In our last post, we shared how Mosaic Church in Glasgow is doing real, creative, locally-rooted work to address the spiritual poverty in Scotland. We want it to be very clear that they should not be viewed as a deficit to be fixed. They are already building bridges, and they know their context better than outsiders ever will.

However, the realities of post-Christendom — places where the church is no longer located in the center of society — mean that even prophetic churches like Mosaic have their limits. Much of church ministry across Europe is voluntary, part-time, or (at best) bi-vocational. That means there are only so many hours, so much energy, and so much capacity to respond to need.

That’s where our family comes in.

Our role: serving and learning

Sending workers is one way the wider church body can share the load. Watch this four-minute clip to see how our family’s gifts complement Mosaic’s ministry in Glasgow.

Voiceover
Mosaic isn't excluded from many of the challenges that churches across the UK and Europe face. For one, most ministry work is voluntary or bi-vocational, and the capacity of church leaders is not as great as the needs encountered.
Viola
A lot of us don't have very much time. We're all very busy. People with families have so much going on. In the past, we've had people working with refugees. I think there were quite a few people who had a real heart for homeless people, talking to them and encouraging them and supporting them in some ways.
We don't have a Mosaic charitable activity that we all do together at the moment. We all kind of do our own little things.
Voiceover
That's where we come in.
Tapping into our cross-cultural ministry experience, our family will be a useful, full-time resource that could lend a much-needed helping hand.
Mosaic has invited us to help in several key areas. Areas where God has been shaping and preparing us since our worthwhile adventure began in 2010.
We extend hospitality and facilitate a table ministry, small groups and Bible studies, and we engage the local neighborhood.
We develop and lead creative worship in a way that empowers the community and fosters greater participation.
We grow ministry elements oriented towards children, youth, young adults, and anyone else God puts in our path.
We will enter Glasgow for a season of missional listening. As we lend a hand and build trust, relationships, and resources, we will look for where the Holy Spirit is already at work.
Viola
It would be a bit of a shock if somebody came and suddenly did lots of things to engage us. So it would be really important to just come and be part and get to know and join the things that are already there, and then see what kind of evolves out of that.
Voiceover
In joining what God has already been doing, the desire is to see Mosaic grow in its capacity. That they may shepherd and guide folks who won't set foot in a conventional church building, but are utterly compelled by Jesus.
Andrew
To be in a community, in a place where people are saying, “We really want to think differently about the church and what it means to be the church,” it's fun. It's fun, and it's exciting because we get to use every part of our divine imaginations to just dream about something that's better. Something that represents the love of God and the beauty of God and the justice of God in a way that is new.
These European cities like Glasgow, I mean, this is really a frontier in global mission where we have to think about what it means to be the church in places where the church has come and gone, and now we need to explore what it means to be the church.
Voiceover
None of this can happen without prayer and financial support. We're building a team of partners to support this ministry. Prayer partners and financial partners. A team that sees how God is moving in Scotland and wants to join in.
Being financially supported is how we have a full-time capacity to bring hope and light to our neighbors in Glasgow.
That's where you come in. Would you partner with us on this worthwhile adventure?

Community Catalyst ministry description

The Mosaic Church has invited us to help in several key areas as Community Catalysts:

Develop and lead worship in a way that empowers participation.
Grow ministry elements oriented towards children, youth, and young adults.
Mobilize volunteers and improve the community’s capacity for service.
Extend hospitality and facilitate a table ministry, small groups, and Bible studies.
Engage the local neighborhood and find ways to bring the church to the people.
Act as bridge-building catalysts to the broader budding Anabaptist community in Scotland and beyond.

One of the things we didn’t get into in the clip (due to time constraints) was that last point. While discerning this call over the past four years, we’ve formed all kinds of relationships and connections that we’re not convinced God is done with. Part of our job will be to strengthen and bind the connections between the Scottish Network Churches, the U.K. Anabaptist Mennonite Network, and various similar-spirited Celtic groups across Scotland and Ireland.

What is “missional listening?”

Learn about anti-colonialism in missions

When we arrive in Glasgow, we will enter a season of what our colleague Stuart Murray-Williams calls “missional listening.” Rather than hitting the ground running, we’ll work on building trust, relationships, and resources, keeping alert for where we see the Holy Spirit already at work. In time, we’ll start taking more initiative and see how we can help Mosaic Church grow in its capacity to shepherd and guide folks who are compelled by Jesus, but wouldn’t be caught dead in a conventional church setting.

Between our ample experience ministering in postmodern, post-Christendom contexts, our formations and passions, and an unquenchable longing to engage in relational, cross-cultural service, we are excited to pitch in and even more excited to see what we will learn and discover through our partners.

How you can help the emerging church

Monthly support makes long-term, relationship-driven ministry sustainable.
- Make a secure donation.
- Learn more about giving.
- Contact us with questions.
Signing up for our newsletter will give you important ministry updates and let you follow the way God is using our family and Mosaic Church to bring salt and light to Glasgow.
Prayer support is vital for the work we are called to. God’s kin-dom come, God’s will be done — on earth as it is in heaven.

The next step requires not just our faithfulness, but the generosity of other folks willing to join this mission. Raising money, which covers both living and ministry expenses, is what allows us to go to Glasgow as full-time resources for Mosaic.

Guided by our sending agency, Communitas International, we have developed a budget that will allow us to deploy once we have enough recurring monthly financial commitments to cover our monthly expenses.

Please consider becoming a ministry partner.

Your support makes the difference