Frequently asked questions.
- What is the Mosaic membership process?
- Where do you meet? Where is Erwin speaking live?
- What are your core values and vision of Mosaic?
- What is your Doctrine?
- Do you have resources available?
- How do you make a request for Erwin McManus to speak?
- Are there any mentorship programs for pastors through Mosaic?
- Does Mosaic offer any internships?
- Is Mosaic hiring?
↑ What is the Mosaic membership process?
To become a “member” of Mosaic, there isn’t a process. To be a part of our community at Mosaic, all you need to do is come. We will do our best to serve you, teach, share with you, love you, and allow you to serve no matter where you are in your spiritual journey.
↑ What is the Mosaic volunteer staff process?
On the other hand, to become a part of our volunteer staff involves a process. The only reason to join staff is if you want to make a greater commitment to serve.
The Staff Process looks like this, and does not have to be done in this order**:
- Have made a focused commitment to Christ.
- Have made a public confession of faith through baptism by immersion** (must have made a focused commitment to Christ first).
- Be connected to a Small Group or Ministry Team.
- Have completed “Mosaic Life in Christ” (a 6 session conversation with others about our life in Christ).
- Completed Mosaic “Life in Church” (a luncheon with leaders from Mosaic sharing our vision and values. ** You must complete #s 1-4 before attending this evening).
- Embrace the Staff Covenant.
- Be commissioned at Elements.
The Staff Covenant is:
- Invest your passions - Honor God by following Christ personally and passionately. Your reputation is Christ’s reputation and the church’s reputation.
- Invest your talents - Participate in the life of the congregation through genuine worship, sharing, learning, and serving.
- Invest your resources - Support the Gospel here and worldwide by tithing (10% of your income) and then by giving more as the Lord leads. Invest your time, skills, talents, and gifts in and through the church.
- Invest your relationships - Develop authentic loving relationships with other in the church and establish significant relationships with those who do not know Jesus.
Mosaic is a huge volunteer force of talented, gifted, unique and committed “unpaid staff.” If you want to come to Mosaic to become a part of what we’re doing - to connect, learn, grow, and impact the city - we welcome you with open arms.
If interested in coming on “staff” with Mosaic, please let your small group leader know or contact someone at the connections area of the Sunday Gatherings.
↑ Where do you meet? Where is Erwin speaking?
Mosaic meets on Sundays in 7 gatherings at 5 different locations in the Los Angeles and San Francisco area (Inland, Pasadena, West Los Angeles, Downtown Los Angeles, and Berkeley). For families with children, we recommend the morning gatherings where full childcare, children’s programs, and youth ministries are provided.
Erwin McManus typically speaks at the following celebrations.
- Pasadena @ 9:30am
- Westside @ 11:15am
- Downtown @ 5:00pm
- Downtown @ 7:00pm
Please check the www.mosaic.org front page for information regarding the current series. In our other campuses, the campus pastors are our primary communicators or our speaking team shares.
↑ What are your core values and vision of Mosaic?
The best way to get an in-depth look at the vision and values of mosaic is to get the book An Unstoppable Force, by Erwin Raphael McManus. It is an inside-out look at the values that drive Mosaic as a community of faith. You can get it on sale at Amazon if you like.
But if you’re just looking for the bullet points, here you go:
Overview:
Mosaic is a community of followers of Jesus Christ, committed to live by faith, to be known by love, and to be a voice of hope. The name of our community comes both from the diversity of our members, and from the symbolism of a broken and fragmented humanity which can become a work of beauty under the artful hands of God. We welcome people from all walks of life, regardless of where they are in their spiritual journey.
Mission :
To live by Faith, to be known by Love, and to be a voice of Hope
(1 Thess 1:3)
Vision:
To be a spiritual reference point throughout Los Angeles , and a sending base to the ends of the Earth.
Core Values/Metaphors/Environments:
- Wind (Commission) Mission is why the Church exists.
The Church is a movement, not an institution.
Every follower of Jesus is commissioned by God. - See:
John 3:1-8
Acts 1:8; 8:1-14
Acts 2
Acts 8:26-40
Luke 4:14-21
Genesis 2:4-7
Ezekiel 37:1-10
Mark 4:41 - Water (Community) Love is the context for all mission.
The Church is relational, not programmatic.
Every follower of Jesus is part of a larger community. - See:
John 4
John 13:34-35
1 John 4:7-21
Psalm 42:1
Psalm 1:1-3
Isaiah 32:1-3
Isaiah 58
John 7:25-44 - Wood (Connection) Structure must always submit to Spirit.
The Church is empowering, not controlling.
Every follower of Jesus is called and connected uniquely to serve. - See:
1 Corinthians 12
John 15:1-17
Romans 11
Matthew 9:14-17
Romans 12:3-8
John 15:2
Jeremiah 31:31
2 Corinthians 3 - Fire (Communion) Relevance to culture is not optional.
The Church is incarnational, not esoteric.
Every follower of Jesus celebrates communion with God. - See:
John 1:14
Philippians 2:5-9
Acts 17:16-34
Romans 12:1-2
Genesis 22
Exodus 3
1 Kings 18:16-39
Psalm 51
1 Corinthians 9:19-23
Hebrews 12:29
1 Corinthians 14 - Earth (Character) Creativity is the natural result of spirituality.
The Church is transforming, not conforming.
Every follower of Jesus grows in Christ-like character. - See:
Matthew 25:14-30
Luke 8:4-15
2 Corinthians 5:17-21
Ephesians 4:17-5:2
Genesis 2:7
Isaiah 64:8
2 Corinthians 4:7-11
Core Convictions:
- The Bible is God’s authoritative word to us.
- Jesus is the only hope for a lost and broken world.
- The local church is God’s agent for redemptive change.
- Every Christian is called and gifted by God to serve the Body and seek the Lost.
- The Church is called to whole earth evangelism.
↑ What is your Doctrine?
The absolute best way to understand and learn about any community is to experience it on the relational level. Statements of faith can tell you what a community of faith’s beliefs are, but they can’t tell you who they are. If you’d like to discover who we are at Mosaic, please come to one of our Gatherings on Sundays by going to our home page at www.mosaic.org.
If unable to make it to Los Angeles and you want a more in-depth and relevant look at Mosaic (e.g. our core values and philosophy of ministry), please pick up a copy of the book An Unstoppable Force, by Erwin Raphael McManus. You can get it on sale at Amazon or probably find it at any major bookstore.
If the actual “statements of faith” are what you are still interested in, please reference the Baptist Faith and Message by going to this website: http://www.sbc.net/bfm/bfm2000.asp
↑ Do you have resources available?
We currently sell all of Erwin’ books through our Resources ministry. In addition, we sell CDs and DVDs of many of the message series at Mosaic.
You can purchase from our resources table at any of our gatherings. Online ordering is also available at our Resources website at awaken.org/resources. You can email us at resources@awaken.org if you have any questions.
↑ How do you make a request for Erwin McManus to speak?
The first step in requesting Erwin to speak at an event is to go to the speaker section of Erwin’s website www.erwinmcmanus.com. Fill out the speaker request form in entirety in order to ensure we have enough information to respond to your request.
Erwin reads all of his emails and genuinely appreciates your comments and input. Unfortunately, due to an extremely high volume of correspondence, Erwin is unable to respond to each one personally (which by the way, drives him crazy!).
↑ Are there any mentorship programs for pastors through Mosaic?
Although we do not offer any mentorship programs for pastors through Mosaic, there is a growing alliance of churches and leaders who are committed to the mission of Jesus Christ. You can get more information about The Mosaic Alliance at mosaicalliance.com. Although there are no classes or programs available at this time, there are opportunities to connect and be invested into through experiences like The Mosaic Leadership Experience called Origins.
Origins is a three-day conversation with leading practitioners from around the world surrounding the mission of Christ in the post-modern context. It is more than a “how to” conference; it is an experience designed to immerse your thinking in a cultural architecture for the 21st century. Origins also serves as the annual convergence of the Mosaic Alliance.
Visit www.theoriginsproject.org for more info
↑ Does Mosaic offer any internships?
For info concerning the 10 week internship experience check out what’s happening with The Barbarian Project.
For our two year internship experience, go to http://www.mosaic.org/protege.
↑ Is Mosaic hiring?
We currently have a precedent of hiring from the Mosaic community, from those who have served in a volunteer capacity at Mosaic and have demonstrated the characteristics of faithfulness, humility and gratitude; we hire based on character, not on talent or experience.
Everyone at Mosaic, from the elders and lead pastor, to the assistants, were all active participants and servants before they were asked to become a part of our paid staff. Of course, you are always welcome to come to Los Angeles and join in on what God is doing here through Mosaic as a member of our 800+ volunteer staff!
↑ What Others Are Saying About Erwin and Mosaic
“If I could only require one text for all my divinity students, if I could only recommend one book for every religious leader, this would be the one.”
–Leonard Sweet
E. Stanley Jones Professor of Evangelism
Drew University, Madison, NJ
“Erwin is not predicting the future, he is demonstrating God’s next wave as the prophetic leader of a multi-cultural authentic faith community. A must read.”
–Michael Slaughter
Pastor, Ginghamsburg Church
“I love Pastor Erwin McManus’ heart for the Kingdom, for the city and for reaching people for Christ—he’s one of the great visionaries and innovators when it comes to church leadership of our day. Growing out of his own incredible experience, An Unstoppable Force contains insights and principles that I believe can help any church grow and reach it’s full potential in Christ!”
–Bill McCartney
Founder & President, Promise Keepers
“You can hardly find a book more engrossing from page to page—because you rarely meet a man with as fascinating a story to tell. Loaded with profound insight as well as constant interest, McManus clearly has a lot to offer church leaders today, presented out of the raw, real context of actual ministry.”
–Ralph D. Winter
Founder of the U.S. Center for World Mission
“This book is dynamite! Defying conventional church growth wisdom at every point, McManus articulates a fresh, bold, radical, counter-cultural, compelling, exciting, and absolutely biblical model of the Church. His style is as readable and funny as his thinking is profound. I wish this book were required reading for every pastor and every seminary student in the country!”
–Dr. Gregory A. Boyd
Professor of Theology, Bethel College, St. Paul, MN
“Erwin McManus excites me—from the first time we met to the end of An Unstoppable Force. Read this intelligent analysis of the church and clear-minded takes on culture. It will equip and inspire you to approach church life with the kind of faith, hope and love found at Mosaic.”
–Todd Hunter
Former National Director, Association of Vineyard Churches, USA
“Uprising is a thoughtful and restless look at what the church needs to do and be if it is to touch the soul. I hope it produces restless and thoughtful readers.”
–John Ortberg
Willow Creek Community Church
“Erwin McManus is one of the most creative young leaders I know. Every time I have the opportunity to hear him speak or read his words, he brings fresh perspective on basic truths. Uprising will take you on the most important quest of your life – the quest for character.”
–John C. Maxwell
Founder, The INJOY Group
“If you feel as if you have been sleepwalking through life and you want to change, this book is for you. If you gave your life to Christ believing the journey would be the adventure of a lifetime and you have lost your compass, this book is for you. If you want to live life with passion, purpose and no regrets, pick up this book and start reading today.”
–Sheila Walsh
“I wish I could say I couldn’t put Erwin Raphael McManus’s book down. The fact is, I had to put it down many times to think about what I had just read! Seizing Your Divine Moment challenged me to examine my thinking about ministry and life, and it motivated me like no book I have read in years. I marked almost every page and found myself saying ‘yes’ out loud on several occasions. You owe it to yourself to ‘seize the moment’ and read this book.”
–David Jeremiah
Senior Pastor, Shadow Mountain Community Church
President, Turning Point Radio
“Erwin Raphael McManus forcefully presents the fact that we know the regular and reliable presence of God’s kingdom in our lives only by acting for God now. We make our moments divine by not postponing acting for Him, but by stepping in action now beyond what is regarded as safe and proper, into situations where only God can help us. If we follow Jesus in this way, the glorious language of the Bible and the creeds will become our day-to-day reality—not something we are hoping just might be true.”
–Dallas Willard
Professor of Philosophy, University of Southern California
Author of The Divine Conspiracy and Renovation of the Heart
“It’s easy to see an opportunity after it’s passed⎯and to regret it. When I teach leadership, the most difficult questions I am asked often concern how to discern a divine moment. Erwin Raphael McManus provides the answer in this book. Examining the life of Jonathan, he beautifully illustrates how anyone can have a life transformed by the God factor. Don’t miss this book!”
–John C. Maxwell
Founder, The INJOY Group
“Erwin Raphael McManus stands firmly on biblical principles in his life and leadership. He is practicing, personally, and leading his church, in the life of adventure that Christ promises to those who seek to walk in His steps. Creative, dynamic, real life and not theory—that is the heartbeat of one who walks on the cutting edge of faith.”
–Jim Henry
Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church of Orlando
Former President, Southern Baptist Convention
“Erwin McManus has penned a book of such magnitude it will be a catalyst for every believer’s faith, creating a divine impact that will rock your ministry, our Church and this world for God’s ultimate glory. Don’t leave one page unread! My prayer is each of us will be shell-shocked to the core by what Erwin has articulated on these pages. Herein you’ll discover the key to explosive faith… something that will shape the next level of your faith walk! I want this for all the people in my life!”
–Wayne Cordeiro
Senior Pastor, New Hope Christian Fellowship O’ahu, Hawaii
Author of Attitudes that Attract Success
REVIEW of The Barbarian Way: “A world without God cannot wait for us to choose the safe path…If Jesus would not avoid the place of the skull, then we should not be surprised where He might lead us.” So cries McManus’ voice in the wilderness of a Christianity he says has become far too civilized, calling us to repent of our pharisaical religion and be as revolutionary as the early disciples were.
Taking John the Baptist as the poster child for radical Christianity, the author says, “Discipleship has become the mechanism for uniformity rather than uniqueness. Yet if we learn anything about God through John, it is that God has no problem with spiritual eccentrics…his intent is never to domesticate us, but to liberate us.” He says we as Christians are called to be passionate risk-takers, a far cry from the polite pew-sitters that populate most churches.
Filled not with rebellious ramblings but with the deepest love and respect for God, his Word, his Church, and those who are fully committed to following Him, McManus’s book is none the less a call to revolution against “civilized” Christianity and a quiet but sincere manifesto for a Spirit-led uprising of radical Christ-followership. Read it, and let the revolution begin.
–Gary Hassig
FOREWORD to An Unstoppable Force: We all have mornings when it’s hard to wake up. Perhaps it’s 40 minutes of guilt-ridden dozing, hitting the snooze alarm every eight minutes. Perhaps it’s sitting in a trance watching the long line of slow-moving taillights on the freeway ahead. But then there is the feeling that hits after the second cup of coffee or after an hour of morning exercise. Same day, different awareness. We feel alive, active, and fully awake. We realize how much we would have missed otherwise.
An Unstoppable Force is an abrupt opening of the window shade, revealing that we’ve all been hitting the snooze button for decades. On the other side of this book is a different faith, a new awareness, a new excitement and a new burden that the need is even greater than we realized before. In talking with hundreds of church leaders each year, I’ve seen two movements of God that seem to cross all boundaries of denominations, geography, and church styles. An Unstoppable Force certainly hits the bulls-eye on both.
First, we see church leaders progressing beyond the church growth movement of the 1980’s, which opened up a new awareness of the culture around us. They’re also moving beyond the church health movement of the 1990’s, which created a new emphasis on intentional discipleship. What church leaders are increasingly talking about is church dispersion. We’ve worked so hard to get people inside the church and on a path to maturity; how do we now move them back outside of the church to serve in the marketplace, community and the world? Church growth and church health really don’t make sense without church dispersion; yet that may prove to be the most difficult task yet. We like comfort. We like safety. It is a daunting task to change church from a place that serves consumers to a place that creates servants. An Unstoppable Force tackles this challenge head-on.
Second, the role of church leaders is changing. In the last two decades pastors have been told they must be good preachers… er, actually we meant teachers… uhh, more accurately leaders… well, what we really mean is visionary CEO types… wait, that’s not it… we really meant system builders and equippers. Now we see that church leaders must be spiritual directors: builders of the culture and creators of the soul of the church. An Unstoppable Force provides great wisdom on building the internal culture, or ethos, of a church without succumbing to a faddish role. And it also provides a demonstration of how that happens. This is a book of timeless
wisdom, explained in a present perspective that seeps authenticity and reality.Erwin McManus is unusually qualified to write this book. I first knew him as we pastored churches about a mile apart in the shadow of downtown Dallas. For years he has been a trusted friend and mentor in new ways of understanding God, the church, and spiritual maturity. He is now the pastor of a vibrant church community who is on an authentic journey to wholeness in the heart of Los Angeles. Mosaic is certainly a unique church. It is multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-locational, and in a rocket ride of transition. It is a rare work of God to see so many principles that other churches merely talk about come to reality in one community. It is evident that Erwin holds this jewel lightly: it is not a product of five transferable steps; no one person created it; and while Erwin is a great leader, he knows he is not what maintains it or keeps it on track.
An Unstoppable Force is not about easy steps, but is a journal of what God is doing in an amazing congregation, explained in ways that can be applied-but not mimicked-in the churches of those who read this book. This book is probably best read with a leadership team. It fosters challenging dialogue. It does not attempt to mechanize something that can only be achieved organically and spiritually.
At Leadership Network, we spend our days looking for innovative, God-empowered churches. Mosaic is a pioneer among pioneers. We have sent many church leaders to Mosaic to see the future firsthand. This book is cheaper than a plane ticket, and perhaps good incentive to go anyway after reading it. Better yet, it convicts me, and hopefully you as well, that we have been pursuing is a slumber-filled Christianity. The light of God on my comfortable Christian life might tempt me to squint and want to snuggle deeper into the warm bedcovers of complacent Christianity. I am thankful that Erwin has opened the window shade so wide that God can use this book to jolt me to a new awareness of God’s intention, and God’s purpose for me and his church.
–Brad Smith
President, Leadership Network
FOREWORD: This inspiring book is written by a survivor. Eight years ago, my friend Erwin McManus was called to pastor a church with a great history in urban Los Angeles. The Church on Brady was known for its creative pastor, its diversity, and its heart for missions. Most church consultants would have recommended that Erwin not accept the leadership of the church for 3 reasons: First, he’d be following a great senior pastor who served 25 years and created a very unique culture. Second, the church had been plateaued for 15 years and in decline for a few years. Third, the congregation was land-locked on 3/4th of an acre on a one-block street. Conventional wisdom would say “You’d be a fool to try to change a church with so much history. You’ll be martyred.” Transitioning this church for a different 21st century ministry would be difficult and painful. But Erwin stepped out in faith and accepted the challenge. Now he has led the church through a process of transition and renewal that is amazing, even changing the name of the church to Mosaic, (which, by the way, I think is one of the coolest names for any church). He has not only survived the transition, he has grown and thrived. That is rare.
To get the most out of this book pay close attention to the metaphors and stories. If you want to lead people, regardless of whether they are modern or postmodern, boomers, genX, or millennials, you must learn their metaphors, use the right metaphors, and change the metaphors when necessary. If you change the metaphors you can change the world! Jesus did. That’s what being a “cultural architect” or spiritual leader is all about.
This book models what a post-modern purpose-driven church can look like. Every church is called to fulfill 5 eternal purposes that Jesus gave in the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. These purposes never change. But the styles and methods we use to fulfill these purposes MUST change with every new generation and target. And how you say it makes a difference. Mosaic uses 5 elemental metaphors to represent the 5 New Testament purposes: Evangelism as “Wind”, Fellowship as “Water”, Service as “Wood”, Worship as “Fire”, and Discipleship as “Earth”. These images are poetic, deeply profound, and perfectly match the church’s target of reaching artists, cultural creatives, and those attracted by aesthetics and images in the Los Angeles basin.
For 25 years I’ve taught pastors, “The church is a Body, not a business. It is an organism, not an organization! It is a family to be loved, not a machine to be engineered, and not a company to be managed.” Pastoring is an art. It has nothing to do with being a CEO. It’s all about servanthood and authenticity and taking risks in faith. In this book you find story after story that illustrate these timeless truths.
I love Erwin’s self-deprecating humor. It’s an endearing trait I’ve found in all pastors who are greatly used by God. Too many Christian leaders take themselves way too seriously and don’t take God seriously enough. Humor and humility come from the same root word.
Most of all, I love this book because Erwin loves the church. I’ve read too many self-serving critics of the church who attack straw men, use their books to vent unresolved personal anger issues, and never really give any useful insights for helping churches change and be healthier. Erwin, like a true leader, wastes no time criticizing or attacking others. Instead he dreams and focuses on what the church can be. This book is not the theories of an academic, a pollster, or a pundit. It’s written by a real pastor who serves in the real trenches of local church ministry day in and day out. He understands what ministry is really like.
So read it and learn. Read it with an open mind. The moment you think you’ve got the ministry all figured out, you’re finished - in ministry and life. Growing churches require growing leaders. This book will help you along the way.
–Rick Warren
Lead Pastor, Saddleback Church
Author, The Purpose Drive Church
Mar 1st, 2006 at 9:09 pm
How can I access last week’s podcast on Initative?
Mar 6th, 2006 at 10:15 am
To Erwin:
I am a teaching pastor at Cedar Community Church in Buckley, WA where God is in the process of raising up a crash of Barbarians. Thank you, Erwin, for writing without false fear - with only the fear of the One.
We are in process of putting together a Barbarian-friendly Easter service. I am looking for a short (5 mins)drama/presentation in guy-lingo that a few of our men could put together. Does anyone in the Mosaic creative community have or know of something that would fit the bill?
Blessings,
Mike
Mar 6th, 2006 at 10:21 am
Thanks for the encouraging words, Mike!
We have a lot of great sketches. Contact David at david@mosaic.org for some examples.
Crashing Forward,
Eric
Eric Bryant
Navigator, Mosaic
13200 Crossroads Parkway N. #325
City of Industry, CA 91746
562 908 2200 ext. 116
http://www.mosaic.org
http://ericmichaelbryant.voxtropolis.com
Mar 25th, 2006 at 12:23 pm
Hi
Greetings from Sweden.
I can´t find any information about easter at the web site.
Will you guys have special gatherings in L.A. for easter? We will visit the city at the time and would love to attend a service.
Mike Valier
Mar 25th, 2006 at 6:10 pm
Yes, we are celebrating Easter! Join us at any of our normal gatherings. There will be special Good Friday luncheons in a couple of locations. More details on that soon! See you on Easter!
Eric
Navigator, Mosaic
Mar 28th, 2006 at 6:19 am
Hi!
A group of Jesus-Warriors from Ireland are planning to attend ORIGINS in May. We will be arriving in LA on Saturday and plan to attend a Mosaic gathering on the Sunday before ORIGINS starts.
Is there any particular gathering that we should attend? We will hopefully be staying in Pasadena somewhere…but as the population of Northern Ireland is only 1.6 million it will all be a bit of a culture shock to us!!
Looking forward to it!
For the Kingdom,
Nozza
Mar 28th, 2006 at 6:53 am
Tim, glad you are coming out! I would recommend experiencing the two gatherings in Pasadena (the 9am with Erwin speaking and the 11am with Rickey speaking). If you aren’t too exhausted from the time change, the 7pm at the Mayan would be the absolutely most unique experience due to the venue and extra components. Looking forward to having you out here!
Blessings,
Eric
Navigator, Mosaic
Apr 8th, 2006 at 6:30 am
Any new info on Good Friday Luncheons?
Apr 8th, 2006 at 7:25 pm
There is a Good Friday luncheon in Pasadena at Margarita Jones at noon, and there is a project serving those who live on the streets downtown at one of the missions. You can sign up for the luncheon at either of the Pasadena gatherings on Sunday or for the mission project at either of the Mayan gatherings.
Blessings,
Eric
Navigator, Mosaic
Jun 2nd, 2006 at 6:28 pm
Want to say thank you for your wisdom. My wife and I along with my children are leaving our pastorate and church of several thousands and a planting a church in Raleigh, North Carolina with nothing but a dream after hearing Erwins Message Chasing Daylight. The BIGGEST risk of our lives as we are leaving everything for that one moment to do something greater than ourselves for God. So wanted you to know your words are putting people to action, IN BIG WAYS. Thanks, and perhaps we will make it.
Shayne Walters
Winston-Salem, NC
Jun 6th, 2006 at 5:20 am
I first heard Erwin Speak 3 years ago at a P.K. in Oklahoma City, and I was hooked. I’ve never heard a teacher with more passion and conviction. Everything he says speaks to me down to my every being. I since have been listening to Podcasts, but I’d like to read one of his books. Which one should I start with? Thanks.
Jun 6th, 2006 at 7:43 am
Shayne, Enjoy the adventure!
Ben, start with Barbarian Way. Enjoy!
Eric Bryant
Navigator, Mosaic
http://www.mosaic.org (sign up for the free weekly podcasts and videocasts!)
http://www.awakenhumanity.org (now live!)
Jun 20th, 2006 at 8:51 am
Recently, I saw a clip from short films you did for Christmas - I believe they were “Behind the Scenes” of various people. Could I get a copy of that? Let me know where to look.
Thanks!
Andrea
Jul 1st, 2006 at 6:40 pm
Under church covenant, it says you have to invest 10% of your income. Is this mandatory?
Jul 8th, 2006 at 9:56 pm
I have a question , I have friends who are going to a Mosaic Church. Is Mosaic part of the Emerging Church Movement?
Jul 18th, 2006 at 6:39 am
Dear Mosaic,
I’m Pastor of Kalamazoo Community Church in Michigan. We’ve been looking into the whole question of “membership”. We are wanting to help our people “get on board” and commit themselves more, but are not convinced that formal “membership” is the way to go. I like the way you’ve approached it.
One question: Your “Volunteer Staff”–what kind of role is that–is it ANY leadership role? Any serving role?
Please fill me in. By the way, if there are further places I should look/resources to check out, I’d love to hear about them.
Thanks!
Following with Passion,
Dave
Jul 18th, 2006 at 12:25 pm
I’m looking for copies of any messages Erwin has done on relationships and sex. How can I get these?
Jul 29th, 2006 at 9:23 am
Could you tell me your beliefs In Jesus Christ as The only way to Heaven???
Where is it in the Bible where you have to be baptized first???
Aug 2nd, 2006 at 12:14 pm
Mary,
Thanks for your question. We believe Jesus Christ is God. As you may have noticed in our core convictions, we believe Jesus is the only hope for a lost and broken world.
Baptism is a symbol of a changed life. Once a person makes a focused commitment to Christ, baptism is the way we can show symbolically that we have died to our old lives and now walk a new life.
For more info., feel free to read through the “Baptist Faith and Message.” Hope that helps!
Eric
Navigator, Mosaic
Aug 4th, 2006 at 11:16 am
Do you make the “Mosaic Life In Christ” material available in any form to church leaders?
Aug 6th, 2006 at 2:02 pm
We’ve been visiting Mosaic for a few weeks and were wondering what Mosaic’s position is on women serving in a pastoral positions? We noticed that the SBC position is that women in ministry is:
“While Scripture teaches that a woman’s role is not identical to that of men in every respect, and that pastoral leadership is assigned to men, it also teaches that women are equal in value to men.”
Does Mosaic agree with this position?
Thanks for your help!
Sep 2nd, 2006 at 4:15 am
I’m confused . .
I see the Mosaic Sports Centre in the podcast listing, but havent seen or been able to download the series in iTunes.
As an avid athlete, instructor, psychology student, and church-goer, I find these topics crucial to my life both on and off the ice. If there is any way of obtaining this series, PLEASE let me know. thanks
-Ben
Sep 12th, 2006 at 2:56 pm
Dear Ben,
the archives that you see on the podcast page do not contain the old audio and video files. those are available thru iTunes or our feed pages (http://mosaic.org/podcast/feed/index.html and http://mosaic.org/podcast/videofeed/index.html) for two weeks only
we have older audio and video files for purchase thru the http://awakenhumanity.org/resources page, but unfortunately Mosaic Sportscenter won’t be up until next month probably… thanks for the comment!
Dec 20th, 2006 at 4:18 pm
Would you please help me with something, I have been looking over your websites and I can’t find a way to e-mail Erwin McManus. I have some questions that only he can answer. If that is not possible then would you please just inform me. Thanks! :)
Dec 23rd, 2006 at 10:04 am
Hey guys!
Somehow I missed some of your questions over the last few months.
Robert, Baptists believe in the autonomy of the local church which means each church has the freedom to govern themselves and move forward as they sense God leading them from the Scriptures. We include the term “pastoral leadership” to include our small group leaders, volunteer staff, paid staff, and lead team. We have men and women from a variety of backgrounds serving in each of these arenas.
Nathan, you can email alisah@mosaic.org to contact Erwin.
Merry Christmas!
Eric
Navigator, Mosaic
http://www.mosaicalliance.com
http://www.ericbryant.org
Jan 25th, 2007 at 4:19 am
Hey Eric (Or Whoever replies first…lol),
Just a couple of quick questions for you, at the end of 2006 you guys ran an awesome clip on your website reflecting all the awesome stuff that has been going on in your community and some of the people who have been heaviliy involved with Mosaic.Is it possible to get a copy or download of this? as i have never seen such a church put together such a creative summary of events that year into a 3 minute video. And what is the Artist/Title of the amazing song it is tracked to? I would really like to show it to some of the guys and girls in my church, to inspire them by showing the creativity that comes with living a life in a community that longs to touch others through the amazing talent that Christ has blessed them with.
If you could point me in the right direction that would be much appreciated.
Cheers
Mark :)
Jan 25th, 2007 at 8:58 pm
We’ve heard you guys did an Easter service on Palm Sunday and did a “regular service” on Easter. Is this accurate? We’re considering this approach, but wondered how long you’ve done it and how successful it’s been.
Peace.
Kitti
Jan 27th, 2007 at 7:04 am
Can you tell me if Mosaic has a campus in Clulver City? Where is the original Mosaic church located?
Thanks!
Jan 29th, 2007 at 11:11 am
currently, Mosaic has an 11am service at Beverly Hills High School. our other services are in Pasadena, downtown LA, and Chino. please see mosaic.org/gatherings for more info.
Jan 30th, 2007 at 3:33 pm
Kitti,
Every year changes for us. In the past we have started a series on Easter with the idea that people would come back the next week. Other years we have had a stand alone message on that day. Other years we finish a series on Easter. For us, obviously we want to see the greatest impact on the day which tends to have the highest attendance.
Blessings to you as you reach out!
Eric Bryant
Jan 31st, 2007 at 11:12 pm
The Mosaic 2006 Recap Video that was asked about is now on youtube.com:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CenEcrxB-To
also…the song/artist — “Better Days” by the Goo Goo Dolls
Feb 13th, 2007 at 9:28 am
Hi Mosaic!
My name is Frances, and there are 6 of us ladies from Westside Community Church in Toronto, Ontario coming to visit & experience God at Mosaic this Sunday, Feb 18th. We will most likely attend the Beverly Hills location. Can you please confirm whether Erwin will be speaking at the 11am service? Thank you very much! Looking forward to meeting you!
Feb 13th, 2007 at 11:25 am
Erwin should be speaking at Pasadena, Beverly HIlls and the Mayan for the entirety of the Soul Cravings series. Thanks for asking!
Feb 16th, 2007 at 12:24 pm
Hi. My husband and I used to go to Inland Community Church. We moved to KS in 2000. We are coming to visit that way at the end of May and was hoping to visit our old church and see Ralph Neighbor and some old friends. Is this still the same church and is Ralph still at Mosaic. What time is service on Sundays?
Thank you,
Tracy Schmutzler
Feb 16th, 2007 at 9:43 pm
Yes, Ralph Neighbor speaks at what is now called Mosaic Inland. The gathering is at 10am! Please see the “Gatherings” info on the front page for the address and directions.
Feb 18th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
Hi,
I have heard Erwin speak numerous times in Atlanta at Catalyst and for North Point Community Church’s singles retreats. I have recently moved to CA and would love for my boyfriend to be blessed by hearing Erwin’s teachings. We are planning to visit on Feb. 25th. Do you suggest a location for our first visit?
Blessings-
Michele
Feb 26th, 2007 at 3:02 pm
I am trying to find information of making a focussed commitment to Christ. What do I need to do? Thank you.
Feb 26th, 2007 at 6:13 pm
For learning more about making a focused commitment to Christ, email me. I would love to set up a time for us to meet and talk.
Janice
Mar 10th, 2007 at 7:14 pm
Does the Mosaic church publish written materials/bible studies? If so, is there a contact available to submit something? Thanks.
Mar 23rd, 2007 at 10:14 am
I wanted to extend my appreciation for all that Mosaic is. As a result of your ministry (the entire Mosaic community), my wife and I along with our four children will be leaving our church staff to plant a church in Burlington, VT in the summer of 2008.
We’re liberated to know that “when you act in line with the heart of God, to accomplish His will, maybe He will help.” This message from I Samuel 14 that Erwin shared in his book “An Unstoppable Force” (my new field manual) has changed our lives forever. Many thanks
We’ll be attending the Origins and Ethos conference in May and can’t wait to experience the faith, love and hope that we so witness to in the Mosaic community.
Apr 13th, 2007 at 7:32 am
Does Mosaic believe in the baptism of the Holy Ghost?
May 25th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
What is the mosaic team’s view on homosexuality? Where do you stand? And specifically, because i have personally heard Erwin speak and felt him to be incredibly gifted and moving and inspiring…. where does erwin stand on this issue??
Thank you for your time.
Jun 13th, 2007 at 7:34 am
[…] So I’ve been playing around with what the Core Values of a missional church might be. To see some examples of core values from other churches, check these out here, here, here, and here. […]
Jun 20th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
Dear Erwin McManus,
I only want to say that your books are one of the best I have ever read. My life is not the same anymore. Thank you for your words that have inspiered my soul.
God bless you, your family and your ministry.
Go on
Kerstin from Germany
Jul 9th, 2007 at 10:29 am
Saw several questions above that we didn’t answer. Sorry about that! For more questions about specific doctrinal issues, go to http://www.sbc.net/bfm/bfm2000.asp or contact me directly at eric@mosaic.org.
Blessings,
Eric
Jul 9th, 2007 at 10:32 am
For more info. on who we are, feel free to listen to the free messages posted online at http://www.mosaic.org/podcast (either through iTunes or from the site directly).
Blessings,
Eric
Jul 22nd, 2007 at 3:23 pm
Yo! Just picked up a copy of “Soul Craving” and wow!…it opened up a whole new insight for me. I felt very much “at ease” with what I reading (yet to finish) and appreciate the opportunity to be able to find such a read by chance.
I am from Malaysia, and checking to see if you do have a Asian alliance or connection here. Thanks!
Jereme
Aug 15th, 2007 at 1:10 pm
Hi, I have a question about your answer to the “doctrine” question. I referred to the Baptist Faith and Message link. It says this under section V:
“God’s Purpose of Grace
Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is consistent with the free agency of man, and comprehends all the means in connection with the end. It is the glorious display of God’s sovereign goodness, and is infinitely wise, holy, and unchangeable. It excludes boasting and promotes humility.
But I read Ron Foster’s article, I think the title was “Erwin McManus Plays Dominoes with the Bible.” Did Erwin say that the doctrine of election is not biblical? I’m confused. Does Mosaic agree or disagree with the BFM on this point? And if they disagree, then why refer us to it in answer to that question? Just curious.
Thanks,
Sam Wen
Aug 20th, 2007 at 9:58 am
Hey Sam,
Thanks for your question. I have never heard of Ron Foster nor has he
interviewed Erwin. I wouldn’t believe most of the blogs written about
well-known people unless they have interviewed them or at least
contacted the person about whom they are writing.
Erwin and Mosaic embraces the Baptist Faith and Message. Erwin recently
talked about Election during his series “Life’s Toughest Questions.”
These are available at the Mosaic gatherings or online at
www.awaken.org. I won’t be able to quote him directly but in essence at
one point he said, “When God chose Abram he was choosing humanity.” He
sees election as an example of God’s love for embracing people.
Hope that helps.
Are you a part of Mosaic or do you live elsewhere?
Blessings,
Eric
Aug 25th, 2007 at 10:06 am
Thanks Eric. Nope, I don’t go to Mosaic. I hail from the great state of Texas! But I do catch Erwin’s podcasts from time to time. Thanks for the quick response.
Sam
Sep 28th, 2007 at 9:05 am
Hi!
I love Mosaic, I had the oportunity to know you in Charlotte, NC.
Now I am in Brazil, and I really believe that Brazil needs Mosaic!
Do you have any plans to go international?
God Bless.
Nov 1st, 2007 at 5:01 pm
It’s great to hear so many of you fired up to follow Christ! Without Him, we would be doomed to hell for our sin but because Jesus died on the cross to bear God’s wrath for the sin of man, all who repent of their sins and trust Christ for salvation will be saved. While we were dead in our trespasses and sins, Christ died for us and rose again! We don’t deserve this salvation, but God’s grace was extended to us through His love; he convicts us of our sins through the power of the Holy Spirit. When we turn from our sins and believe in Christ who shed His blood for us, we become born again! For we are crucified with Christ and it is no longer we who live but Christ who lives within us! I hope that all of you who read this have truly been born again, that the Lord has allowed you to see your wretched and sinful state, and that you have trusted in Christ, through faith, for your salvation! If not, repent and believe. If so, keep on reading your Bibles and serving Him! God bless!
Nov 11th, 2007 at 9:16 pm
when’s the next yelo?
Dec 8th, 2007 at 9:57 pm
how can i get the schedules for upcoming mission trips?
Dec 10th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
Saye,
You should email janice - at - mosaic - dot - org to find out more about possible short-term trips
Dec 17th, 2007 at 9:43 am
where is Mosiac located?? Worship times? thanks!
Dec 18th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
There is information on our website on the front page and also at mosaic.org/gatherings with gathering locations and times. Hope that helps!
Jan 12th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
Have completed “Mosaic Life in Christ” (a 6 session conversation with others about our life in Christ).
Leaders in our church are studying An Unstoppable Force and getting together to discuss it… and adapting alot of your church’s principles….as far as membership process. I’d like to know more about:
4. Have completed “Mosaic Life in Christ” (a 6 session conversation with others about our life in Christ).
Is “Mosaic Life in Christ” out of a Bible study book or something your church has created.
Thanks for your time. Gae
Feb 13th, 2008 at 11:22 am
hey everyone,
god is amazing
my 3 favorite words
why?
because he made this universe
just look at it
its amazing
unconditional love would be
GOD!!!!
sorry im so random
its how i express my self
Feb 23rd, 2008 at 11:38 am
Do you currently have anything similar to Community Houses through your church? Or have you ever considered the idea of establishing church houses?
Feb 23rd, 2008 at 2:10 pm
Hi Everyone,
I have read “Uprising” and have heard Erwin speak at Willow Creek’s small group conference - excellent and inspiring! Would love to come experience Mosaic in LA sometime.
Question? Do you consider Mosaic a non-denominational church or do you classify yourself as a Southern Baptist Church?
Thanks and God Bless!
Sunny
Mar 3rd, 2008 at 3:19 pm
Greetings!
I am reading the book, “An Unstoppable Force” written by Erwin McManus for a class I am taking at Bethel Theological Seminary. The book had the wrong web site for Mosaic. On the dedication page it lists the address as www.mosaic.com instead of www.mosaic.org.
I thought that I would let you know so that you can notify the publisher of the error.
Blessings!
Don Lenhart
Rev. Donald D. Lenhart III, Children & Family Pastor
Apr 1st, 2008 at 12:27 pm
Does anyone know Mosaic’s views on homosexuality? With its Baptist background, I assume they are anti-GLBT (”hate the sin, but love the sinner,” blah blah blah) but I hope I’m wrong because I really enjoy the worship experience there.
Apr 3rd, 2008 at 11:28 am
You can listen to a whole message where Erwin talks about homosexuality and other issues. Just go to our podcast page (mosaic.org/podcast) and look down the right hand side of the page. You’ll see the talk:
September 24, 2006 -
[Life’s Toughest Questions] What About Sex? by Erwin McManus
Apr 15th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Hi,
I listen to the podcasts online and love them. I’m going to be moving to LA this summer, and I’m really excited about coming to Mosaic. I did have a few questions though about the locations. Mostly, I just wondered what were the differences in the different sites other than locations. I heard that the Mayan site was worth looking into because of all the “extras”…and so I wondered in terms of worship services how did they differ? I’m guessing that Erwin gives the same message at each location?
Thanks!
Apr 22nd, 2008 at 8:16 pm
Hi,
I am currently looking for a church and am interested in checking out Mosaic. I am curious about the differences in locations throughout the LA area. I think either the BHHS or the Mayan will probably work best for me. Are the services the same at each location? Is there a specific location that you would recommend for a first time visitor? Any info and/or advice would be very much appreciated!
Thanks!
Apr 23rd, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Amanda,
The BHHS or Mayan locations are great for first-time visitors. Erwin usually speaks at both locations. The Mayan features a lot of people in their early 20’s, including lots of college students. A lot of artists also tend to go to the Mayan. It is a unique church experience. BHHS have a lot of professionals who are in their mid-20’s and into the 30’s and 40’s. The community is growing their and is also exciting to be a part of. Hope that helps.
May 8th, 2008 at 7:37 am
Dear staff member?
Please let me know the title and theme of the next book, that Erwin will produce. Do his books grow out of special events or temporary projects at mosaic? Or are they written without a special background in his daily work? Thanks for answering.