Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Articles

Conference-Related Ministries, Together 

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by Margaret Zook

Mosaic’s Conference-Related Ministries (CRMs) serve their communities through nurture, formation, witness, care and discipling. They are led by individual boards, and are in relationship with each other through Mosaic Conference, grounded in shared Anabaptist values. Mosaic’s CRMs are geographically disbursed, vary in size and scope, and offer a wide variety of ministries.  

The “CRM Together” trips that have taken place over the past year have sought to “create a village” through visiting each other’s spaces, sharing stories, listening to the needs in our communities, learning and praying. These trips have invited CRM leaders to reflect on questions such as, “where can we help each other? What resources and gifts do we possess that can maximize the thriving of our communities?”  

Leaders of CRM Midian Leadership Project (Charleston, WV) with Margaret Zook, right, visit the Mosaic office and Dock Mennonite Academy (Lansdale, PA). 
Leaders of CRM Midian Leadership Project (Charleston, WV) with Margaret Zook, right, visit the Mosaic office and Dock Mennonite Academy (Lansdale, PA). 
CRM leaders, from left, visit Ripple Community, Inc.: Wayne Mugrauer, President, St. Luke’s Penn Foundation; Sarah Bergin, Director, MCC Care and Share Thrift Shoppes (Souderton, PA); Margaret Zook, Mosaic Staff; Ed Brubaker, President & CEO, Living Branches (Souderton PA).
CRM leaders, from left: Dean Stoesz, CEO of Indian Creek Foundation (Souderton, PA); Rich Whitekettle, Board member of Liberty Ministries (Schwenksville, PA); Wayne Mugrauer, President, Saint Luke’s Penn Foundation (Sellersville, PA); with Roy Williams, Mosaic Assistant Moderator. 

During Conference-Related Ministry Together Trips to Bike & Sol (East Greenville, PA), Mennonite Central Committee Material Resource Center (Harleysville, PA), Ripple Community, Inc. (Allentown, PA), a learning trip with Mennonite Historians of Eastern PA (Harleysville), a gathering at North Penn Commons (Lansdale, PA), and a Board & CEO luncheon with Assistant Moderator Roy Williams (North Tampa [FL] Christian Fellowship), CRM Together trips offered a place for sharing organizational beginnings, dreams for the future, and hopes for collective ministry opportunities.   

CRM CEOs and board members gather at the Mennonite Heritage Center (Harleysville, PA) for a talk on faith and culture. From left: Dr. Ron Souder, board chair, St. Luke’s Penn Foundation; Wayne Mugrauer, President, St. Luke’s Penn Foundation; Herman Sagastume, Executive Director, Healthy Ninos Honduras and Mosaic Board member.

“I find it inspirational to learn how members of our faith community are serving and supporting other CRMs in our community,” shared Sarah Bergin, Executive Director, Care & Share Thrift Shoppes (Souderton, PA). “These opportunities provide me with ideas and encouragement in my leadership role.”  

Mukarabe and George Makinto, co-directors of Amahoro International, lead worship during chapel at Dock Academy.    
Ed Brubaker, President & CEO, Living Branches; Edie Landes, board member of MCC Material Resources Center and of Mennonite Historians of Eastern PA.

The last stop on the tour was to North Penn Commons, a vibrant public center that houses four local nonprofit organizations that provide affordable housing, senior services, health and wellness services, job training, and food for those in need.  

Sheldon Good (Salford [Harleysville, PA]), director of Development and Strategic Direction, at Manna on Main Street, one of the four nonprofit organizations co-located at North Penn Commons, shared with the group of CRM leaders gathered, “The collective power of the faith community is both so strong and so underleveraged.”  

The CRM Together trips have sought to harness that collective power to develop deeper relationships across ministries, support one another, and seek to creatively continue to serve needs in our various communities.  

“These visits have reminded us of the diversity, importance, and connection of our community work,” reflected Wayne Mugrauer, President, St. Luke’s Penn Foundation. 

“We have all been inspired by this experience and the opportunity to learn, share, and grow.”  

Assistant Moderator Roy Williams, left, and Scott Roth, director of CRM Bike and Sol.   

Margaret Zook

Margaret Zook is the Director of Collaborative Ministries for Mosaic Conference. She and husband, Wib, are members of Salford Mennonite Church and live in Harleysville, PA.

Resourcing Our Pastors and Leaders for Holistic Wellness

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by Stephen Kriss

This spring a group of Mosaic pastors and leaders gathered to watch a session on the annual Barna Report at our conference offices. Barna does research on the Protestant world in the U.S. context. The most striking thing in this year’s report was the challenge of mental health for pastors. Pastoring has never been an easy calling. However, in recent years in the U.S., it has become even more precarious, with nearly one in five pastors reporting having suicidal thoughts. We are not immune to this in Mosaic. 

The pastoral calling can be isolating. It is lived within community; however, part of the call is to be set apart from the community. Pastors carry special burdens with their families and their physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. I’ve struggled with some of these areas myself, not finding easy rhythms when there is always work to be done. Though the work can be taxing, it is meaningful and with people I sincerely love. 

Everence initiatives through the Lilly Foundation have sought to provide places and pathways for pastors to maintain their own wellness, including grants and financial counseling programs.  This spring Everence helped Mosaic sponsor a day away for our pastors. It was notable to me how many pastors signed up for the 15-minute massage sessions offered. Our bodies are carrying both primary and secondary trauma. We also offered time for personal, intentional prayer for pastors, from a team of pray-ers. All these sessions filled too.  

Mosaic leaders from California, Florida, and Pennsylvania participated in a “Mosaic Leadership Day Away” in scenic Lambertville, NJ along the Delaware River.  

Our Conference maintains a special fund to assist pastors with counseling, spiritual direction, and other needed resources of support. It is well-used, and we have relied on extra funds we received during the pandemic to strengthen this resource. We have nearly 150 active credentialed persons who serve in a variety of contexts. Some have access to wellness resources more readily than others. We want to make sure that all our credentialed leaders can have the care they need. 

Our leadership ministers regularly check in with lead pastors. We have regular learning communities and support groups for specific pastoral contexts. Our goal is that every pastor has at least two places of support from Mosaic Conference:  a direct line of accountability and accompaniment, and a peer group for sharing and resourcing. This is a goal yet to be achieved. We hope all our pastors have a friendship beyond their family in which they can process and feel support, whether that is a formalized mentor, trusted friend, spiritual director, or counselor. 

Our pastors serve diverse needs and communities. In some congregations, the pastor is called upon to lead the community in ways that an executive director would lead a non-profit. In other settings, the pastor is akin to a social worker, responding to various needs and identifying access to resources. In some settings, pastors are community workers serving neighborhoods and small towns. In many congregations, pastors must serve in almost every kind of role, from janitorial to preaching. We have pastors who serve as chaplains and organizational leaders, with their own sets of needs and challenges. Many of our pastors are bi-vocational. 

In our community of nearly 8000 people, the unique calling of pastor is carried by about two percent of our constituency. We rely on the contributions of our congregations, individuals, foundations, and our investments to ensure resources are available to cultivate healthy leaders and vibrant communities. 

With the reality of the Barna report in mind, we continue to invest in caring for our credentialed congregational and emerging leaders. We ask congregations to continue to recognize the significant calling their pastors carry and allow time for sabbath and connection with family and friends, for retooling and learning. Congregations and communities thrive when pastors and leaders thrive. 

I pray our ongoing support can allow our credentialed leaders to live out their sense of calling, knowing that they are worthy of God’s love, surrounded by honest and real networks of care. 

Stephen Kriss

Stephen Kriss is the Executive Minister of Mosaic Conference.

The Real Deal

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by Jordan Luther

On a humid Saturday night, a few hundred people gather in grandstands at the Fall Leaf Family Memorial Pow Wow Grounds in Copan, Oklahoma. A center drum with a dozen players pounds a steady heartbeat. The head singer starts a song and a dozen voices respond to him, their voices soaring higher than eagles. A hundred dancers move in a circle around the center drum, stomping and shuffling their feet to the center drum’s heartbeat. 

“This is the real deal,” says Jermey Johnson, the Cultural Education Director of the Delaware Tribe of Indians in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. “My ancestors have been dancing for millennia. People think we [Delawares/Lenape] have gone away. But we’re still here; we’re still dancing.” 

Some members of the faith-based delegation from southeastern PA, including Mosaic staff member Danilo Sanchez, left, Jordan Luther (Methacton [PA]), second from right, and Chief Brad KillsCrow of the Delaware Tribe of Indians, right. Photo provided by Jordan Luther.

I had the honor of being one of the people in the grandstands that night. I was there with a small group from Pennsylvania called the Friends of Delaware Tribe. The Friends of Delaware Tribe is an ecumenical network of congregations committed to building relationships of mutuality and trust with our Lenape neighbors, and several southeastern PA Mosaic congregations are a part of this group.  

Our group started last year in response to an impassioned request from tribal member John Thomas and Chief Brad KillsCrow at the Mennonite Heritage Center in Harleysville, PA. They are looking for friends to walk alongside them as they rebury the bones and artifacts of their ancestors currently stored in museums across the East Coast. 

Our trip to Oklahoma was 12 months in the making. It was an opportunity to reciprocate travel and visit with our partners in Oklahoma. The annual Delaware Pow Wow is a social gathering where many tribal members gather to camp, socialize, and share their cultural traditions. 

What I experienced at the Delaware Pow Wow was a miracle of resiliency. I heard stories of grief about loss of homeland, and I saw three and four generations of families laughing and spending time with one another. I heard their legal and financial obstacles for tribal sovereignty, and I saw a community that prioritizes affordable housing for elders on their tribal campus. Amazingly, I also heard youth and adults speaking the Lenape language, a language that nearly went extinct a generation ago had it not been for the commitment from elders like Nora Thompson Dean.  

A member of the Delaware Tribe of Indians dances in the annual Pow-Wow near Bartlesville, OK. Photo by David Miller.
Delaware tribe youth prepare to dance. Photo by Dick Detweiler.

I experienced a people who have many gifts to offer to our Mosaic. Our story as a people is interwoven with their story as a people through Lenapehoking, the land where Mennonites first settled and worshiped in North America. It is in the heartbeat of center drum where I felt the heartbeat of one of Jesus’ core teachings. Love your neighbor as yourself. 

This is the real deal. Our Lenape neighbors are still dancing, and Jesus’ call to love our neighbor still stands. 

The Friends of the Delaware Tribe is hosting a Right Relationship Training with the Coalition to Dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery on Friday, Aug. 2 (evening) and Saturday, Aug. 3. This interactive training will help participants become better allies to indigenous peoples and will take place at Conference-Related Ministry the Mennonite Heritage Center (Harleysville, PA) and virtually. Coalition director, author, and Tewa descendent Sarah Augustine will be present virtually for the training. Information and registration is available here.  

Jordan Luther

Jordan Luther is a member at Methacton Mennonite Church in Worcester, PA. He volunteers with the Mosaic Intercultural Committee and leads the committee’s White Caucus. Jordan lives in Souderton, PA with his wife Sarah and their daughter.

Set Apart

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by Noel Santiago

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.

Acts 13:2, NIV 

In this text, the leaders of the early church gathered in worship and fasting. Amid this gathering, the Holy Spirit calls for Barnabas and Saul to be set apart for the work of Jesus.   

Today, we too participate in acts of “setting apart” on various fronts, although we think more in terms of “calling” or “being called”. The first and foremost of these is when we place our faith and trust in Jesus Christ and reorient our lives around the mission of God. This is an act of being “set apart” to God where we begin the journey of following Jesus as Lord in all of life. 

Throughout our Anabaptist history, we have recognized the call of God on people’s lives and have used various methods to recognize, call, and set apart these people for service to God. From choosing by lot, to shoulder tapping, and seeking to develop a Culture of Call, to credentialing processes that include filling out Ministerial Leadership Information forms, references, and interviews, God’s calling is discerned and recognized in a diversity of ways. 

On Sunday, June 2, 2024, Iglesia Nueva Vida Norristown New Life (PA) was joined by Providence Mennonite (Collegeville, PA) to celebrate the recognition of one of these being set apart. It was the ordination and installation to ministerial office of Pastor Nering Huete at Iglesia Nueva Vida Norristown New Life. Pastor John Holsey of the Providence congregation brought the message from this passage   

Pastor Nering was born in Tegucigalpa, Honduras where he ministered in a variety of church settings, ultimately in the Mennonite Church of Tegucigalpa. In 1984 the Lord called him to be the pastor of Iglesia Menonita El Buen Pastor in Lancaster, PA. Later he served as a chaplain in Chester County, from where he retired. 

However, God still had more for Pastor Nering. God again called him into ministry at Mosaic congregation Iglesia Menonita Ebenezer in Souderton, PA and now at Iglesia Nueva Vida Norristown New Life. His partnership with Providence came about as a new Partner in Ministry formed there called Iglesia Menonita Jesucristo Viene. 

The gathered body prays over Pastor Nering. 
The gathered body prays over Pastor Nering. 

On this day, however, the community of faith gathered in worship, prayer, scripture reading, preaching of the word and celebration of covenant making as we recognized, affirmed, and set apart Pastor Nering for the work of ministry. Family, friends, and sisters and brothers in Christ gathered around him in prayer and together, we all recommitted ourselves to the work of Jesus’ ministry.  

Of course, we did do one thing a bit differently than the early church in the Acts 13 passage; we had a wonderful time of fellowship afterwards with food from a variety of different countries. To God be the glory! 

Noel Santiago

Noel Santiago is the Leadership Minister for Missional Transformation for Mosaic Conference.

The Installation Service of Rev. Bernie Chung

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by Wendy Kwong

On April 21, 2024, Leadership Minister Jeff Wright, and I (Souderton [PA]), traveled to be a part of the installation service of Rev. Bernie Chung as San Francisco Chinese Mennonite Church (SFCMC) Interim Pastor and beyond.

The choir and guests (Kwong, far left) sang Pastor Bernie Chung’s favorite song, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus,” in Cantonese. Photos provided by David Pang, chair of the deacons.
Ten authentic Chinese homemade dishes for guests from far and near, hosted by a SFCMC couple at their house. Ten is a perfect number in traditional Chinese culture.
Over 50 people attended the afternoon installation officiated by their Leadership Minister, Jeff Wright.
Leadership Minister Jeff Wright encouraged the congregation with a sermon titled “Keeping the Main Thing, the Main Thing” (Ezra 7:1-10) and Katie Chung interpreted.
Rev. Chung is the new owner of a Mosaic Mug!
Question and answer time with Bernie and Katie Chung. 

The Fruit of the Spirit Is Showing Up

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by Charlene Smalls

In March of this year, I received an invitation to join Sandy Drescher-Lehman (Methacton [PA]) for a sermon preparation group, in which Mosaic pastors could come together to study from the Lectionary and prepare for upcoming sermons. During our most recent session, we reflected on how valuable this time has become for each of us. Today we would like to invite others to come alongside us and share in this experience. We have organically leaned into what it is to be Mosaic together, serving and sharing life as we study scripture and prepare for the work assigned to us.  

In the group, we reflected that there are other pastors across the U.S. studying from the lectionary for their upcoming sermons too. I wonder if God is pleased with this nationwide oneness, even if our sermons and contexts are different. Participating in this group has lightened the sermon prep load for me. It is a gift to sit with your peers in ministry, wrestle with Scripture, and see the different sermons that take shape in the group. 

Recently as we studied the scriptures together, we recognized that God has been working in us to deepen our study time and build relationships. God is allowing us to share about our varied contexts, which gives us a peek into the wholeness of the Kingdom God. The Fruit of the Spirit is showing up in this group.  

You are invited to join us virtually on Tuesdays at 10:30 eastern time. Contact Beverly Benner-Miller at Beverly@plainsmennonitechurch.org for the link.  

Charlene Smalls

Charlene Smalls is co-pastor of Ripple in Allentown, PA.

Mosaic Conference Receives $10,000 for Ambassadors Program

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Mosaic Mennonite Conference (Lansdale, PA) has received a $10,000 charitable distribution from the Schowalter Foundation to help fund the summer 2024 Ambassadors Youth Leadership Development Program.  

The Ambassadors Youth Leadership Development Program provides summer ministry experience to gifted young adults (ages 18-24) impacting their local communities. This program builds on a 20-year commitment by Mosaic (previously Franconia) Conference to develop young adult leaders through ministry experience.  

The program seeks to cultivate young adults’ commitment to Christian service and foster opportunities for Anabaptist witness and spiritual growth in their local communities and inspire young adults and develop their leadership skills. 

Danilo Sanchez, Leadership Minister for Intercultural Transformation, directs this program. Sanchez himself participated in a Franconia Conference-led summer service program as a young adult.

“These young adult Ambassadors give back to their community, work on their leadership gifts, learn more about who they are, and work closely with their pastor,” Sanchez shares. “As a young adult, I greatly benefitted from leadership opportunities with the conference which led me to become the pastor I am today.” 

For 10 weeks from June to August, the Ambassadors serve in their congregations’ Vacation Bible Schools and peace camps, at Conference-Related Ministry community centers, and more. They receive guidance from their pastor or another supervisor and mentor to discuss goals, receive support, and reflect on their experiences. The Ambassadors receive a stipend for their impactful work.  

In addition to the service opportunities, there are monthly virtual cohort gatherings for participants to build relationships, pray, and develop leadership skills. At the end of the program, there is a 2.5 day in-person retreat, designed and led by Sanchez and Hendy Matahelemual, Associate Minister for Community Engagement, which this year will take place in Tampa, Florida for the first time.

In 2024, 10 young adults are participating in the Ambassadors program, hosted by their congregation or Conference-Related Ministry. Initially, there were plans to host just six Ambassadors, but due to high levels of interest from applicants and host congregations, and the possibility of additional funding, the program was able to grow.  

“J.A. Schowalter wanted his legacy to continue on beyond his lifetime, supporting the missional work of Mennonite churches and organizations with similar faith and values,” said Schowalter Foundation President Diane Yoder. “We are pleased to support the efforts of Mosaic Mennonites through his vision and generosity.” 

The Schowalter Foundation was established in 1954 from the estate of J. A. Schowalter, a Mennonite from Newton, Kansas. The Foundation supports initiatives that follow the Mennonite convictions of service and missions, peacemaking and social concerns, and other programs and projects carried out by Mennonite Church USA and the Church of God in Christ, Mennonite, as well as Mennonite higher education institutions. To learn more about the life and legacy of J. A. Schowalter and The Schowalter Foundation’s mission and grants, visit schowalterfoundation.org. 

Celebrating 15 Years of God’s Faithfulness: Centro de Alabanza

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by Noel Santiago

“A Dios sea la gloria” (To God be the Glory). 

With these words of praise, Pastors Fernando Loyola and Lety Cortés of Centro de Alabanza (Philadelphia, PA) opened the 15th anniversary celebration service on Sunday, June 23, 2024. 

The service began with intimate songs of worship. As the expressions of love for God flowed, the songs of exuberant joy burst forth like rivers of living waters. God’s people had gathered from near and far to celebrate 15 years of God’s faithfulness at, in, and through Centro de Alabanza. 

Pastors Lety Cortés and Fernando Loyola. 
The children perform a skit about the Israelites under Moses. 
Marta Castillo (right), offers words of encouragement as Dan Barlow translates. 

Pastors Loyola and Cortés have been ministering in the congregation for 17 years, including a two-year start-up period.  

As the celebration continued, we were invited to offer what God had placed in our hearts to give with a huge smile on our face, because God loves a cheerful giver. 

The women’s group offered a celebration in dance as they moved and waved worship flags in sync with a song of praise. There was lots of singing and clapping. 

Mosaic Conference Associate Executive Minister Marta Castillo offered words of congratulations, encouragement, and strength to continue the journey. 

The women’s group offers a praise dance. 
A tasty fellowship meal was shared after the service.

Pastor Tomás Hangar shared the message from 1 Corinthians 5:17-21, highlighting that God is a mission-sending God who seeks to be reconciled with all humanity; we are made new in Christ and reconciled to God. God invites us to participate in his mission of reconciliation as “Chalanes de Dios” (Chalanes is a Mexican expression for an employer’s “helper”). 

The children’s group acted out a story of the Israelites under Moses leadership which called for trusting wholly in God. The youth group shared a video based on Psalm 78:4 reflecting on the church’s anniversary and learnings that each generation brings 

A reminiscent video showed snippets from the congregation’s life together to give praise to God’s faithfulness over these 15 years! As with any good celebration a wonderful Mexican meal was enjoyed by all! 

¡Felicidades, Centro de Alabanza! To God be the Glory! 

Noel Santiago

Noel Santiago is the Leadership Minister for Missional Transformation for Mosaic Conference.