Homeless
Three years ago, when God put vision for Seattle into our hearts, we knew He was planting a seed that would that grow into something much bigger. We felt stirred by God to serve a small church in the city called Mosaic Community Church, but aside from just putting down roots and building our little family here in the Pacific Northwest, we weren't certain exactly why we were here. I'd been volunteering for Mosaic from time to time through graphic design - doing sunday slides and a brochure here and there - but coming into Christmastime this past year, we found ourselves without clear vision. We were discouraged, weary, and homeless to boot (long story).
In late December, I received a phone call from Andrew Bach, the lead pastor at Mosaic. We met for coffee, and he said "Subes, we love what you have been doing for our church, and we have huge vision for how God wants to use it to reach this city." My heart was thumping into my throat, and I struggled to stay focused as Andrew continued, "and we want you to come on staff to launch Mosaic into the next phase of what God is doing in our church."
Impacting and Transforming a Culture by Using Art
My mind raced with excitement! Was this why we were called to Seattle? For a long time, I've had vision for using the arts to reach out to those who don't know Jesus.
There's a huge need for churches to live on the cutting edge of technology - especially now in the digital age. What's the first thing you do when you hear about something new? You google it. You visit the facebook page or its website. The face and voice of the church in the city is on the web, and first impressions happen fast. In the time we live in, with iPhones and iPads that constantly and instantly connect people to their network of choice, visual media and social networks are quickly becoming the primary method of communication for everything. These things, which five years ago were an afterthought, are now critical to reach out and impact the people of this city. There's a huge need for the church to engage this generation with a strong visual voice, and that's especially true in Seattle. What Andrew was talking about was just that.
He began to share his vision for Mosaic's impact in the city and engaging the graphic arts into Mosaic's outreach as a critical next step. We found ourselves talking about impacting and transforming a culture by using art. And it's exactly what I feel God's calling me to do.
But I was in for a reality check. As Andrew and I talked more about the vision for my role at Mosaic, he continued, "But we don't have the funds to pay you - as lead pastor, I'm not even fully paid by Mosaic. Everybody on staff here is paid by raising support." And my excitement level plummeted. Support? Missionary support? Go-and-have-scary-conversations-asking-for-money support? After a moment of terror, I stifled my fear and considered his words. This was going to change everything.
A New Journey
After much prayer, and a lot of dialogue, Trinity and I have said "yes" to this new journey. We really believe that God has brought us to this city for this purpose, and He's given us confirmation from scripture as we've sought His wisdom in prayer. In what I will look back on as a pivotal, defining moment in my life, I texted Andrew back while I was in the bathroom at work - "We're in!"
So begins a new journey of faith. The next step for us is to find people whom God is stirring who will come alongside us. We're looking for partners to jump in with what God is doing in Seattle as we step into a dream much bigger than ourselves. We want to see the Kingdom of God invade Seattle and literally change the climate here; the dark, overcast clouds that dominate the skies are a physical parallel of a spiritual reality. Seattle is a depressed, clouded, and spiritually empty place that needs the Spirit of God to break in - to bring joy, light, and hope to a desperate city.
But we can't do it alone. You have a part to play, and we need you. The "body" of Christ must function as one if it's ever going to move. But this isn't just about us. And it isn't just about Seattle. There's so much in it for you. Read on.
Stale Bread and Living Water
Seattle is a city full of people who are self-proclaimed independents & free thinkers, artists & musicians, spiritualists & universalists. It's an eclectic, diverse mix of people who set their own pace and live in whatever way suits them. And it's transient -the people in Seattle aren't from Seattle. People come here to run away - and more often than not, from religion. It's a post-modern city, and though tolerance is preached from every corner, "Christian" tends to be a curse word. Many here have been jaded and hurt by religion, and they don't want anything to do with Christianity. Translation: Seattle is hungry, but it keeps getting stale bread. What better culture to bring Jesus - the living water - into?
Depression, Suicide, and Human Trafficking are just a few of Seattle's major problems. But the heart of Jesus is to set the captives free - both spiritually and physically. Social Justice is a high priority of the Kingdom of God (James 1:27). But it's hard to rescue those who don't know they're in chains.
Many people in Seattle are completely closed to the gospel - the mere mention of the name of Jesus can turn people off. And that's where I have so much vision for what God wants to do with the arts. Art can be a bridge that speaks deeper than words - it can cross the bridges into people's hearts, past the walls that they put up. There is a huge need for the arts to be redeemed in this city - for the arts to be used as a trumpet that calls people to the Kingdom of God and rescues them from darkness. (After all, the most creative person I know is Jesus!)
A Few Facts...
Names: The Emerald City, The Rainy City, Jet City
Population: 612,000 - 70% white, 13% asian, 8% black
Most Educated City in the US (56% of persons over 25 have a BA or higher).
There are more dogs than children in Seattle.
Houses "The Big Five" - Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Boeing, and Starbucks
Coffee is more of a culture than a drink. Always tip your barista.
Green is good. Compost, recycle, ride your bike, and eat organic.
Love God, Love People, Change the World
Mosaic Community Church was planted in Seattle about six years ago, and has grown from 5 meeting in a living room to around 200 meeting on Sunday mornings.
Mosaic's namesake is that "no one is out of place." Just like a mosaic is made from many different broken pieces of glass that make one big picture, so the people of God, the church, are many different broken people that come together to form a picture of the body of Christ. Everybody is welcome at Mosaic, living in real community based on Acts 2:42-47. Mosaic meets in a gymnaisum, has a growing community of young families and a thriving college ministry thanks to its close proximity to the University of Washington and Seattle Pacific University. I've always believed in Acts 2 community, but seeing it demonstrated - living it - has just made us that much more "in." We love these people, and being so far from home, they've become our family.
The church has a simple and powerful vision that drew us to Seattle in the first place: "Love God, Love People, Change the World." It's the Gospel boiled down to its simplest form, as Jesus told the Pharisees (Matthew 22:36-40). Mosaic has vision in Seattle to see the Kingdom of God advanced through discipleship, evangelism, social justice, worship, and the arts. But it doesn't stop there. Seattle is just the beginning. Mosaic is a church-planting church, and everything that God is doing here is laying the stage to allow God to move through us and change the world.
If you want to know more about Mosaic and the Antioch Movement of Churches that Mosaic is a part of, you can check out Mosaic's website here.
Head of Graphics and Communications
As a staff member at Mosaic, I will be in charge of some very specific tasks. As well as designing all graphic art, I will be beginning video podcasts of Sunday sermons, handling all social-media (including facebook and twitter pages, vimeo video blogs, etc), overseeing printed material, mailers, signage, and I'll be in charge of redesigning and maintaining Mosaic's website. All this with the purpose of creating a simple, unified, and strong "visual voice" in the city that draws people in and connects them to Mosaic.
And I have dreams to do so much more. But this is where it starts.
Kingdom Economy
When I first began this journey of dreaming with God about raising support and going on staff with Mosaic, the whole concept terrified me. The depth of what I'm asking is not lost to me - and I don't even like getting birthday presents because I don't want others to give up anything for me.
But as I began to search the Scriptures on what God says about giving, and about supporting those in full-time ministry, my perspective totally changed. Giving is receiving. And I don't just mean that as a platitude or a nice thought. There are actual, tangible rewards for those who give. It's like no-risk investing (except the interest rate is awesome) and when you die, you keep it! When you give, and give in Jesus' name, it's like you're making a deposit - and the economy of heaven is not in a recession. God loves to bless the giver. As soon as I realized that support raising was not me asking you to give something up, but rather giving you the opportunity to gain an eternal reward - everything changed!
This early Macedonian church had this revelation - in 2 Corinthians 8 Paul describes how they begged him to let them take part in giving to his ministry. Paul himself recognized this Kingdom economy, and he also raised support! In a support letter that he wrote to the Phillipian church, Paul wrote, "Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit... and my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus" (Phil 4:17-19). Luke described it this way: "Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap." (Luke 6:38). Like the Widow of Zarephath whose oil jars never ran dry, God will fill your cup to overflowing.
"Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work." 2 Cor 9:7-8
A few other resources on Giving in the Kingdom:
Acts 20:35 | Proverbs 19:17 | Proverbs 11:25 | Matthew 10:42 | 1 Chron 29:11-12
The Nitty Gritty
Our needs are simple: working out the budget, Trinity and I need to raise at least $3000 monthly in financial support. And we think it's only right to be totally transparent about where every dollar of that is going, to honor both the gift and the giver. This budget includes rent, food, transportation, practical needs like health insurance, etc, but does not include things like paying off debt, and our personal tithes and giving. Trinity and I will be continuing to work at our current jobs part-time in order to supplement what we receive in support.
We've posted our entire completed budget in detail, on the internet, for everyone to see. Including my in-laws. (scary)
Click here to take a look at all the nitty-gritty details of our support-raising budget.
Here's Where You Come In
I would love to invite you to go on this journey with us. To be partner with us and with God. It's unknown, and it's scary, and it's exciting - but I have complete faith that this is exactly where God wants us. He invites us to dream big, to step out in faith, and believe for impossible things.
We need two sets of people to partner with us: those who will give in prayer, and those who will support us financially. (We need the one just as much as the other! see James 5:16 and Colossians 1:9-14) If God is stirring your heart about the dreams He's given us for Seattle, then there is one thing that I will ask you to do: pray. Pray and ask God which group you belong in. And simply do what he leads you to do. Either way, you'll get to take part in the inheritance of what God builds here!
To be taken to Mosaic's website where you can give safely and securely online, just click on the link below. You can even set up an ACH auto-withdrawal for your convenience (the Macedonian church would be jealous!).
I know without a doubt that God will provide above and beyond our needs. But I also know that by giving, you will be blessed beyond measure. We serve a generous King who delights in rewarding the givers as much as the receivers. The economy of the Kingdom is overflowing with abundance!
We're doing our best to follow our King - all we ask is that you do the same.
And by His grace, we'll see Seattle - and then the world - transformed.
Grace and Peace, Beloved.
Jason, Trinity, and Haven
Contact: 913.638.3464 - jason@mosaic-seattle.org
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