July 13, 2025
Winklepleck Grove Service
First Mennonite Church
Sugarcreek, Ohio
July 13, 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.
***************************************
We seek to be a caring and discerning community, the gathered body of Christ that welcomes all to join in worship, study, and service.
*********************************************
We embody God’s transforming and redeeming Spirit in the world
through our prophetic witness and action.
THE CHURCH WORSHIPS TOGETHER
Exploring the Wisdom of Trees
Welcome and Announcements
Focus Statement:
From The Friedensword (spring/summer 2025):
“Our biblical story is bookended by stories in which trees play
prominent roles. Between these two stories, we find hundreds of
biblical references to trees, most of which we miss or even
dismiss—not unlike the trees we pass by each day without so much as a thought. But what might happen if we paid attention to the trees?”
Though most of us won’t make it to Camp Friedenswald this summer to participate in their summer theme, The Wisdom of Trees: Instructions for Living, this morning, let’s explore the trees around us and see what wisdom we might be reminded of.
Time of Meditation: “I Come to the Garden Alone”
~In The Beginning~
Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it,
according to their various kinds.”
And it was so.
The land produced vegetation:
plants bearing seed according to their kinds and
trees bearing fruit with seed in it
according to their kinds.
And God saw that it was good.
–Genesis 1:11-12
Call to Worship: (based on Psalm 1)
Leader: Blessed are those who delight in the law of the Lord,
People: And meditate on God’s word day and night.
Leader: They are like trees planted by streams of water,
People: Which yield their fruit in its season.
All: Let us worship the Lord, our source of wisdom and strength.
Invocation
Hymn: Morning Has Broken
Prayers of the People
Hymn: This Is My Father’s World
~Two Lessons From the Trees~
Introduction: God loves trees!
Tree Wisdom #1: Be deeply rooted.
Scripture: Jeremiah 17:7-8
Hymn: Praise to the Lord the Almighty
Tree Wisdom #2: Help One Another
Scripture: John 15:5-13
Hymn: God, Whose Giving
(the offering will be brought forward)
Offering Prayer
~More Tree Wisdom~
There is so much more tree wisdom we could explore if we had more time—
v how groups of trees become an ecosystem, establishing their own local climate;
v how the forests of the world act as our planet’s air filter;
v how trees go through a regular season of rest, (something many of us find difficult to do!);
v how as trees mature, they lift their limbs in praise to their creator and in so doing point us to God;
v how trees provide safety and shelter to countless wildlife and insects;
v how beautifully useful trees are even after they die—their roots are still alive and remain a part of the community, while the hollowed out trunk becomes a shelter to many;
v how tree diversity leads to healthier forests and helps multiple species of wildlife thrive by providing a wide range of food and homes;
v how God created trees to be resilient, and hard times are not the end of their story—just like trees, we can experience incredible growth after hardship, and we can even be made more strong and resilient and healthy through difficult times.
~Sending Wisdom~
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you
with power through his Spirit in your inner being,
so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.
And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love,
may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people,
to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—
that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
--Ephesians 3:16-19
Final Tree Wisdom: Repeat the cycle year after year, gradually revealing significant growth.
Sending Words
Sending Song: You Shall Go Out With Joy
Leader: Between the tree of life in Genesis and in Revelation,
how are we to live?
People: Like a tree!
Table Grace: Johnny Appleseed
Oh, the Lord’s been good to me.
And so I thank the Lord
For giving me the things I need:
The sun, the rain and the appleseed;
Oh, the Lord's been good to me.
And every seed I sow
Will grow into a tree.
And someday there'll be apples there
For everyone in the world to share.
Oh, the Lord is good to me.
Johnny Appleseed, AMEN!
WORSHIP 9:30-10:30
Worship Leader: Dan Hostetler
Guitarist and Song Leader: April Shupe
Head Usher: Leadership Team
FMC LIVES IN DISCIPLESHIP TOGETHER
*Don’t forget----next Sunday, July 20th, is Church Visitation Sunday, and there will be no services held at First Mennonite. Pick up a bulletin wherever you attend and we will enjoy sharing our experiences with each other when we return here on the 27th.
Our Italian son, Mark Stevanus, will be giving the message on July 27th, so you won’t want to miss that!
THE CHURCH GIVES THANKS
Sue Stauffer: Little Harvey was baptized last Sunday.
April Shupe: Mom’s 97th birthday is this week.
THE CHURCH PRAYS FOR
Tyler Murphy: Please keep my dad in your prayers, he is dealing with Kidney stones.
Sue Stauffer: Please pray for all those who have been affected by the flooding in Texas. Also, please pray for all those effected by the horrible disease of dementia.
THIS WEEK
July 20th Church Visitation Sunday
(Visit a church of your choice—No morning service at FMC)
IN TWO WEEKS
Text:
Guest Minister: Mark Stevanus
Worship Leader: Helene Torgler
Guest Pianist: Tim Miller
Head Usher: Leadership Team
LAST WEEK
Attendance: 15
Offering: $1260
Change for a dollar: $8
CHURCH LEADERSHIP
Pastor: Mike Gehman: 1-330-749-674
Email: pastor@firstmennonitesugarcreek.com
Pastor’s Hours: Wednesday 9:30a.m.-2:30p.m
Church Secretary: Tabatha Murphy
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
