Kingdom Fellowship Weekend

Andrew V. Ste. Marie paints a powerful picture of the dedication and desperation that powered the spread of God's kingdom in the days of the early Anabaptists. Andrew calls us to cultivate faithful communities that shine a welcoming light into the darkness around us.

This message was given at the Church Growth Seminar 2023, which is a segment organized by the Church Planters’ Forum (https://churchplantersforum.org/).

Let All Things Now Living

Katherine K. Davis, 1892-1980

Descant by Tom Fettke, 1941-

© Word Music, LLC (ASCAP) and Integrity’s Hosanna! Music (ASCAP).

All Rights Reserved. Used by permission.

1 Let all things now living a song of thanksgiving

To God the Creator triumphantly raise;

Who fashioned and made us, protected and stayed us,

Who still guides us on to the end of our days,

God’s banners are o’er us, His light goes before us,

A pillar of fire shining forth in the night:

Till shadows have vanished and darkness is banished,

As forward we travel from light into light.

2 His law He enforces, the stars in their courses,

And sun in its orbit obediently shine,

The hills and the mountains, the rivers and fountains,

The depths of the ocean proclaim Him divine.

We too, should be voicing our love and rejoicing

With glad adoration, a song let us raise:

Till all things now living unite in thanksgiving,

“To God in the highest, hosanna and praise!”

Chorus director: Mark Beachy

Hymns of the Church, # 14

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Blessed Are They Who Will Trust in the Lord

Friedrich Munz, 1865-1916

Tr. Dan Nickel, 1993

Words & music © Copyright 2010 by Larry K. Nickel. Used by permission.

Sorry, verse 1 and 2 are not recorded.

1 Blessed are they who will trust in the Lord

Who offers us love and grace.

Almighty Pow’r, every foe is subdued

He saves us in wondrous ways.

Chorus:

Blessed are they who trust in the Lord,

Blessed yes, wonderf’ly blessed are they.

Praise to the Lord! Shining Star of Grace.

Guide us, O Father, along your way,

Guide us, O Father, along your way.

Blessed are they,

Blessed are they,

Blessed are they who trust in the Lord.

Blessed are they,

Blessed are they,

Blessed are they who trust in the Lord.

2 Blessed are they who are led by His hand

Thru the ups and the downs each day.

Blessed the hand who reigns over all,

Who strong and secure shall stay.

3 Blessed are they who are quiet in pain,

Such pain that the Lord allows.

Comforting cross where the Saviour was slain

Brings hope to the suffering brow.

4 Blessed are they who will trust in the Lord

And follow that Godly light.

Eternal Word, what a fortress of pow’r

Victorious it takes the fight.

Chorus director: Mark Beachy

Hymns of the Church, # 997

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Bread for the Journey

Bret Hesla

Copyright 1990 Bret Hesla.

Posted by permission of Augsburg Fortress.

1 Give us bread for the journey. Give us bread.

Give us bread for the journey. Give us bread.

When our feet are getting heavy

And we’re hanging down our heads,

Give us bread for the journey. Give us bread.

2 Guide our way as we travel. Guide our way.

Guide our way as we travel. Guide our way.

With so many roads before us,

Where to go is hard to say.

Guide our way as we travel. Guide our way.

3 Make us one with each other. Make us one.

Make us one with each other. Make us one.

All the walls we’ve built around us

May we learn to tear them down.

Make us one with each other. Make us one.

4 Lead us home to the garden. Lead us home.

Lead us home to the garden. Lead us home.

Where we’ll live with all creation,

Find our place and never roam.

Lead us home to the garden. Lead us home.

5 Give us bread for the journey. Give us bread.

Give us bread for the journey. Give us bread.

When our feet are getting heavy

And we’re hanging down our heads,

Give us bread for the journey. Give us bread.

Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Robert Robinson, 1735-1790

1 Come, thou Fount of every blessing,

Tune my heart to sing thy grace;

Streams of mercy, never ceasing,

Call for songs of loudest praise.

Teach me some melodious sonnet,

Sung by flaming tongues above.

Praise the mount I’m fixed upon it

Mount of God’s redeeming love.

2 Here I raise my Ebenezer;

Hither by thy help I’ve come;

And I hope, by thy good pleasure,

Safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,

Wandering from the fold of God;

He, to rescue me from danger,

Bought me with his precious blood.

3 Oh, to grace how great a debtor

Daily I’m constrained to be!

Let thy goodness, like a fetter,

Bind my wandering heart to thee:

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,

Prone to leave the God I love;

Here’s my heart, O take and seal it;

Seal it for thy courts above.

Chorus director: Mark Beachy

Lord, in the Fullness of My Might

Thomas H. Gills, 1819-1906

1 Lord, in the fullness of my might,

I would for Thee be strong;

While runneth o’er each dear delight,

To Thee should soar my song.

2 I would not give the world my heart,

And then profess Thy love;

I would not feel my strength depart,

And then Thy service prove.

3 I would not with swift-winged zeal

On the world’s errands go,

And labour up the heav’nly hill

With weary feet and slow.

4 O not for Thee my weak desires,

My poorer, baser part!

O not for Thee my fading fires,

The ashes of my heart.

5 O choose me in my golden time,

In my dear joys have part!

For Thee the glory of my prime,

The fullness of my heart. Amen.

Chorus director: Mark Beachy

Hymns of the Church, # 965

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The Music of Heaven

Elisha A. Hoffman, 1839-1929

1 The music of heaven is sweeter in measure

And purer in every strain,

Than the music of earth, tho’ it fills us with pleasure,

As it thrillingly rolls over valley and plain.

Chorus:

Oh, music of heaven

So rich and so sweet;

Oh, joy that it brings us!

So full and complete.

2 The music of heaven is grander in rhyming

Than any that mortal e’er toned,

And the mansions of glory forever are chiming

With the songs that arise to the Saviour enthroned.

3 The music of heaven, no mortal can sing it,

Save he who attunes his poor soul,

At the throne of the Father, to swell and to ring it,

With the angels to make it thru paradise roll.

Chorus director: Mark Beachy

Hymns of the Church, # 1013

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Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross

Fanny J. Crosby, 1820-1915

1 Jesus, keep me near the cross,

There a precious fountain;

Free to all, a healing stream,

Flows from Calv’ry’s mountain.

Chorus:

In the cross, in the cross

Be my glory ever,

Till my ransomed soul shall find

Rest beyond the river.

2 Near the cross, a trembling soul,

Love and mercy found me;

There the Bright and Morning Star

Shed His beams around me.

3 Near the cross! O lamb of God,

Bring its scenes before me;

Help me walk from day to day

With its shadow o’er me.

4 Near the cross! I’ll watch and wait,

Hoping, trusting ever;

Till I reach the golden strand,

Just beyond the river.

Chorus director: Mark Beachy

I Would Love Thee

Madame Guyon, 1648-1717

1 I would love Thee, God and Father!

My Redeemer, and my King!

I would love Thee; for without Thee

Life is but a bitter thing.

2 I would love Thee; ev’ry blessing

Flows to me from out Thy throne;

I would love Thee; —he who loves Thee

Never feels himself alone.

3 I would love Thee; look upon me,

Ever guide me with Thine eye:

I would love Thee; if not nourished

By Thy love, my soul would die.

4 I would love Thee; I have vowed it;

On Thy love my heart is set;

While I love Thee, I will never

My Redeemer’s blood forget.

Chorus director: Mark Beachy

Hymns of the Church, # 379

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Jesus Shall Reign Where'er the Sun

Isaac Watts, 1719

1 Jesus shall reign where’er the sun

Does its successive journeys run;

His kingdom stretch from shore to shore,

Till moons shall wax and wane no more.

2 To him shall endless prayer be made,

And praises throng to crown His head.

His name like sweet perfume shall rise

With every morning sacrifice.

3 Blessings abound where’er he reigns:

The pris’ner leap to lose their chains,

The weary find eternal rest,

And all the sons of want are blest.

4 Let every creature rise and bring

Peculiar honors to our King,

Angels descend with songs again,

And earth repeat the loud Amen.

Hymns of the Church, # 263

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