BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
February 23, 2025
Reflections on Snow Camp
 
Christ Candle Lighting
 
Centering Music—Master Tallis’s Testament (Herbert Howells)— Will Wiebe-Friesen
 
Welcome & Prayer (VT 853)—Margaret Toews
                                    
*Hymn—All People That on Earth Do Dwell—VT 5
           
Children’s Conversation—Youth
 
Worship Music— Cantique de Jean Racine (Faure)— Chancel Choir; Joel Garber, director; Will Wiebe-Friesen, accompanist
 
Kin-dom Report— Pastor Nathan Koontz’s Sabbatical Plans— Megan Kohlman
 
*Hymn—God, Be the Love—VT 43
 
Scripture Reading—Genesis 45:3-11, 15   I Corinthians 13:12—Youth
 
Sermon—Who Am I?—Joanna Harader
 
*Hymn—Solemn Stillness, Weary Streets—VT 276
 
Prayers of God’s People
 
*Hymn—Be Thou My Vision—VT 549—(People with February birthdays come forward for a blessing, please bring a hymnal)
 
*Birthday Blessing and Benediction
 
Postlude—Voluntary on The Third Tune [VT 326] (arr. Lasky)—Will Wiebe-Friesen
                       

---

* You are invited to stand
VT—Voices Together
Keyboard—Will Wiebe-Friesen
Audio visual—Ben Lichti

BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
February 16, 2025
 
Christ Candle Lighting
 
Centering Music— Trio super Herr Jesu Christ, dich zu uns wend,’ BWV 655 (J.S. Bach)—
Kevin Vaughn
 
Welcome & Prayer—Virginia Mininger
Call to Worship VT 851
 
*Hymn— O Worship Our God, All Glorious Above—VT 74
 
Children’s Conversation—Glen Ediger
 
Worship Music— Land of Rest & New Britain (Barbara Harbach)—Kevin Vaughn
 
*Hymn—Blessed Are You—VT 290
 
Scripture Reading—Luke 6:17-26—Ron Sawatzky
 
Sermon—What Power Looks Like—Joanna Harader
 
*Hymn–My Soul Cries Out—VT 412
 
Prayers of God’s People
 
*Hymn—Sing a New World into Being—VT 809
 
*Benediction
 
Postlude—Fugue in A Minor, BWV 543b (J.S. Bach)—Kevin Vaughn
 

---

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

---

Our guest organist Sunday, February 16, Dr. Kevin Vaughn, is joining us from South Bend, Indiana.  Kevin holds a DMA in Organ Performance from the University of Notre Dame, where, along with Goshen College, he has held positions on the instructional faculty. With his husband, Stephen Lancaster, he has produced a number of recordings of sacred song for baritone and organ and has performed at Hesston College. He will present a recital at Bethel College on Tuesday evening (February 18) at 7:00.

BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
February 9, 2025

Christ Candle Lighting  

Centering Music— My Life Flows On In Endless Song— [VT 605], (R. Haan)—Will Wiebe-Friesen

Welcome & Prayer—John Waltner

*Hymn—Holy, Holy, Holy!— VT 76

Children’s Conversation—Jill Robb

Worship Music—Sanctus (Charles Gounod), Chancel Choir; Joel Garber, director; Will Wiebe-Friesen, accompanist

Scripture Reading—Isaiah 6:1-13; Luke 5:1-11—Doris Whillock

*Hymn—Will You Come and Follow Me—VT 540

Sermon—Fishers–Nathan Koontz

*Hymn—I Bind My Heart This Tide— VT 556

Prayers of God’s People

*Hymn—This is My Song—VT 710

*Benediction

Postlude—Comfort, Comfort, O My People [VT 212]–(arr. Will Wiebe-Friesen)

*You are invited to stand

VT—Voices Together

Keyboard- Will Wiebe-Friesen

Audio visual—Ken Lamp

BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
February 2, 2025
Anabaptism 500 Celebration

Christ Candle Lighting                                                     

Centering Music— Meditation (Bartsch)
Chancel Bells; Verlene Garber, director              

Welcome, Prayer, and Land Acknowledgment—Deb Gering & Ani Koontz

*Hymn—Could It Be That God Is Singing?—VT 42

Children’s Conversation—Dorothy Nickel Friesen

Worship Music—The Church’s One Foundation—Chancel Bells

Mission Moment—Border Trip           
Ani Koontz and Grace Harader-Ellett

*Hymn—O God, We Read the Holy Law—VT 571

Scripture Reading—Mark 12:28-34—Ben Preheim

Sermon—Crucial Balancing Acts 
Dale Schrag

*Hymn—I Sing With Exultation—VT 444

Prayers of God’s People—Deb Gering & Ani Koontz

*Hymn—Go, My Friends, in Grace—VT 810

*Benediction

Postlude— Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise
                                            (setting by Michael Burkhardt)      
Karen Schlabaugh      

---

* You are invited to stand
VT—Voices Together
Audio visual—Ken Lamp
Keyboard–Karen Schlabaugh

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:
The Supreme Court has not yet released a decision on whether they will hear Apache Stronghold’s appeal.  The Apache Stronghold asks for our continued prayers for Oak Flat, Apache Stronghold, and the Supreme Court.
Together we pray:
God of bones and umbilical cords,
Creator of light and wind,
Source of love,
Giver of food for all creatures,
You care for Oak Flat (Chi’Chil Bildagoteel) and the peoples who call this place home.
Ignite all hearts to beat in unison,
To defend this place of unspeakable sacredness
From devastation and harm.
Whisper to those in power who make decisions
about the fate of this fragile land.
May they know you, God.
May they come to know your sacred places,
and be reminded that they can never be replaced. (Jon Zirkle, COFA team member)

 BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
January 26, 2025
Anabaptism at 500

 
Christ Candle Lighting
 
Centering Music—Great is Thy Faithfulness [VT 419] (arr. Joel Raney)  Will Wiebe-Friesen &  Brad Vogel               
 
Welcome & Prayer— Joanna Harader
 
*Hymn—A Mighty Fortress Is Our GodI—VT 421
 
Children’s Conversation—Esther Kreider Eash
 
Worship Music—O God, Our Help In Ages Past (arr. John Ferguson)–Chancel Choir; Joel Garber, director; Will Wiebe-Friesen, accompanist
              Congregation is invited to join on verses 1 & 6 in unison      VT 203              
Scripture— I Peter 2:4-12  (CEB)—Brad Born
 
Testimony—John Thiesen
 
Hymn—We Are People of God’s Peace, v. 1-2 only (seated)—VT 797
 
Scripture—I Peter 2:4-12 (VT 381)—Brad Born
 
Testimony—Ardie Goering
 
Hymn—We Are People of God’s Peace, v. 3-4 only (seated)—VT 797
 
Prayers of God’s People—Joanna Harader
 
*Commissioning—VT 928
 
*Hymn—Move in Our Midst—VT 827
 
Birthday Blessing and Benediction—VT 1056
 
Postlude—God of Grace and God of Glory [VT 716] (arr. Joel Raney)–Will Wiebe-Friesen & Brad Vogel                                                                                       

---

*You are invited to stand
VT—Voices Together
CEB—Common English Bible
Audio visual—Ben Lichti

Today’s centering music and postlude feature two well-known hymns presented as piano and organ duets. Will invited his friend and college music professor, Dr. Brad Vogel, to join him for these duets. The hymn God of Grace and God of Glory (VT 716) is not an Anabaptist hymn per se, but its text seems fitting for a day like this. The tune, CWM RHONDDA (pronounced “coom rawnthuh”) is named for the Rhondda Valley (“cwm” meaning “low valley”) in Wales, where this tune is very much beloved by the region’s famous male choirs. Interestingly, if you were to attend a rugby match in Wales, it is very likely that you would hear this tune sung with great gusto by the fans.

BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
January 19, 2025
Second Sunday after the Epiphany

Christ Candle Lighting                                          

Centering Music–Adoration (Florence Beatrice Price)– Will Wiebe-Friesen                                                         

Welcome & Prayer–Ada Schmidt-Tieszen                                                            

*Hymn–Here in This Place–VT 10                                         

Children’s Conversation–Barb Koontz                           

Worship Music–Veni Jesu (Luigi Cherbini)–Chancel Choir; Joel Garber, director; Will Wiebe-Friesen, accompanist       

Cherubini ‘s choral setting of the Latin text, “Veni Jesu Amor mi” loosely translates “Come to me, O Jesus, my love.”        

Scripture Reading–John 2:1-11–David Sprunger                         

*Hymn– Over My Head–VT 594                                         

Sermon–Prompting Miracles–Joanna Harader                                    

*Hymn– Lift Every Voice and Sing–VT 611                                     

Prayers of God’s People

*Hymn–You are Salt for the Earth–VT 297                                   

*Benediction

Postlude–Improvisation on We Shall Overcome–(Carl Haywood)          

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

Today’s centering music and postlude are both pieces composed by black American composers. Florence Price (1887-1953), composer of Adoration, is noted as the first African American symphonic composer. She composed prolifically, producing chamber music, symphonic works, choral music, art song, and works for piano and organ, the vast majority of which was only published many decades after her death. Carl Haywood, a long-serving professor of organ and choral music at Norfolk State University, a historically black university, composed his Improvisation on We Shall Overcome for Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2012. This hymn (VT 803) is a gospel song deeply associated with the U.S. civil rights movement, and it still bears a message important to us today. The limited available organ repertoire composed by African American women and men is expanding, and I look forward to sharing more of it with you in the future. 
While the bulk of commonly played organ literature is the work of white male composers, these pieces by two African American composers are both moving and thrilling and have been fun to work up. I look forward to sharing more of their music with you in the future.   —Will Wiebe-Friesen

BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
January 12, 2025
  
Christ Candle Lighting                                          
 
Centering Music– Will Wiebe-Friesen                                                                
 
Welcome & Prayer–John Sheriff                                                                         
 
*Hymn–Be Thou My Vision– VT 549
 
Children’s Conversation– Kathy Stucky                         
 
Worship Music–Country Dance  (C.M. von Weber)– Rebecca Schloneger and Will Wiebe-Friesen                                                        
 
Scripture Reading–John 1:1-5; Proverbs 8:22-36– Richard Friesen       
 
*Hymn–In the Beginning–VT 270
 
Sermon–Sophia Christ–Nathan Koontz
 
*Hymn–Praise to the Living God–VT 204
 
Prayers of God’s People
 
*Hymn–O God, Our Help in Ages Past–VT 203
 
*Benediction
 
Postlude          
 
 
* You are invited to stand
VT—Voices Together
Audio visual—Francis Toews

BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
December 29, 2024
First Sunday After Christmas
 
Christ Candle Lighting
 
Centering Music—Verlene Garber
 
Welcome & Prayer—Darlene Dick
 
*Hymn—O Come, All Ye Faithful—VT 241
 
Children’s Conversation—Esther Kreider Eash
 
*Hymn—Good Christian Friends, Rejoice—VT 261
 
Scripture Reading—Luke 2:1-7—Brad and Lincoln Kohlman
 
*Hymn—Still, Still, Still—VT 264
 
Scripture Reading—Luke 2:8-20—Brad and Lincoln Kohlman
 
*Hymn—Angels, from the Realms of Glory—VT 265
 
Reflection—Birth Plan—Joanna Harader
 
*Hymn—Love Came Down at Christmas—VT 255
 
Prayers of God’s People—Darlene Dick
 
*Hymn—Go Tell It on the Mountain—VT 252
 
*Benediction
 
Postlude—Verlene Garber
 
* You are invited to stand
VT—Voices Together
Keyboard- Verlene Garber
Audio visual—Francis Toews

BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH December 22, 2024 Fourth Sunday of Advent     Prelude Music—The First Noel–Abby and Caleb Koontz The Avalanche–Emerson Gering O Little Town of Bethlehem, White Christmas, Somewhere in My Memory– Lincoln Kohlman, saxophone                                                                                               Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy–Olivia and Verlene Garber             We Three Kings–Miles Brubacher               Advent Candle Lighting—Dick and Barb Koontz and grandchildren   Scripture Reading—Luke 1:30-35     Litany: We gather in holy space to hear holy words: Do not be afraid.   We gather in holy time to hear a holy promise: Mary’s son will reign forever.   We gather in this holy moment to sense the holy in our midst: Let the Holy Spirit come upon us. Let the power of the Most High overshadow us.   Let us worship the Holy One with anticipation and joy     Lighting the candle of Power   Welcome & Prayer—Joanna Harader   *Hymn—Joy to the World—VT 240   Worship Music—Der Friedenfurst (CE Leslie) Chancel Choir; Joel Garber, director; Will Wiebe-Friesen, accompanist    Prayers of God’s People—Joanna Harader   *Hymn–There is a Line of Women—VT 546   Intergenerational Story-Telling Scene 1–Mary’s Home *Hymn—To Us a Child of Hope Is Born—VT 259   Scene 2–Elizabeth’s Home Hymn—Magnificat— VT 97–Lucy Burch, flute Remain seated. Children will sing through once. Congregation joins on Canon I in a round as directed.    Scene 3–Shepherd’s Camp Hymn—Angels We Have Heard on High—VT 249 Handbells:  Faith Burch, Olivia Garber, Ethan Garber, Lincoln Kohlman, Brett Gaeddert and Miles Brubacher    Scene 4 Hymn—Solemn Stillness, Weary Street—VT 276 Bethany Schrag, Suzanne Burch, John Mark Koontz, Simon Koontz (The congregation is invited to join on the chorus after verses 2 & 3)   Litany Benediction Congregational response:  “We are wonders, blessed wonders.”   Postlude—Toccata on Joy to the World (Brenda Portman) Will Wiebe-Friesen* You are invited to stand VT = Voices Together Keyboard- Will Wiebe-Friesen Audio visual—Ben Lichti Sunday’s anthem, “Der Friedensfürst,” is a favorite of many German-speaking Mennonite congregations, particularly those in Latin America and Canada. It was composed by an American in English (“The Prince of Peace”) and subsequently translated into German in the 1890’s. It was written in the popular style of the day and is dearly loved by those who grew up with it. The paraphrased text contains these words: Listen, the angel choirs are singing, to you oh mighty Prince of Peace! To us a child is born today, and his glory fills the wide world. And he is called wonderful, the Prince of peace. Glory to God in the highest, and peace—God’s peace—on earth. Sing Hosanna! Amen.

BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
December 15, 2024
Third Sunday of Advent
 
Prelude Music— O Come, O Come, Emmanuel  (Dobrinski)
                                                       Carol of the Bells (Morris)
                                                       Mary Did You Know (Wagner)                         
                                                              Chancel Bells, Verlene Garber, director
 
Advent Candle Lighting—Marlin & Monica Lichti, Faith & Lucy Burch
 
    Scripture Reading—I John 4:7-9
 
    Litany:
Beloved, we gather in love for God and love for each other.
We gather to experience God’s love for us.
God’s love is revealed in the stories we hear,
In the songs we sing, in the prayers we offer,
In the Spirit we feel moving within and among us.
 
God’s love is revealed most deeply through Jesus,
Whose coming we anticipate and celebrate,
Who was sent by God so that we might have life.
Beloved, we gather together for worship.
 
  Lighting the candle of Love
 
Welcome & Prayer—Nathan Koontz                                     
 
*Hymn—Hark! The Glad Sound—VT 217
                       
Children’s Conversation—Esther Koontz
 
Worship Music— Glad Tidings of Joy  (Larson)         
Chancel Bells, Verlene Garber, director
 
Scripture Reading—Ruth 1:1-18—Esther Kreider Eash, Raylene Hinz Penner, Brad Kohlman, Kevin Neufeld
 
*Hymn—Bless the Arms that Comfort—VT 527
 
Sermon—Ruth: A Journey of Love—Joanna Harader
 
*Hymn—Bless’d Be the God of Israel—VT 223
 
Prayers of God’s People—Nathan Koontz
 
*Hymn—My Soul Cries Out—VT 412—Grace Harader-Ellett, violin; Lucy Burch, piccolo
 
*Benediction
 
Postlude— Wake, Awake, for Night Is Flying (Paul Manz) 
Karen Schlabaugh
 
* You are invited to stand
VT—Voices Together
Keyboard- Karen Schlabaugh
Audio visual—Ken Lamp

---

Thank you to the Chancel Bells for bringing us the prelude and worship music Sunday morning!  Members are: Suzy Burch, Ben Lichti, Carol Gerbrand,Marlene Ewert, Marlene Faul, Virginia Mininger, Brenda Turner, Janet Lubbers, Nathan Garber, Caleb Garber and director Verlene Garber.

---

 

---