Why Reach Out to the Mosaics?
We feel there is a great need for sympathy among the Mosaics (aka Millennials or Gen Y), who learn what Christian market researcher George Barna has called context-free or “cut-and-paste” morality—“whatever works”—from their Internet experiences. So Barna says today’s young people are “very mosaic.”
In our own deep interactions with Mosaics, we have noticed there’s a tendency for them to feel adrift and a lack of meaning in their lives. Wars are fought off the stage of their lives and there are many cushions to help them deal with economic difficulties. Past generations of young people had many reasons to gather together. But for Mosaics it can be an isolating and confusing experience sitting alone in front of a computer monitor and typing on a keyboard rather than interacting with other human beings. Individuals who are pieces of the Mosaic Generation struggle to find connections.
Through gathering in spirit to worship and share the sacraments and Word of God and Jesus Christ, we hope to provide members of the Mosaic Generation with meaning and purpose in their lives. In this way we will help carry out God’s mission and transform the lives of the Mosaics. As we share authentic relationships with our Mosaic brothers and sisters, we will build trust and a permanent sense of belonging that will be accountable to their rigorous questing and questioning minds.
Why a New Worshipping Community in Mosaic?
Mosaic provides a unique opportunity to create a “proximity space” where the Christians and non-Christians can interact meaningfully with each other (Alan Hirsch, The Forgotten Ways: Reactivating the Missional Church). The proposed NWC would lend itself to outreach through hospitality, enabling Davis Community Church(DCC) to more fully meet, live with and know our neighbors. Since the original word for hospitality – “philoxenia” — literally means the ‘love of strangers,’ Christians were (and are!) being called to an attitude of welcome not only to other believers, but also to those who are `outsiders.’
For this reason, Mosaic is more than simply a new nonprofit; it is a “proximity space” where ministry can be carried out as we seek to engage the wider community of Davis. Mosaic is a new expression of Christianity that responds to our changing culture in dynamic ways.
Mosaic also provides DCC and CA House/Multifaith Living Community an opportunity to re-establish deep and meaningful relationship in joint ministry. For many years now, DCC has provided financial support to CA House; but what has been lacking is a deep, meaningful and personal partnership that draws our communities together.
The Target Demographic: Mosaics (Gen Y + Gen Z)
Mosaics (aka “Millennials) are the generation born between 1978 and 2002, which include the Gen Y (born 1978-1989) and Gen Z (“iGen“, born 1990 and later).
According to Kinnaman, the author of You Lost Me and unChristian who has spent the last 20 months speaking nationally about the challenges facing today’s Millennials, “Millennials are rethinking most of the institutions that arbitrate life, from marriage and media, to government and church.” Kinnaman says, “They have grown up in a culture and among peers who are often neutral or resistant to the gospel. And life feels accelerated compared with 15 years ago—the ubiquity of information makes it harder for many to find meaning in institutions that feel out of step with the times. Millennials often describe church, for instance, as ‘not relevant’ or say that attending worship services ‘feels like a boring duty.’ Furthermore, many young Americans say life seems complicated—that it’s hard to know how to live with the onslaught of information, worldviews and options they are faced with every day. One of the specific criticisms young adults frequently make about Christianity is that it does not offer deep, thoughtful or challenging answers to life in a complex culture.”
Thousands of broken and imperfect pieces are mixed and bonded together to recreate a beautiful mosaic art–a new transformed beauty. Like a mosaic, we would like to rebuild a strong community of Mosaics filled with faith, hope, love in the midst of our brokenness–vision of Isaiah and Nehemiah.
