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 28^th, 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. 16^th Happy Birthday, Greta Stauffer-McNutt

Sept. 19^th-21^st Women’s Retreat @ Camp Friedenswald