Sept. 14, 2025
Anabaptism At Five Hundred
First Mennonite Church
Sugarcreek, Ohio
September 14, 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
Belief Eight : Steadfast Centrality of Jesus, Part I
~Gathering in the Royal Bible Classroom~
(around tables)
Welcome and Announcements
Focus Statement:
A disciple is someone who learns from a teacher. Anabaptists
learn from Jesus and commit to live in ways shaped by the life of Jesus.
They look to Scripture to see how Jesus acted and related to others.
Anabaptists seek to keep Jesus as the center of their lives. Palmer
Becker’s first principle of Anabaptist faith (out of three) is “Jesus is the
center of our faith.”
Scripture: I Corinthians 3:11
“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has
been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ.”
Time of Meditation: VT 718 Gentle Shepherd, Come and Lead Us
Call to Worship:
Leader: Christ be in our senses, marked with sacred sign. In the
Incarnation flesh became divine.
People: Christ be in our hearing, tune us to rejoice; in each shout or
whisper, hear God’s calling voice.
Leader: Christ be in our vision, guard us day and night; Keep our feet
from stumbling, shine God’s holy light.
People: Christ be in our speaking, train our ev’ry word. In our daily
witness let God’s truth be heard.
Leader: Christ be in our breathing, constantly impart grace to ev’ry
movement, peace within our hearts.
People: Christ be in our senses, marked with sacred sign. In the
Spirit’s presence, flesh becomes divine.
Leader: Let us worship God, who is worthy of our praise.
Invocation
Hymn of Gathering: VT 573 Strong, Peaceful Man of Galilee, v1, 5
~Storytelling~
Early Anabaptist Story: Anna Jansz --Mike Gehman
~Praising and Praying~
Hymn of Praise: VT 131 Praise, I Will Praise You Lord
Prayers of the People
Hymn of Praise: VT 130 Beautiful Savior (vs. 1,2 in English)
~Storytelling~
Global Story: Naomi Tamura –Bob Gerber
Early Anabaptist Story in Drama #1:
“On Hasty Judgments: Pilgram Marpeck, 1542”
Swiss Brother – Tyler Murphy Pilgram Marpeck – Reno Stevanus
Hymn of Response: VT 576 Who Now Would Follow Christ
(Bruce Stauffer reads the words to the entire hymn
through first, then we will sing vs. 1)
Who now would follow Christ in life
must scorn the world’s insult and strife
and bear the cross each day.
For this alone leads to the throne;
Christ is the only way.
Christ’s servants follow him to death
and give the body, life, and breath
on cross and rack and pyre.
As gold is tried and purified,
they stand the test of fire.
Renouncing all, they choose the cross,
and claiming it, count all as loss,
e’en husband, child, and wife.
Forsaking gain, forgetting pain,
they enter into life.
~Hearing God’s Word~
Scriptures:
Reader 1: John 3:16-17 --Nancy Yoder
Reader 2: John 8:42 --Bruce Stauffer
Reader 3: John 14:6 --Mike Keim
Reader 4: I Timothy 2:5 --Hannah Gehman
The Story of Linda Shelly –Suzanne Stauffer
Litany of Response: Teach us to find you, the Creator
(see next page)
Leader: Centering God, who through Christ, holds all things together,
we confess we often feel we are spinning out of control, pulled
into somebody else’s plans, pressed into work we didn’t expect,
propelled into countless places of need. Jesus, walk with us in
the flurry of our lives. Teach us how to find you, the Center.
ALL: Teach us how to find you, the Center.
Leader: Creating God, who through Christ, brings unlikely things
together, we confess we often feel bombarded, with way too
much information, bewildered by the amount of good things to
care for, intimidated by the pace of new technology, unnerved
by how to choose among all the choices. Jesus, walk with us in
the choices of our lives. Teach us how to find you, the Center.
ALL: Teach us how to find you, the Center.
Leader: Surprising God, who calls all things together through Christ,
we believe you are constantly summoning us to pay attention,
calling us to set aside our agenda and listen, beckoning us to
set aside our priorities and pray, urging us to set aside our
itinerary and follow. Jesus, walk with us as we learn to live
faithfully in the world. Teach us how to find you, the Center.
ALL: Teach us how to find you, the Center. Amen.
~Responding~
Hymn of Response: VT 287 Jesus Christ Is Waiting
Offering Prayer
~Sending~
Sending Hymn: VT 138 Christ, We Do All Adore Thee
Benediction: Micah 6:8
The Lord told you what is good and what God seeks from you:
do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.
WORSHIP 9:30-10:30
Minister: Mike Gehman
Worship Leader: Dan Hostetler
Pianist: Suzanne Stauffer
Head Usher: Monk Yoder
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 500) will enable us to answer these questions more accurately. We are basing this series on the above-mentioned 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 for September: Share-A-Christmas
Every year, many Tuscarawas County families turn to this program for assistance during the holiday season. Please make your check out to First Mennonite, and Bruce will then send one contribution at the end of the month. Thank you for helping bring joy, love and peace to our neighbors in need this Christmas season!
Your help is needed to fund MCC meat canning in Kidron: We are grateful for the volunteers who will help can 30,000 pounds of turkey in the Gerber Building behind Central Christian School from October 20-23. However, we are struggling to raise the necessary funds to pay for the canning. While we were able to secure a loan from MCC that enables the canning to move forward without delay, we need to raise $40,000 to repay the cost of the meat and canner operations. Please consider supporting this important project helping people in need around the world, providing important nutrients through canned meat.
Checks payable to: Relief Canning, Inc, Kidron EIN #34-1325825
Mail to: Ben Froese, Treasurer
PO Box 157, Kidron, OH 44636 -or-
2828 Church Rd., Orrville, OH 44667
Note: We will be meeting in the Royal Bible Sunday School classroom again next Sunday as we continue Part 2 of the “Centrality of Jesus.”
Sunday September 28th, Doug Luginbil, our Conference minister, will be here to share the message and do a special blessing for Amy Stauffer-McNutt, who is beginning the Journey Program—a missional leadership developmental program through AMBS.
THE CHURCH GIVES THANKS
Sue Stauffer: On Thursday I saw a bald Eagle flying and landed in a field. Also we have chrysalis for monarch butterflies.
Bertie Showers: Past 4 days we have had company, Debbie from North Carolina. Prayers for safe travels home.
April Shupe: There is a super lunar eclipse tonight. Also, Mike sent me a picture of the new grandchild, Clair Marie.
Lizzie Keim: I am a great grandma to a little girl, born last night.
THE CHURCH PRAYS FOR
Sue Stauffer: Bruce’s relatives Bill and Brenda need prayers, hospice has been called in for Brenda.
April Shupe: Mike Gahman has the flu bug and needs prayers.
Dan Hostetler: Randy Morrison is on dialysis and is waiting for a kidney transplant.
THIS WEEK
Sept. 16th Happy Birthday, Greta Stauffer-McNutt
Sept. 19th-21st Women’s Retreat @ Camp Friedenswald
NEXT WEEK
Minister: Mike Gehman
Worship Leader: Bruce Stauffer
Head Usher: Monk Yoder
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Sept. 26th-27th Swiss Festival
LAST WEEK
Attendance: 19
Offering: $1223
Change for a dollar: $25
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
