Mosaic Mennonites

Missional - Intercultural - Formational

Salford Mennonite Church

Where Should Our Offering Go?  

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Children Decide via Consensus

by Jennifer Svetlik

In April, the elementary Sunday School classes at Salford (Harleysville, PA) Mennonite Church spent several weeks learning about decision-making via consensus. Then, they used the consensus method to decide where to dedicate the children’s offering that has been collected since last September. 

During the pandemic, the congregation had stopped passing offering baskets. When basket collections were brought back last fall, the worship team invited children and youth to serve as ushers. These same ushers then separate all the coins and one-dollar bills from the offering to serve as a children’s offering. 

During the Sunday School classes, the students learned that consensus decision-making differs from voting because instead of the majority winning, the desires and needs of the whole group are considered. 

One participant shares his thoughts while holding the “talking rock” while another participant listens attentively. Photo by Jill Drummond.

The students first practiced deciding via consensus about what snack to have.  There were three possible snack choices. It took almost the whole class time, but once the group came to a consensus, it was the most creative snack ever served during Sunday School! 

Then the group learned about three different local Conference-Related Ministries (CRM): Bike and Sol (East Greenville, PA), Crossroads Community Center (Philadelphia), and Ripple Community Building Center (Allentown, PA). They looked at photos, websites, and videos showing the impact of the work of each ministry. Then the children talked about which ministry should receive the offering. The conversations about this were extensive because each ministry does such good work.  

Participants raise a colored card to indicate whether they agree with the proposal (green) or that they can “live with it” (yellow). Photo by Jill Drummond.

Some students had given or purchased bikes at Bike and Sol and were able to speak first-hand about the work. Some students were moved by the welcoming space and the art therapy that is offered at Ripple’s Community Building Center. Other students, convicted about the prevalence of gun violence and that all kids and youth should have safe places to play and hang out, passionately advocated for Crossroads Community Center. 

In the end, the group decided to split the money three ways. This was hard for some students who felt like a particular group was doing the most important work, but it was a way to include everyone’s interests. 

The whole process took two and a half class sessions. “We learned that consensus decision making takes a lot longer than voting! But it felt good because everyone felt included,” one participant shared. 

“Being able to be the ones to decide where this money goes felt really important,” another student shared. 

Observing these children learn, listen well to each other, and creatively generate solutions was a real joy and a unique faith formation opportunity. 

Some of the guidelines used in the Salford children’s decision-making process. Photo by Jill Drummond.

Jennifer Svetlik

Jennifer Svetlik (she/her) directs children’s education and justice Initiatives at Salford Mennonite Church and works in fundraising and marketing for Roots of Justice. She and her partner Sheldon have two young children and live in Lansdale, PA.

Practicing Peace with Children

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By Jennifer Svetlik, Salford Mennonite Church

Children work on the peace banner throughout the week of Peace Camp. Photo by Jennifer Svetlik.

The year 2022 marks the 17th year of Salford Mennonite’s (Harleysville, PA) summer Peace Camp. Peace Camp grows out of Salford’s desire to include children in God’s mission of reconciliation all around us and in us. This past June nearly 60 campers from within and beyond the congregation joined for a week of practicing the peaceable way of Jesus while playing and working together. Salford’s Peace Camp is a free offering for the community for elementary-aged children, with youth engaged as junior counselors. 

Led by Romans 12:9-13 for the week, campers engaged in meaningful activities to foster awareness of self and others as beloved children of God, practice conflict resolution skills, learn about injustices, care for God’s creation, and cultivate confidence to work for peace through community-building, games, lessons, and art.  

Campers planted flowers on the grounds of the meetinghouse and also worked in the Salford Mennonite-Advent Lutheran garden, which yields about 10,000 pounds of produce that is donated to the community each year.  

A particular highlight of this year’s Peace Camp was the banner that the campers collaborated to create over three days. The art project was designed by Rachelle Moes and led by Brent Kissel. The banner features the words from Isaiah 2:4 along the border. The center features a silhouette of a broken rifle in a field with a tree growing from it and shovels along the sides. A batik method was used to create the outlines of the images and the text. Younger campers made tie-dyed, multilayered flowers that were attached to the tree.  

A close-up of the banner. Photo by Joe Landis.
This banner was created by the children during Salford’s Peace Camp in June and now hangs in the church sanctuary. Photo by Joe Landis.

The banner hung in the sanctuary during the celebration for families on the final night of Peace Camp and for worship the following Sunday. The banner was designed for Salford’s Gardening for Peace event that will be held on Saturday, September 24, 2022.  

Children learn about peaceful living through creation care. Photo by Angela Benner.
Children learn about peaceful living through creation care. Photo by Angela Benner. 

Gardening for Peace will feature Shane Claiborne and RAWtools forging a gun into a garden tool. Prior to the main event, tours of the Salford-Advent garden and workshops will be offered on gun violence, suicide prevention, food insecurity, prison reform, civil conversations, and more. Shane Claiborne will preach at Salford Mennonite Church on September 25. All are invited to spread the word and participate in this event. More information and registration are available here.

Jennifer Svetlik

Jennifer Svetlik (she/her) directs children’s education and justice Initiatives at Salford Mennonite Church and works in fundraising and marketing for Roots of Justice. She and her partner Sheldon have two young children and live in Lansdale, PA.

Responding to the Need in Indonesia, Regardless of Religion

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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.  

Photo provided by Britannia Worotikan.

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. 

Photo provided by JKI Injil Kerajaan.

“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

Photo provided by JKI Injil Kerajaan.

When COVID-19 Comes to Salford

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by Ashley Miller, Salford congregation

Ashley and Chris Miller (who attend Salford Mennonite Church in Harleyesville, PA) have been going through their own personal experience of COVID-19. Ashley began experiencing symptoms on March 15 and tested positive for the disease. Ashley has courageously and generously written about her experience.  

March 29, 2020

Chris & Ashley Miller and family

I am stepping outside of my comfort zone as I am not one to share on such public platforms. There is fear and mystery that surround COVID-19, and I’d like to share my family’s experience.

Two weeks ago, I started to feel sick with what I thought were flu-like symptoms. I felt tired, achy, low grade fever, chills, and an unrelenting headache. I lost my sense of smell. Within a few days I developed a cough and tightness in my chest which resulted in difficulty breathing. I also experienced a strange sensation that I can only describe as breathing shattered glass in my lungs. It was a very intense pain. I have asthma so some of the symptoms felt familiar to me. As the week went on, I realized my symptoms were getting worse instead of improving. After talking with my doctor, it was agreed that I’d be tested for the Flu, RSV, and COVID-19. I received negative results for the Flu and RSV. After waiting seven days, my test results for COVID-19 were POSITIVE. To my knowledge, I did not encounter anyone who had been exposed or who tested positive, so my case is one that is considered “community spread.”

At the onset of my symptoms, I began my isolation period. Despite our best efforts, both my husband Chris and daughter Ava developed symptoms. Their cases are considered presumed positive. Chris’ symptoms were similar to mine but fortunately milder. Ava began presenting with cold-like symptoms and some mild respiratory symptoms. Both are now doing well!

Throughout this experience, I was reminded to rely on my faith and to trust my intuition. As someone who can be anxious, fighting a sickness like this while isolating yourself from your family, doctors, and the world was/is incredibly hard on one’s mental health. I quickly became aware that I needed to utilize the strategies I often discuss with my clients. I turned off the news, limited my social media, and stopped researching “coronavirus.” I changed my mindset from one of fear to one of strength by focusing on healing. I listened to my body and allowed myself to be still, to rest, to heal.

When I initially received the COVID-19 test results, I was hoping for a sense of peace. I wasn’t prepared for the feelings of shame, guilt, and sadness that flooded me with hearing I tested positive. There is no “right’ way to feel; none of us have dealt with a pandemic before, but just as this pandemic has a beginning, there will be an end.

As we focus on our physical health, may we not lose sight of our mental wellness. My hope is that we allow ourselves to hold space for all of our feelings including those of grief, sadness, and fear that we may experience. Continue to find creative ways to connect with the people in your life. Please don’t be afraid to reach out for help.

I offer our story as a sign of hope. I continue to feel stronger each day and must remind myself to be patient as I move towards total healing. I continue to have symptoms which means that we will continue to follow the quarantine protocol but I look forward to moving out of my isolation room and giving my husband and kids a big hug and kiss.

Alternative Worship Approaches During Social-Distancing

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by Sue Conrad Howes, West Swamp congregation

Salford streams an abbreviated worship service. Photo by Steve Kriss

At the heart of congregational life is gathering for worship. In light of government warnings about the need for social distancing to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, many Eastern District & Franconia Conference congregations had to decide whether they should gather together on Sunday, cancel worship, or find alternative avenues to lead congregants.

For many, this meant finding ways to use technology to enhance their community worship. Facebook Live was a popular platform for many congregations. Salford congregation (Harleysville, PA) live streamed an abbreviated version of their worship service.  One goal was to keep things as “normal” as possible; “The person who led the Children’s Time came in and read the story from the usual Children’s Time bench,” said Pastor Beth Yoder.

Pastor Jessica Miller (Perkasie) holds “Virtual Church” from her dining room using Facebook Live.

Meanwhile, Perkasie (PA) congregation had a casual, 30-minute service on Facebook Live. “We read Psalm 23 together, lit candles, and recited our peace lamp litany, had a scripture reading, and sermon,” reported Jessica Miller, associate pastor. She shared that the sermon response invited people to get a drink of water in their homes, an opportunity that would not have been realistic in the church pews.

One advantage to using Facebook Live as a platform was that participants had the opportunity to join the worship service live, watch it later on Facebook, or watch the service later via a video link posted on the church website, which gave those who do not have a Facebook account an opportunity to view the video link.

Many pastors noted that the services were shorter than a typical Sunday. Josh Meyer of Franconia congregation (Telford, PA) commented, “The service was simple and brief: a welcome, a pastoral prayer, some announcements, Scripture, a meditation, and a closing … 38 minutes.”

Ambler’s Zoom gathering. Photo credit: Andrew Huth

Not every church could live stream their worship experience, so alternative options were given. Methacton (Norristown, PA) sent out a group email that included a virtual worship service.   Rocky Ridge (Quakertown, PA) put together a “virtual worship service” and a blog post for interaction.  Ambler (PA) congregation used online conferencing. “Zoom worked well, with 40-plus persons participating, including two former congregants now in other states,” said interim pastor Dorcas Lehman. “It felt different, lively, meditative, and well-appreciated.”

A big surprise was the consistent report that participation was higher than expected. Deep Run East reported that about four times as many people watched the Facebook Live worship service than attend a typical Sunday morning in-person worship. “I was surprised by the breadth of people who joined the worship experience,” commented Pastor Ken Burkholder, “including people from numerous states, mission workers in Honduras, and others who would not typically worship in person at Deep Run East.” Likewise, Salford reported that by noon, their service had received over 1000 views.

Many pastors and congregants noted that each platform seemed to offer a valued sense of community to each other, especially during this time of social distancing and unknown. Methacton’s pastor Sandy Drescher-Lehman, reflected, “We often talk about wanting to be a ’church without walls’ and this time we really did it!”

Even though the response far exceeded the expectations, there were still problems. Franconia’s worship crew arrived at church to find their internet was down.  Plains congregation (Hatfield, PA) planned to post a worship service video on their website by 10:30 am but discovered it took hours for the video to finish processing and uploading.

Another challenge was the obvious strangeness of leading a service in an empty auditorium or knowing how or where to make eye contact. Meyer commented, “So much of what happens during corporate worship is exactly that: corporate.  Without a gathered body, a number of our regular worship practices needed to be adjusted.”

Despite the challenges, last minute implementations, and new approaches to worship, most every church reported very positive experiences from congregants.  “Many expressed that being able to ‘gather’ in this way helped social solidarity, in a time when we are practicing social distancing,” said Lehman.

Congregational Profile: Salford Mennonite Church

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by Maria Hosler Byler, Associate Pastor for Youth and Family Faith Formation

In 2017 Salford Mennonite Church celebrated its 300 year anniversary, with the theme “Hope Meets History.” That phrase embodies the spirit of Salford: firmly grounded in our place and our story, with a willingness to embrace what’s to come. We are a joyful learning community eager to live and share the peaceable way of Jesus. Here are some of the ways we do this.

All-church retreat Dutch Blitz game

The first thing we hope you notice when you come into our congregation is our welcome and supportive presence. Salford has welcomed many who have had painful experiences in church and need a place to rest and heal. You will see and hear children in worship, both in the pews and leading the congregation. A few years ago, we adopted a welcoming statement that says: “We celebrate that all individuals are created in God’s image, in beauty and grace, no matter their age, gender, race, disability, ethnicity, or sexual orientation, and are welcome as members in our congregation.”

The garden

We also are a congregation that gives in many ways. We readily respond with gifts of support to needs around the world. Our sewing circle is one example of this; each month, 20-30 people, men and women of all ages, come together to quilt and knot comforters for Mennonite Central Committee. We partner with Advent Lutheran Church to tend a garden on our property, which provides produce for local food pantries and community centers. Salford members feel each other’s care and support in behind-the-scenes ways too – in providing meals, childcare, and accompaniment in hard times.

Doing art at Peace Camp

Salford is truly a learning community. Members of Salford have led and attended workshops through Better Angels, seeking to bridge the political divide. We have recently held trainings around racial conciliation and criminal justice, to help us discern how we follow Jesus in our specific place in the world. Workshops on the Enneagram have sparked lively conversations about our different motivations and ways of relating. Also, each summer we host Peace Camp, where kids explore Peace with Me, Peace with the Earth, and Peace with Others. Peace Camp participants include kids from within our congregation and even more from the local community.

All of these point to our continued desire for deeper relationship with God. As we are welcomed and welcome others, we can more deeply experience God’s presence with us. Our worship is rooted in Anabaptist tradition, but it’s also attuned to our modern context; when you worship with us, you will experience rich four-part harmony and also earnest reflection about current events. That’s the tone that we seek to live out when we’re together and when we’re apart.

Some prayer requests:

  • For guidance for our search committee as we look for a new lead pastor. Pastor Joe Hackman’s role ended in early December, while pastors Beth Yoder and Maria Hosler Byler continue.
  • For wise and energetic discernment of our vision for the next phase of our life. We hope to grow in our pursuit of peace, justice, and reconciliation; our connection to our local community; and our prophetic witness.

Called as (Youth) Leaders

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by Heidi Swartley, Doylestown congregation, and Kate Hockman, Deep Run East congregation

Over the first weekend of September, we had the wonderful opportunity to attend  Franconia & Eastern District Conference’s youth leadership retreat. During this retreat we learned many lessons and met many people who we probably wouldn’t have met otherwise. It was a fantastic feeling to spend time with other people from separate churches in our conference who had the same willingness to lead. The weekend included a wonderful speaker, awesome team building exercises, and an overall feeling of excitement to learn and lead.

One of the first things we recognized on our retreat is just how hard leadership is. Showing up, being present, putting yourself out there, and trying with all of who you are, is taking a huge risk. Our doubt and fear will convince us that it is not a risk worth taking, and we are not the right people for the job. This doubt is a part of life. Our speaker for the weekend, Pastor Joe Hackman (Salford congregation), assured us that all leaders experience doubt—a reality we don’t often name or recognize. But as leaders, we do not stand alone, relying on our own strength.

Our theme for the weekend, “I Am Called”, grounded us in the confidence that we have been called: He will never leave us nor forsake us, and He will go with us as we work for the glory of His kingdom.

Scripture. As Pastor Joe talked to us about how we stay grounded in our faith in the midst of our doubt, he turned us to Scripture. The Bible tells the stories of many great spiritual leaders, who all grappled with doubt the same way we do today. Our theme verse from the weekend was 1 Timothy 4:12, in which Paul comforts Timothy in the midst of doubt over his young age. Timothy also had struggles with his family and his health, which likely contributed to the doubt. Jeremiah, in the Old Testament, tells the story of God using people, even in their doubt. God calls Jeremiah, and Jeremiah retreats into doubt saying: “I don’t know how…” and “I’m only….” Scripture not only tells us about the doubt of past leaders, but also provides verses of comfort and instruction in what to do with our doubt.

Values. Everybody has them, but sometimes it’s hard to tell what they are. Joe suggested saying the following statement. “If I took away___ from ___, they would cease to exist.” For example, If I took away empathy from Kate or love from Heidi, they would cease to exist. Identifying and knowing what your core values are is another way to handle our doubt. In order to identify our core values as leaders, we were given small cards with different values on them, values such as freedom, empathy, and helpfulness. After Pastor Joe told us to split our cards into different groups based on their importance, he asked us to pick three to five core values that were important to us. We realized that if we were ever experiencing doubt, we could fall back on the values that we picked. 

Community. Community is one of the most powerful ways to cope with doubt, and as Pastor Joe told us, “fear fears community.” In order to be a successful leader, we need to realize that somebody is always on our side. Our church community is always there to support us in any way they can, especially in times of doubt; they’re right there, cheering us on from the sidelines. Community helps to root us in the truth, in how truly loved, supported, and valued we are. Community is patient with us, in our fear, brokenness, and weakness. Seeing Christ’s love reflected in another’s love for us is a powerful thing. 

Overall, this experience taught us so much, and we are grateful we had the opportunity to go to this retreat. We learned so much about God and what it means to be a leader.

Justice, Mercy, Humility

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(Reprinted with permission from TheMennonite.org)

by Joy Sutter

At the end of service on the Dock Mennonite Academy Board of Trustees, each departing trustee receives a fraktur with a favorite Bible verse. Following my term, I was asked which verse I wanted on my fraktur, and I requested Micah 6:8: “What does the Lord require of you? To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Leadership requires much ongoing personal development, and Mennonite values of justice, mercy and humility are ones to incorporate into daily life. Authentic servanthood leadership is something to aspire to, but it takes perseverance, practice and resilience.

As the new moderator of Mennonite Church USA, I am looking forward to learning and growing as I serve in the church. I want to act justly, love mercifully and walk humbly with my God over the next two years. This is easier said than done, and all leaders in the church need grace for when they fail. Sometimes people with the best leadership potential say no to church leadership positions, afraid of failure and ultimately of criticism. We are missing out on the sharing of significant leadership gifts in the church.

Tom Yoder Neufeld, our speaker for the Bible studies during the Delegate Assembly at MennoCon19, proclaimed that “the church is a mess,” to which we replied, “Thanks be to God.” Messiness is part of any leadership journey and has the wonderful possibility to lead to new beginnings.

Even in the midst of our church messiness, I believe there is hope for the future. If we practice listening more than talking, if we continue to mentor our youth into leadership roles, and if we lead with a transparent spirit, our beloved Mennonite church will grow and thrive. Our words and actions as leaders matter a whole lot. Please provide prayerful and other kinds of support to our MC USA Executive Board staff, conference and constituency leaders, pastors and others who provide important leadership to our denomination.

My hope for the church is that the Spirit of God will continue to move in our midst as we all lead, grow and pray together. Practice listening more than talking. Practice being in difficult conversations with others. Practice hospitality and practice washing or spraying each other’s feet. Together our leadership can make a difference in MC USA.

Joy Sutter is moderator of Mennonite Church USA and a member of Salford congregation