Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

COVID-19 News & Updates

Give to the
Shalom Mutual Aid Fund



 

“Keep loving each other like family.”
(Hebrews 13:1, CEB)

What is the Shalom Fund?

Eastern District & Franconia Conference has started a Shalom Fund to support pastors, congregations, and ministries in direct response to the Coronavirus and the ensuing economic crisis.   We are seeking to raise $100,000 to respond to the most vulnerable within our membership and neighborhoods by empowering local ministries to meet real needs with Christ’s love and generosity in a time of fear and anxiety.

Read: Why Support the Eastern District & Franconia Conference Shalom Fund?

Who is being helped?

Our first wave of resources are being shared with Eastern District & Franconia congregations who are already distributing food in their South Philadelphia neighborhoods, beginning with eggs and potatoes to supplement canned meat that has been provided by Mennonite Central Committee.  Shalom Fund distributions are also immediately going to Ripple Community Inc (a Conference Related Ministry (CRM) in Allentown that serves adults who are experiencing homelessness, living with mental illness, or have other conditions or experiences that can leave them isolated and alone), and Crossroad Community Center (a CRM which has been operating for nearly 60 years as a witness to Jesus by providing for the physical and spiritual needs of one of the most difficult neighborhoods in Philadelphia).

Just today, we have received projected initial needs of $50,000 for our congregations and these two CRMs alone to assist pastoral incomes, building mortgages, and mutual aid within the congregation and neighborhoods.  These needs have been identified across our Conference and are immediate.

Who Can Give?

Everyone!  If you have wanted a way to help others during this difficult and confusing time but didn’t know how, this is the fund for you.  Whether you are an individual or family, a business owner, a youth group, someone who likes to run fundraisers, or a congregation with special or endowed funds, your contributions are vital.

Webinar

  • Considerations for Gathering Together Again – Leadership Ministers Scott Roth & Emily Ralph Servant, Dr. Sherri Binder, Executive Director of Ripple Community Inc., and Dr. Mariana Bernui from Drexel University hold a conversation on the possibilities for worship that bears witness of our love for God and our neighbors in a time of pandemic.

Pause and Reflect Before Reopening –  MCUSA

Guidelines for Consideration

Music Considerations


Cleaning and Disinfecting Considerations


Distribution of Food

(Updated: April 21, 10:00 am EST)

Technology:

  Need some personal assistance? Contact one of our staff persons below:

For children & families:

Worship and devotional resources from around MC USA:

Finances:

Online Support:

  • Celebrate Recovery program at Franconia Mennonite Church is now offering online small groups.  Please contact 215-723-3220 or communications@franconiamennonite.org if interested.
  • Alcoholics Anonymous
  • Help for Domestic Violence Victims – sadly, the stress of these times can lead to higher rates of violence. If you are not safe in your home due to domestic violence, there are places to turn to. Call PA Coalition Against Domestic Violence at 1-800-799-7233 or if you’re unable to speak safely, you can log onto thehotline.org or text LOVEIS to 22522.
  • Suicide Prevention Hotline – these can be very lonely times. If you or someone you need to talk or are in crisis, please call 1-888-273-TALK.  In the event of an emergency, dial 911.
  • Mental Health support (YouTube video) – provided by Maureen Gingerich, social worker (Blooming Glen congregation)

How to find volunteer opportunities:

  • Contact a volunteer agency or center directly to inquire about their needs
  • Visit PA211 for volunteer opportunities posted by agencies seeking volunteer help; or
  • Register at ServPa to create a volunteer profile. When prompted, choose “COVID Volunteers” as your “organization”, then follow the links.

Anti-Asian discrimination/racism resources and statements:

Assistance:

UPDATED: May 7, 9:00am EST

We are in a very different time. Join together with other leaders from across our Conference in Zoom conversations and feel free to pass this information on to youth leaders in your congregation.

Are there other conversations that you would like to have? Or like to lead? Please let us know!

Leading and Pastoring in a Time of Social Distancing

Share, brainstorm, and support one another as we pastor during the Coronavirus epidemic. Potential topics for discussion include worship (planning and formats), pastoral care, communication, connection in isolation, self-care, partnership with congregations in the conference and in your community, supporting one another.

  • Every Wednesday, 10-11am EST – led by Mary Nitzsche and Josh Meyer (English)  new Zoom link beginning 5/27: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81324082049 
  • Every other Thursday night – 9pm EST/6pm PST – led by Aldo Siahaan and Hendy Matahelemual (Indonesian).  The Zoom link to join this conversation is: https://zoom.us/j/262849343
  • Every other Wednesday night  – 7pm EST/4pm PST – led by Noel Santiago and Marco Guete (Spanish).  The Zoom link to join this conversation is: https://zoom.us/j/557606813

Spiritual Formation for Youth in a Time of Social Distancing

All youth leaders are welcome, we will be connecting, sharing, and praying for our ministry settings as we work with the Holy Spirit for creative community engagement. We can share ideas and practices and resource one another. We can also all just enjoy some time together.

  • Weekly – Thursday mornings, 9:30 am – led by Brooke Martin
    The Zoom link to join this conversation is: https://zoom.us/j/500032991

Prayer

  • Pray with us through the summer.  Every Wednesday through August 19, 12:00-12:30pm EST/9:00-9:30am PST,  led by Noel Santiago, Marta Castillo and Jeff Wright.  (For info, email nsantiago@mosaicmennonites.org) The Zoom link to join this conversation is: https://zoom.us/j/961945265
  • Centering Prayer in a Time of Disruption – led by Jessica Miller and Franco Salvatori – Tuesdays at 3:00PM EST through the end of May.  Zoom link to join is: https://zoom.us/j/99895914233

We will continue to look for opportunities and conversation together in new ways and formats over the next weeks.

(Updated March 26, 2:00pm EST)

If you know of other reputable sources for information of ways to help, please send them to communication@mosaicmennonites.org.

Shalom Fund

Eastern District & Franconia Conference has started a mutual aid fund to support pastors, congregations, and ministries in direct response to the Coronavirus and the ensuing economic crisis.   We will seek to respond to the most vulnerable within our membership and neighborhoods by empowering local ministries to meet real needs with Christ’s love and generosity in a time of fear and anxiety.  Give now.

Blood Donation

Blood donations are seriously needed as many blood drives have been canceled. To find a blood drive near you follow the links below:

  1. Miller-Keystone Blood Center:  https://www.giveapint.org/blood-donor-center-locations/.  St. Lukes Hospital in the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania is sponsoring a blood drive the first week of April (more information here).
  2. American Red Cross: https://www.redcross.org/give-blood.html.  For those near Lansdale, PA, there is a drive being held this week (last week of March) at Towamencin congregation (Facebook Event Page).

Food Banks

From PBS NewsHour: “Due to panic surrounding the virus, donations to many local food banks are down significantly. This is the case in Washington state, where dozens have already died from the virus, and states like Ohio, where food banks have seen volunteers cancel shifts. Supermarket chain Harris Teeter on Friday said that key items in its stores may be out of stock due to high customer demand, and some food banks in Washington state have reported that people have come to their facilities for the first time because their regular grocery stores don’t have what they’re looking for….  Organizations like Feed America allow you to search for food banks in your area. Many food banks across the U.S. are now putting their resources toward dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak directly.”

  1. Feeding America Directory of Food Banks
  2. A list of organizations offering direct services related to COVID-19.
  3. Donate to Ripple Community, Inc, a Conference Related Ministry that is providing food and services to the homeless in Allentown, PA while other local organizations have closed.

Medical Supply Donations

The St. Lukes Hospital Network in Pennsylvania is one of many hospitals that is currently receiving donations of medical equipment and accepting homemade masks or the supplies to make them.  For the full list of what you can donate and drop-off locations, check out this page.  For instructions on how to sew the masks, download this pdf.

The opinions expressed in articles posted on Mosaic’s website are those of the author and may not reflect the official policy of Mosaic Conference. Mosaic is a large conference, crossing ethnicities, geographies, generations, theologies, and politics. Each person can only speak for themselves; no one can represent “the conference.” May God give us the grace to hear what the Spirit is speaking to us through people with whom we disagree and the humility and courage to love one another even when those disagreements can’t be bridged.

This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)

This post is also available in: Español (Spanish)