by Andrés Castillo
In 2020, the COVID pandemic disrupted the notion that in-person gatherings were the only way to do church, as many congregations began to find virtual avenues for gathering.
As the virus’s threat lessened, many congregations returned to meeting in-person as their primary gathering style. However, there are three Mosaic Partners in Ministry that thrive online or in a hybrid format: 7 Ways Home Fellowship (Bowie, MD), Refuge (USA), and Resplandece (Pembroke Pines, FL).
7 Ways Home Fellowship
7 Ways is a Partner in Ministry that emerged five years ago when Jaye Lindo began a bimonthly discussion group in her home in Maryland. Someone asked her, “why don’t you start a church?”
They began meeting on Friday nights to discuss scripture, ask questions, learn as a community, and be a space for people who came from other congregations. Many of 7 Ways’ members have ministered before.
Members check in on each other’s personal lives and discuss a Bible passage. Their discussion acts as the sermon. Without a preacher, everyone is considered a leader.
“Visitors are welcome, but we are a vulnerable group,” shares Lindo. “All questions are welcomed, and we discuss difficult life topics.”
COVID brought health issues that complicated in-person meetings. Now, 7 Ways meets online, getting together only for special gatherings during warm months, like their annual crab feast, or other social event opportunities.
Despite the distance, members often come together in other ways. They have offered support to young adults who are aging out of their adoption process and are moving out on their own. Members often don’t know the person or meet them but help provide things for their apartment such as shower curtains and cooking utensils.
“It’s hard for me to say we’re a church,” Lindo says, but we all agree that 7 Ways is their church. “We encourage anyone to find a place for themselves, if they need a Sunday gathering and use what they learn on Fridays to bless other Congregations. Start your own 7 Ways!
Refuge
Jessica Shrock-Ringenberg (Kansas City, MO) and Emily Ralph Servant (Baltimore, MD) found themselves longing for a different expression of church, post-COVID.
They asked themselves, “How can we be Jesus’ people in our neighborhood, and how can we empower others to do the same?”
They started a group to wrestle with these questions and invited others who were longing for something similar—many of them former pastors — to connect monthly from different parts of the country. They named the group Refuge, and call it a “churching club,” since the focus is not on a weekly gathering but on cultivating lifestyles of “churching” in each member’s neighborhood.
Their monthly gathering starts with guided meditation and imaginative prayer, and they explore how a story from one of the gospels connects with their lives and neighborhoods.
“We intentionally keep it simple and lead it in such a way that the people in our group feel like they can start their own group,” shares Shrock-Ringenberg. “Not much preparation goes into our gatherings.”
They challenge themselves with missional practices intended to shape each participant into a disciple who reflects Jesus in their everyday life. They use the acronym S.M.E.L.L. to remember the practices (a reference to “smelling” like Jesus):
- Slow Down: Practicing balance, rest, and saying “no”
- Mutuality: Both giving and receiving help, love, and care
- Eating: Extending hospitality and being a guest
- Listening: to the Holy Spirit through Scripture and prayer
- Learning: Practicing curiosity and learning from neighbors
During their gatherings, they encourage each other and check in on their neighborhood practices, which helps them maintain their community and identity when not gathered.
They’ve discovered that some missional practices come more naturally than others. “Currently we’re reading Luke, which tells the story about eating with others. It’s the story of Refuge,” says Shrock-Ringenberg. Several members have been very intentional about inviting people from their communities into their homes, while others have cultivated yard space for neighborhood children to come over for play dates.
“‘Eating with others’ is the idea that you should not eat only with your family or only with Christians. Is there space in your life for other people? My husband Shem and I own a heating and air conditioning business, so we invite our employees to eat with us. We also sometimes go to the local brewhouse, sit at the bar, and connect to the community.”
Resplandece Mennonite Church
Josué Gonzalez was part of Encuentro de Renovación, a Mosaic congregation. He began to feel led to work more deeply with the Hispanic Mennonite community and of planting a church in his community in Pembroke Pines, FL.
His dream became a reality when a support group was formed with Mosaic staff and they identified a pastor, Manuel Garcia, based in Barranquilla, Colombia, who would connect online to minister to a hybrid group, now called Resplandece Mennonite Church.
On Sundays, Gonzalez hosts the in-person portion of the group at his home in Florida, while Garcia joins on Zoom from Colombia.
The church members, connecting from Venezuela, Mexico, Colombia, and various US states, receive daily devotionals through WhatsApp and meet online for weekly prayer and devotional time.
“We hope to find a new physical meeting space soon, to expand community outreach in my locale,” says Gonzalez. “The online option is a great way for people to be able to come, but some—including myself—aren’t used to it. Having a home base, a physical presence in the community, would let people in the area know we’re here.”
Resplandece is also raising funds to be able to compensate Garcia more generously. Interested persons can contact resplandecefinanzas@gmail.com or send a donation addressed to Resplandece Mennonite Church to 11021 N Lakeview Dr., Pembroke Pines, FL 33026.
Mosaic is a conference that offers space for emerging communities to experiment and follow Jesus in unique and unconventional ways. These communities are offering new ways of being church together.
Andrés Castillo
Andrés lives in Philadelphia, PA, and currently attends Methacton Mennonite Church. He loves trying new food, learning languages, playing music, and exploring new places.
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)