For Your Consideration…

..
On Hurricane Katrina:
There's a sense of urgency at Mosaic. People know I am willing to sacrifice and do whatever is necessary to be a significant voice and influence in Los Angeles and allow this to permeate across the world. And this is exciting, let me tell you. When there's a crisis with Katrina, we were there. ~~taken from Erwin McManus interview with INFUZE _______________________________________

I do have to say that at times I dealt with resentment that some ministries at Mosaic were treated with a bit of, shall I say "favoritism"? I finally did come to a point where I simply wanted to know if the leadership was with me or not and asked for a few key resources to test the waters. I am one who is not afraid to ask questions and refuse to be a bystander. This coincidentally was one or two months before Hurricane Katrina hit. If you think the US federal government did little to prepare for a catastrophe, then I would have to say Mosaic as an organization was guilty as well. Many at Mosaic reacted to the hurricane by pulling together a team and helping, but I felt that my leaders let me down by not having the vision of how we could be used if equipped with the right kinds of tools and equipment before tragedy strikes. I declined to help after Katrina and felt like it was going against my principles. I thought it was a bit hypocritical to react after the disaster when no one wanted to prepare for it in the first place. However, I did not lose the desire to help those in need.
~~Current Member at Mosaic

On Revisionist History:
Erwin Raphael McManus was invited to Los Angeles to work at the now- closed Church on Brady. He started an alternative service there that grew into Mosaic six years ago.
~~From a 2004 Los Angeles Times feature of Mosaic (you can purchase this article through LA Times archives, LATimes.com)

McManus was a key player in Mosaic’s development and attention-grabbing growth. He started an alternative service to the now-closed church on Brady, six years ago. Since then, it has grown from fewer than 100 members to nearly 2,000. ~~From a 2007 Pepperdine University feature of Mosaic (http://graphic.pepperdine.edu/living/2005/2005-01-13-mosaic.htm)
_______________________________________

In October of 1991, Erwin McManus was first introduced to The Church on Brady as the keynote speaker at Brady’s Spare Not Conference on World Evangelism. He was then invited to move to The Church on Brady and Los Angeles to transition into the role of Senior Pastor.Early in 1994, Erwin officially became Senior Pastor. Bro Thom moved into a role of "Teaching Pastor" and simultaneously accepted a teaching position at Golden Gate Seminary in San Francisco.
~~from Wikipedia, Mosaic Church

On Believing the Impossible Campaign to raise funds for a building:
“Five years ago, the Lord led us to join our lives with you to see the city of Los Angeles reached with the Gospel. Today, God is challenging us to act in faith to claim and impact Los Angeles with the life-changing message of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are at a defining moment in the history of our congregation and, I believe, the future of this city...." ~~Erwin McManus, Believing the Impossible brochure, 1997.

“It is time for us to aggressively pursue a new strategic location.” ~~from the Believe the Impossible brochure 1997

"is los angeles worth our investment? ~~ from the Believe the Impossible brochure 1997

a commitment to Los Angeles is an investment in the global future. ~~from the Believe the Impossible brochure 1997
_______________________________________

By his fifth year at the Church on Brady, McManus had persuaded members to sell their building and expand into rented spaces throughout the city. They would become a roving, nomadic congregation made up, as McManus says, of the people, the community. "We did that because we didn’t want people to think the church was a building."
~~Erwin McManus speaking to Tu Ciudad magazine, 2007

"…the fund was spent in part to buy the facility at Inland (which is 1.3 miles outside of LA County), to refurbish William Carey (Mosaic has it on full lease for 7 years) and is looking for land in Beverly Hills…So, technically they did spend the money on a building."
~~from a volunteer staff member at Mosaic

On Christians and Christianity:

"My goal is to destroy Christianity as a world religion and be a recatalyst for the movement of Jesus Christ." ~~Erwin McManus

“Some people are upset with me because it sounds like I’m anti-Christian. I think they might be right.” ~~Erwin McManus

“My wife tells me, ‘You don’t even like Christians. I say, ‘and?’” ~~Erwin McManus
_______________________________________

1 John 2:9-11
The one who says he is in the Light and yet hates his brother is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother abides in the Light and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But the one who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Phillipians 2:1-2
Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

Galatians 5:15
But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.

Ephesians 4:30-32
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

Matthew 5:11-12
Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.