BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
September 28, 2025

Christ Candle Lighting

Centering Music—Will Wiebe-Friesen

Welcome—Mary Ellen Hodge

*Hymn—Summoned by the God Who Made Us—VT 1

Children and Youth Conversation—Elizabeth Schmidt

Worship Music—Holly Swartzendruber and Lucy Burch

Scripture Reading—Matthew 9:16-26—Darlene Dick

*Hymn—Healer of Our Every Ill—VT 644

Sermon—Joanna Harader

Prayers of God’s People—Mary Ellen Hodge

Special Music—God, Be the Love—BCMC Ensemble

Litany of Release and Blessing for Elizabeth Schmidt—Kathy Neufeld Dunn
with BCMC leaders

*Hymn—The Lord Lift You Up—VT 832         
Those with September birthdays are welcome to come forward during this hymn to receive a birthday blessing.

*Benediction

Postlude

* You are invited to stand
VT—Voices Together

Audio visual—Ken Lamp

BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
                 September 21, 2025
              Peace Sunday

 
Christ Candle Lighting 
 
Centering Music–Thou True Vine That Heals the Nations–(arr. Raymond Haan)
Will Wiebe-Friesen                                            
 
Welcome & Prayer–Heather Esau Zerger
 
*Hymn–Christ is Alive! Let Christians Sing–VT 359

Children and Youth Conversation– Esther Kreider Eash
 
Worship Music– Children of the Heavenly Father (arr. Robert Scholz)
Chancel Choir; Joel Garber, director; Will Wiebe-Friesen, accompanist
 
Scripture Reading–Matthew 5:33-48–Lauren Friesen
                        
*Hymn–How Can We Worship Caesar’s Cross–VT 308
                       
Sermon–Concerning Coercion–Nathan Koontz

*Hymn–Rain Down–VT 703
 
Prayers of God’s People
 
*Hymn–For the Healing of the Nations–VT 705

*Benediction
 
Postlude–Christ is Alive! Let Christians Sing (arr. J. Wayne Kerr)
 
 
*You are invited to stand   
VT—Voices Together
Audio-visual—Ben Lichti  

BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
  September 14, 2025

Christ Candle Lighting 
     & lighting candles of gratitude and lament for the passing
     of Florine Eitzen– VT 773                                                                                                    

Centering Music–How Can I Keep From Singing  (Lowry/Moklebust)–Chancel Bells; Verlene Garber, director

Welcome–VT 884         
           Margaret Toews

*Hymn–All People That on Earth Do Dwell                    VT 5

Children and Youth Conversation–Carol Flickinger
Worship Music Selvaggio (Waugh)–Chancel Bells

Scripture Reading                            Matthew 5:1-2                     Joyce Holck
                      Matthew 5:3-12: VT 295 Congregation reads bold
                      Matthew 5:13-20 Joyce Holck

*Hymn                             Balaacoolwe (Blessed Are the Persecuted) VT 578

Sermon                           It’s Not What You Think             Joanna Harader

*Hymn                                        Beloved, God’s Chosen                            VT 164

Prayers of God’s People

*Hymn                                       You Are Salt For the Earth               VT 297

*Benediction

Postlude                                     Siyahamba (Behnke)                       Verlene Garber


*You are invited to stand   
VT—Voices Together
Keyboard—Verlene Garber   Audio-visual—Ken Lamp  

BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
September 7, 2025

Christ Candle Lighting                                                               

Centering Music–Ave Maria (Coccini)- Caleb Garber, cello; Verlene Garber, accompanist   

Welcome & Land Acknowledgment–Esther Kreider Eash

*Hymn–Gathered Here–VT 3

Children and Youth Conversation–Max Ediger

Worship Music–Let Thy Holy Presence (P. Tschesnokoff)
             Chancel Choir; Joel Garber, director; Will Wiebe-Friesen, accompanist

Scripture Reading–Matthew 4:12-25–Brad Born

*Hymn--Tú has vendido a la orilla–VT 283
                      (v. 1 in English, v. 1 in Spanish, v. 2-4 as desired)

Sermon–Our Place in the Story–Joanna Harader

*Hymn–Healer of Our Every Ill–VT 644

Prayers of God’s People

*Hymn–Heart with Loving Heart United–VT 813

*Benediction    

Postlude–Psalm 19 (Benedetto Marcello)         
      Will Wiebe-Friesen 

*You are invited to stand   
VT—Voices Together
Audio-visual—Ken Lamp  

Land Acknowledgement from words by Mark Charles and VT #878 
As we do on the first Sunday of each month,  
  we acknowledge that we worship  
  on the land of the Kanza, Osage, and Wichita.   
We thank them for their care and respect for this land      
  and acknowledge the injustice of their forced removal. 
We ask the Spirit to heal our histories 
  and find new paths of right relationships with them 
  and all of creation.    

BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
August 31, 2025

 
Christ Candle Lighting
 
Centering Music–Savior of the Nations, Come, BWV 659 [VT 214] (J.S. Bach)–Will Wiebe-Friesen                                                                                            
 
Welcome–Wynn Goering
 
*Hymn–As I Went Down to the River to Pray–VT 453
 
Children and Youth Conversation–Judy Harder
 
Worship Music–Concerto for 2 Violins in D minor, BWV 1043–(Johann Sebastian Bach, I. Vivace)        
Violinists: Daniel Colwell & Angel Garcia
Pianist: Ken Rodgers
  
Scripture Reading with hymn–Matthew 3–David Kreider
Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord–VT 219–[Please sing as prompted]             
 
Sermon–Fruit Worthy of Repentance–Joanna Harader
 
*Hymn–Crashing Waters at Creation–VT 441
 
Welcoming New Members–Elizabeth Schmidt
     Introduction to Church Membership–VT 959
     New Members:  David Mathis and Jay Newton
     Membership Covenant Questions
     Welcoming New Members–VT 961
 
Prayers of God’s People
 
*Hymn–Comfort, Comfort, O My People–VT 212
Those with August birthdays are welcome to come forward during this hymn to receive a birthday blessing.
 
*Benediction
 
Postlude–Prelude in G Major, BWV 550 (J.S. Bach)
 
*You are invited to stand    VT—Voices Together     Audio visual— Ken Lamp

BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
August 24, 2025
Backpack Sunday

Christ Candle Lighting

Centering Music–Semplice (Robert Schumann)–Mary Jo Preheim

Welcome & Prayer–Adam Robb

*Hymn–Just As I Am, without One Plea–VT 560 

Children and Youth Conversation-Backpack Blessing–Jill Robb

Scripture Reading–Matthew 2:13-23–Dianne Epp

*Hymn–Jesus Entered Egypt–VT 279

Sermon–Hosting Jesus–Nathan Koontz 

*Hymn–Will You Let Me Be Your Servant–VT 778

Prayers of God’s People 

*Hymn–Go, My Friends, in Grace–VT 810

*Benediction 

Postlude– Andante (Franz Schubert)–Mary Jo Preheim

*You are invited to stand 
VT—Voices Together 
Audio visual—Ben Lichti 

BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
August 17, 2025
Bethel College New Student Sunday

Christ Candle Lighting

Centering Music–My Soul Cries Out [VT 412] (arr. Wiebe-Friesen)–Will Wiebe-Friesen                                                          

Welcome Brad Kohlman

*Hymn–Come, Thou Fount–VT 563

Children and Youth Conversation–Esther Koontz

Worship Music–Waitin’ for the Light to Shine (Roger Miller)                                                                           
Ben Lichti, trumpet; Suzanne Burch, guitar

Kin-dom Report–Ani Koontz

Scripture Reading–Matthew 1:18-25–Adah Hodge

*Hymn–Helpless and Hungry–VT 268

Sermon–God-With-Us–Joanna Harader

*Hymn–Joy to the World–VT 240

Prayers of God’s People

*Hymn–The Lord Lift You Up–VT 832

*Benediction

Postlude–Toccata on Joy to the World (Brenda Portman) 

*You are invited to stand
VT—Voices Together
Audio visual—Francis Toews

Waitin’ for the Light to Shine is from the musical Big River, based on Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Born to an abusive father and then taken in by seemingly pious people whom he watches mistreat enslaved persons, Huck has decided to run away and help his friend Jim escape enslavement. He laments that he has “lived in the darkness for so long,” not realizing that he himself is a bearer of the light that he seeks. — Ben Lichti

Hymn Requests this Sunday
· The Lord Lift You Up is a blessing hymn which fills my soul. I miss her very much–but love her gift of music! —Dorothy Nickel Friesen

· “I sat with a good friend while she was in a coma and dying from brain cancer. I held her hand and sang this song to her several times over four days as she passed away. Patty Shelly gave us this beautiful gift.”
   –Pam Epp

· Come Thou Fount–Jake Robb’s favorite hymn

BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
August 10, 2025
Camp Sunday
 
Christ Candle Lighting
 
Centering Music–Verlene Garber
 
Welcome–Mara Oswald
            
*Hymn–What Is This Place–VT 22
 
Camp Slide Show–with music from Verlene Garber
 
Children and Youth Conversation–Kevin Neufeld
 
*Hymn–Rain Down–VT 703
 
Scripture Reading–Acts 9:10-20–Kerm Gingerich
                       
Sermon–Another Way–Joanna Harader
 
Prayer Hymn–Seek Ye First (v. 1, 2, 1)–VT 417
 
Prayers of God’s People–Mara Oswald
 
*Hymn–You Shall Go Out with Joy–VT 847                         
 
*Benediction    
                             
Postlude
 
* You are invited to stand
VT—Voices Together
Audio visual—Ken Lamp

BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
August 3, 2025

Christ Candle Lighting & Land Acknowledgement–Lyn Krause                                           

Centering Music–For the Beauty of the Earth  (arr. Lee Dengler)–Karen Unruh                                             
Welcome–Joanna Harader

*Hymn–“Great is Thy Faithfulness”–VT 419

Children and Youth Conversation–Joanna Harader

Worship Music–Valse Sentimentale No. 2 (Eric Christian von Fricken)–Abby Koontz

Scripture Reading–Ephesians 4:11-16–Adam Robb

*Hymn–One Is the Body–VT 386

Sermon–Putting Faith Into Action–Mandy Todd, KIFA                                                
Hymn–We are People of God’s Peace–VT 797

Prayers of God’s People

*Hymn–The Love of God–VT 162

*Benediction    

Postlude–Earth and All Stars  (arr. John Leavitt)
   Karen Unruh 

* You are invited to stand
VT—Voices Together
Audio visual—Ben Lichti

Land Acknowledgement from words by Mark Charles and VT #878 
As we do on the first Sunday of each month, we acknowledge that we worship  
  on the land of the Kanza, Osage, and Wichita.   
We thank them for their care and respect for this land and acknowledge the
  injustice of their forced removal. 
We ask the Spirit to heal our histories and find new paths of right relationships with them and all of creation.  

GOING BEYOND LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT:  
COME pray with us in the BCMC sanctuary at 11 a.m. Wed., Aug. 6 for the Apache Stronghold as they go to court to try to save Oak Flat from desecration by copper mining.  On that date Apache Stronghold and allies will be at the Sandra Day O’Connor Courthouse in District Court in Phoenix and those of us not able to be with them in Phoenix will be praying and sending pictures of our groups across the country who stand in solidarity.  We in central Kansas want to be among that number praying.  Come and bring others.  Try to be here a bit early so that we can be on line together at 11 a.m. CDT as a part of a great host of allies.   Among the allies of the Apache Stronghold are environmental groups, political groups, land justice groups, Arizona groups, and surely those of us Christians who would wish to help in the dismantling of the Doctrine of Discovery which has caused so much harm to our Indigenous sisters and brothers.  Let us pray together in solidarity with them for respect for religious freedom.

Hymn Request for August 3
The Love of God (VT 162) “The last verse is a unique expression of faith.” —Lee Suderman

Great is thy Faithfulness (VT 419)  I first heard it sung by MCC workers on the dyke in Holland when I was a refugee. The words completely resonated with my experience of fleeing my homeland.  “All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.  Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me.” — Justina Neufeld

 BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
  July 27, 2025
 
Christ Candle Lighting                                                            
 
Centering Music–Adagio (Mozart)–Mary Jo Preheim
 
Welcome–Dorothy Nickel Friesen

*Hymn–Holy, Holy, Holy!–VT 76

Children and Youth Conversation–Tim Hodge
 
Worship Music–Sing Ye a Joyful Song (Dvorak)–Doyle Preheim
 
Scripture Reading–Luke 11:1-4, Matthew 6:7-13–Justin Zerger    
 
*Scripture Response Hymn–Praise God–VT 71
                       
Sermon–Pray, then, in this way . . . –Joanna Harader
 
*Hymn–Be Thou My Vision–VT 549
 
Prayers of God’s People
 
*Hymn–My Jesus, I Love Thee–VT 133
Those with July birthdays are welcome to come forward during this hymn to receive a birthday blessing.
 
*Benediction    
                             
Postlude–Maestoso (Handel)–Mary Jo Preheim  
 
* You are invited to stand
VT—Voices Together
Audio visual—Ken Lamp