| When Randi Woodward first walked into Mosaic Church, she didn’t expect anything extraordinary. But it didn’t take long to realize something was different. “The community of Mosaic didn’t just change my life – it changed who I am.” Randi has been a member of Mosaic Member for 15 years and is a career educator. On Sundays you’ll find her serving on the Mosaic Connections team and on Tuesday evenings she has led a diverse group of women as a Mosaic Community Leader for the last 6 years. Randi remembers sitting in John and ErinDay Loyd’s community group, surprised by how open and real everyone was. No pretense. No pressure to have it all together. Just people showing up honestly. She eventually found herself in a women’s group led by Carrie Stephens at La Madeleine with a room full of women who consistently brought their genuine selves week after week. “That’s how I knew Mosaic was different from what I had known about churches and church people,” she shares. Looking back now, she says it simply: “I was such a mess, and they all just loved me.” Fifteen years later, that still hasn’t changed. “I have literally never felt judged by the people I’ve shared community with here. And it’s amazing to say that and know it’s completely true.” For her, that kind of environment doesn’t just feel rare – it reflects something sacred. “When God’s people reflect His loving kindness, His work of reconciliation becomes a real possibility.” Over the years, community didn’t just surround her in the good moments – it carried her through the hardest ones. As she stepped into leadership, life didn’t suddenly get easier. In fact, some of her most painful seasons unfolded in that same season of life. “Life has been ‘lifin’,” Randi quipped. And yet, she can’t imagine facing any of it alone. “I don’t know how I would have walked through such personal hardships without this community of sisters.” What shaped her most wasn’t just support – it was the steady, faithful presence of women who prayed. “I’ve learned so much about God’s faithfulness from women who are faithful to pray for one another. When people pray with genuine love, it creates a space where it’s actually safe to be vulnerable.” That kind of space changed her. “The old me didn’t do vulnerable. I had sharp edges, walls, and a ‘keep your guard up’ mindset.” But somewhere along the way, that began to soften. “The new me finds comfort in sharing a prayer request when life feels like it’s unraveling.” And in the middle of ordinary group nights, she’s also seen God move in ways she’ll never forget. She recalls a woman who began attending their group with a friend. She showed up carrying a heavy diagnosis – one that would eventually lead to blindness. When she asked for prayer, the group didn’t hesitate. They gathered around her, laid hands on her, and prayed right then and there – something this woman had never experienced before. The following week, she came back with unexpected news. After going in for an eye exam, bracing for the possibility of losing her ability to drive, she instead received a report that her vision had moved in the opposite direction and had actually improved. But what stood out even more was the shift happening beneath the surface. “You could tell it changed how she saw God – how she thought about Him, and about having a relationship with Him. Even now, telling the story brings a smile to my face! What a miracle that God lets us be part of stories like that. It’s such a privilege.” For her, leadership has never been about having all the answers or being the most spiritually mature person in the room. It’s been something much simpler. “I’m not leading because I’m wiser than everyone else. I just try to create space for us to know the Father’s heart a little more than we did before.” A space where people can be honest. Where laughter and tears both belong. Where friendship is real. And maybe that’s the most surprising part of her story. Leadership didn’t replace her need for community. If anything, it deepened it. Because at the end of the day, Randi is very much still part of it too. Still being known. Still being loved. Still being changed. Maybe your next step is simpler than you think: join a community group. It may just be the place where you experience God’s goodness in a fresh way, grow in your faith, and find people who will walk with you through every season with the love of God leading the way. Take a step toward community and see what God might do. P.S. to our Randi… Thank you, Randi! We are so grateful for you and the faith-filled joy you bring as you lead and serve in these roles. We love you and have loved growing with you these last 15 years. We are better together! |
