Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Articles

What Really Matters

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by Margaret Zook

What does the Lord require of you? 

We could use more of Mr. Rogers in this world. “It’s not so much what we have in this life that matters,” he said. “It’s what we do with what we have. The alphabet is fine, but it’s what we do with it that matters more. Making words like friend and love. That’s what really matters.” 

Here is an example from a story that may be familiar to us. One evening, a boy on a beach was picking up starfish and flinging them into the sea. A passerby asked, “Why do you do this?” 

“The starfish would die if left until the morning sun,” the boy said. 

“But the beach is miles long, and there are millions of starfish. How can your efforts make any difference?” 

“It makes a difference to this one.” And the boy threw the next starfish into the sea—far beyond the breaking point of the waves. 

In Micah 6:8, we learn what God requires of us: He has told you, human one, what is good and what the Lord requires from you: to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God. 

Walking humbly with God is knowing that we may not have very much. Embracing faithful love is doing our best with what we have, even if it is only one starfish at a time. 

Find the courage to choose what really matters. The Love of God transcends and transforms what the world imposes. 

Let’s imagine at the same beach, a group was throwing starfish back into the sea. “Why do you do this?” asked a puzzled beach walker. 

“Because we’re a faith-based, not-for-profit organization. Our mission is to do as Jesus did,” the group said. 

“But surely you have some requirements of these starfish. Maybe they need to believe the same as you. Do they need to pay you? Must they go to your church?” 

“If you are a starfish on this beach, the only question we ask is, can we help you?” And the group threw the next starfish carefully back into the sea. 

Find the courage to love and do as Jesus did. 

This is the story of Mosaic Conference Related Ministries. It is a story of groups who looked around them, saw a need, and transformed their communities with hope, health, healing, education, and places of safety. Praise be to the Lord. A complete list of Conference Related Ministries and their stories can be found here. 

The love of God transcends and transforms, and transformed people transform the world. 

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.

Pathway Steering Team and Consulting Firm Announced

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As part of the Pathway Process that was affirmed by a majority of delegates at the November 2022 Assembly, the Mosaic Board continues to move ahead with the plan the Board developed following Assembly, including naming the Pathway Steering Team.  

The proposed process included naming a Pathway Steering Team made up of 6-12 members, including a mix of Board, staff, and Mosaic Conference members who bring a strong commitment to Mosaic’s missional, formational, and intercultural priorities and our shared vision.  Nominations were invited and gathered from across the Conference in December and January.  

The Mosaic Board has affirmed the following Pathway Steering Team members: 

  • Aldo Colon (Iglesia Luz y Vida, Orlando, FL)1
  • Brandon Bergey (Bethany Birches Camp, Plymouth, VT and Bethany Mennonite Church, Bridgewater Corners, VT)
  • Brent Camilleri (Deep Run East Mennonite Church, Perkasie, PA)
  • Bronwyn Histand (Blooming Glen [PA] Mennonite Church)
  • Cherokee Webb (Faith Chapel, Los Angeles, CA)
  • Danilo Sanchez (Mosaic staff; Whitehall Mennonite Church and Ripple, Allentown, PA)
  • Jenny Fujita (Upper Milford Mennonite Church, Zionsville, PA)
  • Jim Musselman (Mosaic Board member; Zion Mennonite Church, Souderton, PA)
  • Kiron Mateti (Mosaic Board member; Plains Mennonite Church, Hatfield, PA)
  • Mark Reiff (Doylestown (PA) Mennonite Church)
  • Marta Castillo (Mosaic staff; Nueva Vida Norristown (PA) New Life Mennonite Church)
  • Regina Valensia (Philadelphia (PA) Praise Center)

To read more detailed information about each Pathway Steering Team member, please click here (updated in May 2024). 

“I’m amazed and grateful for the breadth and depth of skills and giftings in this group,” said Mosaic Moderator Angela Moyer Walter. “I’m grateful for their love and dedication for the Church and their willingness to say ‘yes’ to this work when they could share their gifts in many other places.  I’m eager to see the wisdom that emerges from this group and this process.” 

The Steering Team will contribute to the strategic planning process outlined by the Board within the two-year Pathway timeline, along with an outside consulting firm. Since December, the Board received proposals from numerous consulting options who fit Mosaic’s specific needs of experience. After reviewing these proposals and interviews, the Board has agreed on partnering with Grovider, a consulting firm based in Center City Philadelphia. 

Executive Minister Stephen Kriss worked at cultivating and receiving proposals from possible partners for the Pathway process. “We solicited proposals from consultants across the country, receiving several strong proposals,” said Kriss. “We had stipulations that consultants have experience working with communities of faith and a capacity to work with the diversity of our Conference. Grovider impressed us with their capacity, congeniality, commitments and professionalism.” 

Since 2017, the Grovider firm has partnered closely with foundations, nonprofit organizations, and educational institutions to design learning agendas and provide data-informed strategic support.  A strength that the Grovider team offers Mosaic is their focus on diverse social identities and unique experiences. Their approach to data collection “invite[s] voices from a range of positionalities—seeking to use data as a means to tell stories, unearth needs, reveal complexities, and determine the pathway to more significant impact.” Grovider received strong affirmation from their previous work with faith-based institutions in the Philadelphia region. 

The Board, Steering Team, and consulting firm will at times be working independently, but also together, within the two-year timeline proposed in the Pathway Document. The Steering Team will be working diligently in the next eight months to bring their first presentation of their activity to 2023 Annual Assembly to be held on November 4 at Souderton (PA) Mennonite Church. 

  1. As of May 2024, Haroldo Nunes (Seguidores de Cristo, Sarasota, FL) has replaced Aldo Colon on the Pathway Steering Team. ↩︎

New Wine Mennonite Church: A Mosaic Church Plant in Florida

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By Javier Márquez

Members of Iglesia Seguidores de Cristo, a Mosaic church in Sarasota, FL, are embarking on the challenge of starting a new ministry in Bradenton, FL.

Pastor Jimmy Henriquez, a 62-year-old Honduran, arrived with his wife and two children in the US a little over two years ago. Pastor Juan José Rivera, and the followers of Iglesia Seguidores de Cristo have supported the Henriquez family during this time of transition.  

Pastor Jimmy is now leading this new ministry initiative in Bradenton, FL, which begins like almost every new work: with very few things in hand, an empty trunk filled mostly with hopes and dreams, and the image of a large expansive area waiting to be seeded. 

The motivation for Pastor Jimmy to leave his home country, where he had many years of ministerial experience, was, “To take on new ministerial challenges.” And without fail, that is what he is doing. There is no better word to describe the project of a new church than challenging. Since Pastor Jimmy and his family arrived, they have had a mix of challenges, but have continued to be faithful to their call.  

Pastor Jimmy Henriquez and his family.

Although not yet officially birthed, though breathing and crawling, the new ministry already has a name: New Wine Mennonite Church.  Why New Wine? Because, Pastor Jimmy said, “God will do new things.” For now, the church is already seeking a meeting space and have set times of prayer and Bible study to be held on Wednesday nights, which they call Growth Groups. 

“Bradenton is a town of workers and there is a significant Hispanic population,” explained Pastor Jimmy. “It’s where the cars start from in the morning and where they return to in the evening when they come from Sarasota.”  

The mission is to bring the Kingdom of God closer to those who are working with their hands to build a future. Our prayers and best wishes for this immense project that is already in the heart of Jesus. 

Pastor Jimmy Henriquez and his wife.

Will They Claim Me? 

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By Danilo Sanchez

I sit down at the table and look at the beautiful mosaic of people around me 
It is an artwork filled with striking shades of mocha, creme, caramel, and peach 
Some of it rough and worn, other parts are smooth and new to the world 
As I peer deeper into the artwork I notice the beauty and the blemishes 
Not everything is symmetrical 
There are different sizes and shapes,  
different groupings that would appear to contrast, 
But when brought together are vibrant and complimentary 

In one voice the mosaic calls out to me: 
< Who are you? Tell us your story > 
In a quiet voice I respond:  
< I am a mix of peach and caramel 
I am both foreign and familiar 
I am both inclusive and shepherding 
For some I may be too revolutionary, for others I am behind the times 
For some I may pose a threat, to others I am safe > 

I await the verdict 
I desire to belong to this mosaic, but is the feeling mutual? 
Will they claim me as their own? 

A cacophony of voices bounces off the walls  
as they deliberate my words 
The mosaic is silenced by a rushing wind that moves among the people 
Passing through bones, flesh, and hearts 
The Great Painter speaks: 
< He is my creation. Like you he is both beautiful and broken. 
I have called him to be part of this mosaic. 
Welcome him. > 

The Mosaic sings in harmony 
“Praise God from whom all blessings flow, 
To you be all honor and glory.” 

The Great Painter is not done the masterpiece 
There is more yet to be completed 
More will come that will want to join us 
Will we claim them? Embrace them? 
Will we hear their story? 
Seeking to find the beauty and brokenness in them, 
The way the Great Painter does 

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. Danilo also works part-time with the housing program of Ripple Community Inc as the Community Life Director.

Creative Missional Engagement Q&A

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What Churches Do & How They Get the Grant Money

by Eileen Kinch

Q. What is a Missional Operations Grant (MOG)?

A.  Mosaic’s MOGs fund creative ways for Mosaic congregations to do missional activities, both in the immediate community and beyond.  

Q. What does missional mean? (Does this only mean evangelism?)

A. Evangelism is one example of a missional activity. Missional refers to the way congregations participate in the reconciling love of God through Christ. Any activity of the church can be missional.

Q. What is an example of creative missional engagement?

A. Plains Mennonite Church (Hatfield, PA) has a park on its property that is open to the community. Along a path in the park are panels that tell stories about peacemakers and give information about what it means to be a Mennonite. In 2022, Plains Mennonite Church used a MOG to pave its “peace path” so that families with strollers can more easily use it. The paved path also improves mobility for those with physical challenges. 

Plains Mennonite Church used MOG funds to pave their peace park’s path. 
The newly paved path has increased community use. 

Q. What happened after Plains paved the peace path?

A. More people now use the path since it has been paved. Some have expressed gratitude for easier navigation. Families are leaving pedal car toys along the path for other children to use. Families even get together to watch their children race their cars. The paved path allows more people to read about peace, and the path is also building community.

Q. My congregation doesn’t have a peace path. What else can a MOG be used for?

A. Salford Mennonite Church (Harleysville, PA) used the grant to host a “Gardening For Peace” conference in 2022. Over 200 people attended throughout the weekend. John Thomas, a Lenape elder, representatives from Ursinus College, and John Ruth talked about the need for ongoing dialogue with the Lenape community. There were also workshops about various aspects of peace, including one on prison ministry. In the evening, Shane Claiborne and Mike Martin converted a gun into a gardening tool. A video of the event can be found here. 

Q. How did “Gardening For Peace” impact others?

A. In one workshop, ex-inmates shared about their experience of returning to society after serving a prison sentence. These individuals stayed for the evening meal during the conference and later remarked that they really enjoyed the food and fellowship. Ex-inmates do not always experience this.  The Gardening for Peace conference also opened the way for future opportunities for dialogue with the Lenape, as well as for continued commitment to Salford’s peace education and programming. 

Q. My congregation has an idea for a project. How do I find out if the project qualifies for a MOG?

A. Criteria for a grant can be found on Mosaic’s website. Examples of other congregations’ projects can also be found there. 

Q. How does my congregation apply for a MOG?

A. Talk to your leadership minister, who will give you an application. If your application is accepted, your congregation will need to submit a report after the funds are used. This report should inspire other congregations to explore creative ways to live into God’s reconciling love.

Eileen Kinch

Eileen Kinch is part of the Mosaic communication team and works with editing and writing. She holds a Master of Divinity degree, with an emphasis in the Ministry of Writing, from Earlham School of Religion.

Mwaipopo Joins Mosaic Board

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Emmanuel Mwaipopo joined the Mosaic Conference Board in January 2023.  Along with his role on the Mosaic Board, Emmanuel will serve as Chair of the Intercultural Committee.

Emmanuel Mwaipopo was born in Tanzania. Although his mother was a Mennonite, he was raised in his father’s Roman Catholic tradition. He moved to the US in his 20s to attend Temple University in Philadelphia, PA, where he studied computer information systems. A professor at Temple introduced Emmanuel to a local Mennonite church in Philadelphia.

Later Emmanuel moved to Norristown, PA where he became involved with Nueva Vida Norristown New Life Mennonite Church, where he now serves as an elder.  Emmanuel is a software engineer and works for Comcast. He and his wife care for four children. In his free time, Emmanuel plays ultimate frisbee. 

Diversity of Gifts, Unity of Spirit

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FAITH AND LIFE GATHERING REPORT

by KrisAnne Swartley

As we gathered on the morning of February 8 at Perkasie (PA) Mennonite Church around tables to read scripture, share, and pray, I was struck by the humanness in the room: some expectant mothers or new parents, some approaching retirement age, some in mid-life juggling the needs of multiple generations as well as congregations. Our humanness means vulnerability.

The table group I participated in brought that vulnerability to the text of Ephesians 4. Whether gifted as apostles or prophets, evangelists, pastors, or teachers, we acknowledged our limitations to exercise these gifts perfectly. There are times when some of these gifts have not been well-cultivated in historically Mennonite churches. We also recognized the limitations of our conferences or denomination to welcome and bless the diversity of these gifts. 

At the same time, we were also able to celebrate that faithful people exercise these gifts, often in positions not formally recognized by church bodies. In doing so, they have built up the church and equipped believers in powerful ways. Sunday school teachers, youth group volunteers, and kitchen and janitorial volunteers sometimes act as evangelists and pastors to people in surprising and faithful ways. 

In this complexity and diversity, there is unity. Right now, unity is a complex word for Mosaic Conference. Perhaps it always has been, but this feels like a unique and difficult moment for us. Our table noted that there is a difference between unity and uniformity. Unity can exist amidst differences in perspective and practice. Uniformity demands same-ness. We did not come up with any easy answers for living with diversity in unity without uniformity, but as we talked honestly from our different stages of life and ministry context, there was clear humility and a desire for loving conversation. In our human limitation, perhaps that is miracle enough. 

Photo from Unsplash

Paul talks of loving conversation as “speaking the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15).  Someone around the table remarked how that phrase can be used as a weapon instead of cultivating a spirit of humility as Paul meant here. I wondered aloud, if we don’t have love, are we really speaking truth? If God is love and we recognize God as our source of truth, is it even possible to speak truth without love? We probably could have spent the rest of the day wrestling with our definitions of both love and truth! 

Most powerful for me during the morning was our time of prayer. Each of us prayed for someone else around the table and asked God’s blessing on our sister or brother. We had all briefly shared our hopes, fears, and challenges in life and ministry. The genuine prayers for God’s presence and power in the midst of our vulnerability were tender and faith-filled. The morning was a breath of fresh air in the middle of the demands of the week. We left there, still human, but blessed. 

KrisAnne Swartley

KrisAnne Swartley currently serves as Pastor of Worship and Administration at Doylestown (PA) Mennonite Church. She has served there in various roles since 2011. KrisAnne and her husband, Jon, have two children, Heidi and Ben. She enjoys being out in nature, coloring books, a strong cup of coffee, and hanging out with her cat and dog.

Following My Call from the Wilderness for More Than 40 Years

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By Marco Güete

This past weekend, I was honored as one of the denomination’s elders at Mennonite Church USA’s Hope for the Future 2023, a gathering of people of color, in Atlanta, GA. When I was asked to share a few words during the ceremony, the following came to mind:  

Seven “elders” were honored during the gala night, one of them being Mosaic’s Leadership Minister, Marco Güete. Photo by Cindy Angela.

More than forty years ago, at the Body of Christ Hispanic Mennonite Church in Queens, NY, a church leader approached me and called me out of my wilderness of ministry disorientation and my cave of confusion regarding my call to God’s service. The call I heard from that leader was clear, definite, and emphatic. “You must go to Goshen College (IN) and then to seminary.” I came out of my wilderness and my cave, in search of my place in the world for church service, which happened to be in the Mennonite Church.  

1st call.  Not a year had passed at Goshen College when I received a call to a specific ministry. I was called to be the coordinator of the newly formed Hispanic Ministries office of General Conference Mennonite Church. This was in 1982, and I was the only person of color on staff of the denomination. Although there was a coordinator of the Mennonite Indian Leaders Council (MILC), this person was white.   

A short time later, I was appointed as the first Director of the newly founded office of Hispanic Ministries. At the time, there were fewer than five Hispanic churches and no leaders in training for ministry. My mission was to discover, train, call, and send leaders to start new churches in the United States and Canada. I served in this position for 14 years.  

2nd call.  After serving as Director of Hispanic Ministries, I was sent for four years as a missionary along with my wife, Sandra, to Bogotá, Colombia to serve at the Colombian Mennonite Church.   

3rd and 4th called together.  While I was in Colombia, preparing to return to the US, I received the third call. Western District Conference called me to serve as an Associate Conference Minister and Church Planting Coordinator. South Central Conference called on me to serve them at the same time. I was the first person of color in these roles. I served in these positions for nine years. 

5th call.  Southeast Mennonite Conference called me to serve as Conference Minister in Florida. I was the first person of color in this position, serving for eight years.  

6th call.  Mennonite Education Agency (MEA) calls me to be the Director of the Hispanic Ministry Education Program, which I have been leading for the past eight years and continue to lead.  

7th call.  (The number 7 is very significant in the Bible, and for me.) The seventh calling in my life has been to Mosaic Conference. I currently serve as a Leadership Minister for the Mosaic churches in Florida.  

I clearly understand that God has had a purpose with my life and that He used someone to call me. I surely believe that part of our mission and God’s command is to call and send others into Christ’s mission.  I am immensely grateful to God for calling me to this ministry for over 40 years.  

And how will they preach if they are not sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!” (Romans 10:15, NLT)

Marco Güete

Marco Güete is the Leadership Minister for Florida for Mosaic Conference.