Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Conference News

Cultivating His Call as He Nurtures Urban Youth

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Danilo Sanchez photoDanilo Sanchez grew up in Franconia Conference. From his time in Boyertown where he was able to explore the gifts God has given him, to being the youth minister in the Lehigh Valley area for three Franconia churches, the conference has watched him grow into his calling. Danilo was licensed toward ordination last year, and continues to nurture urban youth in the conference. Find out how he came to know and accept God’s call on his life through his call story:

Boyertown Mennonite Church is where my journey began. I remember the first time an adult asked me to be the worship leader for a Sunday service. I felt so honored. Then later I was asked if I would like to preach. I don’t remember how I did, but the congregation was so supportive. I liked serving and being in leadership. I decided I would try teaching the Wednesday night youth bible study and Sunday School some times. Around that same time some youth wanted to start leading worship the first Sundays of the month so I began to help out with that as well. I really enjoyed leading worship; worship made me feel close to God and I enjoyed leading others in encountering God.

Having a church like Boyertown was exactly what I needed. A church that was willing to let a young guy try out some of his gifts.

I went to some youth leadership retreats during high school and really tried to discover what my gifts were. I knew I wanted to serve God in some way, but at the time never really considered being a pastor. I was learning to serve God and willing to take the risk of saying “yes”, but I felt too unworthy to be in such a position of leadership. I think that was the biggest thing that I had to overcome as I sorted out my call to ministry. Like Moses, I wanted to come up with excuses as to why I couldn’t lead.

When I was preparing to go to college, I was at a bit of a cross roads. I wasn’t really sure what direction I wanted to head in life. I remember writing a covenant to God in my journal, “God I want to be your servant. I’m willing to follow you anywhere.” Little did I realize where that would lead me.

I liked the idea of being a psychologist, so I declared my psychology major as I entered Eastern University (St. Davids, PA). I figured I could have a good paying job and then maybe volunteer my time for the church on the side.

I stayed involved at Boyertown during my first semester at Eastern, leading Bible studies and helping with the youth, and after the Winter Youth Lock-in, someone’s comments changed the direction I was going. An adult volunteer commented that many of the youth looked up to me, that I seemed to enjoy being around the youth, and maybe I should be a youth pastor.

I look back now and know that I needed the affirmation of my gifts from the church to discover my call to ministry. The thought had never really occurred to me. Me? A youth pastor? I needed to think more about it.

As a way of testing the waters, I decided to take a youth ministry class. Something just clicked. I felt alive. I felt energized. This made sense. I remember praying, “God, give me passion if this is your will.”

I changed my major to youth ministry and things just took off from there. I started doing internships at different churches — Good Shepherd Community, Souderton, Hereford Mennonite (now Butter Valley Community Church), and Philadelphia Praise Center– to discover and develop my gifts. I learned many things about myself and God during those experiences. There were several times that my gifts and calling were affirmed, whether it was through words of others, relationships, or experiences where I felt God affirming me. It had become clear to me that God was calling me to be a youth pastor.

As I approached graduation from Eastern University, the logical next step for me was seminary. I headed to Eastern Mennonite Seminary (Harrisonburg, VA) and during my three years there, I was the seminary intern youth pastor at Eastside Church. As a church plant, there was no established youth ministry, so for the first time I was able to take all my knowledge and create the youth ministry that I wanted. Needless to say, it was both exciting and terrifying. I had some good success stories, but probably more failures. All in all, the experience was very formative and Eastside was another place for me to cultivate my gifts and call.

Currently, I am living in Allentown, PA and serving as the Lehigh Valley Youth Pastor for Whitehall, Ripple, Vietnamese Gospel, and Christ Fellowship. I would have never imagined that this is where God is calling me to be – urban ministry. I always pictured myself in a suburban setting where I would be nice and comfortable. But after being in Allentown for almost a year, it is clear that this is where God is calling me to be. I have never felt more fully alive. Sure I’m still making mistakes and learning new things, but I’m following God’s call in my life and finding my pastoral identity.

As I reflect on my call, it becomes clear to me what happens from a simple prayer and willingness to say yes to God, no matter where it takes you. There has been some wrestling and some discerning, but God’s call in my life has become clear.

Danilo Sanchez is the youth minister for Whitehall Mennonite Church, Ripple, and Vietnamese Gospel in the Allentown, PA area.

Tools for Transition: Training Offered This October

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by Jenifer Eriksen Morales

Interim training 8-27-15Change is inevitable.  Every congregation moves through times of change that lead to a period of transition.  How a congregation responds during a transition is key to continued health and wellness.  Transitions are a part of our communal faith and life. If we invite God’s Spirit to guide us through these times there is potential for transformation.

Change brought by the loss of a pastor can be especially difficult for many congregation. Regardless of the reason for the pastoral change, congregational emotion tends to run high.  This time of transition between pastors has the potential to shape a church’s identity and strengthen their health well into the future.  Studies show that healthy transitions require congregations to address their past, allow for new lay leadership, think about their identity, set a vision and goals for the future, renew connections with other congregations and/or their denomination, and commit to new directions and leadership.  Therefore, along with God’s Spirit, congregations often invite specially trained intentional interim ministers to journey with them and lead them through the months and sometimes year or more between pastors.

Intentional Interim Ministers are often experienced pastors with a call and specialized training gifts and skills that enable them to help congregations respond to change and envision the future.  An intentional interim minister helps a congregation take advantage of the opportunities presented through change.  By providing pastoral leadership (preaching, teaching, pastoral care) and by helping a congregation identify and work through specific transition priorities and tasks within a designated time frame, an Intentional Interim Minister equips and empowers a congregation to be as ready as possible to receive a new pastor and move forward in God’s purpose and vision for them.

As Franconia Conference works to equip leaders within congregations, once again a partnership with Lancaster, Atlantic Coast, and Eastern District Conferences has come together to provide an Intentional Interim Pastor Training on October 26 – 30, 2015 at Towamencin Mennonite Church. Pastors who complete the 40 hour training are certified to serve as Intentional Interim Pastors in MCUSA and Canada.  Trainers with a wealth of experience and knowledge utilize various teaching techniques and case studies to prepare participants to understand and address the unique needs of congregations in transition and offer insight and tools for guiding congregations through these “in between” times.

Previous participant Fred Kaufman stated, “The Intentional Interim Pastor Training made me aware that transition is a time of promise and seeking again to name the call of the church and be faithful to that.”

Any pastor who is considering intentional interim ministry in the future or who would like tools for understanding and leading through times of change is strongly encouraged to take this course while it is being offered locally.  An early registration discount is available through August 31, 2015 and registration is limited to 30 participants.

Mike Clemmer Joins Conference LEADership Ministry Team

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By Colin Ingram

Franconia Conference welcomes a gardener—who cultivates flowers, leaders, and diversity—to the LEADership ministry team. Loving to see beautiful things grow, Mike plants flowers on his church’s property and works to nurture leaders as a pastor. He will continue this leadership cultivation as a welcomed LEADership minister with the conference.

MIke Clemmer2 8-20-15 webLEAD is the conference’s oversight direction and platform intended to cultivate healthy and growing Anabaptist congregations by equipping leaders to empower others to embrace God’s mission. Oversight occurs through a team invited by congregational leaders to serve and lead them. This team includes the pastor, a Franconia Mennonite Conference LEADership minister, the chair of the congregation’s governing body (when relevant) and others.  LEADership ministers and the LEAD approach equips leaders to empower others to embrace God’s mission through support, accountability, and conflict management for pastors as they move forward in God’s vision and mission.

Mike Clemmer begins his responsibilities as a LEADership minister in Franconia Mennonite Conference this August. He has grown up in the conference, beginning life at Souderton Mennonite Church and now serving for the past ten years as pastor at Towamencin Mennonite Church. He is the chair of the conference credentialing committee and serves as a part of the ministerial committee.

Earning a doctorate in missional leadership at Biblical Theological Seminary, Mike has a passion for leadership and helping a congregation realize the insights it already has for making decisions.

“To give some encouragement to other pastors and other leadership teams is something I have always enjoyed,” Mike said.

Mike appreciates the connections that Franconia Mennonite Conference affords easily between churches. Something he has witnessed over his longstanding relationship with the conference and local congregations.

Mike considers connecting with the community important as well, which aligns with the conference’s focus on mission. In addition to his work as pastor at Towamencin Mennonite Church, he is a chaplain for the Towamencin Fire Company, a way to connect with others outside the congregation. Another indication of his passion to welcome the community into the church is the “no-conclusion” Bible study practice he encourages. Instead of a Bible study instructor concluding with the final answers of a passage, he prefers a more open-ended conclusion that allows the passage to continue to work in everyone’s heart throughout the week that allows for “many people [to] takeaway” insights.

Mike personally aligns with the intercultural goal of Franconia Mennonite Conference; after all, Towamencin Mennonite Church has 14 native languages in a congregation of about 160 people, according to Mike. Persons from Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Korea, China, Germany, and several Hispanic countries attend the congregation.

Before pastoring, Mike spent more than 20 years in business at Moyer & Son in Telford.

While serving as a LEADership Minister with the conference, Mike will continue to pastor at Towamencin Mennonite Church. He may also be found enjoying some of his other passions including running, sports, music, and gardening. Mike is married to April and they have three grown children.

Celebrating 25 years of Unity In Christ

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By Marta Castillo

Norristown12 Corinthians 1:20-22 says, “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘Yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.  Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

During the weekend of July 11, 2015, Nueva Vida Norristown New Life (NVNNL) celebrated 25 years of life together since integrating three Mennonite churches of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds in Norristown. We celebrated with a worship service by acclaimed pianist James Crumbly, a concert with Crumbly and Friends and a pig roast and fiesta.

Norristown2As the body of believers at Nueva Vida Norristown New Life, family, friends, and community celebrated 25 years of God’s faithfulness  and goodness to us and marveled again at the beauty of God’s promise to provide everything that we need to fulfill the calling that we have been given.  Our calling is to be a diverse body of believers who: Worship the Lord in unity; Experience the transforming power of the Holy Spirit; and Proclaim the gospel of reconciliation through Jesus Christ in word and deed.

Norristown3Together, we speak the “amen” to the promises that God has given us and the “yes” in Jesus.  We speak the “amen” when we serve and proclaim in our community.  We speak the “amen” when we pray and seek to do God’s will.  We speak the “amen” as we continue to love the Lord and allow God’s love to flow through us to others.  We speak the “amen” as we commit to speaking against injustice and racism and to be a witness to the power of God for unity and peace.  Amen, amen, and amen!

Norristown4Now, as Nueva Vida Norristown New Life moves beyond the 25 years, we look to God for new vision and strength.  We commit ourselves to living God’s promises together, anointed and sealed by the Holy Spirit until Jesus comes.

Norristown5

 

A special thank you to the NVNNL planning committee, to those who provided the funds and food to make this celebration possible, and to those who traveled from near and far to join us in the celebration.

Marta Castillo is one of three pastors as NVNNL.

Submitting a Church Together Statement

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As Franconia Mennonite Conference embarks on how to live together as the Church — one body in Christ — the conference board and staff will be working with congregations who are interested in drafting and submitting Church Together Statements for consideration by the delegate body at Fall Assembly. These statements are an opportunity for pastors and congregation members to shape the focus and work of the conference.

Church together photo 8-6-15A Church Together Statement is more than just a document. It is a process where the conference engages issues with respect and Christian love. The process for the statements has been developed to aid, as the conference seeks to live out the words of scripture, that “Everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way,” (I Corinthians 14:40), and to be a discerning community so that together, the conference can reach an understanding that “seems good to the Holy Spirit and to us” (Acts 15:28).

The board has specifically requested statements that:

  • Support the conference’s mission of equipping leaders to empower others to embrace God’s mission
  • Propose ways in which we apply the MC USA Kansas City resolutions to our Franconia Mennonite Conference context
  • Propose ways for Franconia Mennonite Conference pastors and congregations to continue to deepen relationships in 2016

Once an individual has an idea for a statement, they should engage in a time of scriptural study and discernment, preferably with their congregation or Conference Related Ministry (CRM). This study should include a time for hearing differing viewpoints and it is expected that they will be heard with a spirit of seeking to understand the basis of viewpoints that may be different.

Upon drafting the statement, the individual author or group must receive affirmation for their statement from their congregational leadership body (board, elders, deacons, etc.), CRM board, or a conference-related committee. The affirmation of the statement by one of those bodies must be included at the end of the statement, along with the name and contact information of a point person. Any Church Together Statement submitted will also need to be accompanied by a written statement containing:

  1. the purpose and/or reason for the proposed Church Together Statement
  2. the intended consequences of the adoption of the Church Together Statement
  3. the name and contact information of the congregation, CRM, or conference committee with a designated contact person proposing the Church Together Statement

After having drafted the Church Together Statement, receiving affirmation, and composing the written statement with the above information, the Church Together Statement should then be submitted to the conference administrative staff. The administrative staff will then pass the statements on to the Church Together Statements Committee.

The committee will review the statements; they may ask for more information and will work with the author(s) to provide guidance and suggestions in the wording of the statement in an effort to decrease possible confusion or unintended consequences. The committee will also discern with pastors, as well as conference board and staff, which Church Together Statements should be part of our fall Conference Assembly.  In order to allow ample time for delegates to discern the statements, the committee will only be putting forward a limited number at Conference Assembly.

Once the committee has identified statements for fall Assembly, those statements will be sent to the conference board, who will engage in corporate discernment regarding their suitability for consideration by the delegate body.  Among questions considered by the board (but not limited to) are:

  • Does the proposed statement enable us to join God’s activities in the world?
  • Does the proposed statement enable us to live and act in ways that allow God’s healing and hope to flow through us to the world?
  • Does the proposed statement advance FMC’s mission, and guide us toward God’s preferred future for us?

As a result of its discernment process, the conference board may take any of the following actions:

  1. Bless the forwarding of the Church Together Statement to the delegate body for action at the annual conference assembly
  2. Return the Church Together Statement to the committee with recommendations for further review and editing
  3. Not forward the Church Together Statement, if it is determined that it does not further the purposes for which statements are adopted, or that it does not have sufficient church-wide support, impact or interest to merit delegate assembly time devoted to such proposed statements. If a statement is not forwarded, the conference board may provide to the author(s) other suggested avenues for consideration

The Church Together Statements Committee, conference board and staff will be working diligently over the next few months to support all of the conference churches in this process. For more information on the Church Together Statements and the committee, see the Intersectings article Being Church Together – FMC invites Resolution/Statements at Fall Assembly. The full Church Together Statement Policy can be viewed here. Questions related to specifics about the Church Together Statements should be directed to Ertell Whigham, executive minister, or Joe Hackman, Church Together Statements Committee Chair. For assistance with drafting a Church Together Statement, contact your local LEADership Minister.

Pastors from Ripple take Refuge at Oasis

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While many in a congregation may take refuge in Sunday morning worship service, or in the council of their pastor, where do pastors go to take refuge?

AlbrightsTom and Carolyn Albright, two of the pastors at Ripple, have been through many ups and downs since founding Ripple in 2006. What started as a conference related ministry has now grown into a congregation of over 100 people in downtown Allentown. They went from farmhouse suburban living, to a downtown city apartment, and have been pastoring Ripple through much growth and many moves from space to space over the years. For them refuge was found this summer at the two week Oasis program, part of  Eastern Mennonite Seminary‘s  Summer Institute of Spiritual Formation (SISF), which provides training and optional certification for spiritual directors.

The Albright’s felt the call to move to urban ministry at Oasis and returned this year for a time of refuge and spiritual direction. Read more about Ripple and the Albright’s time at Oasis here.

Being Church Together – FMC invites Resolution/Statements at Fall Assembly

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_MG_2504Franconia Mennonite Conference is one body in Christ, as 1 Corinthians 12:13-14 says. Yet living as one body, is not always easy as there are many parts to the whole.

Throughout Franconia Mennonite Conference we see the different parts of the body of Christ as we have differences in perspectives, mindsets and convictions. Yet, as one body, it is important to be able to move forward together.

This year, the conference board has decided to invite resolutions for discernment at conference assembly. In the Franconia Mennonite Conference context these “resolutions” will be known as Church Together Statements. These statements give pastors, delegates, and congregations a way to shape the focus and work of the conference, proposing to the body how to live and move forward as we are church together.

In a letter sent earlier this week to pastors, _MG_2333Ertell Whigham, executive minister, and Joe Hackman, Church Together Statements committee chair, stated, “At this year’s assembly we will not entertain Church Together Statements that recommend changes to Franconia Mennonite Conference bylaws or polity. Rather, we seek statements that continue to foster a deepening of relationship and witness between pastors and congregations. We appreciate all you have been doing to build relationships through the conference and hope this spirit of one body is reflected in the Church Together Statements.”

The letter goes on to say, Church Together Statements are invited that:

  • Support the conference’s mission of equipping leaders to empower others to embrace God’s mission.
  • Propose ways in which to apply the MC USA Kansas City resolutions to the Franconia Mennonite Conference context.
  • Propose ways for Franconia Mennonite Conference pastors and congregations to continue to deepen relationships in 2016.

All Church Together Statements will be submitted to the conference administrative coordinator to be reviewed by the Church Together Statements committee. This committee represents some of the geographical, cultural, and theological diversity present in the conference. The committee consists of Joe Hackman (Salford) as chair, Angela Moyer (Ripple) as co-chair, Aldo Siahann (Philadelphia Praise Center), Robin Long (Blooming Glen), Ken Burkholder (Deep Run East), Kris Wint (Finland), and Donella Clemens (Perkasie).

This committee will discern with pastors, and conference board and staff which of the Church Together Statements should be brought before the delegate assembly this fall. For more information on Church Together Statements and the process for submission take a look at the Church Together Statements Policy for Franconia Mennonite Conference Delegate Discussion and Action.

The Calling of a Delegate

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By Barbie Fischer

delegates photo-webAs Conference Assembly is approaching, it’s time that we discern who within our midst is called to be a delegate for our congregations. All ordained and licensed leaders who hold active credentials in Franconia Mennonite Conference are called to be delegates. All conference board members are called to be delegates. In addition, congregations are given the opportunity to discern who from their elders and deacons may be called to be a delegate and also who amongst their congregation members may be called to be a lay delegate.

A delegate is defined as one who is chosen or elected to vote or act on behalf of, or for, others. In the context of the conference, a delegate is not just a role — it is a call. A call to represent a piece of the body of Christ. A call to represent a congregation or conference related ministry. Delegates are a vital piece to the functioning of the conference.

1 Corinthians 12: 13-14 says “For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.”

The fact that the body of Christ is made up of different parts is evident in Franconia Mennonite Conference as we have differences in perspectives, mindsets and convictions. Yet, as we are all part of one body, it is important that we are able to move forward together. In order to do this we must confer with one another, listen and hear from the different parts of the body.

Every year, Conference Assembly is set aside for delegates from each congregation and conference related ministries to listen, hear, and “discern the direction of the conference vision and objectives by conferring together.” (Franconia Mennonite Conference bylaws Article IV, Section 1).

To aid delegates in their call, Franconia Mennonite Conference has created a Delegate Ministry Description, outlining that delegates are expected to:

  • pray for God’s Spirit to lead us all in being a faithful and worshipping community.
  • keep aware of what is happening within Franconia Mennonite Conference between assembly sessions and facilitate two-way communication between their congregation and the conference.
  • attend and participate in all regular and special conference assembly sessions.
  • provide a post-assembly report to their congregation.

Deacon/Elder and lay delegates are chosen by their congregations. In order for the conference to assist in equipping these delegates for Assembly, it is important that they are identified by their congregations on an annual basis and that the congregations affirm that their appointed delegate(s) are able to attend the Conference Assembly, scheduled this year for November 14th.

As Conference Assembly is quickly approaching, the conference will be supplying congregational leaders with information to assist in discerning their deacon or elder, and lay delegates.  A delegate selection worksheet and guidelines can be found HERE and a copy of the delegate ministry description can be seen HERE.

May the Holy Spirit guide us as we discern who is called to represent our piece of the body of Christ. May the Spirit grant us wisdom as we discern together as the body of Christ the next steps for our conference.