Sept. 21, 2025

Anabaptism At Five Hundred

First Mennonite Church

Sugarcreek, Ohio

September 21, 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 : Centrality of Jesus

Part II—How do you live out your faith?

~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.” In today’s service we are presenting faith stories from the new book, Faith in Full Color: a Tapestry of Anabaptist Stories by Jeanne Zimmerly Janti from Wayne County. This book is part of the Anabaptism @500 series published in 2025 by Herald Press and focuses on lives lived with Jesus as the focus. We will note how our lives can be lived faithfully but in different ways.

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 583 O Christ, Impart Your Teaching True

Call to Worship:

Leader: In Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.

For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed

yourselves with Christ.

People: There is no longer Jew or Greek, no longer slave or free, no

longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.

Invocation

Hymn of Gathering: VT 666 In Thee Is Gladness

~Scripture and Stories~

Introduction - Suzanne Stauffer

Scriptures: Matthew 5:38-39 – Bruce Stauffer

Matthew 5:44, 46 – Suzanne Stauffer

1. Nigeria – Making Peace in the Face of Violence

(nonviolence in presence of war) – Reno Stevanus

Scriptures: Psalm 147:3 – Bruce Stauffer

Isaiah 4:29 – Suzanne Stauffer

Jeremiah 17:14 – Bruce Stauffer

2. Holmes County – Helping Amish Families at New Leaf Center

(medical help to those on margins) – Nancy Yoder

Scripture: Hebrews 13:2 – Suzanne Stauffer

3. Columbus Mennonite – Finding Sanctuary in a Church

(sanctuary to immigrant) – April Shupe

Hymn of Petition: VT 584 Jesus, Be the Center (vs. 1 and refrain)

Scripture: Acts 2:42-47 – Bruce Stauffer

4. Winnipeg - Living Intentionally at Emmaus House

(faith community living together) – Tabby Murphy

Scripture: I Corinthians 4:1-2 - Suzanne Stauffer

I Peter 4:10 – Bruce Stauffer

5. Washington DC – Making Peace Through Energy Stewardship

(energy efficiency as stewardship) – Mike Keim

Scripture: Luke 14:13-14 – Suzanne Stauffer

Galatians 2:10 – Bruce Stauffer

Hymn of Petition: VT 584 Jesus, Be the Center (vs. 2 and refrain)

Scripture: Luke 4:18 – Suzanne Stauffer

Romans 12:13 – Bruce Stauffer

6. Philadelphia – Offering Mutual Aid Through Debt Repayment

(debt repayment) – Helene Torgler

7. Kitchener- Offering Assistance to All in Need

(providing goods and services to all) – Hannah Gehman

Hymn of Petition: VT 584 Jesus, Be the Center (vs. 3 and refrain)

Quote: Pope John Paul II – Suzanne Stauffer

“The earth will not continue to offer its harvest, except with faithful

stewardship. We cannot say we love the land and then take steps to

destroy it for use by future generations.”

8. Fresno OH – Cultivating Stewardship Across Generations

(life of stewardship) – Bertie Showers

Scripture: John 13:35 – Suzanne Stauffer

Luke 6:27, 31, 35 – Bruce Stauffer

9. Myanmar – Countering Culture with Tithing and

Peacemaking (nonviolence in time of instability) – Bob Gerber

Hymn of Petition: VT 584 Jesus, Be the Center (vs. 4, refrain, and coda)

Prayer of Response:

Leader: Lord, in you and through you and by you, we have our being.

We give thanks for the ways in which you strengthen, encourage

and pour life into us. We have been saved by your grace, and it

is through this grace that we have life. We are alive in You and

we are together in You. Together, we walk in ministry to all the

world seeking to act justly, love mercy, and live humbly with our

God.

People: Lord, make us instruments of your peace. Where there is hatred,

let us sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is

doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is

darkness, light. And where there is sadness, joy. O divine

master, grant that we may not so much seek to be consoled as to

console; to be understood as to understand. To be loved as to

love. For it is giving that we receive; it is in pardoning that we

are pardoned. And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Leader: Together, we continue to discern The Way Forward with the

intent to keep Jesus as the focus and center of our lives. Amen.

~Praising, Praying and Responding~

Hymn of Response: VT 287 Jesus Christ Is Waiting

Prayers of the People (including offertory prayer)

Hymn of Praise:

~Sending~

Sending Hymn: VT 566 We Will Follow

Benediction Prayer:

Jesus, be the center, be my source, be my light, Jesus

Jesus, be the center, be my hope, be my song, Jesus

Be the fire in my heart, be the wind in these sails

Be the reason that I live, Jesus, Jesus,

Jesus, be my vision, be my path, be my guide. Jesus.

Go and walk with Jesus in your heart.

WORSHIP 9:30-10:30

Minister: Mike Gehman

Worship Leader: Bruce Stauffer

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!

Mission Project for October: MCC Meat Canning

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.

Next 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

Hanna Gehman: Praise for the safe arrival of Claire Marie Miller. Brianna and the baby are doing well. Thank you for all your prayers.

THE CHURCH PRAYS FOR

Bruce Stauffer: Sister-in-law Brenda Stauffer has passed.

Hanna Gehman: Mike is having some health issues and is asking for prayers. Also, prayers for my friend’s granddaughter, Ava, is in the ICU at Akron Children’s hospital.

Bertie Showers: Sonny King passed, prayer for friends and family.

THIS WEEK

Sept. 26th-27th Swiss Festival

NEXT WEEK

Guest Minister: Doug Luginbill

Worship Leader: Mike Gehman

Head Usher: Monk Yoder

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Oct. 5th World Communion Sunday

Oct. 26th Heritage Sunday

Nov. 23rd Thanksgiving Sunday

LAST WEEK