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Shalom Fund Shatters Initial Goal

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by Sue Conrad Howes, Communication Associate

 In April, Mosaic Conference leaders recognized the financial toll that COVID-19 would take on many people in the conference and beyond. The Shalom Fund was quickly organized as an effort to raise funds to share with our most vulnerable communities. 

The initial goal of the Shalom fund was $100,000. To date, the Shalom Fund has raised $151,080.07, smashing past the original goal.  Of the funds raised, $100,000 has been distributed to a wide variety of people and organizations throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, California, and Florida, as well as Honduras, Mexico, and India. Four Conference Related Ministries and 17 congregations have received funds. Some funds assisted ministry expenses while other funds were distributed to assist congregations in their outreach to persons in need.

Beny Krisbianto, pastor of Nations Worship (Philadelphia, PA), noticed needs early on in South Philly. He rallied his congregation and, by early April, their congregation was distributing grocery bags containing basic supplies to their neighbors. They distributed about 40 bags each week.

Food is collected and distributed by members of Nations Worship (Philadelphia, PA) for their neighbors during COVID-19. Shalom Fund donations enabled the congregation to expand its weekly distribution from 40 households to 100. Photo credit: Beny Krisbianto

Eventually, Mosaic Conference offered to financially supplement the work of Nations Worship. Krisbianto was easily able to find more households in need in their neighborhood and, using Shalom Funds, the grocery bag project expanded. Soon, Nations Worship was distributing 100 grocery bags one or two times per week.  

Many of the recipients were not familiar with the congregation at first, but the church saw their needs and helped.  As a result, “Some of them ended up joining our virtual worship or coming to our church services,” reported Krisbianto. “We are able to connect and build good relationships with new people in a way that we could express the love of Jesus during this time.”

When the Shalom Fund was first introduced in April, donors responded immediately. “When the reality hit of what stay-at-home orders meant, I desperately wanted to help,” shared Dawn Moore, Souderton (PA) congregation. “I have the utmost trust in Mosaic to shepherd resources carefully to areas with the greatest need.”

Jaye Lindo, church planter for Mosaic conference in Bowie, MD, was the first donor to the conference’s Shalom Fund, which has now raised over $150,000 to help those in need due to the pandemic.

Jaye Lindo, a church planter with Mosaic Conference in Bowie, MD, did not hesitate to give when she learned of the Shalom Fund. “As a leader, Mosaic Conference had blessed me with love when I needed it the most,” reported Lindo. “When the opportunity was presented to give, I had to be one of the first.”

The donation to the Shalom Fund from Lindo and her congregation, 7 Ways Home Fellowship, was an opportunity to be a part of the conference work. “It was a heartfelt blessing for us to be able to say to our entire Mosaic Community, who may not know much about our little home fellowship, that we are here, and we care.”

The needs for food, hand sanitizer, gloves, utilities, assistance with rent, and pastoral and member support continue in our communities, so the funds will continue to be used as needed most.

“I’m really grateful for the ways that the Shalom Fund has given opportunities to share across our conference,” said Steve Kriss, Executive Minister. “I’ve been overwhelmed by people’s generosity to each other and to their communities. People have gone above and beyond.”

While the success of the Shalom Fund has surpassed all expectations, Lindo offers a further challenge. “Could we do more and are the needs being met?” Lindo said when she heard that the fund had far surpassed its initial goal. “My heart does not want anyone to lack. So I say, can we make it $250,000? God is still speaking. Are we listening and obeying?”

Witnessing to God’s Image

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by Noel Santiago, Leadership Minister

Volunteers from Iglesia Nueva Vida Norristown (PA) New Life Church (NVNNL) assist community folks who have expired, lost, or stolen IDs and need assistance in navigating the governmental systems to gain access to a new ID.

Today’s world provides us many opportunities to witness. From sharing the good news of Jesus Christ to serving, giving, and being present, the Holy Spirit empowers us.

Iglesia Nueva Vida Norristown (PA) New Life Church (NVNNL) sees itself as a witness through the work of their Photo ID clinic. NVNNL received a conference Missional Operation Grant to empower their work. Here is their report of the work: 

1. What went well?

Our photo ID clinic in February was hugely successful. Fourteen volunteers assisted 58 persons who were seeking assistance to renew expired photo IDs, replace lost/stolen photo IDs, and obtain birth certificates and Social Security cards necessary to apply for photo IDs. People were grateful and relieved to finally resolve the challenges of their identity documents. 

The clinics are a wonderful opportunity to share God’s love and bounty with folks who are struggling in poverty and the harsh realities of illnesses and homelessness. Our church continues to be an example of “true evangelical faith” as we engage with our community. 

2. What new opportunities did you discover?

The COVID-19 shutdown affected our plans for a clinic in May because state offices were closed and we could not host a large group of people. We continued to serve a few people on a case-by-case basis.

Members of Iglesia Nueva Vida Norristown (PA) New Life Church provided assistance to 58 community members seeking assistance at their Photo ID Clinic in February. 

Meanwhile, conversations earlier in the year with the director of the Hospitality Center (a day shelter for persons experiencing homelessness in Norristown and a ministry of the Norristown Ministerium) began to bear fruit. This summer, we formed a new partnership with the Hospitality Center to host our next two clinics outdoors in a way that battles both poverty and the coronavirus. We do not want to miss the blessing of sharing with our neighbors in need.

3. Share a story that inspired you. 

One man was so thrilled to finally be able to get an updated photo ID. He had fallen on some hard times and spent some time in prison. He is trained as a restaurant cook and had a job waiting for him if he could just get his ID. When NVNNL hosts fellowship meals again, he wants to come and cook for us. 

Most of us have no idea of the difficulties faced by not having a plastic card with our picture and personal information on it. Having a state-issued photo ID unlocks so many doors. It is a tremendous relief for those who cannot afford the fees or figure out how to navigate the system. 

Many of our clients recognize this as a gift from God and our church. We often encourage people to explore their relationship with God, and invitations to engage with our congregation are always given.

Jesus was once asked if the people should pay taxes to Caesar. Jesus asked for a coin and was given a denarius. He then asked whose image was on it? They responded, “Caesar’s.” Jesus then stated, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” (Mark 12:15-17, NIV)

The next question that could have been asked is, “What belongs to God?” A further question would be, “Whose image is on you?”

As NVNNL works at providing “a plastic card with their picture and personal information on it,” we are all called to remember that it is the image and likeness of God that is imprinted on each human and therefore worthy of dignity and respect.

May we continue to bear witness to this truth so that our communities and world will know and experience the good news of God’s love in Jesus.

Conference Related Ministries (CRM) Profile: Penn Foundation

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Penn Foundation: A Model for the Country and the World
by Penn Foundation

Dr. Norman Loux was a Souderton, PA native and member of Franconia Mennonite Conference. He was a family physician who helped to found Penn Foundation, a “psychiatric program for the community in the community.” PHOTO CREDIT: Unknown

Penn Foundation’s history is one of unique community partnerships around a shared vision of providing the most leading-edge and highest-quality mental health care for the community, in the community.

Penn Foundation was founded in 1955 by Dr. Michael Peters, then Chief of Medicine at Grand View Hospital, and Dr. Norman Loux, a Souderton, PA native and family physician who recognized that many of his patients had “emotional problems.” These two men garnered the support of other area business leaders to establish a community-based mental health center, a novel concept at that time. 

Their vision, which was tremendously innovative, was recognized in 1962 when the National Institute of Mental Health called Penn Foundation a “model for the country and the world.”

We have continued to strive to be a pioneer and leader in our field to this day, providing high-quality, innovative, evidence-based mental health and addiction treatment and prevention programs to our community. With headquarters in Sellersville, PA, Penn Foundation employs 455 compassionate professionals that serve more than 20,000 children, adolescents, and adults each year with integrated, holistic care designed to meet the unique needs of each person. We also partner with businesses, schools, churches, law enforcement, physicians and healthcare providers, and others to shine a light on mental health and addiction issues and provide education and resources on these topics. 

Penn Foundation believes in treating the whole person – mind, body, spirit. Chaplain, Rev. Dr. Carl Yusavitz (center), Mosaic Mennonite Conference member, provides spiritual support to Penn Foundation clients of all faith backgrounds. PHOTO CREDIT: Lowell Swartley Photography

Building community has always been part of Penn Foundation’s mission. We do this in a variety of ways: 

  • offering innovative, responsive care
  • creating a welcoming, safe community among our clients and residents that supports their journeys of change and recovery
  • being responsible stewards of the generous gifts and resources that we have been given
  • participating in community events and supporting partner organizations. 

As we look to the future, we remain committed to effectively meeting the needs of our community. We will continue to reimagine the services we provide, remain a pioneer in our approach to care, and seek strategic partners who want to help us advance our mission. 

Community support was instrumental to the founding of Penn Foundation, and it continues to be a key factor in our ability to provide mental health and addiction care to our community. We are incredibly grateful to our caring community, which has generously answered our calls for help over the past six decades. To learn more about Penn Foundation, or to give the gift of hope and ensure that mental health and addiction services continue to be available, please visit our website at www.PennFoundation.org or contact Kim Detwiler, Vice President of Advancement and Communications, at (215) 453-5190.

Building community has always been part of Penn Foundation’s mission. PHOTO CREDIT: Lowell Swartley Photography

Prayer Requests

  • For Penn Foundation’s Board of Directors as they imagine how to best serve our community through these uncertain COVID-19 times
  • For Penn Foundation’s administration who have to navigate financial and legislative decisions beyond their control 
  • For Penn Foundation’s staff who have to juggle child-care and schooling along with their work at Penn Foundation
  • For Penn Foundation’s Recovery Center staff and the dedicated work they do 24/7 with people struggling with debilitating and devastating addictions
  • For the safety and well-being of Penn Foundation’s residential program staff
  • For psychiatrist Dr. Vernon Kratz (Ambler (PA) congregation) as he retires after 47 years of faithfully serving the community

What is Your Flag?

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by Hendy Matahelemual, Indonesian Light congregation (Philadelphia, PA)

(Editor’s note: August 17 is Independence Day in Indonesia. This past Monday was the 75th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.)

An Indonesian flag waves on a house in South Philly on August 17, Indonesian Independence Day.

My nationality is Indonesian, so the flag of my country is “Bendera Merah Putih.”  It is a simple red and white flag with two equal horizontal bands. It was introduced and hoisted publicly, 75 years ago during the proclamation of Indonesian independence on August 17, 1945, in Jakarta, Indonesia.

When I was in high school, I was a member of the flag-raising squad. August 17 was the most important day for us. On that day, the squad had one job to do: raise the flag as a part of the ceremony to celebrate Indonesian Independence Day. 

At that time, I was not Mennonite. My parents didn’t teach me Anabaptism values, such as separation of church and state and non-violence. After my introduction to Anabaptism, everything related to Independence Day found new meaning. The way I view the flag also found new meaning.

National flags are patriotic symbols, often associated with the military because of their original use. But as a follower of Christ, our identity as a Child of God is beyond any flag or governmental institution. 

We don’t need to take pride in our own national identity. We don’t need to make our country great (again). We don’t need to pledge our allegiance to the flag. We are God’s people, a holy nation.  

We do need to work together, instead of competing, by working across state and political boundaries. 

Perhaps the only competition that I enjoy between nationalities is the FIFA (soccer) World Cup.  I remember watching the World Cup with my dad and uncles when I was a little boy. Our family never missed it.  The first thing that I noticed as a boy when watching the World Cup was all the colorful flags of the teams. My favorite teams will always be the Netherlands and Argentina. I remember their flags very well.

In the book of Exodus, we find that flags are mentioned. At that time, Moses built an altar to God. He named the altar, “The Lord is my banner” (Exodus 17:15, NIV). I keep wondering what God’s banner looks like. I don’t know, but I will argue that it is not “Bendera merah putih,” nor the Stars and Stripes, Union Jack, or even the flag of Zion. 

I believe God’s flag should unite us as followers of Christ and not divide us. God’s flag needs to represent our victory against principalities and rulers of this dark world and spiritual forces of evil. 

I believe the blood of Jesus is one “spiritual” flag that can unite us. It is not made from a piece of fabric, but it will give us victory from sin and death. It can reach people from a liberal, capitalist, and communist country, crossing continents and geographical boundaries, regardless of nationalities. If we carry this flag as part of our faith, as followers of Christ, we will be effective witnesses who transform life while also being transformed by God.

MennoHealth Cast Podcast

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(used with permission)

MennoHealth Cast seeks to highlight the personal stories of nurses, doctors, health researchers, dentists, chaplains, social workers, advanced practitioners and others involved in various fields related to the care of human beings. MennoHealth Cast is hosted by Joann Hunsberger, a pediatric anesthesiologist specializing in intraoperative anesthesia and post-operative pain management in children. The first series, “Mennos in Medicine,” consists of conversational interviews with Anabaptist folks working in various health fields. 

Episode 12: Mennos in Medicine: Joy Sawatzky

In this episode, pastor Joy Sawatzky describes her passion for exploring the stories of her congregants at the senior living community of Souderton Mennonite Homes, which is part of Living Branches. Joy describes her winding path from being a bedside nurse to finding her passion as a pastor who dwells in the stories of those in her church, helping them to find meaning during the last chapters of their lives. This podcast was recorded prior to the COVID pandemic.

LISTEN HERE: https://mennohealthcast.fireside.fm/12

The MennoHealth Cast podcast is a production of The Mennonite, Inc., and Mennonite Healthcare Fellowship.

What I am Reading … a Colorful Collection

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by Jeff Wright, Conference Leadership Minister

A confession is in order at the beginning of this article.  I am irredeemably old school.  While I own e-readers (“Love and Saint Augustine”, by Hannah Arendt is on my Kindle app right now) and listen to podcasts (I’m working through the final season of West Wing Weekly) and music (try the Hillbilly Thomists on Spotify),  I’m still old school.  There is something good about holding print, paper, and binding in your hands and engaging in the physical art of reading.  

In the midst of multiple crises, there does not always seem time enough to read.  I sometimes find my glasses still on, and a book cradled to my chest when I am awakened at 3:00 am. Books are a sign of joy, in my humble opinion.  Even books with hard messages can offer hope when the print, paper, and binding are a physical reminder of the power of the word.

In the past few months, some of the books that have been challenging me are books with the word “color” in the title.

The first of these, “The Color of Compromise,” by Jemar Tisby (2019, Zondervan Reflective), is a steely-eyed critique of the white church in America. The complicity of how the white church in America is fostering and giving life to systemic racism is explained.

A second book of color, “The Color of Money: Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap,” by Mehrsa Baradaran (2017, Belknap Press), is a detailed examination into the ways in which credit, the lubrication of capitalism, has been denied to African Americans as a matter of repeated public policy choices at the federal level from the emancipation of slaves until today.  

A third book, “The Color of Law,” by Richard Rothstein (2017, Liveright), examines the ways zoning laws were created to form segregated, gerrymandered communities. My colleagues on the City of Riverside (CA) Human Relations Commission (on which I serve as a commissioner) are reading this book together to assess how our own twenty-seven local neighborhoods are victims of such segregationist policies. 

It would be (and has been) easy to become completely despondent after reading those books.  But two additional books have given me hope.  

First, “Rediscipling the White Church: From Cheap Diversity to True Solidarity,” by David W. Swanson (2020, InterVarsity Press), offers the fruits borne of years laboring to truly be a leader of an authentically multicultural church.  

A second book is “True to Our Native Land: An African American New Testament Commentary.” Published by Fortress Press in 2007, Brian K Blount is the General Editor of this good-sized desk volume.  I’m not generally a fan of one-volume New Testament commentaries. I think too much gets cut out to make it useful.  But I make an exception with this book. 

The beautifully written essays are coupled with scholarly depth. The relevant sidebars on the text’s application to the African American condition today make this a book you just have to add to your library.  

One word of caution:  Do not take this particular commentary to bed to read.  It is big enough to hurt when you drop it on your face as you fall asleep.

Conference Related Ministries (CRM) Profile: Delaware Valley MEDA

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by Lucy Brubaker, DelVal MEDA chair

The mission of Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) is to provide business solutions to poverty. This international organization began 65 years ago. Today MEDA has projects in 69 countries throughout the world.

MEDA aspires to eradicate poverty by 2030. By providing loans and expertise and by involving local partners in the projects, MEDA clients are able to experience success and independence. To learn more about this work, go to www.meda.org/about/about-meda.

There are local chapters (hubs) in the US and Canada that work to connect and engage local people with MEDA’s mission. The local chapters strive to inspire members within their community to incorporate their faith values into their daily work. The Delaware Valley MEDA hub (formally the Clayton Kratz Fellowship) has a board of ten members and meets 4-5 times a year.

From October to May, our local hub hosts a monthly Third Thursday breakfast at the Franconia Café in Souderton, PA, from 6:30-7:30am. Each meeting features a guest speaker who shares a “Faith in the Marketplace” story. All are welcome to attend.

Ruth Leaman, MEDA Development Officer, speaks at a Third Thursday breakfast.

Our group also offers MEDA scholarships to young people attending college with a declared major under the umbrella of traditional business/management disciplines and who fulfill the criteria.

Each year, we plan one or two fundraising events to raise money for MEDA projects. Our special event, “An Evening to Remember Clayton Kratz and Benefit Ukraine,” originally scheduled for October 19, 2020, is rescheduled for the spring of 2021. This event will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the disappearance of Clayton Kratz in 1920 while on a relief mission with Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) to Russia.

In November, the bi-national MEDA convention will be held virtually this year. We encourage attendance at the convention to learn more about MEDA’s work and to be inspired by engaging speakers and seminar leaders. To learn more about the MEDA convention, go to www.meda.org/meda-convention.

This week, the local Delaware Valley MEDA hub is participating in a MEDA Move-a-thon to raise money for MEDA projects. There was a virtual kickoff on August 14 and the closing is on August 22.  An anonymous donor will match up to $5,000 in donations.

We invite you to join us in prayer for:

  • our clients who are experiencing setbacks in their businesses because of COVID-19, natural disasters, and government resistance to their work.
  • MEDA president, Dorothy Nyambi, and her staff, as they make important decisions regarding MEDA’s work.
  • our local Delaware Valley MEDA hub as we strive to increase awareness of MEDA’s mission and vision (That all people may unleash their God-given potential to earn a livelihood, provide for families and enrich communities).
 

Stay Home, Eat Well

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by Sue Conrad Howes, Mosaic Communication Associate

Jim King displays his pickled beef tongue, one of the many dishes he and others at Plains Mennonite (Lansdale, PA) have been preparing to pass the time during the pandemic. Photo credit: Joan Nathan

Jim King of Plains congregation (Lansdale, PA) wondered what he could do to pass the time during COVID-19. He began looking in his pantry. Suddenly, he had an idea that he wanted to share with his congregation. Each week, he would take an ingredient from his pantry or freezer that had been in there too long. King would make something with it and send pictures of it via email. “I am going to ask you to respond with what occasions, memories, or emotions come to mind when you think of eating this food,” explained King, in his first email.

King’s first dish was mince pie, made from meat in his freezer marked, “Deer, 2017.” 

In his email, King shared not only pie photos, but also memories. “It was my Grandmother Longacre who made the mince pies. I only remember having them at Christmas when about 40 of us showed up at the farm.”  

He closed the email, asking, “What does mince pie take you back to BC [Before Coronavirus]? Stay Home, Eat well.”

Soon other church members began to share their memories of mince pies and other family recipes, bringing laughter and reflective thought to somewhat lonely days during the pandemic. 

The next week, King’s recipe was pickled tongue. 

“Gratitude and thankfulness seem to be in short supply these days,” wrote King in his email. “Meanwhile, we just might be spending more time communicating back and forth on the phone, across the yard, or on Zoom.” 

Working on her cooking skills during COVID-19, 9-year-old Anju of Plains congregation (Lansdale, PA) prepares beef stroganoff and shares her experience with others in her church.

“This week’s cooking project might be a good reminder to evaluate the quality of our conversation,” explained King.  “Proverbs 12:18 reminds us, ‘Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.’”

King’s storytelling is as flavorful as his dishes, as his back stories always whet our appetite for more. 

The beef tongue was obtained from his brother’s cattle farm. “When I show up there, I am invited to take the beef parts that don’t sell easily, such as the tongue, heart and tail,” shared King. 

Although King’s love for pickled tongue may not be shared by everyone, he offered special delivery to anyone wanting a taste. “For the rest of you who have an aversion to pickled tongue or have memories of how you ate it BC [Before Coronavirus],” encouraged King, “please let me know.” 

While King is glad to have some extra room now in his freezer, his purpose is less about food and more to do with community. Numerous email responses share memories, stories, and new recipes. 

Rachel Mateti shared a recipe for baked oatmeal, attempting to use pantry staples to prolong grocery trips.  As her family ate baked oatmeal together one morning, Mateti reflected on the change of pace with a pandemic. “An added bonus was sitting down at the table with the family as they woke up and sharing the morning and thanking God for these good moments,” she wrote.

The community is not just for adults. Anju, a 9-year old, joined in the conversation. “I really like cooking and baking because some of the stuff that I make, I wouldn’t try if I hadn’t cooked or baked it myself,” she shared. Enjoying the conversations, she added, “I like to bake strawberry shortcake and raspberry lemonade bars. What did you like to cook when you were 8 or 9?”

King knows not everyone likes interacting via email. Since the real purpose of the weekly COVID-19 cooking email is to build community, King says, “If the computer annoys you, just give me a call.”