By Matt Norman

A year ago, I noticed two young college-aged people come and sit down at a special service that we were having at Mosaic. Mosaic is a ministry we started in partnership with the First Baptist Church of Sabadell. It is a gathering for people who are interested in exploring their questions about God, Jesus and what it means to be in a community of faith as a believer. It is a safe space in our community where you can be who you are, ask questions, study the Bible together and begin to practice a life of Christian faith. 

I welcomed them and explained what Mosaic was and what was going to happen that day. They thanked me for the explanation, as it was their first time in a church. The service started. It was a baby dedication and it felt exactly as we had hoped while planning, a loving gathering of friends and family in your living room engaging in communion with God and each other. The dedication portion of the service begin with a special song, and then I had words that I had planned for the baby, the family, the friends and the gathered community of faith. 

At one point during this time, I looked up at Maria, one of the young college students who was experiencing church for the first time. Tears were streaming down her cheeks; the look on her face one of awe. After the service, I discovered that she and her friend were students at the local university. They had come to Mosaic for a class assignment about religion. Maria was brought to tears because she said that she had never experienced the love that she saw and felt during Mosaic. She had so many questions and wanted to learn more. The tears were tears of joy, longing, hope, and wonder at a love so powerful. 

I told this story to you and asked for your prayers for Maria. Shortly after that first visit, shecame back to Mosaic, and she visited several times over the past year, always bringing a friend to experience church with her. After several months of not seeing her, she sent a text the day after Christmas. She wanted to share that she had so enjoyed every interaction at Mosaic. She said that she had felt loved and had seen that all involved shared such wonderful values for other people. Knowing that it was Christmas, she wanted us to know that she was now following Jesus. Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to pray for Maria that she will grow in her faith. Also pray for Mosaic, that God will bring others to this safe space so that they can experience love.

Matt and Michelle Norman are Cooperative Baptist Fellowship field personnel serving in Barcelona, Spain. The southern European city of Barcelona has seen diverse growth in population, including large numbers of refugees, immigrants from around the world. Click here to learn more about their ministry.