by Jennifer Svetlik
In addition to hosting nine Mosaic summer Ambassadors, three other young people within Mosaic congregations participated in the MCC summer service program, a 10-week program for young adults of color in the U.S. that runs from June to August. The program encourages and strengthens leadership capabilities within young adults while nurturing a commitment to community engagement.
Cheryne Yapcolin is a part of Philadelphia Praise Center. She applied for MCC summer service to expand her understanding of community service and to integrate her passion for worship with meaningful outreach. She also wanted to learn from new experiences and to see how she could contribute to her community according to her abilities.
During the program, Yapcolin lead worship, organized community events, and supported the summer Peace Camp for the kids aged 7 to 11 years old, the youth retreat, and the Indonesian night market.
“Balancing multiple responsibilities was quite challenging. Managing my time between work, personal matters, and ministry duties required a lot of organization,” reflects Yapcolin.
She was surprised by the strong sense of community and support from members of her congregation and the MCC team. “This summer experience also showed me that people from different nations, races, cultures and backgrounds can understand and care for each other,” she says.
When reflecting on her learnings from the summer, Yapcolin offered, “Leadership is about empathy, active listening, and empowering others to bring out the best in themselves. Leading with compassion and understanding helps build stronger teams and creates a welcoming community.”
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Victoria Lioe is a part of Indonesian Light Church (Philadelphia, PA). She applied for Summer Service because she loves to contribute to her congregation and wanted to be able to do it more.
Some of her projects this summer included leading worship, multimedia work, organizing events and leading the youth group. Each of these responsibilities allowed her to develop a diverse set of skills and contribute meaningfully to the community.
She found spending time with the youth group especially rewarding, particularly when they shared funny stories about their lives and asked her for advice.
“Summer service offered an excellent opportunity for personal growth and leadership development,” Lioe shared. “It allowed me to connect with like-minded individuals who share my values and beliefs, fostering both professional and personal relationships.”
One of her learnings was “that my fears about potential outcomes can impact my effectiveness as a leader, creating barriers that hinder my performance,” she reflects. “I developed better multitasking abilities and learned the importance of addressing stress and anxiety while embracing challenges as opportunities for growth.”
Lioe will continue to support her congregation this fall including in their annual retreat and with performances from the youth.
George Chile is a part of LA (CA) Faith Chapel. He applied for Summer Service to expand his capabilities and be more productive and impactful. He had heard stories about MCC’s work and was eager to learn from the organization and apply it to his life, congregation, and community.
Chile’s assignment for the summer was assistant organizer. He set up events but also was given ministry responsibilities. “I found myself doing things I never thought I would do. I went from seat warmer to getting involved in what it takes to run a church for a whole summer.”
Chiles’ notion of responsibility and collective support was challenged when he was able to experience how many people came together to support one another and work on various tasks and events. The large outreach events and how they touched the broader community made an impression on him.
“I was surprised by my ability to grow in focus and work collectively with others to get projects done,” Chiles reflects. He noted that growing in leadership takes time, but with a drive to serve God and touch people, anyone can make a difference. He was grateful for the opportunity to have new responsibilities and accountability.
As he finishes his experience, Chiles is motivated to take risks and say yes to new experiences to learn and grow. “MCC provided me a space to nurture a Godly mindset and heart,” Chiles shares.
Jennifer Svetlik
Jennifer is Editor & Development Coordinator for Mosaic. She grew up near Houston, TX and spent a decade living in intentional community in Washington DC, before moving to Lansdale, PA with her spouse, Sheldon Good. She is a graduate of the University of Texas and Washington Theological Seminary. She serves as Children’s Faith Formation Director at Salford Mennonite (Harleysville, PA). Jenn has two elementary-school-aged children and loves biking, camping, gardening, and vermicomposting with her family.
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.