Philadelphia Praise Center

A New Chapter: Philadelphia Praise Center Dedicates PAX Center

November 21, 2024 by Cindy Angela

by Cindy Angela

On a sunny fall afternoon in South Philadelphia, the streets around 18th and Wolf Streets were buzzing with excitement. The energetic sound of Indonesian praise music filled the air as people filled the main sanctuary of the renovated building of PAX Center, the new home for Philadelphia (PA) Praise Center (PPC). About 200 congregation members attended PAX Center’s building dedication service on October 26, 2024.

Earlier that day, PPC hosted an open house to invite the community to tour the historic space—formerly home to Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church—and explore all the building has to offer.

‘Pax’ means peace in Latin, and it is exactly PPC’s hope for the building.

“We want to bring light in the darkness, bring hope to the hopeless, and to bring peace to the entire community,” shares PPC Senior Pastor Aldo Siahaan.

The building serves as a worship space for the PPC congregation, and PPC also hopes that PAX Center can be a blessing to other organizations and the neighborhood. Along with PPC’s activities, PAX Center is already being used by a Spanish-speaking congregation, gamelan (Indonesian traditional music) practice by a local organization, a preschool, as well as hosting other community events.

Every Sunday, the first floor of the parsonage is transformed into PAX Cafe, a welcoming pay-as-you-wish café open to everyone in the community.

For 18 years, PPC had worshipped in a building on McKean Street in South Philadelphia. As the congregation grew in size, it had become evident that they were outgrowing the space.

In 2023, through Mosaic Conference’s Executive Minister, Stephen Kriss, PPC learned that this historic property on 18^th Street was for sale. After a long process, PPC was finally able to acquire the building in July 2024.

Executive Minister Stephen Kriss and Mosaic Conference received an appreciation gift. Kriss also delivered the message during the building dedication service. Photo by Haris Tjio.

“We are very grateful for Mosaic staff and board members who walked with us faithfully during the entire process until we finally got the mortgage and closed on the building,” reflected Siahaan.

Within three months of purchasing the 200-year-old building, PPC completed several renovations to accommodate the needs of the congregation. PPC now has space for two services, a youth service, and three Sunday School classes every Sunday.

“An overcrowded space is no longer an issue and now we can truly focus on discipleship,” said Siahaan.

Cindy Angela

Cindy Angela is the Director of Communication for Mosaic Conference. She attends Philadelphia (PA) Praise Center, and she lives in Philadelphia with her husband, Andy, and son, Noah.

Supporting Indonesian Families of Children with Disabilities in Philadelphia

March 14, 2024 by Cindy Angela

by Hendy Matahelemual

Amid Philadelphia’s hustle and bustle, an extraordinary initiative has emerged that aims to be an information and support hub for families with children with disabilities. This project, known as the Indonesia Cares for Children with Special Needs (PIPA) Project, was initiated by three inspiring women: Britannia Worotikan, Ernie Budy, and Lusiana Soegianto. They unite their strength and passion to provide support for Indonesian immigrant families with children with disabilities living in Philadelphia.

The PIPA project is rooted in Britannia Worotikan’s personal experience. After the COVID-19 pandemic, Britannia taught in a preschool that had children with disabilities. She has a certificate in teaching special education. From that experience, Britannia realized that access to resources and support for children with disabilities is abundant in Philadelphia. After consulting with Pastor Aldo Siahaan (Philadelphia [PA] Praise Center [PPC]), Britannia took the initiative to form a community that could provide support for Indonesian immigrant families in Philadelphia.

During her journey, Britannia met Lusiana Soegianto and Ernie Budy, two women who have experience and a deep understanding of the needs of children with disabilities. Not only do they have personal experience as parents, Ernie and Lusiana have also worked at Elwyn, an early intervention organization for children with autism, and intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Children activities. Photo from PIPA’s Facebook Page.

Although the pandemic delayed their plans, PIPA persisted. They launched PIPA with their first meeting in March 2023. They meet every month, covering topics according to the needs of the group, such as education, legal issues, benefits, transition to adulthood, and preparation for college.

One of the obstacles faced by immigrant families with children with disabilities is language barriers. Many have difficulty accessing information or getting support from the city government. PIPA seeks to remove those barriers by providing support, liaising between families, and teaching that children with disabilities are not taboo or shameful.

Apart from their monthly meetings, PIPA also provides a WhatsApp group which offers 24/7 support, and a Facebook group to promote communication and connection. With support from PPC, PIPA is open to anyone, with an approach that is more community-oriented than faith-based.

One of the education class in PIPA. Photo from PIPA’s Facebook Page.

PIPA’s existence at PPC means that more families with children with disabilities feel comfortable bringing their children to Sunday school. This increases disability awareness within the PPC community.

When asked about PIPA’s vision and goals, Worotikan stated, “To educate and increase awareness. There are 13 categories of special needs, and we can share the knowledge we have with each other.”

PIPA’s monthly meeting in Philadelphia Praise Center.

Budy added, “I hope this group can be sustainable and continue to support each other as needs grow in our community.”

With a strong spirit and determination, PIPA brings hope and enlightenment as a support for families in Philadelphia who have children with disabilities.

“We must give back to the community what we have learned. By sharing knowledge and information in the Indonesian language, we can help each other,” said Soegianto.

Hendy Matahelemual

Hendy Matahelemual is the Associate Minister for Community Engagement for Mosaic Conference. Hendy Matahelemual was born and grew up in the city of Bandung, Indonesia. Hendy lives in Philadelphia with his wife Marina and their three boys, Judah, Levi and Asher.

Just Eat the Food

August 25, 2022 by Conference Office

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.

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.

Pieces From Back Home

May 26, 2022 by Conference Office

When I moved from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Philadelphia, PA, I was worried that I would become out of touch with my Indonesian culture. However, I was delighted by the richness of the Indonesian community in Philadelphia. I had no issues finding Indonesian pantry ingredients, Indonesian restaurants, and even an Indonesian congregation.

I always knew that I wanted to be a part of a community, and I was looking for a church that I could grow and thrive in. Philadelphia Praise Center (PPC) was the first congregation that I attended after arriving in Philadelphia, and I have been there for almost a decade. Through this church, I was introduced to the idea of being a Mennonite and to Anabaptist values. I was baptized in the church’s basement in 2016.

PPC is one of the many Indonesian congregations in Mosaic Conference. Outside of PPC, there are two other Indonesian congregations in South Philadelphia, as well as others in New York and California. It was only after I started working for Mosaic Conference that I realized that there are Mennonites in Indonesia, and I’m elated that the Mennonite World Conference Assembly in 2022 will be in Semarang, Indonesia.

Although I was transformed and changed after my decision of following Christ, I never felt like I needed to shed my Indonesian culture or completely reinvent my identity. I feel welcome to carry my history, background, and culture along with me on my journey with Christ. And now, I would like to share some things that I treasure from the Indonesian culture that I still carry with me every day.

“Bhinekka Tunggal Ika”

“Bhinekka Tunggal Ika” is Indonesia’s motto. It meant “unity in diversity” in the Kawi language.

My husband and I are both from Indonesia, but I can speak a totally different language that he wouldn’t understand. While Bahasa Indonesia is the national language of Indonesia, there are over 300 native languages in Indonesia. There are many people in the country that can speak a second, or even third, language. I learned Bahasa Jawa (Javanese), when I was growing up.

More than language, we can see the multifaceted parts of Indonesia reflected through cuisines, customs, traditions, or even “batik” from different regions and ethnic groups. And these differences are seen as beautiful and are what unites us. I was reminded of the passage from Romans that spoke similarly about this:

“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” (Rom. 12:4-5, ESV)

“Gotong Royong”

Indonesia has a very communal culture, from the way we make decisions to the way we do things. In Bahasa Indonesia, “gotong royong,” is frequently used. The word “gotong” means “to carry” and “royong” means “together/with many people.”

“Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2, ESV)

“Gotong royong” teaches me that we need to help each other to survive and is a great way to show Christ’s love to others.

“Buah Tangan”

As a little girl, my mom taught me to never arrive empty handed. In Indonesia culture, whenever we visit someone, we always bring something, “oleh-oleh,” (small gifts) or “buah tangan,” (the fruit of the hand).

It can be a kitchen magnet or a food item. “Oleh-oleh/buah tangan” shows that you remembered someone and wanted to share a bit of your experience with them.

Just like the fruit of the Spirit, we can instill love, joy, peace, and kindness in others through the “fruit” of our hands.

These practices have been a part of the Indonesian culture for a long time, and I am grateful for this opportunity to share some pieces from back home. It was no coincidence that this world is woven together by so many different cultures and languages, and I am looking forward to how God will continue to transform and unite us through our differences.

The full version of this article appeared in MC USA’s blog and is used here by permission.

Responding to the Need in Indonesia, Regardless of Religion

September 16, 2021 by Conference Office

The church knows no geographical boundaries. When there is a call for help from across the globe, as a church, we are called to act. When the second wave of the pandemic hit Indonesia where vaccines are still limited, Mosaic congregations rose to action.

Four Mosaic churches, Salford (Harleysville, PA) Mennonite Church, Philadelphia (PA) Praise Center, Jemaat Kristen Indonesian Anugerah (JKIA) (Sierra Madre, CA), and International Worship Church (IWC) (San Gabriel, CA), raised funds to assist with needs related to the pandemic in Indonesia. Together the churches raised over $17,000. Through a Missional Operations Grant, Mosaic Conference gave an additional $15,000. Altogether $32,937.32 was sent to Indonesia through JKI Anugerah, to support vaccination programs and humanitarian aid.

A fundraising effort collected funds for Semarang City and Makassar, Indonesia to be distributed by JKI, a Mennonite organization in Indonesia. JKI began a free vaccination program in June 2021. The vaccines were provided for free from the Indonesian government, but the funds raised contributed to the facility costs, workers’ wages, and meals. To read more, click here.

Boarding school students are vaccinated in Indonesia through the free vaccine initiative, supported in part through Mosaic churches and Conference. Photo provided by JKI Injil Kerajaan.

“The free vaccine initiative and aid toward the marginalized community that was impacted by the Covid 19 Pandemic is very strategic ministry for the church; this way the church can be salt and light to the community”, said Pastor Virgo Handojo of JKIA.

Hanah Sinjaya, the head of YABBM foundation, almost gave up on helping those in need in Indonesia, because she couldn’t afford the costs needed to run the free vaccine clinic and offer humanitarian aid. Thanks to the moral and financial support through this initiative, the free vaccinations program and humanitarian assistance continue to run today, reaching to the narrow alleys where many people live in the city of Makassar.

On Monday, August 30, 2021, Mosaic funds helped vaccinate 423 people from two Islamic Boarding school in Indonesia. Each person was also provided a free lunch, mask, gloves, vitamins and groceries to take to their home. In a country where 87% of the population is Muslim, the initiative offered a show of support and solidarity with all persons.

“Today, God has a unique way of gathering us all. A Pastor and a Kyai (an expert in Islam) stand together, side by side, so we can all be healthy. In the midst of the danger of Islamic Radicalism that wants to use the Taliban victory as a weapon of influence, today we show something different to spread goodness and unity”, said Gus Nuril Arifin, Head of Soko Tunggal, Islamic boarding school.

“…today we show something different to spread goodness and unity.”

– Gus Nuril Arifin

Painting Tiles at a Mosaic Youth Event

June 10, 2021 by Cindy Angela

On Saturday, June 5, several youth groups from Mosaic congregations gathered at Philadelphia (PA) Praise Center for a youth gathering involving games, art, and spiritual input.

The genesis of this event was found in some blank ceramic tiles and paint that were donated to the Mosaic Office last fall. The tiles and paint eventually found their way to Jenna and Emmanuel Villatoro (Youth Pastors of Philadelphia Praise Center). The Villatoros wanted to create a joint youth event with other local youth from Mosaic Conference and anticipated using the tiles and paint as one of the activities.

Including Philadelphia Praise Center, who hosted, youth from Centro de Alabanza (South Philadelphia, PA), Ripple (Allentown, PA), and Whitehall Mennonite Church (Whitehall, PA) attended the event.

The gathering started with high energy as participants played a rousing game of “Never have I ever” and other ice-breaking activities. Hendy Matahelemual, of Mosaic Conference, continued the activities with a short reflection about being the salt and light of the world.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent with a painting lesson, led by Donna Backues, a local artist. Backues encouraged the youth to paint the tiles using themes of fire, flames, and water, to represent Pentecost, the Holy Spirit, and baptism.

The finished tiles were then baked in hot ovens to set the artwork. The tiles will be transported to the Mosaic Office in Lansdale, PA to be used as coasters.

Watch the video to learn more about the festivities!

Young Adults Take Lead in Times of Trouble

October 1, 2020 by Conference Office

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.

Rooted in Indonesia, Growing in God

September 24, 2020 by Conference Office

by Jennifer Svetlik, Salford congregation

“I’ve always been interested in creative work, in making things. It is how I spend much of my free time,” shares Cindy Angela, Digital Communications Associate for Mosaic Mennonite Conference. “When this job opportunity became available, I believed it was God’s calling.”

In early September, Angela began in this new role, which includes managing the conference’s digital communications, such as creating content for and updating the website and social media channels. It also includes video editing, graphic design, and coordinating the translation of documents. Because Mosaic Conference operates in many languages, including Chinese, English, Indonesian, Spanish and Vietnamese, ensuring that communications are accurately translated is an important ongoing project.

“I am looking forward to working in many mediums to share the stories of Mosaic Conference,” says Angela. “Most recently I worked as a graphic designer and in marketing. Having the opportunity to work on a wider scope of projects, including video editing, writing, and translation will be energizing.”

Angela is originally from Indonesia and moved to Philadelphia, PA to study Communications at Temple University. She found it difficult to adapt as an international student. But, when she found Philadelphia Praise Center (PPC), a Mosaic Conference congregation, where many other Indonesians attend, she felt incredibly blessed.

“When I moved to America, I didn’t want to leave my homeland behind,” recalls Angela. “The PPC community became a home away from home for me. I was able to stay connected to my home culture but also be connected to other cultures, languages, and worship styles,” Angela reflects. “PPC connects me to my roots, but God has also allowed me to grow there.”

Previously Angela worked as a Summer Service Worker at PPC through Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), which helped her connect to the broader Anabaptist family and gain deeper clarity around Mennonite beliefs. Now Angela is very involved at PPC and has worked as a graphic designer, multimedia coordinator, social media manager, and video editor for the church.

She met her husband, Andy, through her involvement as a singer on the praise and worship team. Cindy is from Surabaya, Indonesia, and Andy is from Jakarta. Though these cities are on the same Indonesian island, they are separated by 500 miles. “We would’ve never met if it weren’t for PPC,” Angela shares.

In her free time, Angela likes to cook Japanese, Korean, Thai, and Indonesian food. Sometimes she cooks US American foods, like pulled pork and coleslaw. She also plays the ukulele and collects board games.

Angela hosts two podcasts, one in Indonesian with her husband, where they share about their experience as immigrants to the U.S. The other one is in English, with her friend who is learning Bahasa Indonesian.

Over the past seven years of her journey in the United States, Angela has seen and felt God taking care of her. “I always give 100% of myself and I let God do the rest. This is how I moved to a new country, this is how I got this job, and it is how I live my life,” she reflects.