Mosaic is a Seventh-day Adventist Church committed to creating congregations that serve today’s young people. It is presently developing campuses in Oregon City and in Portland.

A long time ago in Palestine

Jonathan said to his young armor-bearer, “Come, let’s go over to the outpost of those uncircumcised fellows. Perhaps the Lord will act in our behalf. Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few” (1 Sam 14:6).

Saul was camped under a pomegranate tree with two swords and 600 men. They were waiting for the Philistines to sharpen their farm implements (plowshares, mattocks, and sickles) so that they would have something to fight with. Saul counted his two swords and waited. Jonathan didn’t do the math.

I don’t mean to oversimplify the situation, but read 1 Samuel 14. Saul did the smart thing and waited. Jonathan acted.

Right now

The denomination tends to do the smart thing and wait until success is probable before committing resources. At Mosaic, we have decided to take a venture for God. We are seeking to align our resources with available social and spiritual energy and seek to make a significant impact for the kingdom of God.

Most Adventists over 40 are cultivating an ever-smaller circle of friends, the vast majority of whom have already settled into their religious biases. No one is looking to change. No one is expecting change. But the denomination is devoting most of its resources to serving the over-40 population. No wonder our growth is minimal.

On the other hand, people in their teens and early 20s are making religious choices. Young believers are far more likely than their elders to have friends who are nonbelievers and to have discretionary time to pursue ministry. That’s the sweet spot of outreach: people with “outside friends,” time and passion. And since people in leadership are most often successful when their demographic profile approximates that of those they hope to lead, the church should provide major resources to support young leaders in outreach to young people.

Mosaic

In the Portland metro area, a Seventh-day Adventist church called Mosaic is presently building two spiritual communities (congregations) led by young people. They live and work in neighborhoods where the congregations are planted, so their natural network of friends becomes part of their ministry. Their goal is to create spiritual communities with a radically defined cause and a high level of support. That support includes life-skills classes, guidance and mentoring. Their basic conviction is that life is not fulfilled by career, but by radical involvement in God’s cause. It has been my privilege to take part in their work.

We talk about “communities” because we believe authentic spiritual life is developed through the accountability and support of genuine friendships among a group of disciples. We think the critical mass for this kind of authentic community is five to seven people. This grouping will be most effective when the individuals live within walking distance of each other and the ministry center (church). In this kind of neighborhood-centric ministry, the church grows through natural relationships of church members with nonchurched people rather than by religious inmigration. Those relationships are developed as they live, work, shop and play in a compact environment where members are intentional about cultivating friendships.

The community part of the equation is formulaic, but the programming is not. We do not look for people to “do” specific tasks, but for people who passionately desire to develop creative ways of making a difference for God. The overriding purpose is to create a community focused on helping others come to “wholeness.” Wholeness means emotional and spiritual maturity. It means financial and physical balance. It means “it’s not about me.”

The basic ethos of Mosaic is sensed more as a “cause” than as a doctrinal formulation. Traditionally, we have focused our evangelism on the doctrines that make us unique among Christians. However, comparison-shopping among brands of Christianity is less relevant for today’s spiritual wanderers who aren’t necessarily looking to Christianity. Besides a distinctive doctrine-set, Adventism includes a whole-life picture of God and of healthy human response to him. At Mosaic, we aim to make our impact less through proclaiming a “best set of doctrines” and “premium brand Christianity” than through the demonstration of a coherent lifestyle. Traditionally, we’ve shown our mettle by having all the right answers for the journey’s end. At Mosaic we are committed to being better companions along the way.

Finally, failure? Jonathan ventured out with the word “perhaps” and succeeded beyond his wildest dreams. Will we also succeed? We are committed to doing something “new and different.” That doesn’t sound like “tried and true.” So, it is likely that some of what we do will fail. Fine. That’s a natural part of life. But for those willing to learn, it is also the foundation for future success.

Darrell Litvin owns both a lawn mower and a garage door opener—which makes him too much of a resident of suburbia for his ideals. He lives 12 minutes (and years) “over the hill” from an evolving Mosaic church plant in Portland’s Pearl District where he plays the dual roles of cheerleader and financial architect.