Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Conference Assembly

Humility as a Way of Life

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BOOK REVIEW

by Danilo Sanchez

Editor’s Note: Rev. Dr. Dennis Edwards will be the 2024 Mosaic Conference Assembly worship preacher and will spend time with Mosaic leaders throughout the weekend. The following is a review of his most recent book.  

I was intrigued when the theme of humility was announced as the focal point for Mosaic’s 2024 Conference Assembly. In this difficult time of division and polarization, where healthy dialogue is rare, humility is greatly needed.  

At the Mennonite Church USA Convention in 2023, Moderator Jon Carlson named our tendencies toward certainty and what happens when we talk with someone who we believe is fundamentally wrong. We get stuck and we draw lines. Humility invites us to consider that we could be wrong and invites us into curiosity about the person with whom we disagree. 

In Rev. Dr. Edwards’ book Humility Illuminated: The Biblical Path Back to Christian Character, he describes humility as a way of life. We must embody it and make it part of our character. Biblical humility has a trajectory that begins with submission to God and moves toward embodiment in all areas of life.  

Humility Illuminated

As I read the first chapter of the book, the word ‘yieldedness’ or gelassenheit, from our Anabaptist tradition, came to my mind. It is an open surrendering that is both spiritual and physically embodied. We yield to Christ and to the community of faith. It includes admitting that we don’t have all the answers, and it may include surrendering our voice or will to the larger faith community as the way of Christ is discerned together.  

This posture and way of life takes practice, perhaps a lifetime. Dr. Edwards names repentance and fear of the Lord as part of humility and yielding to God; a reminder that we serve an awe-some and holy God. 

In Chapter 5, Dr. Edwards describes leadership as shepherding. Drawing from the life of Jesus, he makes many biblical connections between humility and all that shepherding entails. Jesus is the good shepherd who leads, guides, and cares for us when we are weak. 1 Peter 5 reminds us that leaders do not lord their power over others but humbly demonstrate love. In a culture that can be focused on power and fame, this scripture is an important reminder of how we are called to wield our power and influence. 

Dr. Edwards describes how leaders are called to foster mutuality and a sense of unity. As leaders we can become self-reliant or self-assured in our knowledge and experience. Humble leadership invites us to be vulnerable, admit to our church members that we struggle, and allow ourselves to be prayed rather than only praying for others.  

There is much for us to learn about humility from Dr. Edwards in his latest book. I look forward to the ways that Dr. Edwards will enrich and bless our community during the November 2, 2024, Mosaic Conference Assembly.  

Danilo Sanchez

Danilo Sanchez is the Leadership Minister for Intercultural Transformation for Mosaic Conference. Danilo Sanchez lives in Allentown with his wife Mary and two daughters. He is a pastor at Ripple and leads in the areas of leadership development, discipleship, and teaching.

10 Things to Know Before Assembly

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1. Take time to read the documents in your docket and other important documents before Assembly. Print out a hard copy (if you want one) of the Assembly docket or bring an electronic device on which you can read a copy. We will not be supplying hard copies for everyone.

2. Enter Souderton Mennonite Church through the main carport entrance. There is a parking lot across the street from Souderton, on Chestnut Street, and parking around the building.

3. Doors open for registration at 9:00 am. Arrive early to avoid a line! Worship will begin at 9:30 am. 

4. Lunch will be offered 12:30-2:00 pm. During the morning and afternoon community connecting time, a light snack, coffee, and tea will be provided. Childcare is available. There is no childcare during lunch.

5. Please bring a handheld rhythm instrument, such as a tambourine, drumsticks, or a shaker egg. We will use these during our afternoon session. If you don’t bring something, hands work great too!

6. Our Assembly Support Fund remains open for online giving and also through a collection basket at lunch. Your gifts offset the travel costs for delegates coming from a distance (FL, CA, VT).

7. A prayer room is located next to the sanctuary from 9:30 am-4 pm. It is available for anyone to pray or receive prayer.

8. Plan to spend some time connecting with others in the Exhibit Hall, where our Conference Related Ministries (CRMs) and other agencies will have tables. The exhibit hall will be open 9-9:30 am, 11-11:30 am, and 12:30-2 pm.

9. Those who attend as guests will have the opportunity to converse at tables with other non-delegates during the delegate sessions.

10. Our Conference has members who speak many languages. Be prepared to greet others in a language other than yours. Here are a few simple greetings to learn:

We look forward to seeing everyone on November 4! Need more information? Visit the Assembly Webpage.

Mosaic Annual Assembly Wrap-Up

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It was “Mutual Transformation,” not COVID-19, at the forefront when Mosaic Conference met for its Assembly on November 6, 2021. While in-person gatherings were originally planned, COVID-related upsurges led to a completely virtual event. Up to 175 logins were recorded during the annual delegate session.

From the beginning, the theme of transformation and the opportunities brought about by the Conference’s growing diversity were center stage. In the first hour, Moderator Ken Burkholder and Assistant Moderator Angela Moyer Walter, led the delegates in reflections on the theme’s text, Romans 12:2-10. Burkholder reminded the delegates that transformation only occurs when Jesus is at the center of who we are as a church.

Following, two congregations, Peña de Horeb (Philadelphia, PA), a predominantly Latino congregation, and Faith Chapel (Los Angeles, CA), a predominantly West African immigrant congregation, were welcomed into Conference membership. Peña de Horeb is a relatively new congregation, while Faith Chapel is an established congregation that realigned its membership within MC USA.

Joining Mosaic’s Church Related Ministries (CRM) is the Midian Leadership Project, of Charleston, WV. The Midian Project is an outreach ministry that develops leaders from the local youth community. Each ministry was showcased in a video log story that included interviews and site visits. Delegates then gave a 99% vote of affirmation for these new members of Mosaic Conference.

Thirteen newly credentialed leaders were introduced and welcomed with words of affirmation from Leadership Ministers.

Credentialed leadership was also celebrated. Thirteen newly credentialed leaders were introduced and welcomed with words of affirmation from Leadership Ministers. The Conference also noted those who were retiring from their years of meaningful service and paid tribute to those ministers who have passed away during past year.

In the second hour, delegates were invited to reflect on the Conference priorities of being missional, formational, and intercultural. A brief missional video told the story of Mosaic Pastor Virgo Handojo, of Jemaat Kristen Indonesian Anugerah (JKIA), of Sierra Madre, CA. In the past year, Pastor Virgo mobilized several Mosaic congregations and invited Mosaic Conference to assist Indonesians on the Island of Java and Sulawesi to access COVID-19 vaccines and other pandemic-related assistance. Raising almost $40,000 through the fundraising efforts in communities and matching grants from the conference’s missional operation fund, over 8,000 individuals received vaccinations and other material assistance.

A story of formational work in the Conference was told by a group of Mosaic Conference Latino youth who participated in a Civil Rights tour of the southern USA through Mennonite Mission Network. In learning the stories of a previous generation’s struggle, these Mosaic youth were encouraged and strengthened to engage in their own efforts to work for equality and justice in the world they are inheriting.

Blooming Glen (PA) Mennonite Church, a predominantly white congregation, shared an intercultural story. In response to recent civic and racial unrest, the congregation engaged in a process of study and reflection, utilizing MC USA curriculum and conversations with members from Oxford Circle Mennonite Church, an intercultural congregation in Philadelphia, PA.

Following these stories, delegates were assigned to small groups and invited to reflect on what they heard and experienced in their congregations. Of significant note from delegate feedback was the observation that Mosaic Conference is being mutually transformed by Jesus in our missional, formational, and intercultural competency.

“Mosaic Conference is being mutually transformed by Jesus in our missional, formational, and intercultural competency”

As Indonesian pastors lead missional efforts of global healing and hope, Latino youth explore what it means to be formed by a gospel that undoes the perniciousness of racism, and a white congregation listens and learns from faith communities of color, Mosaic is becoming a transformed body of Christ.

The next Mosaic Assembly will be Saturday, November 5, 2022. We plan, God willing, to meet face-to-face.

Dr. Joe Manickam, Hesston College president and preacher for Mosaic Assembly worship, talks with Mary Nitzsche, Associate Executive Minister, prior to Assembly worship on Saturday, Nov. 6.
Worship teams in Los Angeles, CA, and Franconia, PA led Mosaic Assembly worship music in a variety of languages and styles. From left to right, Stephanie Natallia (Philadelphia Praise), Danilo Sanchez (Ripple), and KrisAnne Swartley (Doylestown congregation) were part of the worship team in PA. 

Fall Assembly Updates: A Change in Plans

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Rooted in our love for God and each other, and under the guidance of the CDC regarding large gatherings, the annual Mosaic Assembly on Saturday, November 6, 2021, will be pivoting from in-person gatherings to a fully virtual gathering. Mosaic Conference’s Board had really hoped to gather in person this year but, in light of the current and forecasted rise in COVID-19 cases across the country, this change will ensure all delegates and guests are able to safely join our gathering from numerous states.

Delegates will now join the business session from their homes for a virtual delegate session. In order to facilitate attendance and voting, every delegate will need to register individually for the Assembly with an email address unique to her or him.

The Assembly worship service will also be fully virtual. We welcome and encourage individuals, congregations, and Conference Related Ministries to join the virtual worship. A block of time between the delegate session and worship service allows for local travel so that delegates can gather at a watch party or in individual homes for worship. Keep an eye on Mosaic’s Conference Assembly webpage for a list of watch parties in your area.

1 PM – 3 PM EST
10 AM – 12 PM PST

Starts at 7 PM EST
Starts at 4 PM PST

(*The schedule for Mosaic Assembly has been adjusted to allow for local travel to watch parties for the worship service.) 

Want to host a watch party?

If you would like to host a watch party for others to join in your ministry, congregation, or home, please fill out a brief form on our Assembly webpage so that we can communicate with others.

HOST A WATCH PARTY

Are you a delegate? Registration for the 2021 Mosaic Assembly is now open. To register, click here.

Keep checking back on the assembly page for local watch parties in your area.

First Mosaic Assembly, Live on Zoom and from Orlando

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The first annual assembly of Mosaic Mennonite Conference on November 7-8, 2020 was not what any of us had imagined last fall or even earlier this year.  Nearly 200 persons met together on Saturday by Zoom from their homes, offices, and vehicles and on location at Iglesia Menonita Luz y Vida in Orlando, Florida, for a condensed business session.

Moderator Ken Burkholder led the delegate business session on Saturday. Photo by Emily Ralph Servant.

While it was the first time for the reconciled Eastern District and Franconia conferences to meet under the banner of Mosaic, one of the most significant parts of business included the affirmation of eight new member congregations that were formerly part of Southeast Mennonite Conference.  These congregations had been working toward membership with Franconia Conference previous to the reconciliation with Eastern District.  In many ways, the Mosaic name was imagined anticipating this day of welcome to the Floridian communities.

Also in follow up to the Conference reconciliation documents from 2019, the conference board presented a vision and mission statement for conversation among delegates.  The proposed vision statement, “Embody the reconciling love of Jesus in our broken and beautiful world,” along with a mission statement highlighting the Conference’s working missional, intercultural, and formational priorities, received delegate feedback for further board processing and consideration.   

Meet representatives from each of the eight congregations in Florida that joined Mosaic Conference during Assembly 2020.

While Zoom allowed us to gather efficiently, we missed the hugs, handshakes, and time of fellowship together over Longacre’s ice cream and food that represents the cultural diversity of the Conference.  We missed singing together and stumbling over each other’s languages.  At the same time, the work of the church continued, and I believe the kingdom of God was glimpsed and extended through our two-hour session.

Sunday’s worship included multilingual music led from coast to coast, a children’s story, a “virtual choir” recitation of the Lord’s Prayer, and a time of honoring newly credentialed leaders.  General Secretary of Mennonite World Conference César Garcia offered an important message for our time, challenging our mutual care and witness to glimpse the reign of God “on earth as it is in heaven” (the assembly’s theme) both in the midst of our Conference’s diversity and the turbulence of the time and context.

Assistant moderator Angela Moyer Walter (Ripple congregation, Allentown, PA) and Leadership Minister Aldo Siahaan (Philadelphia Praise Center) hosted Sunday morning worship at Assembly 2020.

In a time when so much seems so tumultuous, the work of God continues.  Even in the imperfections and less-than idealness of online meeting, the beauty and possibility of the Spirit’s work with us came through.  Mosaic Conference is emerging in the midst of pandemic and social and political unrest.  The deep love of Christ grounds us, the Spirit empowers us, and the principalities and powers will not prevail.

Tami Good from Swamp congregation (Quakertown, PA) challenged children (and adults) to dream God’s dream for the world.

We will continue to trust the Spirit’s guidance, continue to work and hope, continue to use technology as best we can to connect us in these days of disconnection. Even in challenging times, and maybe even more so in challenging times, the message of Christ’s peace sustains us so that we can bear witness of the love of God in our broken and beautiful world.

Special thanks to all of the delegates who navigated the technology to be present on Saturday as well as guests who were present to bear witness to our time together.   I’m grateful for the hospitality of the Luz y Vida congregation in Orlando and their work to make sure the technicalities of connecting would be possible.  Also, much appreciation to the representatives of each of the Florida congregations who made their way to Orlando so we could be present together for this time. 

And to our assembly planning team who worked hard, carefully, thoroughly to make the virtual meeting and worship possible—Brooke, Cindy, Tami, Emily, Kristine, Hendy, and Scott—thanks for working, believing, navigating, and imagining so that our time together could be meaningful and fruitful.

Grace and peace to each of you from Florida to Vermont, New Jersey to California.  May we continue to live together as witnesses of Jesus, “on earth as it is in heaven.”

Assembly Reminders

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Our Conference Assembly will begin on Saturday, November 7 at 11am (EST)/8am (PST). Please log into Zoom 15 minutes early to ensure we can begin on time. 

If you are a delegate, you received an email with the Zoom link for Saturday’s business session, sent Friday, October 30, subject: “Links for Conference Assembly participation”.  If you did not see the email with the Zoom link, please check your spam folder. Contact your Leadership Minister for further assistance.

If you would like Spanish or Indonesian interpretation for Saturday’s business session, click on the Interpretation icon at the bottom of the Zoom screen. 

Please be sure to invite your congregation to join in Sunday’s Conference-wide worship service at 11am (EST)/8am (PST). We hope to have as many congregations in virtual attendance as possible. Please share the links for Facebook or the Assembly Page with your congregants so that everyone may join us virtually.

If you have further questions about the weekend, please refer to the following links:

Please pray for our conference as we join together for our first conference assembly as Mosaic Mennonite Conference. While we wish we could meet in person, we know the Holy Spirit will be present with us.

This is an Important Message From the Assembly Flight Crew

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Good day!  This is your flight tech crew speaking. Welcome and thank you for flying Mosaic Conference Airlines.  

We are happy that you have come aboard and made us your Conference of choice.  We know there are many other conferences that you can choose and we value your participation in our virtual assembly.

My name is Scott Roth and I will be your captain on Flight Assembly 2020, departing on Saturday, November 7 at 11:00 am (EST)/8:00 am (PST). You won’t be seeing me much during the flight because I will be in the cockpit making sure we can fly you to your appropriate Zoom destination.

We want your flight experience with us to be special.  During this season of pandemic and tense times, the conference flight crew of Assembly 2020 wants you to have the time of your life (under these circumstances).  

Expect to hear stories of God’s movement among us and through us, how our conference is growing, and future plans for the conference. Please see your inflight guide, available in six languages. (This inflight guide will be referred to as the “docket” during our time together, so make sure you can access it.)

While we are in flight, delegates will break into small groups for discussions.  These groups will be handled within Zoom. Please be patient during the times of transition.  For those that have interpretation needs, this is being handled with care, using interpretation channels built directly into Zoom.

As we fly along on Saturday, November 7, we want you to be aware of certain things we expect of you.  

  1. Each delegate will need to log into the zoom meeting on his/her own device. (This will be necessary as we break into our assigned, diverse small groups.) 
  2. Please ensure that you have downloaded Zoom onto your computer or device. Prior to assembly, create a login and test to make sure you can access Zoom.  
  3. We encourage you to experience our pre-flight Zoom session to test your connection on 
  • Tuesday, Nov. 3, 10-11 am (EST)/ 7-8 am (PST)
  • Wednesday, Nov. 4, 1:30-2:30pm (EST)/ 10:30-11:30am (PST).  

Click here to test your connection any time during these times.  

Here is our pre-flight check-list.  To ensure your best inflight experience, please follow these guidelines: 

  1. Please make sure you have “booked your seat” (registered for assembly). If you have not registered, please do so immediately by clicking here.  Registration is required to ensure you have a seat on the plane.  For security, access to Zoom will only be given to registered participants. 
  2. On the morning of your flight, please be present for boarding at 10:45 am (EST)/7:45 am (PST).  This will give you time to be comfortable in your seat as we prepare for take off.  We will not be having any food/beverage service on this flight, so please bring your own.  
  3. Finally, if you have questions about using Zoom or need further assistance, please view our tutorial video below!
  4. We will land and disembark by 1:15 pm (EST)/10:15 am (PST).  
  5. Finally, we invite you to our afterflight celebration of worship on Sunday, November 8, 11:00 am (EST)/8:00 am (PST).  Tune in via YouTube or Facebook Live. I will be your captain as well for this celebration. No pre-booking (registration) is required for Sunday’s worship. Invite your friends and enjoy this time of celebration!

We here at Mosaic Conference Airlines are excited to have you join us on Flight Assembly 2020.  In closing, as your virtual captain for the weekend, I want to thank you again for choosing us.