Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Mennonite World Conference

Celebrating God’s Presence in the New Year

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by Elina Ciptadi, Mennonite World Conference

Five tips for reducing anxiety  

From wars to climate disasters and slower-than-expected economic recovery post-pandemic, 2023 has been a challenging year. As we navigate through these world events and ponder their impact on our lives, we look toward the new year. How do we celebrate when the world around us seems to be crumbling? How do we express gratitude for salvation when death and destruction constantly play out on our screens?  

“The past year has brought a multitude of stressors,” notes Virgo Handojo, pastor of Jemaat Kristen Indonesia (JKI) Anugerah (Sierra Madre, CA), and a psychology professor at California Baptist University. “Stressors can be perceived as threats, neutral events or opportunities for growth – a challenge. They become overwhelming when viewed as threats to our existence, causing us to lose perspective on what truly matters.”  

To alleviate the anxiety caused by stressors, Handojo shares five tips:  

Virgo Handojo

1. Distinguish between what we can and cannot control, then formulate actionable items. 

Prioritize and make changes to the things you can control, while adjusting expectations for factors beyond your control. Although halting climate disasters may be beyond our reach, making a positive impact on our microenvironment – our households, neighborhoods or even contacting elected officials – is within our grasp.  

2. Establish a routine. 

Uncertainty adds stress and can lead to anxiety. Developing regular patterns – such as consistent mealtimes, regular work or school schedules, daily exercise with the same group, family prayer times and weekly Bible study – helps regain a sense of control.  

3. Specify the stressors.  

Anxiety stems from irrational thoughts; an anticipation that lacks clarity, specificity and reality makes it overwhelming. By assigning a name to the stressor, such as identifying a concreate aspect of a macroeconomic condition (e.g., an increase in interest rates), we can begin to strategize and find solutions.  

4. Turn down the volume of the world.   

This may involve turning off the TV, taking a social media break, or setting boundaries with individuals who contribute to your worries – at least until you’ve developed better coping mechanisms. Be in touch with your inner thoughts, here and now.   

5. Seek help.   

Talking to a trusted individual can be immensely helpful. Simply being heard may reassure us that we are not alone. If sharing burdens among friends doesn’t provide relief, it’s an indication that professional help may be necessary to prevent anxiety from taking over our lives and joy.   

“Living in this world means experiencing both positive and negative emotions,” says Handojo. “We will not know happiness without having experienced sadness, or comfort without pain. What we must remember is that we can surrender our minds and thoughts to God’s hand, trusting that God is in control.”   

“We also have promises that God knows our needs, will take care of them and will be with us in both good and bad days. Matthew 6:25-34, which addresses worry and anxiety, emphasizes seeking first God’s kingdom and his righteousness, with the assurance that all other things will be provided as well.”  

God’s presence and guidance, in both good and bad times, are the heavenly gifts for which we can be thankful for this new year.  

A Christmas-themed version of this Mennonite World Conference article originally appeared on December 15. Used with permission. 

Coming to the World’s Table

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In less than two weeks, I will be flying home to Indonesia. Although I have been living in the US for ten years, I have not been back to Indonesia in over four years. This trip home will be an extra special one, since I will be attending the Mennonite World Conference (MWC) Assembly in Salatiga, Indonesia from July 5 to 10. 

Last month, I attended a luncheon, hosted by Mosaic Conference, in South Philadelphia where César García, MWC General Secretary, shared about the history and diversity of World Conference. At the end of the event, García gifted the Conference a mosaic artwork of the Last Supper, signifying the diversity at Jesus’ table. 

Gift by Cesar Garcia of a Mosaic of the Last Supper. Photo by Cindy Angela.

As I prepare for my sojourn home, I found myself reflecting on this beautiful artwork, what it means for me to attend the MWC Assembly, and what it means for me to be a part of the global Anabaptist family. Here are some of my reflections: 

Coming as I am 

In the artwork, people are pictured wearing robes in different colors and forms. Jesus doesn’t ask us to change our clothes or to shed our robes to look alike. From our background, history, and cultures, we all have something to bring to the table. I have something to bring to the table when I come as I am.  

The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.

Revelation 22:17, ESV

Coming with an Open Mind 

A mosaic is made by broken pieces of material that were put together to form a beautiful new picture. When I see myself as just one broken piece of material, it’s hard to see God’s big picture for my life and for this world. The only way for me to see God’s plan is by opening my mind and letting the mosaic take shape as God wills. 

But now, O Lord, you are our Father; 
    we are the clay, and you are our potter; 
    we are all the work of your hand

Isaiah 64:8, ESV

Jesus at the Center 

Lastly, the artwork reminds me to put Jesus at the center of the conversation. May Jesus be in the center of the worship, workshops, and conversations that I participate in while in Indonesia. May Jesus be in the center of new relationships that will be formed.  

I pray that the Spirit of reconciliation, peace, and unity will be present and continue to grow among us as more opportunities arise and come together at the world’s table. May Jesus continue to be in the center of it all.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.

John 15:4, ESV

I am excited with this opportunity to hear, learn, and connect with the global Anabaptist community. I will be documenting my experience for Mosaic Conference, and I can’t wait to share it with you all. 

Open Arms and Hearts to the Migrants

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(leer en español)

by Carlos Martínez García, CIEAMM

It was a decade of celebration and reflective exercise. The Mennonite World Conference chose the 2017-2027 decade to evaluate both the Protestant Reformation and the radical Reformation, and the influence of both movements in the emergence of peace-building Anabaptism. During the mentioned decade, every year,  Renewal will take place in different parts of the world. In 2017 the meeting was held in Augsburg, Germany, last year in Kisumu, Kenya, and right now the headquarters are in San José, Costa Rica.

The theme for the event in Costa Rica is “Justice on the Way (Road): migration and Anabaptist-Mennonite history”. The Anabaptists / Mennonites of the sixteenth century and subsequent centuries had to constantly migrate in search of freedom to spread and practice their beliefs. These migrations were made under very adverse conditions. In addition to the historical and biblical theological framework that will be presented in Costa Rica, different speakers were asked to share experiences on the current issue of migration and how the communities of faith identified with Anabaptism are responding. In my case they asked me to share “how my church or churches in my region have experienced migration, or ways in which they are responding to the needs of the displaced.” Please find below what I prepared to share at Renovación (Renewal 2019):

Caravans of thousands of Central American migrants arrived in Mexico at the end of 2018. Although for many years the country has been a transit route for those who migrate from Central America with the hope of reaching the United States of America (USA), for the first time organized groups demanded that the Mexican border be opened so that they could enter and travel safely through the country.

In general terms, the Mexican people understood the reasons of the migrants to flee their countries and look for a better future. Historically, millions of Mexicans have migrated to the United States. Currently, a high percentage of them live there with fear because they do not have residence papers. Their contribution to the US economy is important; calculations two years ago showed that ten percent of the economy depends on the labor force of Mexican migrants. In addition to their economic contribution, these migrants bring cultural diversification to the USA. The city with more Mexicans, second only to Mexico City, is a North American city: Los Angeles, California.

Although there were sections of Mexico that had hostile thoughts and actions towards the caravans of migrants that arrived in Mexico at the end of 2018 and the first months of this year, the broadest sentiment was solidarity. There were campaigns to raise aid and provide migrants  with clothes, food, medicines, medical attention and accompaniment in their walk to the north.

In the Conference of Anabaptist Mennonite Anabaptist Churches of Mexico (CIEAMM), through the Pathways to Justice Ministry, calls were made to coordinate with other organizations and churches that wished to give assistance to respond to the needs expressed by the migrants. This is an important point; it is necessary to listen to those who we want to serve so that solidarity is prevalent and focused on the needs of migrants and not on the goodwill of people who sometimes give help when it is not what migrants need . Once the type of aid required by temporary refugees in Mexico was determined, the information and addresses of collection centers were shared by different means to send the aid packages.

The coordinator of the Ministry of Justice of the CIEAMM is a member of the New Life Christian Community Church, where I am a pastor along with Óscar Jaime Domínguez. His name is Fernando Sandoval. He invited and encouraged the community to raise funds and purchase products needed by migrants. To meet these needs, he visited the place opened by the government of Mexico City to house thousands of displaced Central Americans, mainly from Honduras and El Salvador.

Fernando talked with men and women of different ages. He requested permission to record his testimony with the cell phone, in order to share the recording in New Life Christian Community Church. What he heard and saw moved our community, as each story told was a tragedy of suffering that allowed us to understand why people decided to leave their homes in order to try to cross into the United States. In addition to poverty as a cause to leave, they mentioned the violence suffered and the fear of being victims of all kinds of abuses that denigrate human dignity.

The church community gave contributions that Pathways to Justice (Sendas de Justicia) took to the migrants. The response from the community was surprising as they decided to open their arms and hearts to those who were vulnerable in their passage through Mexico. We take seriously the teaching of Jesus, who invites us to the love of solidarity that feeds the hungry, dresses the naked, gives water to the thirsty, protects the helpless, takes care of the sick, visits the incarcerated (Matthew 25: 35-36). We did a work of compassion, putting ourselves in the place of needy migrants and acting to bring some accompaniment and comfort.

In the task of bringing the help (materials) to the migrants, there was cooperation between Pathways to Justice (Sendas de Justicia) and a group of teachers and students of the Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Indiana. There they found out what CIEAMM and New Life Christian Community Church were doing to serve the migrants, and Professor Jamie Pitts shared the information with the group at AMBS.  The result was an offering that they sent to Pathways to Justice to use in a way that would be most effective and convenient. The Sendas de Justicia ministry purchased the items that were given to migrants and informed donors of how the donation was used. We firmly believe that in Christian stewardship, the accountability and proper use of the resources that conference and brothers and sisters in the faith entrust to us is indispensable.

Solidarity with migrants has a history in the experience of New Life Christian Community Church. For some years, the community has contributed donations in kind (food, personal hygiene items) to Casa Tochán, which is a refuge and legal defense for migrants whose goal is to enter the United States and are seeking protection while in Mexico. In the past, the brothers and sisters have collected different products that are delivered to Casa Tochán.  These are a product of our understanding that we are followers of a migrant like Jesus, who was born in conditions very similar to those lived by families that undertake the exodus, forced by the hard-hearted powers of this world.

Open arms and hearts to migrants is part of Christian discipleship. Among the migrants, people travel who, like the Syrophoenician woman, help us discover dimensions of faith that we only see when we are fragile and marginalized. Jesus said that that woman’s faith was very great and she set an example of trust in God (Matthew 15:28). And we have found this great faith in migrants.         

Part-time Registration for Mennonite World Conference Now Open

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by Phyllis Pellman Good

Mennonite World Conference (MWC) is now offering part-time registration for assembly, which will be held July 21-26 at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

The daily registration rate for adults is $120 per day, and part-time registrants may join friendship groups, attend afternoon workshops and the art exhibit, participate in the Global Church Village, and other activities. Parking or shuttle service is included in the fee.

Magali Moreno of Paraguay is managing registrations for the gathering.
Magali Moreno of Paraguay is managing registrations for the gathering.

Tours, service projects, the Anabaptist World Cup, and Assembly Scattered will only be open to those who register for the full assembly. Meals are not included in the adult daily rate, although food can be purchased at the Farm Show Complex.

Registrants who cannot participate in the entire assembly may also share a full-time registration with another person, an option that may appeal to Mennonite organizations or churches who are unable to close down for a full week. Congregations and small groups are encouraged to use this option for participants who wish to attend part of the event.

Registration manager Magali Moreno says there are some drawbacks to such arrangements: “We can offer only a single one-of-a-kind registration bag, outfitted with necktie handles, and filled with our brand new songbook, with each full-time ticket.”

As of mid-March, MWC had received registrations from 64 countries.

“Once you enter the Farm Show Complex, you will be in a global community,” says Moreno. “Your registration is like a passport to the global church!”

For full-time or part-time registration for Pennsylvania 2015, go to www.mwc-cmm.org/pa2015.

 

Franconia Conference and Mennonite World Conference: intersections of global proportions

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by Sharon Williams

Mennonite World Conference (MWC) Assembly, Pennsylvania 2015, is coming to the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, July 21­–26. Emily Ralph’s job is to make sure that everyone knows about it.

Emily RalphEmily is the associate director of communication for Franconia Conference and joined the Pennsylvania 2015 leadership team when MWC subcontracted its communications work to the conference. Emily is responsible for many aspects of communications before, during and after the assembly, and is helping to lead a team of 75 volunteers who will produce media coverage for attendees and everyone else around the world. They will provide videography, photography, and graphic design; livestream the worship services; record sessions; do reporting; handle oral interpretation and written translations; engage all manner of social media; and connect with the press.

This assembly’s theme is “Walking with God/Caminemos con Dios/En Marche avec Dieu.” The communication team’s goal is to help build the Anabaptist global community on location and around the world. Another goal is to lay the groundwork for Indonesia 2021, the next global assembly.

Franconia Conference’s commitment to intercultural ministry and relationships is a key component in MWC’s planning. The conference and MWC have cultivated a partnership that dates back at least to the late 1990s when conference leaders exchanged sabbaticals and visits with then MWC president Mesach Krisetya (1997–2003) of Indonesia. Franconia Conference has had strong representation at previous assemblies in Canada, India, Zimbabwe, and Paraguay; Pennsylvania 2015 is an opportunity for the conference to further this partnership of ministry and mission.

Franconia Conference members can be directly involved with hosting this summer’s assembly. Volunteer opportunities include working with Emily on the communication team, doing translation, joining a music ensemble or the intercessory prayer network. Some members will lead workshops and some conference congregations will host tour groups. More congregations are needed to welcome assembly participants for worship on Sunday, July 26, as the Farm Show Arena cannot accommodate the traditional influx of local congregations for the closing worship service.

Information about the assembly and registration is available online. Volunteers who can commit to serving four to six hours each day can request a reduced registration fee if needed. Click here for more information.

All are invited to join the rich diversity of Franconia Conference with global brothers and sisters in worship and fellowship, and recommit to “walking with God” together.

Sharon K. Williams is a musician, editor and congregational/non-profit consultant. She serves the Lord with the Nueva Vida Norristown New Life congregation as minister of worship.

Prayer ‘essential’ for MWC assembly

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by Phyllis Pellman Good, Mennonite World Conference

Joanne Dietzel of Strasburg, Pa., coordinates the MWC Prayer Network. — Liesa Unger/MWC

Mennonite World Conference is establishing a Prayer Network, recognizing the importance of prayer in preparation for its global assembly July 21-26 in Harrisburg, Pa.

“We are organizing an event which will bring people together from all over the world,” said Lynn Roth, MWC North America representative. “I believe it can happen only if it is bathed in prayer and is God’s doing.”

The first worry on everyone’s mind is obtaining visas.

“Our main concern is for young people,” he said. “But older persons from some of the countries where the largest Anabaptist churches are located — Ethiopia, Congo and India, for example — may have trouble, too.

“The American government’s concern for security, now more than ever, means that many of our sisters and brothers will likely be denied the possibility of worshiping and fellowshiping in this grand reunion.”

A visa task force is prepared to support registrants going through the visa process.

“We promised to do all in our power to work with U.S. government officials and embassies in those countries where this issue is especially difficult,” he said. “We believe that prayer is essential.”

A second concern is getting North American Anabaptists to see the assembly as a not-to-be-missed opportunity.

“Many of us will probably question whether we can set aside things in our daily lives long enough to travel to and attend the whole five and a half days of PA 2015,” Roth said. “We want to pray for ourselves, that we will learn the gift of hospitality of the heart and be willing to be transformed by the experience of hosting the global church.”

Inspired by Zimbabwe

The idea for a Prayer Network came from the Zimbabwean Brethren in Christ Church, which hosted the MWC assembly in 2003. In Zimbabwe, food and fuel were scarce, the economy was weak and the government unreliable. The Zimbabweans acknowledged all of this, stockpiling food and fuel months in advance. They also prayed.

Zimbabwean BIC member Ethel Sibanda led a Prayer Network. She also rallied people who weren’t attending the assembly but wanted to assure hospitality.

“We have learned from the Zimbabweans,” said Prayer Network coordinator Joanne Dietz­el of Strasburg, Pa. “We invite everyone who believes in prayer and the global church to join the Prayer Network.”

All who sign up on the MWC website will receive emails sharing specific needs and giving thanks for blessings.

Jane Hoober Peifer, a member of the Prayer Network planning team, has launched an MWC Prayer Walk in Lancas­ter.

“ ‘Walking with God’ is the theme for PA 2015, so walking while praying seems like an appropriate discipline to practice,” Peifer said.

She hopes groups of walkers will form across North America and around the world. Ideas for forming an MWC Prayer Walk group will appear on MWC’s Prayer Network page, along with passages of Scripture and prayer requests.

Read your way to Pennsylvania 2015

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by Phyllis Pellman Good, for Mennonite World Conference

Whether you’re planning to attend the next Mennonite World Conference assembly, or just want to learn more about Anabaptists around the world, Mennonite World Conference staff have book recommendations for you.

“We should be well-informed hosts,” says Richard Thomas, who chairs the advisory council for the assembly. “Most of us probably can’t become fluent in Indonesian or Amharic or French between now and next July. But we can certainly learn more about our sister churches around the world.”

Five-volume global history series available

Mennonite World Conference recently commissioned a five-volume global history series, with one volume for each continent where Anabaptists live. The books are written by people from those continents and reflect the perspectives and experiences of the local churches. The series includes:Testing Faith and Tradition (Europe volume), Mission and Migration (Latin America volume), Anabaptist Songs in African Hearts (Africa volume), Churches Engage Asian Traditions (Asia volume), and Seeking Places of Peace (North America volume).

MWC Histories“I’m reading these books as one way to get myself ready for Pennsylvania 2015. I want to have a deeper understanding of how my sisters and brothers have found and sustained their faith,” said Thomas. “Many of them have survived wars and hunger and immense political pressure. Many have Muslim neighbors. I have so much to learn from them–and the histories tell those stories.”

Book about shared convictions

Thomas said he is also reading What We Believe Together: Exploring the “Shared Convictions” of Anabaptist-Related Churches, by Alfred Neufeld. The book is based on the Mennonite World Conference statement “Shared Convictions of Global Anabaptists,” and includes stories from around the world and questions for discussion.

Book discussions planned

Books discussions are being held around Lancaster, Pennsylvania, that will run through June 2015.

Conference staff are encouraging those unable to attend a book discussion to organize their own gathering, and use the books as Sunday School resources.

The assembly will be held July 21-26, 2015 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

Five ways you can help prepare for Pennsylvania 2015

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 by Phyllis Pellman Good for Mennonite World Conference

Next July, Anabaptists from around the world will gather for worship and fellowship at Mennonite World Conference in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. More than 8000 participants are expected to attend, and conference staff and volunteers are making arrangements to feed and lodge attendees, as well as preparing worship services, workshops, music, and the Global Church Village, a large display area and meeting place.

Mennonite World Conference is inviting North American congregations to get involved now, and help begin welcoming brothers and sisters from across the globe.

Pennsylvania 2015 will include worship, singing, and time for reflection in small groups. Photo by Merle Good.
Pennsylvania 2015 will include worship, singing, and time for reflection in small groups. Photo by Merle Good.

Here are five ways you can support the gathering:

Join the prayer network. You’ll receive monthly emails about particular needs as conference staff prepare. Two big prayer requests: that attendees from the global south will be granted visas so they can attend, and that churches here will offer extravagant hospitality as they welcome participants from other parts of the world.

Learn more about your global family of faith. A good resource is What We Believe Together, by Alfred Neufeld. The book is based on the Mennonite World Conference statement “Shared Convictions of Global Anabaptists,” and includes questions for discussion, so it’s a great resource for Sunday School classes and small groups.

Want other resources for your congregation, Sunday School class or small group? Check out Mennonite World Conference’s resource page, which includes news, background information, and guides for congregations.

Volunteer. It takes a (global) village to welcome so many people, and volunteers are needed now, as well as during the assembly. Those who assist during the gathering receive a discounted registration rate. More information is available at www.mwc-cmm.org/pa2015volunteer.

Partner. MWC is encouraging congregations in the U.S. to partner with each other so that churches with fewer financial resources or with recent immigrants to the U.S. can attend the gathering. The registration cost is split three ways: MWC and both congregations contribute part of the fee.

Register! Plan to attend Harrisburg 2015, where you’ll build relationships and remember the gift of belonging to an international family of faith. Register at www.mwc-cmm.org/pa2015registration.