Summer Series 1

Come to the Water:

Rivers of Living Waters

First Mennonite Church

Sugarcreek, Ohio July 17, 2022

Worship: 9:30-10:30

Fellowship Time: 10:30-11:00

Sunday School: 11:00-12:00

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 CHURH WORSHIPS TOGETHER                                                                                                                                                                                                 

~Gathering~

Prelude: "I Heard the Voice of Jesus"--by Charles Wesley

Welcome & Announcements:

Focus Statement:

The image of a river is one of those

archetypal metaphors frequenting the world's

literature, ancient and modern.  It appears in one

of Jesus' best-known sayings, "whoever believes in

me. . .rivers of living water will flow from within

them" (John 7:38).  In the Psalms the motif of a

flowing river pictures the blessing and power

experienced by the people of God worshiping

together.  Even when Jerusalem is besieged by

enemy forces, the presence of God among his people

becomes a life-giving stream that makes the city

glad. (Psa. 46:4)

~Thirsting~

Time of Meditation: "Abide With Me"--by Virginia Thomas

Call to Worship:

L:  All of you who feel dry and thirsty, come to the water.  Fill your hands.  Splash your face.  Drink deeply.  Let it run down your chin!  Creator God, our Living Water, we give thanks

P:  for springs of water deep wells, for the streams and rivers of our Watershed, for the rains that fall--

All:  We give thanks for the water that sustains our life.

(pour a stream of water from the pitcher into a glass vase)

L:  We give thanks, O God,

P:  for water that washes away and cleans, for water that refreshes and restores--

All:  We gives thanks for the water that sustains our life.

(pour a stream of water from the pitcher into a glass vase)

L:  We give thanks, O God,

All:  for your love and mercy, pouring into our lives, soaking into our parched places, filling us up to the brim, overflowing in us to be a blessing for all.

(pour a stream of water from the pitcher into a glass vase)

L:  Come to the water of life.

Opening Prayer:

Hymn of Gathering:

"Shall We Gather at the River" Voices Together #667

~Drinking Deeply~

Water Story:  "River"--by Jean Flinner

Hymn of Praise:

"All Creatures, Worship God Most High" Voices Together #81 vs. 1, 2, 3, 7

Congregational Prayers:

Scripture Readers theater: (Bertie Showers, Bob Gerber, Hannah Gehman)

Message: "Are You Thirsty?"--by Mike Gehman

~Satisfied~

Hymn of Response:

"O Healing River" Voices Together #706

(the offering will be brought forward at this time)

Offering Prayer:

Sending Hymn:

"When Peace Like a River" Voices Together #617

Benediction:

Postlude: " Gentle Shepherd, Come and Lead Us"--Gloria Gaither

Words of Dismissal:

THE CHURCH GIVES THANKS A PRAYS FOR                                                                                                                                                                                 

For the opportunity to be laborers in the ultimate harvest.

Bertie Showers, Scott Loveday, Suzie Armstrong

MMN: Mennonite Mission Network's Youth Venture program is leading a nine-day immigration and borderlands learning tour in Tucson, Arizona.  Pray for the 15 participants as they come face-to-face with injustice and racism in many forms.

Prayers for Mennonite Education-Mennonite Early Childhood Network: Pray that adults may adopt the little children's traditional prayer by Rebecca J. Weston (1885) as their own:  "Father, we thank you for the night, and for the pleasant morning light, for rest and food and loving care, and all that makes the day so fair.  Help us to do the things we should, to be to others kind and good, in all we do in work and play to grow more living every day.  Amen."

FMC LIVES IN DISCIPLESHIP TOGETHER                                                                                                                                                                                       

Next Week's Text:  Isaiah 43:1-5a

Harbor of Hope: This month's items are Paper Products, and are due on July 27.

Mission Projects for July: Harbor of Hope: Paper Products; MCC's My Coins Count

Comforter Knotting: The next Knotting will be on Wednesday, July 27 details to follow.

Young Life: It is that time of year where we can participate in the lives of those involved with Young Life.  The Young Life Prayer Vigil will be on Saturday, August 20.  The sign-up sheet in on the mailbox table and we have until July 28 to sign-up.

WORSHIP                                                                                                       9:30-10:30                                                                                                                       

Greeters:                                                                                                       Tyler & Jaden Murphy

Minister:                                                                                                         Mike Gehman

Worship Leader:                                                                                         April Shupe

Song Leader:                                                                                                April Shupe

Organist:                                                                                                        Margaret Cheslock

Pianist:                                                                                                            Suzanne Stauffer

Head Usher:                                                                                                   Leadership Team

UPCOMING EVENTS                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

July 27          Harbor of Hope items due: Paper Products

July 27          Comforter Knotting

July 28          Worship Committee Meeting 2:00p.m.

July 29          Senior Breakfast @ Dutch Valley 9:00 a.m.

Aug.   3         Leadership Team Meeting 7:00 p.m.

Aug. 5-6      Ohio MCC Relief Sale, Wooster, Ohio Fairgrounds

Aug. 20         Young Life Prayer Vigil

Aug. 24        Harbor of Hope items due: Soup & Mac-N-Cheese

Aug. 26        Senior Breakfast @ Dutch Valley 9:00 a.m.

Aug. 30        Homeless Shelter Meal 6:00 p.m.

Sept.   5        Labor Day

Sept.   7        Leadership Team Meeting 7:00 p.m.

Sept. 23       Senior Breakfast @ Dutch Valley 9:00 a.m.

Sept. 29       Harbor of Hope items: PB & Jelly

NEXT WEEK                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Greeters:                                                                                       April Shupe, Bertie Showers

Minister:                                                                                        Mike Gehman

Worship Leader:                                                                         Tally Maust

Song Leader:                                                                                April Shupe

Head Usher:                                                                                  Leadership Team

CHURCH LEADERSHIP                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

CHURCH;

Pastor: Mike Gehman

Pastor's Hours:  Wednesday, 9:30am-2:30pm

Secretary: Tally Maust

Phone: 1-330-852-2822

Email: pastor@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

July 17, 2022:  "One Well"

     "imagine for a moment that all the water on Earth came from just one well.

     "This isn't as strange a it sounds.  All water on Earth is connected, so there really is just one source of water--one global well--from which we all draw our water.  Every ocean wave, every lake, stream and underground river, every raindrop and snowflake and every bit of ice in glaciers and polar icecaps is part of this global well.

     "So whether you are turning on a faucet in North America, pulling water from a well in Kenya or bathing in a river in India it is all the same water.  And because it is all connected, how we treat the water in the well will affect every species on the planet, including us, now and for years to come."

     "1.  Earth is the only planet that has liquid water and is therefore the only planet that can support life."

     "2.  You need water, and so does every other living organism--every person every plant and every animal.  Without water, nothing can survive."

     "3.  the amount of water on Earth hasn't ever changed.  It has been the same for billions of years."

--taken from  One Well: the story of Water on Earth--Rochelle Strauss, c. 2007, pg. 4-5