Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Margaret Zook

Learning to Love Fall

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I love the changing seasons in Pennsylvania, but I especially love fall. Though Vermont has a beautiful display of rolling mountains, and Colorado’s views are majestic with their Aspen tree colors … but I digress.

Fall makes me pause … and think of life as seasons. Fall has implications, needed transitions to be done in order to be ready for winter, and, not wanting to think about winter, I digress, I procrastinate, I ramble.

Things I planted in spring with such high expectations are now wild in their efforts to show off quickly. So, I give them another day or week, before I cut, prune, and dig out. I have a tendency to hang onto things: things I might finish, things I might wear, things I may need someday … things that hurt, and especially things that didn’t go well.

In fall, I know the things I planted in spring and watered in summer will come to an end in winter. Some have exploded with color; others went in directions I didn’t plan, like the sweet potato vines that grew up the pergola, and also into the fish pond. They will freeze in a few weeks. But I hold on. Fall is tough.

The wildly growing sweet potato vine (light green) in Margaret Zook’s backyard. Photo by Margaret Zook.

In the fall season of life, I think of things that need changing: stuff I must let go and learn from and things that didn’t end so well. I really do need to clear the closet and clean out the gardens. They were fun, but they hurt my feet, and I know I’ll never wear heels again … into the thrift store bin. The sweet potato vines will freeze any day now. Next spring, I won’t plant them next to the pond and I’ll trim them to keep them in check. I’ll never finish the baby blanket – that kid is now 10. The yarn is now in the Care and Share box. In a former job, working as a transition coordinator, I helped facilitate downsizing and moves into retirement living. You’d think I would be good at this. Guess again. It’s easier to talk it than do it.

Pam Morrison calls this season of life that I am in the “Warring Season.” It’s a time of turbulence, setbacks, and resistance to changes. But the Morris Arboretum reminds me fall is for fruits. My optimism, combined with the help of a good friend, has decided that my current self-work focus is to experience this fall as a season of grace.

I need grace for myself to embrace my season of life, to reflect, to give meaning to what has been, and move into what can be now. I need grace to forgive myself, to forget, and to clear the closets of my mind. I need grace to look for the potentials of each day and to walk each day in that self-grace.

I also need grace for others so that I remove expectations, listen more, and reflect the positive. I need grace to forgive, as I have been forgiven. I need grace to be at peace with differences and silence. I need to remember that grace is multiplied through me.

I want to love this spiritual season of fall. I want to reread Bible stories that challenge me to reach for new learnings, to give mediation time for God’s presence, to be grateful for the present, and to reflect on what might be next in this wild and wonderful life.

To Survive, Push the Button

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How are you doing? How are you really doing??

If you ask me how I’m doing, I’ll always answer, “I’m good!” But, I’m not always sure if I am good. It has been a long year.

I worried a lot. Will the garden grow, will the rivers
flow in the right direction, will the earth turn
as it was taught, and if not how shall
I correct it?
Was I right, was I wrong, will I be forgiven,
can I do better?
Will I ever be able to sing, even the sparrows
can do it and I am, well,
hopeless.

“I Worried” by Mary Oliver

There has been a lot to worry about this past year. Author Anne Lamott describes it, “My best friends are exhausted. We have scary diagnoses, we zoom into memorial services, our short term memories dissolve like Pop Rocks.  And Jeremiah says, ‘The harvest is past,’  and Elijah lay under a bloom brush and said, ‘I have had enough.’  Then he slept” (from Dusk, Night, Dawn). 

When is it enough? Kate Bower, in her podcast, Everything Happens, asks, “How do we find ‘enough’ in a life that keeps getting…. harder?  Our lives are shrinking. We are shrunk by the pandemic or by illness, by age, or by any number of losses. Life is not always bright and shiny.   We’re not feeling very #blessed.” 

Where is God in all of this?  What about faith in the eternal love and presence of God?  

In February 2021, 40% of Americans had symptoms of anxiety or depressive disorders. Our post-pandemic anxiety is still strong … and are we really post-pandemic?   

Is a worldwide mental health crisis the next pandemic?  Two-thirds of US adults say their sleep quality has declined in the past year. More than half have experienced undesired weight changes, and one in four are drinking more. Between the social isolation, economic instability, political turmoil, racial violence, death and sickness, and uncertain future, no wonder mental health in the US is on the decline and demand for treatment is skyrocketing. (Psychology Today, March 2021)

Many resources for coping have been removed by the pandemic.  This includes our gathering as a body of believers. Even most of our spiritual community has been virtual. No touch allowed.

Yet our foundational belief in the spiritual community is the key to finding God’s love despite our circumstances. Bowler tells us that the feeling of “not enough” is met by community. We can be made enough by the touch of each other: touch of our families, friends, church, mental health providers, God.  

Community is our “emergency button.” To survive, push the button. We are not alone. We are in survival faith mode, where all we need is a daily dose, like my blood pressure pills, just enough for the day.  Nothing big, just enough.

As we re-enter the new normal, we need to be kind and gentle, for most of us are suffering the emotional repercussions of the last year. You are not alone in this.  We can seek help, this is not a time for stigma. Reach out and touch.  

So we pray. We pray that you will take away our natural temptation for cynicism, denial, fear and despair. Help us have the courage to awaken to greater truth, greater humility, and greater care for one another. May we place our hope in what matters and what lasts, trusting in your eternal presence and love. (by Richard Rohr)  

And after we pray, Mary Oliver invites us:

Finally I saw that worrying had come to nothing.
And gave it up. And took my old body
And went out into the morning
And sang.

Life and Work of the New CRM Committee

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As a new committee of Mosaic Conference, the Conference Related Ministries (CRM) committee met for the first time in January 2021. The committee acknowledged the past roles of CRMs in Eastern District and Franconia Conferences and reflected on the continuing importance of these ministries in the life and work of Mosaic Conference. 

Mosaic Conference Board has charged the CRM committee with the work of providing Conference presence and support for the work, staff, and clients of our CRM ministries. As a committee, we want to walk beside CRMs, providing resources, visibility, and foundational belonging while enhancing our relationships.  

Members of the CRM committee are: Lindy Backues (Providence (Collegeville, PA) congregation), Brandon Bergey (Bethany (Bridgewater Corners, VT) congregation), Missy Camilleri (Deep Run East (Perkasie, PA) congregation), Juanita Nyce (Salford (Harleysville, PA) congregation), Chairperson Herman Sagastume (Perkiomenville (PA) congregation), and Margaret Zook (Mosaic staff). These members joyfully participate in the shared work of the CRMs.

Members of the CRM committee. Top row, from left to right: Lindy Backues, Brandon Bergey, Missy Camilleri; Bottom row, from left to right: Juanita Nyce, Herman Sagatsume, Margaret Zook.

There are 25 CRMs within Mosaic Conference that offer varied resources and ministries to their communities.  Each CRM ministers to a special need, educational opportunity, or unique resource for the people and community it touches. A few examples are: Bike and Sol (East Greenville, PA), where volunteers repair bicycles in their intergenerational space as they mentor, train, and relate to youth, Bethany Birches Camp (Plymouth, VT) which offers camping experiences where life-long faith and friends connect, and Dock Academy (Lansdale, PA) and Quakertown (PA) Christian School, where academic and spiritual guidance offer a foundation for lives of faith.   

There are also CRMs, such as Indian Creek Foundation (Souderton, PA) and Peaceful Living (Harleysville, PA) who support individuals and families with intellectual disabilities and autism, and Penn Foundation (Sellersville, PA), which provides behavioral health and addiction support.  All of these 25 varied ministries, united in Mosaic Conference, embody the reconciling love of Jesus in our broken and beautiful work.   

Please join the committee with your prayers for the continuing work of the CRMs as they flourish and transform our communities through mutual relationships with God and one another. 

Be Ye Kind One to Another

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Margaret Zook (second from the right), her siblings, and her mother. Photo provided by Margaret Zook.

From the front seat of the car, my mother would turn to face us.  The commotion from the children in the back seat was too loud for too long. Mother would smile and say, “Be Ye Kind One to Another.”  

From the backseat of our 50’s Chevy, my siblings and I would mutter loud enough for the grown-ups in the front seat to hear, “I’d be kind if (s)he is kind first!” The squabbling from the back seat fell several degrees softer, if only for a few miles. 

What did, “Be kind,” mean to us then? We knew that being kind often entailed sacrifice, putting others’ needs first, and recognizing that we’re all on this road trip together.          

The use of scripture to direct our lives was used frequently in our home. As children, we knew scripture meant what it said. These were timeless biblical teachings that directed our lives then.  And can be so today.   

What does “Be kind” mean today?     

Waiting in line at a roadside truck stop for that first cup of morning coffee seemed unbearable. My lack-of-caffeine headache had long ago set in and we still had miles to go.  Miraculously, a kind person turned, eyes smiling. Sensing my pain, she gestured, “Hey, you can go ahead of me.” With this simple act of kindness, the line at Starbucks, the road ahead, and perhaps life in general, became more bearable.   

“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” -Dalai Lama

Maybe the future of humankind isn’t exclusively in the hands of politicians or leaders.  Maybe the future is, most of all, in our hands. We, who recognize ourselves as part of a much larger “us” on this path, all need each other.

“Kindness is the path of choice for the strongest, most courageous men and women.”  -Pope Francis 

How interesting to put kindness and courage together!  We don’t often pair these words, let alone ponder how they complement each other. Do we have the courage to be kind?  

Together, let’s choose kindness.  

God, please help us speak the language of Kindness to those both near and far. Remind us that kindness isn’t weak, but requires great courage. Being kind to others may be one of the strongest and bravest things we can do each day. Amen.

When Life is CANCELLED

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When the calendar said CANCELLED, George stepped in.

“George” (a “staff” member at Living Branches, a CRM) shares his adventures virtually with residents during the pandemic. Photo provided by Living Branches.

George, a 4-foot stuffed gorilla on “staff” at Living Branches (a Conference Related Ministry, CRM, retirement community in southeastern PA), stepped up when life shut down. Before the pandemic, George’s role was to bring a smile to those whom he met in person.  But now, George was on a mission.  

In March, retirement communities responded to Governor Wolf’s “stay at home” directive. Most of the daily activities that provided connections and community for residents were suddenly cancelled.   

When foot traffic and travel was cancelled, “Out and About with George” served to bring “community” back to the residents by bringing them along for the virtual journey through videos and photos that were shown on the in-house TV channel.  George enlisted others, including CEO Ed Brubaker, to share the story, pictures, humor, and conversation of their travels.  

Among George’s adventures was a 93-mile bike ride with Brubaker, a day at the beach, roasting marshmallows over a campfire, and riding a John Deere tractor.  A highlight was George’s participation at the graduation of Nursing Assistants.

George was not alone sharing joy during challenging times. Volunteers at Frederick Living doubled their efforts as well. Supplies were provided to residents to continue individual participation in the Mennonite Resource Center (MRC) quilting project. Volunteers ensure care and food for the pair of swans that grace the pond at Frederick Living.  Other volunteers restack library bookshelves. Some work to ensure that worship is broadcasted live to residents.  

A staff member spreads joy with bubbles at Living Branches. Photo provided by Living Branches.

Because of the efforts of those who have stepped up, the quality of life is most certainly not cancelled.  Yet, the pandemic still has been difficult for residents. “It has been sooo long. We want to gather, visit, eat, and worship together,” a resident shares. “We miss hugs, family dinners, and singing.”  

Video visits and the chat room bring family and friends together.  Worship services, exercise classes, and movies through in-house channels fill those cancelled spots. “We have found that innovation, resilience, patience, and prayer keep our Life Communities together,” says CEO John Hendrickson of Frederick Living. 

CEOs continue to emphasize how staff team members are showing genuine love and care for the residents during this time.  Wearing PPE, staff members sweat as they protect our residents and have volunteered for the little extras that mean a lot. They continue to provide care in spite of anxiety surrounding their health. 

And, although the PA Department of Heath has eased visiting regulations, how those regulations will be implemented will be balanced with risk and safety. Finding the appropriate response is a daily challenge. 

Staff members at retirement communities work hard to find ways to bring fun to quarantine life. Photo provided by Living Branches.

Through it all, the universal longing for personal touch and connections is never cancelled.    “The wait [to hug my mother again] was hard, but we are very thankful that our community follows science and procedures that keeps my mom and other residents safe,” says Sharon Metzler-Ruth, whose mother is a resident at Souderton Mennonite Homes. “There is nothing more important than that.” 

“This is a challenging, frustrating, and maddening time,” says Ed Brubaker, CEO of Living Branches.  “But [it is] also inspiring as I have watched folks ‘step up’ and do their work in amazing ways.” 

We are community. We are hands and feet serving and creating a helpful, just, and Spirit-filled community.  Please pray for all of our Conference Related Ministries in this unprecedented year, as we live our faith together. 

Creating Helpful and Spirit-Filled Community

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by Jennifer Svetlik, Salford (Harleysville, PA) congregation

Margaret Zook

“How lifegiving it is to recognize that our congregations are not just alive on Sunday morning,” shares Margaret Zook, Director of Collaborative Ministries for Mosaic Conference. This new part-time role serves as the team leader for accompaniment relationships with Conference Related Ministries (CRMs).  

“There is such a richness in our CRMs,” reflects Zook. “They each have a unique origin and focus on meeting a particular community need.”  Zook anticipates assisting congregations and CRMs to bring their skills and knowledge together more intentionally in order to create a more helpful, just, and Spirit-filled community.

Zook brings a wealth of experience to this new role, having worked for and leading several CRMs in southeastern Pennsylvania. For over 20 years she served as Executive Director of Souderton Mennonite Homes, a CRM that was created in 1917. Then five years ago, after Souderton Mennonite Homes merged to become part of Living Branches, Zook was called back to serve as Director of Church and Community Relations. She has also served on numerous boards of community organizations, including 10 years on the board of Penn Foundation, another CRM.

Wib and Margaret Zook celebrate their anniversary COVID-style.
Photo provided by Margaret Zook

“I have thoroughly enjoyed working with CRMs through my professional life and board work,” shares Zook. “These experiences have made me see the value of being connected to and supported by the conference.” 

In her role Zook will visit the CRMs and relate to their boards and leadership. She will listen to and share the stories of their missions, successes, and needs across the conference. “I am delighted to have the opportunity to walk along the existing and new and emerging CRMs,” Zook explains. “Hearing, seeing, and sharing the transforming work that is being done is such an honor.” 

Zook knows the value of a conference network for these organizations. “A foundation of faith and a connection to church sets CRMs apart from other nonprofit organizations,” she shares. “It gives a sense of accountability that is a stabilizing force for an organization.” 

Margaret Zook and some of her grandchildren.
Photo provided by Margaret Zook

Most of Zook’s life has been in southeastern Pennsylvania, both intentionally as well as by birth. “I have loved my congregation [Salford] and my community,” Zook reflects.  She has a fairly large extended family, which includes ten grandchildren. She enjoys visiting her family in Florida and Colorado and staying in touch with them however she can. 

Zook and her husband value walking together, and currently have a goal to walk the entire Perkiomen Trail, in sections. She is an avid reader and is a member of two book clubs. She enjoys gardening and friendships.  

Professionally and personally, Zook identifies her faith as a motivating factor for life. “My faith drives me in a way I can’t put fully into words,” she explains. “It is who I am and what I do, and it leads me to service. I believe God has placed us here to make this earth a better place, to serve the beautiful earth and its people.”

Conference Announces Growing Staff

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by Sue Conrad Howes, Communication associate

As of September 1, Mosaic Conference has added two new staff members: Cindy Angela, full-time Digital Communication Associate, and Margaret Zook, part-time Director of Collaborative Ministries.

Cindy Angela

Cindy Angela will provide direction for digital and virtual resources, including vision-setting and implementation of social media strategy, leading the video and translation teams, and providing other artistic expressions including photography and graphic design.  She has a degree in communication from Temple University and is a member of Philadelphia Praise Center, where she coordinated much of its virtual worship services during the COVID-19 quarantine.

“Communication has been a growing edge in our conference for several years now. We continue to see the changes in our conference as opportunities to connect across cultures, languages, geographies, and theological worldviews,” said Emily Ralph Servant, Mosaic’s Director of Communication.  “Cindy is a huge gift to us at this crossroads.  She brings technical skills that we desperately need as well as relational and intercultural capacity, enthusiasm and creativity, and a passion for contributing all of who she is to joining God’s work in the world.  We couldn’t be more excited to add her to our team!”

Margaret Zook

Margaret Zook will lead the conference’s team of staff relating to Conference Related Ministries as Director of Collaborative Ministries. Before coming to this new role, Margaret served with three Conference Related Ministries, including a decade on the board of Penn Foundation (Sellersville, PA).  Margaret was also the Executive Director of Souderton (PA) Mennonite Homes for more than twenty years before serving Living Branches (Lansdale, PA) as the Director of Church and Community Relations.  She is an active member of Salford congregation (Harleysville, PA).

“Margaret brings deep commitments to the church and extensive leadership experience within our Conference Related Ministries community,” said Steve Kriss, Executive Minister.  “I’m grateful for her willingness to lead the work of strengthening relationships with our broad array of non-profit ministries that extends our work in Pennsylvania, Vermont, Honduras, India and Indonesia.”  

The staff of Mosaic Conference has grown to twenty-one full-time and part-time individuals since the reconciliation of Eastern District Conference and Franconia Conference in February 2020.  Conference staff provides accompaniment to congregations, credentialed leaders, and Conference Related Ministries, administrative support, and resourcing through youth formation, intercultural, and missional teams.  Staff members currently live in four states and work regularly in English, Spanish, and Indonesian languages while also producing materials in Cantonese, Haitian Creole, and Vietnamese.

Looking to the Future of Conference Related Ministries

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by Margaret Zook, Living Branches, with Emily Ralph Servant

The Conference Related Ministries (CRMs) Task Force has been charged with proposing a plan for new and improved ways of relating to organizations associated with both Eastern District and Franconia Conferences after the two conferences form a new Conference next year.

Both conferences recognize the wealth of services provided by CRMs and the growth and potential of these ministries.    Now, moving toward reconciliation between these two historic Conferences, there is a recognition that now is time to talk about the future.   CRM leadership were invited to participate in three listening sessions, in which they talked with the task force committee and recommended revisions to what had been proposed by the Structure and Identity Task Force.

Anne Kaufman-Weaver leads a conversation on cultural humility at this summer’s Conference Related Ministries resourcing event. Photo by Emily Ralph Servant.

These gatherings provided space to discuss questions like: How has the relationship with the Conferences helped in nurturing established organizations and empowering new ministries in the past?  How can the relationship between Conference Related Ministries and the broader Conference be mutually beneficial?  What are ways to enhance communication, support leaders in the CRMs, and improve relationships between CRMs and the Conference structure?    

What may prove to be most important moving forward is communication.   There are some CRMs who have been ministering for 100 years and others that are just birthing; renewed communication between CRMs, the Conference, congregations, and the community is desired and needed for the future.   Support can better happen if lines of communication are open and encouraged.

The final proposal, which will be shared in Assembly Scattered gatherings in October, will include a new CRM committee with board representation.  This will allow CRM leadership new avenues for building connections within the conference structure and among conference congregations as well as creating a new space for CRMs to speak into our conference’s life together.

Representatives of diverse Conference Related Ministries share stories of where they see the Spirit working in the many cultures of their ministry contexts. Photo by Emily Ralph Servant.

Each CRM has a unique ministry, each has a community, each has responded to a need and has founders or a board of directors who believe in its mission, and each has developed a unique set of skills, professions, and responses.  Many CRMs offer resourcing, workshops, and services to the wider church community on topics such as aging, memory loss, music, mental health issues, welcoming those with disabilities, and parenting.  Others provide opportunities to serve our communities at home and internationally, spreading the Good News through medicine, dental care, humanitarian aid, peace and justice advocacy, evangelism, microloans, and disaster recovery.  Still others offer space for children (and adults) to meet God in classrooms, around campfires, and in stories from the past.

For the new Conference, this is a valued resource.   These organizations and leaders represent a rich variety of missions to share with the broader community, which provide unique opportunities for our Conference to engage in new and creative ways.    We as Anabaptists have been charged to “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly.”   Our CRMs have brought these words to life.  May it continue to be so.