Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Intersections

Intersections Winter 2008

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Gathering around tables, sharing Christ’s body

by

Lora Steiner
for Franconia Conference

For more than 50 years, the churches of Franconia Mennonite Conference have sent missionaries and money to Mexico to plant new churches. This year, Mexico sent missionaries back.

Husband and wife Linker Sanchez and Luz Maria Vargas, of the Tierra Prometida congregation, were commissioned at this year’s conference assembly to work with the Spanish-speaking community in Gaithersburg, Md.

“The United States has sent missionaries for many years all over the world,” Sanchez told those gathered. “But as you know, God is now sending all the nations of the world to the United States—and we have come here to reach our countrymen in their language and culture.”

“We are from many different nations but we are all children of the same God,” said Vargas.

More than 200 people, including 130 delegates from conference congregations and related-ministries gathered around tables at Penn View Christian School cafeteria in Souderton, Pa., to worship together, discuss a variety of issues in the conference and celebrate newly credentialed leaders. The theme for the assembly was “Come to the Table: Embrace God in Us.”

Blaine Detwiler, conference moderator and pastor of Lakeview Mennonite Church, wrapped himself in a quilt to welcome participants on Friday night. Detwiler told of the quilt he and his wife had received as a wedding present, and how it had been used over the years.

“The beauty of a quilt is in its use,” he said, and suggested that this is also true of Christians.

Unlike previous years, there was not a sermon on Friday evening. Instead, Detwiler invited all to sit at tables and “see and hear the movement of Jesus in the faces around us.”

“There is no sermon, not in the traditional sense, because the sermon is going to be in the Anabaptist sense of community—how we are together with each other,” said Noel Santiago, executive conference minister. “And doing that in front of a watching world is how the Anabaptists understood the message. In a way, the message is us…It comes out of all of us, together.”

While those gathered did less business than in the past and spent more time learning from each other, some things did remain the same: several rooms were designated as prayer space, and “prayer ushers” were available to pray at any time during the assembly. Ongoing worship was held in the teacher’s lounge, and an indoor prayer labyrinth with a guided liturgy was set up for anyone wanting to meditate. Worship during the sessions was led by a band of young adult musicians from a variety of congregations.

Later Friday evening, as they sat around their tables, participants were invited to tell stories of how they had seen God acting and how they were embracing the mission in their churches.

A number of congregations have connections to Mexican churches and regularly send financial and physical support as well as visit each other.

Urban Byler, of Whitehall (Pa) Mennonite Church, noted that his congregation is sponsors a Karen Burmese refugee family. It has also supported Ripple, a gathering led by Tom and Carolyn Albright for those who don’t have and often don’t want to be involved in a traditional church.

Churches have been learning that to go out into the neighborhood and make disciples—and that crossing of language barriers, cultural assumptions and socioeconomic lines—can sometimes be uncomfortable or require flexibility.

John Ehst, pastor of Franconia Mennonite Church in Telford, Pa., shared that some of the recent converts in their Spanish-speaking gathering wanted a baptism by immersion, so the church held the service in the afternoon at a neighboring Grace Brethren church.

Several pastors said that while they often preach about following Jesus, sharing that love and joining the work of the Holy Spirit, it can be difficult to be missional and reach out as a congregation—especially for “cradle” or “legacy” Mennonites.

“The challenge we face is just talking about our faith,” said one pastor. “We’re good at doing things but not as much at verbalizing our faith.”

“One of the biggest challenges is that in this community,” said another pastor, “Mennonites hang out with Mennonites. They work for Mennonite businesses and go to Mennonite schools…it’s hard to get outside of that.”

In keeping with the theme of mission, part of Saturday was spent talking about an important inward focus of churches: the faith formation of children.

Mary Benner, pastor of youth and children at Souderton (Pa) Mennonite Church, said the goal is to help churches and church schools think about “how we help children and youth become radical followers of Jesus Christ—the Jesus of the Sermon on the Mount, the Jesus of perfect love.”

Benner, along with Marlene Frankenfield, conference youth minister, and Sharon Fransen, shared a framework for how families, churches and schools can work together to pass along the faith. The framework was developed in conjunction with regional Mennonite schools, but is intended to help any child whether or not he or she attends a Mennonite school.

“Passing on the faith to the next generation is one of the most important roles of the entire body of Christ,” said Benner. “We want [our children] to develop a costly compassion, and have empathy for a hurting world…We want them to know Jesus so they will keep their hearts soft.”

The Saturday morning session covered approval of the 2007 assembly minutes, an update on the Vision and Financial Plan and nominations for the gifts discernment process. Delegates voted unanimously to approve Randy Heacock, pastor of Doylestown (Pa) Mennonite Church, as assistant conference moderator and conference board vice chair.

It also included time to welcome newly credentialed leaders in Franconia Conference in the past year. Those licensed for ministry included Arnold Derstine, of the Franconia congregation; Eva Kratz, for prison ministry; Gay Brunt Miller, conference director of collaborative ministries; Jenifer Ericksen Morales, conference minister of transitional ministries; Timothy Moyer, Vincent Mennonite Church; Yunus Perkasa, Nations Worship Center; and Aldo Siahaan, Philadelphia Praise Center. The newly ordained John Brodnicki of Mennonite Bible Fellowship was recognized along with transfers of credentials for Dennis Edwards, Peace Fellowship (Washington, D.C.); Chris Nickels, Spring Mount; Mary Nitzsche, Blooming Glen; Wayne Nitzsche, Perkasie; Jim Ostlund, Blooming Glen; and Wayne Speigle, Bally Mennonite Church.

Throughout the gathering, there was a recognition that churches are working to minister in shifting contexts, and that the conference itself is becoming more diverse each year. Among conference churches, services are held not only in Spanish and Vietnamese, but also in Bahasa Indonesia. And while Mennonite conferences have historically been organized by geography, the web of relationships is taking the conference outside of those boundaries and conference staff are working with churches in Delaware, New Jersey, Arkansas, Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C.

Amidst shifts and changes in the church, said Noel Santiago, “We want to be proactive, not reactive.”

At the end of the final delegate session, participants who had come from all over the world paused to partake in the re-membering of the body of Christ, and shared communion.

Inspired to connect and engage: Reminding us of who we are

by

Jessica Walter, Salford

At this year’s Conference Assembly delegate responses to the Vision and Financial Plan update got the wheels in my head turning. I heard affirmations and frustrations, encouragements to continue the good work and challenges to do better in several areas. One of my co-workers heard a delegate exclaim, after attending the weekend assembly and interacting and conducting business with fellow conference members and staff, “Oh, so this is what conference is!”

I heard this as an encouragement—as part of the planning team for Conference Assembly it tells me I did my job well. But in my work as editor of Intersections—it’s a challenge, suggesting that I need to work harder at building the connections within this publication. So I’d like to share with you why Franconia Conference produces the publication that you are reading.

Intersections is tasked in reminding us all, as part of Franconia Conference, about who we are and how we are participating in and extending the Good News. In each issue there are articles with a re-occurring theme, like the “Call & Response” stories that invite newly credentialed leaders to share how God has led them to their current positions. Conference Related Ministries contribute reflections on the good work they are doing in and for our congregations and communities. You will also find articles of response and learning from events and interactions, like Pastor Charles Ness’ reflection on a recent gathering of Swiss and US Anabaptist leaders and the opening article on Conference Assembly.

Intersections is also meant to inspire and challenge. The masthead of Intersections states that this newsletter holds “stories of invitation to walk in the path of Jesus.” Richard Moyer’s article invites us to think critically about what Christians believe in times of war. Blaine Detwiler’s final contribution to the series on “The Seven Core Convictions that Global Mennonites Share” takes us to the unfamiliar Christmas traditions of an orthodox church and asks: What keeps us, as people, apart from each other?

Finally, Intersections is meant to encourage us to engage each other. Every article, as long as it is available, includes it’s author’s congregation and email address. We include these pieces of information to provoke an ongoing conversation that each article begins. Next time an article inspires or challenges you, why not email the author and tell them what you liked or invite the author to meet for coffee and further conversation? Intersections also includes contact information for our Conference Related Ministries. This is not only a great way to get in touch with these ministries and learn about what they do but its also an opportunity to find ways, like volunteering, that you can be a part of the work they do for us all. Intersections also often includes information on ways to connect and contribute to the work of fellow conference members. For example, the March 2008 issue included an article about the Missions Operational Grants available to congregations who want to try new initiatives to find new and creative ways to engage others, seeking ways to reach out to their communities or to people around the globe. Each recipient of these grants will be asked to submit a reflection on these initiatives in future issues.

It is my hope that every time you read an issue of Intersections you are not only reminded that this is who and what the conference is, this is who and what you are a part of, but that you are also inspired enough and challenged to engage each other and the opportunities available “to walk in the path of Jesus.”

What keeps us apart: The power of strange

by

Blaine Detwiler, Lakeview
detwiler@nep.net

Franconia Conference Moderator Blaine Detwiler has annotated these Seven Core Convictions in Intersections over the last year.

The Seventh of the Seven Core Convictions Global Mennonites Share: As a world-wide community of faith and life we transcend boundaries of nationality, race, class, gender and language. We seek to live in the world without conforming to the powers of evil, witnessing to God’s grace by serving others, caring for creation, and inviting all people to know Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.

I first saw the man in this picture from a distance. I saw him walking across the parking lot of his church on this year’s Ukrainian Christmas morning, January 7. He wore a long black overcoat. As I drew closer I could see a long white beard covering his sober face. I passed him but did not offer to shake his hand.

Inside St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Orthodox Church he posed a rather mysterious figure. He never did take off his black trench coat. While others were seating themselves in padded pews he stood off by himself, silently. It was Christmas morning but he showed no signs of hurry or festivity. His leathery face bore a solemn expression as he stared at the iconostasis in the front and waited for the priest to begin.

Worshipping in the trench coat man’s church came with obstacles. Other than Teresa Marvin, who accompanied me that morning to Johnson City, NY, I knew no one else. Nor was there an effort by anyone to greet us. I felt isolated in the middle of a well dressed people. The missal in my hands was frustrating to follow. But I noticed the family next to me seemed to have their book memorized. They had an advantage.

Johnson City is a place with a history of settling Russian immigrants. They came to this area in the early 1900’s eager to find work in the local cigar and shoe factories. When the immigrants came they built churches like the ones in their old country…with golden onion domes that protrude from the city’s skyline. They brought with them their customs, clothing and language.

The Christmas liturgy in a Ukrainian Orthodox church goes on for several hours. It is both beautiful and hidden. The priest in his golden cassock is wafting the smell of incense near an icon of Mary and the infant Jesus. He speaks in Slavonic which I do not understand. The sounds of the songs from the choir are wonderful even though I do not know the words to sing along. I stand when everyone stands. I sit when those around me do. The black-coated man stands the entire time. He never sits down. I wonder if he is stubborn. Or pious. I have no way of knowing.

It is a strange power that keeps us separated. In church or in the street there come sights and smells and dress that to us are foreign. Ignorance also plays its part. Funny sounding words echo our way and we immediately suspect the mustache that utters them. So often, I think, it is the power of strange that keeps us apart.

I like the story in John 4 where Jesus begins talking with a Samaritan woman. I like the story because everything strange is firmly in place. Deep suspicion. Gender difference. Ethnic hatred. Faces askance. Even their religious centers are two mountains apart. There is no good reason to think anything more than a routine chore is about to quickly get done. And a hasty exit. Then Jesus begins to talk. His eyes search and meet the woman’s eyes. They share a drink of water and talk. And before long the power of strange between them begins to dissolve.

Franconia Conference’s David Landis is a spending time in Israel as a learner. One discovery he reports is the “everyday” places where Jesus hung out. The people Jesus talks with are as “everyday” as you and I in holey jeans. And His meeting places are rarely the high falutin’ worship centers we have come to build. But instead the places where Jesus goes are as common as a diner booth on a Tuesday afternoon at 2:38. In streets, in places like a laundromat, Jesus breaks down the strange.

The next time I attend St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Orthodox Church I hope I get another chance to see the black trench coat man. I want to meet him. To greet him. I want to look him in the eye and shake his hand. I will wait until the liturgy is over, I must, for I discovered the Orthodox are not chummy in church. But in the parking lot, afterwards, I will ask the man his name. I’ll bet he has never met a Mennonite.

Finding God’s will: An incomprehensible peace and a happy family

by

Yunus Perkasa Tjeng, Nations Worship
yunusp2006@yahoo.com

I have been in architectural furniture design for almost 13 years. As Executive Director of a furniture factory I led over 700 employees. Since I submitted myself to serving God in January of 2000, God has blessed us.

My wife, Linda, and I have two kids, Yuvella and Yuvender and Linda was a good teacher. We eventually arrived at the place where we owned three businesses, a car, and our dream home. We had achieved the “Successful Dream.” Everything seemed perfect. But we knew God was calling us to something more.

We had been working in ministry in Indonesia for about eight years, ministering through churches and schools. After my last trip in August 2006 to the Haggai Institute in Maui, I felt God was calling us to minister in the United States. But I didn’t know how to start.

Praise the Lord! I have found God’s will involves having a close relationship with Him. A simple analogy is the child-parent relationship. A father communicates to his child what he desires the child do. This involves relationship. The child hears and understands the will of the parent like we hear and surrender to God. In prayer, we humbly ask God for direction and share with Him our desire to accomplish His will. This involves placing faith and trust in Him, knowing that He has a plan and purpose for our lives.

We surrendered to full-time missions in coming to the United States. We left our house, our family and all of our personal possessions to follow the calling of the Lord and rely on Him. There were limited preparations but unlimited opportunities to minister in Jesus Christ. We said, “Here I am, Lord, send me.”

Often times, when we find God’s will, we have an incomprehensible peace. Philippians 4:7 says, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

I believe finding God’s will is not just a list of do’s and don’ts. It is placing faith and trust in God, giving our life over to Him and being conformed to His image. I have found my relationship and God’s calling.

I desire to serve God and others. I have a lot of brothers and sisters in the Philadelphia Mennonite community. We are a happy family.