How it all started...
Rick Ouimet, a pastor with a heart for at-risk youth, moved to Lynchburg, Virginia, from Las Vegas. Together with his wife, they started a parachurch ministry called Straight Street to provide a safe place for young people to congregate, play, and socialize while getting to know Christ and the Gospel. After a couple of stints as a youth pastor in local churches, they founded Mosaic Church, holding the first service on March 31, 2007.
Mosaic initially met on Saturday nights, and the decor was more like a coffeehouse or someone’s living room than a church. The congregation engaged in group discussions resembling a home Bible study rather than a typical sermon from the pulpit. These decisions were intentional; Rick wanted to reach young adults and those who were hurting, even if their brokenness happened within a church setting, to offer a safe place to navigate life's uncertainties and heal without judgment. His background as a pastoral counselor, heart for broken people, and emphasis on the mental and emotional wellness of his congregants made Mosaic stand out.