As a community, we welcome questions but we don’t avoid risks. We believe that the future God has for us is only discovered when we’re willing to trust Him in the midst of uncertainty; so we choose to live by Faith.
]]>The Church isn’t a building, a political agenda, or simply a system of beliefs – the Church is people. Regardless of where you are in your spiritual journey, know that you’re welcome here. Mosaic is committed to being known by Love.
]]>As a part of “The Power of (Us)” series, Mosaic is hosting a screening of the film “LiNK: Inside North Korea.” LiNK is a global NGO bringing awareness to the ongoing crisis in North Korea. Join us this Sunday as we present this National Geographic documentary at the David Brower Center in downtown Berkeley.
The event begins at 5pm and should be over by 6 or 630 – feel free to bring your friends as it is open to the public. For more information about LINK, visit linkglobal.org.
]]>Our aim is to bring dignity to humanity’s spiritual journey and to empower people to create a better world. Investing our passions and talents into various projects, we strive to be a voice of Hope.
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How much good can one person create? How about two people – do you think they can do more? What if ten or fifteen came together to create change in the world?
This summer, Mosaic has been testing the power of community. Every week, we’ve been receiving a ‘dollar’ offering from anyone who wants to give and then using the total gifts to create good in the world. We call it: ‘Change for a Dollar.’
We didn’t come up with the idea (or the name of the campaign), but we’re excited about the things we’ve been able to do together.
The first week, we received a ‘dollar’ offering of $121.00. With that money, we gave to ‘Blood: Water Mission’ and provided 121 African children clean water for one year. The second week, we provided a breakfast for the Oakland Police department (which is undergoing massive layoffs and cutbacks). With recent gifts, we’ve given to people affected by the Oakland riots and others who are homeless without meals.
The big idea I hope we all walk away with is the idea that whatever our resources, big or small, their potential is great. Whether we’re dealing in the hundreds and thousands (of people and/or dollars), or simply working with a few, every little bit has the power to create change.
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Mosaic is hosting a 3-day art camp for local kids in the East Bay community. The goal of the camp is to create a fun and safe environment for kids to explore their own creative potential (as well as learn about six different art forms from across the world). All kids ages 4 years – 5th grade are welcome!
The camp is Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday – July 27-29 – from 9am-Noon. Best of all, it’s FREE! To sign up for this FREE camp, simply email Melany at melanyswift@gmail.com with an RSVP of how many kids participating. Thanks!
Kids Art Camp
Date / Time: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, July 27-29 | 9a – noon.
Location: Gracemont Center | 1221 Marin Ave, Albany, 94706
]]>Apple’s new iPad costs between $499-$829. 2 tickets to see Ironman 2 cost about $24. If you want to grab dinner at the famous Chez Panisse next Friday, it will cost $190 for two people without drinks, tax or tip. You can have all these things if you’re willing to pay the asking price.
Everything costs something, and typically, the more valuable something is, the higher its price. Why is it, then, that we sometimes expect relationships to not cost us anything?
How much is a relationship worth to you? Is it worth your time? Is a reliable friendship worth your energy? Is it worth your availability? Is a restored relationship worth your humility or forgiveness?
It’s tragic that we’re willing to spend lots of time and resources on stuff, when what we really long for (relationships) we never receive because we aren’t willing to pay the price.
Relationships are expensive. They require our honesty, humility, sacrifice, forgiveness, time, patience, and much more. If you happen to be counting the cost of a relationship today, asking, ‘is this person really worth my ______?’ (you fill in the blank), remind yourself that there’s nothing more valuable than relationships.
Forgiveness, although seemingly expensive to you, is a small price to pay for friendship. Humility, however embarrassing or revealing, can build the trust necessary for true intimacy. Patience, even if you’ve had to be patient before, is something we all need from time to time. Relationships are worth the price we pay for them.
Everything costs something. If you’re willing to spend your resources on things you merely want, then please, please, be willing to spend yourself on those things you truly need: relationships.
]]>Mosaic Artisans is a group of people committed to creating, inspiring, and exploring together in the context of community. We come from all different artistic and non-artistic backgrounds hoping to take steps forward in our individual crafts. Join us for our weekly Wednesday night meetings, artistic events in the bay area, and creative challenges. Contact Jill Sornson at jill@jillm.com for more information.
May 2 – Mosaic Downtown – 5p (4p set up)
http://event.pingg.com/ABetterUs
David Brower Center – 2510 Allston Way
Mosaic hosts another Downtown event called “A Better Us’. As a part of ‘The Power of (Us)’ series, ‘A Better Us’ explores the connections between beauty, responsibility, the Earth, and human spirituality. The event will include art, music, spoken word, and dialogue as we explore how we can do more and be more together. Please join us and bring a friend!
May 5 – Weekly Meeting at Poetry Slam – 7p
http://www.daniland.com/slam/
The Starry Plough – 3101 Shattuck Avenue
all ages… $8 cover
The slam starts after 730 but we’ll arrive at 7p to reflect on our artisans pieces from sunday. Any and all are welcome to join!
May 12 – Wednesday night meeting w/ Guest – 7p
David Arcos (lead artisans in LA, spoken word performer, writer/producer/performer) is coming up from LAto lead our meeting. It will be an incredible of creative guidance and insight I HIGHLY recommend you come to join us for this awesome opportunity to work with him in a small group. more information on David HERE.
May 15 – Creativity Tour – 530a-9p
http://mosaicbay.org/0515-creativity-tour
A day long conversation about your dreams and personal creativity wrapped inside of physical challenge, beauty & delicious cuisine. we’re going to start at gracemont and go to 5 locations (including watching the sun rise and set). at each location, we will challenge ourselves with 5 different topics (see the link above for more information.)
This is going to be the kind of event you’ll LOVE to bring friends to so please, sign up, pass the word on and let’s make this one of our best artisan events of the spring!! See the invitation at http://www.pingg.com/rsvp/3zv7x7xe7ic35y8mk
May 16 – Create Beauty Mosaic gathering w/ Guest – 5p
Gracemont – 1221 Marin, Albany
David is going to speak that night at our Berkeley gathering. He wants to use things we create from our Wednesday night gathering as well as the creativity tour to share with the group so whether or not you can attend the other events, be sure to see a summary of it all on this Sunday night gathering.
May 19 – Wednesday night meeting – 7p
Gracemont – 1221 Marin, Albany
May 26 – Wednesday night meeting – 7p
Gracemont – 1221 Marin, Albany
June 2 – Wednesday night meeting – 7p
Gracemont – 1221 Marin, Albany
June 6 – Mosaic Downtown – is this really us (technology) – 5p
David Brower Center – 2510 Allston Way
Put on your calendars the next Mosaic downtown event. Hopefully we’ll also be able to use some of the pieces that come out of the numerous creative events to bring content to this downtown gathering. Mark is going to be a main artistic contributor towards this event and I’m looking forward to making it happen!!
A day long conversation about your dreams and personal creativity wrapped inside of physical challenge, beauty & delicious cuisine.
Join Mosaic & David Arcos for the first ever, creativity tour in the San Francisco Bay Area. We will begin just before sunrise at 1221 Marin, Albany and carpool to various locations around the bay and will return to our start point after sunset.
At each location, we will challenge ourselves with the following topics:
1 : HUMAN DESIGN : we were born with limitless creativity.
2 : POWER OF SLOWNESS : we must live slow so we can move fast.
3 : RELATIONAL BEAUTY : love is the greatest fuel for creativity.
4 : BROKEN STRINGS : brokenness can build a beautiful life but also tear it down.
5 : FIERCE IMAGINATION : our imagination exists in order to bring good to the world.
Cost is $25 which will include 3 delicious meals, notebook, and transport.
Regardless of your artistic or creative ability, this event is for anyone who wants to push themselves further and create with others.
RSVP and invite others with PINGG 
or FACEBOOK 
DAVID ARCOS : Founder of Urban Poets / Performing Arts Director, Mosaic Los Angeles
David is a professional artist who has used his gifts in concept design, writing and directing to create original productions for the last fifteen years. He has written, performed and directed pieces that have been presented before national presidents, governors, and community leaders around the world. (World Vision Youth Ambassadors ‘98 and ‘99 tour) and audiences of over 200,000 (Promise Keepers Tour ‘04) his work has been noted in the L.A. Times (Pulse ‘99) and his music on ABC (The Changing Face of Worship Dec. 7, ‘04) David is somewhat of a total creative: He acts, writes, directs, sings, composes, sketches, and dances. But his passion is to design the experience. He creates multi-layered, multi-textured human compositions through performances that stir the heart and illuminate the human spirit.
MOSAIC BAY : Berkeley Spiritual Community
Mosaic is a movement of dreamers, poets, and activists passionate about creating a better world and bringing dignity to humanity’s spiritual journey along the way. Together, we believe this can happen. Our aim is to live by faith, to be known by love, and to be a voice of hope.
I responded, “Yeah, it’s expensive; I guess we just spend our money on different things.”
Walking away from conversations like this one, I often wonder what the actual ‘cost of living’ is for people. I’d like to know what amount of money justifies people doing something they really aren’t passionate about doing? On the flip side, what amount of poverty are people willing to endure to pursue something they really want?
No one ever said pursuing your dreams would be easy. You may not get rich; you may not even get paid. And pursuing your dreams is likely to be inconvenient and uncomfortable for a while, maybe even a long while.
If you want to live life to its fullest, it will cost you something. True living always requires sacrifice – of money, time, energy, or comfort. Sure, a sense of stability is nice, but at what cost? It’s nice to get paid, but its essential that you believe in what you do – it’s essential that you really live.
What’s living costing you? If you can’t think of anything, then maybe you should ask yourself, am I really living?
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