Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

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Finance Update February 2011

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February 1st marked the beginning of a new fiscal year for Franconia Conference. The new year brings additional financial challenges. As congregations continue to tighten their budgets, giving continues to decrease. Congregational giving is forecast to be $64,000 less than what was budgeted last fiscal year, an 11.4% decrease. Decreases in subsidies from properties owned by the conference will also contribute to another $100,000 decrease in revenue for the conference from last year’s budget. This has led to the conference tightening its belt as well; several staff persons who have left over the past year have not been replaced, their roles and tasks being spread over remaining staff.

However, we still believe God is doing great things in our conference and will continue to do so. Conference leadership is looking for a continued partnership between congregations, related ministries, and the conference staff, especially as we expand the LEAD oversight platform throughout the conference.

The budget, passed by the conference board in January, is summarized as follows:

Revenue (from all sources) $851,318
Expenses $815,368
Line of Credit payment $25,000
(repayments over a three-year period for conference center
renovations)
Net $10,950

For more information see http://stewardship.mosaicmennonites.org.

Youth Breezes

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Pittsburgh 2011: Mennonite Church USA Convention: Bridges to the cross . . . 2 Corinthians 5:15
20: Preparing young people for a youth convention experience is very important. Being intentional prepares the way for youth groups to have deeper significant relationships where youth feel like they belong, which sets young people up to believe. Creating a safe space of trust and open transparent living will welcome the challenging questioning, where biblical teaching can happen and young people’s lives could be transformed.

Become a fan of Pittsburgh 2011 on Facebook and encourage your kids to “like” it too, for updates and info.

Pray regularly for Convention 2011: Pray for speakers, youth, delegates, seminar leaders and everyone involved so that we may be inspired to welcome God’s Spirit and join God’s work in the world.

Is your Teen Almost Christian? This fall event led by Nate Stucky, current student at Princeton Theological Seminary, challenged many of us who attended and provoked questions about how we are passing on a radical Anabaptist faith to the next generation. Kenda Creasy Dean’s book “Almost Christian” gives a new challenge to the church, parents, youth leaders, teachers, and Mennonite schools.

From the moderator: In search of grace that transforms toward hope

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At Franconia Conference Assembly 2011 delegates were invited to complete the sentence, my hope and dream for Franconia Conference is . . . 55 people responded to the invitation with the following hopes and dreams, “to better communicate with each congregation” . . . “to welcome and include all people regardless’ . . . ‘Unity, joy and effectively spreading the love and joy of God to the outside world” . . . “that it would be a community of those who find their home in God and live in hope with one another” . . . “to build a strong unified foundation from which to

“We are committed to move forward in a way that invites all the members of our congregations to join together.” build God’s Kingdom” . . . “not afraid to embrace new things” . . . “reconnect the people of Franconia Conference” . . . “to become a model community of grace and love, providing a safe place to explore God’s purpose” . . .”that in trusting relationships with each other and with God we can move with God’s guidance into our future, welcoming all, honoring differences, but unified in our core beliefs” . . . “For grace looking back, and hope looking forward with and among the delegates/congregations and the Conference board” . . . “that trust and confidence will continue to grow better conference leadership and congregation direction”.

This sampling of quotes from the delegates is cause for celebration and hope for our community of congregations and ministries. We share a desire for unity, a wish to be open to all persons, a commitment to be welcoming, a determination to find joy in our differences and in our similarities and a strong urge to engage in meaningful, direct and transparent communication.

Ervin Stutzman, MCUSA Executive Director, speaking at last year’s Assembly said, “Trouble plus grace equals hope”. This quote has particular relevance for our conference as together we have sought grace to transform our struggle into hope for today and the future. The Conference board is finding hope as it connects in a new way with all of our member congregations. The board has committed to meeting with the leaders of all Conference congregations within the next three to six months. These meetings are beginning to occur and the dialogue between congregational leadership and conference leadership has been valuable. We’re asking:

  • How can conference support the missional efforts of the congregation?
  • What conference activities has your congregation found helpful?
  • What additional services would be appreciated?

We are finding energy in the eagerness with which congregational leaders engage in the discussion.
We are finding hope in the recent restructuring of Conference staff and the appointment of Ertell Whigham to the role of Executive Minister. Ertell brings energy, passion, leadership skills and commitment to achieving the following priorities articulated by the Conference board and is appreciated and supported by other Conference staff.

  • Engage with the Franconia Conference Board in the work of the strategic transformation of Franconia Conference toward a missional, formational and intercultural Conference.
  • Build an energetic and unified staff team to support the work of Conference.
  • Build confidence within the constituency.

    • I am optimistic that Franconia Conference will move steadily toward achieving these priorities. We are committed to move forward in a way that invites all the members in our congregations to join together in the effort. This will require careful planning, clear communication and prioritizing a path of working respectfully with a shared commitment to become a community and Conference that reflects God’s dream for us together. We appreciate the ongoing prayer of the community as we move, trusting the transformative power of the Spirit on the Way.

Partners in mission: Gloria a Dios! Praying & praising from the mountaintop

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Sandy Landes, Doylestown

The title of this article reflected the words of our hearts, “Glory to God,” as a group returned from a journey to Mexico last fall. We truly experienced the glory of God in the worship, the teaching, the prayer times and the fellowship with Partner in Mission congregation, Iglesia de la Tierra Prometida (or informally Monte Maria) in Mexico City.

On September 9-13, 2010, a group from Franconia Conference traveled to Monte Maria, the church in Mexico City where Bob and Bonnie Stevenson serve. The group’s members, Don Brunk (Souderton Mennonite), Rick Kratz and Noel Santiago (Blooming Glen Mennonite), Jeanette Phillips (Hopewell Fellowship-Telford) and Steve and Sandy Landes (Doylestown Mennonite) traveled to Monte Maria to participate in the School of Ministry discipleship training held regularly for members of this large and growing congregation. This training is intense, held over a day or two, and involves worship, preaching and teaching on various topics related to living the Christian life: biblical studies and topical studies such as the life of Jesus, redemption and prayer. It was encouraging to see how engaged the students were with the classes as they listened attentively, took notes and shared their thoughts in discussions. Don Brunk and Noel Santiago taught two classes each and were warmly welcomed by the brothers and sisters of Monte Maria.

The focus of these classes is to build up the body of Christ to become strong in their faith and to grow in maturity. In addition to teaching, considerable time was spent each day in worship, seeking to know God through adoration and praise. One day at the end of worship the visiting pastor invited those to come forward who wanted to receive a touch from the Lord—as the woman who touched Jesus’ cloak and her bleeding stopped. As a visiting prayer team, we were invited to minister alongside of our brothers and sisters to persons who came forward, and we sensed God’s presence ministering through us and to us. Even though not all of us on the team spoke Spanish fluently, God helped us to transcend the language barrier through the bond of the Spirit and the willing translators in prayer and worship.

Other opportunities for service included Don Brunk preaching at an outdoor evangelistic service held on Sunday afternoon and a married couples’ Sunday school class that my husband and I led. Noel and Jeanette met with the leaders of their prayer teams for encouragement.

Hospitality and serving the Lord with gladness are two characteristics of the believers at Monte Maria. Every person is expected to serve in some kind of ministry capacity, whether it is as an usher, a member of the worship team, helping to maintain the facilities through cleaning or serving on their food-service team. We noticed and felt the joy that came through their service as we spent most of our time at the church and witnessed so many different gifts being used with gladness. It reminds me of Psalm 100:2, “Serve the Lord with glad-ness.”(NKJV). Julio, a young man of 16 years of age, was an example of the graciousness with which we were served. His attentiveness and ready smile were part of what made our daily meal at the church so enjoyable. We believe God will continue to use him for the kingdom because of his servant attitude. We were privileged to be blessed by their obvious joy in serving Jesus through simple acts of cleaning, cooking, worshiping, and teaching.
While we were there to minister and pray for the ministry of Monte Maria, we also enjoyed the time spent fellowshipping and sharing with Bob and Bonnie Stevenson. Their lives are full with the responsibilities of pastoring a large congregation, family life and nurturing their own walk with the Lord. Continue to uphold them in your prayers as God brings Bob and Bonnie and their children, Roberto and Rebecca, to your mind. The kingdom of God continues to flourish around the world, and we were so blessed as we witnessed the growth and joy in the church at Monte Maria.

Living Branches names pastoral care & service team

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Russ Mast
Russ.Mast@livingbranches.org

When visionary leaders from Franconia Mennonite Conference founded Souderton Mennonite Homes and Dock Woods Community, serving older adults and families in the name of Jesus was at the heart of their mission. When the Boards of these two ministries came together to form Living Branches in 2008, we again affirmed that the vision and vitality of our shared ministry is rooted in and guided by Jesus. “Recognizing the importance of our faith heritage to our mission, we wanted to ensure that pastoral care played a prominent role in Living Branches,” explains Edward Brubaker, President/CEO. “We also felt that service to others was core to our Anabaptist Christian identity.”

This past fall, Living Branches combined Pastoral Care and Volunteer Coordination across the three campuses to create a unified Pastoral Care and Service Team. After interaction with a number of good candidates, the Pastors, Volunteer Coordinator and Living Branches leadership unanimously decided to call Ray Hurst to serve as our first Director of Pastoral Care and Service. Ray leads a gifted new team, which includes Jim Derstine, Pastor at Dock Meadows (Zion Mennonite); Lorene Derstine, Pastor at Dock Woods (Plains); Mark Derstine, Pastor at Souderton Mennonite Homes (Blooming Glen); and Lynne Allebach, our Volunteer Coordinator (Methacton).

Ray brings more than 20 years of ministry, pastoral care and social service experience to Living Branches. He began his ministry in Kansas, where he served as Co-Pastor of Tabor Mennonite Church in Newton for 11 years. Ray then became Lead Pastor of Community Mennonite Church in Harrisonburg, Virginia, for a decade. Both were larger, multi-staff congregations. Ray moved to the Philadelphia area three years ago when his wife, Brenda, accepted a call to serve as Pastor of Frazer (Pa) Mennonite Church. Since moving to Pennsylvania, Ray has served autistic youth and adults living with mental illness. He also worked for a year as Executive Director of Good Samaritan Shelter in Phoenixville.
Ray earned a Master of Divinity Degree in Pastoral Counseling from Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Trinity College. He is an avid gardener and is passionate about the Christian call to work for peace and justice.

“We have a strong interest in nurturing the ongoing faith development of older adults,” says Ray. “Our faith isn’t finalized when we reach a certain age; rather, we can always continue to mature in our faith journey.” Ray and his team are creating spaces to talk about questions of life and faith in the context of community. Ray recently started a column in a monthly resident newsletter titled “Roast Preacher” where he invites conversation with residents around an aspect of faith that he is pondering.

With these changes, the Dock Woods and Dock Meadows chaplains are now referred to as pastors, which had already been the tradition on the Souderton Mennonite Homes campus. As Ray explains, “For some, the term ‘chaplain’ can signify a shorter-term ministry to an individual. At Living Branches, however, we’re looking to form meaningful relationships for the balance of a person’s life, and we’re also tending to the wider faith community on all three campuses. We feel this new language embraces our Anabaptist heritage of faith in the context of community.”

Another way we’re embracing our Anabaptist approach to spirituality is including Volunteer Coordination in the Pastoral Care and Service Team. “Serving others is at the heart of the Gospel,” added Ray. “By including Volunteer Coordination in our vision for Pastoral Care, we are helping others connect more fully with service as a wonderful, life-giving spiritual discipline.”
In addition to engaging our residents, their families and staff members around issues of spirituality, our Pastoral Care and Service Team strives to be a resource for area pastors and coordinators of congregational health ministries. One way we do this is through annual Pastoral Care to Seniors seminars.

As Ray summarizes, “We are here to be expressions of Christ’s love, as we minister to the needs of the whole person—mind, body and spirit.”

Enough to leaven the loaf: Gospel hope rises in Allentown

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Samantha Lioi, Whitehall
samanthalioi@gmail.com

One story below our living room window, cars swish by on Hamilton Street, spraying the brown slush which fell as snow and sleet on the main drag into downtown Allentown. There old churches, old shops, more recent Egyptian bagel-makers and the new coffee and sandwich place stand side by side amidst economic depression, trying, like the rest of us, to keep in enough heat and enough joy to carry through a long winter. Most days the living room is filled with sunlight—the warmest room in the house—and knowing that I can accept this day that feels more like the gray northern Indiana winters I left to move here just three months ago.

Downstairs on the kitchen counter, sourdough starter is bubbling. Since taking up residence at Zumé (ZOO-may) House in November, I have started baking bread again. Zumé is the Greek word for “yeast” or “leaven” in the New Testament, and the verse for which our house is named is found in Luke 13:21: “[The kingdom of God . . .] is like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened.” As a household, we are hoping to be leaven in our neighborhood, our relationships, our city. With that in mind we have claimed three words to describe the house: faith, community, and transformation. We’re still fixing up the place, still imagining and asking God what and who we are becoming, so I will describe what has emerged so far as we continue our sometimes impatient waiting for the community dough to rise.

We are people of Christian faith.
We are followers of Jesus, disciples (students) expecting that learning to follow requires practice and ongoing learning, and apostles (those who are sent), just as we understand each of our sisters and brothers to be sent by Christ to partner with God in reconciliation. Our faith is shaped by
Mennonite Anabaptist understandings of the Gospel including simple living, peacemaking, and knowing and living the Scriptures as we discern together how that is enfleshed in our time and place.

We are a community.
Like many in the U.S. who share this vision, we are still learning what this means. We are keenly aware how deeply individualism is engraved in the grooves of our brains, the felt needs of our hearts and the raised silver numbers of our credit cards. Much of U.S. American culture thrives on our wanting and spending and self-isolating. As we learn to commit to one another in a common life, a foundation of our faithfulness to Jesus is to live in a way that counters
this individualism and carves new grooves in us, day by day. We have spoken about our desire to “submit to allowing ourselves to be challenged about how we spend our time and our money and being willing to make different choices based on encounters in community life. We know we are better disciples together, and we expect to be changed.

Transformation is the result.
Of course, this is only possible by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of Christ, who is the original leaven. We are committed to encourage one another to expect that God’s Spirit is constantly working through the whole loaf—to continue in hope that God is making all things new—us, our neighborhood, our city, indeed all of creation.

In a way, we know exactly what this means. Like every other follower of Jesus, we are called to rely on God and expect our Creator to act in our daily lives and in the lives of our neighbors. We are to love these neighbors, pray for them, invite them into our home and visit them in theirs, share food, celebrate and grieve with them, invite them deeper into the self-giving love of God and into allegiance to Christ by the empowering of the Holy Spirit. It is also true that we have very little idea what this means. How and when do we do these things? How much time do we devote to prayer as a household? Whom do we invite to join us in prayer? What exactly do we offer our neighborhood (English classes, tutoring, Spanish classes, GED prep)? How do we choose among the many good possibilities and dreams for participating in God’s mission? What is the particular gift or charism of our house? When will we know this? For now, it’s just two of us, and thecharacter and gift of the community could bloom in any number of colors depending on who comes to join us. It’s energizing and hopeful to imagine this, and while we are inviting and waiting for others to come, it’s stretching and overwhelming to choose and focus right now, in the present, precisely what we’re committing to given who we are and what we bring.

Paul told the Ephesian church it was normal not to be able to put their finger on what and who they were becoming, for “your life is hidden with Christ in God.” Turns out, not knowing can nourish trust, and the Gospel’s full of small, ordinary, dark, daily goodness—the seed in the earth, the salt that brings flavor, the yeast invisibly working through the dough. Author Kathleen Norris in The Quotidian Mysteries: Laundry, Liturgy, and “Women’s Work” invites more respect for “dailiness”—for necessary daily tasks like cooking meals and doing laundry and doing the dishes—as the very place God meets us, day in, day out.* And what is Christian community if not sharing what is daily in our lives? It sounds like a simple idea, and at its root is deeply counter-cultural: “Give us today our bread for the day.” Give us enough for this day, and we will admit our utter impotence to ensure anything about tomorrow. Be with us today, and we will try to notice your presence in this day. We pour the flour, we knead the loaf, we let it be and let it rise. We discern our life together in daily glimpses, slowly. Trusting there’s enough for each day, God help us.

Zumé House is an initiative connected with Whitehall Mennonite Church where Samantha is associate pastor for worship and mission. The house represents a coming together of Franconia Conference-related ministries in Center City Allentown, building on generations of witness and mission in Pennsylvania’s third largest city.

The house is still under renovation and welcoming groups to help create a space that not only nourished the community of persons who lives there, but also the neighborhood. Contact Rose Bender at rosebender87@gmail.com.

View the photo album

Notes to Pastors

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Teaching on Intercession
You are invited to a prayer and learning opportunity – Sunday, April 3 will be the third and last in a series of teachings by Noel Santiago on Intercession. It will be held at Franconia Mennonite Church, Fellowship Hall, 6:30 – 8:30 pm. The topic for the evening will be the Power of Intercession, Hearing God’s voice for another. These teachings have been both practical and inspirational. Pastors, prayer team members and anyone interested in learning more about prayer are invited to attend.

Adopt – A – Street
Adopt – A – Street is a new way of thinking about how to pray for our communities. Come to an information session led by Peter Smith, pastor of Hope Valley Community Church in Red Hill and one of the leaders of UPPEN, a network of churches in the in the Upper Perk region whose focus is prayer for transformation. You are invited to learn more about the Adopt a Street prayer strategy on Sunday, April 3, 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. at Franconia Mennonite Church. Use the fellowship hall entrance. Immediately after the Adopt – A – Street session, there will be a light meal before the evening teaching on Intercession. Please register for the afternoon session and meal with Sandy Landes, prayer ministry coordinator.

Worldwide prayer and long-term response needed for Japan

Strasbourg, France – Mennonite World Conference is making plans to walk and work alongside Japanese Anabaptists in the wake of the earthquake and tsunami devastating the northeast of Japan.

An intercontinental teleconference on March 16 brought together MWC officials and representatives from Mennonite, Mennonite Brethren, and Brethren in Christ churches and agencies, including Mennonite Central Committee.

Immediate action is a global call to prayer for the people of Japan. A brief worship resource for churches, including a map that locates Anabaptist churches in Japan, is available on the MWC website (www.mwc-cmm.org). Response from both MWC and service agencies is likely to focus on long-term efforts and relationships rather than emergency relief. Food and water, urgent needs, can be procured locally. Distribution is the major challenge. MWC Deacons Commission leadership will consult with Japanese leaders in considering a solidarity visit, possibly in May or June.

Teleconference participants were grateful for a March 16th early morning message from Nobuyasu Kirai, Japan Mennonite Christian Church Conference (Hokkaido) chair, and Takanori Sasaki, chair of the Japan Mennonite Fellowship composed of several Anabaptist-related churches. The group agreed that careful consultation with these and other leaders in Japan is highest priority as the global church community seeks to identify ways to walk and work with the Japanese churches as they address the needs of the Japanese people.

A working group led by Deacons Commission chair, Cynthia Peacock (Kolkata, India) and secretary, Bert Lobe (Kitchener, Ontario, Canada) and including representatives from churches and service agencies in the MWC community will take further steps and provide updates as plans develop.
– MWC Staff

Pastors engage social media's role in church life

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By Sheldon C. Good
Mennonite Weekly Review
(Reposted by permission from Mennonite Weekly Review.)

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HARLEYSVILLE, Pa. — Though online social media should not replace face-to-face interactions, these tools can enhance ministerial leadership.

And social media are nothing more than tools, two consultants told a group of 30 ministry leaders at an educational gathering March 17 at Franconia Mennonite Conference Center.

Most often, social media include Facebook,?Twitter, blogs and online video.

“It’s providing amazing opportunities for pastoral care,” said Scott Hackman, a seminary student and a consultant with MyOhai, LLC.

But people have different views of social media’s functions and effects. The group of pastors described social media as connection, nuisance, virtual community, addicting, time-consuming and a new definition of friends.

Hackman, a former youth minister and salesman, shared how his journey with social media began.

“I was a stay-at-home dad, and I wanted to connect with others who were in a similar context,” he said. “I wanted to see if I could connect with people and actually engage with them.”

So Hackman created Dad Parlor, a Facebook page dedicated to create space for fathers to share and connect.

But a Facebook page — and social media overall — does not replaced the need for face-to-face interaction, he said.

In fact, Hackman believes social media enhance interpersonal relations.

“In Sunday school, someone undoubtedly will say, ‘Hey, I saw this about you on Facebook,’ ” he said.

Hackman acknowledged that “how you lead in person looks different than how you lead on Facebook.”

Hackman and Todd Hiestand, lead pastor at The Well, a church based in Feasterville and a consultant with MyOhai, led the group in an example of crowdsourcing, which taps a group’s collective wisdom by asking people to submit feedback on a question or thought.

Hiestand said he sometimes uses crowdsourcing when preparing for sermons.

“I ask a question via Facebook,” he said, “and people in my community will engage with feedback.”

Hiestand said the way people respond can give him a sense of the pulse of his congregation.

“And sometimes I can then even incorporate that into my sermon,” he said. “It can even get people thinking about a sermon topic before Sunday.”

Hiestand explained some of the available social media tools and a few of his “rules of the tools,” specifically adapted for congregational life.

He acknowledged the misconception that social media offer a quick fix for churches.

“Sometimes people think, well, if I just join social media, my congregation will grow by 400,” Hiestand said. “I actually view it as the opposite. It’s all about building relationships.”

Building connections via social media, he said, is comparable to the long-term, slow process involved in forming interpersonal relationships.

“If you invest the time, you will reap the rewards,” Hiestand said.

He stressed, though, that engagement should be focused on other people, not oneself, as a way to supplement real relationships.

Hiestand described how tools such as Facebook, blogging, video and Twitter all have pros and cons.

“Facebook, for some people, is about sharing that they had macaroni and cheese for dinner,” he said. For others, it’s viewing photos, video and advocating for causes or interests.

No matter how social media are used, Hiestand said, leaders should always remember that even online “you are never detached from your role as a leader.”

Hiestand’s rules also included:

If you wouldn’t say it from the pulpit, don’t say it online.
Don’t be a jerk; rather, be encouraging.
Don’t self-promote.

Hiestand said he constantly reminds himself that “my attitude on social media is going to affect how people interpret my sermon on Sunday.”

Ministry leaders at the gathering use a range of social media and have different opinions about their effectiveness with ministerial leadership.

Dawn Nelson, lead pastor of Methacton Mennonite Church, has a Facebook page but said she only uses it occasionally.

“I use it to keep up with what people are doing, but I also try to check in with them verbally about what they write, in case it is misleading,” she said.

Nelson started a church Facebook page a few years ago but hadn’t used it until recently. Someone now co-administers the page and shares photos on it.

“I hope it will grow,” Nelson said.

Beny Krisbianto, pastor of Nations Worship Center in Philadelphia, sends updates about church ministry projects and special events using Facebook.

Regarding pastoral care, he said, checking Facebook pages of people in his community “is the best way to know what’s going on in their life in that moment.”

Jim Ostlund, pastor of youth and young adults at Blooming Glen Mennonite Church, uses all four of the social media discussed at the gathering — Facebook, Twitter, blogs and video.

During worship, he’s also used Skype, an online voice and video chat program.

Social media have become valuable tools “in maintaining ongoing contact and building relationships with congregation members, especially young adults and youth,” he said.

Steve Kriss, director of communication and leadership cultivation with Franconia Conference, said that for pastors, social media can blur public and private life.

“The pastor is always a pastor, and a personal opinion is always a pastoral opinion,” he said. “The pastor’s challenge is to find ways to use the technology purposefully, generatively, hopefully.”