3rd Sunday of Easter

Follow Me

First Mennonite Church

Sugarcreek, Ohio May 1, 2022

Worship: 9:30-10:30

Fellowship Time: 10:30-11:00

Sunday School: 11:00-12:00

We believe in Jesus and take his life, teachings, death and resurrection

as the model for how we live and the message we proclaim.

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We seek to be a caring and discerning community,

the gathered body of Christ,

that welcomes all to join in worship, study, and service.

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We embody God's transforming and redeeming Spirit in the world

through our prophetic witness and action.

THE CHURCH WORSHIPS TOGETHER                                                                                                                                                         

Follow Me

3rd Sunday of Easter

Prelude:

Welcome & Announcements:

Focus:  The one thing that Jesus asks of us throughout the Bible is

"Follow Me".  What does it mean to follow Jesus?  What are the rewards

for following Jesus?  Will you still follow him when life gets hard?  Jesus

loves us so much that he wants and calls us to follow him in every circumstance.

Time of Meditation:

~Gathering~

*Call to Worship:

L:  I will exalt the Lord who lifts me from the depths of sin and shame!

P:  It is the Lord who heals my spirit and body!

L:  All you saints, sing your hearts out to God!  Praise his holy name!

P:  It is the Lord who brings rejoicing in the morning and turns my wailing into dancing!

L:  Join with thousands upon thousands of angels in heaven, and every breathing creature on earth, in praise to the Lamb who was slain and rose again.

P:  Worthy is the Lamb to receive honor, glory, and praise.

L:  It is the Lord!

All:  It is the Lord!

Invocation:

L:  Here we are Lord, your church, uncertain, on an ever changing journey.

P:  Show us your path.

L:  Here we are, longing to know your way.

P:  Guide us to follow you.

L:  Here we are, desiring only your comfort.

P:  Help us to hear your voice.

All:  Here we are, God; lead us according to your will.  Amen.

Hymn of Gathering:

"Blessed Jesus, At Your Word" Hymnal a Worship Book #13

~Prayer & Praising~

Old Testament Reading: (based on Psalm 30, Exodus 15, Psalm 143) with "Come Thou Fount" HWB 521 as a sung response

Leader:  We will sing glory to God and will praise and love God forever and forever.  For we cried out from Sheol and God heard our plea and healed us.

Mike Keim:  It had been three days since we left the Red Sea and began wandering with Moses through the wilderness.  Three endless days on shifting sand, attempting to navigate in the glaring sun, walking without water, our feet on fire, our vision blurred, our souls dry to the bone.

Leader:  We cried out to the Lord:  and to God we made supplication:  "What profit is there in death?"  we asked.  "What is the value of going down into the pit?"

Mike Keim:  and then, in the distance, we spied Marah and imagined the sparkling waters.  We dreamed of the restoration of our bodies, and our spirits sang in the hope that was before us.

(congregation sing stanza 1)

Leader: But the waters of Marah were bitter.  Promises crumbles; hopes fell away like ashes.  God hid his face from us.  "Have mercy on us, O God!"  we prayed, our souls aching.  "Have mercy on us, O God!  "Where will we find water?  "And what can we give our children to drink?"

Mike Keim:  Moses turned his back to us.  He returned with a piece of wood and threw it into the bitter water.  The water became sweet, and our weeping turned to joy!  Here, in this place, the Lord established a statute and an ordinance.

(congregation sings stanza 2)

Leader:  Here in this place God put us to the test, saying "If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord, and do what is right in God's sight, giving heed tot he commandments and statutes, I will heal your diseases and lift up your souls from Sheol."

(congregation sings stanza 3)

Leader:  Then we came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees.  And we camped by the water.

(quiet meditation with one instrumental stanza)

Congregational Prayers & Praises:

Ending Prayer:

Hymn of Praise:

"Let's Sing Unto the Lord" Hymnal a Worship Book #55

~Hearing God's Word~

Scripture: John 21:1-19

Message: "Back to Normal?" - by Mike Gehman

~Response & Sending~

Hymn of Response:

"When We Walk With the Lord" Hymnal a Worship Book #544

(the offering will be brought forward at this time)

Offering Prayer:

Sending Hymn:

"Go, My Children" Hymnal a Worship Book #433

Benediction:

Postlude:

Words of Dismissal:

THE CHURCH GIVES THANKS AND PRAYS FOR                                                                                                                                       

For the Disciples continuing Jesus' mission throughout hardship and persecution.

Keo Sixiengmay is cancer free!

Prayers for the people of Ukraine, of safety, of comfort.  Also for our Mennonite MCC, and Mennonite Brethren workers, who are there helping to provide food, water, and shelter.

MMN:  Mennonite Mission Network joins Marlene Wall, president of LCC International University in Lithuania, in requesting prayer for faulty and staff, who are caring for both students and refugees from Ukraine.  Ukrainian refugees have traveled about 700 miles to flee the violence from the Russian invasion.  Pray that God's people around the world will contribute to this ministry.

FMC LIVES IN DISCIPLESHIP TOGETHER                                                                                                                                                   

Next Week's Texts: Acts 9:36-43; Psalm 23 (4) CEV; Revelation 9:9-17; John 10:22-30

Harbor of Hope: 51 items of Spaghetti Sauce & Pasta were taken to the Harbor of Hope on Wednesday.  Thank you for your generous donations.  This month's items are Laundry & Cleaning Supplies, and are due on May 25

Mission Project for May: Harbor of Hope: Laundry & Cleaning Supplies; Homeless Shelter Meal May 31

Mother's Day: Next Sunday is Mother's Day let's join in celebrating our Mother's as they have provided for us all our lives.

WORSHIP                                                                         9:30-10:30                                                                                                               

Greeters:                                                                                      Bruce & Sue Stauffer

Minister:                                                                                       Mike Gehman

Worship Leader:                                                                          Julie Gerber

Song Leader:                                                                               April Shupe

Organist:                                                                                      Margaret Cheslock

Pianist:                                                                                         Suzanne Stauffer

Head Usher:                                                                                 Monk Yoder

THIS WEEK                                                                                                                                                                                                       

May   1          Herb & Helene Torgler's Wedding Anniversary Today

May   4          Leadership Team Meeting 7:00 p.m.

May   4          May the Forth be with you

May   5          Bruce Stauffer has a Birthday

May   5          Cinco de Mayo

May   8          Linda Yoder has a Birthday

May   8            Mother's Day

UPCOMING EVENTS                                                                                                                                                                                       

May 25           Harbor of Hope items due: Laundry & Cleaning Supplies

May 27           Senior Breakfast @ Dutch Valley 9:00 a.m.

May 30           Memorial Day

May 31           Homeless Shelter Meal 6:00 p.m.

June   1          Leadership Team Meeting 7:00 p.m.

June   4          Tyler Murphy's Graduation Party

June 14          Flag Day

June 19          Father's Day

June 22          Harbor of Hope item due: Cereal

June 24          Senior Breakfast @ Dutch Valley 9:00 a.m.

July   6           Leadership Team Meeting

July 10           Winklpleck Grove Service "The Lovedays"

July 10           Music Fest behind the Fire Station

July 27           Harbor of Hope items: Paper Products

July 29           Senior Breakfast @ Dutch Valley 9:00 a.m.

NEXT WEEK                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Greeters:                                                                                           April Shupe, Bertie Showers

Minister:                                                                                            Mike Gehman

Worship Leader:                                                                               Dan Hostetler

Song Leader:                                                                                    April Shupe

Head Usher:                                                                                      Monk Yoder

CHURCH LEADERSHIP                                                                                                                                                                                   

CHURCH:

Pastor: Mike Gehman

Pastor's Hours: Wednesday 9:30am-2:30pm

Secretary: Tally Maust

Phone: 1-330-852-2822

Email: pastor@firstmennonitesugarcreek.com

Website: http//fmcsugarcreekoh.org

Address:

113 W. Main St.   P.O. Box 250

Sugarcreek, Ohio 44681

CONGREGATIONAL LEADERSHIP TEAM:

Chairperson: Mike Keim

Office Contact: Linda Yoder

Mission Contact: Reno Stevanus

Trustees Contact: Dan Hostetler

Secretary Contact: Amy Stauffer-McNutt