Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Margaret Zook

Weaving Ministry Connection Across the Conference

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When Mosaic Mennonite Conference was birthed in 2020, it carried forward a rich network of 25 Conference-Related Ministries (CRMs), faith-based nonprofit organizations born out of Franconia Conference and Eastern District. For Margaret Zook (Salford [PA] Mennonite), ensuring those ministries remained part of the heart of the Conference became both a calling and a joy. 

Now, as Zook retires from her role as Director of Collaborative Ministries, Mosaic gives thanks for six years of steady, relational leadership that has strengthened the bonds between CRMs, congregations, and Conference leadership.  

Zook’s passion for Conference-Related Ministries long predates her staff role. Having worked extensively within faith-based nonprofits, including many years at Conference-Related Ministry Living Branches, she carried a deep yearning to see those organizations fully included in the life of the conference. 

When Mosaic was newly formed, Zook served on the CRM inquiry committee, interviewing leaders and listening to their hopes. “Some 90% of respondents were saying, ‘We’re part of your history and we want to be part of your future,’” Zook recalled. 

“When the Director of Collaborative Ministries position was created, I was overjoyed. With it, CRMs would be visible, valued pieces of Mosaic’s ministry,” Zook shared. When she accepted the role in 2020, her vision for it has been clear: to see these ministries flourish, to strengthen their connections with one another, and to deepen their relationships with congregations and Conference leadership. 

Zook’s leadership has been marked by presence. She organized road trips so CRM leaders could visit one another’s ministries. She hosted fellowship lunches and equipping events. She checked in with CEOs to ask not only about programs, but about their own well-being. “It was very meaningful when CRM leaders would call and share prayer requests. It reflected their trust in our partnership and in the power of prayer,” Zook affirmed.

One experience that remains especially meaningful to Zook is witnessing the growth of Ripple Community Inc (RCI). She recalls arriving early one morning with other CRM leaders and seeing guests out on the porch before the doors opened. Inside, basic needs were met with compassion, showers offered with dignity, and friendships formed with warmth. When RCI recently sought to expand and faced neighborhood resistance, Mosaic walked with them. For Zook, it became a living example of what it means to listen to community needs, engage neighbors to seek the peace of the city, and embody Christ’s love in practical ways. 

Zook speaks with similar joy about Amahoro International becoming a CRM and strengthening relationships with Amahoro’s directors, the Makintos. “The Makintos’ vibrant faith and their ministry in Uganda have been affirming and life-giving for Mosaic,” Zook shares.

Not every season was easy. At times there were difficult conversations and hard decisions as a couple of CRMs left Mosaic. Zook emphasized that seeking to maintain trust and relationship, even in tension, was part of her ministry.

When asked how Mosaic has changed during her six years on staff, Zook replied, “I have relished in seeing Mosaic lean into what God has called Mosaic to be in the world today. Mosaic is showing up in marginalized spaces, listening deeply and prayerfully. Mosaic is creating new ways of being together, with great integrity.”  

She also reflected on how being on staff has shaped her. “Practices like mutual invitation create space for every voice, allowing all present to be together amid difference and respecting individuality,” she shared. Staff meetings were another meaningful space. “We begin not with agenda items, but with ample time for scripture and prayer, with profound openness to what the Spirit is saying.” 

Executive Minister Stephen Kriss expressed gratitude for the steady leadership Zook brought to Mosaic’s Conference-Related Ministries, “Margaret has brought a depth of knowledge and commitment to her role in leading and serving alongside CRMs,” he said. “She has established trust around the possibilities for CRM accompaniment and has navigated growth and change with wisdom and boldness. We are grateful for her and will miss her presence as part of our Mosaic staff.” 

As Zook steps into retirement, she carries a particular prayer that Conference-Related Ministries will remain rooted in their faith foundations, integrating God’s love into every dimension of their work. The connectedness and collaborative partnerships she championed remains woven into Mosaic’s fabric.

Mosaic values two-way communication and encourages our constituents to respond with feedback, questions, or encouragement. To share your thoughts or send a message to the author(s), contact us at communication@mosaicmennonites.org.   

Searching for Sabbath

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by Margaret Zook

“Be careful to keep my Sabbath day, for the Sabbath is a sign of the covenant between me and you from generation to generation.”

– Exodus 31:13a, NLT 

As a child, I understood sabbath to mean that Sunday was for worship and to rest, in community. After going to church, visiting over dinner and reading were both permitted, but organized sports and shopping were not. Worship was rich with singing, bible stories, and friends. Rest was defined as “not working.”  

Yet, women did the cooking and clean up for whomever would be invited for Sunday dinner. It was a time when daughters were in a transition point, with growing freedom to imagine there could be more. Sabbath was a time to learn about God, not a tradition bound to.   

“On the seventh day God… rested from all his work.”

– Genesis 2:2, NLT 

It was during the middle years of my life that I had the freedom to imagine what Sabbath could be, beyond Sunday attendance in worship and Sunday meal making. During the period of my life that involved education, marriage, children, and career, Sabbath meant a search to discover a personal “vertical” relationship with God. Sabbath was time found–a moment of quiet, a walk, a church in which to belong, a sermon, a talk, a prayer time. Sabbath was to live as someone who belongs to the Lord.  

“Then Jesus said to them, ‘The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath; so the Son of Man is lord even of the sabbath’.”

– Mark 2:27-28, NRSV 

As the years have passed, Sabbath freedom now becomes a recognition of how my time on earth is finite; I’m facing my mortality. I now find Sabbath as delight, grace for reflection, and flexibility for unexpected opportunities. I see Sabbath as an invitation to observances and disciplines that bring God closer, and to discover things that nourish a soul and give respite from the demands of the everyday. Sabbath is to hold and to learn for what God has for today.   

“Remember the sabbath day and keep it holy.”

– Exodus 20:8, NRSV 

For all stages of life’s journey, I leave you with a few Sabbath ideas. Plan to set apart time for Sabbath, turn off technology, be present in community worship, engage in restful activities, spend time with loved ones, meditate on all of God’s creation, and make time for thoughtful prayer.  

Margaret Zook

Margaret Zook is the Director of Collaborative Ministries for Mosaic Conference. She and husband, Wib, are members of Salford Mennonite Church and live in Harleysville, PA.

Conference-Related Ministries, Together 

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by Margaret Zook

Mosaic’s Conference-Related Ministries (CRMs) serve their communities through nurture, formation, witness, care and discipling. They are led by individual boards, and are in relationship with each other through Mosaic Conference, grounded in shared Anabaptist values. Mosaic’s CRMs are geographically disbursed, vary in size and scope, and offer a wide variety of ministries.  

The “CRM Together” trips that have taken place over the past year have sought to “create a village” through visiting each other’s spaces, sharing stories, listening to the needs in our communities, learning and praying. These trips have invited CRM leaders to reflect on questions such as, “where can we help each other? What resources and gifts do we possess that can maximize the thriving of our communities?”  

Leaders of CRM Midian Leadership Project (Charleston, WV) with Margaret Zook, right, visit the Mosaic office and Dock Mennonite Academy (Lansdale, PA). 
Leaders of CRM Midian Leadership Project (Charleston, WV) with Margaret Zook, right, visit the Mosaic office and Dock Mennonite Academy (Lansdale, PA). 
CRM leaders, from left, visit Ripple Community, Inc.: Wayne Mugrauer, President, St. Luke’s Penn Foundation; Sarah Bergin, Director, MCC Care and Share Thrift Shoppes (Souderton, PA); Margaret Zook, Mosaic Staff; Ed Brubaker, President & CEO, Living Branches (Souderton PA).
CRM leaders, from left: Dean Stoesz, CEO of Indian Creek Foundation (Souderton, PA); Rich Whitekettle, Board member of Liberty Ministries (Schwenksville, PA); Wayne Mugrauer, President, Saint Luke’s Penn Foundation (Sellersville, PA); with Roy Williams, Mosaic Assistant Moderator. 

During Conference-Related Ministry Together Trips to Bike & Sol (East Greenville, PA), Mennonite Central Committee Material Resource Center (Harleysville, PA), Ripple Community, Inc. (Allentown, PA), a learning trip with Mennonite Historians of Eastern PA (Harleysville), a gathering at North Penn Commons (Lansdale, PA), and a Board & CEO luncheon with Assistant Moderator Roy Williams (North Tampa [FL] Christian Fellowship), CRM Together trips offered a place for sharing organizational beginnings, dreams for the future, and hopes for collective ministry opportunities.   

CRM CEOs and board members gather at the Mennonite Heritage Center (Harleysville, PA) for a talk on faith and culture. From left: Dr. Ron Souder, board chair, St. Luke’s Penn Foundation; Wayne Mugrauer, President, St. Luke’s Penn Foundation; Herman Sagastume, Executive Director, Healthy Ninos Honduras and Mosaic Board member.

“I find it inspirational to learn how members of our faith community are serving and supporting other CRMs in our community,” shared Sarah Bergin, Executive Director, Care & Share Thrift Shoppes (Souderton, PA). “These opportunities provide me with ideas and encouragement in my leadership role.”  

Mukarabe and George Makinto, co-directors of Amahoro International, lead worship during chapel at Dock Academy.    
Ed Brubaker, President & CEO, Living Branches; Edie Landes, board member of MCC Material Resources Center and of Mennonite Historians of Eastern PA.

The last stop on the tour was to North Penn Commons, a vibrant public center that houses four local nonprofit organizations that provide affordable housing, senior services, health and wellness services, job training, and food for those in need.  

Sheldon Good (Salford [Harleysville, PA]), director of Development and Strategic Direction, at Manna on Main Street, one of the four nonprofit organizations co-located at North Penn Commons, shared with the group of CRM leaders gathered, “The collective power of the faith community is both so strong and so underleveraged.”  

The CRM Together trips have sought to harness that collective power to develop deeper relationships across ministries, support one another, and seek to creatively continue to serve needs in our various communities.  

“These visits have reminded us of the diversity, importance, and connection of our community work,” reflected Wayne Mugrauer, President, St. Luke’s Penn Foundation. 

“We have all been inspired by this experience and the opportunity to learn, share, and grow.”  

Assistant Moderator Roy Williams, left, and Scott Roth, director of CRM Bike and Sol.   

Margaret Zook

Margaret Zook is the Director of Collaborative Ministries for Mosaic Conference. She and husband, Wib, are members of Salford Mennonite Church and live in Harleysville, PA.

What is a Mennonite? Sharing our Roots with Conference-Related Ministries

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by Margaret Zook

I was recently tickled to discover that the question, “what is a Mennonite?” can be answered in a two-minute Youtube video.  

But to understand the practical theology which motivates and shapes today’s Conference-Related Ministries (CRMs) and their work of service requires much more.      

CRM St. Luke’s Penn Foundation (SLPF) cabinet members and President Wayne Mugrauer gathered on a recent Monday morning to enter more deeply into the history of Anabaptist Mennonites.     

CRM SLPF cabinet gathers in the MHEP Meetinghouse. Photo by Margaret Zook.
President Wayne Mugrauer & Pastor Sue Conrad Howes share Q&A time at the “What is a Mennonite?” session. Photo by Margaret Zook.

Since 1955, Penn Foundation has been connected to the Anabaptist community as a CRM, reflecting the faith of their founders and the biblical values that influence the organization. In July 2021, Penn Foundation joined St. Luke’s University Health Network, an institution with Catholic roots, creating a fully integrated health network based on shared values. 

To understand the origins of the Anabaptist faith, there is no better place to enter the story than the exhibits and voices of the Mennonite Heritage Center (Harleysville, PA), another CRM. With stories, humor, and depth, Joel Horst Nofziger, Director of the Mennonite Historians of Eastern Pennsylvania (MHEP), led the group through an interactive tour. 

MHEP’s Director Joel Horst Nofziger, right, and the Mennonite history displays capture attention of SLPF cabinet members. Photo by Margaret Zook.

With curiosity and interest, the group lingered with questions of clarification exploring the connections and uniqueness of Catholic and Anabaptist values.    

It was a rich morning of connections and relationships. I offer thanks to the organizations who invested time and resources to connect faith, beliefs, and works of service.     

Margaret Zook

Margaret Zook is the Director of Collaborative Ministries for Mosaic Conference. She and husband, Wib, are members of Salford Mennonite Church and live in Harleysville, PA.

Signs of Hope and the Butterfly Effect 

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by Margaret Zook

Amid so much violence, loneliness, and deep despair in our world, even in our church communities, I am asked by many, “How are you finding hope this year?”  

My response, usually, is that I have a large, loving family, the work of Mosaic inspires me, the small signs of spring assure me, and my congregation cares for the community. I follow the encouragement of Lizzie Moyer, the matron of Souderton Mennonite Homes (1927-1952), “Look to Jesus.” My trust in the Lord and the choice and freedom to follow in the path of Jesus, all these give me hope.   

But where is the hope in response to the world’s suffering?  

I see the hope in the depth, width, and impact of the Conference-Related Ministries (CRMs) in their communities.:   

  • On the porch of Ripple Community, Inc. in Allentown (PA) where the door opens to all with a snack, a bathroom, a table and a friendly hello.  
  • At the homes of Peaceful Living (Harleysville, PA) where belonging and acceptance are always present for people of all abilities.  
  • At Bike and Sol (East Greenville, PA) where the dedicated service center makes rebuilt bike magic happen. 
  • At Living Branches (Souderton, PA) where a friend is just a door away.  
  • In the village children of Honduras served by Healthy Niños and in the pastors of India accompanied by Peace Proclamation Ministries.  

This is hope in what Dr. Betty Pries calls “the butterfly effect.” The idea that the distant beating of butterfly wings over time and space may produce a whirlwind elsewhere in the world. Making a difference.   

The CRMs beat their wings over the world to bring hope, healing, education, and belonging to their communities.  

Every small act of showing up well for one another, leading with kindness, and sowing small seeds of hope makes a difference. “Make a difference in someone’s life every day,” encouraged Kathryn Kulp, former Administrator at Hatfield Home (1969-1987, now The Willows, part of CRM Living Branches).  

These small acts of love, one person at a time, may be the butterfly wings’ whirlwind. While these acts won’t stop the wars, violence, or climate crisis, they bring peace to the people that they touch.  

Doing their best in what they’ve been called to do, working with what is available, our CRMs create community, connections, and support. They are butterfly wings of caring, loving, and sharing that whisper hope into the community. They give me hope for our church and our future.  

Will you join me in praying for the leaders of our CRMs (from the Voices Together hymnal, #968)?          

God who calls you to this ministry,  

grant you grace, joy and endurance 

Guide and empower you for service 

Fill you with the gifts you need 

And may the one whose love unites us as the body of Christ  
strengthen us to live and proclaim the gospel together.   

voices together hymnal, #968

This reflection was inspired by one written by Dr. Betty Pries in December 2023.  

Margaret Zook

Margaret Zook is the Director of Collaborative Ministries for Mosaic Conference. She and husband, Wib, are members of Salford Mennonite Church and live in Harleysville, PA.

I Keep Learning

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Outside the window of my home office, the bluebird keeps returning to her nest.  I wonder why.  She built the nest, entertained suitors, chose one to share in the feeding of her nestlings, and then sat on the fence and watched her babies fly away.   

Maybe she returns to the comfort of the familiar. Maybe it’s her forever spot.  I could watch all day, thinking of the line, “Nothing but bluebirds all day long,” in the song, “Blue Skies,” by Irving Berlin.  

Perhaps like my bluebird, I tend to return to familiar places, people, and experiences.   There is such a powerful comfort when I align myself more closely with what I already know, especially when I’m tired.   My bluebird was very busy; is she tired and feeling vulnerable?  Tuck in and rest your weary head, my bluebird. It is okay to rest. 

Photo by Marian Brandt on Unsplash

Soon, with wings fluttering, she is off.   Under a bird’s wings are fragile skin and bones easily able to be damaged, but with the wings down, the bird is protected and guarded.   So why would she lift her wings, and why be so vulnerable? What is so important that she takes the risk?

I watch from behind my window, safe and guarded.  During life, it is easy to watch in my comfortable spot and explore less of the unknown. I have had experience of the good and bad times and have less time left to make use of new possibilities.  Why take the risk?

I can either spend time in safety behind my windows, or I can open the door. How do I balance bold risk with wise safety? When self is yelling, “No, no, too risky!”, the Spirit may be whispering, “There is great Christ-exalting joy in this to be had.”  Open the door, and don’t miss the joy.   

I look again. Is that my bird at the feeder?  The flock of birds noisily thrashes around on the feeder, and then the next group heads in for its share.  Then it’s the ground feeders’ turn.       

Who hangs out with whom? Where and what do they like for lunch?  I don’t know, but an Oxford team that studied bird behavior noticed that birds rarely arrive alone. Birds come in groups–for birds, social connection, or community, is a matter of survival.  

Why should I take the risk and join the people groups and the noisy discussion around what is important for survival?  Why should I risk moving beyond the doors, the locks, and my alarm systems?

“Be friends with one another, kind, compassionate and generous.  Serve one another and submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (a paraphrase of Ephesians 4:32 and 5:21). That’s the community of faith: individually and together, we become mature and grow in Christ. To my bird feeder friends, seed, friends, and nourishing social connections are God’s natural gifts for growth and security.  Maybe we humans can risk the call to community.

Photo by Ray Hennessy on Unsplash

What is the price of a bluebird?   Some loose change, right?  God cares what happens to them even more than we do.  God pays greater attention to us, down to the last detail – even numbering the hairs on our aging heads!  So don’t be intimidated.   Go on, rest, risk being vulnerable, and then join the noisy community.  You all are worth more than a million bluebirds (something like Matt. 10:29-31). 

To read more: “Community: God’s design For Growth,” by Howard Macy from NavPress. 

The opinions expressed in this content are those of the author and may not reflect the official policy of Mosaic Conference.

What Really Matters

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by Margaret Zook

What does the Lord require of you? 

We could use more of Mr. Rogers in this world. “It’s not so much what we have in this life that matters,” he said. “It’s what we do with what we have. The alphabet is fine, but it’s what we do with it that matters more. Making words like friend and love. That’s what really matters.” 

Here is an example from a story that may be familiar to us. One evening, a boy on a beach was picking up starfish and flinging them into the sea. A passerby asked, “Why do you do this?” 

“The starfish would die if left until the morning sun,” the boy said. 

“But the beach is miles long, and there are millions of starfish. How can your efforts make any difference?” 

“It makes a difference to this one.” And the boy threw the next starfish into the sea—far beyond the breaking point of the waves. 

In Micah 6:8, we learn what God requires of us: He has told you, human one, what is good and what the Lord requires from you: to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God. 

Walking humbly with God is knowing that we may not have very much. Embracing faithful love is doing our best with what we have, even if it is only one starfish at a time. 

Find the courage to choose what really matters. The Love of God transcends and transforms what the world imposes. 

Let’s imagine at the same beach, a group was throwing starfish back into the sea. “Why do you do this?” asked a puzzled beach walker. 

“Because we’re a faith-based, not-for-profit organization. Our mission is to do as Jesus did,” the group said. 

“But surely you have some requirements of these starfish. Maybe they need to believe the same as you. Do they need to pay you? Must they go to your church?” 

“If you are a starfish on this beach, the only question we ask is, can we help you?” And the group threw the next starfish carefully back into the sea. 

Find the courage to love and do as Jesus did. 

This is the story of Mosaic Conference Related Ministries. It is a story of groups who looked around them, saw a need, and transformed their communities with hope, health, healing, education, and places of safety. Praise be to the Lord. A complete list of Conference Related Ministries and their stories can be found here. 

The love of God transcends and transforms, and transformed people transform the world. 

Margaret Zook

Margaret Zook is the Director of Collaborative Ministries for Mosaic Conference. She and husband, Wib, are members of Salford Mennonite Church and live in Harleysville, PA.

Who Wants to be 91?

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by Margaret Zook

August 21 was National Senior Citizens’ Day.  By 2060, those aged 65 or older will total more than one quarter of the world’s population.  According to the World Health Organization, the number of persons aged 80 and older is expected to triple between 2020 and 2050 to reach 426 million.    

Community elders, or those of us who are aging, may be viewed as retired, empty-nesters, babysitters, volunteers, or vacationers spending their children’s inheritance. Others may think of them as forgetful, frumpy, frail, and feeble. 

“Who wants to be 91?” a 19 year-old young man asked with a sneer.  “I do,” replied a ninety-one-year-old man modestly. Most of us want to live a long time, but we don’t want to grow old.  

We start aging the moment we are born.   The first stage of life is filled with learning and growing.  The second stage is focused on production and accomplishment. These years go quickly.

The third stage of life, or the later years, is time for reflection, renewal, relationships, and grace. Author Katie Funk Wiebe writes of the third stage as the “proving ground of whatever one has believed, thought, practiced, and said.”  It is a time to use life-giving skills—those skills developed and practiced during the previous two stages—that will continue to give meaning and strength to life and faith. 

“Can we expect to become brighter and sweeter as the years roll by?” asks Tilman Smith in In Favor of Growing Older. “Not necessarily; it depends on how we live today. You will take your baggage with you as you grow older.”   

Life is complex at all stages. Funk Wiebe recommends in her books Border Crossing: A Spiritual Journey and Bless Me Too, My Father some faith practices for living today and all tomorrows. “It’s never too late to learn,” says Smith, so “develop the resources within … throughout your life.”   

I invite you to, no matter what your age is, join me in some of these faith practices: 

Gratitude: Exercise the “thank you” muscle. Repeat the words “thank you” to God and to those around and watch what happens.  

Generosity: Scientific studies report that giving back and helping others make us feel happier and more content. Create an inward picture of your generosity’s recipients and pray a blessing for and around them.  

Reframing: All of life has its share of reverses, losses, and sorrows.   What makes a difference is the attitude we have towards them.   Practice reframing time and focus on the positive aspects of the present. Be aware of events and persons in the present—give them your attention.   

Flexibility: Things change as we age, and some of those changes are irrevocable.   But with every reversal comes a new opportunity.  Practice never giving up learning, listening, and growing.   

Forgiveness: Anger and payback do not turn into the healing balm of love.  Forgiveness is the therapy of old age that wipes the slate clean and heals.  Practice true forgiveness, for it is more important to the one who forgives than it is to the one who is forgiven. 

As the Apostle Paul reminds us, “I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me…. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:12-13, NIV). 

Margaret Zook

Margaret Zook is the Director of Collaborative Ministries for Mosaic Conference. She and husband, Wib, are members of Salford Mennonite Church and live in Harleysville, PA.