Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Intersections

Conference Assembly: Centered in Christ, embracing God’s mission

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Lora Steiner
lsteiner@mosaicmennonites.org

gilbertoflores2.jpgWhen Gilberto Flores first began working with the Mennonite Church in Guatemala, he didn’t imagine that he would one day be called to work with churches in the United States.

“Walking with God as a pilgrim is always the most unpredictable way to get what is predictable,” says Gilberto, who will be the keynote speaker at this fall’s Conference Assembly Gathered.

Gilberto, who presently serves as a denominational minister for Mennonite Church USA (MCUSA), first began pastoring in his native Guatemala and eventually became the president of the Guatemalan Mennonite Church. He also served as the dean at Semilla, an Anabaptist seminary located in Guatemala City, before moving to the United States to help start a Mennonite congregation in San Antonio, Texas, in 1993. It was his work with the Texas congregation that led him to become more involved in the United States on a denominational level.

In 1996, the Commission on Home Ministries of the General Conference Mennonite Church invited Gilberto to serve as director for two prog-
rams, Hispanic Resource Ministries and Anabaptist Biblical Institute. When MCUSA was formed, he continued on as a denominational minister.

Gilberto’s work with MCUSA is two-fold: he works as the director for missional church advancement, and helps to connect MCUSA with other Mennonite agencies.
“My work is to be a connector,” says Gilberto, “to promote, stimulate, and inspire congregations and conferences, leadership and staff to become more open, aware, and engaged with the missional church identity.”

Gilberto’s passion for a missional and multicultural church will be the focus of his meditation for Assembly Gathered, to be held at Franconia Mennonite Church on Nov. 9-10. Gilberto will speak from the text of Acts 11:19-26 on the theme for this year, “Embracing God’s Mission.”

“I hope that what I will share will move people to see the conference and congregations with more openness and awareness of the challenges and the conflicts with a missional perspective,” says Gilberto.

“Gilberto brings a depth of wisdom, insight, and experience to his work as denominational minister,” says Conference Executive Minister Noel Santiago. “From his journey in Guatemala establishing, growing, and pastoring an Anabaptist congregation of 800-plus members, to engaging the powers with a persistent, prophetic word, Gilberto has experienced the joys and struggles of God’s people seeking to be missional in a variety of contexts. Gilberto’s theological training and formation, allows him to also bring a message that challenges us to consider anew the power behind the Anabaptist movement and history as a transformative vehicle not only for the church, but for the world.”

When Gilberto isn’t working, he enjoys carpentry, reading and spending time with his wife, children, and grandchildren. Gilberto and his wife, Rosa, are the parents of four adult children and the grandparents of three. They are members of First Mennonite Church in Newton, Kansas, and reside in nearby Hesston.

Intersections September 2007

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A farewell reflection: These three things

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phil bergey.jpgPhil Bergey
philb@designforministry.com

As I wrap up more than 14 years as conference executive for Franconia Mennonite Conference I say my farewell by reflecting on these three things: thankfulness, experiences, and hope.

Thankfulness
The only way I can begin this farewell reflection is to consider with gratitude the many reasons for which I am thankful about my time with Franconia Conference. With a God-driven zeal my wife Evon and I left a family business in which I had been a partner for a decade and moved our three young sons first to Harrisonburg, Virginia, and then to Goshen, Indiana. This five-year odyssey brought us back to Pennsylvania when Franconia Conference leaders risked by believing in a young business person whose strengths seemed to be high energy, big ideas, many relationships, and an understanding of both Wall Street and Jerusalem.

I’m thankful for the opportunity to have served in this role with considerable latitude for trying new things in this 300-year-old conference. The organizational shift from six commissions that ran broad programs to “Equipping leaders to empower others to embrace God’s mission” has been well-received overall. The creation in 1997 of what would eventually become Mennonite Resources Network was an effort to address some of the realities and trends already emerging in the 90’s. MRN was the beginning of Franconia Conference’s broad use of web-based communication. It was also the start of moving from overseers to conference ministers and consultants. MRN was a catalyst in connecting with Mennonite World Conference, Mesach and Miriam Krisetya, and the Mennonite churches in Indonesia. MRN’s assets and liabilities were purchased in 2002 by Design For Ministry, a move that allowed the conference to continue to shape and influence the new Mennonite Church USA.

I’m grateful for the ways Franconia Conference leaders and constituency tolerated my inexperience in leading a staff team. When I began as team leader in 1993—right out of seminary—I was the youngest person among the 15 or so conference staff. As I leave, only the venerable Claude Good outlasted my efforts. Thanks to all who were patient with me as I learned.

Experiences
Among the experiences these stand out most:

  • When I began as what was then called Conference Coordinator, I was a 34-year-old with high hopes of fulfilling what I was asked to do when I was hired: help transform our aging, historic conference and prepare it for the future. However, upon my arrival in 1993, I was greeted with huge challenges around issues related to sexuality, leadership and church membership along with the normal resistance that goes with organizational shift and change.
  • Experiencing international travel on behalf of Franconia Conference—for the purpose of developing and deepening relationships—has both influenced the conference and transformed me. Three trips in particular were transformative. In 2000, I volunteered two weeks to serve as staff for Mennonite World Conference at its meetings in Guatemala City. The importance of committing to global relationships was embedded there. In 2003, I spent six weeks in Indonesia participating in a leadership exchange. One valuable lesson was the role of learning communities as a basis for missional transformation and growth. In 2005, I traveled with Franconia Conference moderator Merrill Moyer to The Netherlands to try to understand the decline of the church in Menno Simons’ homeland. One take-away from that trip was the significant role of Mennonite schools in strengthening the church and home.
  • The experience of working alongside leaders of Conference Related Ministries taught me much from those who are among our most talented and committed leaders anywhere in church or business. They navigate difficult political relationships within the church community while working long hours, creating excellent organizations that support the church’s role in our neighborhoods and the world. I am grateful to these leaders who helped shape me.

Hope
Of the many things I could say about the future of Franconia Mennonite Conference, three things especially give me hope:

  • First, Franconia Conference has modeled willingness to risk for God’s kingdom by being open to make the necessary changes to join God’s redeeming activity in the world. This has been hard work and there is more to come. But the resiliency, faithfulness, and hopefulness that I’ve seen as we together try to transform our congregations, ministries, and conference to respond to God’s grace and activity has been inspiring. Christ’s Good News gives us confidence to face the quickly-changing world in which we live. God has provided the Holy Spirit to walk with us into each day’s uncharted territory. Jesus said many times to the disciples, “Do not be afraid.”
  • Second, Franconia Conference has done as well as anyone in the church in providing space for young adults. In a world in which the most influential shapers of our time tend to come from those in their 20’s and 30’s, the church must allow youth and young adults to help shape the church. Franconia Conference believed in me when I was a young adult, and I have attempted to do the same. As I leave, Franconia Conference has numerous young adults already shaping our present and future. I’m grateful to congregations and Conference Related Ministries that do likewise, raising and mentoring young leaders.
  • Third, Franconia Conference faces an intercultural future. I say that with joy, fear, and ultimately hope. I say it with joy because God is truly doing a new thing (Isaiah 43:19). Congregations and leaders from a broad spectrum of ethniticites have opened new doors, breathing life into the structures and habits we call Franconia Conference. I say this with fear because I know how hard it is to be open to what God may want to do that will mean adjusting what many of us have held dear. I say it with hope because I see the ways in which leaders from Mexico, Indonesia, and the U.S. are adding unique and needed perspectives and faith. Our two newest congregations (Philadelphia Praise Center – already a member, and Nueva Esperanza/New Hope Fellowship in Alexandria, VA – a Partner in Mission) are already planting half of the number of churches that were lost over the past 20 years! I praise God for colleagues and Conference Board members who bring experiences and ideas from other cultures and traditions, each committed, by choice, to being Anabaptist in the 21st century.

Intercultural relationships, broadly defined, also include rural-suburban-urban and intergenerational. As Franconia Conference invests in young women and men, there is clearly a quickening of these intercultural values.

leaders.jpgThank you for calling me, being patient with me, teaching me, and allowing me to lead among you. I will forever be thankful for the experiences and lessons that have taught me to have hope in the midst of much change in our world. I trust that you will also walk, teach and learn similarly with our brother Noel Santiago as he begins to lead our wonderful conference. To God be the glory.

Top photo by Conrad Erb
Bottom photo by Gay Brunt Miller

On seasons, transitions and bearing fruit: Cultivating heirloom seeds

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Gay Brunt Miller,

gbmiller.jpgMy father, both grandfathers, and one grandmother were gardeners. Dad grew a kind of cherry tomato that he really liked. He saved seeds from those tomatoes year to year to continue that particular line. When my gardening genes kicked in after I was married and I began to dig in the dirt, Dad gave me some of those seeds. Twenty years later, I still grow tomatoes from that lineage.

Over the years, though, I think these tomatoes have changed. I’m pretty sure Dad’s tomatoes used to be smaller. Each year I save the seeds from one of the most perfect tomatoes I can find. I only have space to grow one plant, so one seed from one plant carries on the line. Though I collect and then plant seeds that descended from my father’s heirloom tomatoes, the tomatoes that grow have changed.

It’s a story similar to transitions in Franconia Conference. Some of you collected and planted seeds from previous generations. God has blessed those seeds, and those seeds yielded fruit and created new seeds that were again replanted. Over the years, some of those seeds (ministries) have changed a bit, but they would not have been possible without the earlier “gardeners.” Earlier seeds were passed along to people like Richard Detweiler, David Derstine, Paul Lederach, and Jim Longacre. More recently Franconia Conference “gardeners” have include Charlotte Rosenberger, Walter Sawatzky, Jim Lapp, and Phil Bergey. Now, in turn, these God-given seeds are entrusted to Noel Santiago and newer staff like Jenifer Ericksen Morales to replant for future generations. While the fruit may generally stay the same, its appearance may change over time—but it will always have its lineage in those earlier seeds.

This issue of Intersections shows evidence of seeds that were planted in the past and that continue to grow, multiply and change. Phil Bergey alludes to a number of these changes in his cover article, “These three things.” One of these connections is with Indonesian Mennonites. Were it not for earlier links of people like Luke and Dot Beidler who earlier served with Mennonite Central Committee Indonesia, and connections with Mennonite World Conference, I wonder if MRN would have hosted Mesach Krisetya in 2000. If Mesach had not lived and worked among us, I doubt that the Philadelphia Praise Center would be a Franconia Conference congregation today or that Beny Krisbianto would be a pastor licensed by Franconia Conference (click to see page).

Another example: Franconia Conference connections with CIEAMM congregations in Mexico have a long history, but the way that they are being worked out has changed and is changing as more Franconia Conference congregations develop direct connections. These first-hand encounters will leave a lasting impression on the youth of Rockhill Mennonite Church (click to see page). If Walter Sawatzky and Jim Lapp had not had a vision for the vitality that Partners in Mission could bring to Franconia Conference congregations, and if the Conference Board and delegates had not embraced this opportunity, would the Rockhill youth have had their experiences in Mexico?

Without the Partner in Mission relationships, would Charlie Ness have risked reaching out to Pastor Alfredo Navea (whom he met at a conference in New York City)? And if that relationship had not developed, would Perkiomenville Mennonite Church, Franconia Conference, and now Tom and Carolyn Albright have connected to congregations in Chile (click to see page)?

There are connections with almost every article in this issue, connections to past decisions that have impacted the present and likely the future. Without these “heirloom seeds”, none of these Intersections stories could be told.

As we bid adieu to Phil, we remember him as one gardener in a long, faithful line who planted heirloom seeds of ministry. These inherited ministries may look a little different from the past and we know that God will continue to change them as they are replanted in the future. I have confidence that the “Ultimate Gardener”, will save and grow the best seeds for the next generation.

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 1 Corinthians
3:6-7

Connecting across cultures: Encountering generosity of time and hospitality in Mexico City

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Brandon Kiser, Rockhill
brandonk1017@yahoo.com

vacation bible school classNote from Rockhill Youth Pastor, Angela Moyer: For a week in July, 22 youth and adults from Rockhill Mennonite Church headed to Mexico City, Mexico to serve with four CIEAMM (Mexico Mennonite Conference) churches. The group, split into four different teams, serving the following congregations: Seguidores de Cristo, Pueblo en Transformacion, El Buen Pastor, and Cuatro Vientos.

After months of fundraising, prayer, and preparation, departure day had finally arrived. It was in the early hours of July 14 that our group of 22 packed into vans and left for the airport at Newark, NJ. For the next few hours, we remained in our comfort zones, only anticipating what we would see and do. As soon as we landed though, the entire group walked into a different place; a place that would teach us life lessons and stretch our horizons forever. We arrived in Mexico City and God already had a test in store for us.

We had four groups, and a couple of the groups were informed that they would all be staying in separate host houses. This caught me off guard. All of my excitement from being in a new place turned into fear of leaving the rest of my group. However, as with most of the trials that we were faced with, this turned out to be an enjoyable and stretching challenge.

Another obvious challenge was the language barrier. Once again, God provided for our group in this area. We were gifted with leaders and youth group members who could speak enough Spanish to make communication fairly easy. My smaller group was also blessed with a young US American woman named Hannah serving with MCC who was living at the church we were working at. She was fluent in both Spanish and English, making communication with the church members much easier than anticipated.

Groups were assigned various tasks to accomplish during the week, ranging from painting to teaching Bible School. The kids were such a blessing to us; their smiling faces and constant laughs always brightened the day. The group that I was a part of also painted the stairway and the front of the church called Seguidores de Cristo. We were proud of the work that we accomplished during the week, but the most rewarding part of our week were the many friends we made.

Upon returning home, the group shared one Sunday morning in church. As we shared one common theme appeared: the relationships we made with the Mexican people. Their hospitality, patience, and generosity will not be forgotten. They put their schedules aside for one week in order to accommodate us and all of our needs. They never once showed frustration with us as we stumbled through their language and declined to have the extra spices put on our food.

One of the guys in our group, Evan, had his 16th birthday while we were there. His host family decided to wake him up by coming into his room with a birthday cake while singing “Happy Birthday.” This experience was special for him and left an impression on all of us.

I know that as I grow older many of my experiences in Mexico will become distant memories. The sites, sounds, and tastes will slowly fade away as my busy life continues in Pennsylvania. The one thing that I will always remember though, is the people, their kind hearts, warm smiles, and immeasurable generosity. They will always live in my heart and I pray that one day I can also welcome a traveler and bless them as my Mexican friends have blessed me.

A new initiative on the Pacific: Open hearts, minds, and doors

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Carolyn Albright, Whitehall
caroynalbright@hotmail.com

As we packed our suitcases for a two-week stay in Chile, the three largest bags, filled with donated clothing for the people we would be visiting, tipped the scales at the maximum weight limit. Many questions filled our minds as we prepared for this trip. What are the people of Chile like? What are their needs? Will we know enough Spanish? What is it like living below the equator? Why do we still feel so unprepared? We prayed, “Open our hearts and our minds, Lord, to your work in and through us.”

In Chile,12-year-old Samuel needed a winter coat. His parents had no money to buy him one. Their entire family had been praying for several days that God would provide a coat, Samuel wanted a gray one. Faviola, his mother, knew that God would give Samuel just what he needed.

Upon our arrival in Viña del Mar, the clothing was delivered to Tabernacle of Christ Church and sorted by a group of women. Each item was carefully designated to each church member. When Faviola unpacked their family’s bag, inside was a gray coat exactly the size that Samuel needed! She immediately knelt down, thanking God for providing a coat and a reality to shore up her son’s wavering faith.

In addition to providing for its members the Tabernacle of Christ Church, along with three other churches in the Chilean Assembly of Evangelical Churches who are en emerging Franconia Conference Partner in Mission, is going beyond its doors. While leadership for these churches is provided by pastors Alfredo and Emma Navea; several youth and one pastor, Francisco, lead worship services each Wednesday night in a small, overcrowded house church called Puerta Abierta (Church of the Open Door). The church is open to all people, but especially to forgotten, marginalized, or ignored members of society who hear the simple news that Jesus loves them. At Puerta Abierta, people with disabilities are loved, listened to, and made part of the community. Francisco’s vision for this church is to begin programs for people with disabilities to obtain vocational training, as well as spiritual, physical, and emotional care.

The Naveas and these four Chilean churches are currently involved in an unprecedented church partnership with the Chilean government. In order to expand Puerta Abierta, officials have cleared the way for permits, an area of land, and promised social workers to help with determining specific needs of the people who attend Puerta Abierta. During our time in Chile we met with two of these officials, outlining plans to help people with disabilities.

The new location is near a feria (open market), a bus stop, and is just across the street from the Navea’s house. This is an excellent location for community awareness and the long-term goal of changing society’s attitudes toward people with disabilities. Currently, our partnership involves raising funds for a building, but this is only the beginning.

albright1c.jpgPuerta Abierta may be the only outreach of its kind in Chile. The opportunities for helping and sharing Christ’s love with brothers and sisters who need spiritual, physical, and emotional encouragement seem endless. In sending us to build relationships with these Chilean churches, Franconia Conference knew few specifics of this Puerta Abierta project. They knew nothing about Samuel’s gray coat. But they knew that God works wonders when we open our own hearts, minds and doors to the Spirit.

Ministering through God’s grace: From Indonesia to Iowa to South Philly

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Beny Krisbianto, PPC
krisbianto2004@yahoo.com

I was born in Indonesia. My parents raised me in a Christian home and took me to church where I was active by the age of ten. However, I did not have a personal relationship with Jesus until high school when I accepted Christ as my savior on June 17, 1993 and then baptized on June 15, 1995. I sensed a calling on my life after I graduated high school and made the decision to surrender my life to serving the Lord and his people.

I wanted to pursue more education and training, so I enrolled at Bethany Bible College in Surabaya, Indonesia. I graduated with a Bachelors of Theology in 2000. Preceding graduation, I was called by God to be a full time pastor in Yogyakarta, which is a city of students. In the next 10 months, I was Missions Pastor and a leader in the praise and worship department. I still felt that I needed more training to learn how to lead people. By the grace of God in June of 2001 I came to the United States to study at Jubilee School of Ministry located in Fairfield, Iowa.

While at Jubilee I pastored at Nations Worship Center in Iowa City, Iowa, and eventually took the opportunity to teach at the school. When I graduated in 2006, I moved to Philadelphia and began working with Philadelphia Praise Center. It is a joy to work together with young and energetic people. We share the same passion and commitment to the work of the Lord. My desire is to serve Christ and do the best that I can do serving him wherever he calls me to go.

I praise the Lord that my family is all serving in the ministry. My sister and her husband are pastors in a church in Iowa City, Iowa. My family, as well as other Christians in Indonesia, serve the Lord at times with persecution. The country is mostly Muslim and there is persecution for Christians who do not conform to Muslim belief. I believe with all my heart that Indonesia will someday be a place where the Gospel can be preached freely.

I am so eager to learn more about what it means to be a Mennonite. I want to inquire more perspective from the leadership within this community of believers. I am eager to minister and to be apart of a community that believes in justice. Peace and justice are the reasons why I decided to become a Mennonite. I believe that is what Jesus stood for throughout his ministry here on Earth. Jesus came to give peace and to serve all people, of all races, for the glory of his Father.

I strongly believe that God is good all the time and never plans to give or create bad things for us as believers. I also believe that salvation is not a one time deal and that after we receive salvation we need to protect and maintain our salvation by living in holiness. We need to live according to God’s will and stay away from sin. We are saved by grace and we can only survive and minister through the grace of God.

I do recognize that I have weaknesses as a minister and there are areas I need to work on. But I also have strong passions for mission trips, church planting, and evangelism. I want to reach new believers for Christ. I enjoy leading worship. Leading God’s people to the throne of grace through praise and worship is awesome. I also enjoy working in church growth. I like to learn what makes’ churches grow and what make them stop. I have assisted in surveys throughout different communities. My goal is to encourage the congregation every week.

pastor BeniI feel that being part of a congregation is not enough. I truly believe with the Mennonite perspective that we need to serve God more according to the gifts and calling that he has instilled in us. I am very grateful for Philadelphia Praise Center’s support of my becoming a licensed minister. A license for me is a public recognition that I am a minster of the Gospel. A minster is an example and a representative of God on this earth. I have a public responsibility to carry my life carefully as people watch me walk the gospel of Jesus Christ. Commissioned by God to help and serve the congregation to become closer to Jesus. This is not to promote self but to promote Jesus Christ with all that we have.

Loving on from Spain to South Philly to Souderton: Equipping to change minds and transform

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James Laverty, Souderton
jlaverty@soudertonmennonite.org

Jim LavertyThere I stood trying to find a DVD to borrow from our public library when I overhead a conversation between two library workers about God and church.

“Why do people even go to church?” asked the young man.

“I don’t know,” replied the slightly older woman. By this time I was mindlessly scanning the DVD titles while my ear was engaged with their chat.

“It all seems too fake for me,” remarked the man.

“The last time I went to church,” she said “everyone seemed so dead. I can’t understand, what would make you put yourself through that?”

Changing people’s minds about what it means to do church is at the heartbeat of God’s mission. God delights in drawing “outsiders” in and “insiders” out (Ephesians 2:11-17). Jesus wants his people to put themselves in the shoes of those who have not grown up around God’s people. I am discovering how I have to make a deliberate choice to connect with people who live their lives on the “outside” because it’s far easier for me to stick with people who view life the way I do.

Our family was drawn to Souderton Mennonite Church three years ago because we heard how the congregation was actively demonstrating compassion for people in practical ways in our community. What excited us, after meeting Pastor Gerry Clemmer and finding a small group, was the variety of ways that our family could continue to grow in our passion for Jesus and find ways to serve both inside and outside of Souderton Mennonite. We were convinced God had led us to the congregation when we saw his love in action especially during times when people gathered around the four of us to pray for our needs.

Doing church at Souderton Mennonite has been anything but boring. This has been true not only for our family but also for the family, friends and neighbors we have invited to church activities. Three young fathers from my cul-de-sac joined me last fall for Men’s Monday Night Football Fellowship. We talked around tables about becoming better husbands, fathers, and men through God’s transforming power. We watched football and enjoyed meals together. As a result, our relationships as neighbors were taken to another level. This fall we’re inviting other men from our neighborhood to join us.

My aim in life is to lift up the name of Jesus by “loving on” people God has put around me. Demonstrating God’s kindness through acts of service, modeling godly character, and being a faithful friend. What is incredible is that I get to live out my life’s mission through my vocation!

As Souderton Mennonite Church’s Pastor of Equipping and Discipleship, I am working with teams to build and direct a full-fledged equipping system that welcomes, disciples, equips, and offers ministry opportunities for each person who chooses to be a part of our congregation.

By fully relying on God, I hope to lead other people through a journey similar to the one I began when we visited Souderton Mennonite Church for the first time. I long to see individuals like the two library workers in the DVD room change their thinking about what it means to become one of God’s people. I can only imagine what our community will look like as we, the Church, embrace our mission to multiply Christ’s love through our lives.

Jim is also a board member with Franconia Conference. Before joining the pastoral team at Souderton, he was servd as a missionary in Spain and upon returning to the United States worked at the Philadelphia Access Center .