Articles

Need a Hymnal?

April 29, 2021 by Cindy Angela

In the fall of 2020, MennoMedia released the latest Mennonite hymnal, Voices Together, commissioned by Mennonite Church USA and Mennonite Church Canada. “Hymnals are generational,” the planning team behind the new hymnal explain. “They reflect the rhythms of the Holy Spirit, moving among God’s people in a particular era. As worship rhythms develop new currents, the language of a recent generation needs to expand too.”

Voices Together succeeds Hymnal: A Worship Book (1992) and its two supplements, Sing the Journey (2005) and Sing the Story (2007).

The time between the release of an earlier songbook, The Mennonite Hymnal (1969), and the publication of Hymnal: A Worship Book was 23 years. The release of Voices Together in the fall of 2020 marked 28 years since the publication of Hymnal: A Worship Book.

Blooming Glen congregation spent one evening recently replacing all of their hymnals in their sanctuary. Photo by Betty Kulp.
Blooming Glen congregation spent one evening recently replacing all of their hymnals in their sanctuary. Photo by Betty Kulp.
Blooming Glen congregation spent one evening recently replacing all of their hymnals in their sanctuary. Photo by Betty Kulp.

Some Mosaic congregations have already purchased the new hymnal for use in worship. A few weeks ago, Blooming Glen (PA) Mennonite Church replaced their old hymnals with Voices Together. One of their Sunday School classes, The Christiannaires, took on the task and, with organized teamwork, were able to swap out the hymnals in one evening.

If your congregation or organization could use copies of Hymnal: A Worship Book, Blooming Glen congregation would be happy to share their resources. Please contact Pastor Michael Bishop at Michael@bgmc.net for more information.

When One Year Becomes 31 Years

April 29, 2021 by Cindy Angela

Charlie Ness once joked that he would not take on any more interim pastorates. The two churches he served in this manner became long-term ministries, most recently at Perkiomenville (PA) Mennonite Church. In 1990, Charlie, with his wife, Janet, accepted a one-year call to be the interim pastor. They stayed 31 years. At the end of 2020, Charlie “retired” from ministry, formally ending his time as a staff pastor at Perkiomenville (“Perk”).

During their 31 years, Charlie and Janet had a front row seat to God’s work in growing the congregation. In that time, the church physically moved locations, from a property on Deep Creek Road to the main road in Perkiomenville, Gravel Pike (Highway 29). The move accommodated the church’s growth as established members welcomed new families into the congregation. They also worked with people who came from broken backgrounds, introducing them to healing and hope in Christ.

Charlie and Janet have seen many changes in ministry and worship styles in their time. But many would agree that the constant amidst those changes are Charlie’s heart for evangelism and Janet’s gift of hospitality. Many Perk members benefited from Janet’s home-cooked meals, whether at their table or delivered to their homes. The once-a-month “JOY lunch” is a staple gathering for the seniors, where Janet and her team prepare a meal, and Charlie coordinates a theme or speaker.

Charlie’s influence extends beyond the church. He helped form Liberty Ministries to help men released from jail find a new start. This ministry came about from Charlie’s visits to Graterford prison to lead Bible studies. Charlie has also been a member and president of the Upper Perkiomen Ministerial Association, serving as an advocate and coordinator for mission work. He is also the driving force for Men’s Encounter, a weekend program where men are challenged to deepen their walk with God and choose God’s ways of living.

To honor Charlie and Janet Ness for their years of ministry and God’s faithfulness through them, Perkiomenville congregation hosted an open house on the afternoon of April 11, 2021. Earlier that day, Missionary Bob Stevenson preached at a celebratory worship service. Stevenson was one of many men Charlie influenced through the prison ministry. Stevenson now oversees a network of churches and church plants in and around Mexico City.

Charlie and Janet’s ministry is not truly ending. Charlie serves as an interim associate pastor at Towamencin (PA) Mennonite Church. Charlie will also continue his work with Men’s Encounter. Perkiomenville Mennonite Church has established a fund to enable Charlie to continue to do the ministry God calls him to do.

But Charlie is very clear on one thing: his interim work will not lead to another long-term pastorate.

My Journey of Self Discovery

April 29, 2021 by Cindy Angela

Ever have a pain in your body and you try to figure it out? You move your leg around to figure out the source. You stretch and you research your pain. Later you talk to the doctor, and it gets diagnosed. You are told what to do and what to watch out for. As we get older, there are more prescriptions for self examination. We are to poke and prod ourselves from time to time and make sure we are well. Get the blood pressure checked and other things: daily practices to keep us alive and thriving with our body.

It amazes me how many, myself included, do not do this when it comes to our spiritual and mental health. During these times of COVID, I have seen more and more talk about mental and spiritual health. Lamentations 3:40 tells us, “Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord” (NIV). I love this! (Lamentations, for the record, can be so deep and inclusive of so many things, I highly recommend the book to study during these odd times in life.)

Ok, back to this self examination of the soul and mind … I have learned over the past two years, through a mental breakdown, that it is very important for self examination and perspective.

Many times we view the world as it revolves around us. Try this exercise. Look forward and turn your body around. You will see how the world revolves around you! In order for us to self examine ourselves, we need to take a moment and move the camera angle outwardly and look at ourselves from an outside view.

This can be done in a couple ways. One is to just sit and pause. Take a moment to write or speak how you are feeling. For instance, at the time of this writing, my morning has not gone as I had hoped. I am having to be very flexible and focused on tasks at hand. My stress is rising. I am going to need some space to breathe later today and get back to a solid state of mind. I can tell you this because I have learned how to self examine.

Taking a pulse of how I am… looking at what makes me stressed or not stressed… how do I release all this? Self awareness is something I am learning more and more. Being vulnerable with others in how I feel and where I am at with life has been crucial in all this.

“Risking vulnerability and love is what takes courage.”

― from The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery by Cron & Stabile

Author Ian Morgan Cron has really inspired me on this journey. This quote has been a heartbeat for me. I am constantly being vulnerable with those around me so that they too can be loved the way I would want to be loved.

Today I am imploring you to take some time and sit. Sit with yourself and just breathe. Realize you exist and you are alive. God created you so beautifully. Do we not owe it to ourselves to tend to our soul and mind?

I do not have all the space to tell you all the tools and tricks, but try reading Lamentations or The Road Back to You. Of course you can also talk to me too. I am on this journey of self discovery. It has been fascinating to understand how God made me and how he gave me the tools to live an amazing life with HIM!

Whitehall Road Clean-up

April 22, 2021 by Cindy Angela

*Youth and adults from Whitehall (Whitehall, PA) Mennonite Church pose before their bi-annual road clean-up.*

Bob Walter, the pastor who helped plant Whitehall (Whitehall, PA) Mennonite Church, used to teach that “any church worth its salt” will get involved in the surrounding community. One of the small ways was to bless the community by adopting a section of Rt. 145 and participating in road clean-up twice a year.

The road clean-up coordinator, Marie Lesser, fondly known as our “Italian Grandmother,” would organize with the township for supplies and faithfully call folks on Friday night to participate (it was really hard to say no to Marie).

Early Saturday morning, she would bring donuts and coffee and babysit any children who were too young, while everyone did the clean-up. When Marie passed away, Mark Whitermore took over the organizing, but we made our start-time a little later.

The activity fits in with our desire to care for the earth and to bless our community through service. We work in pairs–usually an adult with a youth–so it’s an opportunity for relationship building too. We always sort of moan and groan when the time comes… but we continue to do it! And we like to share our “found” stories when we return.

Earth Day Thank-you Cards to Congress

April 22, 2021 by Cindy Angela

To express gratitude to politicians who are working to preserve Earth, children and adults from Ambler (PA) congregation gathered recently to write *Earth Day Thank-you notes*. Photo by Randy Martin.

Ambler (PA) Mennonite Church’s “Green Team” (a task force for creation care) invited church members to gather on the church lawn on Saturday, April 10, to prepare Earth Day thank-you cards. We wrote to thank legislators who are working to protect this earthly sphere on which God has planted us along with His other creatures.

We recycled leftover cards from our “green” Valentine’s Day care packages. The cards were made by our artistically talented children and youth, who also created some new ones for the event. The front of each card contained a picture of planet Earth with the message, “Your actions mean the world to us … Happy Earth Day!” Each of the eight adults and five children who came, hand wrote a brief message of appreciation for a specific initiative taken by one of our nation’s leaders on the inside of one or more cards.

In a little over an hour, we had cards ready to be mailed to Washington, DC, for 24 members of Congress plus one for the President of the United States.

An exciting part of the project for me personally was researching what was happening in Congress and which legislators we could thank. Before I started, I thought I might have trouble finding enough lawmakers to thank, but instead, the problem was limiting the list to a number we could handle. I had no idea until I started this research how much environmental work Congress is doing! It is impressive, given our often-polarized government, how much of it is happening in bi-partisan committees, task forces, and working groups.

The Laughter and the Dance

April 22, 2021 by Cindy Angela

Spring might be the season that I look forward to the most. I grew up in Indonesia where there are only two seasons: wet or dry. When I moved to Philadelphia, I learned to not take for granted the changes in the four seasons.

Spring, summer, fall and winter. As the seasons cycle through, I appreciate the significance that the earth is still rotating and time is moving forward. After the bitter cold of winter, spring comes to bring new warmth and light into our lives. After the sweltering heat of summer, fall comes to give a gentle breeze and falling leaves.

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.
ECCLESIASTES 3:1-8 (ESV)

This particular season for me has been a time to be sad, break down, and mourn. We are still in the middle of a pandemic, and I am constantly hearing news and stories of people who died too soon.

Last month, I heard the news of the heinous shooting in Atlanta, along with the increasing amount of anti-Asian rhetoric and hate crimes toward Asian Americans in the US. I began to question my own identity and safety as an Asian woman living in the United States.

Last week, I heard news of a police shooting that took the life of a young Black man, a death that could have been (and should have been) prevented, but happened anyway. I am learning and lamenting that we have a broken system that is endangering people of color.

But just as there’s a time for me to be sad, break down, and to mourn, God reminded me that there’s also time for me to heal, to build up, and to find peace.

I choose to focus on things that I have control over.

I choose to find hope in overlooked places. I saw many communities organizing COVID-19 vaccination sites as an effort to keep communities protected. As I received my second dose of the vaccination, I was hopeful; I was healing.

As I unlearn harmful ideologies and educate myself further to become a better member of the community, I am hopeful that I am playing a role, no matter how small, to change things for the better.There’s so much work to be done! While it’s perfectly fine to be angry, sad, and disappointed at the situation at times, we need to focus on working toward healing, making small but tangible changes. As the cycle of weeping and mourning continues, I am hopeful that we as a community can come together and be the laughter and the dance.

Called to Hope

April 20, 2021 by Cindy Angela

After 20 years of pastoral service, is it surprising that the Salvatori family is answering the call to serve in the Dominican Republic as missionaries? Most of our friends have answered emphatically, “No!” Most people who know us well thought God might use us in intercultural ministry.

The Salvatori family: (L-R) Stacy, Talia, Franco, Micah (in back), and Anna. Photo provided by *Stacy Salvatori of Salvatori Photography*.

However, our ministry call story begins long before we met each other, as the legacy of serving others for the Gospel of Jesus Christ began in our families of origin.

For Franco, his story started as a young boy when Jesus radically transformed his family. His father, an alcoholic and addict, came home one day reporting a new faith in Jesus had changed him. It would only be a few short years before his parents began working in the local church and eventually became the executive directors of a local mission.

Stacy’s legacy of ministry runs even deeper. Her maternal grandfather was a Methodist pastor in rural Kentucky, and her father’s family spent two generations in foreign missionary service in the Democratic Republic of Congo. As a martyred missionary, her grandfather’s legacy sent all three of his children into full time mission service and Stacy’s parents still serve in the Democratic Republic of Congo as career missionaries.

As a family, we have often prayed about opportunities to serve interculturally. For years, God led us to serve in local churches and pastoral roles. At this time, it is the training, education, and pastoral ministry experience that will be central to our role as missionaries. Bold Hope International has invited us to join their team in the Dominican Republic in three main areas: Development, Pastoral Training, and Advocacy.

Trains are used to transport sugarcane from the countryside to the central processing plant in La Romana, Dominican Republic. Photo provided by *Stacy Salvatori of Salvatori Photography*.

These three points of interest have led us to serve in the Dominican Republic:

There are migrant workers (primarily Hatians) who have found asylum in small sugarcane villages (bateys) that allow them to survive, but not thrive.
Approximately 85% of pastors globally have never received any theological training.
We believe the good news of Jesus Christ overcomes this lack of resources and we want to be part of the solution.

In the bateys, our family will work alongside the child sponsorship and educational initiatives to help bring hope in these villages. We will work to strengthen and develop the pastoral networks to provide the training and resources that pastors and churches need to further the gospel. And we will help partner individual bateys with churches and organizations in the Dominican Republic and abroad to offer long term investments and impact in these communities.

*Bateys* are villages that house sugarcane workers. This half-court basketball court serves as a central gathering point for the young people in this *batey*. Photo provided by *Stacy Salvatori of Salvatori Photography*.

We believe in the hopeful news that God offers humanity through Jesus. We believe in the work of Bold Hope International. And we believe God has been preparing us for this for a long time.

We are excited about the opportunity God is calling our family to and ask you to partner with us in prayer. If you would like to offer financial support or become a partner organization in a batey, please visit our website at The Hopeful Endeavor.

Interconnectedness During a Pandemic

April 14, 2021 by Cindy Angela

The world-wide spread of COVID-19 has reminded us of our interconnectedness. Unlike other pandemics in recent history, COVID-19’s devastating impact has been wide-spread. The number of lives lost, the inequity and injustices revealed, and the economic toll our world-wide community has experienced supersedes what many of us have experienced in our lifetime.

World leaders have responded differently to this crisis. Some have acted independently of other nations. Other leaders have drawn upon the wisdom and experiences of other nations when rates of infection and deaths increase or decrease. We have witnessed world leaders coming together for the well-being of all nations to fight this virus.

It took a world-wide effort of scientists, medical personnel, and drug companies to develop, manufacture, and distribute several different vaccines. A willingness to work together for the common good, transparency with mis-steps and failures, and giving and receiving counsel is essential when dealing with a deadly virus impacting every continent.

In our faith communities, religious leaders have responded differently. Some have acted independently. Some have drawn upon the wisdom and experiences of other leaders and the medical professionals to make decisions for the common good. Some faith communities have suffered greatly while others have discovered new, creative ways to connect and support each other and the people in their neighborhood. Members of some faith communities are disconnected, lacking access to the Internet. Some feel more connected and able to attend an online service they could not attend in person. Some have disconnected from the church, disillusioned by the conflict over how to respond to COVID-19 protocols. Some are more connected to the church and energized by discovering prophetic ways to promote justice in their neighborhood.

Some new ministries have begun through online formats reaching across our nation and around the world. Bible study, prayer, or support groups have formed. Participation in worship services, ordinations, and memorial services include people living close-by or at a distance.

Some local ministries have expanded to provide nutritious meals, Internet service, tutoring, and support for children unable to access their virtual school programs.

Thinking of our worldwide interconnectedness in the past year reminds me of the Apostle Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 12:24b-26, “But God has arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member (of the body) suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it” (NRSV).

Paul is reminding the early church to recognize each member’s value, perspective, skills, and spiritual gifts. In the church, there should be no inequity or dissension among the members if we are living into God’s intention that all are valued and receive care to meet their needs.

Modeled after the interconnectedness of the Trinity, the church is called to honor, value, and care for all members. Just as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit each contribute to God’s mission, all members of the church are invited to use their special gifts to serve the whole body. Especially in times of suffering, we are reminded that dissension has no place. Our call is to focus on caring for one another for the common good of all people near and far.

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