Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Congregational Profiles

Introducing Ambler Mennonite Church

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Ambler’s Kids Art Club paints a 44-foot mural.

Ambler began in a garage in 1952 as an outreach of Franconia Conference. This mission was nearly abandoned when those who came to serve the children of the area found them too unruly. A decade later, a meetinghouse was built on donated land at the corner of Spring Garden and Mount Pleasant Avenues, within walking distance of the train to Philadelphia. In the last century Ambler grew as a company town for Keasbey and Mattison, an asbestos manufacturer. Despite this environmental legacy, Ambler is in the midst of revitalization with numerous restaurants, theaters, and shops opening on its main street. It’s first female mayor, a member of our congregation, was elected last fall.

Ours is an average-sized congregation with leadership provided by a full-time pastor, a pair of elders, and a ministry team composed of a chair, five commission chairs, our Conference delegate, and the pastor that meets monthly. Our current pastor is the second woman in that position and was called from within.

Ambler is a diverse congregation—racially, ethnically, generationally, geographically, theologically, and otherwise. Our worship style is eclectic, informal, and participatory. We are a people who enjoy each other’s company and look for opportunities to connect outside the walls. Who we are is reflected in our mission statement —”a diverse community of believers following Jesus in building relationships by serving those among and around us with love and offering the good news of peace, hope, and healing.”

We continue to be a congregation with a focus on young people. This has included Vacation Bible School and a Kids Can Club, an art club that ran for several summers, hosting rock concerts featuring local high school bands, and sharing our space with the Ambler area Boys and Girls Club. Some of us regularly participate in prison ministry, gun shop and drone protests, and MDS work; others keep the situation in the Holy Land before us. We support the local food cupboard and Interfaith Housing and join with another congregation in May to shelter homeless families. We provide meeting space for a group trying to bring a food co-op to town. In recent years, we have become well known for our Pennsylvania Dutch dinners in the spring and a community flea market in the fall. Shoo-fly pies figure prominently in both.

 

Introducing Bethany Mennonite Church

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This mosaic hangs at the front of Bethany’s auditorium and is made from slips of paper that members wrote on as part of one Sunday’s sermon.

Bethany is an intimate ecumenical gathering in Bridgewater Corners, Vermont. We began as a small group of five families who followed a call to move here from PA in the early 1950’s. We are currently led by Gwen Groff.

We foster a healthy awareness of the broader Christian faith as it relates to our global community. We are excited about Jesus Christ. We celebrate the transcendence of his birth. We marvel at the complex grace of his time on Earth. We rejoice in the solemn beauty of his death and resurrection. We are excited about continuing His story of a deep love for the women and men around him, as we live and work here in a quiet corner of the world being the hands, feet, body and blood of the Word-made-Flesh.

We come from all walks of life. We come from all political persuasions. We come from all economic backgrounds. Our common theme is our deep love of the way of Jesus. We love to sing together. We love to eat together. We love to camp together. Our children are important to us. That they have a safe place to seek out their Creator is tantamount to our existence as a body of faith.

In light of all of this, we see ourselves as good soil- no more and no less. Good things grow here.

Introducing Rocky Ridge Mennonite Church

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This summer’s baptisms at Rocky Ridge.

Rocky Ridge is located about 2 miles southeast of Quakertown, PA. In the early1900’s the area around Rocky Ridge was known as the “woods over the ridge.”  Families living in the area were of many nationalities and most had little income.  In 1931, the first “cottage” meeting and Sunday School were held.  By 1949, a number of charter families had moved into the area and a new church building at 114 Rocky Ridge Road was built.

We have been an ethnically diverse congregation from the beginning, and have always had at the forefront a support of missions, missionaries, and short term mission experiences.

As we look towards the future, Rocky Ridge is currently trying to re-imagine what shape their missional DNA will take in the 21st century.

Vision Statement:  We are a community of people, bonded by faith in Jesus Christ, committed to being Shaped by God’s word, to Sharing our life with others, and to Sacrificing for God’s mission.

Franco Salvatori is the current Lead Pastor.  The church structure consists of Elders giving spiritual direction and a Leadership Council governance to church matters.

Quakertown Christian School was started in the basement of the church in September 1951.   (www.rockyridgechurch.org)

Introducing West Swamp Mennonite Church

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As Eastern District and Franconia Conferences continue to work together, we are taking time to get to know one another with introductions to our congregations. Join in the fun–submit your congregation’s intro today!

West Swamp Mennonite Church began as the “Swamp Charge” in 1717 with German immigrant families meeting in homes.  The first log meetinghouse was constructed in 1735and the first building on our current location, 2501 Allentown Road, Quakertown, PA, was built in 1790.  It would be replaced in 1819 and 1873.

West Swamp is a family-centered church intent on caring for one another, opening our facility for local ministries, and finding ways to meet the needs of our local community and the world.  Our congregation is primarily of Pennsylvania German/ Mennonite descent but has recently added several families from non-Christian or Catholic backgrounds.  We rejoice in this gift as we seek to bring more diversity to our faith community.

Our Sunday worship consists of a blended music style using a cappella music, piano, guitar and organ with an adult and children’s choir, regular children’s spots, and a sharing time.   Worship attendance averages just over 100.

Shaping our life together is our guiding scripture, 1 Peter 4: 8-11 – adapted as follows:  “As the body of Christ, we are called to be a reflection of God by loving each other deeply, offering hospitality to one another with cheerful hearts and demonstrating God’s grace by using our gifts to serve others; so that, in all things, God may be praised through Jesus Christ.”

Last year, Pastor Kathy Yoder and West Swamp hosted a conversation on the 1847 split between Eastern District and Franconia Conferences and how we can once again find unity. Watch the video.

Our Mission Statement & Values:  “West Swamp Mennonite Church seeks to be a reflection of God in its living, loving and serving by joyfully participating in Vital Worship, Mutual Care, Faithful Stewardship, Anabaptist Faith Formation, and  Sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with others through word and deed.”

In our congregation, a Ministry Team provides spiritual oversight, direction, accountability, and protection for our life together. The Ministry Team consists of the pastor, Kathy Yoder, and several Deacons chosen from our church family, led by a Ministry Team chairperson.

Each deacon oversees a Commission connected with our values:  Worship, Community, Stewardship, Discipleship, and Mission.  We encourage each member of the church to discern their gifts and connect with at least one of these commissions.

We also encourage participation in a small group that meets regularly outside Sunday worship for further support and nurture.  Along with small groups, we are excited about making community connections through our “Why Knot Week” (knotting comforters for Mennonite Central Committee), annual Egg Hunt and Benefit Concert, Community Cookie Bake, and participation in Quakertown Alive.

We are pleased to share our facility with several community groups:  Alcoholics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, and the Church of God: A Worldwide Association, resulting in some 300 community persons enjoying our space.  We celebrate our growing relationship with these ministries as we continue to seek God’s guidance on following God’s Way.