Creating a culture
where people can belong before they believe is a practical application of our
first core value: Mission is why the
church exists. At first glance this might not seem like a big deal. After
all, many Christians would nod their head in agreement with this statement. The mind of the seasoned
Christ follower might even jump to relevant passages like the Great
Commission in Matthew 28 or Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 9. However, it is in
praxis that this core value often becomes problematic.
Every church has got to decide which voices they are going to listen to. In most churches, it is the loudest, most persuasive, most powerful, or sometimes just the most deliberate Christian voices that get listened to. But the conversation is essentially the same: everyone vouching for their own preferred brand of Christianity. Mosaic essentially ignores these voices of religion in order to better hear the voices of humanity.
There are always any number of conversations going on throughout Christendom that church people consider to be of immense importance. The details of these conversations are always in flux - traditional/contemporary, emergent/emerging, modern/postmodern/post-postmodern, and a never ending plethora of theological asterisks. But as a movement whose very purpose for existing resides outside of its four walls, Mosaic just isn't all that interested in engaging in such "internal" conversations. We want to spend the best of our time, energy, passion and creativity on connecting people to God who wouldn't normally associate themselves with church.
This doesn't always involve a choice. After all, we are not a
divided humanity. At our core we all desire, need and long for the same
things. Mosaic speaks into those things that are true of us all. However, in those times when we must choose, we will always choose to ignore the voices of religion and internal religious conversation in order to begin new conversations with those who do not know Jesus.
