Cindy Angela

5 Ways to Beat the Virtual Slump for the Holidays

December 10, 2020 by Cindy Angela

I have a confession. As much as I feel blessed with the technology available for us to use in the midst of this pandemic, there has been more than one time when I think, “Not another Zoom meeting!”

Zoom meetings are often tedious. People are less likely to get excited over a virtual gathering. But does it always have to be like that? I believe that God has challenged us this year to go out of our comfort zones. We need creative ways to celebrate the gift and be together safely.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2, ESV)

It’s time to break the stigma of virtual gatherings. Here are some creative ways to make your virtual fellowships more fun and meaningful during this holiday season:

1. Virtual Christmas Vacation

Before the meeting, ask the participants to find a picture of a place that they always wanted to visit. Encourage them to change their virtual background to be their dream vacation spot. (You can even dress up!) During the meeting, each person takes turns guessing “where” the others are. Alternatively, if you’re working with a large group, ask a few people to be a “tour guide” of their locations.

2. Christmas Ornament Challenge

Divide participants into teams and assign each team a breakout room via zoom to collaborate. Ask them to design the “perfect ornament” using the virtual whiteboard option. By the end of the breakout session, ask them to save and present their ornaments to the larger group. If there is a crowd favorite, the host can print the design into an actual ornament and send it to everyone as a gift.

3. Angel Mails

Use an online gift exchange generator to randomly select an “angel” for each participant. Then, send your assigned recipient a handwritten letter, filled with encouraging words, scriptures, or affirmations for them specifically. Sign it anonymously and mail it to the recipient. Host a virtual gathering to talk about the letters. Each participant shares what they felt after reading the mail, and tries to guess who was their “angel.”

Alternatively, if you find someone who is having a hard time, you can just assign multiple angels for one person!

4. Learn A Christmas Song in Different Languages

Mosaic Conference has six different worshipping languages. Try learning a Christmas song in a language other than your own. You can have someone who speaks a different language join your meeting and teach your group a song that you’ve never heard before.

5. Virtual Interactive Story of Jesus’ Birth

Download or print the Mosaic-made advent family activity. Meeting virtually, each family takes turns to read a part of the story of Jesus’ birth.

Hopefully you’ve been inspired to be more creative with your virtual meetings during this Christmas season. Even though we will be celebrating a different kind of Christmas this year, I hope that the Spirit still keeps the gift alive in each and every one of us.

Rooted in Indonesia, Growing in God

September 24, 2020 by Conference Office

by Jennifer Svetlik, Salford congregation

“I’ve always been interested in creative work, in making things. It is how I spend much of my free time,” shares Cindy Angela, Digital Communications Associate for Mosaic Mennonite Conference. “When this job opportunity became available, I believed it was God’s calling.”

In early September, Angela began in this new role, which includes managing the conference’s digital communications, such as creating content for and updating the website and social media channels. It also includes video editing, graphic design, and coordinating the translation of documents. Because Mosaic Conference operates in many languages, including Chinese, English, Indonesian, Spanish and Vietnamese, ensuring that communications are accurately translated is an important ongoing project.

“I am looking forward to working in many mediums to share the stories of Mosaic Conference,” says Angela. “Most recently I worked as a graphic designer and in marketing. Having the opportunity to work on a wider scope of projects, including video editing, writing, and translation will be energizing.”

Angela is originally from Indonesia and moved to Philadelphia, PA to study Communications at Temple University. She found it difficult to adapt as an international student. But, when she found Philadelphia Praise Center (PPC), a Mosaic Conference congregation, where many other Indonesians attend, she felt incredibly blessed.

“When I moved to America, I didn’t want to leave my homeland behind,” recalls Angela. “The PPC community became a home away from home for me. I was able to stay connected to my home culture but also be connected to other cultures, languages, and worship styles,” Angela reflects. “PPC connects me to my roots, but God has also allowed me to grow there.”

Previously Angela worked as a Summer Service Worker at PPC through Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), which helped her connect to the broader Anabaptist family and gain deeper clarity around Mennonite beliefs. Now Angela is very involved at PPC and has worked as a graphic designer, multimedia coordinator, social media manager, and video editor for the church.

She met her husband, Andy, through her involvement as a singer on the praise and worship team. Cindy is from Surabaya, Indonesia, and Andy is from Jakarta. Though these cities are on the same Indonesian island, they are separated by 500 miles. “We would’ve never met if it weren’t for PPC,” Angela shares.

In her free time, Angela likes to cook Japanese, Korean, Thai, and Indonesian food. Sometimes she cooks US American foods, like pulled pork and coleslaw. She also plays the ukulele and collects board games.

Angela hosts two podcasts, one in Indonesian with her husband, where they share about their experience as immigrants to the U.S. The other one is in English, with her friend who is learning Bahasa Indonesian.

Over the past seven years of her journey in the United States, Angela has seen and felt God taking care of her. “I always give 100% of myself and I let God do the rest. This is how I moved to a new country, this is how I got this job, and it is how I live my life,” she reflects.

Conference Announces Growing Staff

September 16, 2020 by Conference Office

by Sue Conrad Howes, Communication associate

As of September 1, Mosaic Conference has added two new staff members: Cindy Angela, full-time Digital Communication Associate, and Margaret Zook, part-time Director of Collaborative Ministries.

Cindy Angela will provide direction for digital and virtual resources, including vision-setting and implementation of social media strategy, leading the video and translation teams, and providing other artistic expressions including photography and graphic design. She has a degree in communication from Temple University and is a member of Philadelphia Praise Center, where she coordinated much of its virtual worship services during the COVID-19 quarantine.

“Communication has been a growing edge in our conference for several years now. We continue to see the changes in our conference as opportunities to connect across cultures, languages, geographies, and theological worldviews,” said Emily Ralph Servant, Mosaic’s Director of Communication. “Cindy is a huge gift to us at this crossroads. She brings technical skills that we desperately need as well as relational and intercultural capacity, enthusiasm and creativity, and a passion for contributing all of who she is to joining God’s work in the world. We couldn’t be more excited to add her to our team!”

Margaret Zook will lead the conference’s team of staff relating to Conference Related Ministries as Director of Collaborative Ministries. Before coming to this new role, Margaret served with three Conference Related Ministries, including a decade on the board of Penn Foundation (Sellersville, PA). Margaret was also the Executive Director of Souderton (PA) Mennonite Homes for more than twenty years before serving Living Branches (Lansdale, PA) as the Director of Church and Community Relations. She is an active member of Salford congregation (Harleysville, PA).

“Margaret brings deep commitments to the church and extensive leadership experience within our Conference Related Ministries community,” said Steve Kriss, Executive Minister. “I’m grateful for her willingness to lead the work of strengthening relationships with our broad array of non-profit ministries that extends our work in Pennsylvania, Vermont, Honduras, India and Indonesia.”

The staff of Mosaic Conference has grown to twenty-one full-time and part-time individuals since the reconciliation of Eastern District Conference and Franconia Conference in February 2020. Conference staff provides accompaniment to congregations, credentialed leaders, and Conference Related Ministries, administrative support, and resourcing through youth formation, intercultural, and missional teams. Staff members currently live in four states and work regularly in English, Spanish, and Indonesian languages while also producing materials in Cantonese, Haitian Creole, and Vietnamese.