Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Doylestown Mennonite Church

Celebrating the Radiance and Hope of Pastor Randy Heacock

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by Noel Santiago

On a cloudy and cold afternoon, the warmth of love, laughter, and deep appreciation filled the room as nearly 90 people gathered to celebrate Pastor Randy Heacock’s 23 years of ministry at Doylestown (PA) Mennonite. It was an afternoon marked by the glowing radiance of a life poured out in faithful service. 

The celebration began with a delicious pulled pork meal, with all the fixings, shared around tables buzzing with stories, memories, and heartfelt conversations. Friends, family, and congregants near and far gathered to honor a man whose life has embodied the phrase: “Standing firm in the faith: displaying God’s radiance and hope.” 

Throughout the event, voices rose in gratitude and joy, sharing moments of Heacock’s ministry that had left lasting marks of support, encouragement, and faithful presence. Whether offering a listening ear, sharing a quiet walk, or playing a pickup round of disc golf, Heacock has always had a unique way of making others feel seen and valued. 

The group gathered to celebrate Randy Heacock’s transition from 23 years of ministry at Doylestown (PA) Mennonite.

Laughter rang out as a small drama team reenacted one of Heacock’s infamous encounters of being pulled over. Apparently not an uncommon experience and certainly not forgotten, the comedic sketch brought smiles all around. 

Nancy, Randy’s partner in ministry and in life, received the “Most Extra” award for the way she goes out of her way to serve others. Her heartfelt tribute to the congregation brought tears to many eyes as she recalled the joy, pain, and faithfulness shared throughout the journey. Her words were a reminder of the community that has both shaped and been shaped by the Heacocks. 

Randy’s pastoral ministry has been marked by a deep relationality, whether on basketball courts, disc golf courses, over donuts and M&Ms and, yes, even Spam. Through these simple joys, he has built connections across generations and backgrounds. His passion and presence have been both a comfort and a challenge, always calling people deeper into the life of faith. 

Randy and Nancy Heacock holding three of Randy’s favorite things: M&M’s, Disc Golf and Spam!

A significant milestone during Heacock’s time at Doylestown was the initiation of a missional journey. This was not a program or event but a shared way of life for the congregation. It became a season of listening for where God was already at work in the world and stepping out in faith to join in. 

As the evening drew to a close, tributes from past and present leaders underscored the lasting impact of Heacock’s ministry. Sandy Landes, prayer minister, wrapped up the gathering with powerful words of remembrance, encouragement, and a challenge to continue the risk-taking spirit Heacock has exemplified. 

In the end, it wasn’t just a farewell. It was a celebration of faithfulness, friendship, and the many seeds planted through decades of ministry. As Heacock transitions, the echoes of his life and leadership will continue to ripple through the lives he’s touched. His legacy is not just in the sermons preached or the meetings led, but in the countless lives transformed by his humble, radiant witness. 

Noel Santiago

Noel Santiago is the Leadership Minister for Missional Transformation for Mosaic Conference.

Mosaic values two-way communication and encourages our constituents to respond with feedback, questions, or encouragement. To contact Noel Santiago, please email nsantiago@mosaicmennonites.org. 

Disc Golf and Comforters

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Doylestown (PA) Mennonite Church (DMC) started an experiment some years ago by looking “out there.” We assembled a team to explore, ask questions, and identify God’s work that DMC could support. The team began to see fertile soil within us, that God was doing work here within our own souls. We began to see that being missional was our own calling and not something to be hired out.

A major shift happened for me in how I viewed my faith journey. I realized that my faith is to be an integral piece that is a common thread in all the boxes of my life: home, work, church, and play. Jesus is present in all my boxes, encouraging, convicting, and transforming. I began to look for ways to bring these boxes together.

I began inviting people from my different boxes to gather for coffee, football games on TV, and meals. Risk & vulnerability are present when you have your work friends and neighbors meet your church friends. Risk & vulnerability are present when you begin to share your thoughts, dreams, failures, and struggles. I John 1:5-10 invites us to walk in the light, to live an authentic life, to experience forgiveness, and to have fellowship with one another.

Two examples of fellowship that intentionally cross the boundaries of our boxes at DMC are disc golf and knotting comforters.

Lois and Freida Myers have for some time gathered folks from various boxes in their lives to create some interesting mixes of people to knot comforters. We know that when you put people together, fellowship and connection will develop.

Steve Landes plays disc golf any chance he gets and turned it into a missional activity. 

My own story with disc golf began by doing something that I enjoy and inviting others to join me. The fun begins by expanding the group to include random strangers, friends from church and work, and friends of friends. I am a self-proclaimed disc golf evangelist, trying to convert those who don’t play to become those who do play. The Missional Experiment that DMC took on challenged me to invite anyone who would listen to join me in playing disc golf.

Some members of “The Chain Gang” at a recent disc golf outing. 

I created by own vision of this mission in my life. “Build community among a diverse group of people, to create space for trusting relationships to grow and where ministry to one another happens.” My vision became a “fresh expression.”

Fresh Expression is what happens when we move from a missional outlook to a more intentional gathering of listening, loving, and caring. A Fresh Expression is where we experience God and have connection or fellowship with one another: a church, but not one that looks like the traditional church. Fresh Expressions come about by following a passion, building trusting relationships, sharing ourselves authentically, and sharing our faith journey.

Fresh Expression is a movement; it is a thing. It is in dog parks, restaurants, Tattoo parlors, yoga studios, disc golf courses, and living rooms. Fresh Expressions are birthed out of the traditional church, are supported and encouraged by the traditional church, and not surprisingly, are revitalizing the traditional church. Fresh Expressions become a new distinct entity and are not intended to be a new church growth scheme building the church’s roster. The Fresh Expression is church.

Service as Worship on 5th Sundays

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There is a unique kind of bonding that happens when people work shoulder-to-shoulder together on a project. The leadership team of Doylestown (PA) Mennonite Church identified the value of this important bond in the sweat, dirt, and hands-on nature of service projects as something they thought would not only help their surrounding community, but also enhance congregational relationships.  

Service workers split logs from dead trees that had been taken down at a Doylestown congregant’s home. The split wood was delivered to several homes in the community for use as firewood. Photo by KrisAnne Swartley.

In late 2019, the pastors and ministry leadership team of Doylestown discerned that congregational life would be strengthened by designating regular times of serving together beyond the church walls. The relational connection that was built in service is special and distinct from the bonding that happens during Sunday morning worship and sharing. It’s not necessarily better, but it is different.   

To be intentional about creating service opportunities, our congregation set aside the fifth Sundays of the months as “Days of Service.” We would worship through working together. 

Even through the pandemic, we still served and worked together at places like Pinebrook Retreat Center in Stroudsburg, PA, The Simple Way in Philadelphia, Ripple Community in Allentown, PA,  A Woman’s Place in Doylestown, PA and at a few of our congregant’s homes.  

“To go” meals are prepared by Doylestown congregants to hand out after the worship service at Ripple. Photo by KrisAnne Swartley.
Doylestown congregants sort and fold donated clothes at Ripple Church for distribution in the Allentown, PA community. Photo by KrisAnne Swartley.

We have seen our relationships enhanced as we laughed, used our muscles, and faced rain, snow, and extreme heat in our adventures together. Friendships across the generations have been forged and deepened as teenagers have worked alongside octogenarians. Brand new relationships have begun as we engaged with people beyond our church walls. 

“Brand new relationships have begun as we engaged with people beyond our church walls. “

Fifth Sunday Day of Service has not always been easy, but it harkens back to a time when Mennonite barn raisings were a significant part of our culture. The sense of community and accomplishment, the unity of purpose and gratitude for each other’s presence and contribution—these are values that we have always held but now experience more deeply. We are thankful for what we are learning and experiencing together as we join shoulder-to-shoulder in work that blesses others and shapes us. 

Service workers from Doylestown Mennonite prepare the outdoor space at Pinebrook for Summer Day Camp this past May. Photo by KrisAnne Swartley.

Lifting Up the Gifts of Others

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by Jennifer Svetlik, Salford congregation

Randy Heacock particularly enjoys helping congregations think through their communications processes. “Many congregations tend to do a lot of informal communication, which can privilege the inner, familiar circles and unintentionally leave a lot of people out,” he reflects.  “It is lifegiving to help congregations better understand what they’re trying to accomplish and to communicate more effectively.” 

Randy serves as a leadership minister for Bally, Rocky Ridge, Towamencin and Wellspring congregations. In this role, he seeks to accompany and encourage not only the congregation’s pastors, but the congregation as a whole. He occasionally speaks in these congregations and meets bimonthly with their pastors and annually with church leadership.

“I enjoy watching congregations own their decisions, lean into them, and try to be faithful to what God is calling them to do,” Randy says. Recently he has been an observer and cheerleader to Tim Moyer at Bally as the church seeks to move to from a membership-driven to a “centered set” approach to church life. 

As a leadership minister he also seeks to be available to the congregation during times of transition, such as with Towamencin, where he serves on a search committee looking for a new lead pastor. Accompanying congregations through transition includes being available during times of crisis or loss.

“In December 2018, [Pastor] Mike Meneses passed away, and that was an intense time of walking alongside Mike as well as the Wellspring congregation,” Randy reflects. 

Randy became a leadership minister in January 2017. He had served as lead pastor of Doylestown congregation since 2001 and was drawn to the leadership minister position as an opportunity to share what he has learned with other pastors, as well as to bring back to Doylestown what he learns from other congregations.

Previously, Randy served in ministry with the United Methodist Church (UMC). “The faith I was raised with was more intellectual and theological, and I found myself attracted to the more relational approach of the Mennonite Church, as well as the call to love our enemies and those different from us.” 

Randy and wife Nancy

His time with the UMC still influences the way that he sees leadership. “As pastors we do have authority and we shouldn’t be afraid to exercise it. At times the servant leadership model in the Mennonite church has made us shy away from the responsibility we have to exercise that authority for the good of the community.”  

In 2000, Randy had a “gap year” between pastorates, something that he recommends for every pastor. Through a year working in a chime factory, Randy developed a deep appreciation of entrepreneurs and small business owners who treat their employees respectfully and carry the stress of providing jobs and creating a successful business.  

The experience prompted him to identify ways to lift up the gifts of small business owners. “We have not known well in the church how to engage entrepreneurs and their creativity. We are risk-averse and afraid of failure in the church, and that tends to choke out entrepreneurs. Businesses move on from failure much better than churches,” he reflects.

More broadly, working outside of ministry has helped remind Randy of what daily life looks like for most churchgoers, and how to better serve them. “As pastors we focus too much on what happens in church. Church is a small piece of what people do. We should instead focus on how to help people connect their experience in church with how they engage in the world.” 

Randy also emphasizes the importance of pastors having a life outside of work. “I think it’s vital for pastors to have circles outside of their church to be themselves and have fun. It’s not healthy to be too identified to your work,” Randy encourages. 

For Randy, this looks like playing trivia weekly at a local establishment with a group of friends, hiking, being outdoors, and fixing things. Notably, he finds regularly waxing his car enjoyable and relaxing. 

Called as (Youth) Leaders

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by Heidi Swartley, Doylestown congregation, and Kate Hockman, Deep Run East congregation

Over the first weekend of September, we had the wonderful opportunity to attend  Franconia & Eastern District Conference’s youth leadership retreat. During this retreat we learned many lessons and met many people who we probably wouldn’t have met otherwise. It was a fantastic feeling to spend time with other people from separate churches in our conference who had the same willingness to lead. The weekend included a wonderful speaker, awesome team building exercises, and an overall feeling of excitement to learn and lead.

One of the first things we recognized on our retreat is just how hard leadership is. Showing up, being present, putting yourself out there, and trying with all of who you are, is taking a huge risk. Our doubt and fear will convince us that it is not a risk worth taking, and we are not the right people for the job. This doubt is a part of life. Our speaker for the weekend, Pastor Joe Hackman (Salford congregation), assured us that all leaders experience doubt—a reality we don’t often name or recognize. But as leaders, we do not stand alone, relying on our own strength.

Our theme for the weekend, “I Am Called”, grounded us in the confidence that we have been called: He will never leave us nor forsake us, and He will go with us as we work for the glory of His kingdom.

Scripture. As Pastor Joe talked to us about how we stay grounded in our faith in the midst of our doubt, he turned us to Scripture. The Bible tells the stories of many great spiritual leaders, who all grappled with doubt the same way we do today. Our theme verse from the weekend was 1 Timothy 4:12, in which Paul comforts Timothy in the midst of doubt over his young age. Timothy also had struggles with his family and his health, which likely contributed to the doubt. Jeremiah, in the Old Testament, tells the story of God using people, even in their doubt. God calls Jeremiah, and Jeremiah retreats into doubt saying: “I don’t know how…” and “I’m only….” Scripture not only tells us about the doubt of past leaders, but also provides verses of comfort and instruction in what to do with our doubt.

Values. Everybody has them, but sometimes it’s hard to tell what they are. Joe suggested saying the following statement. “If I took away___ from ___, they would cease to exist.” For example, If I took away empathy from Kate or love from Heidi, they would cease to exist. Identifying and knowing what your core values are is another way to handle our doubt. In order to identify our core values as leaders, we were given small cards with different values on them, values such as freedom, empathy, and helpfulness. After Pastor Joe told us to split our cards into different groups based on their importance, he asked us to pick three to five core values that were important to us. We realized that if we were ever experiencing doubt, we could fall back on the values that we picked. 

Community. Community is one of the most powerful ways to cope with doubt, and as Pastor Joe told us, “fear fears community.” In order to be a successful leader, we need to realize that somebody is always on our side. Our church community is always there to support us in any way they can, especially in times of doubt; they’re right there, cheering us on from the sidelines. Community helps to root us in the truth, in how truly loved, supported, and valued we are. Community is patient with us, in our fear, brokenness, and weakness. Seeing Christ’s love reflected in another’s love for us is a powerful thing. 

Overall, this experience taught us so much, and we are grateful we had the opportunity to go to this retreat. We learned so much about God and what it means to be a leader.

Congregational Profile: Doylestown Mennonite Church

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Our congregation’s history reaches back almost 250 years, and we have seen the normal highs and lows of many mid-sized congregations. Our group of approximately 70 congregants enjoys a blended style of worship that includes old hymns as well as contemporary songs. We intentionally include a variety of voices in our worship service: scripture readers, worship leaders, and individuals willing to share about their daily lives and where they see God at work. Our active prayer ministry provides opportunities, during worship and at other times, for prayer ushers to listen to a person’s struggles with a focus on simply lifting the person and their situation before God. They also listen in prayer for a word that God might have for the individual who comes to pray.

Community Garden (Photo credit: KrisAnne Swartley)

Though the congregation’s history is long, we have a youthful energy and flexibility. We see evidence of this in the courageous step of the 3-year experiment that we called the Missional Journey, which began in 2011. Through this experiment, the congregation intentionally set aside funds and people to connect with the community around them. A community garden was started on church grounds, and small groups formed to pray and reflect on simple ways to connect with neighbors. Themes that grew out of these times together were authenticity, vulnerability, and trust in the Holy Spirit to be at work beyond us, within us, and through us.

Summer soccer camp (Photo credit: Judy Garrido)

The Missional Journey did not immediately result in an upward trend in church attendance, but it inspired more risk-taking on the part of congregation members. A disc golf group formed, bringing together congregants and neighbors. An annual summer soccer camp was also started, combining learning soccer skills with spiritual formation. The community garden on the church property continues to grow and is used in large part by neighbors of the church, donating much of the produce to local food banks. Potlucks connect garden members and church members in friendship and conversation. Funds were set aside to create a walking path, new playground, and a pavilion on the property, in order to welcome even more neighbors and create spaces for the congregation to build and deepen relationships.

New pavilion (Photo credit: Lois Myers)

Our congregation has also become more intentional about connecting with the many groups who use the building throughout the week, including girl scout troops, addiction support groups, writing groups and A Woman’s Place (the domestic violence prevention agency serving Bucks County). We intentionally invite them to special events and times of worship.

This fall we will welcome quite a few new members into the congregation, and we anticipate growing even more flexible and courageous as God leads us onward in risk-taking!

Prayer Requests:

  • Pray that we deepen our identity in Jesus so that we can follow His example of engaging others with the love of God.
  • Our theme for this year is Incarnational Living. Pray that we have the courage to practice living incarnationally even when it feels uncomfortable.

 

What Binds Us Together?

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by Mark Reiff, Doylestown congregation

When I was in seminary, I had a professor start a class by sharing with us the background of the word “religion” (or in the Latin, religaire): “to bind.”  He then asked us, What does it mean for our religion to bind us together?

The Structure & Identity Task Force (L to R): Scott Roth (Eastern District Conference), Mike Clemmer (Towamencin), Mark Reiff (Doylestown), Rina Rampogu (Plains), Ron White (Church of the Good Samaritans), Sherri Brokopp Binder (Ripple) and Josh Meyer (Franconia) – missing from photo, Edie Landis (Zion).

I can’t remember where the conversation went after that question, but as I have participated in the Structure and Identity Task Force for the new, reconciled Conference, this has been the driving question in my mind:

“What binds us together as a conference?”

For many generations, this question has been answered by some geographic grouping, both at the conference level and at the congregational level. I have often been reminded by older members at Doylestown congregation about how many of the families who are still connected to our congregation have or have had farms near the church’s building. In the same way, conferences in our denomination generally grouped congregations based on geographic proximity.

Another significant piece of Mennonite church history was the work of bishops or overseers, who were responsible for ensuring that the congregations and households within their sphere conformed to a shared understanding of Christlike living. I have been told stories by older members of my congregation about their families hiding TVs or other “worldly” things when the bishop visited. These bishops played a significant role in binding up a shared identity through setting boundaries and disciplining congregations and families.

As technology has made our world smaller and allowed information to travel faster and as our lives have become more visible through social media, our attention has shifted towards binding our shared identity around other factors. As we continue to discern a way forward in our life together as a new Conference, a few reflections stick out in my mind:

  • How we figure out a shared belief system will require more reflection, nuance, and grace given our polarized context. To some extent, when we declare that Jesus is Lord and the center of our faith, we are anchored together in that belief.  Yet theological and ecclesial fault lines exist between and within our congregations; our cultural tendency is to take the convenient road of blasting someone with whom we disagree instead of doing the hard work of self-reflection on why their contrary belief bothers us so much. I imagine the work of Franconia’s Faith and Life Commission could offer us some further wisdom in this area.
  • Even a completely successful reconciliation process could result in feelings of loss and/or grief. Many of the congregations forming this new conference have already experienced seasons of loss and grief because of broken relationships and shifting affiliations. As we come together to chart a new shared journey, it is likely that many congregations will encounter new losses, which could range from missing some past traditions to saying good-bye to familiar and beloved congregations who feel God’s call to connect elsewhere within the Church.
  • God is good and can be trusted with our shared life. This work of creating a new conference is hard because of the energy it requires and scary because we might not always know what the end result will be. Since we have entered into this process through mutual discernment and prayer, however, we can have confidence that God will provide for us as a conference and as congregational families.

As we continue to discern our way forward as a new Conference, I invite you to reflect on your sense of belonging, both on congregational and conference levels. What binds you to your faith community and why? What binds your faith community to other faith communities and why?

As we reflect honestly on this and hear from one another, God’s path forward for us will become more clear and we will be better equipped to connect with others on the journey.

Learning and Celebrating Along the Way

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by Randy Heacock, Leadership Minister

In my work both as a pastor and for the conference, one of my greatest rewards is the opportunity to learn from and with others working in God’s Kingdom.

This display from Sandy Landes’ ordination represents God‘s power to transform what was once a barren desert into a lush land.

In the first congregation I served as a young minister in the United Methodist Church, the board of ordained ministry was wise enough to pair me with an older minister (younger than my current age) to mentor me.  Charles and I were very different both in our theological perspective and in our view of worship; however, he taught me the importance of accepting affirmation and “to let it sink deeply into your entire being.  Challenges and criticism will come frequently enough and you will need to have a strong bank account of affirmation to keep your balance.”  Fast forward to my current work, I file notes of affirmation and appreciation with a prayer of gratitude as evidence of God’s grace.

More recently, in working with the pastoral search committee at Towamencin, a person called to share concern regarding our process.  As I listened, I gained a fuller understanding both of what happened at our last meeting and how we could find our way forward.  Grateful for the honest feedback, I reached out to some other people for wisdom and discerned an approach for our next meeting.  The meeting was vastly improved with more vigorous engagement.  On the ride home, I thanked God for the varied gifts people contribute to the church. 

I recently met with Tim Moyer, pastor of Bally congregation, for breakfast at his house.  Let me first say that Tim knows how to fix breakfast!  As we talked, his excitement and energy was contagious.  The Bally congregation is working to learn about and practice a centered-set approach.  Tim shared how this focus is uniting the congregation.  They are also rethinking and reshaping who they are as a church.   I give thanks for the fresh wind of God creating new expressions.  I look forward to what God is yet to do at and through Bally. 

At Doylestown, where I serve as pastor, we recently celebrated the ordination of Sandy Landes.  Sandy’s ordination was a tribute to God’s constant pursuit and Sandy’s willingness to say “yes.”  Many people present would have witnessed Sandy’s transformation through the process of refusing, then reluctantly leading, and now leading boldly in a public setting.  Former members, family, neighbors, colleagues, and friends celebrated Sandy’s faithful example of answering God’s call.   The day after Sandy’s ordination, I rejoiced for the many people who nurtured and participated in this work of God. 

The photo above is a display that was present during Sandy’s ordination.  It represents God‘s power to transform what was once a barren desert into a lush land.  As in the little stories I have shared, it visually reminds us of God’s life-giving power.  May we all give thanks for the ways we have witnessed God’s transformational power.  May we continually learn to wait on God.