At Mosaic, we’re always trying to listen to the stories being shared by those in our community. When our stories revolve around whether we like the music, or a myopic attention to last week’s attendance, or what “the church” needs to do to meet our needs, then we know that we’re drifting in the wrong direction.
When our stories revolve around our friends who are searching for God, our choices to invest in other people’s lives, or our adventures in serving humanity on God’s behalf, then we know our best days are ahead of us.
Want to find out what that is? Here’s the answer: You listen to their stories.
When we’re at parties, or in meetings, or lounging around in apartments or coffee shops, stories will naturally emerge and you will begin to see trends and patterns in your community, if you listen closely. These trends serve as bread crumbs leading into the heart of a community’s passion. Not necessarily what we’ve written down as our values, but what we actually value—the deepest beliefs that are hardest to find and easiest to hide.
At Mosaic, we’re always trying to listen to the stories being shared by those in our community. When our stories revolve around whether we like the music, or a myopic attention to last week’s attendance, or what “the church” needs to do to meet our needs, then we know that we’re drifting in the wrong direction.
When our stories revolve around our friends who are searching for God, our choices to invest in other people’s lives, or our adventures in serving humanity on God’s behalf, then we know our best days are ahead of us.
What stories does your community share?
Stories are not just the best indicator of people’s values, they’re also the best tool to help shape the values of the future. One simple way Mosaic has done this recently is through a zine called “Beauty: Stories of Hope From Mosaic L.A.”
We wanted to capture in a compelling way the stories of people who have met God recently in our community. Our goal was five captivating stories with five breathtaking photos. We recently gave them out to around 500 of our leaders at our Leadership Advance this past month. [Rather than a “Leadership Retreat” we call it a “Leadership Advance” because leaders don’t retreat.]
Our hope is that it won’t merely be an affirmation of our values as a community but also a resource for helping those who are searching for God. We tried hard to help tell the stories of our five friends in a way that would make sense to someone weary of religion but still spiritually curious. We wanted to create a piece of art for them that might enhance the whisperings in their soul that God might be searching for them, too.
So what stories are you sharing? What stories are you creating? And how can we better create communities who long to serve our cities desperate for God?
