I know many who read this blog do so with an interest in Mosaic Edinburgh. If you do feel some sort of interest in what we are doing wanted to ask you if you would join me in a special focused day of prayer tomorrow Wednesday for Mosaic Edinburgh and for me personally?

We are in an exciting and crucial place with Mosaic right now. We have a great core group of people who are really committed to the idea of creating a movement of missional communities throughout the city. Right now we are having some deep conversations about our values and structures and have had very positive feedback about what we are doing from people who have visited us.

In the next couple of months several important things will happen and right now there are some pressing needs which I would like to ask you to pray for

1. All going well we should be joined by two interns from the United States in July. Amanda and Calvin are gifted musicians (and gifted in many other ways too) who have been part of mission to the Edinburgh Festival for the last couple of years. They are joining us to help us develop our music and strategic mission to young adults. We also hope they will develop our missional presence in other key areas such as the music scene around Edinburgh. They need specific prayer for two things. Firstly that they can get enough pledged ongoing support to meet their projected budgets. Secondly that their visas would be granted without any problems. That all of this would come together so they can join us for this years Festival, pray for mission during the Festival too.

2. We are currently working on restating our values which is an exciting process (well at least to geeky types like me) and it looks like the structure we will adopt will use some form of missional communities, medium sized group of people who have a particular “neighbourhood” or “network of people” on which they are missionally focused. Please pray for the development of vision and training that needs to happen as we launch these. The vision for them has to come from the people involved so I would ask you to pray that some of our core group would get specific “burdens” for an area of Edinburgh or a group of people which will be the focus of our initial missional communities.

3. Please pray for Nic and Ashley Alexander. Nic is a bright young biblical scholar and wants to follow his MA at Edinburgh Uni with a PHD and combine that with involvement with Mosaic, possibly with some sort of missional focus at the university. Ashley is working hard to support them and will be a key component of their future mission. Would you pray in a few specific directions for them? That Nic would be accepted for the PHD and find a way for funding it. Ashley has suffered recurring ill health since she has been here, pray she gets well and stays well. Lastly pray that they get clarity over what God is calling them to do in the city.

4. Two more students from New College will be completing their MAs and need some guidance on their future. Adam and Caroline will be getting married in Jan 2013 but beyond that they are unsure what they will be doing, pray for guidance and clarity for them.

5. Rosemary is a key part of our core group as well as being a close friend. She has been suffering from chronic fatigue again recently which as well as being physically draining for her is frustrating as she cannot be as involved in many activities she would like to be. Please pray that the fatigue would go and not return.

8. Hailing originally from Texas, Kent Chandler has more than 10 years of church planting experience in Scotland with YWAM and various other churches. We are really excited that Kent will be transitioning to serving with Mosaic over the summer. Kent had knee replacement surgery several weeks ago so please pray for his continuing recovery and his transition to Mosaic and for his wife Debbie and family.

7. Finally for me. Some times I have to pinch myself to make sure that I am really living the vision God shared with me for Mosaic when we left the States. As people share food and their lives in our home at our Mosaic Gatherings, as people join our core group and speak of their desire to serve the mission of God in Edinburgh, as I sit down and share leadership training with amazing young adults, as I pray with fellow leaders who are close friends, as I watch sport with a great group of guys who have become my closest friends, as we share vision and dream of our future as a community, I am more sure than I have ever been that I am where God wants me to be. Since we moved to Edinburgh I have basically funded myself as a missionary to the city by working full and part time at different times and recently through the support of some churches and individuals I have been able to devote myself entirely to developing Mosaic and friendships beyond the church.

Unfortunately the present economic climate has hit our supporters and to cut a long story short some have dropped out and as Mosaic we will have a funding gap and won’t be able to pay me beyond this month. Would you pray that we would be able to raise further monetary support or that I would be able to gain employment in this present difficult jobs climate and if I get a job we can ensure that Mosaic won’t lose its momentum. Obviously this creates a certain amount of stress and anxiety for Ann and I about the future.

I will be having a 12 hour fast between 7am – 7pm tomorrow to pray for these things and if you could join me in prayer at some point that would be very much appreciated. If there is anything I can pray for you or your ministry and mission during this time of focused prayer please let me know

Yours in Christ

James