Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Conference News

Moved by faith … back to school

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Philippiansby Maria Byler, Philadelphia Praise Center

In Matthew 17 Jesus tells the disciples that with faith the size of a mustard seed they could move mountains. But at Philadelphia Praise Center/Centro de Alabanza de Filadelfia, something else is being moved by faith: adults are going to school. And I, as site administrator, get to witness the miraculous results.

This fall, 15 members of PPC/CAF started the certificate program of the Anabaptist Biblical Institute (IBA), an adult Christian education program coordinated by the Mennonite Education Agency and the Hispanic Mennonite Church. It consists of eight 12-week courses. Students complete workbook lessons on their own and meet weekly in group tutoring sessions. Tutors are pastors Leticia Cortés and Fernando Loyola. With God’s help the first course, Introduction to Bible Study, was completed in early December.

Each student is in a very different place with their education. One student is completing postdoctoral work, one dropped out of elementary school over 20 years ago. Most have begun to know Jesus within the last five years. But their varied experiences with school and church were overcome by the strength of their faith and their desire to learn more about God.

At the first class when asked about the homework, most of the students raised their eyebrows and shook their heads sadly. “Me cuesta leer tanto,” – “It’s hard for me to read so much” “No entendí todas las preguntas,” “I didn’t understand all the questions.” We struggled through the literary genres in the Bible and the difference between figurative and literal. But we also had great conversations about Hebrew identity, Creation, and even vegetarianism. Week after week I left the class amazed at what God is doing with these humble but eager followers. And the students left the class feeling as though they had merely scratched the surface of knowledge, and ready to deepen their understanding.

More than what God is doing inside each student is what God is doing with us as a community. We are each (including me) growing so much more than if we just read the lessons individually. IBA has become a very human place where we learn from the reading and also from our sisters’ and brothers’ life views.  This includes experiences of members of the community during the course. We have had to cancel or rearrange classes because of illness or other church events – and those happenings make it into the class conversation. Students often bring their children, who participate in their own way. It’s giving us all practice in being a community of sharing and support as we learn together how to walk this life as Christians.

At the beginning of the New Year we start on the second course: Anabaptist History and Theology. For more information on what we’re studying, check out the Mennonite Education Agency website. Or, if you’d rather, contact me – I love to talk about this exciting work that God is doing in the church!

Reflections on one day with MDS on Staten Island

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by James M. Lapp

On November 8, following Superstorm Sandy, I was privileged to participate with one of the early Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) teams to Staten Island.  There amidst the front end loaders lifting wet debris from the streets into dump trucks, we encountered a busy community of local people and volunteers like us attempting to be helpful.  One thing became immediately clear.  MDS and Mennonites did not have a corner on compassion and care.

Along the street in front of the Oasis Christian Center building, men worked over a grill preparing chicken for anyone, including us, to eat for lunch.  The church (with partial Mennonite roots) had moved their worship to another setting to make the building available as a center of distribution for clothes and food.  In the background we heard the purr of generators providing power for the activities going on in the church.  Beside the church, at a makeshift table under a canopy, two people gave direction to the many people milling about who were seeking to be helpful.

Located only a few blocks from the bay, this church, like all the homes in the area, was vulnerable when the high tide and storm surge came roaring down the street.  Across the front of the church a distinct waterline indicated the height of the water during the storm—about neck high for an average-sized adult.  Basements and the first floor of homes throughout the neighborhood had been flooded.  Near to the church were several homes where the residents had drowned.

Inside the church, we sorted clothes and food donated for those in need.  “Do you have any hooded sweat shirts?” someone inquired.  Such a request was not hard to understand on this cold November day.

“We lost everything,” a woman reported through tears, with deep gratitude for jackets to wear.

Toiletries, clothes, and food of every kind appeared.  Twice during the day a U-Haul truck pulled up to the curb with contributions gathered around the city for distribution.  Others in our group worked at restoring electrical systems destroyed by the water, or in removing drywall so that the interior of the walls could dry without mildew.

The residents of this Staten Island community have lived near the water all of their lives.  Never has anything of this sort happened before.  How quickly the fury of the storm shattered the lives of these otherwise stable middle-class families!  It was hard for them and for me to make sense of such devastation.   I could almost hear in the background the taunting voices the Psalmist experienced in the wake of such a personal tragedy: “Now where is your God?”  (Psalm 42:3)

About dark we began our journey back to Lansdale, Pa., and to the safety of our homes. The team was united in gratitude for being able to participate in such a day of service to others.  But beneath the reward of having been privileged to serve, I sensed an unspoken sober awareness of the fragility of life, and the reality that natural disasters such as we witnessed were seemingly becoming more frequent.  At least that is what some of our public figures suggest.  What might that mean for our nation, for us?  That question, plus the inexplicable destruction we had just witnessed in this Staten Island community remained for us to ponder as we returned home that evening.

Jim Lapp is a retired Franconia Conference pastor who has served broadly in congregational, conference and denominational roles.   He and his wife Mim Book have returned to Southeastern Pennsylvania this fall after serving in an interim pastoral role in Nebraska.

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Individuals and teams from many Franconia Conference congregations have served with Mennonite Disaster Service since Superstorm Sandy, including Salford, Plains, Philadelphia Praise Center, Doylestown, Salem, Blooming Glen, and Ambler.  If you have served in this way and have reflections to share, email your thoughts to Emily.

Thanksgiving at the beach … and other tales, part 2

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Holiday MealThanksgiving dinner at the firehouse
by KrisAnne Swartley, Doylestown

After Hurricane Sandy, our congregation held “storm kitchens,” where we gathered to cook for those without power.  After the initial crisis passed, we asked ourselves as a missional mentoring group, “What’s next?” One of the young women suggested thanking our local fire fighters.  For many in our group, cooking and serving food is our passion and gift, a way that we express love and care for others.  So on November 27th and 29th, we served Thanksgiving dinner at two firehouses in Roslyn and Hilltown (Pa).

It is important to us as a missional group to bless those who help our community thrive, and these volunteers (can you believe this is still done on a VOLUNTEER basis??) do just that. We wanted to bless them from our faith perspective, while recognizing they may not share our beliefs or practices. They were very open to that and were genuinely appreciative of the prayer of blessing we gave them and the time we spent with them that night… as well as the food, of course!

I served at the Hilltown firehouse.  Although the meal was outside of our comfort zone, we soon discovered that humor unites. Within moments of arriving with my big roasting pans and all the food, they were teasing me gently and I gave it right back to them.  The joking created a comfort level that made us all feel safe in each other’s presence.

It took conscious effort for those of us from Doylestown to not just talk to each other, but to break out of our “clique” and begin to visit with the firefighters and their families. Once we did that, however, we made connections and shared stories and the conversation flowed freely.

Jenni Garrido, who organized the dinner at Roslyn, said the folks at the firehouse couldn’t believe someone from their neighborhood would take the time and effort to bring them a meal… they were floored by the generosity.

This felt like only a beginning. The firefighters are looking for connections and relationships within the community and are very open to more conversation and time together. A few of us are gathering to pray there on Friday morning.  Who knows what more may come?!

PPC Thanksgiving
Members of Philadelphia Praise Center lead worship at Quakertown Christian School on Thanksgiving. Photo by Octavianus Asoka.

A Thanksgiving Retreat
by Aldo Siahaan, Philadelphia Praise Center

On a beautiful Thursday morning around 8 o’clock sounds of laughter and excitement  could be heard from Philadelphia Praise Center’s building in South Philly.  About 100 congregation members were anxious to depart for Quakertown Christian School, where we held a one-day Thanksgiving Retreat filled with sermons, games, fellowship, and other fun activities.

At this year’s retreat, PPC was fortunate to host not one, but two special guests from Indonesia. The guest speaker was Rev. Daniel Alexander, a well-known preacher in Indonesia who has been ministering in Nabire, Papua since the 1980s. In addition, Rev. Alexander also brought along Stevano Wowiling, one of the finalists from a recent Indonesian Idol, who led the congregation in ardent worship sessions.

Halfway through the day, members of Nations Worship Center joined us after spending Thanksgiving morning at Salford Mennonite Church. The Thanksgiving Retreat ended with dinner at a nearby Chinese buffet.

Thanksgiving at the beach … and other tales, part 1

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by Yunus Perkasa, Georgia Praise Center

GPC at the beachThanksgiving Day at the Panama City Beach was a time for Georgia Praise Center–Atlanta to offer thanks and to gather as a big family.  Our congregation enjoyed dinner and a time of wonderful fellowship together with turkey, Ayam Kalasan (Indonesian-style barbeque chicken), and lots of other foods. It was a day of relaxation surrounded by miles of stunning white sand and emerald green waters. The setting at Panama City Beach made our Thanksgiving a breeze. The beach is a great place to get holiday pictures, and we got some truly unique ones! The day was a chance to enjoy the beaches at perhaps their most lovely or for families to do a little special shopping together.

We counted the blessings of God who has guided us with grace for two years now (November 2010 until November 2012)!  If you had spent the day on Panama City Beach with us, you would have seen how our brothers and sisters are a blessing for each other.   Our members all responded the same way: “We are so grateful for this event!”

A Thanksgiving feast in Harleysville

Salford congregation hosted Nations Worship Center on Thanksgiving day, sharing music, conversation, the Word, and, of course, plenty of food!  Photos by Octavianus Asoka.

Fall Ministerial Update

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Noah Kolb, for the Ministerial Committee

Ubaldo Rodriguez, left, is the newest member of the Ministerial Committee.

The Ministerial Committee met on September 5 and November 7. At our September meeting, we welcomed Ubaldo Rodriguez as a new member of the committee. We took action to approve Kristopher Wint, associate pastor of Finland congregation, for a two-year ministerial license toward ordination and accepted the ordination credentials of John Stoltzfus, conference youth minister and campus pastor at Christopher Dock Mennonite High School, from Illinois Conference.

At our November meeting, we approved Franco Salvatori, pastor of Rocky Ridge congregation, for a license toward ordination. The committee took action to change the ordination status of Dennis Detweiler and Bill Brunk from “active’ to “retired.” The policy to assist credentialed leaders with counseling expenses was reviewed and updated.  We invited LEADership Ministers and the Credentials Committee to join us in reviewing the policies that guide who we credential.

Philadelphia Festival raises support and community

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by J. Fred Kauffman, West Philadelphia congregation

The MCC Philly Festival featured a rich variety of foods including Chinese egg rolls, Haitian rice, Indonesian snack foods, Mexican tamales, Vietnamese pho, and traditional PA Dutch fare. Photo by Grant Rissler.

“Good food. Good cause. Nice quilts!” observed Rosalie Rolón Dow, describing the October 27th Festival & Auction to support the work of Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). Over 300 people attended Philadelphia’s second “MCC Relief Sale,” bidding on 200 items that raised $19,000 for MCC. With over $5,000 spent on foods and small items plus direct project donations, total receipts exceeded $27,000.

The Pennsylvania Relief Sale and Kingdom Builders Anabaptist Network of Greater Philadelphia (KBN) sponsored the festival.  Seven KBN congregations brought a rich variety of food: Chinese egg rolls, Haitian rice and delicacies, Indonesian snack foods, Mexican tamales, Soul Food, Vietnamese pho/soup, fresh fruit, baked yams, and the traditional PA Dutch fare of soups, cookies, pies, and cakes.

When asked, “Why did you come today?” most people began with, “Because I support MCC’s mission.” This mission involves working in disaster relief, sustainable community development and justice & peace building in Philadelphia and around the world.  (See www.mcc.org)

Having voiced support for MCC, further comments varied widely. “We wanted to reconnect with old friends and connect with new friends,” said Cynthia and Loren Snavely from the Fox Hill (NY) Bruderhof community. Dana Espinosa from North Philly smiled and said, “You have good food, and it’s a great Saturday outing for my active children.”

A participant from the Lancaster County Amish community said, “My neighbor helped organize the first MCC Relief Sale in 1948 in Gap, Pa. I’ve been attending the Gap sale for years, but wanted to see this one in Philly.”

MCC Philly Festival 2012
West Philadelphia congregation hosted the festival and quilt auction.  Photo by Grant Rissler.

West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship hosted the festival in the beautiful 107-year-old domed chapel of Calvary United Methodist Church where it worships. Bidders, volunteers, food, and auction items came from international, urban, and rural contexts.

Sale items included: a meal for ten hosted by an Amish family in rural PA; an original etching of the 1993 Philadelphia Phillies; a deep sea fishing trip in NJ; a house concert with viola, harp and flute; handmade corn brooms; an Eric Kratz signed baseball; tickets to the Philadelphia Orchestra; exquisite wood crafts; silk quilts made in a Vietnamese village; and over 20 other quilts and wall hangings.

Bidders also donated $2,730 directly to MCC church-based community development projects in Colombia and Philadelphia.  In Colombia, MCC works with Anabaptist churches in food security and sustainable livelihoods, and in Philadelphia, MCC supports Kingdom Builders Construction to serve among KBN churches.

Recognition is due to the more than 50 volunteers who assisted at the Festival.  Special thanks to Vernon Martin, the primary auctioneer, and to 89-year-old Sanford Alderfer from Alderfer Auction & Appraisal who stepped out of retirement to give Martin a lunch break!

At the Second Mennonite (Philadelphia) food booth, Brenda Holmes said, “This is a time of fellowship and of service.  It’s special that people from outside of Philly come here to join us: usually we go to their home areas.”  Geraldine Abraham agreed. “This festival is a ‘grand affair,’” she said, “and it is a blessing to give back.”

God@work beyond our imagination

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United Conference Assembly 2012

by Krista Showalter Ehst, Bally congregation

Now to God who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!   Amen.

Ervin Stutzman “kneels before the Father” to pray for the gathered members of Franconia and Eastern District Conferences at last Saturday’s joint assembly. Photo by Andrew Huth.

The passion of Paul himself permeated the auditorium as Ervin Stutzman, Executive Director of Mennonite Church USA, stood from his kneeled position and—hands stretched towards the sky—proclaimed these words from Ephesians 3:20-21. It was a fitting end to his message and an equally fitting end to the United Conference Assembly, in which 175 delegates, credentialed leaders, and other participants gathered to reflect upon and imagine where God has and might be at work amidst Franconia and Eastern District Conferences.

The day-long Assembly provided several opportunities for engaging God’s work through workshops, meal-time fellowship, a large exhibition of agencies, schools, and other ministries, delegate business sessions, and multi-lingual worship. This year’s second united gathering of the conferences was held at Penn View Christian School, Souderton, Pa.

Stutzman reminded participants that Paul wrote this prayer while in prison, a time of great trouble both for the apostle and the churches that looked to him as a leader. It is perhaps during the times of greatest trouble, Stutzman said, that God is working beyond our imagination.

A team of worship leaders from Eastern District and Franconia Conference congregations led multi-lingual worship. Photo by Andrew Huth.

Responses to the recent devastation of Hurricane Sandy testified to the ways God is at work in times of trouble. Andrew Huth, a documentary photographer and associate pastor of Amber congregation, recently traveled to New York City to photograph the aftermath of Sandy. The images he shared revealed immense destruction and heartache, but evidenced God’s love working through Mennonite Disaster Service teams from both conferences, local community members, and residents of the devastated areas. “If we aspire to be the kind of people who, at a moment’s notice, are ready and prepared to do the work of God,” Huth reflected, “then we must come pre-dirty.” The world doesn’t need us to put on a perfect face, Huth added, but they “should know us as followers of Christ from our stench.”

In the Franconia Conference business session, moderator John Goshow (Blooming Glen congregation) and assistant moderator Marta Castillo (Nueva Vida Norristown New Life congregation) acknowledged the challenge of loving one another and remaining in unity—particularly in the midst of disagreement over issues of human sexuality. Recently, the conference board received a letter from the Alpha congregation stating that they have decided to accept into membership persons with a homosexual orientation. The conference board is fully aware of the diversity of perspectives on this issue within Franconia Conference, according to Goshow, and decided that they were unwilling to sever a relationship with the Alpha congregation at this time.  “We acknowledge that further discernment on this subject is needed and desire that disagreeing voices be heard non-judgmentally and with patience and respect,” Goshow said. “We believe that God will be at work as we seek further discernment on this important issue.”

Warren Tyson and Ertell Whigham lead the congregation in a conversation on how partnership between the two conferences could bring God glory. Photo by Andrew Huth.

The ongoing relationship with Eastern District was another key topic of conversation. Franconia’s executive minister Ertell Whigham and Warren Tyson, Conference Minister of Eastern District, conferred with delegates on their responses to this common work; many delegates affirmed the benefits of working together and sharing resources.  There were also some reservations, however, around the risk of the smaller Eastern District being absorbed by the larger Franconia as well as potential theological differences between the two groups.

The desire to share resources speaks to a continued trend of decreased giving to the conference budget.   Whigham and Randy Nyce (Salford congregation), Conference Board Financial Committee Chair, alluded to the decreased financial support that Franconia Conference receives and a likely accompanying decrease in staff. This concerned some delegates, especially credentialed leaders who depend upon the support of their LEADership Ministers.

In the midst of these uncertainties, delegates were reminded of the many ways God has been and is at work throughout the conference community. Stutzman challenged the assembly to look for God “at work in every aspect of our lives” and within sessions and around dinner tables, participants shared of laundromat and garden ministries, appreciation dinners for local firefighters, and other creative, hands-on ways of entering into God’s work.

Members of the Ripple community gather up front during Conference Assembly to be recognized as a new member congregation of Franconia Conference. Photo by Andrew Huth.

Ripple, an emerging Anabaptist community birthed out of Whitehall congregation, brought particular witness to daily participation in God’s work as they were introduced to delegates and accepted into Franconia Conference as a member congregation.  Ripple seeks to respond to needs and possibilities in Allentown by serving their community through food distribution, engaging local children and youth, and living out community with those who have been marginalized.

Overall, the day was a rich one, filled with inspiring witness, tough yet necessary conversation, and much time to connect with persons from across both conferences. In the face of recent storm damage, uncertain economic realities, and the challenging topic of human sexuality, participants were challenged to trust and to take risks out of the knowledge that God can “do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”

Watch the highlight video, listen to the podcast, or peruse the photo gallery from Conference Assembly 2012.

Hurricane Sandy leaves destruction and opportunity

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by Emily Ralph, eralphservant@mosaicmennonites.org

Three days after Hurricane Sandy swept through south-eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York, members of Franconia Conference are still cleaning up from massive flooding, downed trees and power lines, and extensive power outages.

Communication has been challenging and reports are trickling in–entire communities are still without power, dealing with road closures, and running short on supplies as gas stations and grocery stores are also without electricity.

Some of the reports we have heard:

  • Power is still out at Deep Run East (Perkasie, Pa.), Doylestown (Pa.), Swamp (Quakertown, Pa.), Methacton (Norristown, Pa.) and Garden Chapel (Dover, NJ) facilities.
  • Most of the Garden Chapel congregation is without power, although there have been no reports of damage to homes or the church building.
  • Methacton had and continues to have flooding in their basement/fellowship hall.  Without electricity, they are unable to pump the water out.
  • Many members of congregations along the Rte. 113 corridor around Souderton, Pa., are without power, as are the Conference Center offices and the Souderton Center, which is owned by Franconia Conference.  Penn View Christian School—the site of next weekend’s Conference Assembly—is also without electricity.   These power outages extend as far north as Allentown and as far east as the Delaware River.
  • Despite reports of wider damage in Philadelphia, Franconia congregations in the city survived the hurricane mostly unscathed.
Zume after Hurricane Sandy
Ben Walter, Ripple (right), and his housemates at the Zume House intentional community in Allentown, hosted their “power-less” neighbors for dinner the night after the hurricane. Luke Martin, Vietnamese Gospel, was among the guests.

In the midst of such wide-spread destruction, conference congregations are finding opportunities to minister to one another and their communities:

  • A young mother at Doylestown congregation made meals and delivered them to members of her congregation who were without power.
  • Salford (Harleysville, Pa.) congregation, once their own electricity was restored, opened their facilities to anyone in the community who needed heat, bathrooms, clean water, or a place to plug in their electronic devices.  They also expanded their weekly Community Meal to include those who needed a hot dinner.
  • Individuals throughout the region have opened their homes to friends and neighbors without power, delivered supplies to those who are stuck at home because of blocked roads, and brought their chainsaws to aid in the cleanup.
  • Members of Ripple Allentown (Pa.) who were without power met at their pastors’ home for a meal and to “warm up a bit,” reported Carolyn Albright. “It was a holy, blessed time together.”

Noah Kolb, Pastor of Ministerial Leadership for Franconia Conference, received two emails from conference congregations encouraging members to share their resources with others in their congregation and neighborhoods.  “Often we try to get beyond these things to get to the work of church,” Kolb reflected, “but this IS church.  This is really the stuff of church.”

Because of the challenges of communication, conference staff has not been able to contact all conference congregations to learn of current conditions, needs, and relief efforts.  If you have any information, please report it to your LEADership Minister or any member of conference staff—don’t assume that the staff already know about it.

If your congregation and neighborhood has made it through relatively unscathed, please check in with other congregations in your region to see how you can help; also consider how your congregation’s facility or aid can help the greater community.

If you are aware of relief efforts or needs, please report these to conference staff so that they can connect needs with resources.  The conference email and phones are up and running.

On Monday, as the hurricane was approaching, Michael King, a member of Salford and the dean of Eastern Mennonite Seminary (Harrisonburg, Va.), sent out an email to seminary students and staff.  “I don’t know precisely how we theologize at a time like this,” King wrote.  “Jesus teaches that the rain falls on the just and the unjust and that tragedies are not signs that we’re out of God’s favor. The Bible is also rich with images of God’s care, of God as the mother who shelters us under tender wings.  My loved ones, your loved ones, and all of us are in my heart and prayers amid the yearnings for God’s shelter.”