A Growing Local Church

Church family,

In October we celebrated five years as a church family. In the last five years Mosaic has more than tripled in size. God has been gracious to build our church family and we are grateful. Our church family joined together to make a video to tell that story - if you missed - you can watch it here.

But any group, organization, or institution that grows this quickly will experience shifting dynamics. There was a time at Mosaic when I knew every person here. I didn’t just know their names, I knew the names of all of their children, sometimes, I even knew the names of their neighbors. I am grateful for that time in the life of our church. I am grateful that we got to host every member of the team that launched Mosaic in our home. I am sure you have felt a bit of that as well - whether you are new to Mosaic or have been here since we met for prayer in living rooms - I bet you have looked around and said, “I don’t know that I know all of these people like I once did.”

But as our church has grown, dynamics have shifted for us all. Our pastors feel this, our staff feels this, and I know that the people of Mosaic can sense it too. We are a growing local church, but we are no longer a small church. And we haven’t been that for some time. It’s time to be honest about this fact: We are a local church, firmly committed to being in Richardson on purpose, but we are no longer a small church.

We didn’t set out to grow so quickly, in some ways, it felt like we made lots of decisions thinking it would allow for slow growth. But the church belongs to the Lord and we have been surprised at how quickly he has added to our numbers. We trust him, He is always good and good always.

This growth has stretched us strategically and it has stretched us pastorally. Our heartbeat and vision hasn’t changed one bit, but we have to be honest that the same strategies that worked when there were 100 of us may be stretched beyond their benefit now that there are over 700 men, women, and children in our church family as members and well over 1000 who are in regular attendance/participation in our worship and our ministries.

Our pastors are beginning to think through what it means to be what God has called us to be in light of our growth. We don’t have it all figured out, it takes time, slowness, prayer. Pray for us.But in recent months a few things have crystallized for how Mosaic can still cultivate the beating heart at the core of her vision given our growth and size. I hope you will prayerfully consider them:

• Regular participation in corporate worship on Sundays is the most meaningful way we can continue to cultivate our fellowship with God, our fellowship with one another, and receive the ministry of our pastors and staff. I believe that one of the “X” factors for making Sundays a meaningful place for fellowship is committing to showing up 10-15 minutes early and either hanging around for 10-15 minutes after the service or making it a point to share lunch on Sundays with others from the church.
• Continuing with one worship gathering is crucial in this season to maintaining the familial fellowship God has blessed our church with. This is why we announced on Sunday that in January we are moving to a new building that will triple our capacity for adults and kids and allow us to stay at one service.
• Our monthly prayer nights are the best opportunity the members of Mosaic will have each month to receive focused pastoral prayer and the in person ministry of intercession.
• As our church grows, Mosaic Groups, Classes (MBS/WBS/Passage), and seasonal programs like (Flourish or Forge) will be increasingly significant for creating space for fellowship and formation. If you aren’t considering diving into meaningful participation in one of these spaces in the next year - let me encourage you to take some time to consider one of them.
• The ministry of hospitality is one of the crucial ways we can cultivate a willingness to bless each other in the ordinary. Whether by introducing yourself to people you don’t know on Sundays, serving on Sundays in Connections, or signing up to deliver meals.

We don’t have to let the pull of an anonymous church win the day. As tempting as it is to just “quiet quit” from rooted in a local church, it will not produce the freedom we seek. We can all make a commitment to make Mosaic feel small even though it no longer is - if we take up this work together, we will all enjoy the fruits of the partnership without any one person or group feeling overwhelmed.I am grateful for the people of Mosaic Church. I am grateful for the Chief Shepherd Jesus Christ. He goes before us. He has and he will.

Grace and peace,

Kyle Worley