Growing Season—August 4, 2011

Mosaic Family,

My garden is beginning to look like a forest, seriously.  In just one month the corn has gone from 6 inches to 6 feet, the tomato plants are on steroids and the weeds…well…let’s just say I have nightmares of being choked to death.  It’s amazing what a little time of sun, water, warmth and care can do to bring growth.

That’s the environment we’re trying to create at Mosaic—lots of THE Son, regular showers of God’s presence and the warmth of heart-to-heart fellowship as God’s family.  Not every meal (read worship service) is a massive feats, but each one IS used of God to bless, encourage and help grow saints who are hungry to bear fruit that nourishes others.

Speaking of fruitfulness, that’s what I’ll be addressing THIS SUNDAY from John 15.  This is one of the consistently mistranslated passages in the New Testament that has left many people with the wrong understanding of what Jesus said and means about living a fruitful life.  I hope that you’ll make time for a little Son-shine, water of the Word and warmth of God’s people this weekend. 

YOUTH ALPHA RETREAT—Some of our youth will be heading to Sullivan Lake Tuesday-Thursday this week for a camping retreat.  We could currently use ANOTHER DRIVER.  If you would like to help out this way and invest a little time in some terrific young people this week, please call Charlie Greer and let him know (953-3581). 

ALPHA REGIONAL TRAINING—Normally we have to go all the way to Portland for some wonderfully refreshing and intensive training.  Not this year.  It’s coming to us.  There will be a one-day intensive Alpha training held at Cabela’s (yes, MEN, you heard right!) Saturday, August 27^th.  We’ll meet in their community room (which is just past their deli). Registration starts at 8:30 am, and the training will run to 3:00 pm.  Cabela's will be catering lunch, so we'll be asking $15/person for lunch and materials. Make checks to Alpha USA.  If you’ve ever wanted to host, be a discussion leader or just get involved in facilitating Alpha, this is for you. 

FIRST FRIDAY TOMORROW, 5-8PM, SECOND SPACE GALLERY

This Friday Second Space is hosting a new a bunch of new art, some of it from our own Jill Skeie.  Go to http://www.downtownspokane.org/first-friday.php to see the complete list of places to visit on First Friday Art Walk in the downtown.  Then come join us for some great art and even poetry reading this Friday at Second Space anytime from 5-8.  You might even want to stop in at Barelli Cellars next door, enjoy some of their music and refreshments while you support one more very local business.  Let them know you’re from Mosaic.

LEARNING & GROWING WITH THE POOR:  Sometimes we get it all wrong about serving the needy.  We think we’re doing them a favor by taking some of our precious time and serving at places like City Gate and Cup of Cool Water.  That’s only one side of the serving coin, however. 

The other is that without spending time with, around, relating to and praying over the poor, we will never grow up into the image of Jesus Christ in some very vital and essential ways. Just being around and seeking to relate to these dear people in our city is critical for our growth.

This Tuesday, August 9^th, and next Saturday, August 13^th, Mosaic is in charge of feeding dozens of people at Cup of Cool Water Ministries and City Gate.  Spokane’s needy (read “God’s image-bearers”) need practical demonstrations like this of the genuine love of God.  And WE NEED SERVICE LIKE THIS if we are to grow up into the image of Jesus Christ. 

Please don’t think this is for a select few who are just “called” to this.  Serving the poor in some capacity is for ALL of God’s children.  Call Mike Mann (389-1871) or Cheryl Schenk (993-5937) if you want to meet with Jesus downtown with one of these serve-teams.

AGROS—NICARAGUA MISSIONS PROJECT—We’re starting to plan for our next team to Nicaragua and the village Luz del Manana.  God has used previous teams to truly change people forever.  If you want more information about the next team headed south in January 2012, please talk with Michelle Weidemann (email ).   

ORR PARTY/FAREWELL—Yes, unfortunately it is true:  Kirk and Stephanie are headed north to Canada at the end of August.  (Let’s just consider them our short-term missionaries to Canada, O.K?)  Bethlehem will be doing her senior year of high school there while Stephanie assumes the directorship of CYT-Red Deer, Alberta and Kirk uses his craft of music and entertaining to help Canadians laugh about life in the cold north.  They have promised us that they’ll return often throughout the year to keep the connections and bless us with fellowship and music.  So we want to send them off well with lots of love, expressions of appreciation and a just plain good time (read party, Stephanie).  Mark SUNDAY, AUGUST 28^th on your calendars.  We’ll either do a potluck after church or have some sort of bash that evening.

PRAYER NEEDS:

• Becky Lott—after nearly 6 hours of back surgery on Monday, she’s been having pretty severe pain and headaches.  
• Tiffany Harvey—Tiffany underwent serious brain surgery this week at the University of Washington.  She currently has lost feeling on her left side. 
• Job for John Coleman
• Eric Stapelton in Japan
• The MacPhersons in China

Well, this is long enough already and while I have a bunch of things I’d love to talk to you about the upcoming fall, that will have to wait for next time.  May this find you rejoicing in our gracious God and enjoying His summer goodness. 

Growing…like a garden,

John