Congregational Experiments

by Jenn Moyer and Bonnie Moyer

A love of soccer became a bridge for new relationships as nearly 50 people gathered at Zion Mennonite (Souderton, PA) on June 25 for Victory Beyond the Cup, a community soccer watch party supported through Mosaic Mennonite Conference’s Vibrant Mosaic congregational experiments.

The event invited members of the congregation and neighbors from the wider community to gather around two World Cup soccer matches on a big screen while sharing food, conversation, and activities for all ages. Participants included families connected with Zion’s preschool and Bean Bag Food Program and members of sister congregation Iglesia Menonita Ebenezer.

The fellowship hall was decorated to celebrate the four competing teams and included country facts and a world map. A craft table was also available where kids could design their own paper soccer ball and jersey, make a soccer bracelet, and color the teams’ country flags.

Outside, a pickup soccer game and rounds of 9-square were as popular as the games on television, creating opportunities for children and adults to engage across generations and backgrounds.

The buffet table was filled with all kinds of delicious food and drink, including Peruvian and Mexican dishes like tacos, quesadillas, barbequed wings, chicken fingers, and more. Dessert choices included Mexican brownies, churros, funny cake and shoefly pie. The crowd enjoyed it all.

While soccer brought people through the doors, the event also helped Zion members build relationships beyond their usual circles and strengthen connections among the many communities that intersect through the congregation. By creating a welcoming, low-pressure environment centered on a shared interest, the event encouraged conversations and friendships that might not have happened otherwise.

Victory Beyond the Cup was one of several congregational experiments funded in 2026 through Mosaic’s Vibrant Mosaic program, of which Zion Mennonite is a participant in the second cohort. This year, participants from four congregations in the second cohort took classes on Vibrant Relationships (focused on Mosaic’s intercultural priority) and Vibrant Identity (focused on Anabaptist, Mosaic, and local congregation history, polity, and identity). Following the classes, each congregation had the opportunity to discern and design an experiment they’d like to try with their congregation, applying learnings from the classes. Up to $5,000 in funds are available to support these experiments.