Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

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Are you a tourist or a pilgrim?

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Youth Leadership Retreatby John Stoltzfus, Conference Youth Minister

For many youth leaders and youth, this is the time that preparations begin in earnest for summer trips. Many are planning for the Mennonite Convention in Phoenix while other groups are planning service trips local and beyond. Are we preparing our youth to go as pilgrims or tourists?

At a recent conference gathering, Elizabeth Soto Albrecht, moderator elect for Mennonite Church USA (MC USA), spoke of her plans for a pilgrimage this summer. In solidarity with those who may be unable to attend convention because of immigration restrictions, she will take the opportunity to visit various places and churches along the way during the time of convention. What if all of us would consider our upcoming youth trips as pilgrimages?

A pilgrimage speaks of an expectation to meet God and to be changed along the way. A pilgrim resolves that the one who returns will not be the same person that left. A tourist may go with a more consumerist approach primarily looking to accumulate for personal gain. For a tourist, much more attention is given to the outer details of the trip: what is packed, where to visit, what entertainment to see, and what souvenirs to buy with little reflection on the inner journey of the soul. Pilgrims go on pilgrimage not necessarily to see something, but to receive something: renewed spirit, greater devotion to God, a new sense of community, and a wider world view of God’s kingdom.

Youth Visioning EventI wonder if it would be beneficial to remind our youth that we travel not as tourists but as pilgrims. This mind set is established prior to departure. When we are making our packing lists, pilgrims should be reminded that the most important thing we take with us on the pilgrimage is receptivity to God’s presence all along the journey.

The preparation and the follow-up can be as important as the trip itself. What makes the difference between being a tourist and a pilgrim is a sense of openness and expectancy. Too often we decide beforehand what a trip should be like and we judge it by our own needs and desires. It may prove to be disappointing or satisfactory but it will rarely be the occasion of some new revelation or growth in our life of faith. As leaders we need to cultivate within ourselves and our youth the openness to follow a different way.

For those planning to go to convention this summer here are some ideas of ways to do things differently:

  • Along with raising money to attend the convention, invest in the DREAMer Fund set up by MC USA. The goal of the fund is to help undocumented young people pay the fee required to apply for a deferment.
  • Partner with another congregation who may not have the resources in order to make the pilgrimage together.
  • Seek to visit and form a relationship with an immigrant congregation in your area in order share stories and increase understanding.
  • Invest the congregation in praying for the youth before, during and after the pilgrimage.
  • Encourage all the participants to keep a journal during the trip. Provide for regular opportunities along the way for group reflection and sharing.
  • In the months after the convention, take time for reflection on what was learned. Be prepared to make changes and respond to new commitments.

Intersections (Fall 2012)

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Intersections (Fall 2012)
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Stories mentioned in this issue:

Intersections (Summer 2012)

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Intersections (Summer 2012)
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Stories mentioned in this issue:

Notes to Pastors

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The Resurrection of the Dead

When Christians speak of the Resurrection, we rightly think first of the empty tomb and how God raised Jesus from the dead following the crucifixion. But that is not the Bible’s final word on the matter. Come discover the Bible’s rich promises about our ultimate destiny of resurrection life with Christ, and the incredibly good news that death is reversible, in a four week teaching series with Mennonite theologian Rob Arner. Scripture studies, followed by a time of prayer, will be held on Wednesdays in March (7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th) at Line Lexington Mennonite Church from 7:00 to 8:15 p.m. There is no cost to attend.  

Next Pastors’ & Leaders’ Breakfast – Thursday, March 8, 8:00 – 10:00 a.m.  Joanna Shenk (editor of Widening the Circle: Anabaptist Experiments in Discipleship) will talk about why emerging movements are attracted to the Anabaptist tradition, how established Mennonite churches can cultivate mutual relationships with non-traditional expressions of Anabaptism, what established churches and organizations have to give and gain through these relationships.  Registration deadline:  Friday, March 2; $6 donation requested for breakfast.

Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary Webinar: What’s Mennonite about the Missional Church?

The presenter is Lois Barrett.  Thursday, March 8, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. This webinar will compare missional theology with Anabaptist-Mennonite theology, and the sixteenth-century European context with twenty-first-century North American contexts. What in these contexts is drawing Christians from state-church traditions into a theology of the church as an alternative society? What is drawing Mennonites and other Christians to see Western culture as a mission field? How can Mennonites and other Christians learn from each other about what it means to be missional?

Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary Webinar: A New Frontier: Doing Theology as Thriving Rural Communities

The presenter is David Boshart.  Wednesday, March 21, 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Congregations that thrive see the tasks of church development and mission as a matter of applied theology. This webinar will explore how rural communities can become thriving centers for mission by reflecting on six major opportunities for developing a relevant witness that can bridge earth and heaven. 574-296-6269. 

Sister Care Seminar – March 23 – 24:  This seminar will equip women to be helpful to someone who experiences a great loss or trauma and how we can encourage one another from day to day.  The event is sponsored by Eastern District and Franconia Mennonite Conferences and will be held at Souderton Mennonite Church (Friday from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m., Saturday from 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.).  Registration: $45.

Upcoming Events:

  • Saturday, April 21, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. – Required training for all Credentialed Leaders of Franconia Conference held at Towamencin Mennonite Church.  If you are unable to attend, please be in conversation with your LEADership Minister.
  • Saturday, May 19 – Fresh Expressions – Franconia Conference and Fresh Expressions US are holding a Fresh Expressions Vision Day from 9:00 a.m. -3:30 p.m. for Pastors and Congregational Leaders at Plains Mennonite Church.  Fresh Expressions is a movement that is cultivating new forms of church alongside existing congregations in order to reach a changing world.  This will be an interactive time for congregations to learn about Fresh Expressions as well as dream and discover how to empower and equip God’s people to develop creative expressions of church that can reach the increasing diversity in their communities.  More information to come.
  • Thursday, June 14, 8:00 – 10:00 a.m. – Pastors’ & Leaders’ Breakfast featuring conversation with Dale Nafziger, entrepreneurial missionary in Nepal, who will share his learnings about doing ministry through business. 

Video Recordings:  Reminder that we are developing a wonderful library of video recordings from recent Pastors’ & Leaders’ events.  It’s the next best thing to being there in person.  Check them out at:  http://mosaicmennonites.org/media/video-gallery

Notes to Pastors

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Next Pastors & Leaders’ Breakfast – Thursday, March 8, 8-10 a.m. features presentation by, and conversation with, Joanna Shenk, editor of Widening the Circle: Anabaptist Experiments in Discipleship.  She will share excerpts from her book and observations from her travels around the country. She’s interested to explore questions such as:  Why are these emerging movements attracted to the Anabaptist tradition? How do established Mennonite churches cultivate mutual relationships with non-traditional expressions of Anabaptism?  What do established churches and organizations have to give and gain through these relationships?  Shenk serves as Associate for Interchurch Relations and Communication of Mennonite Church USA.  $6 donation requested.

Sister Care Seminar – March 23-24:  Please encourage women in your congregation to attend this important seminar which will equip women to be helpful to someone who experiences a great loss or trauma, how to walk with them, and how we can encourage one another from day to day.  The event is sponsored by Eastern District and Franconia Mennonite Conferences and will be held at Souderton Mennonite Church (Friday from 7-9 p.m., Saturday from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.).  Presenters are Carolyn Holderread Heggen and Rhoda Keener.  Heggen has worked all over the world as a trauma therapist, including helping those who survived the tsunami in Indonesia and those who have been through the horrors of war. She has much experience and many stories to share. Keener has a great heart and vision for women as ministers to each other, and her experiences as a mental health counselor and co-director of Mennonite Women USA rounds out the program well.  Registration prior to February 20 is $40—a bargain for the quality of training this will provide—and also covers lunch and a workbook.  Scholarships are available if the fee is a hardship.  (For additional details, click here.)

Training for all Credentialed Leaders of Franconia Conference:  Saturday, April 21, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., will be a required resourcing event for all leaders credentialed by Franconia Conference.  For the past number of years, we have talked about three strategic priorities for Franconia Conference—being missional, formational, and intercultural.  This day will focus on increasing our understanding of what it means to be intercultural and our capacity to respond to differences in our congregations—whether that means bridging racial/ethnic boundaries or transcending any cultural differences that can be found in all congregations… generational, economic, gender, etc.  This day will equip you to better name and navigate the various dynamics.  There will also be important information shared about Formation Expectations and Requirements for Credentialed Leaders approved by the Conference Board Ministerial Committee.  Please add this important event to your calendar.