Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Noel Santiago

Who Then is This?

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“Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”  

Mark 4:41, ESV

The disciples had just experienced a terrifying storm as they crossed the sea of Galilee. Jesus had directed them to cross over to the other side. As they began their journey, Jesus fell asleep.

A terrifying storm arose to such an extent that the disciples screamed: “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” (Matt. 8:25, NASB)

Jesus “rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” (Mark 4:39, ESV).

It’s in this context that the disciples wondered in amazement and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?” (Matt. 8:27, NASB)

The Jewish people of Jesus’ day were waiting for a messiah; but the Messiah they were waiting for was a military leader, not necessarily a divine figure. In their history, they had experienced a time of freedom after the Maccabean revolt and had recently been brought under Roman rule and occupation.

When the disciples ask this question, “Who then is this?” they are doing so in the context of creation’s obedience. When Jesus raised the dead, healed the sick, or even fed 5000, the disciples never reacted this way. Why? Other prophets had raised the dead, healed the sick, miraculously fed people, but had anyone other than God, ever calmed a storm? 

In the Psalms we read that God: “… calm[s] the raging seas and their roaring waves”, “… rule[s] the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them” and “… made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.” (Ps. 65:7, 89:9, 107:29, ESV). The disciples begin to realize that Jesus had done something that in all of Scripture is attributed only to God. The question, “…who then is this…?” seemed appropriate.

The Virtual Prayer Team of Mosaic Conference has been keeping three questions before us, thanks to Leadership Minister Jeff Wright:

  • Who is Jesus? 
  • What does Jesus want us to do? 
  • How does Jesus want us to do it? 

These questions require an unfolding, ongoing conversation, and discernment in a time of cultural and societal changes. Yet, is there more to be known about who Jesus is?

Jude 1:5 (ESV) reads: “Now I want to remind you, although you once fully knew it, that Jesus, who saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.”

The ESV states that Jesus saved a people out of the land of Egypt. Wait a minute, wasn’t that God who did that? What is Jesus doing there? Isn’t it God who calms storms in the Psalms? What is Jesus doing at Galilee?

After his resurrection, Jesus appears to his disciples and says, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44, ESV). Note here that he includes the Psalms in what was written about him.

Is there a sense in which we should keep inquiring to know the Jesus that both Old and New Testaments talk about? Hmmm… who then is this?

Calling Down Fire from Heaven?

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In I Kings, the prophet Elijah had called for a gathering at Mount Carmel. The single agenda item was to discern which God was the true God: Yahweh or Baal.

“Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God” (I Kings 19:38-39, ESV).

As the fire fell, so did the people; as God responded to the prayer of the prophet, the people fell on their faces.

There were several things that led to this gathering, but a key factor was that the Lord’s prophets had been being killed off. This might seem like religious persecution to us; however, it’s important to understand the context.

“The polytheism of the ancient world was an open system—there was always room for more gods … No question arose in ancient Near Eastern theology of whether a certain god was a ‘true god’ or not, though there were discussions of some gods being stronger than others.

Prophets in the ancient world often served in the hire of the king and, more than anything else, served as mouthpiece for the gods to support the legitimacy and programs of the king. The prophets of Yahweh, therefore, would not likely offer support for the legitimacy of Ahab and Jezebel’s rule, and this made them enemies of the state.”

Keener & Walton, NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture

This background helps us understand the role of prophets within politics and culture. However, might it also be possible that the confrontation playing out on Mount Carmel was not only between the prophets, but also between Baal and Yahweh themselves? To be sure, there was and is no god that can compare to Yahweh. In this regard, there really was no threat to the most high God.

How might this relate to our world today? Is there more going on in the unseen realm that is happening in the world today than we as God’s people realize?

Paul tells us, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (Eph. 6:12, ESV).

While this is true, we still need to deal with flesh and blood. Rather than killing all the prophets of Baal today, we look to Jesus who shows us how to deal with those working against the unfolding reign of God.

In Luke 9:54, Jesus rebuked two of his disciples for wanting to call down fire from heaven, similar to Elijah, on the Samaritans who had not received Jesus. On Mount Carmel, fire fell on the sacrifice prepared by Elijah.

What or who tends to make us angry? Do we, like the disciples, wish we could call fire down from heaven? What if we would act, instead, to the contrary, as Paul writes, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:20-21, ESV).

How might we engage in releasing more of God’s consuming love in the world? Is there someone you need to do good to instead of calling down fire from heaven?

Prepared by God for Missional Work

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By Jennifer Svetlik, Salford congregation

“I love questions,” shares Noel Santiago, Leadership Minister for Missional Transformation. In his work accompanying pastors and church leaders, Noel seeks to ask the kind of questions that invite exploration. “This can be challenging,” he continues, “because we each have our agenda. Through questions I invite church leaders to view things from another angle, pause, and potentially take a different approach to what they are already doing.”

Noel currently works with about ten congregations as a leadership minister, and he is the staff point person for missional transformation, one of the conference’s three priorities. At the center of Noel’s work is raising questions with pastors such as: “Who is our neighbor? Who is God working with in our communities? How can we participate in that work?”

The most rewarding part of Noel’s work is “when people have some kind of encounter with God—feeling strengthened, encouraged, a sense of a load being lightened, or seeing from another perspective.” Noel also finds ordinations and installations of pastors to be very meaningful. “Holiness means to be set apart, and these are sacred moments where someone is being set apart,” he reflects.

This year, Noel has formed a missional priority team, which will be a more structured yet flexible way for church leaders to engage this conference priority. Additionally, Noel spends time teaching, preparing sermons, and preparing for events. Recently he was a part of three retreats with congregations. Praying for and with pastors, leaders, and groups is a large part of Noel’s work. “It’s not in my job description, but it’s a personal value I bring to my work,” reflects Noel. “I keep prayer front and center in all that I do.”

In 2019, Noel had a sabbatical from his conference role, and he focused on the larger framework of Jesus’ mission. “Jesus’ mission is about the world, and at its center is God’s image bearers, that is, humans,” shares Noel. “People don’t usually see themselves that way. So how do we encourage people to see themselves as in God’s image?”

Noel and his family moved to southeastern Pennsylvania from Indiana in 1996 to work for Franconia Conference.  He previously served as executive minister of the conference. He has been in his current role for about six years.

Noel was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in New Holland, PA. As a child, he went back to the island frequently and grew up speaking Spanish and English. He calls himself a “Puerto Rican Dutchman” who grew up with rice and beans and shoofly pie. “It’s one big case of indigestion,” he jokes, pointing to the fact that he grew up in between two cultures, learning to navigate being formed by both of them.

“As a kid I wondered, ‘Why is my family so weird?’ but later I realized that God has been preparing me for missional, intercultural ways of being.” Growing up, his home congregation was more conservative. But on Sunday evenings his family had a more Pentecostal worship experience in Lancaster. He refers to these intersections as “Mennocostal” (Mennonite-Pentecostal) or Anamatic (Anabaptist-Charismatic) and reflects that there is an opportunity to learn from how these streams are coming together and integrating.

In his free time, being with family is Noel’s priority. He enjoys going for walks, being in the park, and having BBQs with his family. He and his wife, Juanita, have four young adult children.

What I’m Reading: Seeing the Unseen

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by Noel Santiago

I’ve been reading and studying The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural World View of the Bible by Dr. Michael Heiser.  I have found Dr. Heiser’s work immensely helpful in providing a framework for understanding the supernatural worldview of the Bible.

Beginning with the idea of a divine council, as noted in Psalms 82:1 where God takes “his place in the divine council; in the midst of the gods he holds judgment…,” and unpacking what he calls the “Deuteronomy 32 world view” (especially verses 8-9), Heiser brings forth this framework.

The basic idea is that God has a “divine council” comprised of children of God that help administer the work of God. This motif carries through the Old Testament and into the New Testament. After the ministry of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit, humanity—as God’s image bearers—are invited back to a seat at his council.

Much of this framework resonates with my faith upbringing. From the time I can remember, I’ve always had a sense of a spirit realm that was active: one for God’s glory and purpose and the other for the purpose of darkness and corruption. Our church community  would pray, preach, and share with and for people’s salvation to see them come to Christ. We would also pray for the sick and demon-possessed and regularly see persons healed and delivered. Regularly we would take food to a family in need, collect offerings for those who were lacking, serve and practice hospitality. All of these things were part of how we understood and practiced faith.

When I began studying and working in a different culture and context, I had to learn that others practice their faith differently. While I have valued and integrated much of these other expressions and learnings, I often noticed that the realm of the supernatural was underrepresented. It’s not necessarily that others didn’t believe it, but perhaps they focused on it less. Others acknowledged this sphere when it was discussed, but did very little to engage with it. I didn’t always know what to make of this. 

When I discovered this book that highlights the ancient Hebrew and near-eastern worldview,  I found myself identifying deeply with it. For me, this topic accounts for an unseen realm that is at work in interactive ways with the seen realm. We might not always be aware of this interaction but it is more present than we might imagine. 

The challenge, of course, is not only seeking to know and/or understand this unseen realm and its interaction with what we see, touch, and engage; we also need to be transformed by the renewing of our mind, “that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Romans 12:2b).

Staying Connected as Partners in Ministry

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(leer en español)

by Andrés Castillo, communication intern

There is power in simply staying connected. The reborn Partners in Ministry emphasizes that.

The revival of what used to be “Partners in Mission,” according to Franconia Conference’s Leadership Minister for Missional Transformation Noel Santiago, are partnerships made between groups with similar values and visions and greatly emphasizes relationships. In the past, the relationships with Partners in Mission were mostly leader-to-leader; as a result, when leaders relocated or moved on, some of those relationships faded. In reviving Partners in Ministry, Santiago continues, the Conference is emphasizing a renewed commitment to engaging and experimenting with diverse communities, not just leaders.

Partners in Ministry with Franconia each have a staff person who can accompany them, if desired, as a coach or listening ear, to help connect them with equipping and resources, and to walk with the community during leadership transitions or times of conflict. Franconia also provides credentialing for the pastors of Partners in Ministry if they need it. Leaders from Partners in Ministry are welcome to attend equipping events, Faith & Life gatherings, and other events that may benefit them as growing Anabaptist groups.

Partners in Ministry relationships are different than Conference-Related Ministries, which include institutions such as Spruce Lake Retreat, Care & Share Thrift Shops, and Camp Men-O-Lan. A Partner in Ministry relationship is more of a connection with communities, who, many times, are on the margins (because of geography, social situation, or as a church plant) rather than established organizations.

New Hope youth and adults getting ready to go to Philadelphia to serve with Centro de Alabanza (courtesy of New Hope Fellowship Facebook page)

“Franconia Conference played an important role in the birth and continued growth of RIMI,” explains Kirk Hanger, pastor of New Hope Fellowship Church (Alexandria, VA).  “In 2003, after 11 years of church planting ministry in Mexico, they encouraged me to continue.”  Today, the RIMI Network includes around 80 churches, church plants, and ministries in 12 countries, with 28 churches and church plants in Mexico. The RIMI Network also includes a radio ministry, a short-term missions school and a leadership school affiliated with Global Disciples, a medical ministry, a prayer network, a drug and alcohol rehabilitation center, and a microfinance ministry working with some 4000 people in economic development in Paraguay.

Oskar Dom (2nd from L.) and Carlos Martinez Garcia (2nd from R.) of CIEAMM with leaders from Centro de Alabanza in Philadelphia

Franconia has recently renewed relationship with the Conference of Evangelical Anabaptist Mennonite Churches of México (CIEAMM) through the Partner in Ministry program.  Carlos Martinez Garcia, CIEAMM moderator, believes that partnership is essential in order to fulfill Christ’s mission in the world: “We encourage each other, the Word says, to love and do good deeds (Hebrews 10:19-25),” he explains.  “The Christian church is diverse in ability, understanding, and vision. By sharing with one another, we can grow and learn to serve better. In the mission the Lord has given us, we must not isolate ourselves, but connect in order to embed ourselves in the world…. We must try to learn from the different understandings the Lord has given others of his word, as well as how they are fulfilling their mission.”

The relationship between Franconia Conference and CIEAMM has been mutually beneficial: while CIEAMM was birthed out of Franconia mission work 60 years ago, CIEAMM has also trained leaders from Franconia congregations, including Centro de Alabanza de Philadelphia, through the Community of Anabaptist Theological Institutions (CITA).  “The fact that we interact with other organizations makes us feel like more than part of a historic relationship,” says Oskar Dom, director of the Biblical Institute of CIEAMM. “It’s good to know that we are in a position to share what we have learned in these sixty years of existence.”

Partner in Ministry relationships are not highly structured, according to Franconia’s Executive Minister Steve Kriss; many communities may have just been introduced to Mennonite theology or practice. The Partner in Ministry relationship can provide space for these communities to learn what it means to live as Anabaptists in their complex contexts.  With supportive partners, anyone can thrive. It is Santiago and Kriss’ hope that Partners in Ministry will continue to be a space for communities to interact, experiment, and get to know one another.

Beyond Our Comfort Zones

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by Andrés Castillo, communication intern

Finland congregation’s CrossGen conference at Spruce Lake Retreat, with speaker Sean McDowell. The conference focused on intergenerational unity, with panels representing different generations asking questions of each other.

Every year, Franconia Conference gives Missional Operational Grants to congregations to help them think and dream about mission.  Noel Santiago, Franconia’s leadership minister for missional transformation, described his initial vision for the 2018 MOGs as providing “resources to help congregations reach out and get out of their comfort zone.”

Both executive minister Steve Kriss and Santiago have emphasized that the grants are for starting new initiatives, not sustaining them forever. By overcoming the obstacle of money, churches can begin to experiment; leaders and congregations are encouraged to be more creative. The ultimate hope is that, after the grant period ends, the new conversations and ideas started by it will continue to live on and evolve.

Last year’s MOG recipients have done a good job at what Kriss calls “honoring the legacy of Franconia’s mission to spread Christ’s peace throughout the world.” Here’s a look into what some of them did in 2018:

Indonesian Light Church (ILC) in South Philadelphia has hosted a monthly “food bazaar” to reach out to their community. “We learned that every seed planted needs nurturing and time to grow until it can grow strong roots and bear fruit,” ILC’s report reads. “Without time, love, and commitment to sowing and nurturing, there will be no significant result.” ILC plans to continue experimenting with ways to connect with the Indonesian community in south Philadelphia.

Nations Worship Center (Philadelphia) conducted a Vacation Bible School (VBS) with students from Dock Mennonite Academy (9-12) that received positive feedback and results, including new families faithfully attending church after the VBS was over. They also received help from the city of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Praise Center, and ACME. Nations Worship acknowledges that many of the children who attended their VBS come from struggling families and, “If we lose them, we lose our future.”

A Karen member of Whitehall congregation leads in prayer.

Philadelphia Praise Center (PPC) further developed the Taproot Gap Year program, an initiative for college students that involves sending them to live in Philadelphia and Indonesia. PPC maintains an office and staff in Indonesia for this purpose, which PPC pastor Aldo Siahaan says is not easy. “Thank God we have support from the conference,” he says. “Creating a program like this is not new to the conference, but it is for us.”

Whitehall (PA) congregation used their MOG for increasing leadership development among its Karen (Burmese) members. Pastors Rose Bender and Danilo Sanchez have been creatively finding new ways to integrate the various ethnicities within the church. “It isn’t as much about ‘let’s help these poor people’ as it used to be,” Bender says.  As this long process unfolds, the congregation “understands more and more how much everyone needs each other.”

Vietnamese Gospel (Allentown, PA) invited people in its surrounding community to have a large fellowship gathering, with speakers giving testimonies. The event was meant to empower their members and share the word of God with people outside of their church. Vietnamese Gospel hopes to make this an annual event to build relationships with its community.

Pastor Bruce Eglinton-Woods of Salem congregation has been working closely with the Quakertown (PA) Community Center (The Drop), an after-school and weekend program for at-risk children and teens created in response to the opioid crisis. The ministry helps attendees figure out the next steps of their lives in a judgment-free zone. Eglinton-Woods has learned how hard it is hard to gain the trust of teenagers and children and hopes to eventually grow the program to five days a week.

Ripple congregation (Allentown, PA) was able to provide training for two of their pastors, Charlene Smalls and Marilyn Bender, at the International Institute for Restorative Practices. The Ripple pastors have been using restorative practices to better meet their congregation and community’s needs.

Salem congregation has been partnering with Quakertown’s “The Drop” community center for at-risk children and youth.

Other congregations who received MOGs were Plains congregation (Hatfield, PA) for an unconventional July 4th picnic, Souderton (PA) and Doylestown (PA) congregations for the Vocation as Mission Summer Internship Program, International Worship Center (San Gabriel, CA) for technological equipment, Finland congregation (Pennsburg, PA) for their CrossGen conference, and Perkiomenville congregation for its GraceNow conference.

Every congregation has a unique, beautiful story that honors God’s mission to unite the world as one under Him. What is God doing in your congregation and community?  Share your stories by emailing communication@mosaicmennonites.org or check in with your congregation’s leadership minister about ways that your congregation might use an MOG to develop your missional imagination and neighborhood connections.

Called Outside of “Church”

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by Mike Spinelli, Perkiomenville congregation

It is not often that you get to bless someone as they enter a new ministry while knowing that they are staying around as part of your church family.  At Perkiomenville Mennonite Church (Perk for short), we were able to do this as we blessed Scott and Heather Roth for a new ministry with Young Life in the Upper Perkiomen Valley.

Scott Roth shares at Fall Assembly 2018.

Scott’s ministry in the Upper Perk Valley has taken many forms, from teen center and bike shop manager to thrift store director.  He has also been the associate pastor for Perk for the last five years.  Through it all, Scott’s heart for Upper Perk is well known, in the Valley as well as the church. 

As a church, Perk has benefited from Scott’s unconventional approach to ministry.  While we have some of the typical church programs for youth, Scott has also used his connections in Upper Perk to create on-going service projects.  He also used an online platform to connect kids in deeper exploration of faith themes.  But Scott felt there was a work he was called to outside of the “traditional church.”

Scott began to sense that God might be opening a new avenue of ministry; that avenue presented itself as Young Life.  Young Life is a national ministry aimed at engaging teenagers with the good news of Jesus through weekly club meetings, Bible studies and camp.  Young Life leaders first engage students in their own spaces—like clubs and sports—and invite them to join the weekly meetings when they are ready.

Scott worked with a group of volunteers to start the club portion of the program in the fall of 2017, but he began to feel he could be doing more.  Through a season of prayer and discernment with family, friends, and other associates, Scott pursued becoming a full-time missionary with Young Life.  His status with Young Life was confirmed in October of 2018.

Scott and Heather Roth are blessed by Perkiomenville leadership and Franconia Conference Leadership Minister Noel Santiago.

On December 16, 2018, Perk Church used part of the morning worship service to affirm and bless Scott and Heather for their past ministry and the new venture.  Different people of various ages spoke of Scott’s unique way of pushing their boundaries.  Scott shared how much Perk Church has blessed his family and how they are glad to remain as part of the congregation.  Together we celebrated Scott’s testing of our comfort zones and blessed them as a couple who were now stretching their own comfort with this new venture.

While Scott’s role at Perk has concluded, the Roths (including children Rowan and Ashlyn) will still call Perk their church home.  Scott noted that he will soon be a youth parent as Rowan will transition into the youth group after this school year.  The church is also part of his financial support team.  Knowing Scott, the partnership of Young Life and Perk Church will soon extend to helping new students and families engage and enter God’s kingdom and find new life in Christ.

Prayer for Assembly

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by Noel Santiago, Leadership Minister for Missional Transformation

As we come upon our time for Conference Assembly, we are focused on being one in the Spirit in the bond of peace.

I believe Jesus would be looking forward to this weekend with anticipation of his prayer being answered in John 17. 

In this passage, he has prayed for himself, his disciples and then for all those who will believe – this includes you and me. After praying for his disciples Jesus goes on to pray these words, they may be His word for us this weekend:

I’m praying not only for them but also for those who will believe in me because of them and their witness about me. The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind— Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, So they might be one heart and mind with us. Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me. The same glory you gave me, I gave them, so they’ll be as unified and together as we are— I in them and you in me. Then they’ll be mature in this oneness, and give the godless world evidence that you’ve sent me and loved them In the same way you’ve loved me.

– John 17:20- 23 MSG

May we find that Jesus’ prayer continues to be answered as we gather together in the Spirit and in peace.