teachers! - Jacque Wiebe

Q: What did the pig say on a hot summer day? A: I’m bacon! Q: What do you call a snowman in July? A: A puddle.

LOOKING BACK…….MOVING FORWARD

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Looking back,...... has it really been ten years since we moved into our new

church building? From our old church building burning down to the ground one

winter day in January to having to relocate to Berean Academy for a couple of years to the excitement of mov-

ing into a brand new church building at a different site--what an amazing set of circumstances! God's hand

was present throughout the building process and it was a delight to see the progress made week after week.

A lot of thought was put into the grand opening event. Previous pastors were contacted and attended the ser-

vice on that dedication Sunday. Pastor Alvin Kleinsasser presented to the church a beautiful wall hanging of

the Lord's Prayer that is displayed in our library. The local news station came out and taped a segment for the

local community. The Foods Committee grilled hamburgers and provided a noon meal for close to 1200 peo-

ple in attendance. The message that morning told of God's goodness and faithfulness to His people. The chal-

lenge given was to continue in the great commission our Lord gave His church as He ascended into heaven.

Emmaus opened a new chapter ten years ago when we moved into our new facility. The comment was then

made that only the Lord knows how many lives were saved within the walls of the old building; however, the

influence of Emmaus continues to have a positive spiritual impact in our community and around the

world. May the Lord continue to bless our efforts as we continue to preach and teach the Word faithfully to

the glory of God to the present and

coming generations.

- Jim Pearce

TAKEN FOR GRANTED Seems we often take things for

granted. During the church

service, I was reminded how

thankful I am for all the music

we have in our church. More

musicians perform music here

than even attend my home

church. Recently they had to

resort to recorded music to

have any accompanist to their

songs. So even though we

don't always say it, thank you

to all those involved in our mu-

sic program! You regu-

larly bless many people! Also,

thank you for continuing to

include traditional hymns.

- Debbie Regier

EMMAUS DEDICATION SERVICE

Sunday, June 13, 2010

10:00 A.M.

Prelude Verna Unruh, Organist

Marlys Unruh, Pianist

Call to Worship – “Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost”

Leland & Sharon Entz, Donya Scott

*Hymn No. 815 – “Doxology” Led by Leland Entz

*Hymn No. 210 – “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”

Led by Leland Entz

Welcome & Announcements Pastor Steve Scott

Theme Presentation, Psalm 95, Prayer Pastor Steve Scott

Hymn No. 227 – “Come, Let Us Worship & Bow Down”

Led by Steve Newby

Remarks from the Building Contractor Max Fuqua

Remarks from the Building Committee Lester Busenitz

Remarks from the Finance Committee Steve Unruh

Hymn No. 147 – “How Great Thou Art” Led by Steve Newby

Presentation Pastor Alvin Kleinsasser

Psalm 95:3-5 Pastor Bill Wiebe

The Emmaus Road – Our Journey Video Presentation

Psalm 95:6-7 Pastor Laverne Busenitz

“We Have Built This House on Faith” Emmaus Choir

Dedication Message Pastor Ted Veer

Prayer of Dedication Pastor Steve Scott

*Hallelujah Chorus Voluntary Choir

[You are invited to pick up a score and join our choir in the choir loft.]

(*Congregation Stands)

FROM JUNE 13, 2010

BULLETIN

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On Saturday, April 25, 2020 at Whitewater Stock Barn,

Nely Schmitt and Jake Reimer were united together in mar-

riage. Only immediate family and Pastor Tim were able to

attend due to the wedding date being during the coronavi-

rus pandemic.

The service began at 4pm, with Pastor Tim, the groom Jake

and best man Titus Minkevitch walking down the aisle, fol-

lowed by maid of honor Margaret Dyck, flower girl Sophia Dyck and finally the bride Nely and her father.

Pastor Tim gave a message and Jake and Nely exchanged vows and were pronounced for the first time Mr.

And Mrs. Reimer! The newlyweds walked hand in hand back down the aisle. Then everyone gathered for cake

and coffee, and stayed and visited for a while. Jake and Nely left in their Mustang.

Jake wore a gray suit, with a white shirt and mauve tie and Nely's dress was a white a-line floor length wed-

ding dress with lace covered top and small cap sleeves. Titus wore gray dress pants, and a white shirt with

mauve suspenders and a mauve bowtie. Margaret wore a mauve bridesmaids dress, and Sophia wore a white

flower girl dress. Sophia walked down the aisle with mauve rose petals to sprinkle along with eucalyptus

leaves. The bouquets were put together by Nely and were mauve, blush pink and white flowers among euca-

lyptus and greenery. Mauve, blush pink and off white chiffon fabrics were draped over the wooden beams in

the barn, a chandelier of tiny lights hung above the center where the couple exchanged vows. The aisle was

lined with strings of tiny lights as well.

We only had one groomsman: the best man and one bridesmaid: the maid of honor due to all the others unable

to attend because of COVID-19. We really didn't want to postpone this wedding we had been planning and

looking forward to for so long! There were many changes but we wouldn't have had it any other way. It was

still the perfect God blessed day! We are so thankful for everyone who helped us make our day so special. And

thank you to everyone who prayed for us as we planned our wedding changes last minute, and we thank God

and everyone at Emmaus for everything! -Jake and Nely Reimer

The North Butler 4-H Club met on Monday, May 11, 2020 with a Zoom meeting. The meeting

was called to order by President, Shelby Henley. Cora Brackenridge led the Flag Salute and 4-H

Pledge. Roll call was answered by “My Favorite Ice Cream Is” from 14 members and one Leader. Austin

Miller, Secretary, read the minutes of the March meeting. Debora Claassen recognized those members with an

April or May birthday. She also reminded the club that the Fair Book will be online this year. As of now, the

Butler County 4-H Fair is still scheduled for July 18th – July 23rd, 2020. The program began with Makenzie

Creekmore doing a presentation over Parliamentary Procedure, Definition and History. Makenzie also did a

demonstration of “How to Make a Mask”. Shelby Henley did a project talk over the “Beef Project” and her

cattle for the County Fair. John Ferley did a demonstration on “How to Put Together a Bass Clarinet” and he

played the B scale. Carson Brackenridge performed a talent by playing the song “Square Dance” on the piano.

The June meeting is scheduled for Monday, June 8th, 2020 at 7:00 pm via Zoom. Members please watch your

emails for further information. - Submitted by Ella Amend, Club Reporter.

June 2020 Page 5

Hello, my fellow dessert-o-philes. I once read an article (in a sci-entific journal, nonetheless!) that stated that people who had a sweet

tooth generally had a sweeter disposition. Who knew? If that’s really so, I should probably be the sweetest person in all of Kansas. This month I experimented with an al-

mond-flour based cake, and ended up being quite pleased with the results. If you’re unfamiliar with almond flour, it’s readily available at any and all local markets (my current bag is from Aldi) and im-parts a deliciously subtle almond flavor. It is much denser than most flours, so expect a heavy crumb, but do give this recipe a try and let me know what you think! (Almond flour is naturally gluten-free, but even voracious gluten-eaters approved of this recipe.) Also, I used metric measurements for the recipe, but have included both imperial and metric for convenience. One final note: do not make any substitutions for the butter.

HONEY ALMOND ORANGE CAKE

Cake: 7/8 cup (200 grams) butter, room temperature 7/8 cup (180 grams) sugar 3 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups (200 grams) almond flour/meal 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 tablespoon orange zest

Syrup: 1 cup (250 ml) orange juice (freshly squeezed is best!) 1/4 cup (59 ml) honey 1 tablespoon orange zest The barest pinch of anise

Preheat oven to 320F degrees. Grease well an 8-inch springform pan (or cake pan).

In a mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar until very light and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, and then beat in vanilla.

In a small bowl, mix together almond flour, baking powder, and orange zest. Add to creamed butter mixture and mix until combined.

Spread evenly in pan and bake for approximately 40 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Allow cake to cool for at least fifteen minutes before removing from pan.

To make the syrup, place the orange juice, honey, and anise in a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat until mixture has cooked down and thickened (approximately 15-20 minutes). Add or-ange zest and set aside to cool.

Once cake has been plated, prick the cake multiple times with a toothpick or skewer, and generously spoon the orange syrup evenly over the cake. Can be garnished with fresh orange slices, zest curls, etc. Serve warm!

(*I served mine with honey-sweetened fresh whipped cream and garnished each slice with toasted sliced almonds.)

June 2020 Page 6

CAMPOUT

The 7th and 8th grade church boys ( Eben Busenitz, Wyatt Ranfeld,

Everet Busenitz, Jobe Entz, Randall Thiessen, Sam Fasnacht, and Aiden

Fasnacht ) had their 3rd annual campout in the Fasnacht woods the night

of May 31st. They had a great time having air soft gun battles, a mud

fight, and drinking lots of pop. ( Jobe had the record with 7 pops ) . Visit-

ing around the campfire until the early morning hours and doing their own

cooking of hot dogs for supper and bacon and eggs for breakfast over the

fire added to the experience.

Emmaus Vacation Bible School will start on June 29! How many VBS words can you find?

Q: What happens when you throw a green rock into the Red Sea?

A: It gets wet. Q: What holds the sun up in the sky? A: Sunbeams.

June 2020 Page 7

E M M A U S M E N N O N I T E C H U R C H

Editor………………...……..….…Debora Claassen

Youth Reporter…..........................Mackenzie Unruh

Staff Writers........................................................You

Layout/Circulation Editor………...Wanita Busenitz

Please send articles to: emmausechoes@gmail.com

Emery Joy Klaassen born on May 23, 2020

Parents: Mark & Kristie Klaassen Grandparents: Tim & Brenda Harder

Great Grandma: Betty Harder

Sean Wesley Wiebe born on May 28, 2020

Parents: Casey & Ellie Wiebe Grandparents: Doug & Helen Wiebe

James & Genia Entz

Congratulations to our newest

Registered Nurse, Victoria Navrat!

Our family, along with Jacob and Melissa is praising God that the adoption of Jhalia Marie (4) and Jaden Darnell (3) has been finalized. Thanks to many of you for your interest and prayers. God's providential hand has been evident throughout this long and sometimes uncertain process. To God Be The Glory. We are blessed to be their grandparents. - Gerald and Loreta

Daryl and Shari Regier are happy to

announce the engagement of their

daughter, Lenissa to Dennis Busenitz.

Norman Andrew Albrecht born on June 4, 2020

Parents: Kyle & Erika Albrecht Grandparents: Tom & Marcy Dorsch

Q: What does the sun drink out of?

A: Sunglasses.

Q: What did the ocean say to the

sailboat?

A: Nothing it just waved.

Church Archive - We are in the process of beginning our own church archive, which will be located in the resource room. Articles, letters, pictures and old records will now be available for you to see and use for research. We already have all the old Echoes, bulletins, and church yearbooks, but if you have other documents or pictures pertaining to our church history they would be very welcome. Contact Carmen Fasnacht with questions. “For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to every generation.” Psalm 100:6

PROUD MAMA MOMENT

Last month we told you that Lori Goebel was up for a Jester

for costuming in Hello Dolly put on by Sunrise Christian

Academy the weekend things began to shut down due to

COVID-19. This month I’d like to tell you that Lori won!! I

was thinking back to a few months earlier when one Sunday

she was trying to decide whether to rent or borrow a bunch

of costumes or go for the Jester. In order to be eligible for

the award you can only rent or borrow less than 25% of the

costumes for the show. She decided to do the costumes her-

self so she could compete. This meant shopping trips to

DAV, Goodwill, and Etc. Shop to look for material/clothes.

The cheapest way to get a large amount of fabric is to pur-

chase sheets or curtains. It means spending time researching

the time period and planning what each scene should look

like. They do have some costumes stored at the school but it

takes many hours of sewing and fitting and more sewing.

With 40 people in the show and many of them having 3-4

costume changes it can take some time!! The learning to sew

in 4-H and home ec paid off and Lori came out a winner.

Great job., Lori! - Debora Claassen