Dear Church:

I’m away this weekend for a quick trip. Los Angeles Faith Chapel, a Mosaic Conference congregation, is having its annual church conference, and I’m leading at the ordination of Pastor Effiem Obasi, one of several pastors in the congregation.

A trip like this serves to remind me that Mosaic Mennonite Conference is not the same thing as the former Franconia Mennonite Conference. Our conference of churches, nonprofits, and partners in mission now total over 100 separate ministries, with over 7,500 church members. We are in ten states, with relationships in six countries, and speak at least eight languages in worship. We are diverse – racially, ethnically, linguistically, theologically, and geographically. There is an increasing cadre of young adult leaders across our diversity. We are conservative and progressive politically. We are quietly Anabaptist, and boisterously Pentecostal in faith. The one certain thing you can say about Mosaic Mennonite Conference is that we are full of differences. The days of Franconia Conference unity expressed in the reading of the ordinal in every congregation, supervised by the bishops, is over.

And yet, we seem to have a mixed set of feelings about the emergent diversity of our conference. We seem to be glad we are not being told how to behave by the bishops, but we seem to crave a conformity – a view of unity based not on union of relationships, but of uniformity of practice.

And there’s the rub. Mosaic Mennonite Conference is, like any other mosaic work of art, a collection of shards of color that form a pattern that can only be discerned at a certain distance. To be part of Mosaic Mennonite Conference requires not a common history, or geography, or ethnicity, or church practice. It requires a deep commitment to Jesus-centered nonconformity. It is discerned from together reading and interpreting the scriptures, following Jesus in our unique environments with a desire to be both candid and generous with each other. It’s hard work, but it’s the Way of Jesus, the story of the book of Acts, the vision of the letter to the Galatians, and the promise of Revelation.

In 1835, a London based pastor, Rev. Thomas Binney, wrote words that continue to inspire me today: “I am a dissenter because I am a catholic; I am a separatist, because I cannot be schismatical; I stand apart from some, because I love all; I oppose establishments, because I am not a sectarian; I think little of uniformity, because I long for union; I care not about subordinate difference with my brother [and sister], for Christ has received him [and her], and so will I.“

I’m in LA this weekend for a quick trip to hug four of my six grandsons, and to live out an expression of a Mosaic church that craves union over uniformity. As I fly to and from Los Angeles this weekend, I’ll sleep on the plane and dream that we will become more like Rev. Thomas Binney in our life together as a congregation, a conference, a denomination, and a global communion.

Let’s go, Church (and seek union over uniformity)!

Pastor Jeff

jeff@bgmc.net

PS | I’m returning on the red eye from Southern California on Monday morning, October 14. Arriving at Philly around 930am, I’ll miss our weekly breakfast at the A&N. But y’all should meet up and listen to each other a bit. I’ll be at the Broad Street Grind for coffee and listening on Friday, October 11, and October 18, 330pm-445pm. And I’ll be back at the A&N on Monday, October 21, 730am-845am.

Dear Church:

The season is changing. Summer is giving way to Autumn. Soft rains. Cloudy skies. Leaves falling. Squirrels grabbing all the acorns they can carry. Talk of the Eagles overtaking talk of the Phillies (even though the Phillies enter the Major League Baseball playoffs with the second-best record in the National League).

The season is also changing at Blooming Glen. We are moving into the Church Together effort. Over the next two years, we are going to be working at four broad-based goals:

1. Spiritual renewal at Blooming Glen as a centered-set church with core ministries focused on family and neighborhood engagement through curating worship, caring formation, and cooperative mission.

2. Spiritual renewal at Blooming Glen as a community of disciples on a journey centered together with Jesus through the values of increased reliance on the scriptures pointing us to Jesus, a deeper practice of compassionate candor with one another, and a more vibrant generosity with our neighbors.

3. Organizational renewal at Blooming Glen as a Christ-centered institution, aligned by clear policy governance from the CLB supported by the Foundations, focused spiritual guidance from the Elders, collaborative coaching from our church staff, and an overall strong partnership with and commitment to Mosaic Mennonite Conference.

4. Succession planning for the future of Blooming Glen through deeply anchoring our efforts of renewal and alignment, and talent scouting for capable future leadership to navigate the Church Together over the next 10-15 years.

Working at these goals will require change. But change is not what we resist. We resist loss. What might we lose in the Church Together effort? I hope we lose the idea that church staff do ministry to the congregation, in exchange for the idea that church staff recruit, equip, deploy, and support the congregation in worshipping God, loving one another, and reaching out to our neighbors. I hope we lose the idea that being Mennonite is about genetics, in exchange for the idea that being Mennonite is a commitment to Jesus through the narrative of the scriptures, through caring deeply for one another and challenging each other directly, and through service and generosity to all. I hope we lose the idea that our CLB must approve every decision we make, in exchange for leadership and action by many. I hope we lose the idea that what we are doing right now is a two-year experiment that will flame out, in exchange for a generational reimagining of who Blooming Glen will be as Christ’s Church.

There’s a lot to do right now. We need to add some more staff to add to the team. We need to start launching experiments in worship, community, and mission, without fear of failure. We need to step up to change in a changing world without fear of loss…for the gains God has for us far outweigh the losses we might fear.

Let’s go, church (and not be afraid of what’s next…)

Pastor Jeff

jeff@bgmc.net

P.S. I’m game for Friday afternoon coffee at the Broad Street Grind (3:30pm-4:45pm), and/or a Monday morning breakfast at the A&N Diner (7:30am-8:45am). I’ll be there to listen to whatever is on your mind!