March 2, 2025

Anabaptism At 500

Belief Two: Prayer

First Mennonite Church

Sugarcreek, Ohio

March 2, 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

~Gathering in the Royal Bible Classroom~

(around tables)

Welcome & Announcements

Focus Statement:

Prayer is communion with God. A prayer can be words spoken to God or a time of listening to God. A prayer of thanks is often said before a meal. People can pray together silently or join their voices together in song. Prayers can be actions, such as the lighting of a candle, caring for a person in need, or tending a garden.

Scripture/Prayer in Music: Matthew 6:9b-12

– piano solo by Suzanne Stauffer

Prayer in Words

Time of Meditation: VT 453 As I Went Down to the River to

Pray (vs. 1,2)

Call to Worship:

Leader: Holy Spirit, Creating Presence, as in the beginning

you hover over the waters; you bring life into all

creatures; without you every living creature dies and returns to nothing.

People: Come, Holy Spirit.

Leader: Holy Spirit, Comforter, by you we are born again as

children of God; you make us living temples of your presence; you pray within us prayers too deep for words.

People: Come, Holy Spirit.

Leader: Holy Spirit, Lord and Giver of life, you are light; you

bring us light; you are goodness and the source of all

goodness.

People: Come, Holy Spirit.

Leader: Holy Spirit, Breath of life, you sanctify and breathe

life into the whole body of the church; you dwell in

each of us and will one day give new life to our

mortal bodies.

ALL: Come, Holy Spirit.

Invocation

Hymn of Gathering: HWB 553 Lead Me, Guide Me

~Storytelling~

Global Story: Hilda Franz, Manitoba, Canada

~Praying & Praising~

Hymn of Praise: VT 204 Praise to the Living God

Prayer:

ALL: Listening God, you hear our prayers before we speak yet

welcome our praying; therefore we come with confidence

to lay our requests before you.

Leader: We pray for Christians everywhere, for our

denomination and our congregation, for faithfulness and

strength to persevere in righteousness. We pray for the

whole people of God.

People: Lord, hear our prayer.

Leader: We pray for the nations of the world, for all leaders and

for those who make policy decisions. We pray for the

commonwealth of our global community.

People: Lord, hear our prayer.

Leader: We pray for those who are overcome by violence, for

victims of injustice or oppression, and for those in

poverty or pain. We pray for all who need healing and

peace.

People: Lord, hear our prayer.

Leader: We pray for those who endure trials, for those who are

dying, and for those who mourn. We pray for all who

need comfort and hope.

People: Lord, hear our prayer.

Prayers of the People: (“Lord, hear our prayer / praise”)

Ending:

Leader: You have heard the prayers of your people, O God. We

rest in the comfort of your care, as we pray in Jesus’

name.

All: AMEN

Prayer Hymn: HWB 586 Cast Thy Burden upon the Lord

~Storytelling~

Early Anabaptist Story in Drama:

“We Live the Bible, We Pray the Bible:

the Anabaptist Concordance, 1540”

by Alan and Eleanor Kreider

-Read by Brad Shupe, Reno Stevanus, Mike Gehman, Bertie

Showers, Nancy Yoder, Kristy Keim, April Shupe, Suzanne

Stauffer

~Responding~

Hymn of Response: VT 744 Shepherd Me, O God

(refrain only 2x)

Scripture & Pastoral Remarks: Matthew 6:5-15

Contemplative Prayer in Music:

VT 612 When Pain or Sorrow/Hold On

– played by Suzanne Stauffer

(please follow along with the words in your songbook)

Offering Prayer

~Sending~

Sending Hymn: VT 554 Eternal Light, Shine in My Heart

Benediction:

Leader: Now may the Lord Jesus bless your soul and

strengthen your faith. Let this hour of worship grow

within you And bear fruit which will remain for life

eternal.

People: We will together praise and glorify our God

forever.

WORSHIP 9:30-10:30

Minister: Mike Gehman

Worship Leader: Dan Hostetler

Usher: Leadership Team

Our On-Going Series on Anabaptist Beliefs:

In 2018, Lisa Weaver and Elizabeth Miller, as part of the Bearing Witness Stories project, wrote a book for children entitled, Let the Children Come to Me: Nurturing Anabaptist Faith Within Families. “The materials gathered together in this book beautifully illustrate the central convictions of the Anabaptist tradition.” (John D. Roth, Director of the Institute for the Study of Global Anabaptism)

As residents of Holmes and Tuscarawas counties, oftentimes we each have been asked, “Are Mennonites Amish?” and “What do you believe that’s different from other Protestant denominations?” It’s sometimes hard to come up with an explanation of our faith. Hopefully this series of worship services (that will be spread out through this year of Anabaptism at Five Hundred ) will enable us to answer these questions more accurately. We are basing this series on the abovementioned book.

In conjunction with our Anabaptist at Five Hundred celebration this year, we would love to have pictures of any community, 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. You will get them back!

FMC LIVES IN DISCIPLESHIP TOGETHER

Mission Project 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. Last year, MCC shipped 80,060 hygiene kits to El Salvador, Guatemala, Malawi, Ukraine, the U.S. (including Puerto Rico) and Zambia. Pick up a list of items on the table in the fellowship area.

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FMC Annual Congregational Meeting will be held following the worship service this morning. Look for your Annual Report booklet in your mailbox.

People who are willing to knot one or more pin-basted comforters in their homes are asked to contact Sue Stauffer, who will provide them with a comforter, thread, and a needle. The knots are to be square knots. The comforters will be returned to Katie Miller, who made the tops and backs, and she will pass them on to MCC, where they are greatly needed. Katie has given us 24 comforters to complete. At this point we have six doled out to people, so you can see that there are quite a few more to do. Sue is pin-basting them and finishing the bindings. Thank you.

THE CHURH GIVES THANKS

Sue Stauffer: Jim & Deb Cahill was able to move back home. Deb will be flying to California for daughter’s birthday.

Bertie Showers: April and her friends went on a trip to Florida, prayers for safe travels.

Mike Gehman: Mom moved on Wednesday and is adjusting to the new living arrangements.

CHURCH PRAYS FOR

Nancy Yoder: Jill’s sister-in-law Carol Boltz was diagnosed with 2 different types of cancer.

Bruce Stauffer: There was an accident Friday night, a tractor rolled over 2 people who were life flighted to Akron Children’s hospital.

THIS WEEK

March 2^nd Annual Congregational Meeting following worship

March 9^th First Sunday of Lent

Daylight Savings Time Begins

UPCOMING EVENTS