Who Are You?

Over the years I know people think they know me, but truth is, few do.  As an example, let's see how well you know me.  Of the following items, which ones are true, which are not true?

1) I have appeared on National Television at least 2X's

2) I have been quoted in Time Magazine

3) I have spoken to over 26,000 people on one occasion, and 10,000 plus on at least 5 occasions

4) I have contributed and been published in Psychology Today and The Psychosocial Journal

5) I played pro soccer for 6 years, and premiere soccer until I was 38

6) I played soccer for 2 years with the Tulsa Roughnecks

7) I have coached NCAA National Wrestling Champions

8) I was a boxer in High School

9) I am friends with many former and recent Olympic Wrestling Competitors

10) I have written 1 book and contributed to 4 other books

11) I was in a gang

12) I have been homeless

13) I was endorsed in a political election by Al Gore, The National Right To Life and the NAACP

14) I have confronted 2 governors about their policies face to face, one after they were governor, one while they were governor

15) I served on a Presidential Task Force for the Hiring of Persons with Disabilities

16) I served on a Federal Task Force regarding Fair and Reasonable Accommodations for The American's With Disabilities Act, (ADA)

17) I lived in a YMCA Transient Center for approximately a little over 2 years

18) I have had writings appear on the official web sites of George Romero, Johnny Depp, and Stephen Spielberg

19) I have appeared in 4 movies

20) All of the above are true

The answers to which of the above are true and which is not true will follow at the end of the post.

The truth is, there are many more things I could share that are true that people would have a  hard time believing and many things that people think are true which are false. People like to make assumptions though don't they? They think they know you and in reality don't, or if they do, there is always so much more they don't know.

Truth is I am not who I used to be and am so different in so many ways it is unbelievable.  I kind of muse at times at people who think they can pull things over my eyes through their manipulative behavior or where they think I am not smart enough to figure things out as to what they are doing.  I don't give much credence to IQ testing but my IQ test has me test out to a superior level. I always wondered how someone who failed in school like I did could be smart?  This doesn't mean much to me though other than to say I am smart enough to sometimes figure out a persons intentions and what they are really up to. It also means I am smart enough to not try to compartmentalize people. I have made drastic changes in my life; myself, and thankfully others along the way have benefited. I care about that, in the past I would have cared less but God has the ability to bring about change to the unchangeable.

I was a thug, a punk, a bully. Most people who know me now couldn't have stood me. At times some of those attitudes of, "I don't care what you think," still come about, sometimes the confrontations come out, but I hesitate, I think, I hold back what would have at one time been certain inappropriate responses. I'll be honest, for those who try to manipulate or control me, I kind of laugh, thinking, if you only knew. I come from a family that is strong, a family of Alpha's if you will who over the years where the men and women seldom took crap from anyone. 

Now why do I say this? It is simple; if I am that difficult to figure out, if I have had to learn to manipulate, create and figure out others and myself to maintain my own sanity, I figure there are others who have done the same. We do what we must to survive as the human desire to survive takes us to places we never imagined. We will eat, drink and do unimaginable things to survive. Yet, in that willingness to do unimaginable things, sometimes the issue of pride is what holds us back. Pride is one of those determining traits that can lead us down the path of destruction, whether it be relationships, opportunity, potential, or even a major thing, like eternity. 

You see many are unwilling to look adequately at who they are, why they are the way they are, and ultimately, give that over and become a slave to the person of Jesus. It comes down to realizing, I am nothing, He, (Jesus) is everything. I am a slave, He, (Jesus) is my master. At that point we come to the place where we realize the potential of change, not to be who our environment or situation makes us to be, but to be the person God wants us to be.

It is one of those areas where people who are not followers of Jesus don't understand. The Christian or follower of Jesus puts all of their trust, all of their value in Christ, He is the one we emulate. Others will and do think they know God but the truth is, they have never opened the Bible to do serious study on God. They may have heard a sermon, albeit from a horrible teacher a time or two but they have never seriously investigated the truth of what the Bible says themselves. When they say things like, "You should never judge," or "The Bible contradicts itself," or any number of things we may have heard, we know they have never opened or studied the Bible because the things they say the Bible says, it clearly doesn't.

Here is the challenge, while we may have had many experiences, those experiences do not make us who we are. I am not who I was and while there is value in the things I have done, there is more value in who I am now and what I will do tomorrow. My eternity is secure, I know that! It is secure because I no longer live for me, I live for the creator of the universe. Am I perfect in my ability to follow him? Heck no, but I am on my journey. While I am not sinless, I sin less today than I did yesterday and hopefully will sin less tomorrow than I will today. That is the journey that leads me to the place where the things of Jesus matter. It is a journey that understands, it is no longer I who live but Christ Jesus who lives in me. That is the challenge for all of us that follow Jesus isn't it? What an honor to let Jesus show and shine through our lives. We get to the place where we want to be like him as opposed to being who we are or what others think we should be. At that point, when people ask, Who are you, we can say;  "A disciple and follower of Jesus." Who are you? 

Just in case you may have forgot, the answers to the above questions follow: 

Here are the answers to the above questions.  #1 - 4 True, #5, sort of true, I played semi pro soccer for Texas Instruments and Umbro International against various premiere, select, and college teams for 6 years., #6 False, although I did practice some with the team, I never played for them, #7-18, all true, #19 False, I have appeared in 1 short movie, 1 feature film, and numerous documentaries, #20 clearly, False

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdLIerfXuZ4


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 materials provided.

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The Death of a Friend, Who Happened to be Homeless

It was several months  ago that we started receiving phone calls here at Mosaic from an inmate in prison. It all really started with a phone call from the parole office regarding housing requirements here at Mosaic. There was an inmate they wanted us to consider for housing. It should be noted Mosaic is an Intentional Christian Community which offers housing for homeless persons, (among others, not just homeless) in the community who want to be a part of our mission and ministry. My wife and I live here with those in community. It wasn't long before we received the calls and letters from Chris Davis. One of the conditions we have, as stated to Chris is the person has to come to church for a couple of weeks, let us get to know them and we go from there in making an initial decision. This was made clear to Chris and he stated he would be here in when he got out of prison.

As the weeks went on, he never showed up and I had no way to contact him, then almost a month ago I met him downtown during a Saturday morning breakfast provided at one of the parks by another local ministry. We spoke quite a bit over the next weeks with him promising to come to Mosaic to give us a shot. I brought up the topic every time I saw him, "Man I would love to get you in but you have to come by!" "Yeah I know, I will try to make it." Chris would always promise. Yet, it didn't happen, all along the while, staying on the streets. 

Over the last weeks Chris was hanging out with another homeless guy, Geno, who Breakfast Bob Johnson has been working a lot with recently. Geno will hopefully obtain housing in the community through Officer Nate and the Housing Outreach Team (HOT) Program provided through the local police department in the very near future. For those that don't know, Breakfast Bob does a lot of the front line of ministry in the community, he along with the HOT Program are among my top 2 recommendations outside of Mosaic. They are on the front lines, we at Mosaic are at the finish line of helping people.  A lot of the work needs to be done. 

All that said, Chris was hanging around Geno like glue for the last couple of weeks while Geno has had various medical issues, it appeared that Chris was there helping take care of Geno.  I have spent a lot of time with them over the last couple of weeks, more than usual, normally 2 - 3 hours a day. Each time asking Chris to come by and check out Mosaic. We spoke about other things, the last time, Monday morning we spoke a lot about the television show The Son's of Anarchy, he loved the show but hadn't seen it this season. He asked me to give him updates on the show, which included numerous spoilers so I did, he stated he was glad he had someone to speak to about the show, I told him that if he moved in he could stay caught up on the show because I never missed an episode. Chris stated he just wasn't ready to move in for various reasons. He promised he would come by though.

There had been many times Chris and I spoke about Christ, about how Jesus had provided me my joy, my life, had taken me off the streets and my issues. I shared that for me that included total surrender, in all ways. Chris brought up his alcohol problems and I reminded him of the reality that surrendering to Jesus doesn't mean that we have to be perfect in what we do, it just means we try to become more like Jesus and God's Holy Spirit would give us strength, it would be one of the benefits of Mosaic, we could help each other as a house, even with things like alcohol problems. Chris responded that was what he needed, the support, he again promised, to check Mosaic out. 

We had that conversation again on Monday, we later had a phone conversation where I challenged him about some things that was going on that didn't sound exactly the way it should.  I am confident Chris had developed some manipulative behaviors. While some are critical of folks who do that, I am quick to remind them I learned those same behaviors on the streets, it is a necessity to survive. I don't see the behavior having to be a negative, as I had told Chris, you can learn to use that behavior to the benefit of helping others, I knew why he had developed that skill, why he was that way.  It didn't mean I agreed with everything he was doing but I wasn't sure why he was doing what he was. I told Chris that, made my point clear. I have learned that component of being honest, truthful and to the point with individuals, I told Chris I thought he would appreciate that, he told me he did.

Why do I tell you this story?  I spoke to Chris on Monday, Tuesday morning he was found dead in downtown Wichita, likely as a result of over consumption of alcohol and the elements. Yesterday was tough for me, it was tougher likely on those like Breakfast Bob Johnson and Anna Long whose boys had also been spending time with Chris. Today I not only grieve for Chris, but Anna and Bob who keep the work going on.

This morning I continue to grieve, I continue to question things. I know folks think I beg for help for  I believe in an eternal lake of fire, but I also believe in a loving God who has made provision for all to receive the salvation provided through his son Jesus. Yes, there is worth those I am honored to serve, while I sometimes have to look for it, it is there. That said, I still wonder about Chris and his children, what will they learn or think about their daddy?  They will grow up to some extent with the confusion I did as a child never knowing their father. I grieve for their pain and the pain of all of those who knew Chris. For many, they will read in the next day or so about another homeless person who died, for me it wasn't a homeless person, it was a friend, a father, a guy who needed help, it was Chris, and I am glad I knew him and shared with him for the brief moments in time I did. There are other Chris's out there on the streets, will you get to know them?  I hope and pray you do.  If so you will learn what I have in this ministry, you will be touched with love, just as much as you touch others with that same love Mosaic and other homeless programs, maybe I do, but understand this, I do it because I know that what we do is a life and death situation for some. There are those who will disagree but I believe in a Heaven and a Hell, I believe what Jesus said that no one goes to the Father in Heaven unless they go through him.

Please note the following is a standard posting for our ministry and work, today, I want to make it clear, the best thing you can donate is not money, (although that is appreciated as there are ongoing financial needs) but your time, your time in getting to know the people on the streets, the people Jesus commands us to love and get to know.  God bless you for your time and thanks for reading.  

The Virtual Pew and our other work is supported solely by the kindcontributions of others. You can click on the donate button below to give anyamount 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 cancontribute to help with this ministry.  Believe me there is much moregoing 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.

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the book, The Keystone Kid 

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here to visit the web page The Virtual Pew 

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Virtual Pew on Twitter

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There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. Youcan also contact me for a free audio book link of The Keystone Kid at mike@furches.orgYoucan visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/.

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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

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Wichita Kansas, 67214

Email: mike@furches.org

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

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Virtual Pew

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Radio Web Page

Finding The Good Times In Tough Times, It’s Gooood

Today, I sit back in my recliner, taking it easy. I have to say; I deserve it as it has been an incredibly busy long, repeat, very long few weeks. In the background is the television showing the Royal Wedding and I am listening to the throngs of people celebrate ‘the kiss’ of Prince William and Kate Middleton. (By the way, do they have a last name?)

Over the last few weeks I have been very busy with among other things, our Homeless Clubhouse Program through Mosaic. For those familiar with the Clubhouse Movement you are aware of what things was like, especially in starting a new program, for others, you may want to do a YouTube search on either Fountain House Clubhouses, or the International Center for Clubhouse Development to get a very small taste. Starting up a program like this, likely the first of its kind for the homeless, plus carrying out the responsibilities of a pastor has provided a long trying week, consisting of 6 AM – 8 PM days over the last weeks. But the week has consisted of more than just that, not all good, not all bad.

I normally like getting the bad out of the way first so here you go, but make sure to read until the conclusion.

The first thing that hits home is the lack of rest. I just went through 17-straight-days of working, with no break, not time off. This leads to exhaustion, especially when those days average out to be 14-hour-days. When I got home; I watched an episode of Jag on the DVR, and went to bed. I don’t think I have ever been as exhausted, but there is more.

The other night our son was coming home from work. He was driving my wife’s car and stopped at a convenience store. He went to leave, and the car was whacked. It wouldn’t start and for the brief moment it did, it made an awful sound of clanking. We had a tow truck tow the car off to a friend, leaving my wife and me one car. We were now putting in longer days as we were down to one car and having to go in to work together, either her being dropped off early or me being dropped off early. There is nothing like an even longer day in an already long day.

One of difficult things that lead to the next area is finance. To say the least it has been tough this month. The last thing we need is another expense in the repair of a car, if it can be repaired. We will know more tonight but it is still going to cost money we don’t have. With a salary for me of around $1,250 since the first of the year from the church, and the royalties yet to come in from the book, (kind of like the music industry where I know sales are taking place, but the checks aren’t here yet). It is getting tough, especially when our family tries to live modestly and gives away more than some think we should.

Another frustrating thing; many know of the difficulty with The Virtual Pew website over the last year. I finally had a fine fellow volunteer to help out. We were making progress, it looked like things were going to be working, and then the domain registration runs out and the renewal of the website, which costs money, is due. Needless to say, the web site is down, and once Michael (the friend donating his time to help) gets the site finished, I will have to come up with the funds to pay for the host.

There is another area that was difficult this week. I won’t say much, but all I have, all I believe in regards to my relationship with God is due in large to David Wilkerson. It was at one of his crusades I gave my life to Jesus Christ. I have a video I may try to find, convert and post of me sharing about that event. This last week he was killed in a car accident in Texas. While he later taught some things I disagreed with, mainly his perspective on Contemporary Christian Music, I still likely wouldn’t have what I have without him. His ministry, his life, and the message he preached about Jesus introduced me to my salvation. I grieve over his loss.

There is more I could write about, like how the worst thing is that with all of the stress, with all of the pressure, the worst thing is how I have felt pity on myself, and felt unappreciated. Most of the time, the sacrifice are worth it, but I just want to feel appreciated for the effort. Am I wrong for that?

To put some light on the positive I will start with that part about feeling appreciated. I recently reviewed the book, Recovering from Religious Abuse, 11 Steps to Spiritual Freedom by Jack Watts. I also interviewed Jack in the process and decided to do something different. The book is more than a novel or self-help-book, it is a recovery plan for people that have gone through religious abuse and it includes a 91-day journaling process. I decided to go through the experience myself. As of this writing I have posted 18 days of the journal experience, although I am on day 28. The book has been a God send as it has become my daily devotional and is helping me deal with things. I have realized something I have realized in the past but I sometimes forget, I have to look at life as God intends and accept the love, appreciation, and respect God has given me. I have to view life the way God sees me, not the way others see me. This experience has been critical in helping me get through the last weeks. You will likely see the honest struggle, and ups and downs as you read the journal entries. The fact that God would use this book at just the right time is a real God send.

I am also blessed because one of the reasons I am tired is a lot is happening at Mosaic Church, not just in the day program, but the church. In the last weeks at church we have continued to grow. Many of those coming are homeless. There are others, but there other issues related to the homeless. One is the homeless don’t have funds to contribute, although there was a man who gave .13 last week. I only know because I was blessed when someone told me about it. Now don’t take this wrong, but understand, we aren’t doing what some places do, that is welcome them, feed them, we are trying to plug them into church by inviting them to play on the worship team, be a part of teaching times, even teach when qualified. They have responded amazingly, wanting to help paint, hang signs, cook and other things. It is simply an amazing and beautiful thing to see. To see God work in the lives of people often neglected is something that money can’t buy.

Another blessing for us is that one of the friends we are close to at church is a mechanic. Buckey and Jenni have blessed us so many times, in ways they don’t even realize. Bucky is working on the car and that saves us a ton of money. Sometimes the gift of service is as good as money; we have seen that not only in the help with The Virtual Pew Web site, but also the car. Buckey has been great and while we pay for parts we simply couldn’t come close to managing without his love to our family. His wife Jenni and he are other examples of how God gives back.

Another blessing for the church is that Hope Community Church contributed finances to the church to help. While I don’t know if that will have any impact on my family, I know that ultimately God is the provider and He will meet our needs, he continues to meet the needs of the church, so why not mine. I have seen others come through and help the church with things like cash donations, buying food for the homeless or buying needed items for the church. To see others serve the least of these is a tremendous blessing. I don’t know if people understand how much I am blessed when I see their willingness to give but I am deeply moved. The church has been providing meals every Saturday and Sunday for some time now. To see what our people are doing and how others are touched is amazing. Last week alone, the little church that could, saw over 350 people participate and use our facility whether for feeding or church activities.

Another thing taking place is the Mosaic Clubhouse Day Program. I loved working in the Clubhouse Movement back in the day and am pleased to have made the contributions to improving the lives of the Mentally Ill. I am taking the Fountain House Concept in applying a day program for the homeless. It is totally different, and to my knowledge, nothing like this has ever been done specifically using this model, (long recognized as the top rehab model for the mentally ill) for the homeless. We are far exceeding expectations in this program and yesterday, in a model where people are working in the program, developing ownership and membership, we had 25 people involved and the numbers continue to increase.

In the clubhouse concept we focus on work from 9 AM – 3 PM and before and after that are allowances for recreational activities. Of course, many people find ways to continue working or doing things like building relationships. I had a homeless individual tell me this week that he had never seen anything like it. ‘I have never seen the homeless working together or getting ownership like they are getting here, this is amazing. Mike what you are doing is going to make a difference.’ Of course I know there are others involved in helping this happen, Barb and Chris Atherton from Mosaic have been there as volunteers virtually every day for the duration of the work-ordered-day, there have been others like John Stinson who has been there bringing supplies, or Sharon or Sherry who has donated or brought by food. Then there is Richard Augustas and Novus Orsa who has helped in providing services and help. Those who come and see the program at work, quickly see something remarkably different and good.

As a result of our work with the homeless we had the Interfaith Homeless Coalition, AECH group meet at our facility this last Tuesday evening. They saw first hand the work that is taking place and were impressed with the things we are doing. There is more to do, but I know, I am involved in something that is making a difference in the lives of people. It is growing, and it is a beautiful thing to be a part of. I can’t help but think God is pleased with the efforts of all involved.

There is another thing I have enjoyed as a part of the experience. Yes work is sometimes hard, sometimes stressful, but work can also be fun. The last couple of weeks have had highs and lows. The highs had me believing and knowing that it was one of the best spiritual highs I have experienced in my walk with Christ. To know that I am making a difference in the lives of others, and at the same time, growing in my relationship with God is an incredible place to be. There are times that have been low though, those normally center on finance and the need to feel appreciated especially when at the moment, I don’t know how I am going to have gas to put in my car beyond Wednesday of next week with all of the commitments I have between now and then. I realize there are more pressing needs though, the needs of those at our program who have little food, no respect, little or no money, no bed to sleep on, and often times, the places they have to stay, according to them, treat them like objects instead of human beings. There are certainly those who have less and need far more than I do.

In the fun things I have also realized something else as I sit here typing, with new callused fingers. I have been at 3 PM playing and practicing music with a homeless individual in the Mosaic Clubhouse Program. George is a phenomenal guitar player. Chris Atherton had an electric guitar he bought from home that George loves to play. He has an acoustic guitar, but he has missed playing his Classic rock n roll. So with the guitar and the Marshall stack we have, he has started playing again. I have wanted to play this style of music again for a long time and George has provided that, working my fingers off. He is a perfectionist, and while his teaching style is at times a little confusing, he has me playing every day, learning new licks, and making progress in playing music I love. We plan on playing each Saturday during the feeding times at Mosaic between 1:30 and 3:30. From Bob Seeger to The Beatles and Stevie Ray Vaughn, we are having fun.

In his playing George has inspired me. We have spent a lot of time talking. He has shared that he has serious blockage on his heart and is supposed to be taking nitro pills, which he can’t afford. We have spoken about how many think free health coverage is available for those that need it at the emergency room. Some of us know the truth of how that isn’t true. He has shared how no one except his elderly mother cares for him. It is why the Clubhouse Program is important; he has a place to come to and make friends. He needs money, a job, but with his heart condition doesn’t know how he can do it. He has admitted a substance abuse problem in the past but is doing better now. I have seen his face light up with a smile as he picks up the guitar each afternoon to ‘jam’. Of course I have seen him roll cigarettes as well. He’ll give another homeless person a cigarette if that person will roll 5 for him. He wants to quit, even went to the doctor who told him he had to quit because of his heart. He asked for help, he has tried the patch, and other things but he thinks the gum is what he needs, but it costs money. He asked the doctor for help and got some great advice, ‘Just quit!’ the doctor said. That doctor also said his office don’t give out samples of medication. Obviously the doctor doesn’t understand the addiction, neither does he understand the pressures this man, who is incredibly talented endures. He often sleeps in his truck in one of the 2 churches parking spaces; he has a place to belong, a place to call home.

When I look at George, I have little reason to complain. George inspires me, but he is only one of many, there is Mike who is hurting and has been hurt by others in ‘authority’, another Mike who is owed $420 from a man he has painted for over the last 2 weeks but the man refuses to pay him, and then Gary who makes me smile every day by teasing me. Gary even sleeps in an abandoned car on Saturday nights so he can walk to church on time on Sunday morning. If he stays at the mission, he gets bullied and pushed around and sometimes misses the bus because he has a bad foot. I don’t know, when it really comes down to it, do I have a reason to complain. I guess the only reason I may have is towards those who choose to not help, don’t think the work we do is valuable, and in return turn their backs on the very people Jesus commands us to love.

I don’t know what the future holds, I don’t even know how I can do the things I am called to do, unless God provides. What I do know is that God provides. He knows the needs of the sparrow, He knows my need. He knows the needs as well of those on the street. I also know that sometimes, He calls people to meet those needs who have the means, of course there is this thing called free-will. Will those people listen, will they respond? I don’t know, I can only control one thing, that is to be the best husband, father, grandfather, pastor, brother, friend, disciple that I can be. It isn’t easy, but is it worth it? I wouldn’t have it any other way.

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The Virtual Pew News # 25, Ministry, Ministry, Ministry

Welcome to The Virtual Pew Newsletter, a lot has been happening but with that said, I hope you take the time to read through the entire newsletter.

As many of you know, the web site for The Virtual Pew has been down. Long story made short, I had the web site for the book, The Keystone Kid put up and thought I had someone to do the site for The Virtual Pew for me. It hasn’t been done but not for the lack of trying. I am back at the place; I need someone dependable that can develop a simple web site, linking to various blog pages and a message board. Something that I can manage, update and change on a regular basis would be great. Either someone who can develop this site, train me on doing the site, or donating an appropriate program to do the site is much needed. Can you help with this particular need? Truth is, since the books publication, I receive daily communications related to abuse, and related to the ministry related to The Virtual Pew. This is an area of need that you can contribute to in one of the above mentioned ways.

I realize it may be possible that you haven’t been to the web site for The Keystone Kid. The url for that is www.thekeystonekid.com I am pleased with the book and it has been doing well. As is the case in many things of the sort, I haven’t seen the royalty checks as of yet, but am aware of a good number of books being out there, either via hardback, paperback, or e-reader versions. I continue to schedule speaking engagements to share the story of what God did for me in either short presentations in as little as 5 minutes where I have the book available, to longer presentations where I speak and share the story for upwards to 45 minutes. There are other topics I am available to speak on. The book is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other major retailers, either on line or via ordering through the store. You can also go to Friesen Press and order various versions suitable for various e-readers, including, Sony, The Nook, and more. Amazon has the Kindle version available on their web site.

The book is critical for me now as I have made a decision related to Mosaic Church, the brick and mortar church I pastor. I am reminded of a verse of scripture that states that if a church or ministry can, they should pay their pastor twice their worth. In that same passage though, people forget where it says, if paying the pastor creates a burden on the body, then he is to receive no salary. I have urged Mosaic to relocate to downtown Wichita. In order to acquire the space, since we lost funding from The Church of God, I have voluntarily given up my salary until the church can afford it. Don’t get me wrong, I pray that there are times the church can pay me some, but it really isn’t that big of a deal. Even when the church can afford it, it is still my hope, desire, and prayer that we obtain additional salary from contributions to The Virtual Pew, speaking and so forth and use the money from the church for various other ministries. The truth is, most of the money coming into The Virtual Pew, (albeit minimal) actually goes back out to direct ministry, whether assistance to the homeless, or some other form of direct ministry and help.

You can of course help in a variety of ways by donating either to The Virtual Pew, or to Mosaic Church. I will share addresses for those at the conclusion of the newsletter. Now for those who are curious, the last 2 months I have received nothing from Mosaic, the month prior to that $800 and the month prior to that $600. Of course I also pay my own expenses including mileage. Last month via The Keystone Kid and speaking, I received approximately $500, and the month prior to that, $400, and the month prior to that, $2,700 which enabled me to focus more on Mosaic without having to work on booking myself out to speak. I expect there will be months where larger amounts come in, but all in all, it is clear, God continues to meet our needs. I am also expecting a royalty check from Friesen Press this next month, I am not certain how much that will be but I expect it to be less than $500. I do by the way; have a good supply of books available, both in hard back, and paper back that you can order directly off of the web site or through me. The prices for those are $20 for paperback, $30 for hardback. I have donated a good number of books out, (over 20) and have a few people who have ordered books, with the promise to pay, that have not paid for their books.

Also in the works, not far from completion is the short movie The Long Walk. Currently Rob Cassels, Sam Eakins, Darrell Thompson, and Mark Childress from The Rob Cassels Band are finishing up the original score for the movie. It looks tremendous at this point and we are going to be submitting the film to various film festivals. We will also have a product available to market which will include commentary by the Director and myself, possibly others, it will also include a brief interview with me of what has happened since the book, a interview with a couple who have gone through their marriage whose life was impacted by abuse, and an interview with the pastor who led my mother to Jesus. There is editing and work to be done on the special features of the DVD to be made available for purchase. Pray for all of this though, pray that it will be accepted into film festivals, viewed by those who need to see and hear the story and be touched by the power of forgiveness. Also pray as we seek to shop the short to major companies in order to raise funds for a feature film. For those who have seen this work, they are impressed, and many have stated how God is clearly involved in the project. That will confuse some as the short itself is a variation of the story in The Keystone Kid, and it is not a clearly overt ‘Christian’ project. There is even rough language and difficult situations in it. However, with the special features, and the discussions which will take place at film festivals, it will be clear of the role of Jesus Christ in the story. We will also be listing the Short on Kickstarter at Amazon where individuals can contribute to help support the project financially and get perks for their donations and support.

Now as to Mosaic Church, the brick and mortar church I pastor. I alluded earlier that we had relocated. Mosaic has a unique history. In its early days, (prior to my arrival) Mosaic met in an arts community of Wichita called Delano. It had an effective impact on the community but eventually the church moved to a school. After 3 school transitions, the church was ready to dissolve. I came on board and shortly thereafter we relocated to a community that seemed to fit our current needs. As we came close to outgrowing that facility I recognized the need to get back to the mission God had called us to. We had seen tremendous success in two areas of ministry that our people seemed to support and we were seeing it impact others in the community. The two areas were ministries to the homeless and the arts community, specifically the filmmaking community. We decided to look for property in the downtown area. Gay Quisenberry, who was the manager for Rich Mullins assisted us in the quest. We located a building downtown that had sat vacant for 10 years. A long story there, but after 3 months of issues, we finally moved into the facility.

The Downtown Mosaic location encompasses approximately 6,000 square feet. We are less than 1 block away from the largest homeless gathering in the city of Wichita and less than 2 blocks from the center of Downtown. We have a month to month lease on the property. There is a rumor that an outside agency made an offer on the building, but it is only a rumor. We will counter offer on anything that is actually offered. So far, all indications are this is a rumor. We continue to move forward knowing that God will provide. We have had 2 services in the building, and this last week, we had our first pot-luck meal since moving out of the location on George Washington Blvd. We had over 40 in attendance if counting the approximate 10 homeless individuals who showed up. Our desire is to have other churches, businesses, ministries, and individual’s partner with us. We need groups to provide food on a weekly basis on both Saturday and Sunday to reach out to the homeless. We feel strongly of the need to find a way to fit everyone from the downtown community, including the homeless into a physical brick and mortar church where they can fit in and are a part of the family of God. We desperately need other groups to partner with us. Please pray that the churches of Wichita would come together to do the work of God together.

One of the other things we are also exploring at this point is the possibility of developing a clubhouse concept, (based on the Fountain House Model) for the homeless. Here, as opposed a day shelter, we would assist in the development of what we call the Work-Ordered-Day and assist in helping persons obtain affordable housing, and appropriate jobs through a Transitional Employment program that helps in relearning work skills. We need volunteers for this program, and after some commitment, we will be able to get funding. The operation of the program will help the homeless regain their life, not just sustain their condition.

Mosaic is also allowing the use of our space for various groups including: Novus Orsa a group that originally helped us with our homeless outreach. A part of the Vineyard Church in Wichita they assist in helping young homeless persons obtain housing. Others using our facility include, Axis Four Films an Independent Film Company, The South Central Kansas Film Co-Op, and Gay Quisenberry. Gay is also helping us with events, including concerts, theater, grants and more.

My wife Mary Jane teaches at Derby Middle School and is in the process of looking at retirement. We don’t know where that will take us, so please pray for us. I realize the blessing I have in my wife. Also pray for our son Nathan. Some of you know the complexity of that request, I will simply say, it is our desire for our son to return to the God who loves him. We want him to dedicate his life to the King of Kings. We keep our granddaughter Aaliyah every weekend and we are blessed to do so. She comes to church with us and we realize the importance of our time with her. Our daughter Marathana, and our son in law Brett are expecting their first baby, a little boy in June. She works at Hesston College in Hesston Kansas, just north of Newton Kansas where she lives. She is the Director of Communications for the college and is actively involved with her husband in their church. We still have our White German Shepherd, named Kersey and just adopted a little Yorkie named Buster. They both bring some joy into our lives and our granddaughter loves them.

I continue to write, and lately, it seems like I have done a lot of movie reviews. Some of them I can recommend others I can’t. I can say however, I have tried to review each movie with the intent of you learning something that you can share with someone whether you have seen the movie or not. I always do my reviews as a seed that can point people to God.

I continue to covet and value your prayers for the work God has called me to. It is an honor to know that some of you have partnered with these ministries over the years; I suspect there are people who have touched that we don’t know about. My faith tells me that some day we will. I am aware of people who have been touched, come to know God and in a relationship with him because of this ministry. For those of you offering prayers of support, and/or financial help, I thank you.

God bless you and remember; God is good all the time, and all the time God is good!

Links of interest follow the signature,

Mike Furches
www.thekeystonekid.com

You can follow me on Twitter at Mike Furches or The Virtual Pew and friend me at Facebook at Mike Furches. Also, don’t forget about the Facebook page for Mosaic Church, The Virtual Pew, and The Keystone Kid.


When A Homeless Man Worships
http://thevirtualpew.blogspot.com/2011/03/when-homeless-man-worships.html

Tangled
http://mikefurchesreviews.blogspot.com/2011/03/tangled-blu-ray-dvd.html

Teenage Paparazzo
http://mikefurchesreviews.blogspot.com/2011/03/teenage-paparazzo.html

Last Tango in Paris
http://mikefurchesreviews.blogspot.com/2011/03/last-tango-in-paris-blu-ray.html

Walking on Water
http://mikefurchesreviews.blogspot.com/2011/03/walking-on-water.html

The Wildest Dream
http://mikefurchesreviews.blogspot.com/2011/03/wildest-dream-following-george-mallory.html

Siren
http://mikefurchesreviews.blogspot.com/2011/03/siren.html

Step Off, AKA Battle the Movie
http://mikefurchesreviews.blogspot.com/2011/03/step-off-aka-battle.html

Night Catches Us
http://mikefurchesreviews.blogspot.com/2011/02/night-catches-us.html

The Eagle
http://mikefurchesreviews.blogspot.com/2011/02/eagle.html

The Best Slide Guitar Player I Ever Knew: A Suicide Story
http://thevirtualpew.blogspot.com/2011/02/best-slide-guitar-player-i-ever-knew.html

Waiting for Superman on DVD
http://mikefurchesreviews.blogspot.com/2011/02/waiting-for-superman-on-dvd.html

To see the video posted below click on the video. If the video isn’t at full scale or doesn’t show up, click on the following link:
http://vimeo.com/21571470

Untitled from Mosaic Church on Vimeo.

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

Click here to follow The Virtual Pew on Twitter

Mike Furches on Faceboook.

Click here to visit Mosaic Wichita, the Church in Wichita Kansas where Mike is the pastor.

Click Here to Go to The Virtual Pew Daily Verse and Read The Bible in a Year Passages

Click here for booking information to have Pastor Mike come speak or perform, from speaking to music or magic, something for all groups.

You can also Help The Virtual Pew by shopping on our web site or at Amazon, click here to shop at Amazon and help The Virtual Pew, it won't cost you anything extra, but we get a small percentage of the purchase.

Click to visit with Pastor Mike regarding any of your needs. He will respond to each request personally, and if need be refer you to one of our other pastors.

Click to visit and join the new group The Virtual Pew, at MySpace. Become a part of a different kind of Christian group, check out the page for more information,all welcome, including those who are not followers of Jesus.

Click to visit the Virtual Pew Website and become a part of that ministry.

Click to subscribe to my blog

Click to visit and join our sister group at MySpace Hollywood Jesus.

Click to visit Mary Jane Furches' new MySpace Page

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
6441 N. Hydraulic
Park City Kansas, 67219

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

Donations to The Virtual Pew

The Virtual Pew

The Virtual Pew Blog

Personal Furches Web Site

Mary Jane Furches MySpace Page

Mike Furches MySpace Page

Mike Furches MySpace Blog

Hollywood Jesus

Reviews With Mike

The Virtual Pew Sermons

The Virtual Pew News

MySpace Hollywood Jesus Group

MySpace The Virtual Pew Group

The Virtual Pew Live Radio Web Page

To Subscribe to The Virtual Pew Live Feed

Santa Claus & Serving Others

Since I was a small child, I loved Santa, despite being a poor child and growing up in a dysfunctional family; I still loved Santa. Over the years I have come to know the true story behind the real St. Nicholas and the history behind the character we know as Santa Claus. I have written a one man play where I present the story of The Real St. Nick and Jesus. In that presentation, I tell the origins of both the historical and mythical character.

As a Santa I am unique, I am also a pastor that uses my Santa project to assist in ministry and/or service related projects. Last year for example I was Santa to the Homeless in Wichita KS as was featured on the local news programs, and I also collected presents to give to poor and needy children, where I delivered those presents, yes on Christmas Eve. For those who remember last Christmas Eve, that was a chore as we had a snow storm, but I was still there with my elves delivering love and smiles on the faces of children in our community.

This year we will continue the Santa for the Homeless project where we will deliver Winter Wear to the homeless in the Downtown Wichita area. This year is unique in that we are also recruiting people from across the country to also help with the project in their own communities where we are encouraging people to do something for someone less fortunate on December 18. On this date Wichita will once again see Santa at the Downtown library handing out needed items to the homeless. We also plan on delivering presents again on Christmas Eve, rain, or snow. If we did it in last years blizzard we can do it this year.

To assist in this project and the ongoing ministry I am involved in, you can hire me out to be Santa for your event. I am presently booking dates and times for this and would be honored to serve you. I have an original suit and a joyous laugh. I also have other Santa’s which have been approved that I can book out as the times and dates start to fill up. The rates vary, and of course we also consider some charity events as time permits, but our paying customers have to come first.

Rates for Santa are as follows:

November 25 – December 17: $75 per half hour, $125 per hour, maximum, $250 for up to 6 hours for school day events etc…

December 18 – December 23: $100 per half hour, $150 per hour, maximum, $300 for up to 6 hours for school day events, etc…

December 24 - $150 per half hour, $200 per hour, maximum of $500, for 5 hour event.

Some will think the prices are high, some will think they are low. I realize they are a little higher than many standard Santa rates, but realize, the proceeds of this project and what is done with them, you also get what you pay for, and I really do have a great time blessing and being there for the kids. As a father, and now a grandfather, I also understand and appreciate the history behind the character. I doubt many have studied the character as much as I have. I even communicate with kids on a minimal basis with sign language, and this year, am using my real hair and beard.

To schedule events, contact me at one of the following methods, mike@furches.org or call 316-807-8034. Dates are already booking and cancellations with less than 48 hour notice are still responsible for full payment. I have performed at various schools, museums, grocery stores and more in the Wichita area.

For those who would like to contribute to the cause we still are in need of toys for the children, and winter items for the homeless (no ankle socks please, regular socks yes) You can contact us for information related to those items or you can make an online donation at the links provided to help with the costs of these items. You can also email regarding the donation of items for the projects. We would also invite you to attend a training for the project at Pawnee Avenue Church of God on December 10 from 7 – 8:30 PM and attend the give away on December 18 with us.

To see more on this years project, click here:

To see the video from last year; see below. If the video doesn’t appear, click on the link provided.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGNKN2EpKNE

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

Click here to follow The Virtual Pew on Twitter

Mike Furches on Faceboook.

Click here to visit Mosaic Wichita, the Church in Wichita Kansas where Mike is the pastor.

Click Here to Go to The Virtual Pew Daily Verse and Read The Bible in a Year Passages

Click here for booking information to have Pastor Mike come speak or perform, from speaking to music or magic, something for all groups.

You can also Help The Virtual Pew by shopping on our web site or at Amazon, click here to shop at Amazon and help The Virtual Pew, it won't cost you anything extra, but we get a small percentage of the purchase.

Click to visit with Pastor Mike regarding any of your needs. He will respond to each request personally, and if need be refer you to one of our other pastors.

Click to visit and join the new group The Virtual Pew, at MySpace. Become a part of a different kind of Christian group, check out the page for more information,all welcome, including those who are not followers of Jesus.

Click to visit the Virtual Pew Website and become a part of that ministry.

Click to subscribe to my blog

Click to visit and join our sister group at MySpace Hollywood Jesus.

Click to visit Mary Jane Furches' new MySpace Page

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

P.O. Box 17731

Wichita, KS 67217

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

Donations to The Virtual Pew

The Virtual Pew

The Virtual Pew Blog

Personal Furches Web Site

Mary Jane Furches MySpace Page

Mike Furches MySpace Page

Mike Furches MySpace Blog

Hollywood Jesus

Reviews With Mike

The Virtual Pew Sermons

The Virtual Pew News

MySpace Hollywood Jesus Group

MySpace The Virtual Pew Group

The Virtual Pew Live Radio Web Page

To Subscribe to The Virtual Pew Live Feed

Unprofessional Attitudes Hurt Bands & Venues

Pleae note, there will be photographs of bands we do support in the Wichita area on this posting. Just because we don't have a photo posted, don't mean we don't support you. But some of the bands we have had bad experiences with, are not posted. The band photographs are hyperlinked and you can click on the photo to visit their page and listen to their music. You will also see additional hyperlinks in the article which I would encourage you to visit.

I have wanted to write this for some time, and have hesitated due to not wanting to offend or hurt people, but it is time something was said.

I want to be careful how this comes across as it is going to appear to be negative in some ways. That is not my desire; it is my desire that at some point people would learn, especially some of the bands and some of the venues in this local. I realize that people around the country are also reading this so if the shoe fits for your community, add your two cents.

Let me preface by stating that while I am now a pastor, speaker, and writer, I spent a great deal of time early in my life in promotions, marketing and management. In 1988 I had according to Performance Magazine, the Top New Agency in America, and Poll-Star Magazine had us listed as one of the top 10 agencies in America. I had the top grossing band in America in theaters 2,500 and under, Blue Oyster Cult was #2 and The Judd’s was #3 according to Performance Magazine. I also had 3 of the top 10 shows in America in clubs 800 and under, all according to Performance Magazine. I say this to make a point, I did a pretty good job in my field, and I knew the industry and business, especially as a musician, and manager. I was blessed to work with some really good bands, but I also realize that a lot of my work led to those associations.

Now let me address something that has bothered me lately as I have experienced first hand some issues with the Wichita Music Scene. While there are some wonderful bands in the area which I will work with any day, any time, any moment, there are others who have a lot to learn. As a promoter now, (as well as a musician and magician) I am shocked that some local bands have venues to play. I say this because it is not unusual to have local bands cancel, even at the last moment prior to a concert or event.

It is time bands learned to respect the promoting agency booking them in, and it is time, agencies and venues stood together to share with each other which bands are and are not, professional. I have had bands cancel within 2 hours of a show, one band who walked out of a show without telling me (after they arrived at 8:15 for a 8 PM show and wanted us to set up around their needs as opposed to the band which was booked as the headline act), and bands not even show up at shows that have been booked without ever even making a phone call. Let me make it clear, these are not the actions of bands that will “make it” in this industry. In the past I have played quite a few locations as a musician and worked as a manager, Athens Georgia, Greenville/Spartanburg South Carolina, Tulsa Oklahoma, Boston Mass, New York, Chicago and others. In none of these locations would a band do this but one time, and at that point, no reputable promoter or venue in the community would book that band again because those venues interact and let each other know what to expect, or possibly expect Simply put, they share experiences. Only in Wichita have I seen these types of actions occur, where a band can do these types of things, and “get by with it.” It is time for these types of things to stop. For those in the Wichita, or Kansas Markets, you want to know about my experiences with a particular band, fine, ask me and I will tell you exactly what I experienced.

Here is the problem with these actions, venues, even small ones, have time and money invested. Sometimes at Mosaic, we have great crowds, sometimes we don’t, but the promotions are the same. Let me explain.

I book a band, and the conditions of the booking are almost always the same. We work on an 80 / 20% split for anything over $200. The headline band gets 80%, Mosaic gets 20%. All bands are allowed to keep 100% of concession sales. I know this may sound strange to some, but there are many venues that charge a percentage for band concession sales. Our shows are all a recommended donation of $5. I always, repeat, always, personally contribute to the bands that are playing. We also do all of the free promo we can, including the local papers, and press releases to radio and television stations. Sometimes we get those aired, or played, sometimes not. Now another point of clarification; for bands we book, we also feed them, and provide drinks for them. I also pay a publicist 10% of all income from shows, including the shows where we get less than $200. On those shows I give the publicist 10% and the band gets 100% of anything under $200, at this point you can see that we are losing twice. That is okay though, we enjoy the opportunity to provide music opportunities to the bands, and we consider this a “ministry” so even for a small church that also provides various forms of entertainment, that gets by month to month, this is something we value and want to provide the community. For those having issue with a church doing this, most all shows we book in, (over 95%) of them, are booked in as non religious shows and I have no idea where the musician is coming from spiritually. Yet, we still do it, even though an expense to us.

Now let’s not stop there regarding our expenses, we print posters, around 100, flyers, around 200. When you figure in the cost of this, the time involved in promoting at various locations including MySpace, Facebook, and RokICT among others, can you see why I would get upset over the actions of some bands?

Back in the day when I was working with Steppenwolf, Marshall Tucker, Kansas, and Nantucket among others, Steve Morse of the Dixie Dregs started calling me Twiggs Jr. This was a unique compliment coming from Steve, especially with the closeness he had with Twiggs Lyndon. It is a part of that attitude that I still have which has motivated me to write this. Enough is enough, and some bands need to grow up, and some venues need to “band” together to protect our expenses and efforts. I am asking; if you as a venue have a bad experience, let me know, at that point, Mosaic won’t allow that band to play at our facility. You want to know about a band that has played our venue, ask me. I’m not talking about a bad night, or a new band coming out, I’m talking about a band that has little or no respect for the venue which is hosting them or isn’t professional.

I have even heard some bands bad mouth other bands in the area, again, enough is enough. One of the bands I have heard several people mention is one of the most professional bands I have worked with. I guess that is the problem, that band is professional. That band and others, who are professional, are getting bad mouthed around town by other bands, to those unprofessional bands that would do this, shame on you. You have no idea how close I am at this point now in mentioning names of some of those bands who have done this. Some of this comes from bands who have cancelled and walked out of shows.

While there are rare reasons for cancellations, and especially late cancellations (very rare), those reasons still costs the venue money. “Sorry” can only go so far, but when sorry costs me in the neighborhood of $50 - $100 in actual cash, (comes out of my pocket, not Mosaic) or 15 – 20 hours of my time, hearing “sorry” is a hard word to swallow. Again, there are rare appropriate situations. I had a recent act have a serious illness in the family recently, I understand that. I also understand though, there is still a loss, even for this.

I now have for Mosaic, and would encourage venues to draw up cancellation contracts, if a band for any reason cancels a show in an inappropriate time frame, then that venue will be paid for their time and expenses. The venue and promoter have provided free publicity; bands should have to pay for those services, expenses, and time. I believe in logical argument, what logic would dictate that the promoter or venue should have to eat these costs?

Now let me be clear, there are many wonderful and professional bands in this community. There are also those that need to grow up. If a band is going to take on the professional act of playing, asking people to contribute money for their service or product, then they need to act professional.

In the future, I plan on organizing workshops to assist bands in becoming more professional. I also plan on trying to organize venues around town to work at protecting our investments and reputation. I firmly believe that until we do this, then the bottom line is that Wichita will not get the overall respect within the industry that will help both bands and venues. If our reputation improves, then bands get better gigs, larger audiences, more money, and potential music deals. Then venues get better draws and make larger profits. In both of these scenarios, the fans and audiences win.

I realize some will take this wrong, it is not my intent, there are some who will say negative things, or even say, forget playing at Mosaic, that is fine, with those attitudes we would really rather have more professional bands or acts I am tired of having to explain to fans why a band or act never showed, or why one walks out because they threw a pitty party about not playing when they wanted after showing up late for a concert. It is my desire to frankly, not loose any more money than I have to, but also see some great talent do more than be a hit on their block. Every one of the bands I have had a bad experience with is wonderful musicians, whose music I liked, otherwise I would have never booked them. There are some things to learn though, and just as a band should protect their reputation, they need to realize, that without venues to play or exhibit their talents, they will be limited as to the places they can play. As a musician, I can’t imagine not wanting to have my music heard. That place would be an awfully selfish place to be, but then again, I guess the attitude of being selfish is one of the things I am addressing here.

For those in the music industry, those who read this, either local to Wichita or nationally who will be reading this; what say you?

The following is a video of one of the bands that we support that has played Mosaic, in fact our house band and I enjoy it for an obvious reason, again, a rather professional band at that. Just click on the video, if the video don't appear, click on the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DE4HpGV-_U


Click here to follow The Virtual Pew on Twitter

Click here to visit Mosaic Wichita, the Church in Wichita Kansas where Mike is the pastor.

Click Here to Go to The Virtual Pew Daily Verse and Read The Bible in a Year Passages

Click here for booking information to have Pastor Mike come speak or perform, from speaking to music or magic, something for all groups.

Click to visit with Pastor Mike regarding any of your needs. He will respond to each request personally, and if need be refer you to one of our other pastors.

Click to visit and join the new group The Virtual Pew, at MySpace. Become a part of a different kind of Christian group, check out the page for more information,all welcome, including those who are not followers of Jesus.

Click to visit the Virtual Pew Website and become a part of that ministry.

Click to subscribe to my blog

Click to visit and join our sister group at MySpace Hollywood Jesus.

Click to visit Mary Jane Furches' new MySpace Page

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
P.O. Box 17731
Wichita, KS 67217

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

Donations to The Virtual Pew

http://www.furches.org/donations/index.html

The Virtual Pew

The Virtual Pew Blog

Personal Furches Web Site

Mary Jane Furches MySpace Page

Mike Furches MySpace Page

Mike Furches MySpace Blog

Hollywood Jesus

Reviews With Mike

The Virtual Pew Sermons

The Virtual Pew News

MySpace Hollywood Jesus Group

MySpace The Virtual Pew Group

The Virtual Pew Live Radio Web Page

To Subscribe to The Virtual Pew Live Feed

Phone Number to Call During The Virtual Pew Live Show, (Please never call prior to the start of the show) - (646) 716-8587

Phone Number to Call During The HJ Live Show, (Please never call prior to the start of the show) - (646) 716-8853

To Subscribe to The Virtual Pew Live Feed -http://www.blogtalkradio.com/feeds/thevirtualpew

To Subscribe to HJ Live Live Feed –http://www.blogtalkradio.com/feeds/hollywoodjesus