Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Preceding the UK Board of Trustees meeting, I delivered a sermon in our Birmingham, England, congregation. Their choir sang three hymns and we enjoyed a potluck following the church service. Mike Feazell visited our Glasgow, Scotland, congregation and our Coulsdon church in south London.
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From CAD:
Church Multiplication Ministries has developed Church Next Training, a training event focused on the key principles and skills necessary for starting and sustaining new, Christ-centered, disciple-making congregations. These principles are also relevant for helping established churches continue to grow in ministry effectiveness and in developing environments that produce new churches.
This year, Church-Next Training will be conducted August 24-28 at the Pinecrest Christian Conference Center in Twin Peaks, California, in the mountains north of San Bernardino.
Please share with your ministry leaders the information provided with the form linked to this weekly update. Sam Butler, district pastoral leader in Michigan, is being sponsored by congregations in his district to attend this training event. Perhaps your congregation or district can help sponsor someone to attend Church-Next Training and learn how we can work together to start new churches.
For more details and to register online for Church-Next Training, go to cmm.wcg.org.
Info: http://www.wcg.org/events/twinpeaks.htm
Flyer: http://www.wcg.org/events/CNT%20Pinecrest%2009.pdf
Online Registration: http://www.wcg.org/go/cmm09ca
Zimbabwe
From Mission Developer Kalengule Kaoma:
I returned from Zimbabwe two days ago. The visit went very well and I was able to see members in Chitungwiza, Harare, Domoboshawva, Chegutu, and Bulawayo. I spoke at a combined worship service in Chitungwiza, where members from most Zimbabwean congregations attended. Most of them are well. In recent past, we made prayer requests for Zimbabwe and on behalf of our Zimbabwean brethren. Thanks for your prayers. This is a prayer update.
Praise be to God who has intervened in the lives of Zimbabweans. What a difference there is from last year. Last year, people were starving, suffering from cholera, and tension was in the air. Today, there is relative peace. There is less intimidation between political parties. Supermarkets are almost full with essential commodities from neighboring countries, especially South Africa. It is really a breath of fresh air.
The Zimbabwean dollar has been suspended and no longer in use. Citizens lost all their multi-trillion Zimbabwean dollar accounts. Depending on where you are in Zimbabwe, South African rand and USA dollars are now the official and dominant currencies being used for trading, commerce, and services.
Mealie meal (corn meal, which is a staple food), cooking oil, beef, chicken, goat, pork, bath soap, all sorts of groceries, petrol, diesel, etc., are now available. Instead of multi-million percent inflation per annum, there is now a deflation figure of -2 percent. The challenge Zimbabweans are facing now is a lack of cash. Finding a dollar is a big job in itself. Civil servants are earning $100 per month across the board.
Many lack food, not because it is not available, but because they don’t have money to buy it. Please continue praying for our brothers and sisters. Zimbabweans are determined people.
Members are looking forward to the upcoming Family Festival in October. The youth are planning a national youth career guidance camp August 18-23. Pastor Joseph Mpofu, Zimbabwe National Ministry Leader, is conducting a Ministerial Trainee Program every quarter for interested people. Joe Mpofu has been visiting Zimbabwean congregations and has really put in a lot of effort to rekindle the fire among members.
While in Domboshawva, Joseph Mpofu presented a Shona Bible to one of our faithful members. She danced with joy. She said, “I was born on twentieth May, 1940. All my life, I have never owned a Bible. Today, I have my own Bible! Thank you very much.”
In Bulawayo, Senior Pastor Denny Mpande invited me to direct his Outreach Speech Club. Invited guests and regular club members all enjoyed a luncheon, after which club business was conducted. There is a lot of interest in club members who are not members of WCG. Pastor Mpande plans to invite more people from the community.
Thanks so much to everyone for their prayers and support!
Jacksonville, Florida
Church members, families and guests from Florida and Georgia gathered in Jacksonville, Florida, for a two-day Reconciliation Workshop June 27-28. The seminar was presented by ORM (Office of Reconciliation Ministries) director Curtis May, who was accompanied by his wife Jannice.
Just over 70 members from a variety of ethnic and cultural backgrounds gathered at the Jacksonville Christian Family Fellowship building for the presentations and discussions. Topics presented included “Jesus’ Dream and His Ministry of Reconciliation,” ORM promotional videos, “Inventions & Contributions of African-Americans,” “Different Types of Conflict and Broken Relationships,” and “Solutions and Ways to Be an Ally for Healing.”
As shown in this photo of the ORM Resource Table, a variety of helpful resources were made available, including videos, booklets, the book Mending Broken Relationships, newsletters and handouts.
Host Pastor Marty Davey of Jacksonville commented how the workshop addressed reconciliation in three key ways: recognition and repentance of our individual and national faults, inspiration and encouragement in moving forward, and information and resources for recognizing the need for and accomplishing reconciliation.
Several neighboring GCI pastors were able to attend as part of their continuing education goals and for their personal instruction and inspiration.
Philippines
From Lawrence Parane
This year’s youth camp in Bacolod May 30 to June 2 kicked off the theme, “Breaking Barriers,” by focusing on Romans 15:1-15. Sixty-five spiritual lives were renewed and energized. The campers were grouped into levels instead of dorms. There were 36 campers for Levels 1 and 2, comprised mostly of first-timers, 20 members of Level 3 (facilitators); and 4 kiddy campers.
The topics were “The Love for God” (taken from Romans 8:31-39), and “Formed for God’s Family” (taken from Hebrews 2:10), by Pastor Rex Dela Peña.
The camp was not just filled with fun and educational activities, it was also a nature trip, embracing and adoring the Lord’s enchantingly picturesque creation! The campers had an adventurous two-kilometer trek to the Hidden Valley and had time to meditate at the Pine Tree Farm.
Some of the highlights were the baptism of five people during the camp, the Royal Banquet, where the campers experienced some fine dining as culinary expert Chef Jun prepared fine entrés and hors d’oeuvres together with Maitre-d’ Jomel Dimarucut. The same night, talented campers showcased their God-given abilities at the Variety Show. It was truly an SEP to remember!
Prayer Request
Remember that prayer is the battleground where we fight the good fight of faith. Let’s encourage everyone to join together in prayer, for we belong to Christ, and by the Spirit it is in Christ that we pray. Prayer and other spiritual activities help keep our hearts in tune with God and remind us of who we are in Christ. He is our all in all, and in him we are eternally beloved of the Father and blessed to share his good news with others.
Love from my family to yours,
Joseph Tkach
