Dear Saints,

Labor Day Weekend—it’s one last summer opportunities to be together as family!  That’s what I hope this weekend will be for each of us with family, friends and especially with each other.  But rather than an ending, I hope it's a fresh beginning. 

WORSHIP: 

As we celebrate the end of summer (and the beginning of our fall “labor”) this weekend, we’re also starting a whole NEW SERIES in I CORINTHIANS during our worship time on Sundays.  It’s a New Testament letter from Paul that is all about the centrality of Jesus Christ in our life together.  In fact, I’ve borrowed Dietrich Bonheoffer’s book title, “LIFE TOGETHER” as the title for this fall’s teaching series. I Corinthians is all about life together as the family of God.  You won’t want to miss what we’ll see this Sunday as the bedrock foundation God gives us for a truly wonderful “life together” as God’s family. 

COLLEGE: 

We’re delighted to have our college students back for school this fall and life in God’s church in Spokane.  So after the second service this week, any college-age adults (18-25, more or less) are invited to enjoy a warm day at Coeur d’Alene Lake.  Contact John (710-8026) or Sandy (710-8036) Repsold for directions.  We’ll be carpooling after 2^nd service from Mosaic.  Bring your suit and towel and either drinks, munchies or a dessert for dinner about 6. 

“A HAND UP”

This new ministry to residents of our downtown core is designed to be a highly relational means of offering a hand UP to those wanting to improve their computer and job skills.  All the pieces are coming together for a late September launch.  What we need most is PEOPLE from MOSAIC who just want to lovingly coach, mentor and encourage others as they seek to take new steps toward productivity and wholeness.  It’s a high-relationship, low-stress approach to helping people get a hand UP rather than just a hand-out. 

            If you have a couple of hours a week or month to help with this ministry, please let us know either on the Prayer & Communication sheet at worship on Sundays of by emailing Pastor John at .

Speaking of that, one of the new FALL FELLOWSHIP & STUDY GROUPS will be looking at this whole issue of poverty and what we can do to help rather than enable or further disable others.  Entitled “HELPING WITHOUT HURTING,” this 8-week study will begin Monday, September 19^th from 6:30-8:00PM in the Mosaic Office area.  Having read some of the material already, I can tell you that it has changed and greatly improved my own understanding of poverty and ministry to those less fortunate than so many of us. 

I’ll be teaching another FALL FELLOWSHIP & STUDY GROUP on Monday nights entitled “STUDYING THE BIBLE FOR ALL IT’S WORTH.”  This 10-12 week course will teach us how to study every different style of biblical literature using the English tools readily available to every one of us.  If you have ever wanted to learn how to handle the Word of God better whether for your own devotional life or for teaching others (your family, youth, adults, your pet canary…), this is a must-do study for you.  We’ll be meeting at the same time as the other groups on Monday nights at Mosaic. 

FIRST FRIDAY…TODAY!

Tonight from 5-8 we’ll have Second Space Gallery open for our new First-Friday Art.  This month we’re featuring some of the most beautiful photography of Washington State and particularly the Palouse country that you have ever seen.  If you’re downtown tonight, come enjoy the beauty at Second Space.

May God bless your long weekend with deep fellowship and joy in our Lord Jesus Christ. 

Ready for the fall’s work,

Pastor John