Wednesday, September 10, 2014

We Need Your Help, Urgent Need for Mosaic

www.mosaicwichita.com
I know it has been awhile since we have sent out a newsletter of any kind, I apologize for that but it has been busy. I know that often it seems as if we are sending newsletters asking for help, but please understand, when we do that, we do it because we need it, unfortunately, this one is no different other than the need is greater than ever before. We need your help and currently our funds are lower than they have been since my involvement with Mosaic. For example consider the following:

Current monthly income coming into Mosaic averages $850.

Our current monthly expenditures average: $1,667

Of the current expenditures, understand, I receive no salary, reimbursement or insurance. What income I bring in from various forms goes to Mosaic. 

Our expenditures for the last year has been substantially more than our income with the exception of 2 months. We have paid the bills in part by Mary Jane, my wife and I and taking money out of our retirement. We have greatly reduced our retirement funds.

www.mosaicwichita.comSome ask why we are in the situation we are. When moving from our downtown location we had several individuals and families make a commitment to continue to support Mosaic. They could participate in another church on Sunday and still support Mosaic which meets on Saturday. At the time, we had approximately $2,000 pledged to us on a monthly basis which we no longer get as many of those pledging never followed through. We did have on average $675 a month coming in. Since January 1, 2014 however, due to the retirement of an individual and another family we have lost, that income has gone to $0. We had to dip into reserves and Mary Jane and I have provided the bulk of income since. Our reserves are currently depleted and we have less than $400 in our account.   

We realize the help we need could come about from one individual or many individuals who but the bottom line is, as of now, starting this month, Mary Jane and I will likely deplete our retirement funds to keep Mosaic afloat over the next months. Please understand, we know the ministry is worth it and are not complaining, we will continue to do all we can for as long as we can, but we need help. We know the ministry work we do is valuable. We want to meet our needs and exceed them regarding contributions. If we received $900 - $1,000 a month, or approximately $10,000 over the next year we can continue the ministry work we are doing. As you see, none of the monies coming in go to things like salaries or anything of that nature. While it would be nice to be reimbursed for the expenses we incur, weather it be travel or having basic insurance as currently I am not insured but we aren't asking for that. 

Why is this important? Let me illustrate by providing a link to one story about two individuals and also telling you about another individual, first though, let me tell you about Anthony. 

www.mosaicwichita.comOne night a little over a year ago my wife and I ate supper at a local sandwich shop in Old Town here in Wichita. Old Town is a part of town with a number of restaurants and a vibrant night life.  I first met Anthony on the way out of the restaurant as he approached me. I could tell he was homeless by his appearance. He didn't know me at the time and approached us asking for dollar.  He told me it was his birthday and he was honest, he wanted to buy a beer for his birthday. I appreciated his honesty and asked him if he had any idea what kind of work I was in, of course he didn't. I told him what I did and then told him; "I appreciate your honesty, here is a dollar." He smiled telling me if he knew it would have been that easy he would have asked for $2. I told him; "don't press your luck, you didn't ask for two you asked for one and that is all I will give you." I then asked him if I could pray for him, which I did and we went our separate ways.

As divine intervention would have it, Anthony later on came to Mosaic on a regular basis. We became friends and he was filled with questions. After about a year with Mosaic I had the honor of baptizing him a few months ago in our bathtub. He had once come with another individual who later requested to be baptized, also named Anthony, that Anthony never showed up for the baptism and later we discovered he had died on the streets. Unfortunately he isn't the only one we have worked with, sharing the Gospel that has died, there was Chris, Chief and others. 

www.mosaicwichita.comThere are also other stories like a War Veteran, a Hero who was injured in Afghanistan, who played football for the University of North Carolina named Richard who was introduced into college football by teammate Lawrence Taylor. Then another homeless man who was a star football player at Kansas State and also played for the Kansas City Chiefs named Gracen who has grown spiritually. Richard is now living in his own apartment and we continue to reach out to Gracen who is active at Mosaic. He'll soon have a knee replacement and we have been trying to find a way to get him to move into Mosaic, so far it hasn't happened but we are praying for him, involving in our faith community.  I could also mention Dwayne (AKA as The Wolf Man) who came for over a year, faithfully contributed to Mosaic in every way he could before moving back to Oklahoma City. There are stories after stories of individuals who have been blessed by our work, work many of you have contributed to. I didn't even mention those who have lived here, some for brief periods of time like Su Mae who was trapped in a form of slavery in America. We took her in as she was referred to our program from the Wichita Police Department. We were blessed to assist her to get home to her community in China but her tears of appreciation prior to her departure, telling us in her broken English that she loved us made our contributions worth it. Without Mosaic there is no telling what would have happened to this woman who like others has been referred to Mosaic through the local police department. I haven't even mentioned some of the elderly in our neighborhood we have assisted with mowing their yards, fixing their porches and so forth at no charge. The truth is, some have sacrificed because the rewards are worth it. We realize, what we have done for the least of these, we have also done for Jesus.

www.mosaicwichita.comIn Luke 15 Jesus tells 3 stories in rapid fire succession, the story of The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin, and The Lost Son.  The stories end the same way;  telling us there are parties of joy thrown in Heaven when that which was lost is found. When looking at other passages like The Sheep and The Goats in Matthew 25, you can't help but feel blessed in knowing that we have been blessed to share the love of Jesus with those who are often rejected, among them the poor, prostitutes, the homeless, those in prison and so forth. There is so much more need, the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few, we need prayers but we also need finances. We have been blessed to have people who have helped, many of you reading this have been a part of that group.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you! We need more though, we need more churches like Central Community Church here in Wichita, more individuals, businesses, groups, whosoever. God has provided funds for our needs, through you. Wouldn't it be wonderful to do more and to see more Anthony's, Dwayne's, Jarvis's Su Mae's and others helped? 

www.mosaicwichita.com
You can contribute in one of various ways, prayers are always appreciated but for our financial needs, you can contribute one time gifts or you can make a monthly financial contribution in any amo  Realize that in your contribution of time and/or money, Mosaic is a 501 C3 organization and your contribution is tax deductible. We will also gladly provide a financial statement upon your request.

You can mail gifts directly to us at:

Mosaic
1249 N. St. Francis
Wichita, KS 67214

You can also give online at our web site: www.mosaicwichita.com  Realize this is a Pay Pal account and a small portion of these donations go for Pay Pal fees.

We also accept donations of food and other services, we always have ways volunteers can contribute.

www.mosaicwichita.comWe have 2 services a week, our regular Saturday Service where we serve breakfast from 9 AM, - 9:45, a worship and teaching time at 10 AM and lunch at noon. All or part of these are open at any time. Starting in October we are starting to host on Wednesday nights, starting at 7 PM, A Non Churchy, Jesus Following Gathering where we will discuss questions related to faith and spirituality in an honest straightforward way, pointing those participating towards the truths of Jesus. I will be sharing the teachings and discussion for this with Kasey Reusser. 

Thank you for reading this, praying for us and supporting us.

BTW if you want to know more as an example about two of the people mentioned above, Richard and Gracen, read the following link:


Thank you and God Bless you,

Pastor Mike Furches

Mosaic and our other work is supported solely by the kind contributions of others. You can click on the donate button below to give any amount to this work that does so much more than just post articles on the net; I draw no ongoing salary from the church I pastor, Mosaic Wichita which is predominantly a homeless church; I am grateful for any small amount you can contribute to help with this ministry.  Believe me there is much more going on than most realize. I will also provide information to verify the ministry and income that comes into this ministry and work.  Thanks and feel free to share any material from The Virtual Pew, I only ask that appropriate credit is given and a link to the original site with the materials provided.

Click here to donate to Mosaic

www.mosaicwichita.comClick here to read about, and order the book, The Keystone Kid 


Mike Furches on Faceboook.

Click here to visit Mosaic Church where Mike is Pastor

The Virtual Pew


Hopefully you will consider a gift to Mosaic.

Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word. Here is our contact information

Mosaic
1249 N. St. Francis
Wichita Kansas, 67214
Email: mike@furches.org


Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Mosaic Providing A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year



www.mosaicwichita.com
Due to the events of the last month, including the death of my sister in law in Tennessee, our family didn't get to have Christmas until December 29. There were 11 of us who celebrated it here at the Mosaic house, my wife and I, our two children, Nathan and Marathana, our daughter and son in law, Emily and Brett, our grandchildren, Aaliyah and Atticus and of course the residents in house, Jarvis, Tra, and Lance. 

For those that don't know, Christmas is a huge deal for me, it always has been, in fact I will likely start shopping for next years Christmas today. Presents galore, a great meal and a wonderful time together. Yesterday was special though because it was the first Christmas in the Mosaic house, we had 3 formerly homeless guys who are a part of the family who also celebrated Christmas with us.  That's right a part of the family, they aren't just formerly homeless people, they are real live human beings that I and my wife are blessed to share life together with.

I could tell all kinds of stories, how one of the guys, who is working now, gave my wife, a box full of socks of all kinds that will last her all year long, the $50 Visa Gift Card I got from this person, all from a formerly homeless man who is working at improving on his life, obtaining his dreams. I have to tell you about his story though, one of his gifts. 


www.mosaicwichita.comMary Jane, my wife, had spoken with this person quite a bit about Christmas pasts, he told her that when growing up he had always done well at Christmas but never got the slot car race track he wanted. I decided to make it our mission to get him a slot car track for Christmas. I posted on Facebook, sent out an email, but there were no takers, I guess folks didn't understand the importance of sometimes giving another person a dream or a fantasy, a fantasy if you will, that could impact a life. Unfortunately, sometimes as care providers, we get so caught up in the horrid situation some people live in that we forget to share in the joy of life, the joy of being dream givers. For this one individual, he had never forgotten about that one present he always wanted, that one thing that seemed out of his grasp, out of the possibility of having.  I am a dreamer, I have been touched by people like Langston Hughes who wrote of dreams and their importance, I serve a God who understands the importance of hope, dreams, and an eternal future full of blessings, blessings that can, and should, begin on earth. 

We couldn't get a donation for the slot car race track so Mary Jane and I began a journey that had us driving all over Wichita to I don't know how many stores, taking I don't know how much time, and we won't even talk about all of the internet searches.  Eventually we went to Menards in Northeast Wichita, a lumber store that seems to have everything, including slot car race tracks. We saw several of them, and while we didn't purchase the cheapest track, we purchased a good track, wrapped it and placed it under the tree. 

www.mosaicwichita.com
We have this other crazy tradition, we pass out all of the presents before we start opening them. There are other traditions that due to the circumstances this year we didn't get to observe but we knew that when we passed out the presents we had to have the camera ready. Well this individual with the wrapped race track had all of his presents in front of him, but what does he do? He goes for the biggest present right off the bat, the race track, opens it and then, WHAM, he gets the look. 

Have you ever seen a grown man's jaw drop? A big smile come over his face, he tilts his head back and then tears enter his eyes?  While this was a gift for this man, it was also the best Christmas present I got yesterday, I got to see that, experience that, have a part in that. I saw it because at Mosaic we are about dreams, eternity, and doing more than helping keep someone homeless, but about helping them get on their feet, accomplish and believe in, their dreams.

One is never too old to dream, or to old to want more and we should never be too old to help those in need. Sometimes that need is to revisit a dream, even if that dream is a slot car race track. Have you encouraged others to dream, to focus on their potential as opposed to their situation? Let me tell you, there is reward in that, a reward that once one sees others care about their dreams, they care about obtaining, and going after not only old, but new dreams, dreams that instill and provide hope. Of course at Mosaic we are about getting people to their eternal dreams, dreams of a fullness of life with a Savior.  The Savior whom Christmas is really about, the son of God born in a manger, but one where the story ends with the cross and resurrection. When we believe and surrender to Jesus, we gain eternal life and an ultimate hope that can't be topped.

www.mosaicwichita.com
There are many who made this life possible for us, we have a house that costs almost $2,500 a month to operate, those in house provide approximately 1/3rd of that cost, sometimes up to about half, the rest comes from donations from people just like you and a couple of churches, including Central Community Church who has been faithful with their monthly contribution. Many have prayed, given financially and even if giving just a few dollars it all makes a huge difference for us  and I am grateful for all of the support. As the year comes to an end, please know that you have helped create dreams, we, and those having those dreams are grateful.  Mary Jane and I are blessed to be a part of those dreams, seeing them happen first hand, day to day. We still have needs throughout the next year and we appreciate your prayers and support during this time. Whether a person living here, or those active in church attendance who are growing in their faith, we have a bright future, and we are grateful for all of those who has made this ministry possible, again, with a sincere heart, thank you. 

If wanting to support Mosaic in any way, please email us your tax deductible gift to 1249 N. St. Francis, Wichita KS, 67214 or visit our web site to donate online at www.mosaicwichita.com  You are welcome to also subscribe to our email list by subscribing at mosaicwichita@yahoo.com.


God bless you, and thank you in the upcoming year 2014,

Sincerely,

Mike Furches
Pastor



Mosaic and our other work is supported solely by the kind contributions of others. You can click on the donate button below to give any amount to this work that does so much more than just post articles on the net; I draw no ongoing salary from the church I pastor, Mosaic Wichita which is predominantly a homeless church; I am grateful for any small amount you can contribute to help with this ministry.  Believe me there is much more going on than most realize. I will also provide information to verify the ministry and income that comes into this ministry and work.  Thanks and feel free to share any material from The Virtual Pew, I only ask that appropriate credit is given and a link to the original site with the materials provided.

Click here to donate to Mosaic

Click here to read about, and order the book, The Keystone Kid 


Mike Furches on Faceboook.

Click here to visit Mosaic Church where Mike is Pastor

The Virtual Pew


Hopefully you will consider a gift to Mosaic.

Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word. Here is our contact information

Mosaic
1249 N. St. Francis
Wichita Kansas, 67214
Email: mike@furches.org


Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Spring Time Reminders of God's Love by Mary Jane Furches


When Mosaic decided to become a community home church and Mike and I decided that God was leading in the direction of community, I had some reservations. Sure, I had always had that dream of living in a two story house with a picket fence around it and lots of flowers, but never realized that God knew that dream and was going to make it a reality. How often do we limit Him because of our own limitations?

Well, I am living in a two story house with a picket fence and lots of flowers. Our previous owners loved flowers and plants and the yard is proof! You can see flowering shrubs and plants of all kinds everywhere around the house. So yesterday I decided to take some pictures of them to share with you. The lilac bush did produce some beautiful blossoms in spite of the recent abnormally cold weather we have experienced. Irises are blooming everywhere and I can hardly wait to see what the next one is going to look like when the blossom unfolds! Peonies are ready to bloom as well. From the upstairs window in the office, I can count seven rose bushes full of buds, not to mention the ones on the sides of the house and in the front. There are lilies along the sidewalk and scattered in various other places. My oh my, I am experiencing a little taste of heaven right here in my own yard!

God’s handiwork is quite visible all around here. You know, sometimes we can learn so much from the things in nature around us. He has made each one of us so unique, just like the flowers.  He has a set purpose for all things He has created. Sometimes it’s hard for us to see ourselves as beautiful creations of His because we spend so much time focusing on the brokenness we may be experiencing in our lives or focusing on the brokenness in others. Stop and think about it. You are special and God created you because He loves you! I remember learning this little verse as a child and while I can’t remember the Bible reference, I can remember these words, “He has made everything beautiful” and that includes you.

To see the video of Mary Jane Furches singing the song Where Have All The Flowers Gone, click on the video below, if the video doesn't appear, click on the following link: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DE4HpGV-_U


The Virtual Pew and our other work is supported solely by the kind contributions of others. You can click on the donate button below to give any amount to this work that does so much more than just post articles on the net; I draw no ongoing salary from the church I pastor, Mosaic Wichita which is predominantly a homeless church; I am grateful for any small amount you can contribute to help with this ministry. Believe me there is much more going on than most realize. I will also provide information to verify the ministry and income that comes into this ministry and work. Thanks and feel free to share any material from The Virtual Pew, I only ask that appropriate credit is given and a link to the original site with the material is provided.





















Now for those that do not know, make sure you check out the numerous articles and blogs by checking out the archives. If visiting The Virtual Pew or MySpace they are archived on the left hand side of the page. Scroll down to where you see newer or older listed under archives and then click there. There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free e-book pre edit version of The Keystone Kid at mike@thevirtualpew.comYou can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/ and on the front page down on the left side you sill see our store. Your purchase provides needed funds to The Virtual Pew. If you do not see something to purchase you can click on the search engine, (do not put anything in the search box at this time). You will be taken to Amazon where you can search for anything you desire. Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.


Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word.Here is our contact information


The Virtual Pew

1249 N. St. Francis Street
Wichita, KS 67214

Email: mike@furches.org


Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew






























Wednesday, November 7, 2012

At Mosaic We Need You To Make A Difference


During the holiday season there are many ways you can help Mosaic. We are a church of primarily homeless individuals and a few others. Mosaic is unique, different, and effective. One of the things we do and have received international recognition for is our work for Wichita’s homeless. A few churches have helped us financially and/or with food contributions, we are grateful for those. Contributions of food and finance are always appreciated. Starting last Christmas we started doing a Christmas Angel Tree. Mosaics needy take a card and place up to 3 items on it.  The card is then placed on our Christmas tree. People can then adopt someone from the cards to provide Christmas gifts for. Last year we had 47 names on our Angel Tree and provided gifts to over 50 more. Without the help of others, like you, this wouldn’t be possible. 

We try to provide at least one item for each person for each wish list. It is also appreciated when possible to give more than one item from the list. Your generosity gives many of those on the streets something to look forward to. We ask each person what they want, not what they need. Many are surprised at the simplicity of the requests. 

It is great if you are able to adopt specific individuals. We also appreciate those who make financial contributions to purchase gifts. 100% of what is donated for gifts is used to purchase gifts. We ask that presents be wrapped with the person’s name on the gift. We will give the presents out at our Celebration Saturday Christmas Service on December 29. If purchasing a gift and you would like to be present to give the gift, you are more than welcome to do so.

We appreciate your kindness and willingness to bless others who do without. We also appreciate your willingness to share our needs with others, whether one of our special projects or ongoing financial needs that allow us to continue this ministry.  We receive no financial help from Federal, State, or City sources; neither do we receive Food Bank assistance. We have no paid staff and contributions allow us to operate our day program which provides meals to the homeless a minimum of 6 days a week, sometimes twice a day plus extended hours for our day program and some shelter services. Our current operational costs run approximately $1,750 per month. We provide services to upwards of 500 homeless units a week (some persons come each day and we have upwards of 200 on certain days. All contributions are greatly appreciated and needed. Understand, we currently have no salaried staff. Your contributions make a drastic difference. We will state, it is our hope to someday have paid staff and programs where we can hire the homeless and provide long term shelter to those active at Mosaic. That day just hasn’t come yet. Our experience and example clearly show our first obligation is to provide the ministry we do.

The following represents some of the cards for our Angel Tree. We will likely have 50 or more cards and a total attendance for our Christmas Celebration Service of 125 or more. We try to provide a gift to everyone that attends which includes some children. If willing to adopt someone, please contact us so we don’t duplicate gifts. For further information please contact us at 316-807-8034 and leave a message if necessary. Also financial contributions made out to Mosaic Church can be sent to 6441 N. Hydraulic, Park City KS, 67219. I use my address to make it more efficient to get gifts as soon as possible. All contributions to Mosaic are tax-deductible as we are a 501 C3 nonprofit organization. Individuals can also give online to Mosaic by visiting www.mosaicwichita.com and visiting the donations page.

Our goal this year for our year end solicitation is to generate, 150 Gifts for Christmas. $21,000 Operational Funds (provides the costs of operation, includes $0 for salaries, any staffing costs will come from contributions of those attending Mosaic.)  While this seems like a lot of money, compared to other agencies receiving outside contributions, or via Federal, State, or City Contracts, Insurance dollars and so forth, this is minimal. There are many directors and/or pastors of nonprofit organizations which bring in salaries up to 5 times or more of this amount. While an ambitious goal, every person or organization supporting us as they can, can make a significant difference. You can give your contribution all at once or on a weekly or monthly basis.  We are grateful and if you want you want to see the difference we are making for yourself, we encourage you to give us a call, set up a visit and a face to face meeting.

Jesus said that what we have done for the least of these, we have done unto him. Will you bless and help those God has called us all to minister to, ‘The Least of These?’


Mosaic
Christmas Angel Tree

Cedric Houston
Boots 13 E
Coat 2XL
Jeans 42/30

P. Wats
For everyone’s health
For others to be around good, kind, family & friends

Bryson Belew
Mp3
IPod Charger

Aaron
4X Coat
Jeans, 50"X34"
Shoes, size 14

Julie
Mp3 Player
Laptop
Anything of Spongebob

Frank
Size 4X Winter Coat
Size 14 Shoes
Transistor Radio

Janice
Someone to teach her to play the drums
A CD Player, possible some CD’s
Some counseling to help her learn to forgive the person who murdered her son

Duong
Pocket Radio AM/FM Stereo sound
New pair of shoes size 7 (tennis shoes)
A new coat

Leann
Her family
A Camera
Tennis Shoes

Justin
Eye Exam/Glasses
Cigarettes of any kind, especially menthol 100’s
Cowboy boots size 8 ½ men’s

Thomas
Radio/Headset/CD player
Size 10 shoes
Gameboy

Ronald
Bus passes
Jeans 36-31
Tennis Shoes

James
Pair of Boots size 12
Bus passes
Gift Card to any fast food place

Whitey
Walmart Gift Card
Mcdonalds Gift Card
Home Depot Gift Card


Unnamed
Cigarettes
Vet Visit for pet
New back pack

Robert
1 night in a cheap hotel to have some peaceful sleep
A package of thermo underwear, top and bottoms
$10 phone card for Uratell to add airtime

Brady
Cigarettes
$10 refill for hypertension meds
$4 allipunol for gout

Carl
A motel room for wife and he for 1 night
Sub Zero Sleeping Bag
Backpack

Michael
To be above ground and experience joy for the holidays
Any money would be of help

Kim
Cigarettes
Insulated coveralls Size 3XXX

Kyle
Rain Pancho

Leslie
Vet visit for Tasha
Cigs, full flavor
A Backpack
Night in a motel

Charles
Shoes Size 11
Jacket 5X
Jeans 50/32

Gallen
Job
Boxers 36/38
Winter Parka Coat

Kevin
Clothes
Bicycle
Cigarettes

Frank
Gift Cards
Cell phone with net for daughter
To see his child more often

Neilie
Mothers day ring, size 9 with March, July, September, June
Black/White Nikes tennis shoes size 11
Menthol 100 Cigarettes

Michael
10 ½ tennis shoes
2 pair of wind pants

Daryl

Black cowboy boots 10D
Copenhagen Straight long cut chew or dip
Wrangler Jeans 32/34 cut, boot cut

Scott

MP3 player
Portable DVD Player
Anything related to Dallas Cowboys

Marshall

Winter Coat 2X – 3X with hood
Cologne for hygene
Watch
Batteries AA’s and AAA’s

Rod

Menthol Cigarettes
Gas for Truck
Motor oil 5W 30

Robert

Camel Cigarettes
Vet Visit for pet
Motel room for 1 night

Sheila

Cigarettes
CD Player & Batteries
Music - Country


Todd

Gift Certificate from QT
Gift Certificate @ Walgreens
Book Reading Light

Mike Stefanuck

Candy
Pocket Radio (prefer sentry brand w/ear buds)

Rosemary

Green Card
US Identification

Dana

Camel Cigarettes
Prayer
Sneakers size 11 ½

Godwin

Real estate job

Trey

Paper
Book or anything related to making movies

 

General gifts can include, bus passes, gift cards to Spangles, Subway, McDonalds, Quick Trip, Wendy’s, Quiznos, Papa John’s, cigarettes, socks, gloves, toiletries.  The above restaurants have been chosen as they are national chains and are also convenient to the downtown Wichita locations.

Thanks and again, God’s blessings,

Mike

If you haven't please visit our web site where you can also contribute to the ministry at www.mosaicwichita.com; you can also email me at mikefurches@yahoo.com

Lastly, we now have a way folks can contribute to Mosaic online.  If interested in sharing with Mosaic online you can visit the following link and do so.  Just designate what your gift is for when you donate, you can designate gifts for ‘general funds,’ ‘capitol campaign,’ or ‘homeless program.






If the button doesn’t appear, you can give at the following link - https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=G6KQJMMUS72CA


All contributions to Mosaic are tax-deductible. If mailing contributions to Mosaic, you can send them to the following address:


Mosaic Wichita
216 S. Market St.
Wichita, KS 67202


Blessings to you and have a great week.


Mike


Mosaic Church Web Site


The Keystone Kid


The Virtual Pew Web Site



Facebook


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Mosaic Wichita Facebook Page


Personal Web Site

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Mosaic Wichita, Weekly Update


Greetings and blessings to each of you,

Thankfully some of the things have begin to wind down at Mosaic after the completion of our Bikers for the Homeless, To Benefit Mosaic, Tougher Than Hell Motorcycle Rally. If you didn’t catch the story in the Wichita Eagle on the story, check out the following link:

http://www.kansas.com/2012/07/30/2427286/motorcyclists-rally-to-benefit.html#storylink=newsletter

In regards to numbers, for a first year, it wasn’t too bad, we hope to grow it next year and already have an experienced volunteer in motorcycle rallies to help organize and plan the event. In regards to media coverage it was quite successful. We had 2 television stations on site covering the event as well as The Wichita Eagle. Individuals unable to attend can still contribute to the cause and help out. You can visit www.mosaicwichita.com to send online donations, you can also mail them to P.O. Box 47261, Wichita, KS 67201. We also have a limited number of t-shirts available. You can purchase them either at Mosaic or via email. If picking up in person, we will sell the shirts for $10 each, if purchasing online we are asking $15 which will include postage and handling. Again, they are available in limited numbers.

I am also working already on our next fundraiser to be held from December 6-9. That event will draw upon various individuals from Mosaic, The Homeless Community, Celebrities, and various actors/actresses from the area as we present, An Old Fashioned Radio Show Christmas. This program will present replications of 3 Holiday Themed Old Time Radio Shows. We already have some of Wichita’s top actors volunteering for this benefit which will also include dinner, more on this event to come and if interested, please let us know.

This Sunday I conclude the series of Lessons from Vacation. The service and discussion on Sunday will start at 10:30 AM, we will have a discussion time from 9:30 AM – 10:15. I strongly encourage folks to come as we look at a church in Johnson City Tennessee that has replicated a successful formula for a church that blends the community and the homeless, with a larger than normal homeless population. There were certain things about this church which made it obvious to me that we need to work on if we are to make it.

It has been a wonderful week so far and I am looking forward to tonight’s men’s gathering starting at 6 PM. As usual, the bulletin is attached, and I hope to see as many as possible this week. For those at other churches, we could use your prayers. I would also like to meet with each of you, as pastors or lay people individually to discuss how you can help and we can partner together in this ministry which God has called us to. We are also grateful that Hope Community Church will be feeding this coming Saturday and we encourage as many as possible to come take part of that work together.

Thanks and again, God’s blessings,

Mike

If you haven't please visit our web site where you can also contribute to the ministry at www.mosaicwichita.com; you can also email me at mikefurches@yahoo.com

Lastly, we now have a way folks can contribute to Mosaic online.  If interested in sharing with Mosaic online you can visit the following link and do so.  Just designate what your gift is for when you donate, you can designate gifts for ‘general funds,’ ‘capitol campaign,’ or ‘homeless program.





If the button doesn’t appear, you can give at the following link - https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=G6KQJMMUS72CA


All contributions to Mosaic are tax-deductible. If mailing contributions to Mosaic, you can send them to the following address:


Mosaic Wichita
216 S. Market St.
Wichita, KS 67202


Blessings to you and have a great week.


Mike


Mosaic Church Web Site


The Keystone Kid


The Virtual Pew Web Site



Facebook


The Virtual Pew Blog


Movie Reviews


Twitter


Mosaic Wichita Facebook Page


Personal Web Site

Friday, July 20, 2012

Mosaic Update, Urgent Prayer Needs

Greetings this week from Mosaic. A lot is going on and today in particular I am requesting everyone to spend some time in prayer as I share some needs.

As you may or may not know we have had some issues with our landlord, it has been a good situation for us, but there are still issues. As of yet they have yet to pay for various things that need to be repaired and we are going to have to pay for those items and then reduce the cost from our rent payments.

1st we have had 2 attempted break-ins to Mosaic, the back door estimate to fix at this point in time is approximately $1,500

2nd, last Sunday while going into church we noticed our air conditioning was not working. Initial estimates indicate rather expensive repairs. We have 3 units, none of them are working, thus no air, and likely no heat until the repair. It could cost as much as $1,500 each to repair.

3rd This next Sunday, Sunday July 29 is the Bikers for the Homeless to Benefit Mosaic Tougher Than Hell Rally. We have had confirmation from one group from Dothan Alabama who is attending the festival. We hope to finish the details for the rally this week, and hopefully have a ton of riders showing up. We have ordered 144 t-shirts and hope to sell out of those shirts to raise additional funds for Mosaic.

We are a small congregation, last week, we were 95% homeless in attendance, the truth is, we don’t have a lot of funds that come into Mosaic. We could use prayers for one of several things this week:

1st Finances, that God continues to provide. We have up to this point, thankfully always taken care of our obligations and needs. This hit is huge for us.

2nd Laborers and Volunteers who could help with our needs. It is possible that there are those who could donate goods and services to fix what we need, as far as we are concerned that is as good as money.

3rd New members, we need new members, not just the homeless but especially those who would look at becoming a part of Mosaic and being serious about their commitment. If coming from another body, we would request involving us and your pastor or church family in those discussions to insure that a good transfer takes place and the ongoing spiritual needs you have are met either by Mosaic, or your current church who would more or less be sending you to a mission church.

4th Wisdom, that God would give us wisdom in the areas we need wisdom, growth, a new permanent location that is ours, etc…

This week I met with a local leader who told me, “Mike you are the person God is calling to bring the church together to support Mosaic. Wichita needs your church as no other is doing what you are doing.” This individual, I can’t share their name as of yet and I spoke for some time. I don’t know how I feel about the comment and expressed as much to him and he told me that there would be things I had to do that were uncomfortable but it didn’t change the reality that Wichita needed Mosaic. I will be contacting some pastors this week and getting with them regarding the need to according to him share:

1) My story, 2) Why Mosaic 3) The vision, short term and long term for Mosaic

You can also pray about those things.

This week’s message is a continuation of Lessons from the Vacation, When God Calls. I have already had a request from individuals to video the message so could use some help in videoing it to post on the internet. It is a message where God has spoken to me about my need in this area, it is why I think I will likely be a little more passionate than at other times, it covers issues related to my relationship to God, and listening to His call that I need to heed and listen to.

A lot going on, we need you, we appreciate the prayers and actions to assist us, more so this time in our time of need which we don’t typically endure.

On the good news side, I have had 3 individuals outside of Mosaic also contact me regarding their desire to do Final Friday at Mosaic. I am kind of stuck in the place now of organizing all of this since I have not heard from a person who volunteered to do it. I could use some help in helping out and organizing and coordinating these events that the community, as I expected, has heard about and are now contacting us to present their art at our church.

Thanks and again, God’s blessings,

Mike

If you haven't please visit our web site where you can also contribute to the ministry at www.mosaicwichita.com; you can also email me at mikefurches@yahoo.com

Lastly, we now have a way folks can contribute to Mosaic online.  If interested in sharing with Mosaic online you can visit the following link and do so.  Just designate what your gift is for when you donate, you can designate gifts for ‘general funds,’ ‘capitol campaign,’ or ‘homeless program.





If the button doesn’t appear, you can give at the following link - https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=G6KQJMMUS72CA


All contributions to Mosaic are tax-deductible. If mailing contributions to Mosaic, you can send them to the following address:


Mosaic Wichita
216 S. Market St.
Wichita, KS 67202


Blessings to you and have a great week.


Mike


Mosaic Church Web Site


The Keystone Kid


Facebook


The Virtual Pew


Movie Reviews


Twitter


Mosaic Wichita Facebook Page


Personal Web Site

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Mosaic Pastor on Vacation, The Body Stepping Up

Greetings to all of those on the Mosaic mailing list,

This will likely be the last email from me for the next couple of weeks as I am getting ready to leave on vacation with my family tomorrow morning bright and early. I am looking forward to, and in need of time away to relax and recoup. I am not so positive it is a great thing in some regards as the area I am going to has in the past presented problems for me as it rekindles much of my past. I am also in the position of dealing with some family issue that has been really difficult as of late. I may share more about this later, but it has all happened so fast and so recent we are really trying to do all we can to hold it together at the moment, while at the same time, seeking wisdom and direction.

Now the purpose of this letter is more of a housekeeping thing as we need each of you, that are a part of Mosaic to come through, for those not a part of Mosaic but pray for us, keep reading, there is likely some things you can still help out with, and Lord knows, I need it right now.

As I have stated in the past, currently I am overwhelmed and need a break. I am not sure the trip to Tennessee is the best, but out of the love and respect for my wife who wants to visit her family, some of which are quite old now, I am making it out of respect and love for her. That said, there are some things you need to be aware of, some things that need to be done in my absence, and some things you can likely do to lighten the load.

First is some housekeeping things and I mean literally housekeeping things. As of recent with the low numbers in the day program we need people to get in early to help pick up, take out the trash, vacuum, and those types of things. This can also be done by each group in their respective space during those times after church service or use of the facility.

Next help with promotions and help for the Bikers For The Homeless Rally. We need several things here.

1) As of yet while some have expressed an interest in vending, non one has officially filled out the paperwork for vending. That must be done within 14 days of the event, or the group simply won’t be allowed to vend either their items, food etc… I am also requesting help here to try and identify vendors for the event. I have spent a great deal of time here, but so far, with limited results, I have also contacted two individuals to help with this, but so far, no results or really any reply.

2) We still need help passing out flyers and information to local locations promoting the event. I am leaving forms here, but am also attaching forms to this email. Please, pass out, distribute, more as you can.

3) We still need donations of items, coupons, whatever for door prizes. We want to encourage people to come.

4) There is a bikers rally in Cassoday the 1st Sunday of the Month, another in Potwin the 2nd Sunday of the month. We need someone to help distribute flyers to these events.

Another area that I need is coverage for the pulpit on July 8. I have spoken to several individuals, one of which gave a maybe and hasn’t confirmed as of yet, and two others that are out of town and have other obligations. I am pretty particular as to who fills the pulpit in my absence, but that said, I know others outside of Mosaic may either know someone, or, be able to help out themselves. Please contact me. Now I had someone the other day say that they wouldn’t be able to reach me during my vacation time, a reminder here of a couple of nifty gadgets in today’s world, cell phones, and the internet. While I may be difficult to reach at times, such as when I am rafting down a class 4 white water river, there is also this thing called answering machines or call notes. Leave a message, and I will be able to call you back or get you in the limited times I may be online.

I also want to remind folks, we try to feed on the first and last Saturday of each month as well as try to have things available for the homeless that come to church on Sunday. It may be something as simple as a sandwich, water, and/or chips, but it is something that folks will appreciate. We need folks to help carry this out though, by bringing, getting donated or preparing food, and of course, serving it.

The only other thing to mention is the need for someone to coordinate, and follow through with Final Friday for the church. I am in a bind as these events have been scheduled, but I really need follow through with this in the promotion of the events, and the coverage of the events. I do have artists now contacting me about coming to display their work. It would be a shame to not offer these folks the benefit of displaying their art work, which in essence also brings in potentially new people to Mosaic.

That’s about it other than I really appreciate your prayers over the next couple of weeks. I imagine there will be some tough time, but I also know there will be some good times. I appreciate how our body has come together and will continue to do so, Mosaic is made up of good folk. Appreciate your prayers and hope to see you soon.

Blessings,

Mike

Please pray for our future, our needs, and those we are called to serve

If you haven't please visit our web site where you can also contribute to the ministry at www.mosaicwichita.com; you can also email me at mikefurches@yahoo.com

Lastly, we now have a way folks can contribute to Mosaic online.  If interested in sharing with Mosaic online you can visit the following link and do so.  Just designate what your gift is for when you donate, you can designate gifts for ‘general funds,’ ‘capitol campaign,’ or ‘homeless program.





If the button doesn’t appear, you can give at the following link - https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=G6KQJMMUS72CA


All contributions to Mosaic are tax-deductible. If mailing contributions to Mosaic, you can send them to the following address:


Mosaic Wichita
216 S. Market St.
Wichita, KS 67202


Blessings to you and have a great week.


Mike


Mosaic Church Web Site


The Keystone Kid


Facebook


The Virtual Pew


Movie Reviews


Twitter


Mosaic Wichita Facebook Page


Personal Web Site