Jan. 26, 2024
Anabaptism at
Five Hundred
First Mennonite Church
Sugarcreek, Ohio
January 26, 2025
Worship: 9:30 – 10:30
Fellowship Time: 10:30-12:00
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
Anabaptism at 500:
Renewal through Story
“Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid,
which is Jesus Christ.”
Jesus is the center of our faith.
Community is the center of our life.
Reconciliation is the center of our work.
--Palmer Becker
~Gathering in the Royal Bible Classroom~
(around tables)
Opening Hymn: HWB 311 The Church’s One Foundation
Welcome & Announcements
Focus Statement:
Throughout the Bible, we see many examples of how people used
storytelling to shape a collective identity. Understanding our story
and acknowledging how we have been formed helps us understand
where and who we are. Poet, author, and civil rights activist Maya Angelou
said in an interview with the Academy of Achievement,
“You can’t really know where you are going until
you know where you have been.” How do we hold our stories?
How do we share our stories as a community in meaningful
ways? Where have we been as an Anabaptist tradition? And
how does a deeper awareness of our past help us understand
where we are and where we are going?
Call to Worship:
(Group 1 – Kitchenette side, Group 2 – Clock side)
Group 1: We are a covenant people, called to God by God,
generation through generation.
Group 2: We are a covenant people, called to Jesus by
Jesus, losing our life to gain our life.
Together: We are a covenant people, called to church by the
church, weaving together the strong and the
weak, the stranger and the friend.
Group 1: Renamed.
Group 2: Reborn.
Together: Renewed. We gather ourselves in the community
of believers. We gather ourselves unto you.
Invocation: (Congregation reading together)
You who open doors and dismantle barriers, open our hearts to
praise you, that we might live the full truth of who we are, no
longer strangers and enemies; open our hearts to the
transforming power of your life, that we might forgive and
reconcile, making peace and learning war no more, that we
might be your people, one body in one Spirit, to tell your grace
to all the world. We pray in the name of the One who walked
among us as brother and friend. Amen.
Hymn of Gathering: HWB 407 We Are People of God’s Peace
~Praying & Praising~
Stories: Non-Violence / Service
Scripture: I Corinthians 3:11 (The Living Bible)
“And no one can ever lay any other real foundation than
that one we already have—Jesus Christ.”
Stories: Reconciliation
Prayers of the People
Hymn: HWB 43 Christ Is Our Cornerstone
~Hearing God’s Word~
Stories: Service
Stories: Music
Scripture: I Corinthians 3:11 (The Voice)
“There is, in fact, only one foundation, and no one can lay
any foundation other than Jesus the Anointed.”
Hymn: HWB 89 For the Beauty of the Earth
Stories: Youth
Stories: Mission and Justice
Scripture: I Corinthians 3:11
(Common English Bible/Anabaptist Community Bible)
No one can lay any other foundation besides the one
that is already laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
Stories: Community and Hospitality
Stories: Bible Study
Story: Stewardship
~Responding~
Hymn of Response: HWB 120 Holy, Holy, Holy
(both the regular offering and the special offering for the
wildfires in California will be dedicated at this time)
Offering Prayer
Litany of Church Memories
~Sending~
Sending Hymn: HWB 581 Take Thou My Hand, O Father
Benediction
WORSHIP 9:30-10:30
Minister: Mike Gehman
Worship Leader: Bruce Stauffer
Song Leader: Amy Stauffer
Pianist: Suzanne Stauffer
Usher: Mike Keim
Today, we are collecting a special offering for aid to those suffering
from the wildfires in California. Make your check out to FMC and
designate “wildfires”, and one check will be sent to MDS from FMC.
Please drop in the regular offering plate. MDS has released the following statement concerning the wildfires:
“Several wildfires actively burned in the Los Angeles area on January 9, Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) was in close contact with its local partners. MDS is monitoring the unfolding disaster and will offer support, in cooperation with other faith-based and voluntary organizations, where it may be needed.
The fires have scorched more than 37,000 acres and more than 100,000 people are under evacuation order or warning. At least 24 people have died and more than 10,000 structures have burned. The threat continues as strong winds continue to fuel the fires.
“We urge you to pray for the fire survivors and their families as they continue to navigate the future,” said MDS Executive Director Kevin King. King noted that wildfire cleanup work, compared with other disasters, often requires special toxic debris removal for longer periods before volunteers can arrive on the scene to help residents repair and rebuild.
“Long-term recovery and rebuilding after wildfires can take years,” said King. MDS began working in Paradise, California two-and-a-half years after the Camp Fire caused 85 fatalities, displaced more than 50,000 people, and destroyed more than 18,000 structures.”
This Sunday begins our celebration of the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism. On Jan. 21, 1525, a small group of Christians secretly gathered in Zurich for a worship service. They renounced their baptism as infants and experienced voluntary baptism as adults. In 2025, we as an Anabaptist community, will be commemorating this anniversary
through a series of worship services inviting us to look back as we
strive to live wholeheartedly into God’s future. They will guide us
toward a renewed groundedness in our community’s sacred stories, a
renewed trust in yielding ourselves to seek and do God’s will, and a
renewed sense of joy and celebration as siblings around Jesus’ table.
In conjunction with our Anabaptist celebration, we would love to
have pictures of any service and/or peace experiences our church
members have experienced over the years. Please give to April or
Tabby who will scan them into the computer.
FMC LIVES IN DISCIPLESHIP TOGETHER
Mission Project for January: MCC Meat Canning---make your check
out to FMC designated meat canning and Bruce will send one check.
Mennonite Arts Weekend: Join us at Mennonite Arts Weekend,
February 7-9, 2025, in Cincinnati, Ohio. This weekend celebrates the
creativity and discipline of Anabaptist Mennonite artists.
Presentations by musicians, visual artists, writers, and craftspeople
start on Friday evening and conclude with Sunday morning worship.
Activities and workshops designed specifically for Pre-K children
through high school are planned throughout the weekend. A nursery
will be available. Find the list of presenters and registration and
location information at https://mennoniteartsweekend.org.
From Central District Conference: Join us for the 2025 Mid-year
Gathering on February 1, 2025, 9:30a – 12:30p Eastern Time via Zoom
Video Conference.
THE CHURH GIVES THANKS
Sue Stauffer: We were able to go to Lydia’s first gymnastics meet after
being injured.
CHURCH PRAYS FOR
April Shupe: Continue to keep Barb Taylor in your prayers, she had to
have 80% of her intestines removed and was just taken off ventilator.
THIS WEEK
Feb. 1st Happy Birthday, Bob Gerber
Feb. 2nd Happy Birthday, Mark Yoder
NEXT WEEK
Text:
Minister: Mike Gehman
Worship Leader: Helene Torgler
Head Usher: Mike Keim
LAST WEEK
ATTENDANCE: 20
OFFERING: $788
Change for a dollar: $19
Memory of Julia Gerber: $100
CHURCH LEADERSHIP
Pastor’s Hours: Wednesday 9:30 am-2:30 pm
Church Secretary: Tabatha Murphy
Church Phone: 1-330-852-2822
Email: office@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
