Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Perkiomenville Mennonite Church

Perk Up in Prayer

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by Paula Marolewski

If you google, “why prayer meetings are dying,” you will find plenty of reasons: lack of variety, lack of leadership, lack of participation, lack of enthusiasm, and more. Prayer meetings can become “same old, same old” and die the death of attrition. Yet prayer is our personal and corporate connection to our sovereign God. Prayer meetings should be a wellspring of life within each local church. 

Perk Up in Prayer, the weekly prayer meeting at Perkiomenville (PA) Mennonite Church, is full of energy and excitement. Several factors have contributed to the vibrance of this prayer meeting. Perhaps other congregations will find some of these practices helpful in their own prayer meetings. 

Kingdom Focus 

Perk Up in Prayer springs from and aligns with the kingdom-focused vision, mission, and goals of the prayer ministry at Perk.  Perkiomen Mennonite desires to be a congregation  

where vibrant prayer drives the kingdom of God forward in our lives, our church, our community, and our world.  The prayer ministry’s mission is to provide opportunities for teaching and mentoring in prayer to help people know God better and love God more.    

Perk Up in Prayer allows people to be involved regularly in at least one opportunity for corporate prayer and helps them to learn to be comfortable with praying together.  It also expands people’s concepts of prayer to embrace a kingdom mindset. 

Varied Approach 

Each Perk Up in Prayer meeting is unique because we vary the topical focus, the methods of prayer, and the specific components for each evening. The combinations offer an infinite number of possibilities for prayer meetings. 

In general, we have found that the energy and engagement level of the meeting is best maintained by structuring the evening in 10–15 minute blocks of time. For example, we might start with 10 minutes of worship, and then spend 15 minutes sharing and praying about the needs of the church.  We may turn to sharing about an attribute of God for 15 minutes and then move to 10 minutes of silent reflection and prayer about that attribute. We conclude with 10 minutes of corporate prayer focused on that attribute. 

Diverse Leadership and Spiritual Sensitivity 

Having a team of people who are willing to lead meetings provides both diversity and sustainability to Perk Up in Prayer.  

A principle for leaders to always keep in mind is to go with the flow of the Spirit. Leaders plan and prepare as good stewards, but they should remain sensitive to the leading of the Spirit. Leaders need to be willing to make changes on the fly to respond to the need and insight of the moment.  

For example, if a person comes with deep pain, it is important to take time then and there to pray for that person. Or, if a group discussion reveals that a certain burden is on everyone’s heart, scrap the plan for the evening and pray for that burden.  Being sensitive to the movement of the Spirit is essential to any prayer meeting. 

How are prayer meetings helpful? 

One Perk Up in Prayer participant finds the prayer meetings corporately enriching. “As we gather weekly for prayer time, we’re learning more about humbling ourselves before God and each other, praying with expectation, seeking the face of God, and repenting of sin,” says Dennis Detweiler.  Others are grateful for increased personal and spiritual strength.  

For Sarah McCarthy, the meetings are “refreshing and help me get through the week with a thankful heart.”  We encourage churches to find creative ways to enliven and deepen their prayer life. 

Paula Marolewski

Paula Marolewski leads the prayer ministry at Perkiomenville (PA) Mennonite Church. She writes faith-centered blogs, Bible studies, and fiction, all of which are available at www.prismaticjoy.com.

When One Year Becomes 31 Years

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Charlie Ness once joked that he would not take on any more interim pastorates.  The two churches he served in this manner became long-term ministries, most recently at Perkiomenville (PA) Mennonite Church.  In 1990, Charlie, with his wife, Janet, accepted a one-year call to be the interim pastor.  They stayed 31 years.  At the end of 2020, Charlie “retired” from ministry, formally ending his time as a staff pastor at Perkiomenville (“Perk”). 

During their 31 years, Charlie and Janet had a front row seat to God’s work in growing the congregation.  In that time, the church physically moved locations, from a property on Deep Creek Road to the main road in Perkiomenville, Gravel Pike (Highway 29).  The move accommodated the church’s growth as established members welcomed new families into the congregation.  They also worked with people who came from broken backgrounds, introducing them to healing and hope in Christ.  

Charlie and Janet have seen many changes in ministry and worship styles in their time. But many would agree that the constant amidst those changes are Charlie’s heart for evangelism and Janet’s gift of hospitality.  Many Perk members benefited from Janet’s home-cooked meals, whether at their table or delivered to their homes.  The once-a-month “JOY lunch” is a staple gathering for the seniors, where Janet and her team prepare a meal, and Charlie coordinates a theme or speaker.

Charlie’s influence extends beyond the church.  He helped form Liberty Ministries to help men released from jail find a new start.  This ministry came about from Charlie’s visits to Graterford prison to lead Bible studies.  Charlie has also been a member and president of the Upper Perkiomen Ministerial Association, serving as an advocate and coordinator for mission work.  He is also the driving force for Men’s Encounter, a weekend program where men are challenged to deepen their walk with God and choose God’s ways of living.

Charlie and Janet Ness enter the celebration of their 31 years of ministry at Perkiomenville Mennonite Church. Photos by Mike Spinelli and Melanie Baker.
An Open House to celebrate Charlie and Janet Ness at Butter Valley Golf Port on April 11, 2021. Photos by Mike Spinelli and Melanie Baker.
Janet & Charlie Ness with missionaries, Bob and Bonnie Stevenson, of Mexico City. Photos by Mike Spinelli and Melanie Baker.

To honor Charlie and Janet Ness for their years of ministry and God’s faithfulness through them, Perkiomenville congregation hosted an open house on the afternoon of April 11, 2021. Earlier that day, Missionary Bob Stevenson preached at a celebratory worship service.  Stevenson was one of many men Charlie influenced through the prison ministry.  Stevenson now oversees a network of churches and church plants in and around Mexico City.

Charlie and Janet’s ministry is not truly ending.  Charlie serves as an interim associate pastor at Towamencin (PA) Mennonite Church.  Charlie will also continue his work with Men’s Encounter.  Perkiomenville Mennonite Church has established a fund to enable Charlie to continue to do the ministry God calls him to do.  

But Charlie is very clear on one thing: his interim work will not lead to another long-term pastorate.

Hospitality & COVID-19

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by Charles Ness & Lauren Ness, Perkiomenville (PA) congregation

While COVID-19 restrictions are challenging and severely limit worship services and fellowship, they also provide interesting opportunities.  How does one use their gift of hospitality to serve others while practicing social distancing?  

Perkiomenville (PA) Mennonite Church struggled with this dilemma.  The church hosts a monthly luncheon for older adults called “JOY” (Just Older Youth).  A home-cooked meal is served, followed by a program of music, a speaker, and fellowship. It is attended by members of the church and the surrounding community.

The April JOY gathering was cancelled due to COVID-19.  Janet Ness thoroughly enjoys making the food and knows that the members of JOY look forward to the meal.  Therefore, she decided to make the meal and deliver it to the church members who typically attend JOY events.  With the assistance of Tonya Ayars, Dawn Noel, and Pastor Mike Spinelli, over 50 meals were made and delivered.  The meals were received with much joy and appreciation.  

In May, meals were again prepared.  This time people wanted to come by the church building and pick it up.  There was much rejoicing as they came by in their cars and were given their meals.

Older members of Perkiomenville Mennonite Church drive up to receive their JOY meal in May & June. Photo provided by Charlie Ness

In June, Janet wanted to also include meals for those regular JOY attenders who were not church members.  As a result, 57 people came by the church to get their meals.  

This act of kindness during a time of restricted mobility blessed both the recipients as well as those making the meals.  Because of restrictions, most older adults were not going out and could not go to restaurants to eat.  This homemade meal was a welcome treat.  As they came through the car line, there were many expressions of gratitude and many said they were very happy to see others again.  

Another creative opportunity for sharing during the pandemic occurred cross culturally, with our sisters in Christ in Mexico. The Perkiomenville congregation supports the ministry of Bob and Bonnie Stevenson, pastors of the Promised Land Church in Monte Maria, Mexico. One of their mission churches is located in the village of Jilotzingo, about 4 hours northeast of Mexico City.  The farmers of that area grow coffee and many kinds of fruit. 

In May, Bonnie Stevenson contacted Charlie Ness. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, the Mexican farmers in Jilotzingo were having difficulty selling their blueberry crop.  Bonnie asked if we might be able to make a video to teach the Mexican women ways to preserve the blueberries, such as blueberry jam. 

(R-L) Kaitlin Freed, Rita Hoover, and Janet Ness prepare blueberry jam for their YouTube video. Photo provided by Charlie Ness

Rita Hoover, Janet Ness, and Kaitlin Freed created a video, offering instruction on how to make blueberry jam and how to can blueberries using a hot water bath.  This was uploaded to a YouTube channel for the women in Mexico to access. 

The women in Mexico responded with excitement and gratitude, for not only the instruction, but for the evidence of God’s care and provision. The result was a cross-cultural ministry experience between women teaching other women how to make jam and provide for their families. The jams were then sold in the city, providing income for the women and their families.

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.”

Congregational Profile: Perkiomenville Mennonite Church

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by Mike Spinelli, pastor

Perkiomenville Mennonite Church Meetinghouse. Photo by Charlie Ness

In 1935, seeds of faith planted on the edge of the Upper Perkiomen Valley took root. The harvest resulted in Perkiomenville Mennonite Church, a now 200-person congregation seeking to live out the same call to plant seeds in places near to home and around the world.

God used Clayton Godshall from Franconia, a feed truck driver, to scatter the seeds that would become Perk.  Clayton’s route brought him to Perkiomenville, PA where he saw no church meeting or other spiritual life.  With the help of Abram Metz and Isaac Alderfer, a Sunday school was formed and soon a church began meeting in a rented farmhouse on Deep Creek Road, about a mile from the current church meetinghouse on Gravel Pike (Route 29).

Others caught the vision and joined these men and their families in various “seed-scattering” ventures such as teaching Sunday school, Vacation Bible School, and distributing of printed “good news” papers.  The early hope was to concentrate on the children and then reach the parents. 

Perk’s first called pastor was Abram Metz, who served the congregation for 30 years beginning in 1944.  Four other pastors have served in either a solo or lead role since then – Stanley Godshall, Richard Moyer, Charles Ness, and Michael Spinelli.  Associate ministers have been used from time to time for focused ministry and include Lamar Ness, John Ayars, Dennis Detweiler, and Scott Roth.

Having fun together at a church day retreat. Photo by Tammy Snyder

Today, Perk is a gathering of people from various communities who come from all directions of the compass.  While several families attend from Perkiomenville and Green Lane, people also drive the roads from places like Alburtis, Upper Perk, Hatfield, Telford, Limerick, and Schwenksville. This leads us to encourage people to see themselves as sent to minister in the places where they live.

Perk also continues to live out its seed-scattering DNA by encouraging people to live as people sent to the world.  In recent years, Charlie Ness has taken work crews and ministry teams to Mexico to help the Monte Maria Church in its mission through meetinghouse construction, prayer ministry, and teaching in their school of ministry.  Monte Maria is pastored by Franconia missionaries Bob and Bonnie Stevenson.

Another outgrowth of Perk’s ministry is Men’s Encounter, a weekend gathering held twice a year where men come and hear teaching on walking with Christ, purity in relationships, building strong families, and working through personal issues.  Many men over the last five years have found freedom in Christ and are continuing to grow in that freedom.

Funnel cake makers at Upper Perk’s 4th of July Celebration. Proceeds fund mission trips and projects. Photo by Janet Ness.

Perk has several traditional gatherings such as a Family Fun Day, which opens our doors to our community, a Christmas banquet, and our regular worship services.  We also work to stay connected to the Upper Perk Valley through a pastor’s prayer group and ministerial association. There is the ever-present challenge of shaping our congregational activities to gather as the people of God and minister while scattered in our various neighborhoods.

Perk Church continues to dream about its ability to plant seeds in a world of change.  Our stated purpose is, “Inspiring people to follow Jesus.”  While our message is still the same, we recognize that our world has changed, becoming less inspired by the message of the church.  We would love to see that turned around and with the help of God’s Holy Spirit, we will see a new harvest of believers here in Perkiomenville.

Prayer requests for Perk:

  • Pray that we will live up to our calling as the people of God and inspire others to follow Jesus.
  • Pray for wisdom and discernment as we search for a new associate pastor.
  • Pray for wisdom for the implementation of ministry initiatives in 2020.

The God of Many Chances

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by Mike Spinelli, Perkiomenville congregation

Mike & Cheryl Spinelli

You might think I am crazy because I sat in the snow to pray or because I claim to hear from God.  On the first count, you probably have a point.  On the second, I will simply say it is never crazy to say someone can hear God speaking.

In March 1982, I was a high school senior preparing to choose a college.  I sat on a big rock outside my cabin at winter camp.  There was snow all around and it was cold, but it didn’t matter.  God and I were meeting.  I thought about going into education, but another vocation was pulling at me.  As I sat, I simply spoke into the air, “God, do you want me to be a pastor?”

And as clearly as I could hear the creek below me and the wind in the trees, the answer came back inside my gut, “Yes.”

That moment set the direction of my life.  Rather than pursue teaching, I enrolled at Fresno Pacific College (now University) and almost immediately declared a Contemporary Ministries major.

I want to say that God made it clear how the way forward would proceed, but he didn’t.  Part of that is simply due to my youthful over-confidence.  I was called to ministry and I knew how that would play out.  If I had taken a meeting with God about the plan while I was on that rock, maybe he would have been clearer about what I faced.

As it was, there was much work the Lord wanted—and needed—to do to grow maturity and humility in me.  When I graduated from college, I entered a Mennonite Brethren service program that placed Christian workers in churches that could not afford them.  In that two-year stint as a youth pastor, I failed spectacularly.  I was more of a program person than a pastor.  I worked at technique more than relationships.  I thought the kids would flock to my program if it was good.  I missed what it took to build community.  And I did not take seriously that I was still learning to be pastor.  I thought I had the answers.

Fortunately, we serve a God of second—and third—chances.  Through the help of friends and the work of God’s Holy Spirit in me, I stopped trying to prove my competence and learned to love people and help them engage with Jesus more deeply.  I learned my worth is not in my title, but in being a child of God.  I have made it my mission to love, serve, and lead like Jesus and help others to do the same.

The road from being that overconfident young grad to today has never really become straight.  There have been victories that confirm what I heard on that rock and challenges that left me questioning if it was a limited time offer.  But I have seen the Lord confirm time and again where he wants me to be.  I also continue to learn what it means to hear his voice and follow his lead.

Our most recent move is one of those confirmation stories.  In 2016, I was at a crossroads, forced to decide about future employment.  As my wife Cheryl and I looked, it just so happened that a church in rural Pennsylvania was looking for a pastor.  Other doors closed, yet this one somehow stayed open.  Now we call this place home and I serve Perkiomenville congregation as lead pastor. 

I believe in praying in the snow and listening for the God who speaks.  I thank God for his great patience with me as I stumbled into this call to pastoral ministry.  I feel assured that there is more happening around me than I know and that God will continue to use me for his purposes as I follow his lead.

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.