BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
December 17, 2023
Third Sunday of Advent: Love

Prelude—Nocturno, Op. 7  (Franz Strauss);  Allegro moderato from Horn Concerto No. 1 in C Minor (Franz Strauss)— Chris Miertschin, horn; Will Wiebe-Friesen, piano 

*Advent Candle Hymn—Hope Is a Candle, verses 1-3—VT 211

Advent Candle Lighting—Coralee Shenk, Jeanette & Steve Stucky

*Advent Litany—Love—VT 916

Welcome and Prayer—Esther Kreider Eash

*Hymn—O Come, O Come Immanuel—VT 210

Children’s Conversation—Esther Koontz

Anthem—Christmas is Here (Dale Wood)— Chancel Choir; Riley King, director;  Will Wiebe-Friesen, accompanist

Scripture Reading—John 1:1-9

*Hymn—The Light Shines in the Darkness—Bulletin insert

Adah Hodge, Mara Oswald, Lily Schloneger sing verses—Congregation sings chorus

Scripture Reading—I John 4:7-12

Sermon—God’s Love Revealed—Roger Neufeld Smith

*Hymn—Love Came Down at Christmas—VT 255

Prayers of God’s People

(Hymn Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord— VT 219)

*Hymn Love Has Come—VT 258

Benediction

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—Frances Toews

BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
December 10, 2023
Second Sunday of Advent: Peace

 
Prelude—O Come, All Ye Faithful (VT 214); Ding Dong! Merrily on High (Dobrinski);
Coventry Carol (Eithun),  Lucy Burch, Flute; Amen, Amen (Lamb)–Chancel Bell Choir, Verlene Garber, director; Members of the Chancel Bells:  Lucy Burch, Suzanne Burch, Ben Lichti, Marlene Ewert, Jane Schmidt, Janet Lubbers, Brenda Turner, Carol Gebrand, Nathan Garber, Ron Garber, Gyles Garber, Caleb Garber
 
*Advent Candle Hymn— Hope Is a Candle, verses 1-2—VT 211
 
Advent Candle Lighting—Lucy and Faith Burch
 
*Advent Litany—Peace— VT 916
 
Welcome and Prayer—Adam Robb
 
*Hymn—Comfort, Comfort, O My People—VT 212
 
Children’s Conversation—Esther Koontz
 
Scripture Reading—Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13—Suzanne, Lucy, and Faith Burch
 
Sermon—A God of Peace—Nathan Koontz
 
*Hymn—Unexpected and Mysterious—VT 229
 
Prayers of God’s People
 
*Hymn—Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming—VT 216
 
Benediction
 
Postlude—Variations on In Dulci Jubilo (Theodore Beck)—Karen Schlabaugh
 
* You are invited to stand
VT—Voices Together
Keyboard—Karen Schlabaugh
Audio visual—John Thiesen

BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
December 3, 2023
First Sunday of Advent: Hope
 
Prelude—Cynthia Neufeld Smith
(As the prelude music plays, you are encouraged to keep conversation to a minimum)
 
*Advent Candle Hymn—Hope Is a Candle— VT 211— Congregation sing verse 1 only; Susie Swartley, flute
 
Advent Candle Lighting—Judy Harder
 
*Advent Litany—Hope VT 916
 
Welcome—(Land Acknowledgement) and Prayer—Adam Robb
 
*Hymn—Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus—VT 218
 
Children’s Conversation—Christmas Tree Ornaments—Jill Robb
 
Anthem—Chancel Choir
 
Scripture Reading—1 Corinthians 1:3-9—Judy Harder
 
Sermon—The Gift of Hope—Nathan Koontz
 
*Hymn—Oh How Shall I Receive Thee—VT 215
 
Communion—Come to the Table of Grace—VT 461
 
Prayers of God’s People
 
*Hymn—Hark! the Glad Sound!—VT 217
 
Benediction
 
Postlude—Cynthia Neufeld Smith
 
* You are invited to stand
VT—Voices Together
Keyboard—Will Wiebe-Friesen
Audio visual—Ken Lamp

BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
November 26, 2023

Prelude—Cello Suite No. 4  (J.S. Bach) and  Bourrée  (Transcribed by Alamiro Giampieri) and Justin Mathis, clarinet

Christ Candle Lighting

Welcome and Prayer—Margaret Toews

*Hymn—Sing to the Lord of Harvest—VT 122

Children’s Conversation—Jim Robb

Special Music—Romance from Five Bagatelles for Clarinet and Piano  (by Gerald Finzi)

Justin Mathis, clarinet; Karen Schlabaugh, piano

Scripture Reading – Psalm 103:1-8,13-18; Philippians 1:1-7, 4:4-7 Richard Friesen and Dorothy Nickel Friesen

Sermon—Radical Gratitude—Roger Neufeld Smith

*Hymn—Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah—VT 606

Prayers of God’s People

*Hymn—God, Whose Giving—VT 745

People with November birthdays come forward for a blessing, please bring a hymnal

Benediction

Postlude—Postlude on Beata nobis gaudia (Robert Powell)—Karen Schlabaugh

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

Keyboard—Karen Schlabaugh

BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
November 19, 2023
Twenty Fifth Sunday After Pentecost

 
Prelude—Little Prelude and Fugue in C (JS Bach); Now Thank We All Our God (Bach/Fox)—
Will Wiebe-Friesen
 
Christ Candle Lighting
 
Welcome and Prayer—Elizabeth Schmidt
 
*Hymn—Guide My Feet—VT 816
 
Children’s Conversation—Jeanette Leary
 
Anthem—A Song of Thanksgiving (John Ferguson)—Chancel Choir; Riley King, director; Will Wiebe-Friesen, accompanist
 
Scripture Reading—Psalm 105:4-13; Luke 3:4-9; Deut. 26:1-5—Emma Gering
 
Sermon—Fugitives in the Family Tree—Lauren Friesen
 
*Hymn—Lift Every Voice and Sing—VT 611
 
Prayers of God’s People
 
*Hymn—Praise to the Living God—VT 204
 
Benediction
 
Postlude—Precious Lord Take My Hand (arr. Schrader)—Will Wiebe-Friesen
 
* You are invited to stand
VT—Voices Together
Keyboard- Will Wiebe-Friesen
Audio visual— Ben Lichti

Welcome to Lauren Friesen
We welcome Lauren to deliver the sermon at BCMC today.  Lauren and his partner Janet joined BCMC last May.  Previously they had been active at Chicago Community Mennonite Church where Lauren often preached.  Prior to their time in Chicago, Lauren was a professor at the University of Michigan. We are glad that he and Janet have wandered their way into this community!

This Sunday there were technical difficulties and the service was not live-streamed and it was not possible to record the service. The service was recorded with a cell phone. Ben Lichti, BCMC P.A. operator said: “The video I made with my phone finally finished uploading and processing. The first few minutes are fuzzy and the picture is reversed because it was using my front-facing camera, but then I realized it and reversed it. So the rest is pretty good, and the sound quality is decent.”

BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
November 12, 2023
Twenty Fourth Sunday After Pentecost

Prelude—Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing (Miller);  O God, Beyond All Praising (Callahan)–Karen Unruh

Christ Candle Lighting

Welcome and Prayer—Mary Ellen Hodge

*Hymn—Come Away from Rush and Hurry—VT 9

Children’s Conversation—Esther Koontz

Anthem—God Loves Me Dearly  (Behnke)—Chancel Bells; Verlene Garber, director; Lucy Burch, flute

Scripture Reading—Amos 5:18-24—Ani Koontz

*Hymn—Darkness Is Not Dark to You, God—VT 200

Scripture Reading—Wisdom of Solomon 6:12-16

Sermon—Righteousness, Justice, and Wisdom—Nathan Koontz

*Hymn—O Holy Spirit, Root of Life—VT 376

Prayers of God’s People

*Hymn Take My Life, and Let It Be—VT 759

Benediction

Postlude—Toccata in Seven (Rutter)—Karen Unruh

* You are invited to stand

VT—Voices Together

Audio visual—Francis Toews

BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH

November 5, 2023

Twenty Third Sunday After Pentecost

Prelude— A Mighty Fortress is Our God (arr. Jason Payne)—Will Wiebe-Friesen

Christ Candle Lighting

Land Acknowledgement—Raylene Hinz-Penner

Call to Worship and Prayer—Heather Zerger

*Hymn—Open Lord, My Inward Ear—VT 548

Children’s Conversation—Adah and Tim Hodge

Anthem— God Be in My Head  (John Rutter)—Chancel Choir; Riley King, director; Will Wiebe-Friesen, accompanist

Scripture Reading—Micah 3:5-12; Matthew 23:1-12—Juliana Schrag

Sermon— Close to the Ground—Nathan Koontz

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

Welcoming New Members—VT 961

*Hymn—Will You Let Me Be Your Servant—VT 778—All sing verses 1,6; Chancel Choir verses 2,4; Congregation verses 3,5

Prayers of God’s People

*Hymn—My Life Flows On—VT 605

*Benediction—Elizabeth Schmidt

Postlude—Sonata No. 6 “Vater unser” – Allegro molto—(Mendelssohn)— Will Wiebe-Friesen

* You are invited to stand

VT—Voices Together

Keyboard- Will Wiebe-Friesen

Audio visual— Ken Lamp

BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
October 29, 2023
Reformation Sunday

Prelude—God of Heaven and of Earth (Sigfrid Karg-Elert), O my Soul, Rejoice with Gladness (Sigfrid Karg-Elert), Now Thank We all Our God  (Sigfrid Karg-Elert)—Karen Schlabaugh

Christ Candle Lighting

Call to Worship and Prayer—Dorothy Nickel Friesen

*Hymn—A Mighty Fortress Is Our God—VT 421

Children’s Conversation—Dorothy Nickel Friesen

*Hymn—There Is a Line of Women—VT 546

Scripture Reading—Acts 2:1-4, 14-18—Joyce Holck

Sermon—Your Sons and Daughters will Prophesy—Lois Barrett

*Hymn—The Word of God Is Solid Ground—VT 399

Prayers of God’s People

*Hymn—Move in Our Midst—VT 827

People with October birthdays come forward for a blessing, please bring a hymnal

Blessing and Benediction—Nathan Koontz

Sung Benediction—The Lord Lift You Up—VT 832

Postlude—Many Gifts  (Patty Shelly)—Karen Schlabaugh

* You are invited to stand

VT—Voices Together

Audio visual— John Thiesen

BETHEL COLLEGE MENNONITE CHURCH
October 29, 2023
Reformation Sunday

Prelude—God of Heaven and of Earth (Sigfrid Karg-Elert), O my Soul, Rejoice with Gladness (Sigfrid Karg-Elert), Now Thank We all Our God  (Sigfrid Karg-Elert)—Karen Schlabaugh

Christ Candle Lighting

Call to Worship and Prayer—Dorothy Nickel Friesen

*Hymn—A Mighty Fortress Is Our God—VT 421

Children’s Conversation—Dorothy Nickel Friesen

*Hymn—There Is a Line of Women—VT 546

Scripture Reading—Acts 2:1-4, 14-18—Joyce Holck

Sermon—Your Sons and Daughters will Prophesy—Lois Barrett

*Hymn—The Word of God Is Solid Ground—VT 399

Prayers of God’s People

*Hymn—Move in Our Midst—VT 827

People with October birthdays come forward for a blessing, please bring a hymnal

Blessing and Benediction—Nathan Koontz

Sung Benediction—The Lord Lift You Up—VT 832

Postlude—Many Gifts  (Patty Shelly)—Karen Schlabaugh

* You are invited to stand

VT—Voices Together

Audio visual— John Thiesen

Fall Fest Sunday