Easter Sunday First Mennonite Church Sugarcreek, Ohio April 5, 2026 Worship: 10 am 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 ~Gathering~ Welcome& Announcements Pre-Prelude: "Christ Arose!" - arr. Lloyd Larson Candlelighting: (candle lighters—Lydia Miller, Greta McNutt, Isaac Miller) Leader: On that first Easter, God raised Jesus to life and the world became a brighter place! (PAUSE to light candles) All: Jesus’ love came to lighten the world. Leader: Jesus’ love shines through each of us and makes the world a brighter place. (PAUSE to light a candle) All: Jesus’ love shines through loving actions and words. Leader: When we share with those who have less, the world becomes a brighter place. (PAUSE to light a candle) All: Jesus wants us to share. Leader: When we trust God and are no longer afraid, the world becomes a brighter place. (PAUSE to light a candle ) All: Jesus wants us to trust. Leader: When we are content with what we have, the world becomes a brighter place. (PAUSE to light a candle) All: Jesus will supply our needs. Leader: When we are honest, the world becomes a brighter place. (PAUSE to light a candle) All: Jesus helps us be truthful. Leader: When Jesus lives in us, the world becomes a brighter place. (PAUSE to light a candle) All: Alleluia! Christ is risen. Prelude: "Jesus Christ Is Ris'n Today" - arr. Lloyd Larson Introductory Poem: Leader: Welcome Easter. ALL: Welcome relief! Leader: Newfound joy is washing over this grief. ALL: Welcome mystery. Welcome surprise!. Leader: Impossible reality—risen, before our eyes! ALL: Welcome Jesus, our Savior and Friend. Leader: Welcome seeking and naming, ALL: Welcome love without end. Focus Statement: Today we celebrate the resurrection of Christ. Death could not defeat him. Jesus lives! Our dissonance now is like that of the first disciples: What does this all mean? Reflective Prayer – Read by Linda Yoder, Kyler Hershberger, Debbie Hershberger, and Kutter Hershberger Hymn of Rejoicing: VT 350 The Strife Is O’er Call to Worship: Leader: Listen. Do you hear it? All: The sound of joy. Laughter breaking in. Leader: Listen! It sounds like harmony. All: Angels singing. Leader: Why are you weeping? For the grief? For the beauty? All: Jesus is risen! Leader: Yes! And creation sings it. Yesterday’s tears linger, as they must, All: But love is stronger than death. Leader: Do you believe this? Listen, Jesus is speaking your name. All: Our names—each one. Leader: Like the music of the soul. Can you hear it? All: It is the sound of resurrection. Leader: Let us worship the Risen One! Hymn of Gathering: VT 346 Christ the Lord Is Risen Today (with a clarinet descant on vs. 4 by Lydia Miller) ~Praising & Praying~ Prayers of the People Confession poem: Leader: Jesus, you don’t always show up where we expect or in the way we expect. Nancy Yoder: Once again, we feel for Mary, weeping by a tomb. In our grief, we assume that the lost is lost forever. ALL: “Tell me where to go!” we say. Tell me how I can find that piece of what was to cling to a while longer. Leader: And we don’t even realize you are there—that you have been there right in front of us all along—until you speak our name. Nancy: As if to say, “I’m here.” As if to say, “I love you” and promise: “This is not the end.” Ending Prayer Hymn of Praise: VT 340 Lift Your Glad Voices ~Hearing God’s Word~ Scripture: Readers Theater “Racing to See Jesus” Read by Brad and April Shupe Message: “Seeing, Hearing, Believing…He is Risen!” ~Responding~ Hymn of Response: VT 355 Thine Is the Glory (the offering will be collected and brought forth at this time) Offering Prayer ~Sending~ Benediction Sending Hymn: VT 359 Christ Is Alive! Let Christians Sing Postlude: "Lift High the Cross" - arr. Lloyd Larson Sending Words WORSHIP 9:30-10:30 Minister: Mike Gehman Worship Leader: Bruce Stauffer Pianist: Suzanne Stauffer Song Leader: April Shupe Usher: Herb Torgler FMC LIVES IN DISCIPLESHIP TOGETHER Mission Project for April: After a devastating fire we have set up a fund to help Amy, Paul, and Gretta Stauffer-McNutt through this difficult time. If you would like to donate, mark your donation for the Amy Stauffer-McNutt fire fund. Bob Gerber address: Woodlawn, 2821 Woodlawn Ave, Canton OH 44708 THE CHURCH GIVES THANKS FOR Sue Stauffer: Jim Cahill continues to do well and might be able to come home earlier than planned. Mike Keim: Praise that mom was able to have her heart shocked to get back into rhythm on the first try. THE CHURCH PRAYS FOR Mike Keim: Mike Gehman went to see Wayne and Dorothy Schrock. Dorothy is not doing well. Update: Dorothy passed away earlier this week. Darcy Miller: Friend Rose is coming for a visit, but her husband was unable to attend due to a death in the family. Sue Stauffer: Prayers for Amy as she goes through this difficult time, she needs quiet time and time to write. Jon Gerber: Dad is at Woodlawn after undergoing surgery. THIS WEEK April 10 th Happy Birthday, Susan Lingler NEXT WEEK: Minister: Mike Gehman Worship Leader: Kristy Keim Head Usher: Herb Torgler LAST WEEK Attendance: 17 Offering: $868 Change for a dollar: $9.48 Easter Flowers: $122.55 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, OH 44681 CONGREGATIONAL LEADERSHIP TEAM: Chairperson: Mike Keim Office Contact: Linda Yoder Mission Contact: Reno Stevanus Trustees Contact: Dan Hostetler Secretary Contact: Amy Stauffer-McNutt

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Lent Five: Complicity and Innocence  First Mennonite Church Sugarcreek, Ohio March 22, 2026 Worship: 9:30 am Coffee & Fellowship Time: 10:30 am 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 “Patient Trust” by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay. We should like to skip the intermediate stages. We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new. And yet it is the law of all progress that it is made by passing through some stages of instability— and that it may take a very long time. ~Gathering~ Prelude Welcome& Announcements Introductory Poem: As we step into Lent, we say “welcome” to the dissonance. “We reserve a space for lament and grief to stay a while and do their work. We release our nice little pictures of perfect selves, perfect faith, perfect world, and look for God in the heartache. We listen for God in discordant melodies and follow Jesus to the cross, though we don’t understand and it doesn’t compute.” As we step into Lent, we say, “welcome” to the dissonance, trusting that God is here, now, in the mystery, before it is resolved. Focus Statement: This week, our attention turns to the cast of characters beyond Jesus at his “trial.” Notice the roles various people play in this horrible moment. We are faced with our dissonance when we feel powerless, complicit, innocent, or accused. Hymn of Dissonance: VT 48 Come, My Way, My Truth, My Life (This hymn was chosen for its dissonant harmonies as well as for the words. Today we will sing all verses.) Call to Worship: All: Welcome Lent— WL: terrible dissonance, as we condemn the Human One. All: Welcome lament and confession WL: as the story comes undone. All: Welcome holy mystery WL: that even this can find a place in the tale of God’s salvation. All: Welcome suffering love and grace. Invocation Hymn of Gathering: HWB 37 Praise to the Lord ~Praising & Praying~ Prayers of the People Confession Poem: All: Jesus, things don’t always turn out the way we expect. Or want. And sometimes your choices (or the choices of our neighbors or family members or politicians) really don’t agree with us. Reader 1: We hate to admit it, but we feel for the angry crowd. In our fury, we too can become so consumed, so focused on who or what we are opposing, that we turn away from the things that matter most. Reader 2: “We have no king but the emperor!” we find ourselves saying. And only after we hear our voice do we realize how distorted our allegiance has become. God, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Ending Prayer Hymn of Praise: HWB 66 O Worship the King ~Hearing God’s Word~ Scripture: John 19:1-16a Message: “ Seeing Jesus, the Suffering, Tortured, Dying One” ~Responding~ Time of Silence and Reflection: You are invited to write your thoughts on the paper provided. After three minutes of quiet reflection, the piano will play a hymn during which the offering plates will be passed into which you will place your papers. Hymn of Response: VT 325 O Sacred Head, Now Wounded (the offering will be collected and brought forth at this time) Offering Prayer ~Sending~ Benediction Sending Hymn: HWB 259 When I Survey the Wondrous Cross Postlude Sending Words WORSHIP 9:30-10:30 Minister: Mike Gehman Worship Leader: Dan Hostetler Pianist: Suzanne Stauffer Song Leader: April Shupe Usher: Leadership Team Lent 2026 – “Dwelling in Dissonance” This Lenten season we are choosing to stay in the uncomfortable, the unsettled or unfinished, the times that grate or jar or disturb and to try not to force those times to come to completion. Just as Jesus endured the trials of Holy Week, we too are committed to wait and to fully experience the dissonance in our lives. The worship services during this season will attempt to help us be more comfortable with the dissonances—as reflected in the altar, the music, in the book of John on which our services will focus, and in those disturbing times in our lives. After the sermon during Lent, there will be a three-minute period where we will be writing our thoughts about one of the questions printed on the bulletin insert. When the three minutes are over, the offering plates will be passed for you to put your paper in the plate to be taken to the altar. Please put your pen on the seat beside you so that we can continue to use them each Sunday in Lent. FMC LIVES IN DISCIPLESHIP TOGETHER Mission Project for March: MCC Hygiene Kits Keeping clean is an important part of staying healthy. Families who have fled their homes because of disaster or war often struggle to afford the necessary supplies. Kits also go to schools or orphanages to encourage healthy habits for children. A list of items needed is on the table in the coffee and fellowship area. Fox is having a three-part Biblical event starting tonight at 8 p.m . called The Faithful: Women of the Bible. Each episode follows the journey of five women of faith: Sarah, Hagar, Rebekah, Leah, and Rachel. THE CHURCH GIVES THANKS FOR Mike Keim: Jim Cahill continues to do well. THE CHURCH PRAYS FOR Mike Keim: Chris went into a fib yesterday and needs our prayers. April Shupe: Karissa’s mom fell and broke her shoulder. She had her shoulder replaced. Linda Yoder: Mom had blockage of 95% and had a stint put in. Dan Hostetler: Nate Miller has passed away. THIS WEEK March 23rd Happy Birthday, Craig Maurer UPCOMING EVENTS April 2nd Maundy Thursday Supper and Communion Service, 6pm April 5th Easter Sonrise Service, 8 am Easter Service, 10 am NEXT WEEK: Guest Minister: Darcy Miller Worship Leader: April Shupe Head Usher: Leadership Team LAST WEEK Attendance: 19 Offering: $140 Change for a dollar: $11 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, OH 44681 CONGREGATIONAL LEADERSHIP TEAM: Chairperson: Mike Keim Office Contact: Linda Yoder Mission Contact: Reno Stevanus Trustees Contact: Dan Hostetler Secretary Contact: Amy Stauffer-McNutt

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