by Sonya Stauffer Kurtz
Recently I traveled with five other Mosaic pastors from multi-staff congregations on a learning tour to England and Calais, France to learn more about neo-Anabaptist churches and refugee support. What I brought home was a new appreciation for art, hospitality, and the work of the Holy Spirit in ministry.
Yeovil Community Church in West Country England is a thriving community-oriented congregation meeting in a former car dealership. Sarah Horder, leadership team member, was one of our hosts.
At dinner the first evening she said, “I have something for all of you.” She proceeded to pull out colorful drawings that she had made, one for each visitor, three of whom she first met that afternoon.
The art included a page of scripture and words of encouragement. Sarah explained, “God woke me up very early this morning. I often wake up in the night, so I get up, make art, and pray for people.”
Each picture was different and beautiful and spoke directly to us. It was one of the most surprising gifts I’ve ever received. This woman hadn’t even met us yet, and she was praying for us in the night, making art, and receiving words from the Spirit on our behalf!
For me she had the story of the widow’s oil from the book of Kings: A promise that God would use what I have and that it would bring life to others.
It turns out Sarah’s role in the congregation is to be a prophetic and prayerful presence. Her words of encouragement happen regularly and are very valued.
All week long I kept noticing art, hospitality, and the Holy Spirit!
Stuart and Sian Murray-Williams, of the Anabaptist Mennonite Network, hosted us in their London home for a day. Stuart’s latest book, The New Anabaptists, includes the stories of Peaceful Borders and Arnott Road Baptist, a small church restart in their neighborhood.
Peaceful Borders staff took us under the English Channel to Calais, France, a modest town where migrants and refugees, people on the move from places like Syria, Afghanistan, and Eritrea gather to try to cross into the UK.
Most refugees live in tents, moving from place to place as they are able.
Our destination was the Maria Skobtsova House, a haven for particularly vulnerable refugee women and children. There we met Mennonite Mission Network workers Joseph and Rachel Givens, and some of the women living at the house.
The first thing I noticed in the house is that one whole wall is full of art. Informal, everyday art created by the women, kids, and volunteers. The house is both peaceful and can be very chaotic. Daily Taizé prayer grounds the volunteers and guests in something bigger and stronger than the systems and powers that they must navigate daily.
At the house there is a lot of conversation, regular meals, and trying to live in the moment, because nothing is permanent or predictable when you are a refugee.
In a refugee day center, watercolor paintings of boats caught my eye. Along with English and French classes, workshops on legal issues, and a place to charge your phone, the center provides art supplies to help people process their experiences.
Veronique, a longtime volunteer, explained, “we used to just distribute things to refugees, but slowly we realized that just being with people was more important. It’s been kind of a conversion for us.”
In my task-oriented American pastoral life it is good to be reminded that being with, creating art, and the work of the Holy Spirit are important and can be used by God to work for Kingdom ends.
Sonya Stauffer Kurtz
Sonya Stauffer Kurtz is lead pastor at Zion Mennonite Church, Souderton, PA. Originally from Iowa, she has lived and worked in Europe, Africa and North America. She is inspired by learning about the work of the Spirit in the global church.
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.