Resources 2025

Dear Mosaic Family,

We want to invite you into a conversation the session has been having over the course of the last month or so. We have always been committed to transparency and honesty before you and for that reason, we felt compelled to write a letter to you.

First, let me say this up front and I’ll say it again and again: we are not buying a building - at least not yet and not without your approval. But we do want to invite you into a conversation about a building nearby so you are in the know and you can join us in discerning prayer.

This is not a letter announcing a big decision. It’s a letter inviting you into the slow, prayerful, investigation of one possible prospect to a very real challenge Mosaic and Chodae are facing together. 

Why? Our Space Issue.

Mosaic is growing. Chodae is growing. It’s beautiful. God has been gracious beyond measure. The growth has not only been numeric but also spiritual. However, numerical growth has been a reality we have been considering. We’ve been feeling the pinch collectively with Chodae—classrooms are overflowing, Sunday scheduling is tight, and parking is a recurring headache. The third service has been a God-send solution for the short term. The third service is growing in number and in spirit. There is a wonderful and unique culture of intimacy and we celebrate how God has used our leaders to launch it. With our current projections, the third service should help us with our space issue for the next few years. Praise God!~

Despite the glorious gift of the third service, the elders have found it necessary to think five to ten years down the road. We’ve been actively pursuing church planting as our primary response. That’s still our heartbeat and vision but we haven’t found the right church planter or the right location yet. It’s taking longer than we hoped, and we’re still working on it. Church planting is a biblical and wonderful vision we continue to pursue with vigor. So here we are: growing, limited, seeking and praying.

The 147 Walnut Possibility

A few months ago, Chodae let us know about a nearby building that had become available- 147 Walnut Street, just a short walk from our current building. It could, in theory, serve as an expansion of our shared campus. The building currently consists of a 6,000 sq ft warehouse and an attached 5,000 sq ft warehouse (our current Mosaic space is 4,500 sq ft for reference).  There would in theory be room for both a sanctuary and a fellowship hall. We’ve never had a fellowship hall before! There would also be rooms for MINIS and offices for the pastoral staff. There’s more space, more parking, and it could allow both churches to grow while maintaining the vital partnership between Mosaic and Chodae as One Family. 

Mosaic and Chodae’s education department is vital to our relationship and spiritually formative for our children. We only want to explore options at the current moment that allows for our parents to easily walk their children to their ministry spaces. We believe a pick up and drop off solution would be a major headache. There are very few properties that allow for such a partnership and space expansion simultaneously. 147 Walnut gives us that option. It may even be a closer walk than some of you make currently from your parking spaces. Additionally, the building has up to 150 parking spaces and even a house on property where we could house guests or convert into more parking. 

We currently have issues using space at 119 due to crowding and multiple reservations over the same spaces. We currently have to go through Chodae to reserve some spaces and that has proved a bit cumbersome for some ministry leaders. This building would be completely owned by Mosaic and we would be able to freely use the space we own.

In theory, this building could be one possible solution of many for our challenges together as One Family. It would expand space for both Mosaic and Chodae as Chodae would be able to take the Mosaic space for additional breathing room. 

One great opportunity is that Chodae has also offered to help- both financially and logistically. It’s generous, and it’s a sign of real gospel partnership. Chodae has greater financial capacity than Mosaic and they also have a depth of knowledge in the process of obtaining permits and approvals from Northvale which would be a great resource for us. But again, let me be very clear: we are not buying this building yet. We are investigating it. That’s the word we keep using, because it’s the truth. We are trying to understand whether this building might be a faithful option—not a perfect one, not a forever one, but one that could help us make room for the people God is bringing. We do not know. This could be something or it could be absolutely nothing. It is difficult to say while we are in the investigation stage.

The Challenges

The potential idea of buying this building would not be easy by any means. The estimated purchase is $6.5 million, plus another ballpark estimate of $2 million in renovations. The renovation estimates could be an underestimate. Renovation costs notoriously run up higher than expected for all projects. This is a huge sum of money and more than Mosaic can wisely afford at this time alone. We’d need to raise capital in stages. 

This challenge one gives us great pause. Our caution due to the fact that we do not want to burden the congregation with a heavy financial burden when God is doing so many great things in our community. Ministry is more important than space. People are more important than buildings. Mission is more important than where it happens. To potentially place a multi-million dollar burden of debt on our beloved congregation is the last thing we want. That is why we are investigating cautiously. We repeat: We do not want to place a burden upon the sheep of our fold unwisely and stifle the wonderful work that God is currently doing in our midst. We do not want to make Mosaic a place where you are constantly asked for money when you walk into your sanctuary of safety and worship. We can’t bear that thought. So we are cautious about this opportunity.

Another challenge is that there’s a tenant currently in half of the space, meaning we might not be able to occupy the full building until January 2030. There is a chance that Mosaic’s growth would exceed the building's capacity by January of 2030. We are still trying to understand the capacity limits of the new building and what we could fit into the space. The most common mistake that churches make when they build buildings is that they build too small (this is the case for our current building) and this potential building may also fall into that common misstep. 

There is a chance that we would not get the zoning permissions necessary to occupy the building. It is a risk to purchase something without having approvals. We are not sure at this time whether approvals are even possible. We are not sure if the neighbors would even want Mosaic to occupy the space. So we’ve been talking with the seller, town officials, architects, banks. We’re not evaluating it against other options yet we’re still gathering the facts. We would not be surprised if this was a temporary investigation we merely learned from and not acted upon.

Why? This is not a quick fix or a panacea for our needs. In fact, one of the grave challenges the building would present would be that it may potentially delay our church planting plans as we focus on the building. This is not ideal and not something we take lightly as our vision has been in the direction of planting, not expanding in one place. Even if we did buy it hypothetically, that wouldn’t stop us from needing to plant churches in the future. But even if we did buy it- and again, we’re not there- this building wouldn’t be big enough for us forever. 

In general, the elders have begun the process of thinking about the next five to ten years for Mosaic’s Northvale location. We understand that presenting you with the first notion of a potential solution without other options may be interpreted as the “best solution.” We don’t know this is true at all. We have been in the habit of presenting our thoughts to you before we come to any kind of solution. It's a messier approach but we believe it engenders trust in the session instead of speculating that the elders make church-wide changes without transparency. We have done this with church discipline, service planning and even hiring. We continue to do this despite the messiness of it all.

Next Steps—Only With You

If we were ever to hypothetically move forward with this property, we would only do so with a congregational vote. That’s not just a formality. It’s built into the discernment process. We’ve told the seller that any offer would be contingent on the full involvement and affirmation of the congregation. This is certainly not the last time you will hear about our investigative process. We will periodically update you if we have any material information.

We’d still need detailed plans from architects, estimates from contractors, a clear capital raising strategy, and a carefully thought-out timeline to even consider the building seriously. Nothing is moving quickly. We’re building in every possible pause, every checkpoint we can. We are not sprinting. We are discerning. And in the end, it would never happen without your approval and support.

The Question of Chodae

Some have asked whether we’ve considered options that don’t involve Chodae. The answer is while we are keeping an open mind, we are committed to our partnership with Chodae. We are still in the thick of forging our One Family commitment forward together. We have only really just begun to implement what we promised we would do and we have a lot of work to do together with Chodae side by side. We ask you to not spread rumors that Mosaic is planning to break off our commitment. Your elders are working hard to make the relationship better and more robust. Please be a help and not a hindrance to our efforts. Pastor Dave has earned many white hairs in this endeavor 🙂

As elders, our job isn’t to leap at opportunities. Our job is to lead with wisdom, with patience, and with prayer. We don’t want to get ahead of you, and we certainly don’t want to get ahead of God. We are not here to preserve comfort. We are here to pursue faithfulness.

So please, join us in prayer. Ask God to give us clarity. Ask Him to protect the unity of our church. And ask Him to help us steward His mission well in this moment. 

We believe wisdom lies in these verses gifted to us from our Lord: “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” (Psalm 127:1)

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given.” (James 1:5)

“Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, not under compulsion, but willingly… being examples to the flock.” (1 Peter 5:2–3)

We’re not moving. We’re seeking.
We’re not deciding. We’re discerning.
We’re not charging forward. We’re investigating paths.

Please join us in prayerful discernment about the future of God’s church.

With love and in hope,

Your Loving Mosaic Elders

Who Should We Call to Train as Elders?

Dear Mosaic Family,

As we take this next step in our journey of faith and maturity, we are prayerfully inviting you to help us identify men and women in our church family whom God may be calling to train for elder leadership. This is not a call to nominate based on friendship, charisma, or accomplishments—but to recognize character, spiritual maturity, and servant-hearted faithfulness.

We believe God has already been shaping future shepherds among us. And we want to be clear: we are not appointing elders yet—we are entering a season of discernment and training. Our first step is to listen together—to Scripture, to the Spirit, and to one another.

A Biblical Vision of Elder Character

The New Testament paints a clear and beautiful picture of the kind of leaders Jesus entrusts with the care of His bride. Paul writes to Timothy and Titus not about giftedness, but about godliness. He gives us lists not of accomplishments, but of integrity.

Quoting Alexander Strauch:

“The most critical ingredient in choosing elders is not charisma, but character.”

Mark Dever reminds us that biblical elders are not CEOs, but under-shepherds—servants who lead by example, not by power. We should look for servants who have born spiritual fruit in our community.

These leaders may not always stand out at first glance. In fact, the best ones often don’t. But over time, their lives quietly bear the aroma of Christ.

What to Look For

The following list draws from 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1, 1 Peter 5, the KPCA Constitution Article 9-1:

• They know and love Jesus deeply. Their faith is not just public but personal and abiding. Their faith is not just personal but publicly serve God’s church.

• They are spiritually mature and growing. Not perfect, but clearly transformed.

• They are gentle, not domineering. Firm in truth but tender in love towards people

• They are not given to anger, addictions, or greed. Self-control marks their habits.

• Able to Teach. The Elder Candidate must be able to teach the gospel in some setting. This doesn’t mean they need to be able to preach from the pulpit well, but they can explain the faith clearly to a believer

• They are biblically sound. They don’t need to be scholars, but they know the gospel and can explain it clearly.

• They are respected inside and outside the church. No major moral accusations from their home, workplace, or neighbors.

• They have a heart for the church. They love people and want to see them growThey are not lone wolves. They listen, learn, and work well with others.

• They have been tested over time. Faithfulness is visible in seasons, not spurts.

• They are servant leaders. They often show up early, stay late, and look for ways to care for others quietly.

• Must be 30 or older and younger than 70. This is a KPCA requirement

• Must be a member of Mosaic for at least 7 years. This is a KPCA requirement

• If married, they are faithful in their home. Their spouse and children (if applicable) speak well of their life and example.

• They embody our KPCA commitments. They are members in good standing, support the vision of Mosaic, and are eager to be trained under biblical and confessional guidance.

We are not looking for super-Christians. We are looking for ordinary saints who are already shepherding in small ways—and could be entrusted with much more.

If someone comes to mind as you read this—take it as a prompt to pray. Then, if led, let us know by July 31, 2025.

Training will be September 2025 - September 2026 (1 Year)

Please submit all nominees to: davepark@njmosaic.org

This is a sacred and joyful responsibility. Let’s listen well and trust that Jesus, the true Shepherd, is raising up leaders for His flock.

Here is a list of organizations who work in justice & mercy

• International Justice Mission (www.ijm.org)

• Compassion International (www.compassion.org)

• World Vision (www.worldvision.org)

• World Relief (www.worldrelief.org)

• Open Doors (www.opendoors.org)

• Voice of the Martyrs (www.persecution.com)

• The Bowery Mission (www.my.bowery.org) 

Here is a list of book resources on justice & mercy

• The Good News about Injustice by Gary Haugen (Justice)

• The Locust Effect by Gary Haugen (Justice)

• The Insanity of God by Nik Ripken (Persecution)

• Generous Justice by Tim Keller (Justice & Mercy)

• Shrewd Samaritan by Bruce Qydick (International Aid)

• Ministries of Mercy by Tim Keller (Mercy & Compassion)

One of the things that is a crucial part in all ministries is feedback from our church members to help our leaders become better spiritual leaders for the church! Please fill out this form to give feedback to our staff:

https://njmosaic.churchcenter.com/people/forms/972336