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
Attendance: 18
Offering: $1395
Change for a dollar: $5
Share A Christmas: $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
