Rhythms For December

Seasons Greetings to You All,

Yes, it is almost Christmas folks! Time to get the Christmas decorations and tree up. If you're like us, that tradition usually happens later rather than sooner with all the other stuff like hockey, school programs, homework, work, and other Christmas events going on filling our schedules. We're really looking forward to the break and chilling out over the break. With that in mind, we don't want to fill our calendars up with to many other meetings, yet we'd love to catch up with some of you and celebrate Jesus and have some fun!

We thought we would propose two intentional gatherings:

• This Sunday we'll meet at 10:30 am at our house for an Advent celebration of God coming as Jesus and moving into the neighborhood. I love how The Message translates John 1: 14 "The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, Generous inside and out, true from start to finish."
• The other gathering we are proposing would be either a pre-Christmas carol sing on the Friday night Dec. 23rd or a skating/hot chocolate party at Bowness park after New Years...more info to come on this! Let us know if you are interested in either of these ways of connecting.

A reminder that if you haven't signed up for the Simply Jesus Conference on March 2nd-3rd 2012 and want to get in on the early bird deal, do so before Jan.10. If you haven't heard Carl Medearis speak, you won't want to miss this event. He has some incredible stories of how Jesus is showing up and drawing people to Himself from the Muslim world to the bars of Denver, Colorado. You will be inspired and encouraged through 'normal' people who will be sharing their stories of how the Kingdom of God is coming in their neighborhoods through friendships, hospitality, and simply loving the widow, the foreigner, and the orphan. There will also opportunity to connect to God through worship and ministry to one another.

If you get a chance, ask Doug about what is happening up in his neck of the woods. Some cool stuff going on as he simply practices the rhythms of being present and available with and for his neighbors. Through simple acts of kindness he is tripping into the Kingdom in the midst of the mess and chaos of people's lives! Or ask Beth what she has seen happening through her work with Servants Anonymous as she cares for women at risk.

Esther and I hope you all have a rich time with family and friends over this holiday season. Take some time to dial down and reflect on all the blessings we have and ask the question: "What has Jesus done for me or us lately."

Love,

Tim and Esther

Rhythms For November

I leave for Asia this Thursday for two weeks...so we wanted to get the word out on our gathering times for this next month.

This weekend there will be no Close2Home gathering in Bowness. Doug will be hosting a potluck up in the S.E. with some of his neighbors and friends who are on a journey to becoming followers of Jesus. If you do want to join him for this, please let him know before hand. We don't want to inundate this gathering with to many 'Christians' that are not living in close proximity to his neighborhood. Yet, Doug's desire is to form a small team of Jesus followers from that end of town who would want to see apprentices of Jesus developed. So go for it Joel and Amy if that is how the HS is leading you. We keep praying that a community of folks who are Jesus followers and those on their way into the Kingdom would form over the next year. Great job, Doug at being faithful in practicing friendship, hospitality, and loving your neighbors and friends!

On Sunday, Nov. 20th there will be a Close2Home gathering in Bowness at our place @ 10:30am. Just let Esther know if you're coming and whether you would like to facilitate a worship time or if God puts something on your heart to share from the Book.

I would really appreciate your prayers for my trip to Asia. I leave on Thursday and return on Weds. the 23rd. I think most of you get our prayer letter which has the details of my trip in it...so I won't bore you by repeating the details in this post.

If you haven't registered for the Simply Jesus Event on March 2nd and 3rd, we would encourage you to register now before the Christmas rush. The early bird price lasts till Jan. 10 and then the price goes up. Go to www.themosaicnetwork.net site to register if you didn't get the poster.

We love you all,

Tim and Esther

Goin To Taber

A belated Happy Thanksgiving to all of you, especially those we haven't seen in awhile.

Thanks, Beth for hosting us last week. Your home oozes warmth and a welcoming spirit. So cool to have Emily with us and to see her freedom to share so openly. Loved watching all the kids connect so naturally. There truly was a feeling of real, not forced, community and family. We really sense that the Holy Spirit wants to work in our kids and the next generation. In moving forward we want to create space for them to express worship in their style, and be cheer leaders for them as they explore and experiment with what church would look like for them. We are brain storming about some ideas of how to do this.

Doug, it's so cool to hear how God is connecting you to your neighbours and other like minded Jesus followers in your neck of the woods in the S. E. We pray that a community of Muslims, single parents, and seekers forms around a longing to learn how to love one another and be Jesus followers...the belonging before believing way! You should check out the Carl Medearis tool called Engage. It may be the tool that you are looking for to take the next steps with some seekers without them feeling like you are trying to convert them. Mac has order the Engage tool and will be trying it out with some from his tribe.

We had a sweet time of worship with Mac and Jo's circle a couple of weeks ago. It is so rewarding to see the kids involved in singing and your daughter's passion for Jesus. A hearty amen to your groaning 'to hear the church sing'. It really happened that night. Love hearing the kids participating in the ministry time as well. Oh that Jesus would not just be a word or a theory for them or us. Esther and I long that our boys develop a real relationship of their own with God and take risks to see Him show up in the mundane and the miraculous!

So here's our rhythm for the next few weeks for you to dive into as you can:

• This weekend Esther and I will be heading down to Taber with Mac and Jo to join the Taber and beyond circle of the Mosaic that is forming with Mike and Andrea. Don and Kerstin will be coming from Three Hills as well. We'll have some Mosaic advisory team business to cover on Saturday afternoon, and then we get to have some fun...rumour has it that Mike and Andrea will be taking us to the roller derby. We'll miss not having you, Doug. For those of you that are not aware our Mosaic board is made up of Mike and Andrea from Taber, Don and Kerstin from Three Hills, Mac and Jo from Calgary, and Doug Rempel from Calgary. On the Sunday we will be diving in with the community that is forming down there. Love the green shoots of the Mosaic that are sprouting up. May the Father water and guard over them! Thus this Sunday there will be no Close2Home gathering.
• Next Friday, October 28th from 10am - 3pm we are hosting a day retreat at Mount St. Francis Retreat Centre. It costs $50 for the day including lunch. If you want to join us let me know. It will be a chance to prayer, sleep, be in silence and be introduced to simple forms of prayer. We hope to do these one day retreats 6 times a year alternating between a Friday and a Saturday depending on what works for folks
• On Sunday the 30th we will meet at our place @ 10:30am for a time of worship and discussing or applying the words of Jesus.
• Nov. 5th is possibly another Worship Circle at Mac and Jo's. Will let Mac confirm if this is a go
• A heads up that on March 2-3rd we will be having a Missional Training event with Carl Medearis called Simply Jesus...so get these dates on the calendar. In the next couple of weeks you will be able to register and get the early bird special. Go to www.themosaicnetwork.net and click on the event page to register. If you haven't heard of Carl get his book Speaking of Jesus: The Art of not-evangelism. It will be a family friendly event for kids 5 and up. Duane and Laura will be doing a work of art in the main sessions over the two days with the kids...yippee!

Well that's enough stuff for now.

Peace on you all,

Tim and Esther

Wow, does the summer ever seem to go so fast. Here it is the middle of September already with the leaves starting to change colour, the sun rising later and setting earlier, and the kids back into school routines. Though many of us hate to see summer go, we are looking forward to all that the fall has in store, including for me the upcoming hunting season:) We hope all of you had a restful summer and got the opportunity to slow down and hang with your family and friends.

After a summer of spontaneous gatherings, we are ready to be get back into the rhythm of some more structured gatherings. Last weekend some of us were able to participate at the Urban Sanctuary Retreat. What a sweet time we had together exploring ancient yet simple and practical forms of praying from various streams of the church. The FCJ Centre run by a branch of the Catholic Church in the heart of Calgary was the perfect place to learn together how to create sacred space in the middle of the chaos of city life. We hope to plan some day retreats sprinkled through out the year to help us be intentional about the disciplines of silence, solitude, and slowing down. If you would be interested in this let us know.

Here are some forms of Gathering over the next 3 weeks to put on your calendars:

This Sunday we'll be gathering at our place @ 10:30am for a time of worship, reading and applying the Scriptures, storytelling, sharing our joys and struggles, and praying for one another. If you would like to hang out over lunch feel free to bring it along. Remember to bring or make enough to share with others. Eating together will give us a chance to catch up and hear about each others summer adventures.

On Sept. 25th we want to gather some of our neighbours and friends to see Africa pix, and hear some of our stories. It will be a potluck/barbie. If you would like to come please RSVP and let us know as soon as possible for our planning.

On Sat. night Oct. the 1st we are thinking of gathering @ Mac and Jo's for a time of worship and encountering God by listening to His voice and responding through prophetic words, prayer for healing and such. We want to create a context for our kids and their friends "to do the stuff" with us grey heads cheering them on and coaching a little bit as needed. More details to come on this.

Well I think that's enough details for now. Look forward to seeing some of you who we haven't seen face to face for some time.

We love you all,

Tim and Esther

SUMMER HAPPENINGS

Hey Everyone,

We love this time of year with school winding down and the long aniticipated break from the more scheduled grind or routine of life. Looking forward to getting out into creation is my cathederal, and to having a little more white space on the calendar...I hope:)

Here are a very few planned events and opportunities to gather this July. We want to make sure that we don't overly crowd the schedule, but still connect.

1. This Sunday we'll gather @ our place @ 11am. We'll share a meal together and share, pray, and celebrate Jesus around the table...Shoko our Japanese friend who doesn't know Jesus is coming and bringing some food.

2. On the July long weekend, anyone who would like to join us down in the Crow for a camping and fishing trip are welcome. We will be leaving Friday and you can stay through Sunday, come for the day, or stay for just a night. Let us know if you'd like to come. My friend and our neighbour Darol is coming with his kids and bringing his small fishing boat which should be fun. We will be staying @ the Castle Campground.

3. Jon and I leave for Africa on July 9th for three weeks...coming up quickly. A big thank you to all who contributed to make this trip possible. It really has been a community effort. Infact, Mike's soccer team that I coach are chipping in to support us which is pretty exciting...people who aren't church folk wanting to be part of our Kingdom adventure!

4. The rest of July will be pretty organic and spontaneous as far as gathering goes...so go for it and initiate with some folks you haven't seen for a while.

Love,

Tim and Esther

Oh how sweet it is when spring finally comes with longer days, grass going from brown to green, and being able to sit on the porch and soak in the sun.

We will be meeting this Sunday at our house at 10:30am on Sunday. Come with a song/hymn you want to sing together or one you've written, a poem you've written a story or scripture to share with the rest of the group during our worship time. Kids are welcome to participate in this as well. We want to all bring a gift of worship to Jesus!

The focus this Sunday will be "Joining the Father on His Mission To Reconcile People From All Nations into relationship with Him." Doug will share his cool God stories from His trip to the Middle East and show us a video clip of him baptizing some friends in a shower! The Tweedie family will be with us and we will hear about how the Father has been leading them after coming back from Malaysia. Then Dave Henry will lead us in a prayer time for and Indian family that he supports in India, who are planting churches.

Of course we love to eat together as well, so please bring enough food to feed your clan and share with the rest of the crew. Bring along your favourite drinks as well.

If you have any pop bottles, milk jugs or cans that you would be willing to part with, Jon and I would gladly receive them as a contribution towards our Africa trip this July. So if you remember bring them as well on Sunday.

Love,

Tim and Esther

Spring is Here, I Think?

Wow what a spring so far! So far I've managed to squeeze in between the snow squalls two practices with my U-12 soccer team. When I want to start complaining about the weather, I'm reminded of the folk in the States who are getting hammered with tornadoes, the Japanese who are recovering from tsunamis and earthquakes. So in light of that a few snow storms ain't so bad!

We are meeting this Sunday evening from 5-8pm for house church at our place. It will be a "Bring Your Gift" time so bring something to share with us all...a poem you've written, a song you would like to sing or one you've composed, a painting...if I may I would to boast in Shari P. and Linda Mae Hill who are turning out to be amazing artists...would love to see some of your art! Or if like me all you can do on the artistic side of things is draw stick figures and press the play button on the stereo, feel free to come with a story, Scripture that God has been speaking to you through.

We also want to eat together so bring enough food for yourself and to share with the rest of the community. As is our custom we will share some bread/rice and juice in celebrating King Jesus in our midst.

For anyone who wants to hang out after, you can join our family tradition of watching the Amazing Race...though our boys are bummed that the Cowboys are out!

Those of you who are planning to come would you just give us a shout to let us know so we can plan accordingly.

Keep praying for Doug R. who is still in the Middle East till Sunday. He's having a great time and being treated like family or royalty. Look forward to hearing the stories when he gets back.

Jon and I are doing a bottle/can drive for our Africa trip so if you have any cans or bottles that you would be willing to part with let us know or bring them on Sunday if you're coming. Every little bit helps:)

Peace on you all,

Tim and Esther

House Warming For Doug

Hey Everyone, We will be gathering this Sunday from 4-7pm at Doug Rempel's new house! The address is 2405 Pinewood Drive, S.E. It will be a potluck so bring enough food to share around. As Doug will be leaving this next Weds. on a Kingdom adventure, we want to spend some time praying for him and waiting on the Lord for any Spirit-inspired words about the trip. It really is an exciting opportunity and we get to be a part of it! We also want to bless Doug's new place and pray about how God would want to connect Doug with what He is doing in the Forest Lawn area to extend His Kingdom. The Forest Lawn area is one of those places in our city where there are alot of ethnic folk especially from Asian countries like Vietnam as well as from India, Pakistan and other parts of the world. It has also had a reputation for being a crime 'hot spot' with lots of gang and drug activity. Yet these are the kinds of places where Jesus loves to show up! So we want to pray that His Kingdom would come, and that the Holy Spirit would guide Doug in his desire to partner with the Father in His Kingdom activity in the S.E. and possibly form a simple Jesus community there with people who don't know Jesus yet. Doug has sensed a call to this area, and we're excited about what is in store for him and his family in days to come. See you on Sunday, Tim and Esther

Rest and Replenishment

Hi All, We as a family are leaving today for a week in Canmore of rest and replenishment. Really looking forward to getting into nature, no meetings, less schedule, and having some fun with the fam. Being in the cathedral of creation is one of my primary ways of connecting with God and its been awhile. You can read my blog on the toxic nature of city life on the Mosaic website if you want to hear my rant and rave. Thus we will not be around for the next two weekends. If any of you would like to host or plan a gathering some type or sort over the next couple of wknds....Go for it! On the 16th or 17th it would be fun to gather at Doug Rempel's new place. Doug, let us know if these dates work for you, and why don't you plan what the time together would be like. It would be great to have the Behrang clan at this gathering and pray for your Iran trip coming up at the end of April. If you would like to support Doug on this trip which he will share more about when we gather. You can do that through Mosaic Ministries...just talk to Doug about it. Heaps of peace and joy on you all, Tim and Esther

The Power of Forgiveness

Hi Everyone,

Here's a cool story of how God is able to 're-cycle' and 'redeem' even the most horrific of situations. Good friends of ours, who are missionaries and pastors from Japan to the Japanese community in Calgary, shared this story with us. Last weekend, the youth group at the Japanese church our friends have planted decided to do a fund raiser to help out the over 500,000 Japanese who have become refugees in their own land because of the earthquake and tsunami. They held the fund raiser at a Chinese supermarket, which is ironic when you realize the deep seated bitterness and hatred the Chinese have for the Japanese due to all the pain caused by the Japanese during World War II. One elderly Chinese lady, who would have lived through World War II and been deeply affected by the atrocities committed by the Japanese, placed an envelope in the donation box with 10 $100 bills in it. Wow, that sure fleshes out Jesus teaching of what it means to love your enemies!

This Saturday we again will meet at our place at 5pm. Yes, it will be a potluck so bring enough food for your fam. and to share! We know that for some the mention of a potluck means another thing to prepare for in the midst of a busy schedule...yet food and hospitality and sharing are so much a part of Kingdom culture, we want to encourage you to keep it simple and plan in advance so that its not a huge deal. Our times together are not to be so much a meeting as a family gathering. We want to be a family on mission together!

We again want to give opportunity for everyone, including our kids, the chance to 'give and receive'....so come prepared to offer up a poem you've written or a peom you like that someone else has written, a song you've composed or a song you'd like to sing together, a story, a short devotional, a painting or a Scripture. We'll go around the room and have everyone share their gift. We'll also have opportunity to prayer for one another at the end and any of our friends, neighbours who don't know Jesus yet! Woven into our time will be a chance to give a hearty toast and thank you to King Jesus!

Peace on you all,

Tim and Esther

A Belated Happy St. Patrick's Day to You All,

We had a great Feast Gathering last week with various communities from Calgary and beyond. It was so fun to see our kids go on the scavenger hunt to find Jesus! One cool story from the evening is that a friend of mine was surprised with a $1000 dollar bill, in the form of a scholarship, for his daughter to go to Prairie Bible College! The way it all came about is really one of the main purposes of the Feast: people finding one another and the Holy Spirit organizing the sharing and receiving of gifts. My friend from Calgary was chatting with another friend from the community in Three Hills about how his daughter had recently mentioned that she wanted to go to Prairie to pursue her dream to work with children. During the conversation, my friend from Three Hills remembered receiving this $1000 scholarship bill as an alumni to pass on to a potential student. He just happened to have it in His Bible and was able to pass it on. Yeah, God! I love it when I hear how the Holy Spirit puts these things together.

Once again we want to gather this Saturday at 5pm at our house. We want to continue the practice of 'sharing our gifts' together. So come all, yes, even the children, and be prepared to share a song you've written or want to sing together, a peom you've written or just one you really like, a devotional that's impacted you, a short teaching, a painting, a prophetic word for the group or an individual, something to give away to another who might be in need, or simply your presence.

We will be eating together, so don't forget to bring a main dish and salad and desert for your clan and to share with others.

The Tweedies, our friends who have just moved back from Malaysia, may be joining us which will be lots of fun.

Keep praying for the people of Libya and Japan with all the upheaval and suffering the people are going through because of war, tsunamis, earthequakes, and the nuclear crisis. I've been meditating on Psalm 46 as I ask the questions: "Where is God in all of this and what is He desiring to do throught these catastrophic events?"

Love,

Tim and Esther

Dear Friends,

Esther and I hope you are all doing well. It's been quite a week for some of us. Doug moving into his new home only to have a sewer backup last Saturday that is requiring some major work. For us, we've been stricken with various maladies. Joel, Mike, and myself came down with a wicked flu/cold of which I'm still recuperating, though much better than a week ago. Then yesterday Mike thought he had misquito bites, because he was itchy all over. Turns out his best friend that he had been spending alot of time with doing a school project had contracted chicken pox, and so had Mike! This is all after they had been vaccinated...go figure! We are so thankful because this morning Mike woke up and the pox weren't itching and had begun to disappear. Mike was thrilled that Jesus had answered his prayers as his hockey team is playing in the semi-finals of the playoffs tonight, and he was selected to be the captain for this game, and so Lord willing he's game to play tonight sniffles, hack, and all. Needless to say we have felt like we were living in a fog this week. With the Feast coming up on Sat., Esther working extra time due to tax season being upon us, running Jon around for pit band practices for the school play, and all the rest of the normal things of life, we've been wondering how in the world we'd make it through the week! The Scripture that has kept coming to me from II Cor. 12: 9-10 "...my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." This Kingdom journey is so upside down. We think we need to act like we are strong and have it all together to qualify to be successful. Yet in the Kingdom its the other way around. So if you feel weak overwhelmed, under resourced, like we do, be encouraged because you are a candidate for God's grace-His resources and power to do what you cannot do!

This Saturday is the Mosaic Feast Gathering from 4-8 down at JLYS. Folks will be coming from Taber, Three Hills, possibly Drumheller, and from all around Calgary. If you can make it, invite a friend. It will be family friendly and a great time of celebrating the unique pieces of the Mosaic that when put together give us a clearer picture of who Jesus is. We are looking forward to the diversity represented in the different age groups, colours of skin, and flavours of food.

It will be a potluck so please bring a main dish, a salad or desert, and some drinks to share with all. We will also be taking an offering for the Mosaic General Fund so ask the Father what you should give and come prepared to do so. Cheques can be made out to Mosaic Ministries. Don't forget to bring your Bibles as well!

Hope you all can make it and if not have a great weekend....Go Flames and Go Bow River Bruins!

Tim and Esther

Hello All,

Congratulations to Doug on moving into his home in the S.E. We look forward to the kingdom adventures that the Father has in store for you there, and how He connects you to folks who are searching for Jesus, and to be a part of a Jesus community there. A hearty toast to Beth as well who just got a new job with Servants Anonymous, a really cool organization that works in the human trafficing arena. We know that helping those who are oppressed has always been part of God's call for Beth and a passion in her heart. Furthermore the oppressed, the widow, and the orphan are very close to God's heart...so way to go Beth.

This Saturday we will meet at our place at 5pm, and since we didn't meet last week, Beth will share and teach on what she has been learning on our theme: Growing Up in Jesus: How Do we Become Mature? Yes, it will be potluck again so bring enough food for your clan, and to share with others. We want to also encourage all coming to bring something to offer Jesus during our worship: a song you like or one you've written, a poem, a prayer of thanks, or Psalm to read. We want to offer up to Jesus a symphony of worship together.

Next Saturday we will be having our Feast gathering from 4:30pm to 8pm down at the JLYS building in downtown Calgary. There will be folks from various simple communities in Calgary and beyond who have been connecting to the Mosaic network. Again because food is so much a part of kingdom living, please bring a main dish, salad, desert if you like and some drinks to share. Invite your friends to join us as well as we celebrate Jesus and the beauty of His diversity expressed through us in our gifts, personalities, and so on.

Also if you have not signed up to receive regular posts from our Mosaic website please do at www.themosaicnetwork.net. This way you get sent to your e-mail regular posts from the Mosaic on upcoming events, blogs to encourage and stimulate your thinking, great teaching videos to help you grow, and so on. It is very easy to do, so even if you're not a computer wizard you can do it. Just go to the site, and you'll see where to type in your e-mail address and click the submit button...so just do it!

Love to you all,

Tim and Esther

Celebrating Jesus this Saturday

Hello all,

This Saturday we'll gather at our place at 5ish pm for a potluck....so, yes bring some food to share with all. We will be having the Rose family-Mike, Andrea, and kids with us. They will be sharing with us whatever the Father has laid on their hearts...so come prepared to receive from God through the Roses, and also ask the Holy Spirit for something to encourage them with. I know they would appreciate that.

Just a heads up on some upcoming events involving our community. Next weekend Mac, Linda Hill, and myself will head down to Taber to minister to the simple church that the Roses are a part of. There will still be a gathering at our place on Sat. evening, and Beth has something she'd like to share or teach on our theme for this year of Growing Up in Jesus...should be good!

Doug is moving next weekend and could use a hand on Friday night or Sat. morning, so if you can help out let him know. His cell # is 403 -807-3679

On Saturday, March 12th we will be having another Feast Gathering in the early evening with some communities in Calgary and the surrounding area...so mark it down on your calendar....more info will be forthcoming.

See all of you who can make it on Sat.

Tim and Esther

Greetings and Salutations to you all,

It's already Friday, and I can hardly believe how quickly this week has gone by.

Tomorrow which, yes is Saturday, we're back to meeting at 5pm at our place. Seeing that sharing food together is a big part of community, please bring enough food for yourselves and to share with others: a main course and side dish or desert usually works, and if you have some drinks kicking around feel free to bring some along.

Feel free to invite a friend if you'd like to our time together.

This week we would like everyone to bring a gift to share with us. It may be a story, a song you've written, a poem, something you've learned from your Bible Study or devotional time and such. It's always cool to see how the H.S. weaves it all together and speaks to us the same message in all kinds of creative ways.

A reminder that if you haven't signed up for the MOSAIC website to do so. The site is www.themosaicnetwork.net You'll get regular posts with blogs, stories, upcoming events and gatherings, resources, and such.

Have a great weekend,

Tim and Esther

Change of Meeting TIme For This Week

Hey Everyone,

It sounds like for this weekend it would be better for us to gather on Sunday morning rather than Saturday night...this is one of the advantages of simple church...we can be flexible!

So let's meet Sunday morning at 10:30am. If you want to stay for lunch bring enough food to share and you're welcome to stay.

Let us know if you got this message and if you're planning to come on Sunday or not. Our theme will be "Where do I need to Grow this Year!"

Have a great weekend,

Tim and Esther

Where and How Do I Need to Grow this Year?

Hope all of you have had a good week, survived the cold, and that you're back in the swing of things.

At last Saturday's gathering we took some time to wait on God, and listen for one word that would describe what this New Year has in store for us. Here are some of the words for those of you who couldn't make it:

• ADVENTURE
• LIGHT
• HOPE
• RENEWAL
• REJUVENATION
• ANOTHER STEP
• "ON THE WING" with a picture of gliding, soaring like an eagle catching the thermals
• CONVERGENCE - a coming together of what has been disconnected or disjointed
• FRUITFULNESS
• SURPRISES and BREAKTHROUGHS

What we'd like to do this Saturday evening is to talk about what the personal application of these words are for each one of us. These words are invitations from God, but require a response on our part. What practical ways are we to live out these words? Another way to say this would be framed around the question: Where do I need to grow this year? We'll look at a few Scriptures that talk about "How to Grow Up in Jesus and What keeps us from Growing up and How can we help each other grow in Jesus?"

We'll start again at 5pm this Saturday evening with potluck, so please bring a main dish and side dish to share with everyone.,

We'd like to encourage you all to go to the www.themosaicnetwork.net and sign up to receive e-mails with regular blogs, stories, upcoming events, and so on from the collective of communities that are part of the Mosaic. It is real easy to do. Just look for the box that asks for your e-mail address, name, and click on submit.

Love,

Tim and Esther

FEASTING AND LISTENING

A Happy New Year to You All,

This Saturday evening we are planning for a deer roast dinner at our house at 5pm. We'll be supplying the deer roast, so if everyone could bring a side dish of say rice, potatoes, or soup, and a salad or desert to add to the feast that would be great. We need to know who is coming so PLEASE PHONE OR E-MAIL TO LET US KNOW, SO WE CAN PLAN HOW MANY ROASTS TO PREPARE!

After the meal, we plan to have a time of waiting on the Lord to see what He wants to say to us about the New Year and then close with a time of communion and prayer for one another.

Earlier in the afternoon we will be having the first Mosaic Ministries board meeting, and one of the board members from Three Hills, Don Maxwell and possibly his wife Shestin, will be joining us for our gathering. We would appreciate your prayers for our meeting that afternoon as we embark on this new adventure. We only want to do what the Father is doing...no more and no less. Pray for unity, creativity, and a comraderie as we learn how to work together.

Love,

Tim and Esther