Habecker Mennonite Church

06/01/2026

🧵 Welcome to Sewing Circle tonight at 6:30 PM! Join us as we knot comforters together and enjoy fellowship. We'd love to have you with us!

05/27/2026

The Message of Pentecost

After church on Sunday, someone asked me to share the full list of languages spoken in LMC Churches. Here it is — and it connects beautifully to what we talked about this past Sunday!

Today, LMC, a fellowship of Anabaptist churches worships in about 20 languages:

🌍 English • Spanish • Vietnamese • Garifuna • French • Karen • Mara • Amharic • Swahili • Laotian • Nepali • Creole • Navajo • ASL • Indonesian • Arabic • Anuak • Lingala • Kirundi • Portuguese

About one third of LMC churches worship in Spanish. What a gift!

This past Sunday, Pentecost Sunday, we were reminded that the Holy Spirit creates a church that crosses cultures and carries the gospel to the world.

In Acts 2, people from many nations heard the good news of Jesus in their own languages. The Holy Spirit didn't erase those differences — He spoke through them. Every person heard about Jesus in their own heart language. That was the miracle. Not just sound, but understanding. And the message of Pentecost is clear: the gospel is for every person, every nation, every culture, every language.

That truth connects deeply with our own story.

More than 260 years ago, in 1761, Habecker Mennonite Church began as a gathering place for Swiss immigrant Anabaptist families who came speaking a Swiss German dialect, what would eventually become known as Pennsylvania Dutch.

Today, God is still writing new chapters in that story. Our congregation now worships in Karen and English, and we are blessed to include members who come from different countries.

In a world often divided by fear, politics, language, and culture, the church is called to look different, to be a place where people from different backgrounds worship together, pray together, eat together, and serve together in the name of Jesus.

We thank God for the many cultures, languages, and people that make up His Kingdom. Different cultures, languages, and traditions are not a weakness — they are a gift. The friendships we share with people from different places and backgrounds enrich our lives and our church family. May the Holy Spirit continue to help us build bridges, welcome others, and carry the good news of Jesus — across the street and around the world.

"After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne." ~Revelation 7:9

05/18/2026

Today during Missions Month, Kywe Htoo shared the story of Ko Tha Byu, the first Karen person to believe in Jesus. Kywe Htoo also had a choir sing a special song about Ko Tha Byu and his faith in God.

THESE ARE PART OF MY NOTES FROM WHAT KYWE HTOO SHARED:

Ko Tha Byu was born around 1778 in Burma (Myanmar). His early life was very difficult. He became known for stealing, fighting, and violence, and he admitted that he had killed many people (as many as 30). After losing a fight and being unable to pay his debt, he became a slave. Eventually, he came into contact with the missionary Adoniram Judson and others who taught him about Jesus.

At first, Ko Tha Byu worked cooking and cleaning in Judson’s house. A missionary friend who spoke Karen began teaching him the Bible and told him, “Jesus can forgive anyone — your past doesn’t matter.” Those words changed his life. Ko Tha Byu became a follower of Jesus and was baptized.

After his baptism, people began coming to him with questions about God and eternal life. He traveled from village to village across Burma and Thailand sharing his testimony and preaching the Gospel. One night during a storm, he stayed in a village overnight, and the village chief gathered everyone together to hear Ko Tha Byu’s story. Many people believed in Jesus through his witness.

Ko Tha Byu had very little education, but God used him in amazing ways. Even when he became old and lost his eyesight, he continued serving God and sharing the good news. Once, when his boat sank, his greatest concern was not his own safety, but whether he would still be able to preach the Gospel.

Through his ministry, more than 1,270 people were baptized, and many Karen communities came to faith in Jesus.

Today we thank God for Ko Tha Byu and for the way God helped the Karen people hear the good news of Jesus. His story reminds us that no one is too far from God’s grace, and God can use anyone. His story also challenges us to love all people, not to live with hate or enemies, because no one is beyond God’s forgiveness and redemption. We are called to love others in the way of Jesus.

Choir by TTG CE Youths(16.5.21)

05/17/2026

Today we celebrated the 7th year of this program we call "Seed". This cross cultural leadership training curriculum is geared for first generation Americans and has been a significant blessing to our congregation and to those taking these classes. We are so grateful for all the teachers who led the classes and to Pastor Dawn Landes who gave leadership to this program. May God bless you all.

05/04/2026

Our monthly Sewing Circle is tonight from 6:30-8:30 pm!

04/26/2026

Join us tomorrow at 10 am as we listen for the voice of the Good Shepherd. In a world full of noise and competing voices, Jesus reminds us, “His sheep follow him because they know his voice.” (John 10:4). Come worship with us, be encouraged, and be reminded that you are known, loved, and called by name. All are welcome!

04/15/2026

04/04/2026

Join us tomorrow at 10 am for our Easter Celebration! ✝️ We will share Holy Communion together as we celebrate the risen Christ. Sunday School begins at 9 am, and children are invited to an Easter egg hunt 🥚after the worship service. All are welcome—we would love to have you with us! ❤️

03/27/2026

Join us this Sunday at our 10 am Worship Services as we celebrate Palm Sunday and begin Holy Week together. 🌿 Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest! 🌿 This video is from last year’s (2025) service.

03/23/2026

Check out this video about Assembly ’26—hosted by LMC, a fellowship of Anabaptist churches! LMC Churches

If you're a part of an LMC congregation, you're invited to Assembly and YouthCon this June! Register online at our website: lmcchurches.org/assembly-26/. We ...