By now you hopefully know that we’ve successfully made the move from Second Space Gallery to Healing Rooms Conference Center (115 E. Pacific).  We are deeply grateful to The Healing Rooms for being so accommodating and helpful. 

            At the same time, we realize that this is a temporary solution.  We believe God is still calling us to develop a Christ-centered, multi-dimensioned ministry center in the heart of Spokane.  So we keep praying…waiting…praying…looking…praying and knocking on doors. 

            Through God’s grace and your generosity, we’ve received about $195,000 towards our goal of $250,000.  That’s absolutely amazing!  Praise to God and thank you to each of you who have or will participate. 

            Whatever the next step will be…and whenever God deems it is best to make that step…we continue to press forward with plans to launch new ministries, businesses and partnerships even as we wait and work for the best possible solution to our space issues.

            Just this week the Mosaic Bike Shop moved into its new location in the vacant building directly across the street from our old Second Space.  So stop by sometime when you’re downtown.  Mosaic Bikes would love to help you employ your time and talents to change the downtown through bikes.   And please keep this endeavor in your prayers as we move towards the launch of this first of several Christian non-profits. 

Now to dollars and sense.

            If you’ve picked up a church bulletin over the past several months, you’ve noticed that we’re about $30,000 short (about 18%) of our projected annual operating budget year-to-date.  Noting that, we’ve been trying to cut our expenses. We’ve eliminated one of our part-time staff positions and we’ve consolidated rental space among other things.  That makes sense.

But frankly, the move that was forced upon us when we were asked to vacate Second Space this spring has caused additional expenses.  So we’ve only been able to come in $5,000 under expenses on the budget as of September.  That means that we’ve had to dip into our reserves for about $25,000 of spending beyond our income year-to-date.  That’s put us about $2,500 a month in the red, on average.  Like any good family experiencing a financial squeeze, we’ll keep trying to cut our expenses further each month.  To that end, we are looking at additional relocation options that would help us cut these expenses…and get us back into the core of Spokane.  So please keep praying.

The other side of this equation that makes sense is, of course, income.  We’ve continued to experience strong, steady giving from so many people in and outside of Mosaic.  THANK YOU to each of you personally involved in tithing to Mosaic. 

            We don’t know exactly how God would like to solve this current challenge.  We do know he wants to use all of us.  So here are some suggestions that we would like you to pray about over the next few weeks and do whatever God nudges you to do:

• If 50 people gave another $25/week for the rest of the year, we’d erase much of this deficit and meet our operating budget going forward.
• If just 25 people who aren’t yet tithing started tithing (with, say, an average income of $25,000/year), we’d be in the black by year’s end.
• If 100 of us gave a special $300 one-time gift over and above our regular giving, we’d be all caught up.
• If God brought 10 new Christ-following people/families committed to “experience the heart of God in the heart of the city” at Mosaic, we’d see the need met.
• If we all prayed about this until God answers, we’d all be closer to God!

In the eight years Mosaic has been in existence, this is the first time I’ve needed to write a letter addressing our regular operating budget.  I have no doubt that if we are doing the work God has called us to do in this city, we will have all we need to do that work.  So please join with us as we keep asking God to help us do more or the right things in our city with whatever amount He gives us to do it with.

In closing, if you would like to give towards meeting these needs, you may do so by one of the following means:

1. Give on-line at our secure giving link at https://secure-q.net/Donations/Mosaic/657.
2. Mail in a special gift to Mosaic Fellowship, 608 W. 2^nd, Suite 203, Spokane, WA 99201.
3. Drop your gift in the regular Sunday offering.

Thank you for your partnership with Mosaic to experience the heart of God in the heart of our city. 

Gratefully in Christ,

Pastor John & the leadership of Mosaic Fellowship