by Marta Castillo
During the Pathways presentation at the November 2023 Assembly, I blurted out a request to the delegates, on behalf of the team, that I never intended to share out loud, even though it had been a prayer in my spirit. It was a request for trust from the delegates, to trust in the work of God’s Spirit through our team in the Mosaic strategic planning process.
Last fall, during one of our delegate preparation sessions, Steven Hunsberger, a delegate from Blooming Glen (PA), mentioned a business concept of “know, like, trust” as a process we go through to get to the point where we are comfortable enough to associate with or do business with someone.
As we enter the second year of our two-year strategic planning process, imagine the implications of knowing each other, liking (loving) each other, and trusting each other as congregations and Conference-Related Ministries choosing to walk together.
In Phase Two of our strategic planning, we are focusing on clarity around our identity, clear and kind communication, the work of building relationships, building leadership capacity in our leaders, and acknowledging and reconciling our differences.
On January 22, Haroldo Nunes of Seguidores de Cristo (Sarasota, FL) was appointed by the Board to join the Pathways Steering Team. The Team is meeting every other week with Grovider, our consultant, to set goals around our three priorities (missional, formational, and intercultural) as outlined in the Pathway Towards Shaping Our Future Together document, and to identify strategic initiatives, performance indicators, capacity needs, and more.
In addition, this work will clarify our relationships with each other, other Anabaptist communities, and Mennonite Church USA. In November 2024, at this year’s Assembly, we will present our findings using the information gathered from delegates and leaders in our Conference.
The Pathways Steering team will continue to, as it says in the Pathway document, “to share in the practice of continued prayer and fasting so that we may discern, yield, and listen to the Spirit among us.”
We will continue “to walk together, recognizing discernment is a commitment to the community that we proclaim as the center of our life and the reconciliation that we proclaim is the center of our work. We will remain in respectful conversation and friendship as we discern God’s future for us together amid brokenness and beauty.” We ask you to join us.
Our Pathways Steering Team will provide progress updates of our work throughout the year in Mosaic News. For now, we ask for your prayers for guidance through the power of the Holy Spirit and for your trust.
In the words of Romans 15:5-7 (from a recent Praying Scripture), “May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.” (NLT)
Marta Castillo
Marta Castillo is the Associate Executive Minister for Mosaic Conference. Marta lives in Norristown, PA, with her husband, Julio, and has three sons, Christian, Andres and Daniel and one granddaughter, Isabel.
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)