Welcome to the MIT Graduate Christian Fellowship!

To kick off our first official large group of the semester, Media Lab professor Rosalind Picard will be joining us to share how Christian faith made a difference during her years at MIT as a grad student.  Come learn what inspires her even today -- and tough questions welcome!

There will also be a few groups going out to dinner around 6pm before large group.  Sign up here by Weds. 11:59pm, and look for an email revealing your dining partners.

What:             Grad School: Faith at Work with Prof. Rosalind Picard
Where:           Mezzanine Lounge, 3rd fl. Student Center (W20-307)
When:            Friday, Sept. 13 @ 7:30pm
Contact:         Sam Elder - same@mit.edu

Announcements (lots o' them!)

• Next week: Tighten your shoe laces for a scavenger hunt!  More info to come.
• This is the first week for all small groups.  See the attached PDF for info on each of them to find the best one for you -- or check them all out!
• Lunch Small Group debuts!  Tomorrow (Weds 9/11) at 12:10pm in Private Dining Room 4 (3rd Fl. Student Center).  This is specially timed for commuters living off campus.  Dessert and drinks provided, but bring or buy your own lunch.  If you can't make it, do not despair!  Email Kevin with your day preference to help decide when to meet for the semester.
• First years can still sign up for Thrive here.  It's also for GCF veterans, too.  If you'd like to host a Thrive gathering, contact Gerald.
• The Boston Grad Fall Retreat is coming up, Oct. 11-13!  First years who register by the early bird deadline get 1/2 off.  Don't wait -- spots fill up FAST.
• Are you savvy with the written word?  Do you know how to type?  We need help for our weekly newsflash! Contact Emily to get involved.
• GCF-Fun is an unmoderated email list for sharing spontaneous hang outs, activities, and other news/requests with your fellow GCFers.  Sign up online by checking "GCF Fun" on the InfoCard.

Recap Lane

Last week's Welcome Dinner brought 70 hungry graduate students from all over to fellowship together over a great meal and to learn more about GCF in this exciting semester.  It was awesome to see so many new and old faces.

Special kudos to Michelle for acting as "food czarina" and taking care of all the food for the Welcome Dinner, as well as for keeping everyone on track.  Thanks also to Keith for coordinating the dinner, and to all who helped to make it possible!

Prayer Square

• Pray for all the small groups that are starting this week, that they would experience blessed times of learning and fellowship.
• Pray for our GRTs (Graduate Resident Tutor), living in the midst of undergrads -- for wisdom and in their roles and for time management in juggling work and quality time with residents.
• Praise for a successful conclusion to the summer women's group, which has been meeting weekly and had its last meeting on Monday.
• Pray for victims of the war in Syria, including Christians who have recently been caught in the crossfire around the historic town of Maaloula

Community Corner

The Grand Tour of Boston made its orientation debut this year.  Thank you, Kevin, for revealing so many secrets of Boston!

All Things Considered

We couldn't choose just one story for this week, so here is a collection of web tidbits:

is our complaining about being busy a form of bragging?  |  "big data" comes to the Bible through beautiful (and interactive) infographics of the Word  |  how to keep your communications secure in a connected world

Verse of the Week

"No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."
_ Hebrews 12:11

If you have any event highlights, kudos, prayer requests, announcements, or other submissions/ideas for next week's newsflash, we want to hear!  Send them to leungk@mit.edu.

For Other Good News and Updates, Visit the GCF Website: http://web.mit.edu/mitgcf/www/