Articles

Just Eat the Food

August 25, 2022 by Conference Office

By Jordan Luther

On Sunday, July 17, my congregation (Zion) chartered a bus from Souderton, PA to worship with our Christian siblings at Philadelphia Praise Center, Nations Worship Center, and Indonesian Light Church in South Philadelphia.

We spent several months planning for this trip. As Pastor Hendy Matahelemual has already shared, this idea was born over lunch in early May. The pastors of our respective congregations met and collaborated on what it would look to have our own Mennonite World Conference where we would worship, fellowship, and share a meal together.

Leading up to our visit, the Zion congregation did our part to prepare for the trip. We dedicated our July worship series to the importance of the global church and our Mosaic relationships. We studied the story of Peter and Cornelius from Acts 10 as our biblical and theological framework before our visit. Below is an excerpt from my sermon on Sunday, July 10.

What does it look like to participate in a global, intercultural church?

The simple answer. It looks a lot like eating different foods.

Eating the local food and graciously accepting hospitality is one of the best things we can do as cultural outsiders. Eating another’s food opens doors to new relationships and for the Spirit of God to shake things up.

If I had to summarize our Bible story from Acts 10 today into one sentence, it would be this: just eat the food.

What does it look like to participate in a global, intercultural church?
JORDAN LUTHER

Photo provided by Indonesian Light Church

We too often tell this story from only Peter’s perspective. We easily forget that God is at work in both Cornelius and Peter’s lives. God desires to bring them both together, despite their cultural differences, in a spirit of mutual transformation.

Both Peter and Cornelius are mutually transformed through their meeting. God’s initiative to bring them together gives us a taste—literally—of what it is like to come together as a global, intercultural church.

Their story shows us that the best place to start becoming an intercultural church is to just eat the food.

Perhaps eating new foods is a simple but profound act of surrendering to God’s mission to bring all people together through Jesus Christ our Lord—without having to sacrifice our deep cultural identities. Can it really be this simple?

Yes! Just eat the food.

May we, like Peter and Cornelius, lean into the blurred lines between who is guest and host. May we do so with the confidence that it is God who is setting the table and bringing us together. May we come to the table eager to learn from one another in a spirit of mutual transformation.

God has set the table. We just need to show up… And eat the food.

Just eat the food.

Jordan Luther

Jordan Luther is the former Associate Pastor of Faith Formation at Zion Mennonite Church in Souderton, PA. He is starting Clinical Pastoral Education at St. Luke’s Penn Foundation this fall and attends Wild Church at FernRock Retreat.

Abide: A Meditation

August 18, 2022 by Conference Office

By Jaye Lindo

Do you ever hear a word that touches you so deeply, but you can’t really grasp its fullness? Only if you sit with it can you get a little glimpse of what the writer really means. Only when you have stillness in your spirit can you minimally sense the essence. We can use Google to understand the origin, lineage, and root of a word.  

 Abide: to remain; continue; stay (from Old English)

John 15:5 says, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing” (NRSV).

Abide. Just sit with it. Abide.  

Pause.    

“I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing“
John 15:5

The verse says, “Those who abide in me.” God uses abide to remind us to stay connected to God. Abide in Me, and I abide in you.

Yes, Jesus, I desire for us to abide together.  

I thank you, Lord, for our abiding in each other. Without you abiding in me

I can do nothing.   

Abide. It sounds so comforting, so peaceful.

How do we abide in God and allow God to abide in us? Abide through your situation. Abide when life turns your world upside down. Abide when your heart is broken. Abide when you are afraid; abide when you are unsure of what to do.  

Abide.

Just sit in it. Breathe through it.  

Abide. Allow the peace to overwhelm your heart and your situation.

I am the vine; you are the branches. As branches, we reach outward and upward to connect to other living branches in the vine. We connect living people to the place where they can abide.  

How many of us, as branches, really sit and listen as we abide?

Do we listen in Bible study, abide as we share our testimonies, abide in community of church fellowship, abide while being a neighbor, abide while growing in our faith?  

John 15:5-8 says, “I am the Vine, you are the branches.  When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant.  Separated, you can’t produce a thing.  Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on a bonfire.  But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon.  This is how my Father shows who he is–when you produce grapes, when you mature as my disciples” (The Message).

If we are branches that neglect the opportunities to abide, are we nothing but sticks?  Sticks are disconnected from the vine and the other branches. 

The branches abide and thrive and extend love, the love of our Savior and the love our lives.  We can only fulfill the promises of the Father if we abide. Sometimes we abide alone, but abiding is best when we abide together!     

Let’s abide, family.  
Abide. 

Jaye Lindo

Jaye Lindo is the Leadership Development Associate for Mosaic Conference. She also serves as Pastor of 7 Ways Home Fellowship in Bowie, MD.

Buying a Church Building, One Quarter at a Time

August 18, 2022 by Conference Office

By Bill and Emily Jones, Ripple Church

The first time we attended Ripple Church in Allentown, PA was a Sunday in 2013. We arrived at 4:00 pm to find a bustling church scene. We walked past a group gathered for Church of the Sidewalk and went inside to the basement where we joined everyone for the Church at the Tables service, followed by announcements. Among those announcements were plans for the church’s upcoming move away from the current location (12th and Chew Street). I remember being surprised and a little sad; this lively, warm, and packed church would no longer be here. Luckily, it didn’t move far, just downtown into another church building (8th and Walnut Street). We joined the congregation and enjoyed a few more years there until circumstances forced Ripple to move to another location on Turner Street.

Wednesday night garden at Ripple. Photo by Mary Sanchez.

Have you ever experienced a church move? Searching for a new home, saying goodbye, moving, and rebuilding relationships and structures have been part of Ripple’s nomadic existence since its beginning. Thankfully we have had friends and supporters every time the congregation needed a new place to go, but it still didn’t make the moves easy. As a church with many walking members, each move, even if close by, can have a significant impact on who can attend regularly. We can remember many families and people from different eras at Ripple whom we miss and whose lives have touched many. 

Today our church faces yet another crossroads, but this one is of a different kind. The owners of St. Stephens, our current building, are ready to sell and want us to buy the building. They believe in us, have supported us, and are asking us to take the next step. As a church of little financial means, it’s a daunting task even to consider. However, it’s an opportunity that excites us, and we’ve made it our goal to own our church building.

At a recent planning service, the pastors asked Ripple, “What excites you about having our own building? How will owning this building help Ripple Church?”  Some answers included having more space for people, and having our own kitchen and bathrooms that we could share with others. Others were excited about the opportunity to be good neighbors, and to be right next door to the community garden and Franklin Park. Another subset of answers focused on limiting worries about the future and building a sense of permanence that resonates with many Ripple members whose experiences have been the opposite.

Start of church fundraiser in Feb. 2022, (back, L-R) Charlene Smalls, Angela Moyer Walter, (front, L-R) Danilo Sanchez, Dante. Photo provided by Danilo Sanchez.

There are many reasons why we want to purchase our church building. Now, how is a church with little financial means going to do this? We’re going about this effort by asking big and appreciating small. We’re passing out folders to be filled with quarters and writing letters to partners and friends to help support us in our goal. So far, we have raised $68,000 of our $200,000 goal. We will continue working to reach our goal of having a permanent home until we get there. We’ll cheer every quarter and appreciate every bit of generosity we receive. 

One final Ripple memory: In our stint as treasurers for Ripple, there were months when we feared ends would not meet, where even meeting the modest payroll for pastors was uncertain. But every month there was always enough. Through generosity and the abundance of God, there is always enough. 

Covenant Sunday 2022, Pastor Angela and Ripple members. Photo by Danilo Sanchez.

Mosaic’s Listening Task Force Members Named

August 18, 2022 by Cindy Angela

On July 18, the Mosaic Conference Board moved to form a task force to lead a listening process and review of the Conference’s relationships with Mennonite Church USA (MC USA). Nominations for the task force were gathered from across the Conference. The task force members are:

Maria Hosler Byler, Salford (Harleysville, PA)
Herman Sagastume, Perkiomenville (PA), Mosaic Board member
Eden Strunk, Ambler (PA)
Roy Williams, College Hill (Tampa, FL), Mosaic Board member
Nathan Good, Swamp (Quakertown, PA)
Jenny Fujita, Upper Milford (Zionsville, PA)
Jeff Wright, Blooming Glen (PA) & Leadership Minister for California
Sonya Stauffer Kurtz, Zion (Souderton, PA)
Aldo Siahaan, Philadelphia Praise Center (Philadelphia, PA) & Leadership Minister
Mike Derstine, Plains (Hatfield, PA)

First row (L-R): Maria Hosler Byler, *Salford (Harleysville, PA)*, Herman Sagastume, *Perkiomenville (PA)*, Eden Strunk, *Ambler (PA)*, Roy Williams, *College Hill (Tampa, FL)*, and Nathan Good, *Swamp (Quakertown, PA)*.
Second row (L-R): Jenny Fujita, *Upper Milford (Zionsville, PA)*, Jeff Wright, *Blooming Glen (PA)*, Sonya Stauffer Kurtz, *Zion (Souderton, PA)*, Aldo Siahaan, *Philadelphia Praise Center (Philadelphia, PA)*, and Mike Derstine, *Plains (Hatfield, PA)*.

The task force will meet for its first meeting the week of August 15. The goal of the task force is to listen to each Mosaic community and ministry and to provide direction for further discernment at the upcoming Annual Assembly on November 5 at Souderton (PA) Mennonite Church.

The Bean Bag Project – Zion Mennonite

August 11, 2022 by Cindy Angela

Zion Mennonite (Souderton, PA) Church was recently highlighted as a “Hometown Hero” on Philadelphia’s 6ABC evening news for the work they are doing to help prevent hunger in their community. To learn more about The Bean Bag Project and to watch the video, click here.

What I Learned About Anabaptism from Mosaic Institute

August 11, 2022 by Conference Office

By Kevin Opett

“In essentials, unity. In nonessentials, liberty. In all matters, love.”

“In essentials, unity. In nonessentials, liberty. In all matters, love.” These words left an indelible mark in my understanding of Anabaptism after participating in the Introduction to Mosaic Class, offered by Mosaic Institute and led by Steve Kriss and Rose Bender Cook.

As part of Mosaic’s credentialing process, seven classmates and I spent time on Zoom and in person learning about the development and contributions of the Anabaptist movement to the Christian story. We read books, traveled to rural and urban churches, visited historical places, and talked with memorable people who represent the diverse makeup of Mosaic.

The Introduction to Mosaic class at Fern Rock Retreat.
Back row: Ramona Pickett (7 Ways Home Fellowship), Brandon Landis (Finland), Tracy Commons (Swamp), Scotty Meiser (Bristol Redemption), Steve Kriss (Mosaic staff), Susan Alloway (Bristol Redemption), Hilarion Chidi Ihezuoh(LA Faith Chapel); Front row: Michelle Ramirez (Luz y Vida), Kevin Opett (Alpha), Rose Bender Cook (Mosaic Institute staff).
Photo by John Drescher-Lehman.

Our cohort was a microcosm of the conference: it included both life-long Mennonites and newcomers to the fold, Americans and immigrants, as well as representations of several racial/ethnic backgrounds. Each of us had our notions of Anabaptism challenged, expanded, and enriched.

We started out as strangers but ended up as brothers and sisters who care deeply for one another. We enjoyed deep discussions and sought to understand our different perspectives as we galivanted around Pennsylvania, to Souderton, Harleysville, Philadelphia, and Lansdale. On the final in-person day of the class, a sabbatical retreat at Fern Rock bonded us together as we sang praises to Jesus and shared what he is doing in our hearts.

I was fascinated to learn that Anabaptists were not always the “Quiet in the Land,” a people who kept to ourselves. Far from being docile, our forebears were radical, urban-based, and adamant that Christians are to spread the gospel far and wide. Relentless persecution from other Christian traditions led to a centuries-old retreat into isolation that only now seems to be turning the tide, as our story widens and deepens with new cultures and people adding their unique perspective to the Mosaic story. We are being reacquainted with the Great Commission to go and make disciples of the nations by the fresh movement of the Holy Spirit in our world.

The course offered a solid foundation to understand the Mosaic vision of being a Conference where homogeneity is not a prerequisite to cooperation. Like a patchwork quilt, no two congregations look or function the same. Mosaic includes both rural, traditional churches as well as urban immigrant congregations. There are multiethnic and multilingual congregations. Some were established 100 years ago, while others are just starting out. This array of diversity makes Mosaic Conference unique and beautiful.

The diversity enables a person like me, whose background resembles a denominational kaleidoscope, to feel welcomed and to thrive just as those who can trace their ancestry back to the earliest expressions of the movement. We can each find our place in Mosaic and mutually support one another as we strive to live out the teachings of Christ and share the Good News to the communities around us.

On behalf of my classmates, Brandon, Chidi, Michelle, Ramona, Scotty, Susan, and Tracey, I wish to convey our sincere appreciation to all who made this class so rewarding. The time you invested in us and the stories you shared allowed us to experience such a meaningful time together. We hope we have been as much of a blessing to you as you have been to us!

Kevin Opett

Kevin Opett resides in the Philadelphia area and currently serves as pastor of Alpha Mennonite Church in New Jersey. You will usually find him toiling in the yard of his new house or cooking international cuisine when he is not engaged in ministry work. Kevin just celebrated 21 years of marriage to his beautiful wife, Petra.

My Wife Could Not Contain Herself

August 11, 2022 by Conference Office

By Marco Güete, Leadership Minister

On a trip this year to walk the Camino de Santiago, a network of ancient pilgrimage routes in Spain, someone said to my wife, Sandra, and me: “Be prepared, you are going to a town that is an oven with hellish heat.” We were worried about the heat that awaited us. After six hours and 23 km walking on almost flat terrain, we arrived at Hornillos del Camino, a city in the north of Spain.

To our surprise, the weather was not hot; rather, it was a bit cold. It was the month of May. We slept in Hornillos one night. When people have not been to a place, they imagine things. In this case, because of the name Hornillos (meaning kilns), the person thought the city would be as hot as an oven. The reality is that the name of the city came from the many pottery kilns in the ninth century. Today those kilns do not exist.

Sandra *Güete* says hello to some children in a town along the Camino de Santiago. Photo provided by Marco Güete.

As we continued our walk, my wife and I thought we would reach a town below sea level. But it was not like that. The town was in a valley on the side of a mountain. We discovered that we had to go up and then down the mountain to follow a path to the next town, Castrojeriz, which was 19 km away. We climbed and climbed at a slow pace to conserve our energy. The summit seemed unattainable, but finally after a long time, we reached the top of the mountain.

Marco Güete rests by a sculpture near Sahagun, Spain. Photo provided by Marco Güete.

The landscape in front of us was otherworldly, almost divine, maddeningly beautiful. There are no words to describe it. My wife could not contain herself. Very excitedly she began to praise God out loud, sang hymns of worship, and danced as we went back down the mountain. Some walkers were motivated by her joy. To see the splendor of God’s creation, we had to suffer going up the mountain, burn energy, sweat, and overcome any discouragement.

The church is similar to an unknown place to which we plan a trip. Before going, we imagine and dream, but when we arrive at the place, we find things differently.
The conferences and institutions of the Mennonite Church are like this. They are not what they were in the past, nor will they be in the future what they are today. God is constantly doing new things by transforming and renewing the old. God also transforms his church, and his church is us. What we imagine about the church disappears when we discover new things and implement changes. And sometimes, like my wife, we cannot contain ourselves when we see what God has done.

Marco Güete

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

Mosaic Fall Assembly Details Taking Shape

August 11, 2022 by Cindy Angela

by Brooke Martin

For the first time since Eastern District Conference and Franconia Mennonite Conference reconciled and formed a new Conference, we will be gathering IN PERSON for Assembly as Mosaic Conference!

The 2022 Fall Assembly will be held on one day, Saturday, November 5, from 9:30am-6:30pm (ET) at Souderton (PA) Mennonite Church. Worship, delegate sessions, fellowship, and food from Mosaic communities will be intertwined throughout the day. The entire Assembly will be on Saturday this year.

I am thankful for the many behind-the-scenes volunteers, Board members, and the Assembly team members over the past few years for their diligence and intentional work to create quality, virtual delegate sessions. This year, virtual participation is not an option. All participants will be in-person at Souderton (PA) Mennonite Church.

If your congregation or CRM has not yet submitted their delegate names for the Assembly, please do so soon. The delegate submission deadline is Friday, August 19. Please send your delegate names to: office@mosaicmennonite.org.

Assembly Registration will begin on September 9. Further details will be coming.

Please join us in prayer as we prepare for our Fall Assembly on November 5.

Brooke Martin

Brooke Martin is the Youth and Community Formation Pastor for Mosaic Conference. Brooke lives in Telford with her husband, Nathaniel, and their two children.