Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Articles

Helping People Unlock the “Jesus-version” of Themselves

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by Jennifer Svetlik

Gary Alloway began serving on staff for Mosaic Conference in September 2024 as a Leadership Minister for four congregations (Alpha (NJ), Fairfield (PA), Spring Mount (PA), and Refuge (online), and providing accompaniment to Summit Street (Beatrice, NE; a Western District congregation). He has been licensed with Mosaic since 2022 and is the founding pastor of Redemption Church of Bristol, PA, a ministry partner of Mosaic Conference.  

Redemption Church is a neighborhood church and mission in Bristol Borough which Alloway and his wife Susan founded in 2009. Since its founding, Redemption has taken part in the revitalization of Bristol, helping found a street festival, coffee shop, and a nonprofit organization. However, the larger goal is simply to help people love God, love their neighbor, and smell like Jesus wherever they go. Alloway’s role there involves everything from teaching on Sundays to helping Bristol have healthy trees.  

Gary and his wife Susan enjoying fall.

As the number of Mosaic congregations and partners continues to grow, and with two leadership ministers retired, Alloway was asked to consider becoming a Leadership Minister. Leadership Ministers provide leadership accompaniment and counsel to congregations and credentialed leaders within the conference.  

“I’ve been a part of Mosaic Conference for three years and I want to help it live up to its name – a place where each part is beautiful on its own, yet also part of a greater whole!” Alloway shares, reflecting on what led him to say yes to serving Mosaic in this way.

“My greatest joy is seeing people find their worth and their calling in Christ, helping them unlock the ‘Jesus-version’ of themselves,” Alloway shares. “When people and organizations find that and live into that, they come alive. I look forward to helping leaders and congregations to do so.” Alloway added, “I’m just getting started. The first task is just to hear where God has already been at work in these contexts.” 

Alloway is originally from Paoli, PA. He loves crossword puzzles and often winds down with the New York Times Sunday crossword at the end of the day. 

He loves spending time with his family, going on adventures, discussing Philadelphia sports, and reading long historical novels. 

Gary with his wife Susan and children Augie and Rosey at the beach.

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. 

Supporting Each Other in Following Jesus

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by Jennifer Svetlik

“I am looking forward to walking with a variety of congregations (and leaders) as they seek to follow Jesus,” shares Tim Weaver, who became an interim Leadership Minister for Mosaic Conference in September 2024.  

In mid-2024 two long-time Mosaic Leadership Ministers retired, and with congregations continuing to join the Conference, Weaver was invited to consider joining the staff in this role.  

“I appreciated the insight, wisdom, and guidance I received from mentors and Leadership Ministers during my years of ministry,” reflected Weaver.  

“I believe the way of Jesus is to learn and support each other as we live out the values of the Kingdom of God. It is an honor to walk with others on this journey and together seek to live out the way of Jesus in this broken world.” 

Weaver’s life has been dedicated to serving the church. Weaver moved into Mosaic Conference (then Franconia Conference) in 1992, when he began to serve as Lead Pastor at Deep Run East (Perkasie, PA) until 2003. Following that role, he worked in business and was an interim pastor at West Swamp (Quakertown, PA) and Upper Milford (Zionsville, PA). In 2022, he retired after seven years serving as Chaplain for The Community at Rockhill (Sellersville, PA).  

Earlier in his life, Weaver had studied at Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary, served as 2-year interim minister at Waterford Mennonite in Goshen, IN, and for three years in Venezuela with Eastern Mennonite Missions. Weaver grew up in Bath, NY. 

Weaver is a curently member of Souderton (PA) Mennonite. He has participated in various Conference events in the past, including the intercultural book discussions.  

He currently serves on the boards of two Conference-Related Ministries, Healthy Niños Honduras and the Mennonite Central Committee Material Resource Center. Weaver has traveled for one to two weeks a year to Honduras with Healthy Niños Honduras for the last 23 years to support nutrition initiatives for children. 

Weaver in Honduras where he have traveled for 23 years with Healthy Niños Honduras. (He’s also wearing a Green Bay Packer hat, a team with which he has an ownership share!) 

Something unique about Weaver is that he is a shareholder of the Green Bay Packers, the only publicly owned team in the National Football League. He enjoys music and attended the record-breaking music festival at Watkins Glen, NY in 1973, with over 600,000 other people. 

Weaver plays in a senior golf league, and he loves spending time with his two grandchildren, daughters and son-in-law, and three granddogs. “We recently brought home a mini Aussiedoodle puppy which is keeping me young!” Weaver 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. 

Congregational Profile – Resplandece Mennonite

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by Javier Márquez

Editor’s note: Resplandece was approved by Mosaic’s board as a member congregation and will be welcomed at Mosaic’s Assembly on November 2, 2024.  

The congregation gathered in the Restored to Restore weekly event.

In the warm city of Barranquilla, Colombia, a spark of spiritual light has ignited a new chapter in the global ecclesial sphere. Resplandece Mennonite, led passionately by Brother Manuel García and his wife Viviana Ávila, has become a beacon of hope and community in an increasingly interconnected yet sometimes distant world. 

Since its inception in November 2023, this hybrid church has broken physical and cultural barriers by offering Sunday services via Zoom. Thanks to this innovative format, Resplandece Mennonite has managed to gather people from diverse corners of the world, from Venezuela and Florida to Pennsylvania and, of course, its home in Barranquilla. Every Sunday, families and friends come together in a virtual space where worship and reflection merge into a deeply connected and enriching experience. 

Brother Manuel García, a psychologist by profession and pastor, has dedicated his life to supporting communities through faith and knowledge. His work in Hispanic ministries, specifically with the “Therapists of the Faith Community” course, has been a vital resource for many. Alongside Viviana, his wife, who also brings her talent and leadership, the García family is committed to making faith and spiritual support accessible to all, regardless of geographical or personal barriers. 

Pastors Manuel García y Viviana Ávila and their family.

In Resplandece Mennonite’s worship services, the involvement of the entire García family is a distinctive feature. Their children, gifted in singing and prayer, not only enrich the services but also exemplify the unity and familial love that is at the heart of the church. 

The impact of this virtual community extends beyond borders. A member from Miami, who works every Sunday, finds in these services a way to stay connected with his faith, while a Venezuelan family, facing the repression of the Maduro regime, can participate in worship and receive support in a safe and supportive environment. 

Isaiah 60:1, “Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you,” reflects the spirit of Resplandece Mennonite. The church seeks to illuminate the path of its members and serve as a refuge of restoration and hope. 

On Fridays, the church organizes the “Restored to Restore Seminar,” an online evangelical event that reinforces its mission to build and strengthen the faith community. Additionally, as part of Mosaic Conference, Resplandece Mennonite has the support and collaboration of faithful leaders who believe in its mission and vision. 

Resplandece Mennonite Church is a living testament that faith can flourish and expand in any circumstance, bringing light and hope to every corner of the world. In times of distance and challenges, this digital community reminds us that true spiritual connection transcends physical limits, illuminating the path with the love and glory of the Lord. 

Read more about Resplandece Mennonite.  

Javier Márquez

Javier Márquez is Writer & Communication Coordinator for Mosaico Colombia. He is an Anabaptist Colombian pacifist and poet.

Humility as a Way of Life

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BOOK REVIEW

by Danilo Sanchez

Editor’s Note: Rev. Dr. Dennis Edwards will be the 2024 Mosaic Conference Assembly worship preacher and will spend time with Mosaic leaders throughout the weekend. The following is a review of his most recent book.  

I was intrigued when the theme of humility was announced as the focal point for Mosaic’s 2024 Conference Assembly. In this difficult time of division and polarization, where healthy dialogue is rare, humility is greatly needed.  

At the Mennonite Church USA Convention in 2023, Moderator Jon Carlson named our tendencies toward certainty and what happens when we talk with someone who we believe is fundamentally wrong. We get stuck and we draw lines. Humility invites us to consider that we could be wrong and invites us into curiosity about the person with whom we disagree. 

In Rev. Dr. Edwards’ book Humility Illuminated: The Biblical Path Back to Christian Character, he describes humility as a way of life. We must embody it and make it part of our character. Biblical humility has a trajectory that begins with submission to God and moves toward embodiment in all areas of life.  

Humility Illuminated

As I read the first chapter of the book, the word ‘yieldedness’ or gelassenheit, from our Anabaptist tradition, came to my mind. It is an open surrendering that is both spiritual and physically embodied. We yield to Christ and to the community of faith. It includes admitting that we don’t have all the answers, and it may include surrendering our voice or will to the larger faith community as the way of Christ is discerned together.  

This posture and way of life takes practice, perhaps a lifetime. Dr. Edwards names repentance and fear of the Lord as part of humility and yielding to God; a reminder that we serve an awe-some and holy God. 

In Chapter 5, Dr. Edwards describes leadership as shepherding. Drawing from the life of Jesus, he makes many biblical connections between humility and all that shepherding entails. Jesus is the good shepherd who leads, guides, and cares for us when we are weak. 1 Peter 5 reminds us that leaders do not lord their power over others but humbly demonstrate love. In a culture that can be focused on power and fame, this scripture is an important reminder of how we are called to wield our power and influence. 

Dr. Edwards describes how leaders are called to foster mutuality and a sense of unity. As leaders we can become self-reliant or self-assured in our knowledge and experience. Humble leadership invites us to be vulnerable, admit to our church members that we struggle, and allow ourselves to be prayed rather than only praying for others.  

There is much for us to learn about humility from Dr. Edwards in his latest book. I look forward to the ways that Dr. Edwards will enrich and bless our community during the November 2, 2024, Mosaic Conference Assembly.  

Danilo Sanchez

Danilo Sanchez is the Leadership Minister for Intercultural Transformation for Mosaic Conference. Danilo Sanchez lives in Allentown with his wife Mary and two daughters. He is a pastor at Ripple and leads in the areas of leadership development, discipleship, and teaching.

Conference-Related Ministry Profile: The Worm Project

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by Jennifer Svetlik

Editor’s note: The Worm Project was approved by Mosaic’s board as a Conference-Related Ministry and will be welcomed at Mosaic’s Assembly on November 2, 2024.  
 
They invite all to attend their Free Benefit Banquet on Saturday, October 26, at 6 pm at the Franconia Heritage Restaurant. Hear inspiring stories from keynote speaker, Howard Schiffer, founder and President of Vitamin Angels. The meal is free; reservations are required by Oct. 20. Leave your name and number of attendees by email to info@wormproject.org or by phone at 267-932-6050 x201.   

The Worm Project is a global initiative that strives to relieve the suffering of millions of children throughout the world through raising money to purchase and distribute deworming medicine to those who need it most. The medicine is purchased in large quantities at discounted prices, and The Worm Project works closely with partner organizations to distribute the medicine. Deworming medicine is the most cost-effective way to impact the health of children.  

For 25 years, this all-volunteer ministry, of which Mosaic Conference has been a fiscal sponsor, has helped prevent malnutrition in children caused by parasitic worms. The ministry was founded by Franconia Conference missionary Claude Good, who worked with the indigenous Triqui peoples of Mexico. The book How to Change the World One Penny at a Time: The Story of Claude Good and the Worm Project tells this story in greater detail (and all proceeds from the book sale go to purchase deworming medicine).  

Participants in the May 2024 Worm Walk fundraiser learn more about the powerful impact of deworming medicine. Photo provided by The Worm Project.

The Worm Project is now becoming independent as a Conference-Related Ministry (CRM) of Mosaic Conference. The CRM seeks to “be God’s hands and feet, helping nourish the minds, bodies, and souls of His children all over the world,” and is guided by Matthew 25:40, among other scripture texts. 

Roughly one-quarter of the world’s children are at risk of being infected by parasitic worms, which can rob children of up to a third of their daily nutritional intake and cause cognitive and physical impairment. The treatment is an effective, safe pill that costs less than three cents and eliminates all worms in a child. Recommended treatment is every six months to one year.  

Board President Gary Delp (left) and Janice Hebbert, Medical Director of ORPHANetwork,  hold deworming pills at medical clinic held in the local church in Cristo Rey, Nicaragua. Photo provided by The Worm Project. 

With the generous support of many donors, last year The Worm Project was able to donate medicine to treat nearly 11 million children in Honduras, Uganda, Kenya, Nigeria, and beyond.  Using World Health Organization data from 2022, we calculate our medicine donations would treat roughly 9% of children under age five who were treated that year for parasitic worms. 

“As the home conference of our founder, Claude Good, Franconia Mennonite Conference and now Mosaic, has supported The Worm Project in many ways since our beginning back in the 1990s, shares Gary Delp, Board President.  “We hope to continue Claude’s vision to help all children be free of parasitic worms.” 

The Worm Project asks congregations in Mosaic Conference to pray that God will open the hearts of people to donate freely so they can help more children needing treatment. Less than 50% of children under age 5 who were at risk for parasitic worm infections were treated last year. 

Watch this video to learn more, support, and pray for the vital work of this CRM.  

The May 2024 Worm Walk fundraiser and awareness event took place in Franconia (PA) Community Park. Photo provided by The Worm Project. 

Jennifer Svetlik

Jennifer is Editor & Development Associate 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. 

Encouraging Others with Joy and Authenticity

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JAYE LINDO’S STAFF PROFILE

by Jennifer Svetlik

Jaye Lindo

“Mosaic always loved me first and is a place that allows me to be me without judgement,” shares Jaye Lindo, who serves as Hospitality Coordinator for Mosaic Mennonite Conference.

“I love all the people, the work, and the events I get to be included in with Mosaic. I love being able to touch one person at a time, encourage them, and show them the caring posture of Jesus,” she adds. Her attentive listening, joyful humor, and passion shine through as she does so. 

Lindo began this role in August 2024. She supports the Vibrant Mosaic program, Mosaic Institute, and Assembly planning by coordinating logistics for events and classes, including travel and lodging. She loves that she gets to support the formational, intercultural, and missional priorities of the Conference.  

“I love all of what God is doing with Mosaic and that we are leaning in to listen and respond,” she adds.  

This isn’t Lindo’s first time on the Mosaic staff. She was first part of the team in 2021 for a six-month internship as Leadership Development Associate. “I’m a boomerang staff member,” she says.  

Sharing about the many things that drew her back to the staff, she adds, “I love intercultural work. How we thrive together amongst differences and change is so important. It builds character like nothing else.”  

Lindo grew up in an Army family and moved around a lot as a child. She was born in California, though her heart is in Florida. Currently, she lives in Maryland.  

For the past five years, Lindo has served as pastor of 7 Ways Home Fellowship, a Mosaic partner-in-ministry that meets for worship on Zoom on Friday nights. “We are a small community of diverse, authentic leaders,” Lindo describes the group.  

“We bring all our gifts together to uplift each and encourage each other to do greater things for God outside of our own church community.” 

In addition to her work and pastoring, Lindo enjoys laughing, relaxing, reading, listening to music, and being on a ship or on the ocean. “If there is water, I want to be there. On the beach, fishing, sunning, and at baptisms,” she says.  

Photo by Jaye Lindo

Jennifer Svetlik

Jennifer is the Editor & Development Associate 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. 

Strengthening Meaningful Connections with Conference-Related Ministries

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by J. Eric Bishop, Souderton Mennonite Church 

To live more fully into the congregation’s mission statement, “Strengthening Meaningful Connections with Christ, Church, and Community,” Souderton (PA) Mennonite invited a Mosaic Conference-Related Ministry (CRM) to present each week during their Summer 2024 Sunday School elective series, Gifted to Serve.    

Sarah Bergren and Maggie Herrity from the Care and Share MCC Thrift Shoppes.  

The CRM representatives presented a brief history of their organization and its purposes and goals. In an interview style format, they shared how their ministry nurtures discipleship, helps people grow in their gifts, and encourages service.  Many stories were included to illustrate an organization’s effectiveness. A congregation member connected to the organization served as host and interviewer. Some CRM representatives used media presentations and display tables. Each session began with a short teaching on spiritual gifts, led by a congregation member, which was the unifying theme among the nine Sundays.   

This elective series was designed by the Spiritual Formation Team, and the stated goals were that attendees would: learn about the work of Mosaic CRMs; think about how they are using their own time, energy, resources, and spiritual gifts, and if they are called to use them in different ways; and identify and celebrate the variety of gifts and ways people serve in order to glorify God.     

Tim Weaver Interviewing Marlene Derstine from the MCC Material Resources Center.  

The primary challenge, the Spiritual Formation Team discovered, was drawing people to hear about organizations about which they believed they were already sufficiently familiar. Congregants involved with the CRM being represented (e.g., those who serve at the MCC Thrift Shoppe Care and Share), eagerly attended those sessions. But the turnout for the session about Quakertown Christian School was low, as no Souderton families have students attending there, and the adults who did attend no longer have children in the K-12 age range.    

However, the elective averaged 45 people each Sunday, and those who attended learned much and appreciated the candid leadership of those who shared. One Souderton Mennonite participant said, “I really enjoyed the summer elective. It was enlightening to hear about the good Kingdom-work being done through our CRMs. I didn’t realize there were so many, and it was encouraging to see how the message of Jesus is being proclaimed and lived out through Mosaic Conference by these ministries.”     

Representatives from the following CRMs participated in the elective series:  

  • Dock Mennonite Academy  
  • Mennonite Economic Development Association   
  • Peaceful Living  
  • Quakertown Christian School  
  • Living Branches  
  • Care and Share  
  • Spruce Lake Retreat  
  • Mennonite Central Committee Material Resource Center  
Pastor Ken Burkholder interviewing Ed Brubaker from Living Branches. 

J. Eric Bishop

J. Eric Bishop, PhD, taught both English and German at Christopher Dock Mennonite High School (now Dock Mennonite Academy) for 37 years. He currently serves two days a week as Director of Curriculum and Instruction at Quakertown Christian School. He also produces legacy books about local businesses. Eric is married to Linda Hostetler. Eric and Linda are active members of Souderton Mennonite Church.

Associate Executive Minister Marta Castillo Receives Reflective Leadership Grant

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Mosaic Mennonite Conference’s Associate Executive Minister Marta (Beidler) Castillo has received a $15,000 Reflective Leadership Grant from Leadership Education at Duke Divinity School. The grant will support a time of reflecting on how to grow relational capacity and adapt leadership accountability amid conference-wide growth of geographical locations, intercultural diversity, and congregational transitions. 

In 2024, 50 Christian leaders from a variety of faith-based organizations across the U.S. were selected for these grants, which support an opportunity for structured reflection for leaders of Christian organizations that are advancing their mission amid today’s rapidly changing context. The leadership education initiative is based in Durham, NC and funded by the Lilly Endowment, Inc.   

“The Reflective Leadership Grant at Leadership Education at Duke Divinity recognizes and supports the faithful, innovative work of lay and ordained Christian leaders who find themselves at a pivotal moment in their ministry,” says Mycal Brickhouse, a director of program and grants at Leadership Education.  

“Using Harvard professor Ron Heifetz’s language, we want to help leaders experience “balcony time,” which allows them to move from the dance floor to the balcony to gain a broader picture of the work, organization, community and trends. We want to encourage grantees to continue to develop their leadership capacities in ways specific to their context and we look forward to learning alongside them and their communities.”

As the daughter of Franconia Conference-rooted mission workers, Castillo has been shaped by four of the linguistic cultures in the Conference, growing up in both Vietnam and Indonesia. Marta has attended Nueva Vida Norristown (PA) New Life for over 30 years and served on the pastoral team from 2007-2017. Marta served five years on the Franconia Conference Board, two of those as Assistant Moderator, and has been employed by the Conference since 2016, beginning as a Leadership Minister. She graduated from Eastern Mennonite University with a major in Elementary Education and has a Certificate of Christian Ministry from Eastern Mennonite Seminary and a Master of Arts from Kairos University.  

In December, Castillo and her husband Julio will move from their home in Norristown, PA to Miami, FL to provide care for Julio’s mother. She will continue to work with Mosaic as a Leadership Minister and as Associate Executive Minister, expanding Mosaic Conference’s staff presence in Florida. 

In January through March, Castillo will have two days per week of “balcony time” for active reflection, coaching, personal retreat, and opportunities to listen for God’s calling within her role at Mosaic Conference and for God’s Spirit leading the Conference in this current stage of development and growth.  

Through the Reflective Leadership program, she will have opportunities to connect in person and virtually with other grant recipients and share reflections and ideas.