At Mosaic, the integration of evangelism and service (what we call community engagement) is central to our identity. It flows from who we are in an organic, holistic, way. We believe a church is the community, as opposed to merely “building bridges” to it. When this perspective is adopted, the gospel is proclaimed with more credibility and received more readily by a cynical society.
The integration of service and evangelism happens on several fronts. Through our non-profit (www.vineandvillage.org), we provide free immigration counseling, transitional assistance to young people aging out of foster care, life-skills development to mothers of preschoolers, mentoring to at-risk children, as well as food and clothing to more than 16,000 people a year. We do such things not because we’re trying to be “missional,” but because these people and their needs have become our own.
The result? Scores of people from various ethnic and economic backgrounds continue to come to Christ as they find help, hope, and healing through the people of Mosaic.
Our tangible witness of Christ-like love for all people has endeared the church to the rest of the community. I had to chuckle when I saw a picture of me (a pastor!) prominently displayed on the wall of a nearby bar. It’s amazing to see the goodwill our compassion efforts have generated, even in unlikely places.
—Mark DeYmaz Mosaic Church, Central Arkansas
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