Weekly Bulletin - August 16th, 2026
Here's what's happening around our church this week.

Rev. Erik Germesin • Rector
August 16, 2026

2 Minute Read
Welcome to the weekly roundup 👋
This is your one-stop spot for everything happening in our church family. From kids to adults, small groups to special events, here's how you can get connected over the next seven days.
Sunday, August 16th
  • 10:00am Worship Gatherings - Join us for Sunday
    service in person or online.
Thursday, August 20th
  • Crop and Kettle Gala - 6:00pm-8:00pm: YMCA Commons 2232 3rd Ave New Brighton, PA 15066
Upcoming Events
  • Level-UP Student Ministry Kickoff - Wednesday, September 2nd at 6:30pm.
  • Night of Worship - Friday, September 11th at 6:30pm.
  • Fall Kick-off Service and Small Group Fair - Sunday, September 13th at 10:00am
  • SafeChurch Training - Sunday, September 20th at 11:30am
  • Prayer Soaking Service - Tuesday, September 29th at 7:00pm
New here? We'd love to connect.
This Week's Message

"All and Not Some"
Pastor Erik Germesin | Isaiah 56:1–8 & Matthew 15:21–28

In Week 3 of our Stubborn series, we are looking at the collision between human exclusivity and God’s divine tenacity to gather the outcast. Our stubborn pride builds walls to keep people out, but God’s stubborn grace breaks down doors to bring people in.


Watch last week’s sermon 👇


Community Prayer

We carry each other through the spiritual practice of prayer. Here's what our community is lifting up this week:

🙏 Rev. Canon Godfrey & Priscilla Baye – Pray for their ministry as the mentor and disciple young adults and youth.

Submit your own prayer request here.

Giving

Your generosity makes our work in this city possible. We’re so grateful for you.

New to our community? No pressure. Today, just be our guest.

Give Now Here


Stay Connected

📩 Subscribe to this Collection to get these updates delivered directly to your inbox.

💬 Pastoral care or questions? Connect with us here.

Services: Sundays at 10:00 AM
140 Imperial Plaza Drive, Imperial, PA 15126

Next Week: "The Tension Between Patience and Pride" – Isaiah 51:1-6 & Matthew 16:13-20
See you soon ☀️

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August 16, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
Weekly Bulletin - August 16th, 2026
Welcome to the weekly roundup 👋 This is your one-stop spot for everything happening in our church family. From kids to adults, small groups to special events, here's how you can get connected over the next seven days. Sunday, August 16th 10:00am Worship Gatherings - Join us for Sunday service in person or online. Thursday, August 20th Crop and Kettle Gala - 6:00pm-8:00pm: YMCA Commons 2232 3rd Ave New Brighton, PA 15066 Upcoming Events Level-UP Student Ministry Kickoff - Wednesday, September 2nd at 6:30pm. Night of Worship - Friday, September 11th at 6:30pm. Fall Kick-off Service and Small Group Fair - Sunday, September 13th at 10:00am SafeChurch Training - Sunday, September 20th at 11:30am Prayer Soaking Service - Tuesday, September 29th at 7:00pmNew here? We'd love to connect. This Week's Message "All and Not Some" Pastor Erik Germesin | Isaiah 56:1–8 & Matthew 15:21–28 In Week 3 of our Stubborn series, we are looking at the collision between human exclusivity and God’s divine tenacity to gather the outcast. Our stubborn pride builds walls to keep people out, but God’s stubborn grace breaks down doors to bring people in. Watch last week’s sermon 👇 Community Prayer We carry each other through the spiritual practice of prayer. Here's what our community is lifting up this week: 🙏 Rev. Canon Godfrey & Priscilla Baye – Pray for their ministry as the mentor and disciple young adults and youth. Submit your own prayer request here. Giving Your generosity makes our work in this city possible. We’re so grateful for you. New to our community? No pressure. Today, just be our guest.Give Now Here Stay Connected 📩 Subscribe to this Collection to get these updates delivered directly to your inbox. 💬 Pastoral care or questions? Connect with us here. Services: Sundays at 10:00 AM 140 Imperial Plaza Drive, Imperial, PA 15126 Next Week: "The Tension Between Patience and Pride" – Isaiah 51:1-6 & Matthew 16:13-20 See you soon ☀️

Rev. Erik Germesin

Rector

August 13, 2026 • 1 Minute Read
🎮 Level-Up Youth Kickoff: Sept 2nd @ 6:30 PM!
Ready to level up? We’re kicking off an exciting new season of Mosaic Youth Ministry on Wednesday, September 2nd at 6:30 PM right here at Mosaic! All students in 6th–12th grade are invited for an awesome evening filled with high-energy fun, community, and encouragement to start the school year strong. Parents, help your middle and high schoolers jump in—bring your youth and encourage them to invite a friend! Quick Details: What: Youth Ministry "Level-Up" Kickoff Who: 6th–12th Grade Students When: Wednesday, September 2nd @ 6:30 PM Where: Mosaic We can't wait to see your students there!

Rev. Erik Germesin

Rector

August 13, 2026 • 1 Minute Read
September Night of Worship
Saint Augustine said that a song is a prayer prayed twice. We were made to worship God in spirit and in truth and with beautiful melodies. Each fall we have the opportunity to lift up our voices together and sing out our love for the One, True Living God. Join us Friday, September 11 for a night of worship around the fire pit. We’ll meet in the Guiliani’s yard at 86 Forest Glen Dr. from 6:30 to 8:30pm. We will provide the music and the lyric sheets. Please bring a folding chair if you have one and a blanket if you tend to get chilly.

Rev. Erik Germesin

Rector

August 11, 2026 • 5 Minute Read
When God Sends the Fish: What Stubbornness and Surrender Teach Us About Grace
There is a particular kind of stubbornness that most of us recognize in ourselves, even if we would rather not admit it. It shows up when we grip the steering wheel a little tighter and insist we know the way, even as the road grows unfamiliar. It shows up when the gas light comes on and we think, surely I can make it. It shows up in our relationships, our careers, our spiritual lives, and our prayers. We act first, then expect God to bless whatever we have already decided to do. The ancient story of Jonah is not simply a strange tale about a man and a large fish. It is a mirror. And if we look into it honestly, most of us will recognize the face staring back. Running in the Wrong Direction Jonah was a prophet, a man who heard from God. And yet when God called him to go to Nineveh, a city full of people Jonah considered enemies, he turned and went the opposite direction. He did not just hesitate or delay. He boarded a ship headed as far from his calling as the known world would allow. His refusal was not born of ignorance. It was born of pride and prejudice. He knew what God wanted. He simply decided that God was wrong about who deserved mercy. The storm that followed was not random bad weather. The sailors on that ship eventually understood something supernatural was at work. And Jonah, to his credit in that moment, admitted the truth. The storm was his fault. He was thrown overboard, and a great fish swallowed him whole. What happens next is remarkable. From inside the belly of the fish, in a place the scriptures describe as the realm of the dead, Jonah prays. Not a polished, formal prayer. A waterlogged, desperate cry from a man who has run out of options. He says in Jonah 2 that when his life was fading away, he remembered the Lord, and his prayer reached God's holy temple. Even there, in the dark and the stench and the impossibility of the moment, God heard him. The fish, it turns out, was not a punishment. It was a rescue. Jonah should have drowned. Instead, he was carried. God would rather send a disruptive, uncomfortable, even terrifying mercy than watch someone sail quietly into their own destruction. Eyes on the Storm The Gospel of Matthew gives us a companion story in Peter walking on water. The disciples are in a boat at night, being battered by waves, when they see Jesus walking toward them on the sea. Peter, in a moment of extraordinary courage and faith, asks Jesus to call him out onto the water. Jesus says one word: come. And Peter goes. He actually steps out of the boat and walks on water toward Jesus. This is not a small thing. This is faith in action, the holy kind of stubbornness that refuses to stay safe when Jesus is calling you forward. But then Peter looks around. He sees the wind. He feels the waves. He becomes suddenly, acutely aware that he is a human being standing on water in the middle of a storm, and human beings do not do that. And he begins to sink. The Greek word used in Matthew 14 for his sinking describes being pulled down into the depths, swallowed by the waves. In an instant, Peter goes from walking on water to drowning. Not because he lacked faith entirely, but because he shifted his gaze. He stopped looking at Jesus and started looking at the storm. The Same Three Words Here is what is striking when you place these two stories side by side. Jonah sinks because of deliberate rebellion. Peter sinks because of distracted self-reliance. One man is running from God. The other is reaching toward him but loses focus. The circumstances are different. The internal postures are different. And yet both men end up in the same place: underwater, out of options, desperate. And both men are saved by the same prayer. Jonah cries out to God from the belly of the fish. Peter cries out, Lord, save me. Three words. No explanation, no defense, no lengthy confession. Just a cry for help. And in both cases, God answers immediately. The fish carries Jonah to dry land. Jesus reaches out his hand and pulls Peter up before he can sink any further. Whether you sink through active rebellion or distracted pride, the grace of God reaches to the exact same depth. What Is Your Fish? It is worth sitting with an uncomfortable question. What storm or fish is present in your life right now that you have been treating as random bad luck or unfortunate circumstance? What if God is stubbornly using that disruption to stop the runaway train of your pride? Sometimes our anxieties, our burnout, our relational wreckage, our seasons of restlessness are not simply the result of a hard world. Sometimes they are the mercy of a God who loves us too much to let us keep sailing in the wrong direction. Hitting rock bottom has a way of clearing our vision. When we reach the edge of our own strength and ability, we finally become willing to look up. The invitation in both of these stories is the same. Stop fighting. Stop insisting on your own way, your own timeline, your own control. Drop the excuses. Drop the pride. And simply say, Lord, save me. That prayer is not only for those who have never known God. It is for anyone who has spent any amount of time trusting in their own strength instead of his. It is a prayer that never grows old and never goes unanswered. The hand of Jesus is never too short to reach wherever you are. No matter how deep the water, no matter how dark the place, grace reaches down. And it pulls you up.

Rev. Erik Germesin

Rector

August 7, 2026 • 1 Minute Read
🎈 Help Our Youngest Experience the Love of Jesus at Kids Crossing!
Every Sunday, when you hear the laughter and energy coming down the back hallway, you’re hearing something Jesus cared deeply about. When the disciples tried to shoo children away, Jesus stopped everything and said, "Let the children come to me." Serving in Kids Crossing isn't just babysitting—it’s how we ensure our youngest kids experience the warm, personal love of Jesus and know they belong in God's family. As we gear up for the Fall, we are looking for volunteers to join our Kids Crossing team! What to expect: Flexible Commitment: We're looking for helpers who can serve just once every six weeks (or more often if you'd like!). Simple Next Step: Stop by the Kids Crossing table in the back of the sanctuary this Sunday to sign up, or simply reply to this email! Personalized Support: Our Children's Ministry Director, Bev McAdams, will follow up with you to find a schedule that fits your life. Will you join us in loving our kids well this season?

Rev. Erik Germesin

Rector

August 7, 2026 • 1 Minute Read
A Shared Breath of Fresh Air: August is Sabbath Month
We live in a non-stop world. But as followers of Jesus, we are invited into a different rhythm. This August, Mosaic is entering a Sabbath Month—a dedicated season where we pause our regular activities to make space for rest, reflection, and spiritual renewal. What to Expect in August: A Rest for Our Teams: To give our amazing volunteers a well-deserved season of rest, small groups and Kids Crossing will be paused for the month. Family-Style Sundays: We will worship together as entire families in the main service! We'll have special, engaging activity packets ready for your children each week.

Rev. Erik Germesin

Rector

August 7, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
Rest, Trust, and the God Who Provides
Dear Mosaic Family, I hope this message finds you well. I'm grateful to be back in Pittsburgh from California and grateful for your prayers as my family and I grieve the loss of my Grandmother Virginia. I was able to arrive last week on Wednesday and went directly to the hospital from the airport to pray the Liturgy for the Dying with her and my family. She passed a few moments before the final amen and less than 30 minutes after I arrived surrounded by people who loved her. To be there for this was truly a gift. I want to give thanks to Dcn. Jason as he preached this week! What a meaningful Sunday it was as we stepped together into our Sabbath month. Whether you were with us in person or joined online, we are grateful for your presence. Below is a brief recap of Dcn. Jason's message for your reflection throughout the week. The sermon explored the connection between Sabbath rest and genuine trust in God's provision. Drawing from the feeding of the five thousand in Matthew 14, the manna in the wilderness from Exodus 16, and Psalm 92, the message challenged us to examine two deeply held assumptions that keep us from true rest: the fear that there will not be enough if we stop striving, and the doubt that we are worthy of rest without first earning it. Both questions were answered not with self-help strategies, but with the grace of a God who provides freely, acts first, and invites us simply to receive. The cross of Christ was held up as the foundation of it all, the reason rest, salvation, and God's love are given to us without strings attached. Takeaways: Sabbath is not earned, it is a gift. Just as Adam and Eve's first full day of existence was a day of rest before they had done any work, and just as Israel received freedom before they received the law, God's invitation to rest comes before our striving, not after it. The gap between what we know to be true and what we can actually receive does not close through harder effort. As Ezekiel 36 describes, God promises to take the initiative himself, placing his own spirit within us and moving us gently across that gap in ways we could never manufacture on our own. We cannot proclaim what we have not stopped long enough to see. Worship and Sabbath are not separate things. When we stop, look at who God is, and allow ourselves to be planted among his people, our lives become a testimony to his faithfulness, bearing fruit not because we worked for it, but because we were planted. As you move through this week, carry with you the one question offered at the close of the sermon: What would one ordinary day look like if you already believed the answer was yes, absolutely yes? Not a new habit to master, just one day where you stop gathering on your day off and let God show you how faithful he is. Grace and peace to you, Pastor Erik+ PS: Want a cup of coffee with me? (Schedule a time)

Rev. Erik Germesin

Rector