Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Conference Assembly

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.  

Only 23 More Days

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No, I’m not talking about the presidential election.  But I am looking forward to the first Assembly of Mosaic Mennonite Conference in just 23 days from today, November 7-8, 2020. 

The assembly is in 23 days!

Like many of you, I am disappointed that the first Mosaic Assembly (and my first as moderator) will be held via Zoom, rather than in-person.  One of the annual highlights of assembly for me is the opportunity to connect in-person with so many people across our conference community.  I’m saddened that this will not occur.  

I’m grateful, however, that we can still gather with one another in a way that helps to foster safety and care for each other.  And, I’m excited about the many terrific and creative plans that are taking shape for Fall Assembly.  You won’t want to miss it! If you have not yet registered for assembly, please do so now, by clicking here. It will take less than a minute. We want to ensure everyone is registered ahead of time. 

What can you expect in the delegate sessions on Saturday?  Brevity. The sessions will be much shorter than usual, due to us meeting via Zoom.  For some, this may be music to your ears.  The final schedule is being finalized, but we are anticipating approximately 2 ½ hours total in delegate sessions on Saturday. Our starting times are 11am (Eastern)/8am (Pacific). 

One of the significant agenda items is to celebrate, bless, and affirm eight congregations, located in Florida, as official members of Mosaic Conference.  We hope to have “live” sharing and reporting from these congregations. Welcoming these diverse faith communities into the conference is another tangible expression of us “living-into” our new name: Mosaic.

The other key agenda item is to highlight an updated vision/mission statement for the conference.  One of the charges for our reconciled conference from the Structure and Identity Task Force was “for the Board to address the articulation of the mission and values…to be brought to the Delegate Assembly for affirmation at the 2020 Annual Assembly.”  

The Conference Board, with input and feedback from staff, has been diligently working at this. We will offer a draft vision/mission statement at assembly, with time for delegate discussion and counsel.

In addition to these two agenda items, we will hear an update from the newly-formed Mosaic Conference Nominating committee, as well as receive greetings/blessing from several church-related agencies.

In the midst of the challenges we’ve all experienced in 2020, I’m grateful for the ways that I’ve witnessed God working among us as Mosaic Mennonite Conference. I look forward to gathering together, in 23 days, to celebrate what God has been doing.

Virtual Prayer Room at Assembly

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by Noel Santiago, Leadership Minister

Our Conference Assembly, November 7-8, will celebrate the theme “On Earth As It Is In Heaven,” based on the Lord’s prayer: 

9 “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread,  12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” (Matthew 6:9b-13, ESV)

Once again, delegates and participants will have the opportunity to access a prayer room as part of the assembly. This year it will be a virtual prayer room. This will be a first but we want to continue to adapt and adjust to these changing times. 

During these prayer times we have experienced God’s presence ministering among us. God has encouraged, healed, and empowered persons as they have spent time in the prayer room. 

The virtual prayer room will be available via zoom on Saturday, November 7, 2020 from 11:00 am – 1:15 pm (EST)/8:00 am – 10:15 am (PST). Intercessors will be available to pray with those who desire prayer.

The purpose of the prayer room is:

  • To pray and intercede for the delegates as the Spirit leads and as they deliberate.
  • To pray for and minister to anyone who would like prayer.

Even though this will not be an in-person event, we have found that God still moves mightily in our midst when we gather to pray, even if it’s virtually.

As we look ahead to our virtual gathering in November, consider taking time to pray for the Conference Assembly. Pray for our leadership, the delegates, and all who will be present. Pray that God’s unfolding reign will come in great power as we gather. Pray that God’s presence will be evident as God’s Spirit moves, walks, and enlivens our interactions. And, if you are so desire, feel free to drop in via zoom and pray online with us during the assembly.

Members of Mosaic Conference will gather virtually for the Conference Assembly this year.  Celebrating the theme “On Earth As It Is In Heaven,” assembly will be held on November 7-8, 2020, on a combination of platforms including YouTube, Facebook, and Zoom.

What Does it Take to Prepare for a Virtual Assembly?

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by Brooke Martin, Conference Assembly Coordinator

Phone calls, emails, Zoom meetings, processing, testing, writing, texting, researching, discussing, and more is happening in preparation for Mosaic Conference Assembly weekend on November 7-8, 2020. With virtual Zoom delegate sessions on Saturday the 7th and live-stream, conference-wide worship on Sunday, November 8, there is much to do.   

The conference board is preparing for the delegate gathering to take place in the space of a few hours through Zoom on Saturday, November 7,  instead of through the traditional in-person sessions for an entire day. 

Our Sunday worship planning includes both live and pre-recorded multilingual elements. César García, president of Mennonite World Conference, will bring the morning message. Sunday’s worship will offer a glimpse of the depth and breadth of the Mosaic Mennonite Community, who worships and lives for Jesus. 

The communications team is carrying a much heavier load this year with a lot of coordination and detailed planning around Saturday’s large group Zoom sessions.  Simultaneous interpretation is needed and being prepared for in Vietnamese, Cantonese, Indonesian, Haitian Creole, and Spanish. 

How can you prepare and help?  

  • Read and watch for weekly updates about the assembly in Mosaic News.
  • Write the assembly weekend dates (November 7-8) on your calendar now. 
  • Delegates, please read your emails. 
  • Encourage your congregation to join in the conference-wide worship on Sunday, November 8 at 11am (EST)/8am (PST).    
  • Contribute to Sunday’s worship by sending in a recording of you (or someone in your congregation) reading the Lord’s Prayer in the language of your choice (click here for more information).
  • Pray for all 2020 delegates, the Mosaic Conference Board,the conference-wide worship service on November 8, and for the assembly planning team as preparations continue. 

I am so thankful for the Mosaic Conference Assembly Team of staff and volunteers who are giving their time and energy into preparing for this time together. Thank you Cindy Angela, Tami Good, Kristine McClain, Emily Ralph Servant, Hendy Stevan Matahelemual, and Scott Roth for your prayers, energy, and time.

The theme for the fall assembly, “On earth as it is in heaven,”  is based on the Lord’s Prayer. As we prepare for our virtual gathering,  let us pray (Matthew 6: 9b-13, ESV):

“Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
   on earth as it is in heaven.

 Give us this day our daily bread.
 And forgive us our debts,
As we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
    but deliver us from evil.” 

For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. 

Amen.

Fall Conference Assembly Goes Virtual

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by Emily Ralph Servant, Director of Communication

Members of Mosaic Conference will gather virtually for Conference Assembly this year.  Celebrating the theme “On Earth As It Is In Heaven,” assembly will be held on November 7-8, 2020, on a combination of platforms including YouTube, Facebook, and Zoom.

“Over the last months, we have learned the significance of physical distancing and spiritual solidarity,” reflected Conference executive minister Steve Kriss.  “We will still have important discernment and celebration work to do together in our first assembly as Mosaic Conference this fall. We’ll look forward to conversation about priorities for our reconciled conference as well as welcoming new congregations from Florida into membership.”

The move to an online assembly wasn’t taken lightly, but the decision became increasingly clear as the assembly planning committee worked through logistics like childcare, shared meals, and the space needed for table groups to safely converse.  In light of social distancing guidelines, the number of delegates, and the geographic breadth of conference communities, in-person gathering just didn’t seem feasible during this time, said assembly coordinator Brooke Martin.

“While we do acknowledge the loss of not being able to gather in person, we are confident that, for the time being, meeting virtually will provide the best community experience and conversation,” observed Martin.  “For the Saturday business sessions, meeting on Zoom will allow everyone to interact with their table groups and engage with the Mosaic community more fully.”

In order to adapt to the online format, Saturday’s business session will be shortened, running from 11am – 2pm Eastern/ 8am – 11pm Pacific, with a lunch/brunch break at 12noon/9am.  The Friday evening worship time will be moved to Sunday morning at 11am Eastern/ 8am Pacific so that the entire conference can participate, either in individual homes or as congregational gatherings, depending on current stay-at-home orders.

“Our Pentecost time together online was well-attended and meaningful,” said Kriss.  “I expect that our assembly worship will also be a time of inspiration and reflection while connecting us across geographies and distances in this critical time, as we look forward to seeing God’s dream for the world come true ‘on earth as it is in heaven.’”

This year’s theme will focus on the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew 6:9-13. Members of the conference community are invited to participate in the worship service by sending in a video of individuals or families saying the Lord’s Prayer in the language or translation of their choice (more information here).

Worship will also include singing, prayer, scripture reading, a children’s time, and a message by César García, the general secretary of Mennonite World Conference.

Although worshiping together online brings disadvantages, it also offers a gift, suggested Hendy Matahelemual, pastor of Indonesian Light Church and co-leader of the assembly worship planning team. “When we meet online, we bring something that is personal for us to the meeting; we bring our home with us,” he said.  “Even though we will be far apart physically, we will be close at heart.”

Let’s Worship Together!

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by Marta Castillo, Leadership Minister of Intercultural Formation

All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name.   Psalm 86:9

Friday Night worship – Conference Assembly 2019. Photo by Javier Marquez

At our annual assembly we worshipped the Lord in song in several different languages and styles.  I wonder if anyone whispered to the person beside them like someone whispered behind me many years ago, “Why do we have to sing in these different languages?  Why can’t we just sing in English?”  I wonder if those at the assembly worship felt comfortable and engaged in the worship songs.  Were they able to enter into the intercultural space of worshipping God in ways and styles and languages that were not their own?  Did it fill them with joy to worship the Lord and bring glory to God’s name with other nations that God has made, even if it was different than what they were used to? 

In an intercultural community, all are transformed because everyone learns from one another and grows together.  In intercultural worship, we learn to choose to continue to worship God in the styles and languages of others.  For me, what began as a discipline and continues to be a choice is now also a joy as I have incorporated intercultural worship as part of who I am with the help of the Holy Spirit. John 4:23 –  Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

Several weeks ago, I attended a service at Nations Worship Center where we sang songs that had repeating lines.  I appreciated the repetition while singing in a language in which I am not fluent.  The repetition helped me to better understand the song and enter deeply into the spirit of worship.  However, I must admit that I have not always appreciated songs with a lot of repetition.  What I have learned to do is to go with the repetition rather than fight it. I can worship God in song as I repeat the same phrase over and over and meditate on the truth, just like I can pray or meditate on a phrase of Scripture. 

Lynne Rush (West Swamp congregation) leads a hymn at Conference Assembly 2019. Photo by Javier Marquez

Last weekend I attended a women’s retreat where we had a hymn sing.  We sang hymn after hymn in a group of talented and passionate singers.  It was beautiful.  I was struck by the multitude of beautiful thoughts and word pictures that hymns contain and express in worship to God.  But I had to choose to engage my mind and process the thoughts in worship to God as I sang complex music.  I enjoyed the repetition of the choruses.

Matthew Westerholm, on the Desiring God website, suggests that often “our discomfort also comes from where we live, if you live in the Western world. Western culture treasures the novelty of words. It might feel like singing many words per minute is a worldwide Christian preference. But it’s not. It’s a Western oddity. If you were to listen to indigenous music from almost anywhere else in the world, you might describe it as “rhythmic, danceable, and repetitive. It may feel strange to discover that our personal preferences are a cultural anomaly. It is humbling to discover that we have something to learn from others, but not surprising. And it is the sort of humbling that, if we are willing to accept it, will bless us greatly in worship.”

Let us worship the Lord in unity, seeking to honor the worship of the nations as our own!