Tuesday, December 27, 2005

The Christmas Season is a special time of year for many people. It is a time to celebrate God's blessings of family, friends, and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. For others, Christmas is a difficult time of year. It reminds them of past hurts, the lack of family and they may not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Some people may be in such financial desperation that Christmas simply reminds them of what they cannot have. God has given us the opportunity to partner with several families this month. We were able to show them the love and compassion of Jesus Christ. One family was being evicted from their apartment, another was in radical transition, and another was homeless. God has made a way for each of them to see hope for a brighter day. Praise the Lord! His promises are true.

We have continued to meet in the old church building for the month of December. Our worship has been inspiring and free as Diahn continues to lead us into the presence of the Father, even though the temperature in the building remains a little cool. We made an official offer of $71,000, on the church property. The owner is standing firm at $100,000. She did not make a counteroffer and we did not feel God was leading us to increase our offer at this time. We are exploring the possibility of meeting in one of the schools in the area. We hope that God opens a door so we will not have to miss a single Sunday of corporate worship. Please pray for God to make a way for us.

Our Christmas project was a wonderful time to share with six evacuee families. We were blessed with many donated toys and made a small store in the church building. The parents of the families were able to come and select toys for their children and give them on Christmas Day. They were extremely grateful and it was a very moving experience. The families have lost so much and now they are trying to resettle in a new city and state.

After the store was over, we went caroling and took baskets of goodies to families who have been instrumental in helping Mosaic Church get started. We appreciate our partners and cannot thank them enough for their help.

Kristi, Cyndi, and I were invited by the directior of Knox Area Rescue Mission to tour the Serentity Shelter. It has been a safe haven for battered women for many years. We were very impressed and were immediately convinced that God wanted us to be there in some way. The leadership of Serenity Shelter is praying and seeking God about new ministries and opportunities to minister to hurting women and increase the scope of ministry in this tremendous facility. We are quite sure Mosaic will be part of this ministry in some capacity.

God continues to show His light in the midst of disappointment, pain, and hopelessness. We count it a privilege to be part of that light that gives hope to the hopeless, healing for the wounded, and encouragement in disappointment. We pray that 20o6 will be a great year for God's light to shine in dark places and Mosaic will continue to be a growing part of what God wants to do in Knoxville.

Todd

Monday, December 05, 2005

Sunday morning, December 4th, was our first Sunday morning worship gathering. We were not sure what to expect and who would come. God has blessed our Monday night gatherings and the time was so spiritually rich. We certainly hoped and prayed that moving to Sunday mornings would not lose any of the spiritual momentum that was developing on Monday nights.

Once again, God honored and blessed our time together. The church building we meet in has many physical needs, but one area where that old building sparkles is in its stained glass windows. Almost all of those windows have a picture of Jesus in them and it is like Jesus is surrounding us as we worship. In our evening meetings we could not see their beauty, but in the morning I was overwhelmed by them.

44 people attended our first morning worship gathering, praise God! Many first time guests were in attendance. We celebrated the goodness of God and Claude spoke on rebuilding. He has first hand experience as he and his wife have lost about everything because of hurricane Katrina.

God wants to rebuild the ruins that have been devastated for generations. He wants to transform communities and bring glory to His name. Mosaic is blessed to be a part of what God is doing.

This Wednesday @ 11:30 we come to another very important moment in time. God is in control and He has orchestrated our steps at every turn. We are so confident of that. I meet with the city official who is responsible for delegating funds for urban renewal in our area. We are praying for favor and God's will to be accomplished. Please join us in prayer.

I pray God will bless you and you sense His love so powerfully during this Christmas season.

Todd

Thursday, December 01, 2005

I can only praise the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ for making our last Monday night a spiritually intense encounter with El Shaddai, Almighty God. Once again we had our largest attendance of 28 but that is not the whole story. The One who is most important and worthy of all praise and honor manifested His presence in our midst. Prayer, Praise, and Prophecy were all shared as we brought glory to His Name.

This Sunday, December 4th @ 10:30am we will begin our first praise and prayer gathering on a new day of the week. We trust and hope that this new time will provide the opportunity for others to come and worship with us, who may not be able to attend on a week night. We will continue to invite the presence of the Holy Spirit to guide our time together.

It is not about coming to the House of God, it is about coming to the God of the house. We come together to plead for Almighty God to rescue, restore, reconcile and rebuild our lives, families, and community. It is His will to do this. It is His purpose in this world. We simply want to walk alongside God as He fulfills His purposes and brings glory to His Name.

Mosaic is a safe place and everyone is welcome. May God bless you during this Christmas season. Remember those who are hurting, suffering and without. We have some opportunities for community and servant projects in December. I will keep you posted.

Todd