Nov. 24, 2024
Celebrating Thanksgiving
First Mennonite Church
Sugarcreek, Ohio
November 24, 2024
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_____________________
We Give Thanks
~Gathering~
Prelude:
“Thanks Unto Thee” -G.F. Handel arr. by Helen Litz
“Rejoice, Give Thanks, and Sing” – arr. Douglas Wagner
Welcome & Announcements
Focus Statement:
Thanksgiving is a communal time when we express our gratitude
to God for all the blessings we enjoy because of God’s goodness to
us. It is a time when we share what gives us pleasure and makes life meaningful for us. No matter what hard times we’re going through, we can always find some good. We lift each other up by sharing our thoughts. Therefore, today we are ALL asked to participate in the service.
Time of Meditation:
“Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow” – arr. Janet Vogt
(Offerings for Share-a-Christmas will be given to an usher.
Raise your hand to indicate that you have a contribution.)
Call to Worship:
Leader: Creating God, we bring to you our praise.
People: We give thanks for the bounty of earth, sea, and sky.
Pastor: We hold before you our joy and entrust to you our sorrow.
People: We are yours and made in your image.
Leader: Open us to the movement of your Spirit in and among
us.
Pulpit Side: Comfort us.
Lectern Side: Disturb us.
Pastor: Enlighten us.
Leader: Ignite us.
ALL: Continue your creating ways in us and through us,
that your glory may be comprehended and your love
made visible. In the name of your Son, our Savior, we
pray. Amen.
Reflective Meditation: “Holy God, We Praise Thy Name”
– arr. Jeffrey Honore
Invocation
Hymns of Gathering:
HWB 94 Come, Ye Thankful People, Come v1, 2
HWB 17 We Gather Together v1, 2
~Praying & Praising~
Scriptures about Thankfulness
Prayers of the People
~Hearing God’s Word~
Message: “Give Thanks With a Grateful Heart”
~Responding~
Hymn of Praise: HWB 89 For the Beauty of the Earth
Expressions of Gratitude
Hymn HWB 307 Will You Let Me Be Your Servant v1-5
Congregational Response: “His faithfulness is everlasting.”
Hymn of Praise: HWB 96 We Plow the Fields and Scatter
Expressions of Gratitude
Congregational Response: “His faithfulness is everlasting.”
Hymn of Praise: HWB 98 Sing to the Lord of Harvest v1
Expressions of Gratitude
Congregational Response: “His faithfulness is everlasting.”
Hymn of Offering: HWB 391 God, Whose Farm Is All Creation v1, 3
(the offering is brought forward)
Offering Prayer
~Sending~
Reading
Sending Words:
ALL: God of all grace and love, we have praised you with our
lips for all the richness and meaning that life holds for
us. Now send us into the world to praise you with our
lives, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. AMEN
Sending Hymn: HWB #420 Heart with Loving Heart United,
v1, 3
Postlude: “Praise the Lord, the Heavens Adore Him”
– arr. Mary McDonald
Benediction
Departing Music: “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee”
– arr. Cindy Berry
WORSHIP 9:30-10:30
Minister: Mike Gehman
Worship Leader: Bruce Stauffer
Song Leader: April Shupe
Pianist: Sue Stauffer
Usher: Leadership Team
A note about a special offering for today:
During the Time of Meditation for our Thanksgiving worship service today, we are asked to give our monetary gifts for Share-a-Christmas to an usher, who will take the contributions to the altar for us as a symbol of our grateful responses to God’s goodness. You will raise your hands so that the ushers will know to come get your gift. This gift is in addition to your regular morning offering. This is a new experience for us to put money on the Thanksgiving altar, but it is fitting for this Sunday.
FMC LIVES IN DISCIPLESHIP TOGETHER
December Mission Project: Share-A-Christmas
Every year, many Tuscarawas County families turn to the Share-A-
Christmas program for assistance during the holiday season. This
year’s theme is, “Sleigh Bells Ring, Are You Listening?” Our church will
be participating by giving cash donations which will go toward clothing
voucher gift cards from Kohls. We will ONLY be collecting today and
Sunday Dec. 1st as the money needs to be sent in time for distribution
for Christmas. Please make your check out to First Mennonite and
designate it for Share-A-Christmas. Bruce will then send in one check
from our church.
Mennonite Arts Weekend: Early-bird registration is open for the 2025
Mennonite Arts Weekend in Cincinnati, Ohio, February 7-9. This
weekend celebrates the creativity and discipline of Anabaptist
Mennonite artists. Find the list of presenters, registration and location
information at https://mennoniteartsweekend.org
The Small lap-size comforters that you see on the altar and in the front of the sanctuary will be donated to T4C for their new program to recognize the elderly at Christmas time. They were pieced by Suzanne Stauffer and knotted by Tabatha Murphy, Keo Sixiengmay, and Bertie Showers. We already donated 7 that were made by JoAnne Miller and knotted by various people in the congregation, plus 90 stuffed dolphin toys that were given to Bruce and Sue by Model T friends.
THE CHURH GIVES THANKS
Kristy Keim: After 5 weeks in the icu, Stetson is home.
Sue Stauffer: Jim Cahill is done with transplant and is home recovering.
Mike Gehman: Thank you for all the prayers for our family during this time without Hannah.
CHURCH PRAYS FOR
April Shupe: Maragret can have visitors, is still having a hard time getting use to the nursing home.
Sue Stauffer: Maragret Nagle has passed away, also, Alan Stacy is struggling with depression and has a bed sore that won’t heal.
Bob Gerber: Julia was feeling nauseous yesterday and didn’t feel well enough to come today.
Bertie Showers: Brother Ken’s nursing home has broken out with scabies, so there are no visitors allowed to come.
Mike Gehman: Friend has a tumor that will more than likely need surgery to remove it.
THIS WEEK
Nov. 25th Happy Birthday, Suzie Armstrong
Dec. 1st Happy Birthday, Rick Maurer
NEXT WEEK
Advent One Text: Daniel 6:6-27; Luke 23:1-5
Minister: Mike Gehman
Worship Leader: April Shupe
Head Usher: Herb Torgler
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Dec. 1st First Sunday of Advent
Dec. 7th Light Up Sugarcreek 4-7pm
Dec. 8th Advent Vespers: A Service of Lessons and Carols, at
St. Joseph Catholic Church, Dover 6pm
(music begins at 5:30, G. Randall Gibbs playing organ)
LAST WEEK
ATTENDANCE: 21
OFFERING: $670
Change for a dollar: $9
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
