Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Nations Worship Center

From Pre-Med to Youth Ministry

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In 2022, Pastors, Beny Krisbianto and Angelia Susanto, of Nations Worship Center in Philadelphia, PA were concerned for the youth at their church. The married couple invited Graciella Odelia, a member of Nations Worship Center and college student, to dinner.  Pastor Beny and Pastor Angelia shared their concern for the youth of the church with Odelia and told her that they sensed that God was calling Odelia to take up this work.   

When this dinner occurred, Graciella Odelia was a biochemistry major at Eastern Mennonite University (Harrisonburg, VA) and intended to go to medical school. But God had other plans.  

After the dinner with her pastors, Odelia prayed for guidance and felt a clear sense to accept and pursue the call to youth ministry. Odelia thought she was training to become a doctor. God called her to be a youth minister instead. 

Meanwhile, Pastor Beny and his family visited the revival at Asbury University in Kentucky in February 2023. He came away with a strong concern to encourage and equip the younger generation, since these youth will be the future leaders and shapers of the church. As a result, Nations Worship Center (NWC) decided to create a special service for the youth. NWC applied for and received funds from a Mosaic Missions Operational Grant1 to support the youth ministry. 

The special youth service, which is conducted in English, takes place on Saturday afternoons after worship practice. The youth service includes games, worship, a sermon, and fun, informal times of eating and conversation. Odelia and Pastor Beny take turns leading worship and presenting God’s word in a sermon.  

About 20 young people, who range from ages 10 to 20, attend. Some are from Nations Worship Center; others come from other Indonesian congregations, such Philadelphia Praise Center (PA). A few have no church home.  The service is designed to meet the needs of youth who feel they have outgrown Sunday School. The youth have also done service projects, such as helping to pack food for needy families Philadelphia. 

Nations Worship Center youth hang out at an ice cream place after youth service. Photo provided by Graciella Odelia.

As Odelia served NWC’s youth, she enrolled in a certificate program in Christian Studies at Eastern Mennonite Seminary. She found the courses in biblical studies, theology, and spiritual formation helpful.  

“I felt that a single year of seminary education wasn’t sufficient,” Odelia explained. “I lacked the necessary skills to effectively guide the youth in their spiritual journeys.” This fall, she will begin studies in the seminary’s Master of Arts in Christian Leadership program, with an emphasis in youth ministry. 

The youth from Nations Worship Center organized an Easter egg hunt event at the park this past spring. Photo provided by Graciella Odelia.

Odelia has discovered other opportunities and skills in her journey as a youth minister. To advertise for the youth service, she learned how to design flyers. She is also learning more about website design and video editing for NWC. “Exploring unfamiliar territories and learning new things have been an exhilarating journey,” Odelia said. “It was challenging, but I grew.” 

Even though leading youth ministry was not her original plan, Odelia feels closer to God because of it. “This calling pulled me back to God,” she said. She is grateful for a deeper walk with God and is thankful for where she sees God at work in her life and in the lives of the youth. We pray for God’s special blessing on this ministry. 

1Missional Operations Grants (MOGs) are available to all Mosaic congregations for creative partnerships and new possibilities for missional engagement both in the surrounding community and farther away. The ministries and projects that have been funded by Missional Operations Grants are those building on the Mennonite tradition of faith and are trying new and creative initiatives to engage their own communities or people around the globe. To apply for a Mission Operations Grant, talk with your Leadership Minister. 

Nations Worship Center Responds to Immigrant Needs in South Philadelphia 

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Indonesian immigrants in south Philadelphia receive a warm welcome from Nations Worship Center. As recent immigrants settle in, the church distributes much-needed bags of food essentials.  Each bag contains basic necessities, such as rice, noodles, eggs, spam, and sausage. Community members in need come to the church to pick up the bags, explained Pastor Beny Krisbianto, although sometimes the congregation will make deliveries. Nations Worship Center distributes about 50 to 70 bags each month. 

Many immigrants find temporary employment in factories and restaurants, but when the economy slows down, they are often the first to lose their jobs. This happened previously in 2008-2009 and again during the pandemic in 2020. At the height of the pandemic, Nations Worship Center’s regular monthly distribution reached 200 to 300 bags. 

Nations Worship Center supports the local economy by purchasing groceries from local, church-connected store owners; volunteers then pack the bags. During the pandemic, Mosaic Conference’s Shalom Fund helped to cover the cost. If churches or individuals would like to donate food or help with this ministry, contact Pastor Beny Krisbianto or Associate Executive Minister Marta Castillo. Donations can also be brought to 1506 West Ritner St., Philadelphia, PA 19145. 

Watch the video below!

Just Eat the Food

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By Jordan Luther

On Sunday, July 17, my congregation (Zion) chartered a bus from Souderton, PA to worship with our Christian siblings at Philadelphia Praise Center, Nations Worship Center, and Indonesian Light Church in South Philadelphia.  

We spent several months planning for this trip. As Pastor Hendy Matahelemual has already shared, this idea was born over lunch in early May. The pastors of our respective congregations met and collaborated on what it would look to have our own Mennonite World Conference where we would worship, fellowship, and share a meal together. 

Leading up to our visit, the Zion congregation did our part to prepare for the trip. We dedicated our July worship series to the importance of the global church and our Mosaic relationships. We studied the story of Peter and Cornelius from Acts 10 as our biblical and theological framework before our visit. Below is an excerpt from my sermon on Sunday, July 10. 

What does it look like to participate in a global, intercultural church? 

The simple answer. It looks a lot like eating different foods. 

Eating the local food and graciously accepting hospitality is one of the best things we can do as cultural outsiders. Eating another’s food opens doors to new relationships and for the Spirit of God to shake things up. 

If I had to summarize our Bible story from Acts 10 today into one sentence, it would be this: just eat the food. 

What does it look like to participate in a global, intercultural church? 

JORDAN LUTHER
Photo provided by Indonesian Light Church

We too often tell this story from only Peter’s perspective. We easily forget that God is at work in both Cornelius and Peter’s lives. God desires to bring them both together, despite their cultural differences, in a spirit of mutual transformation. 

Both Peter and Cornelius are mutually transformed through their meeting. God’s initiative to bring them together gives us a taste—literally—of what it is like to come together as a global, intercultural church. 

Their story shows us that the best place to start becoming an intercultural church is to just eat the food. 

Photo by Nations Worship Center
Photo by Nations Worship Center

Perhaps eating new foods is a simple but profound act of surrendering to God’s mission to bring all people together through Jesus Christ our Lord—without having to sacrifice our deep cultural identities. Can it really be this simple? 

Yes! Just eat the food. 

May we, like Peter and Cornelius, lean into the blurred lines between who is guest and host. May we do so with the confidence that it is God who is setting the table and bringing us together. May we come to the table eager to learn from one another in a spirit of mutual transformation. 

God has set the table. We just need to show up… And eat the food. 

Just eat the food.

Jordan Luther

Jordan Luther is the former Associate Pastor of Faith Formation at Zion Mennonite Church in Souderton, PA. He is starting Clinical Pastoral Education at St. Luke’s Penn Foundation this fall and attends Wild Church at FernRock Retreat.

Young Adults Take Lead in Times of Trouble

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by Cindy Angela, Digital Communication Associate

Over the summer months, four young adults worked as summer service workers in four Mosaic Conference congregations.  Graciella Odelia (Nations Worship Center, Philadelphia PA), Christopher Jong (Philadelphia Praise Center, Philadelphia PA), Ser Luther (Whitehall congregation, Allentown, PA), and Alex Padilla (International Worship Church, San Gabriel, CA) participated in a ten-week program through Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) that helps young adults of color in the U.S. cultivate their leadership skills within their community.

Graciella Odelia distributed groceries in South Philadelphia with the help of Mosaic Shalom Fund.
Photo provided by Graciella Odelia

As the needs in the community shifted due to the pandemic, the summer workers and their supervisor had to quickly adapt their plans to better serve their community.  “My job for this summer was supposed to be coordinating a vacation Bible school for the children in my church. But because of COVID-19, that didn’t work out,” Graciella Odelia explained.

Instead, Odelia produced videos for Nations Worship Center virtual church service, organized Zoom meetings, and helped pack groceries and deliver them to families in need.  “God called me to serve the church and to help my community during this difficult time,” Odelia reflected.

Christopher Jong distributed free clothes in South Philadelphia this summer.
Photo provided by Christopher Jong

Christopher Jong echoed the same sentiment. Jong was born in Philadelphia but was raised in Indonesia. He moved back to the US when he was 17 years old. Being a summer worker helped him reconnect to his South Philadelphia roots. “PPC [Philadelphia Praise Center] was the first church I was introduced to when I reached the US and I felt connected to the people ever since,” Jong recounted.

Initially, Jong was to organize a summer camp that got cancelled. So Jong and his supervisor, Pastor Aldo Siahaan of Philadelphia Praise, had to adapt and make new projects for Jong to work on. “We created projects such as grocery shopping service, free care package distribution, translation services and many more,” Jong explained.

Screen capture of a video interview with Ser Luther

Summer worker, Ser Luther, worked with the Whitehall congregation in Allentown, PA. During the week, Luther helped out at Ripple Community Inc’s (RCI) Community Building Center. On the weekends, he helped the Whitehall congregation with various tasks for their Sunday service. He prepared PowerPoint presentations, managed Zoom meetings, and even led worship services.

Luther’s supervisor, Danilo Sanchez (of RCI) observed, “Halfway through the summer I noticed a change in him. He became much more comfortable talking with new people at the center and public speaking.”

Alex Padilla led children’s Zoom Sunday School for International Worship Church in California.
Photo provided by Alex Padilla

Meanwhile in California, Alex Padilla balanced online classes at the University of Colorado while also being a summer worker for International Worship Church (San Gabriel, CA). Padilla has been attending International Worship Church for a few years, where Pastor Buddy Hananto saw his potential and asked him to be a summer worker.

One of Padilla’s favorite tasks this summer was creating a virtual Sunday school class. “It was an incredibly valuable experience to be a teacher of faith to the next generation,” he shared.

This summer, these young adults may have taken on different roles and responsibilities, but all of them learned to lead, to adapt, and to keep trusting God in times of trouble.

Shalom Fund Shatters Initial Goal

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by Sue Conrad Howes, Communication Associate

 In April, Mosaic Conference leaders recognized the financial toll that COVID-19 would take on many people in the conference and beyond. The Shalom Fund was quickly organized as an effort to raise funds to share with our most vulnerable communities. 

The initial goal of the Shalom fund was $100,000. To date, the Shalom Fund has raised $151,080.07, smashing past the original goal.  Of the funds raised, $100,000 has been distributed to a wide variety of people and organizations throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, California, and Florida, as well as Honduras, Mexico, and India. Four Conference Related Ministries and 17 congregations have received funds. Some funds assisted ministry expenses while other funds were distributed to assist congregations in their outreach to persons in need.

Beny Krisbianto, pastor of Nations Worship (Philadelphia, PA), noticed needs early on in South Philly. He rallied his congregation and, by early April, their congregation was distributing grocery bags containing basic supplies to their neighbors. They distributed about 40 bags each week.

Food is collected and distributed by members of Nations Worship (Philadelphia, PA) for their neighbors during COVID-19. Shalom Fund donations enabled the congregation to expand its weekly distribution from 40 households to 100. Photo credit: Beny Krisbianto

Eventually, Mosaic Conference offered to financially supplement the work of Nations Worship. Krisbianto was easily able to find more households in need in their neighborhood and, using Shalom Funds, the grocery bag project expanded. Soon, Nations Worship was distributing 100 grocery bags one or two times per week.  

Many of the recipients were not familiar with the congregation at first, but the church saw their needs and helped.  As a result, “Some of them ended up joining our virtual worship or coming to our church services,” reported Krisbianto. “We are able to connect and build good relationships with new people in a way that we could express the love of Jesus during this time.”

When the Shalom Fund was first introduced in April, donors responded immediately. “When the reality hit of what stay-at-home orders meant, I desperately wanted to help,” shared Dawn Moore, Souderton (PA) congregation. “I have the utmost trust in Mosaic to shepherd resources carefully to areas with the greatest need.”

Jaye Lindo, church planter for Mosaic conference in Bowie, MD, was the first donor to the conference’s Shalom Fund, which has now raised over $150,000 to help those in need due to the pandemic.

Jaye Lindo, a church planter with Mosaic Conference in Bowie, MD, did not hesitate to give when she learned of the Shalom Fund. “As a leader, Mosaic Conference had blessed me with love when I needed it the most,” reported Lindo. “When the opportunity was presented to give, I had to be one of the first.”

The donation to the Shalom Fund from Lindo and her congregation, 7 Ways Home Fellowship, was an opportunity to be a part of the conference work. “It was a heartfelt blessing for us to be able to say to our entire Mosaic Community, who may not know much about our little home fellowship, that we are here, and we care.”

The needs for food, hand sanitizer, gloves, utilities, assistance with rent, and pastoral and member support continue in our communities, so the funds will continue to be used as needed most.

“I’m really grateful for the ways that the Shalom Fund has given opportunities to share across our conference,” said Steve Kriss, Executive Minister. “I’ve been overwhelmed by people’s generosity to each other and to their communities. People have gone above and beyond.”

While the success of the Shalom Fund has surpassed all expectations, Lindo offers a further challenge. “Could we do more and are the needs being met?” Lindo said when she heard that the fund had far surpassed its initial goal. “My heart does not want anyone to lack. So I say, can we make it $250,000? God is still speaking. Are we listening and obeying?”

Provoked by God

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by Melky Tirtasaputra, Whitehall (Allentown, PA) congregation

I grew up with one older brother and two younger sisters, all with various religious beliefs.  My grandmother was a mystic from Banten (Indonesia) and converted to Christianity.  My mom only believed in God and my father was an animist.  My brother attended a Catholic school since kindergarten, while my two other sisters went to a Christian school.  I used to lived in a Buddhist temple, learned mysticism, and went to a Muslim school where I learned how to pray and follow the Muslim lifestyle. I searched for my religious identity.   

God’s purpose for my life started in 6th grade.  The way God called me was amazing.  At an early age, I was an independent child who sold goods to make money. I was fascinated by money. A friend invited me to go to church. Every time I walked to church, I found money on the street. God “provoked” me through money. 

On April 24, 1981 (Good Friday), I was baptized.  Since that day, I became more and more interested in serving God and always longed to go to church, until I was almost kicked out of my home. God changed my life not only to be His servant, but also by helping my parents see the changes in my life. Finally, my parents became believers and were baptized. On Pentecost my entire family went to church together. 

When I was 16 years old, I felt a strong calling from God for me to be more engaged in the Bible so I took an online course while I also studied psychology.  For three years, I took Bible classes at night and then started to preach at our church. 

Through the years, earning money came very easily for me. It caused me to almost forget what my calling was, even though I was a high school religion teacher. 

One day I met a girl who has now become my wife.  She saw my potential and God’s calling on me as His servant. This is why she wanted to marry me.  However, I ignored that calling because I wanted to be a businessman who could also serve God. 

In 2001, we moved to the USA and lived in Philadelphia. We started a new life, working at the factory. Every Sunday I attended church services and sometimes served as a singer. 

In 2005, we joined Philadelphia Praise Center (Philadelphia, PA) and served together with Aldo Siahaan as Head Elders. 

In 2007, I pursued an opportunity to start a business with FedEx as an Independent Contractor, while still serving as an Elder at Philadelphia Praise Center.  In 2010, I moved to Nations Worship Center (Philadelphia, PA) to assist Pastor Beny Krisbianto and the congregation, who had just joined Franconia Conference. My duties were to serve as an elder and head of the church construction, while my wife was in charge of the church’s finances. 

In 2015 I began taking pastoral ministry classes at Eastern Mennonite University, graduating in 2018.  In October 2019, I responded to God’s calling as a pastor at Whitehall Mennonite Church (Allentown, PA), joining Pastor Rose Bender.

It turns out I enjoy my calling as a pastor.  I thank God for His faithfulness and love as God waits for my response to His calling. Thanks to my wife who always supports me and never gives up either. Thank you to EMU and to Mosaic Mennonite Conference who helped me fulfill my calling.

How Shall We Gather?

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by Sue Conrad Howes, West Swamp congregation

Lynne Rush (center), music director at West Swamp Mennonite (Quakertown, PA), leads music during the June 14 drive-in service in the church’s parking lot. Pastor Michael Howes (left) and sound tech Tim Scheetz (right) stand with masks on, at least six feet away. 

In March 2020, many churches were struggling with the need to close their doors for Sunday worship due to COVID-19. Now, three months later, some churches are struggling again: When and how do we begin to gather for corporate worship while still caring for the physical health of our congregation?  Churches throughout the conference are trying a variety of approaches. 

Some, typically smaller, congregations have begun worshiping in their church buildings while taking precautions. Wellspring Church of Skippack (PA) is gathering in person, but with written instructions to participants encouraging physical distancing and other guidelines. Offering is collected in plates at the exits, bulletin announcements are sent via email so there are no handouts, and hand sanitizer and masks are available to all. Persons who use the restrooms are asked to wipe down the surfaces after each use.  

Mennonite Bible Fellowship (Morris, PA), has been meeting together since May 17. Congregants sit in every other pew, wear masks, and don’t shake hands. Pastor John Brodnicki commented that the “most inconvenient part of this arrangement is singing. It’s difficult to sing with a mask on.” They continue to monitor the number of COVID-19 cases in the area (their county has had relatively few). “If COVID cases were to spike, we may reconsider meeting together until the spike subsides,” Brodnicki added. 

Since June 7, Franconia (Telford, PA) congregation has been gathering in its parking lot for worship. Using an outdoor sound system,  FM transmitter, and a large LED screen to display the worship leader, musicians, and preacher (who are inside the church sanctuary), congregants sit in socially-distanced lawn chairs or in their cars.  “The outdoor service,” according to Pastor Mark Wenger, “has been a great experience.  This is the first step of gathering in person.” 

Franconia has also utilized the rental of the LED screen to show family-friendly movies on the weekend, including many movie attendees who were not from the congregation. As a result, the church plans to continue offering movies periodically in the future as an opportunity for outreach. 

Congregants attend drive-in church at West Swamp (Quakertown, PA) via their vehicles. The worship service was available on car stereos via an FM transmitter. 

Pastor Beny Krisbianto shared how his congregation, Nations Worship (Philadelphia, PA), held worship in the park on June 14. When 40 people showed up for worship, church leaders decided to divide the group into two, as area restrictions limited gatherings to 25 people. Congregants wore masks and practiced social distancing while older members were encouraged to stay at home and participate virtually. 

Some congregations are holding two services to limit the numbers in attendance. Perkiomenville (PA) congregation set up chairs in the worship space for appropriate distancing. They implemented a limit of 80 people per service and masks are expected for all who attend. 

Meanwhile, Methacton congregation (Norristown, PA) has decided to wait until their county goes “green” before even considering meeting in person in any form. According to Pastor Sandy Drescher-Lehman, “We don’t have a plan yet for how to re-open since so much changes all the time.” Meanwhile, Methacton’s worship services are emailed to the congregation on Saturday afternoons, inviting people to worship on their own time. For Methacton, the question now is, “How much do we need to gather?” says Drescher-Lehman. “We’re still the church,” she reflects. “Sunday mornings are a great celebration that everyone will be happy to have again when the time is right, but I don’t think anyone is drying up spiritually.”

Let’s Worship Together!

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by Marta Castillo, Leadership Minister of Intercultural Formation

All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name.   Psalm 86:9

Friday Night worship – Conference Assembly 2019. Photo by Javier Marquez

At our annual assembly we worshipped the Lord in song in several different languages and styles.  I wonder if anyone whispered to the person beside them like someone whispered behind me many years ago, “Why do we have to sing in these different languages?  Why can’t we just sing in English?”  I wonder if those at the assembly worship felt comfortable and engaged in the worship songs.  Were they able to enter into the intercultural space of worshipping God in ways and styles and languages that were not their own?  Did it fill them with joy to worship the Lord and bring glory to God’s name with other nations that God has made, even if it was different than what they were used to? 

In an intercultural community, all are transformed because everyone learns from one another and grows together.  In intercultural worship, we learn to choose to continue to worship God in the styles and languages of others.  For me, what began as a discipline and continues to be a choice is now also a joy as I have incorporated intercultural worship as part of who I am with the help of the Holy Spirit. John 4:23 –  Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

Several weeks ago, I attended a service at Nations Worship Center where we sang songs that had repeating lines.  I appreciated the repetition while singing in a language in which I am not fluent.  The repetition helped me to better understand the song and enter deeply into the spirit of worship.  However, I must admit that I have not always appreciated songs with a lot of repetition.  What I have learned to do is to go with the repetition rather than fight it. I can worship God in song as I repeat the same phrase over and over and meditate on the truth, just like I can pray or meditate on a phrase of Scripture. 

Lynne Rush (West Swamp congregation) leads a hymn at Conference Assembly 2019. Photo by Javier Marquez

Last weekend I attended a women’s retreat where we had a hymn sing.  We sang hymn after hymn in a group of talented and passionate singers.  It was beautiful.  I was struck by the multitude of beautiful thoughts and word pictures that hymns contain and express in worship to God.  But I had to choose to engage my mind and process the thoughts in worship to God as I sang complex music.  I enjoyed the repetition of the choruses.

Matthew Westerholm, on the Desiring God website, suggests that often “our discomfort also comes from where we live, if you live in the Western world. Western culture treasures the novelty of words. It might feel like singing many words per minute is a worldwide Christian preference. But it’s not. It’s a Western oddity. If you were to listen to indigenous music from almost anywhere else in the world, you might describe it as “rhythmic, danceable, and repetitive. It may feel strange to discover that our personal preferences are a cultural anomaly. It is humbling to discover that we have something to learn from others, but not surprising. And it is the sort of humbling that, if we are willing to accept it, will bless us greatly in worship.”

Let us worship the Lord in unity, seeking to honor the worship of the nations as our own!