“Partner Church Sunday”

Jan. 25th, 2026

10:30

Gathering Music - Casey Hannan, piano 

Prelude – Casey Hannan, piano

Words of Welcome from Belmont Rev Martha

Words of Welcome from Désfalva Rev. Csongor Szombatfalvi

Hymn – Désfalva Hymn #33, Adjatok hálát (Give Thanks)

Chalice Lighting 

Belmont:

Life is a gift for which we are grateful…

Desfalva:

The Lord’s Prayer

Faith Covenant - Rev Martha

We gather as a loving community,

To encourage and comfort one another.

We gather as a diverse community,

To support each other in our search for spiritual truth.

We gather as a service community,

To live our beliefs through action and care for our world.

Anthem – Szekely Áldás, a Transylvanian kitchen blessing, arranged by Beth Norton

Homily – Rev. Csongor Szombatfalvi, Livia reads translation

Anthem - We Lift Our Eyes to the Mountains, by Elliot Levine

Homily – Rev Chris, Boróka reads translation in Désfalva

Hymn - #358 Rank By Rank Again We Stand (Belmont)

Words of Offering - Rev. Chris

Offertory - Folk song of the Kisküküllő region, sung by Boróka Molnár in Désfalva

This is the time in our service where we invite forward an offering to help support the work of the church within and beyond our walls. This month, all month, our offerings will be supporting our Partner Church Program

Doxology – From all that dwell below the skies; Let words of love and peace arise;

Let joyful songs of praise be sung; Through every land by every tongue. Amen.

Wheel of Life - (B, D) Désfalva child dedications, coming of age, marriages and deaths read by Rev. Csongor Szombatfalvi, translated by Livia Racz. Belmont births, coming of age, marriages and deaths read by Jess Hausman, translated by Boróka Molnár. 

Musical Response - 159, This is my song

Introduction by Leslie Kolterman.  For our final hymn today, we choose a song that we sing every Partner Church Sunday. We do this to honor and remember a founding member of our partnership, Hans de Muinck Keizer, who went to Désfalva in 1989, and entered the village singing this song. Today, our partners in Désfalva will sing two verses in Hungarian translation, then we will sing two verses.   

(v1-2D in Hungarian, v1-2B in English)  

Extinguishing the Chalice – Rev Martha

Martha: We extinguish this flame, but not the light of truth, the warmth of love, or the fire of commitment, these we carry in our hearts until we are together again, these we carry out into the world, as our blessing, as our gift.

Csongor: The candle is now extinguished, but its light lives on in our hearts and strengthens us, reminding us that we are one.

Benediction - (Désfalva) Rev Csongor

May the blessings, love, and goodness of our provident God be with us and remain with us and our loved ones today always. Amen.

Postlude  –