http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541 Thoughts and inspirations from the Mosaic community. AdvancedMinistry Mosaic has just celebrated it's one year anniversary. To mark the occassion I'm going to share some lessons we've learned along the way. I hope others will find them helpful.A few months ago we bought Layla some seeds to grow her own little plants. She LOVES these plants and is very excited to watch them grown and change. The first few days we had them Layla would check them 10+ times a day. Each time she went back to look at her plants she expected to see big changes happening and was dissapointed when they weren't. Layla expected that any time spent away from the plant would produce change. The problem is she didn't have any sense of how long it takes a plant to grow. This particular plant was a pumpkin plant. It takes about 50 days to reach maturity and a day or two to show leaves above the surface. What if we had planted a sugar maple tree that takes 30 years to reach maturity? Two days with a sugar maple that you expect to behave like a pumpkin might lead you to believe that you're failing as a grower of plants. This of course would be untrue...but expectations being as they are it would seem like failure. When we came to Toronto the expectations we had were that churches take 3-5 years to become self sustaining. This means that the number of people attending translates into enough giving that all of the expenses of the church are taken care of by that giving. We thought within a year we'd have 30-50 people ready to be on this mission to plant a church with us. According to the infomation we had going in, most of which came from US sources, we expected that to be normal and achievable. Simply put we were expecting the wrong results. First, those metrics are old and from another climate and country. Second, churches that grow in this fashion grow largely by transfer growth from other churches. Thirdly those are churches that grow by addition and rarely create a sense of movement. I've come to realize that, expectations being what they are, to start a movement of discipleship that reaches those far from God in the city of Toronto will require us to be willing to look like a failure in order to achieve the real success that God is calling us to. Discipleship is the process of becoming like another. In the Jesus movement, it also carries with it a willingness to become a discipler. How long does it take someone to go from mere acquaintance, to respecting you, to emulating some of your behavior, to co-journeyman, to discipler of others? The answer is a while. Most of the time a long while. Longer than we typically like to wait for results.Starting a movement of disicpleship in a city that is thoroughly post-Christian, where even the Christians seem skeptical of new churches and unwilling to venture into the great unknown and try new things, is way more like growing a sugar maple than a pumpkin.Our culture loves to grown pumpkins though. We love fast, big, and colorful. We have so little patience - We want what we want and our point, click, ship, unbox culture has taught us to expect good things to come immediately and conveniently. Maybe that's why we know now that the average "mega church" is made up of 96% transfer growth. That means tha average church of 2,000 is regularly infleucing only 80 people who aren't decided about Jesus. I've come to the point where that simply isn't the vision of church I want to pursue. I don't need to impress people with fast growing and colorful if it means that we aren't actually growing something that gives significant new life to the work of the Kingdom. What would happen to the world if we stopped planting trees and instead we only grew pumpkins? What if we decided that the taste and appearence of pumpkins was universally preferrable to trees? I can't prove this but I think we'd all die.The thing is that even though trees take a LONG time to grow WE NEED THEM. They give us the greater majority of the oxygen we need to survive. As far as I know, pumpkins don't create even a fraction of the oxygen a mature tree does. The life giving process of growth in the Kingdom of God is that of discipleship. Building a church by discpling the unchurched in Toronto into a focused relationship with Jesus and ensuring their lives are actively pursuing discipleship and the expansion of Jesus' kingdom is like growing maple trees, not pumpkins.It's my feeling that the metrics around church planting are mostly for those growing pumpkins. We're not growing pumpkins. Therefore, if those are your metrics I'm willing to look like a failure. We want to plant maple trees. I believe we are seeing strong progress according to those metrics. I believe we are doing the right thing (for us anyhow) and that sometime in the future we will stand back and look at the tree that has taken root and producing life giving oxygen in Toronto and be really glad that we decided to look like a failure to some that we might give life to others.Have you ever felt you're there? Have you ever known you needed to do something different that might look to others like you're failing? Does your art demand you sacrifice the good, safe, secure job for the time being?Should you be travelling the world rather than attending university?Are you willing to drive that embrassing car to stay out of debt?Can you imagine yourself being that parent so that your kids don't make terrible mistakes?Sometimes we need to be willing to look like a failure in the present to become what we must be for the future. I encourage you to take the risk and be willing to look like a failure. Doing so is risky. It's an adventure and safe return is not gauranteed. However, in the future, when we see the fruit of our patience and determination, I'd love to see you there and know that you're glad you took the risk. There will be a spot under the shade of my maple tree for us to stop and share a few beautiful moments together. http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=34324 34324 Tue, 15 May 2012 05:54:00 +0000       One Year for Mosaic Toronto   This past week the one-year anniversary for the community that has come to be known as Mosaic Toronto came and went. It just about snuck past me entirely and I’m glad that my spider senses prevented it from doing so because it’s really given me a great chance to reflect and compile some thoughts I’d like to share.   For those of you trying to do the math and thinking “didn’t they move to Toronto in June 2010…” you’d be right. However, and I think we’ve said this consistently, we’ve never thought our best move would be to hit the ground and begin relationship by saying “hi, my name is Tim and I’m a pastor. Will you help me start a church?”   With many young, religiously skeptical people in Toronto, that would be relational suicide.   So from June 2010 – May 2011 we simmered in the relationships we built through Vox. We played a patient game and allowed the people of peace (more on this in the coming weeks) God wanted us to connect with to be identified.   May 6th was the first official meeting of a Mosaic small group. I think there were 6 of us there.   So how would I characterize this year’s journey?   Wonderful.   Harder than I’d ever imagined.   Confusing.   Illuminating.   Affirming.   Instructive.   Successful.   Filled with failures.   Wonderful.   I feel like I am a growing, fruitful disciple of Jesus now more than I ever have been. I am sure I can say the same of Melissa.   Our family has chosen to share this journey with others and I see that because of Jesus’ work in our lives, his discipleship of us through wonderful friends and mentors, there are more disciples of Jesus in Toronto now than there were when we started to gather a community called Mosaic together last year.   I also think the city of Toronto is a bit brighter because that community exists.   This has been a year of humble beginnings. I did not expect this journey when I took the first step. Although perhaps the journey has been unexpected I wouldn’t change it.   A friend of mine suggested that we start small and think big. I don’t think I appreciated the wisdom of that advice enough when it was given two years ago. I am really grateful for it today.   As I said, I have a few thoughts I plan to share over the next few weeks. There may be more but at least I’ll share thoughts on:   No one can tell you your vision Follow your gut Know yourself and live like yourself Be willing to look like a failure Sacrifice everything Don’t wait for permission to lead The difference between being a disciple maker and a benefactor Value pure relationship Changing the metrics around successful ministry in post-Christian Canada   Which one of those thoughts intrigues you the most? If I get enough people picking the same one I’ll start there ;-)   Peace! http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=34208 34208 Thu, 10 May 2012 14:55:00 +0000 Man does time ever slip away from me sometimes! I hope all of our friends are doing well. It's been a really exciting and busy time here for us. I'll try and give you the important bits of info.Mosaic is a community of ~20 people as of now. We're really pleased with where we are. Roughly half of those people are not Christ followers and there are 7 of us now deeply committed to living as disciples on mission together. We are learning to live in rhythms that support discipleship and evangelism (those words again). This past weekend we hosted our first Gathering - our monthly space for worship, teaching and communion. It was a very encouraging time and new steps of faith were taken by members of the community so we left very encouraged. Maybe some of you will come visit us at a future Gathering. We'd love to share them with you!(here's a pic so you can imagine what it was like)On the Family: Mel is doing well if not a bit uncomfortable. The babies weigh a bit more than 3lbs each and everything has been very smooth up until now. A date has been scheduled for a c-section: June 26th. Unless the babies come early (and my money is on them coming at least a bit early) they will come no later than that day. Please continue to pray for Mel and those babies over the coming weeks!Looking out into the future - we're very excited about what God is doing. We have three mission teams coming to serve with us over the summer, a big Vox concert planned to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity, and we're seeing new groups forming on the horizon as a result of the world we've been doing here. As exciting as that is we feel the need to walk a steady and prayerful path. As you think of us, please pray for wisdom and discernment and for the faith needed to do what is right even when it is difficult. Our family is so appreciative of your prayers. Peace! http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=33979 33979 Wed, 2 May 2012 06:15:00 +0000 This past weekend 8 of us from Mosiac took time to retreat together. The purpose was to spend time exploring God's wonderful design in each of our lives and hopefully to begin to dream about how we can most fully live to make an impact in the world. It was beautiful to see the diversity of God's creation and thrilling to consider how much potential these people have to make a difference when coupled with the Spirit of God.Discipleship like this is at the heart of the dream we have for Mosaic and the city of Toronto. I am completely convinced that in order for us to see this city, or any city, come back to God then each and every follower of Jesus must embrace the God given talents and genius that lies within them and to unleash all of that in the Spirit of Jesus into the world. It's envigorating to see lights flicker in their eyes as new dreams are born.This is why human beings were made. Indeed this is at the very heart of the gospel. Let me remind you again of the beginning:26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”  27 So God created human beings in his own image,    in the image of God he created them;    male and female he created them.Genesis 1:26-27We were made to care for the world - to be image bearers of God for the sake of the world he created. Our purpose began in the garden. Jesus came to show us all that we are supposed to be and to beckon us into the future. That flicker I see in their eyes looks like the light of the one who made them awakening inside so that that would have the courage and strength to represent God to the world. I can't wait to see that spark fanned into a flame!Thanks again to all of you who are helping us spark a movement of discipleship here in Toronto. If you would like more details on the tools we used this weekend feel free to get in touch with me as I'd be happy to help or even to come lead an experience with your small group or leadership team. Please continue to pray for us and if you'd consider joining our support team please email me. http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=33299 33299 Thu, 5 Apr 2012 15:03:00 +0000 I'm just sitting down in the midst of some last minute preparations for a weekend I'm really excited about. Nine of the Mosaic Toronto crowd are about to spend the weekend together considering how we can each AND together create a better future. Probably the image that compels me most is a image of the future where Mosaic helps many people realize all the potential they have as children made in the image of the Father and then go about using all that potential to move the world in Jesus' direction. I'll give you more details next week about what we did and how it went but I wanted to write now hoping that you would pray for us as we're away together this weekend.Peace! http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=33127 33127 Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:09:00 +0000 How many Christ followers and their friends does it take to make an impact on a neighborhood or people group? That could be the start of a lame joke OR a real question. In this case it's a question that we feel we have an answer for: I'd say at least 20.  As we build Mosaic by God's grace, our plan is to launch Missional Communities (small groups of people (ideally 20-50) with a vision for a neighborhood or people group) throughout Toronto. My sense is that many smaller groups, all of them with the missional DNA of a church, meeting around the city can make maximum impact. These groups are "small enough to care, big enough to dare". All of our MC's will be networked, accountable and banded together under the Mosaic banner and will meet regularly for celebration and motivation through music, teaching and other creative expressions. The first MC we've started is making the city better for creatives. We volunteer through Vox Toronto to support local creativity, entrepreneourship and causes. This past weekend we all gave of our time, skills and passions to support Vox and it's most recent event to support Operation Groundswell and a community project for the Tzibal people of Guatemala.   I really feel like this model of mission and community has helped us hit our stride. It's amazing to see how excited and willing people are to sacrifice and serve when the net results are so tangilble: hundreds of people helping make the world better, money raised for the poor and relationships built that can lead to spiritual renewal in Jesus.  Please have a look here at the pictures from the most recent Vox Toronto event and pray for the people you see. Additionally, please pray now as we move boldly toward the launching of our second MC in the fall.  Peace! http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=32846 32846 Thu, 22 Mar 2012 14:24:00 +0000 Everyone does it....pray that is. I think that's because through it all we have all experienced it working. Haven't you? Just this past Monday I experienced it.  This is the first week Mel is officially off work. She's too pregnant now to keep doing her job. I can't tell you how excited I am to have the time back I now have. It's awesome and I was super pumped to start this week. So I got up at 5am on Monday, read the scriptures, prayed, ate breakfast with my girls and we read some scripture and prayed together. I even made a pick me up play list to listen to while I was in the shower! All of this lead me to leave the house thinking this was going to be the BEST kind of day. About 300 meters from the house my breaks went squishy. This has happened before so I knew it wasn't good.  Then I had a meeting that didn't go the ways I'd hoped AT ALL. Then I had to drive to the break place to find out it would cost $500 to fix the breaks. Oh yeah...and I was pretty sure the transmission on the car had already been screwed up by a bad towing incident at the new year...so I thought it was going to cost more like $2,000 to fix the car.  Need less to say this was no where near the BEST kind of day. Have you ever noticed that it's in the crummiest moments in life we think about praying? Why is that? Why is it that humans seem preconditioned to reach out to the divine when trouble strikes. What's the saying..."there's no athiests in fox holes"? Even though I thought to ask for prayer in that moment I hesitated. I thought that maybe some people would judge me and ask me to "suck it up". It wasn't what I needed to hear then so I wrote a draft and left it sitting. The next hour was no better than the previous 7 so I decided to hit send. You know what? The day suddenly, maybe miraculously, started to get better. My dad offered to come fix my breaks. I felt better about that bad meeting. The next day I found out the noise leading me to think the transmission was failing was just a bad coincidence...the day after I got towed I also went low on power steering fluid. The transmission guy I took the car to was nice enough to tell me and top up the fluid for free. I decided to buy him some beer to say thanks...in my mind he'd saved me $1,500! So let me ask you - are you like me? Do you look to prayer far too infrequently? Do you wait until crisis hits and hits hard? Do you feel silly? Does it make you feel weak? I've realized I am weak. God is, by definition, strong.  Do you have any tips that might help those of us who look to prayer too infrequently tap into the potential power when The Divine and humanity connect?  http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=32440 32440 Thu, 8 Mar 2012 14:20:00 +0000 Mel and I have been away for the past week learning, thinking, dreaming and refueling our tanks. It's been great. Being a part of The IMN is one of the best things to have happened to us. This group of future oriented gospel practitioners is deeply inspiring to both of us.  Below is the most impactful set of words I've encountered in a long time. I hope God sinks it deep into your heart as you read it. We read it in light of Genesis 1:26-27 This is part of the very essence of Mosaic Toronto: “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Marryanne Williamson http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=32142 32142 Tue, 28 Feb 2012 10:29:00 +0000 So I promised a snapshot into what Mosaic is doing on Tuesday nights and here I am to deliver that to you. As I've mentioned we've focused ourselves like a laser on discipleship and so naturally we've been leading people into becoming disciples that move closer to Jesus.  When Jesus called his first followers he told them what they would be doing. He got them moving. "Come follow me" he said "and I will send you out to fish for people" I see here that Jesus first impulse, the hook he used to ensare our imaginations, was that of movement, mobility and mission that would give us the opportunity to live a life of MORE.  So we've been pushing ourselves to be people of mobility over the last month. We ask ourselves this question, as a challenge, on three consecutive weeks: who is someone I know, who isn't connected to a faith community, that I can get to know, serve, or challenge this week? The point? To be people discipled like Jesus discipled.  We've had athiests and buddihsts explore Jesus this way with us. We've re-energized the spiritual lives of Christ followers. We've grown in our ability to sense God's leading voice and to respond to it.  Let me tell you one story of my own activity. One week i took up the challenge to clean the sidewalks after a snow storm for our entire block. As I shoveled I spoke with a lady who's father was experiencing some health troubles. I had a chance to let her know Mel and I would be praying for her. I also met a new neighbor and made a positive first impression. One lady literally cried because "no one does anything like this anymore". I firmly believe that in the world we live in, serving and being present is the best way to be seen as a follower of Christ. Oh, last thing. We often tell people that their personal missions to become more active often have a long tail. In other words, the missions take on a life of their own and things happen that you wouldn't normally expect. Please pray that our missions have long tails...in particular pray that these people I met through my mission would begin to open up to Jesus and his love for them. Until next time... http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=31923 31923 Wed, 22 Feb 2012 07:44:00 +0000 First things first – we had such a great time together celebrating our friend Becky’s baptism on Sunday. There were 17 people here at our new house to help Becky mark her journey in this way. We marked this occasion with prayers of thanksgiving and by considering how much value Jesus places on us and the way he pursues us with a never giving up, unfailing love. We considered how common surrender is – how the pursuit of love always ends in surrender and how baptism is this public declaration that we surrender to Jesus’ love and choose to give ourselves to join his movement of love for the world. Becky was very articulate and passionate about her faith journey. I was so proud of how well she told her story and how bravely. Our friend Brian played a song by the Foo Fighters that Becky suggested. The song tied into our theme of Jesus’ pursuit. Give it a listen and imagine it being sung by Jesus to you. Powerful. We’re so grateful to have been able to help Becky take this critical step in her journey. Becky is a wonderful person and we know God has an amazing adventure planned for her in the days to come. You can see a full set of pictures here. Of course Becky’s baptism isn’t all we’ve been up to. As I mentioned briefly we moved on January 28th into a place that can accommodate both our growing family and growing community. We feel so blessed to have found this place – more than twice the size of our first Toronto apartment and it will cost us less per month to live here. We’re still quite centrally located too which is important to us. Instead of bombarding you with more details and information I think it’ll just let the baptism update stand for itself for now. Next week I’ll share a bit on what the community is up to on Tuesday evenings when we get together. Thanks again to all of you for supporting Mel and I and by extension this tribe at Mosaic. You helped make this day possible. Let's continue this long race together to see more and more lives surrender to the love of Jesus. http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=31533 31533 Wed, 8 Feb 2012 13:56:00 +0000 Hey everyone, Just wanted to say a quick sorry for not posting recently. We've moved and on top of that been just busy with Mosaic and such. I hope to have a real update for you tomorrow with pics from our baptism celebration and other news and ways you can keep praying for us. For now - back to cleaning up before the Mosaic crew arrives at our front door :-)   Peace! http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=31514 31514 Tue, 7 Feb 2012 18:17:00 +0000 On the weekend of February 4th Mosaic will celebrate it's first baptism. We are SO excited! We're excited for our friend Becky who is one of the very first people we met in Toronto - her and Mel did some rowing lessons together when we first arrived. We're excited for the priviledge it is to walk through this important step in making what was decided privately a public declaration of one's intent to pursue the way of Jesus and honor Him as King with their life. I'm sure there are a lot more things I could say but... We're just EXCITED! We want these kinds of moment to be the norm around Mosaic - where someone who has been walking with us takes the plunge and makes a focused committment to follow Jesus and sees their life freed and enhanced because they are living moment by moment in sync with the Creator God of the universe.  While you're here I'll let you know about a few more exciting plans we have for the coming months. In particular we're really excited to be hosting two missions teams from the USA over the summer. Those teams will really help us expand our influence in the city as we serve in tangible ways and show the love of Jesus to Toronto. The "big event" both teams will be helping us put on, in partnership with Vox is an art and music festival for social good at Dundas Square! (see pic below for a famous shot of the Square you might recognize...if you're Canadian anyhow ;-) Our city councellor has agreed to sponsor the event and we've got a contract to sign. This is going to be an amazing way for us to make even more connections and do more Kingdom work here in Toronto. Please continue to pray for us as we help people take steps toward Jesus. Pray for the teams of people coming this summer. If you'd like to help us continue to make headway here in Toronto please feel free to use the contact information on this site to become a prayer or financial partner with us. Hoping someday parties like this one will be for more than just a gold medal. http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=30987 30987 Thu, 19 Jan 2012 06:26:00 +0000 Layla seems to have entered a "phase" with me. Last night Mel and I were talking and I told her that I feel like I'm doing something wrong when it comes to parenting. Her desire to please me feels like it's at an all time low. She's defiant and moody with me. She whines every time I ask her to do something. Despite all my efforts to love on her it seems like for the most part she doesn't appreciate my affections. In a small window of hope this morning Layla actually brought me her little story Bible and asked me to read her something. Of course, she wanted to pick the story. I think it was the picture of the big snake that made her choose the story of the fall of man in the Garden (Genesis chapter 3 if you're reading a traditional, less colorful version). As I was sitting there reading about the great rebellion of man it reminded me of the current rebellion of my daughter's heart against the affections of her dad.  I love this little story Bible (a special thanks to Lindy and Jason...I'm pretty sure it was a gift from them!) because every story reminds the reader of one thing: that God LOVES us and he showed that to the world through the life and death of Jesus and then proved it was Himself by raising from the dead...something no mere man with a good life or wise teachings could have done. Isn't it so easy to lose sight of something as simple and precious as love? Even on Tuesday at Mosaic I'm not sure I related this strongly enough so let me tie that in here: the mission of Christ followers is to bring the world to Jesus. Why? Because Jesus is the ultimate example of love - the love of God for his Children. A love so strong, so sure, so desperate that even death was not too great a price to pay for it's proof. We may have love and show love but our love pales in comparison to the love of Jesus - a man who died for you and for me. Only his ultimate love will bring this world to be what God would long for it to be.  You know, when Layla is being especially rebelious, when she refuses my hugs, talks to me rudely or does any other number of things that make me feel like I'm failing I think I catch a microscopic insight into how God must feel. We are his children and we push him away. We allow ourselves to lose sight of how much he loves us and squander our lives on this far less critical than a call to rescue the world through a revolution of love.  The simplicity of the gospel and mission of Jesus always boils down to this: LOVE - God LOVES you and every other human being on the planet.   Some hope - this morning Layla practically begged me to play in the living room because I'm sitting here and she wanted to be near me :-) I think I understand a bit more today what Jesus meant when he said "I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one person who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent".  Two questions for us this morning:Am I committed FIRST and MOST to the way of love or is there another mission I'm giving myself to?Can I accept that all God has ever wanted from me is to LOVE him? http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=30759 30759 Thu, 12 Jan 2012 10:35:00 +0000 It's one thing to say you're going to do something. It's always another thing to put your money where your mouth is.  For a while now I've been saying that we want the core of Mosaic to be based on two things: discipleship and evangelism. This week marked a new chapter in our effort to create a community that is truly all about those things. We've decided to give half of the Tuesday's we connect in a month to something we're calling "The Huddle" (maybe a working title, maybe not). The Huddle is an intense and intentional discipleship group. It's high commitment and high challenge. The mission is simple: become a person who's habits, rhythms and practices are shaped by Jesus. Last night we began our journey together by looking at what Jesus first impulse was when forming his disciples. The first recorded words of Jesus calling disciples are these: "Follow me and I will send you out to catch people".  Follow...send. It seems Jesus' way of discipleship was oriented from it's genesis around motion and mobility. Jesus was going somewhere, doing something and he was calling others to come with him. The promise? You'll be sent to make an impact. It's like essence of being a disciple for Jesus was more like being a spiritual activist than a student. This really rubs up against the way I've experienced discipleship. I've been told and taught it's primarily a function of the mind: read this, memorize that or pray for this amount of time every day. Those things are all really good and a part of our discipleship. However, I think the time has come, for me anyway, to ask whether that's the most critical piece of discipleship. I'll even go beyond that to say I've been asking the question for some time and the answer for me is no, discipleship is not primarily about knowledge or mental practice.  As this group forms we are attacking the issue of mobility first. Mosaic is pursuing a bias towards action in our faith journey. (Much of what you just read comes to me courtesy of Alex McManus who I have been blessed to work closely with as he fleshes out some material on discipleship. Look for his first of three eBooks on the topic coming out in a little while. I have an advanced copy...it's great!) So right now the 14 of us who were here last night are committed to learning to be people who move. It's a bit like being a part of a team in training. We've committed to doing some drills together, if you will, that will get us in shape. See, faith is like a muscle. It needs to be worked on regularly. Although you will never know which movements of your life God will use to grow you or reach others you can be ready when he comes calling. We'll be doing that though something that Mosaic started pioneering last year called mGames.  That's enough plugs for Alex. Another group deseres some credit as well - the folks a 3dm. Although any mobility can help us train there are some ways we can identify and harness the most critical movement moments our lives present us. Life is what we're training for. Getting our reflexes ready to make better and faster choices as Kingdom Activists. We're fusing in a process of discernment called "The Circle" (clever name, no?) In my next post I'll explain it more. For now just have a look at it: http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=30722 30722 Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:28:00 +0000 What if you could live 2011 over again with all the knowledge you have now? How would it be different? Now, what if you set out to live 2012 as though you are living it for the second time? I read that question via Donald Miller and Viktor Frankl this week and it meshed really well with some other thoughts I’ve been having and the way I think Mosaic needs to grow in the coming 12 months. See, I’ve come to think that last year was a good year. I and we did some good things. There is a lot to celebrate (and we have): relationships forming, personal growth happening, the world becoming better in exciting ways because of what we’re doing, and the message of Jesus is being sent out into the city. If you simply read that phrase it seems like the very definition of success. Here’s the thing: I don’t think I did as much as I could have with the moments I was given. I have been feeling the weight of responsibility to steward well the time and people I’ve been blessed with. Our sole motivation is this: Jesus came and he sent us to free humanity. This is the core message and central motivation coming out of the scriptures – that God himself wants to be connected to us, that he wants us to join him in restoring and redeeming this world, and that Jesus shows us how to live a life fully devoted to that pursuit. When you consider how much Jesus accomplished in three years of public work you have to be astounded. One person laid the foundation for the greatest movement in human history in just three years. It makes me wonder…did Jesus ever waste a single moment? Would he ever have needed to wonder what it would be like to live a year over again? Personally I don’t – I think he was so honed in on the mission he had been given that he did all he could for us with the time he was given. This is our model. We are His followers and his example of the most beautiful human life, fully connected to God’s purpose for the world, is the bar we need to aspire to. So Mosaic this year is seeking to really live the tag line that’s been on hour homepage for some time. More. Together. Specifically we’re trying to become followers who: Love moreGive moreDo more. (for inspiration of Jesus way of doing, loving and giving more read Matthew 5:38 - 6:4) Why? Because we’re absolutely compelled by the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. What we want most is a world filled with people who live like him. Practically this means we’ve made some shifts to our rhythms so that we can spend more time making sure we become like him and can help others become like him. I realize that starts with me. Feel free to get more in depth with my own journey if you like – I’m trying to keep this blog about community life. I’m really excited about 2012. Although it’s normal to feel that at this time of year somehow I sense that it’s different this time. I wonder… do you think Jesus felt similarly at the first year in his public ministry…I wonder if he sensed a fresh, new, and invigorated sense of God’s presence and direction in his life? I hope he did. Knowing that the possibility of feeling the same way as Him is somehow inspiring to me. I hope you’ll pray that this stirring our community feels will continue throughout this year. We really need your prayers, support and encouragement. If you don’t currently receive our prayer updates (which are different that the notices that a new blog has been posted) and you’d be willing to pray for us please email tIm at moSaIctoRonto dot ca. ;-) Together let’s resolve to not wonder about wasting a moment. Let’s expect MORE in 2012. http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=30549 30549 Thu, 5 Jan 2012 08:46:00 +0000 On Sunday night Melissa and I had two friends here to talk about where Mosaic is headed in the New Year. I asked these friends if they'd been thinking of anything they might want to share, something that perhaps God had been speaking to them. One of them spoke up and mentioned how excited he was for our upcoming Christmas dinner gathering which took place last night. His excitement came from the opportunity he had to include one of his friends, a guy who's been through a lot lately, and to help him see the joy of Christ that almost always gets reflected in the gathering of our community.  He continued to say that although he appreciates the traditional somber nature of Christmas services that he feels we're often missing the celebratory nature that should accompany any child's birth, let alone the birth of humanity's Hope.  Last night was certainly a night packed with celebration -and with love, laughs and hope. Here a few comments that came in on Facebook this morning: "That was so lovely. Thanks to everyone for making it such a wonderful evening."  "What a wonderful evening! Thanks, Mosaic family! Wishing you all a beautiful Christmas, filled with delicious food, warm homes, and memorable times with those you love." "Thank you for including me in the holiday fold! The dinner and friendship really put me in the holiday spirit-- finally! :)"  My heart is full...this tribe is geling and I see Jesus all over the relationships here. It's beautiful. In this city the gift of community, family, is no small thing. In a day and age when social media gives us far too many excuses to be superficial I believe Jesus is felt strongly in the simplicity of human interaction. Jesus has always been calling us to be MORE human. Mosaic is becoming that for those of faith and those who need a place of belonging on this part of their journey.  To those of you who pray for and support us in many ways from afar - THANK YOU! A beautiful thing is forming here - a family crafted by the same hands that came to earth as a baby. The same Jesus we celebrate is using you to effect change and create a picture of himself here in the heart of Toronto.  So from this family at Mosaic to you all - Merry Christmas!! See you in 2012 :-) http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=30249 30249 Wed, 21 Dec 2011 15:09:00 +0000 Great insights and ideas beg to be brought to life. Most of the time though I just find myself getting lazy and not executing. Can anyone else relate to that? A couple of days ago I was watching a video in which the presenter mentioned that he had found himself lulled into the trap of simply parenting his kids and not discipling them. WHAM! I saw myself in that comment. Our life rhythm means that I am spending the most time with Layla right now and I know that more often than not I forget to disciple her even as I am trying to be a disciple of Jesus who can disciple others. It was such a great idea that I needed to bring it to life. Yesterday I was feeling like a terrible disciple – like I wasn’t doing enough on mission for Jesus each day. I wasn’t being intentional enough to listen for God's voice in my life and so wasn’t being the kind of man, father and leader I want to be. It was kind of depressing… By the way, I've come to think that the essence of our journey as disciples of Jesus boils down to us constantly answering two questions: 1. What is God saying to me? (listen)2. What am I going to do about it? (act) Today was better. I made some shifts in mindset that came out of prayer and woke up ready to be better. This morning Layla opened her advent calendar to find a small change purse and $10 as her gift. (I know – Layla’s Nana Nagel goes all the way with an epic wooden Advent calendar with a small gift each day of advent. It’s WAY better than the little chocolates we got as kids. Nothing against my parents…things evolve!) I had an idea! Layla and I got dressed, grabbed her purse and headed down to Bloor Street. On the way we talked about God and his desire for us to be generous because he is generous to us. We talked about how all we have, even this money, is a gift from Him to us and that he wants us to give to others. I taught her that this is how the world will be it’s best – if we are generous like God is generous. Then we walked and listened…and God showed us a gentleman across the road from us. Jim is from New Glascow, NS – a truck driver who moved here in September hoping to find work but because of high blood pressure was denied his class 1 license. We asked how we could help and he asked us to help him with lunch. So we went into Metro and bought him a big sandwich and some water. Layla gave me $5 and I added in $5 of my own to pay for his lunch. Layla was really excited to take the sandwich and water out to Jim. He was very sweet with her and after a bit more of a chat we said goodbye and came home. I am so proud of my daughter who’s little heart full of love shone like the sun and she didn’t complain about giving of her money even once. It’s amazing what a small act can do and how it can change so much. It’s also amazing how being a disciple can be as simple as harnessing every small moment in life to follow the example of Jesus. PS – I put the $5 back in Layla’s piggy bank. It wasn’t about the money. It was about her heart. Her heart shone and I’m sure her Father was as proud of her as her dad was today! PPS - For those not sure what a "disciple" is I've boiled it down to this: it's someone who want to learn to live like Jesus.    http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=30076 30076 Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:01:00 +0000 Melissa LOVES sweet and sour sauce. It's ok in my books but I'm not a huge fan or anything. I don't know. There is something about that combination that just doesn't appeal to me. To be honest I guess it's the sour party...I just don't really like it. I'd prefer just the sweet.  I'm sure we've all had sweet and sour moments in our life. Times when the good and the bad have been mixed together in an inseparable way. Maybe you have the same aversion to those moments that I do to sweet and sour sauce. Perhaps you'd rather just have the sweet part of life. In a bit of a practical follow up to yesterday's thoughts - tonight is a night where we will experience both the sour and sweet parts of ministry.  Tonight we say farewell for now to Megan. We met Megan at a night of music hosted by one of our seeking friends here in Toronto. Megan is a journalist and at the time we met was seeking a job in that field. We talked briefly at the event about a possible piece being written about Vox, exchanged information and then I had to get home. As luck would have it the train was delayed so my waiting outdoors meant Megan and I ended up standing next to each other on a packed train. It was there I think I realized she was a follower of Jesus. I friended her on Facebook (you know, to give real substance to our chance interaction ;-) )and we booked a time to have coffee.  To make a long story short Megan has been a part of Mosaic for the past 5 months or so. She's leaving this week to head to Africa and work in a creative access country.  She wrote our family a card this week in which she thanked us for her time at Mosaic and cited our ministry as a primary source of inspiration for her decision to head back to Africa (her parents are workers in another country there) and serve Jesus.  I was so floored by that. I'm realizing just how slow work is here in Toronto. Things don't happen quickly. That's the sour part of it. It's also sour when a good friend leaves. The sweet part is watching one more person decide to give their life for the movement of Jesus in the world. To get any credit for that is humbling and altogether sweet. If this is what sour and sweet tastes like, if sour must come in order for sweetness to be realized I'll take it - and LOVE it! Our singular passion here at Mosaic is to see people learn to hear the voice of Jesus and to act on his invitation to "follow me". In being inspired towards our vision for Toronto there are several parts of the story of Jesus and his followers that have become consuming in my own life. Those passages have shaped Mosaic's community. One such passage reads like this: 17 “‘In the last days, God says,    I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy,    your young men will see visions,    your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women,    I will pour out my Spirit in those days... - Acts 2 So to put that into my own words regarding our hopes for Mosaic - I hope Mosaic get's absolutely covered in sweet and sour sauce! I hope it's overpowering in the best kind of way. I want to experience the sour taste of sending people out from our family along with the sweet satisfaction of knowing that somehow, even despite ourselves, God is using someone like me to accomplish his vision of a world filled with dreamers, living in connection with the Spirit of Jesus and giving their lives to make the lives of others better.  To those of you who have been supporting us I hope this is purely sweet for you! We thank you so much for giving us the chance to experience all of this and work towards it. I hope you'll support Megan by praying and if you'd like to know more about her work by all means email me. Mosaic will be support her as we are able and so if you'd like to support us in some way again, please email us. Hrmmm. Now I'm craving sweet and sour.... http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=30024 30024 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:07:00 +0000 Can you recall a time when you were aware of a moment in which you had two choices - fight or flight? Scientifically it's said to be the first stage of how we regulate stress - our sympathetic nervous system responds to a threat by priming us to either stand and fight or turn and run away. Can I be honest with you? I've thought about choosing flight lately. The threat of all that is about the happen in the life of our family can, at times, seem overwhelming.  Please, don't hear me wrong here - I'm happy to be having twins! It's not the twins that threaten me. It's the logistics - money and time mostly - that scare me.  It just felt like we were hitting a groove with Mel's new job and so we were finally able to look for care for Layla, pay off some debt, and have a bit of breathing room all which would free me up in one way or another. Now I'm wondering when I'll need a second job. Maybe a second full time job? I don't know. I do know that I feel very conflicted about it all. I think conflict is an often avoided topic when it comes to our faith. So much of the culture we've built around our church experience is about comfort - from the seats we sit in to the temperature of the buildings and the volume of the music we spend a lot of time making things comfortable. It seems to me that perhaps we've been communicating to people that this life of following Jesus is supposed to be comfortable rather than the truth - that it is hard.  You know, my daughter Layla has this amazing ability. There are times when Mel and I are trying to have a private conversation. We whisper in hushed tones and yet she is able to discern what we're talking about. In those moments we wonder whether she has some kind of super hearing. Then, just as we're ready to get her a shirt with a big red "S" on it we try and ask her to do something that perhaps she's not a big fan of and it's like she's gone deaf. Totally deaf. It's like she can completely disengage her super hearing at will. Is this a common trait or no? What??!! You mean my daughter isn't as unique as I thought? I bring that up because I've noticed we apply the same amazing ability when it comes to scripture. Consider this verse which I've heard so often. It's one we like: ...take heart! I have overcome the world. - Jesus It's true and it is  encouraging...but it shouldn't be read in isolation but in context. Here's the fullness of what Jesus says: In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. - Jesus, John 16:33 Trouble is a gaurantee. It's not an if but when.  When trouble comes our way we have a choice. Fight or flight. Mel and I had some good, difficult conversations. We've prayed a lot this month. We have chosen to fight. We are here for the long haul. God gave us a vision and charged us with bringing a new faith community to life in this city. We will fight through our trouble AND He will overcome. Of this call we are certain. What about you? How is it that you've been faced with the fight or flight choice? Don't misunderstand me - it's not only church planters with twins who have this choice to make. We all must choose at various times in life. Those who will truly accomplish something great, those who want to stand with Jesus and really fight  However, the choice to fight is just the beginning. Logistics will still need to be worked out. It takes more than desire and commitment to plant a church. Community is almost as critical as a sure call and trust in Jesus' ability to overcome. Let me say it this way - I have come to believe that most great movements of Jesus happen when as small but dedicated community bands together in His name to do something great. Maybe that's where you come in - we are still raising support and funding for Mosaic. We're still builind a core committed to the kind of discipleship that unleashes dreams in the name of Jesus. Could you help us with this? Please feel free to email me for a conversation or details on how to become a part of the community committed to seeing Mosaic come to life.  Thank you all for your well wishes regarding the twins. We deeply love and appreciate you all and it's encouraging to bring twins into a world where you all live.  Peace! http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=29993 29993 Tue, 13 Dec 2011 08:01:00 +0000 You should add this to your reader. My wife is a wonderful writer and has taken up the hobby again here: http://twolittleheartbeats.wordpress.com/ http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=29973 29973 Mon, 12 Dec 2011 08:57:00 +0000 ...is the primary task of the Christ follower. By extension it's the only thing that will move the world towards it's best future and build up the Tribe of Jesus that is and has been moving throughout human history.  Let me articulate myself another way. Our task is not to plant churches. Our task is to be disciples who disciple others who in turn will disciple others. By discipling we continue to look to the impact Jesus made on the world and on us and try our best to emulate it for others. Discipling was the task given to us by Jesus when he transfered the movement he started onto his proteges (Matt 28:18-20). Subsequently we can be sure that if we take up this task then Jesus will build his church (Matt 16:18) (NB - Jesus promises to build his church on Peter, the little rock, the one like the big rock. A disciple.) I think it's taken me becoming a church planter to become a disciple. The revelations I'm having around discipleship are transforming me as they flow out into the tribe called Mosaic. This is a continuation of my posts on core and acting like we believe. Our inspiration for discipleship is the life of Jesus. Duh. Sounds like it doesn't need to be stated...except it does because I don't think we do it Jesus' way most of the time. So the critical question we should ask is this: How did Jesus disciple? I'll try and unpack how he's been discipling me here for you over the coming weeks. The first thing I'd like to share is that Jesus seems to disciple through high invitation and high challenge.  Jesus was so warm and loving, attractive and attractional in all the right ways. Jesus invited everyone in, no matter who you were, you could always follow and belong. You could have access to him and observe and be immersed in his life if you wanted to. Think of Jesus' affirmation to Peter as "the rock". HIGH invitation...drawing him closer. A few verses later Jesus challenges Peter's perception and character and love when he rebukes him "you are a stumbling block to me". He challenges Peter to see the world as it must be and to become who he must to help it happen...even if it means huge trial or loss We all will be better at either invitation or challenge. I am definately a naturally high invitation guy. I've been learning the art of challenging. The tension needs to be there for Jesus to be seen. How is this translating practically? Last night we brought our friends into our home. There was a buzz in the room as connections were made and formed. It felt like family. Within a half an hour we moved to a challenge. I had them all follw me out onto Bloor Street to engage the local businesses in helping make Vox's next event more successful. Their job was to talk to someone, tell them about the event and invite the business into partnership with us. This kind of boots on the ground engagement gives us chances to engage with new and real people. Since we believe that Paul was right when he said there is nothing good in us but Jesus then when someone engages positively with us we assume they are really favorable to Jesus.  I can tell you after having made 120+ visits like that last year it's not easy. it pushes you out of your comfort zone. Some people are downright rude. Some are excited and interested. You have to manage your emotions, think on the fly, adapt, adjust, and lead yourself. it's challenging. Afterward we came back to my place and Mel had filled the apartment with the smell of fresh treats and cider. The feeling of warmth and comfort was again high on invitation. Has your experience been like mine? I think I've always known that people need to be invited - typically though the invitation has been to events and not to life. Are we willing to give our life to be a disciple maker. Can you be a disciple if you are unwilling to do so? Or maybe you're really good at giving of yourself and not so good at challenge. Could you imagine moving past the discomfort of making challenges to help others experience the joys of movement and to be there when they hit a wall? I was reflecting this week on what the last 18 months has done for my own journey and how it's shaped Mosaic. Most critically I have been discipled through this process. I am learning to disciple others. The core of the Church is becoming the core of this community.  Right now I'm looking to invite 10 people into my life to disciple them. As I go I am offering them myself. My invitation is high. On the other hand the asks I'm making aren't easy. I'm asking them to be open to critique and to prepare their life for a life of investment in others. It will get raw and tough. I believe it will be worth it.  I have to believe this quote is true: "A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead What about you - do you think small tribes of passionate followers of Jesus can still change the world?  http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=29880 29880 Wed, 7 Dec 2011 09:52:00 +0000 Hi Everyone, It's with a great deal of happiness that I get to write this post. Yesterday was a pretty big day here for Mel and I. Mel had her first ultrasound and we were given the happy news that we can expect not one child to be born but two! We are so grateful to God for these blessings. For the moment we are choosing to celebrate. There obviously will be many twists and turns in the coming days to navigate and we would covet your prayers for us as we move through those and you can be sure that we'll let you know more specifically how you can pray and support as time moves on. For now we hope you'll celebrate with us :-) If you'd like you can see the ultrasound photo on Facebook (friend me here) http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=29711 29711 Thu, 1 Dec 2011 13:36:00 +0000 Here's a great blog post from someone I got to meet back in September. Vince might be one of the most passionate evangelists I know. Perhaps the funniest person I've met as well - he's hilarious. Check out this post or head over to his site at www.vinceantonucci.com http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=29573 29573 Tue, 29 Nov 2011 07:44:00 +0000 Do you ever wonder if Jesus is actually worth offering the world? I know I have. I mean, there is so much good going on, so many people doing more than me to make the world better than sometimes I wonder about how compelling I can make Jesus seem. This past weekend I had a chance to attend the sociaLIGHT conference here in Toronto. This question was only amplified for me in that context. There I was, amongst a thousand young entrepreneurs, many of who's businesses are making the world better and I wonder how I could lead them to Jesus. A friend of mine expressed a similar sentiment as we sat over coffee in the afternoon. It can be really difficult and depressing. I was reminded though as we talked of how that's exactly the wrong way for me to be thinking. I am often downright scared to share the Gospel with people because I make it about me or I make it about them. The Gospel is about Jesus - the greatest leader of movement the world has ever known and further more the Son of God, the one connected uniquley to the source of all power in the universe. No one else has ever made the same claim with ANY validity. Only Jesus. No one has or even could ever spark more good for humanity than Jesus.  I think I often need a sober does of reality. All of this that I am doing - our entire existance as a Christ follower is about JESUS. Although my story can be helpful in leading people to faith I'm still trying to lead them to Jesus. Jesus' mission was the bring the Kingdom of God to earth. No matter who our friends are, no matter how much good they are doing they pale in comparison to the good that Jesus has and will continue to do for the world. He is  so committed to making the world better than he has made it his aim to enlist every person to his cause and promises to enhance the gifts of all who trust in him in order to create the world he has dreamed of since the dawn of creation. Mosaic is first and foremost about Jesus. It must be. I am thankful that this wonderful group of humans have reminded me how much we all need Christ. http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=29572 29572 Mon, 28 Nov 2011 07:21:00 +0000 Hey friends of Mosaic, These past few weeks have been really interesting for our community. In particular the volunteer staff at Mosaic (a group of 4) have had some downs followed by great ups as we have tried to determine together how to move forward and make Jesus and discipleship the core of our community.  For a long time I've been ruminating on how best to serve the city of Toronto. What will help people here see Jesus most clearly? My thoughts have been many and varied: Maybe a gathering that is creative and well done? Maybe more social action? Maybe something I haven't even thought of yet... It's seemed so complicated and to be honest there have been times when I felt like I was a blind man leading other blind people... However, if making disciples is really the goal then it's simple, isn't it? It's not easy, but it IS simple. Follow Jesus. Jesus offers sight to the blind. Stumbling is unnecessary because we can learn to follow Jesus and invite others to do so with us. I am really thankful for what God has been doing amongst us this year...despite our stumblings. He has been kind. We had our largest community group ever this past Tuesday. Even then, I am realizing that this is a LONG race...a marathon as my mom said to me a few months ago. So I have come to some clarity about our need to restructure ourselves to have a rhythm that is solely focused on disicipleship and mission. I hope to be able to share this rhythm with you in the near future.  For now what we could use most is prayer - for a continuation of clarity and for willing hearts to enter into a full devotion to Christ together and a complete surrendering of all we have to his cause in this city.  Thanks for your prayers - we love you all! http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=29559 29559 Fri, 25 Nov 2011 08:41:00 +0000 A couple of weeks ago I wrote about core and how discipleship and evangelism need to be the core of Mosiac Toronto. This morning as I was getting ready to write again I came across this quote and blog post: “80% of all people act their way into a new way of believing and behaving.” - Alan HirschRead the quote again. I think it has huge implications for discipleship and evangelism. Practical implications. How do we become followers of Jesus and help others follow him? We start acting like a follower of Jesus. Matthew 7:24.  It's supposed to be basic...and yet maybe your discipling has been like mine - a process in which this was not the core essence of disicpleship. In October I lead our core through Sparks - five weeks of the same question: "What's One thing you can do this week to make yourself a better person or the world a better place?" The question leads to action.  I think we're starting to see the fruit of those actions. We hosted a Halloween party on the 30th. We had 25 people join Mosaic - the largest gathering we've had to date. A few new people are coming this week to connect with our community because of the culmination of these actions.  I feel like God is on the move here. We're learning some things about discipleship and evangelism. Keep praying for us! http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=29076 29076 Tue, 8 Nov 2011 13:14:00 +0000 Hey Everyone, You all know what a core sample is, don't you? It's a sample taken when you want to know the layers contained in a substance. By analyzing the sample you can determine the make up of whatever you've taken the sample from. You can see what's on top and what's further down...even at the core (center) of an object or mass. Core is a term we often use in church planting world. It’s used especially with reference to a "core team". This refers to the early adopters who are joining a planter's family to start a new church. The core of Mosaic Toronto starts with me and Mel. Slowly and surely we are adding people to enlarge and create the core of our community.Core is not simply about mass. That’s easy. It’s as much about composition as it is about mass. What materials make up the core and what is the strength and density of those materials. I suppose then it's no surprise that I'd be thinking a lot about the term "core" these days. I've been reading a book called Made to Stick  where they suggest that the best ideas, the ones that endure and are sticky, get to the absolute core of the message to be communicated. Think of the first line of a newspaper article. The REALLY important information is always right there. It's core. All of this has me wondering this today: If at some time in the future, someone could come and take a core sample of Mosaic Toronto, and see what is right at the heart of the community and more directly, right at the center of my family's being as we build this community in the power of Jesus, what would they find? On Tuesday I met with my advisory board. As usual I walked away realizing how much I don't know. At one point Alex McManus asked me a core question: what is your mission? He was asking me about what is core to me because the truth is the strongest and most dense part of Mosaic needs to be me. To follow Jesus, inviting as many people, as often as possible, to join me in creating the best future for everyone.   I'll do that through evangelism and discipleship. Would you pray for the core of our community? We deeply desire to find the best practices for bringing people into God’s plan for the world. We’re tweaking, experimenting and sometimes that’s hard. Also, please pray that we have the strength, the density, to give more and more to Jesus everyday. PS – just to give you a sense of the practical ways we’re trying to ensure we teach our people who to take action and be outreach oriented – last night I did a 5-minute lesson adopted from Jesus’ lesson about the effects of yeast on bread (Matthew 13:33) The central point I made was this: simple actions can make a big effect when God “reacts” with those actions in the world. We gave each person in the group $5 and asked them to go do something good with it. We told them to pray on their way and do whatever they were inspired to do. All of them came back with a neat story and you could see it pushed them and sparked thoughts. In one case a simple inspiration to give free subway fare to a stranger resulted in the privilege to pray for a woman who’s husband recently died and who was having a really rough night. It shouldn’t surprise us. A little bit of effort goes a LONG way when God chooses to partner with you. OutreachFaithHopeLoveDisciplesJesus These are some of the strata I hope a core sample will reveal of Mosaic Toronto in the future.       http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=28478 28478 Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:31:00 +0000 I've been focusing a lot lately on ideas or updates for Mosaic. Today I thought I'd update you on family life for Melissa and I. Lots has been going on and it's both exciting and challenging at times.  Mel is now the interim manager (and we hope the interim part will be gone soon) of the Pandora Jewlery store at the RBC Center here in Toronto. The process of moving from employee to manager was interesting to be sure (you can talk to Mel in person if you want the story) and despite the challenges Mel is enjoying the new role. She's already done some hiring and is really sensing that the team she has is rallying with a new sense of optimism. These last two weeks have been long and Mel is feeling good about the new challenge. Mel being at work means Layla and I spend "banking hours" at home together. I typically find time for 4 hours of work (give or take) amongst walks and park time, naps, imagination time and a bit of TV for Layla. To be honest it can be a challenge but we're hoping to get Layla into pre-school in November or December for 2-3 days a week which will really help. We've been waiting for the right support to be in place for that. Maybe you would consider helping us in this way through monthly support. Feel free to email or call me if you wanted to chat about that. Of course this weekend we spent time considering all we have to be thankful for. I thought of each of you during the last few days. Without our friends to love and support us in various ways we wouldn't be here. Thanks so much for that! We also spent some time with my family in Woodstock for the big feast. My mom did a great job putting it all together and the time out of the city was savoured. My dad built an amazing deck this year and we just spent some time sitting and soaking in the fresh air, warm breeze and amazing quiet.  All in all we're doing well. Life always has some challenges but God continues to be faithful to us as he always has been. We're most thankful for that. To finsih up I thought I'd share some pics of us from over the weekend. And yes...that IS Layla :-)   http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=28001 28001 Tue, 11 Oct 2011 10:03:00 +0000 So here I am back from M. What a great week. There are always so many inspiring thoughts that come from an experience like the one I had last week but one really stood out to me.   During one of Alex McManus' sessions he was talking about story and the gospel. He related an experience common to many of us who follow Christ and try to share that with others. You point someone to the scriptures and articulte the story of God as best you can. You explain why Jesus is important to you. You finish pouring your heart and passion out and the person says "I just don't think this is real". Have you ever experienced that? I know that here in Toronto the realness of the story often gets questioned. Sometimes people question the historical aspects of what's in the Bible but more often than not that's not the issue - and most scholars are pretty ok with the veractiy of the Scriptures. Most people I encounter are questioning whether God is real in the here and now because they just don't see any difference between Christians and non-Christians, church communities or other humanitarian communities. Statistics are on the side of the skeptics by the way - the truth is many times they are right - there is little to know difference between the way Christians live and the way everyone else lives.  Alex's inspiring thought, in the midst of this dilemma, was that we CAN MAKE IT REAL! Not that God is made real by us but that people's eyes are opened to the Gospel through people living in extraordinary ways because of the love of Jesus. This is the task we are charged with - to make the Gospel REAL to those around us.  So I return to Toronto this week with a renewed sense of calling and a full tank, inspired to make the Gospel real and to invite others to join me. The Scriptures paint a picture of a world moving towards a better future - one where our connection with God is immediate, beautiful and tangible. Heaven and earth are one. Paradise is restored and humanity is once again with it's creator. I for one and for the realization of all that God wants for the world - that the Gospel would be as real today through every human life as it was through the life of Jesus.  To that end, for those of you reading, why not take a chance to leave a note here and celebrate some of the ways you and your community are making the Gospel real. I'm always encouraged by those stories and maybe you will be encouraged by those shared as well. http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=27727 27727 Wed, 5 Oct 2011 13:11:00 +0000 this afternoon we've been learning from Rex Miller who wrote the Millenium Matrix. Wow. Culture has changed like this: Oral tradition - any idea must be shared verbally and shared personally Print culture - the individual is born and ideas are shared without connection Broadcast culture - sit and consume Digital Culture - (the now) that both values collaboration AND is increasing the gap between people via technology The church is still largely somewhere between print and broadcast culture. We need to come into the now and we need bridges and guides to get us there. M is a guide. I desperately want Mosaic Toronto to connect the people of the digital culture with an expression of church that is their own. We must change. Quickly. http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=27429 27429 Wed, 28 Sep 2011 16:37:00 +0000 The first two sessions left me with this: I need a team. This isn't a revelation to me really but it's a wondeful reminder of what Mosaic is - a beautiful picture of what happens when many parts form a whole. I am not talented or charismatic enough to do what God has put on my heart. WE CAN. Thanks to Alex MaManus, Nick Boring and Steve Andrews for the reminder. http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=27408 27408 Wed, 28 Sep 2011 11:25:00 +0000 This week I'm spending time in Detroit at a conference called "M". Don't ask what M stands for. My friends at www.theimn.com put on M. To me, this conference is the most important and energizing conference out there. M is not about new yous or gimmicks. It's about the world, the future, and moving with Jesus. Over the next two days I'll post some thoughts for all of you. Hopefully you'll see why I'm such a big fan. http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=27402 27402 Wed, 28 Sep 2011 09:39:00 +0000 Feel free to check out a post I wrote on the tension between being missional and evangelistic in a post for the ELI website http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=27215 27215 Fri, 23 Sep 2011 09:45:00 +0000 This week Mosaic toned down the intensity of our conversation in favor of a more relaxed and relational evening. We swaped snacks and laughs. Shared stories and got to know each other a bit more. As people.  I can imagine that someone might wonder if that's really a worthwhile way for us to spend our time. To be honest, there are moments where I ask myself that question. And then I remember what I believe about the value of a community of faith, about the movement Jesus started and calls the church. Have you asked yourself that question before? Why church - what would the church add to my life? My sense is a lot of people have and that most of you have landed on this answer: it doesn't seem to add anything significant. I wonder, even if you are a part of a church, can you give a compelling reason for why you're a part of a church? I had coffee with a friend this week and that question and answer pair came up again. I've considered church and chose not to engage because I don't think it would add any value to my life. It's a common answer. She's not alone.  So what about me? What do I value about church?  First off - community. Belonging. Being known and knowing who I can count on. It seems to me that one of the great ironies of the city is that despite the reality that we're all surronded by people MANY of us are alone. Even if we have friends those connections come with so many conditions and true acceptance is RARE.  Add to that the sense of alienation that admitting that you have a sense of The Other, of God, can bring into a persons life then I am overwhelmingly FOR a healthy, come as you are, kind of church. A church where who you are is exactly fine and where your personal, deeply personal, questions are accepted and embraced. You belong. Community makes growth, change, personal character possible. That's the second valuable thing. It's a profound shame that most people think of God as restrictive, the cosmic killjoy, a God of DON'T. The scriptures tell us that Jesus came to set us free. The church CAN be a place where you discover freedom. Your best life. Destiny. Come as you are and don't stay that way because...there is so much more.  Sadly this is a dance to a tune that not many have heard. It makes the dance very hard to learn and very hard to teach. I see it in my mind's eye though. It's beautiful.To learn it and perform it will take trust and trust only comes as you know the person or people you are trusting. This is why what we did this Sunday is infinately valuable. If you're still reading, thanks for letting me remind myself. If this seems different, maybe even valuable, we should chat, share some laughs, see if we can trust each other.  Peace http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=27009 27009 Mon, 19 Sep 2011 13:23:00 +0000 Does it occur to anyone else that everyone things their "thing" is the most important "thing" in the world? I was just watching this video which is showing how someone obsessed with rhythms and music sees everything as a chance to explore rhythm. It's funny, my first reaction was "so what"? I guess 'cause I'm not a rhythms guy then it doesn't seem important and my first thoughts are of how self obsessed we are. In some ways that's true - our society is self obsessed.  And in other ways I'm just being grumpy.  Look back at my last blog post - the third question we explored at Mosaic this week was "How can my life produce the most good for others?". My sense is adding beauty to the world through rhythms is this guys dream and so why shouldn't it, to him, be the most important thing in the world.  It's funny isn't it? Even as I try to journey with people towards re-imagining God through Jesus and helping people to explore the freedom he brings I still find myself wanting to bind people and put them into a box. Do you ever find yourself doing that? Jesus wanted to free people to make their contribution to humanity. Is that our passion? I wonder...would more people be willing to explore Jesus if more of us would encourage them to pursure their dreams and be free to make lives around them more beautiful? http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=26806 26806 Wed, 14 Sep 2011 11:05:00 +0000 Last night at Mosaic we were discussing life, strength and destiny. What does it mean to live the strongest life you can and what, if anything, does Jesus have to do with that? Does it ever feel to you that the message of Jesus is really meant to  put you in a box? I know I've heard that version of God's story before - in fact maybe it's the most common version. Jesus died so you could be guilted into doing the right things is how it goes, more or less. You know, IF God came down to earth in the form of Jesus, if he lived a perfect and sinless life, if he was brutally beaten, torture and cruciied just so that we could do good things then to me at least it seems like such a waste of a beautiful life. Galatians 5:1 says that "It is for freedom he set us free". God's plan for us is not restricting but freeing. You and I both have dreams. Dreams that will make the world better. Those dreams are God's plan for you. His plan isn't to put you in the box but to free you from it. If you want to go on a journey to discover your most strong life then consider asking yourself these three questions: What choices make me most free? What actions most advance my dreams? How can my life produce the most good for others? Those three questions, although simple, are powerful. They will focus you. If you choose to follow the life of Jesus and see him guide you through those questions you can discover some amazing things. He will set you free to chase the dreams that he has set in your heart.    http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=26750 26750 Mon, 12 Sep 2011 10:33:00 +0000 Normally I try to post on Tuesdays. This week it was just too nutz to do so.  Amongst the normal duties of family life and work I had the pleasure of meeting with 20+ pastor from North Carolina on Tuesday and Wednesday.  It was really encouraging to sit and dream about Toronto's future with these men, all of who are committed to work with church plants just like Mosaic to renew and restore our city. I'm looking forward to building a better future with them. In addition to that Mosaic's gathering reached a milestone this past week. For the first time we had attendance in the double digits. Anyone who hosts events knows that hardly ever does EVERYONE who was invited show up. So we've been working hard to invite more people and it's paying off. Momentum is being generated. I'm excited.  This weekend we'll be looking and living stronger and where strength comes from.  Blessings to you all.  http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=26636 26636 Thu, 8 Sep 2011 15:14:00 +0000 This week at Mosaic we've started a 4 week conversation around this thought: What if... This week we considered this - What would the worlf be like if everyone connected. As a reference we looked at an object lesson Jesus used in John chapter 15 where we calls himself the vine and calls us to be connected to Him and to others. At Mosaic we long to be connected in such a way that we make an impact on the world. An impact born out of love. To make the most impact in the world we need to be connected to the source of love. Jesus. He IS love. He embodies love and teaches us how to do the same.  Oh by the way, Jesus talked about fruit, not impact.  Today we're getting the chance to put love into action in our community. Two of our friends are hurting in very different ways. In the book of Romans there is a section that talks about Love in Action. It encourages us to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. Today we get the chance to do that.  I hope you value your connections. I hope they produce love...impact...fruit. Mosaic is working towards that. We're inviting everyone to imagine how much better the world would be if we all connected! http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=26335 26335 Tue, 30 Aug 2011 10:47:00 +0000 This week Mel and I traveled to London to visit friends and supporters there. We always love to see that group of friends - people who have been working with us from the beginning. It was wonderful and we have a great time. (Thanks again to Matt and Anne VanGilst for opening their home!) I shared briefly...well briefly for me...from Nehemiah and how I think what he did to rebuild Jerusalem is similar to how we're trying to help build a better Toronto. First, Nehemiah was patient enough to gain favor with the people that mattered. In his case it was the King. I our case it's been people we meet here in Toronto. I don't know about you but generally speaking patience doesn't come easy for me. However, I feel we've been faithful and built solid relationships so that now we can follow Nehemiah's lead into the second stage of our vision: Make a bold request. There was this point in time where Nehemiah has a choice - to ask or not. The scriptures tell us he was scared. Truth be told, I am too. The time is at hand for us to test how well we've built relationships. Over the coming months we're going to make a lot of asks for friends to help us build a city that can help shape a better world. It's risky and it MUST be done. Nehemiah gathered builders and got to work. That's where we are. We're actively gathering builders to build a better Toronto.  As I sit thinking about talking with that room of builders I'm inclined to say that every Christ follower is supposed to be actively building something. Maybe these questions will be helpful: What are you supposed to be building?  Are you building it? Are you building the right thing or should you really be building something else? If not, why not? How would life be better for those around you if you were intent on building the right thing? What about your life? http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=26121 26121 Tue, 23 Aug 2011 09:01:00 +0000 Well maybe you've seen the biggest news already - after nearly 6 months of serious deliberation, prayer, conversations amongst ourselves and our advisory board we have decided to make a name change. We are now known as Mosaic Toronto.  With the permission and cooperation of folks within the Mosaic movement we are embracing certain elements of their branding in the hopes that it will bring clarity to us and folks in the GTA of what we're about and also help us generate the kind of momentum that will see our community hosting public gatherings to celebrate Jesus next Spring. That's what our next 9 months is all about - gaining the critical momentum needed to launch this church into the public sphere. Our hope is to help as many people as possible find the life that Jesus offers when we follow Him and give our whole selves to his way. If you have any questions about our new partnership or changes please touch base with me via the contact section of this website. http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=25951 25951 Thu, 18 Aug 2011 08:51:00 +0000 Hey Everyone, I'm looking for suggestions on what to read in the next 6 months. I've got pretty broad interests so feel free to suggest anything that you've enjoyed or found helpful. Blogs and book suggestions welcomed! Thanks! http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=25750 25750 Thu, 11 Aug 2011 07:49:00 +0000 Hey Everyone! We've had a busy couple of weeks since I last wrote. We headed down to the Detroit area to reconnect with our friends at Paradox Church from July 28th - 31st. I had the chance to speak there and share about what God has been doing here in our community and Toronto. It was really great to see the friends who we spent 6 months with back in 2009. Wow...times flies. I love Paradox's commitment to help people wade through their spiritual questions in engaging, fun and heart felt ways. Craig and Tom (pastor and music director) are some of my favorite people and heroes. The day after we arrived at home Melissa started a new job. She's working at a Pandora Jewelry store downtown and training to manage a new store being opened sometime later this year. She's very excited about it and so far enjoying it much more than working for Porter Airlines. Nothing against Porter per se but the early mornings were getting really tiresome. This new job is basically 9-5 and that's really great for our family.  Pray for dad and Layla - in this new arrangement I'll basically be working from home, trying to get about 4 hours of work done as I watch Layla. I'll also have to really use my evenings wisely.  While we're on the topic of jobs, my time at Uxbridge Baptist Church is coming to a close at the end of August. I'm both excited and nervous about this. Excited because I can spend more time downtown in the effort to create momentum around Montage. I'm nervous because frankly the money will be missed. It's our hope and plan to raise resources and create partnerships that will replace that income so that we can focus on the mission at hand - bringing communities to life that help people discover Jesus' full life. If you could help by giving one time or monthly to that effort please email me!  The really big event in our lives this week was a chance for our Vox friends to support a worthy cause at Dundas Square. Unveiling the Myths was an art installation highlighting the problems and atrocities of human trafficking. Vox brought 7 bands over two nights to help the cause. We met a lot of great new friends and despite the rain on the first night it was an awesome time! Thursday was a beautiful day and the bands absolutely rocked it that night too! Our friends were really able to help bring people off the streets and too learn about the cause we were supporting. A big success for Vox! Vox continues to be a great way to meet people and make a good first impression. On Thursday morning I woke to a really nice email from the sound tech that helped us on Wed. The techs at Dundas Square are union guys and provided by the Square so this was a first time encounter. This great guy offered to help us in the future and a new relationship was born. I'm constantly thrilled with how many people we get to meet when we simply give our time and serve.  I've been really appreciating the coaching relationships I have in my life these days. I've been working on a very detailed plan for the next year of our work, setting goals and making task lists and deciding on metrics to make sure the goals are achieved or at least that we know when we're not gaining the momentum we need. This has been really fruitful for me - I feel I've been maximizing my time much more effectively lately. I'd really recommend the exercise to anyone - setting goals and choosing effective measurements. I've been reminding myself that what gets measured gets done.  Small group was nice - some friends were back from vacation, a new friend joined us for the first time and we talked about how we can serve the city in the coming months. As we finalize our plans we'll put them on the calendar here so you can keep up to date with our efforts if you like. Until next week...     http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=25681 25681 Tue, 9 Aug 2011 11:07:00 +0000 This comes to us via my friend Lon Wong...who borrowed it from someone much older than he or I or you... Disturb us, O Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselveswhen our dreams have come truebecause we have dreamed too little;when we have arrived in safetybecause we sailed too close to the shore. Disturb us, O Lord,when with the abundance of things we possesswe have lost our thirst for the Water of Lifewhen having fallen in love with time,we cease to dream of eternity;and in our efforts to build a new earth,have allowed our vision for the New Heaven to grow dim, Stir us, O Lord,to dare more boldly,to venture on wider seas,where storms shall show Thy mastery,when losing sight of land we shall find the stars.In the name of Himwho pushed back the horizons of our hopesand invited the brave to follow him. Amen Updated version of Sir Francis Drake’s prayer 1577 http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=25362 25362 Wed, 27 Jul 2011 09:39:00 +0000 This week at Montage we got soaking wet! On Saturday we took a collection of equipment over to Clinton Street where we join the local community association and helped put on the Clinton Street Festival. Our BBQs, popcorn and cotton candy machines and MASSIVE bouncy castle were welcomed additions. We met some amazing people and I think helped a few people re-imagine the relevancy of Jesus and his movement, the church, in our everyday lives.  Oh and the soaking wet part? As we were packing up a monsoon-style storm drenched us and all of our stuff. There is a picture somewhere...when I find it I'll upload it here :-) We also had our social night last night. We enjoyed some Monopoly and Mario Cart, some great laughs and even had a chance to pray for a few things together. It was great. We're actually not having group over the long weekend - Mel and I are in Detroit this weekend to share at Paradox Church and many people have family plans for the weekend. So Look for another update in two weeks. http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=25306 25306 Mon, 25 Jul 2011 16:01:00 +0000 Whew. Sorry to be late. It's been busy. This weekend I had the honor of preaching at The Sanctuary Oakville . They were so gracious and encouraging. We met some fantastic people with kindred spirits and can't wait to see how those relationships develop. Sunday night we invited a friend of our community named Deb Whalen to play some of her music for us and join us for a discussion on creativity and faith. It's a topic close to our heart. Montage believe in the creative potential inside every person because we are all made in the image of a creative God.  At times the movement of Jesus has had a tense relationship with creatives and at other times a wonderful partnership in bringing beauty into the world. We choose to be a part of the later around here.  Sometimes that means we support and celebrate artists. Sometimes that means we try and help people simply have fun. That's what we're looking forward to this weekend. On Saturday we are helping a local community organization put on a block party. Our friends at Toronto Church Planting have trailers specifically designed to help through parties, jammed full of things like popcorn and cotton candy machines, bouncy castles and BBQ's. So all day Saturday our community with be helping to bring joy to one neighborhood in Toronto. You could pray that people will see Jesus in us as we serve. Pray that it's all safe since it's going to be so hot here. Pray that the city looks and feels a bit brighter that day because of the love we share. Peace! http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=25162 25162 Wed, 20 Jul 2011 11:03:00 +0000 Well last week we took some time off since it was a holiday weekend but we were back together last night. We connected last night around the idea of creating some white space for ourselves. What I mean is that we didn't pre-select a topic to discuss in favor of allowing the conversation to emerge from and go where it wanted.  That might sound a bit like I didn't prep or something but I assure you that's not why last night was what it was. Rather it was part of trying to live in the moment, trying to do things a bit more organically for a chance and allowing the Spirit to take us where he leads. I certainly think there is a place for planning and structure but there is also time to allow shoots to grow wild and to see what kind of fruit they bear. I think we were all a bit surprised that we filled 3 hours and it felt productive and engaging. This next week marks the first of three consecutive weeks where I will get to share the vision for Montage with three different faith communities that we have relationship with. It's both exciting and a bit nerve wracking as I always want to serve those congregations and our forming community well when I speak. In case anyone is interested the dates and places for those engagements are: July 17th @ The Sanctuary Oakville July 24th @ Uxbridge Baptist Church July 31 @ Paradox Church in Warren, MI  http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=24936 24936 Mon, 11 Jul 2011 15:35:00 +0000 Personally I think it's the world's best city. I'm a huge fan of Toronto and the primary reason Mel and I decided to invest ourselves into this city it because we felt it's potential for world impact was HUGE. The cultural creativity, the diversity of nations represented, and the entrepreneurial culture make Toronto a city ready to impact the world. It turns out, a year after we moved here, the world is agreeing with us ;-) A recent study of world cities ranks Toronto as the second best, only behind NYC, who has won every year since they started this ranking system. The rankings look particularly at business, life, and innovation.  We're in a time of looking for more people to invest with us in Montage. Making that investment, either with time, prayer or resources, is investing in a community solely bent on investing in a city that can change the world. Please contact me if you would like to invest somehow in this city of influence through Montage.  Here's the details on why Toronto makes the top 2: "Toronto is a "beta" city, the authors say, because it's not considered a part of the conversation with London, Paris, and New York for greatest city in the world. But it has all the building blocks of a superlative international city, beginning with smart ideas about sustainability and innovation." http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=24629 24629 Wed, 29 Jun 2011 10:52:00 +0000 Montage values authentic relationships - one of the ways we express that is taking one chance a month to simply connect and have fun. Yesterday 10 of us gathered at Hemingway's - one of the best patios in Toronto - to share some food (too much food), friendship and laughter.  Hemingway's is a block south of Yorkville Blvd, Toronto's home to the stars during TIFF and, as the guys took advantage of later in the evening, a great place to see some cars that most of the time you only get to see in magazines. I don't know what the girls were doing while we were leering at Italian sports cars but I figured it's about the only thing guys can leer at that's still acceptable. Next week we're back here at our apartment for conversation about the teachings of Jesus and how to see them lived out in the world.  All are welcomed! http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=24574 24574 Mon, 27 Jun 2011 13:56:00 +0000 Mel and I are getting ready to head out for three days at a cottage. Yay! This week's entry is going to be short :-) We had a great conversation last night with a few new voices in the mix. It was encouraging. The prevailing thought we took out of the passage from John 4 (The Woman at the Well) is that Jesus teaches us to be intentional about our relationships.  The question we're asking this week: What does it mean/take to live intentionally every minute? How would life be different if we did so? http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=24312 24312 Mon, 20 Jun 2011 11:00:00 +0000 just thought I'd share the results of our brainstorming last week. I don't know that we'll do all this right away but this is where we'll pick our ideas for the coming months from. (sorry the print has to be so small to fit on the page) http://www.mosaictoronto.ca/index.cfm?i=8791&mid=25&blogid=2541&comments=24180 24180 Thu, 16 Jun 2011 11:41:00 +0000