As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus this Easter weekend, we are thankful for the fellowship we have with God and with each other through being united with him.
Haiti
Charles Fleming sent this update:
Our brothers and sisters in Haiti are making progress in their quest to re-open the school. As you may recall, of the two buildings on the church property, the school building was not badly damaged but the church was. So far a team of church volunteers and paid construction workers have gutted the church building, removed the debris and put in temporary walls so that access to the school is once again safe for the kids.
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Our pastor in Haiti, Joseph Franklin, has said that getting wood (of any type) has been difficult. He says, “Haitians do not want cement buildings,” and so the demand for wood is high. He has been buying recycled wood from vendors on the streets. The canvas awnings you see in one of the pictures covers the space to be used to re-open the school. “Haitian people do not want to send their children to a cement structure” and “the kids won’t enter it either.”
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Given the degree of trauma experienced by the kids the plan is to offer them a place to go for encouragement, counseling, recreation and one meal a day. We hope it won’t take too long for the children to feel comfortable enough to begin using the actual classrooms. The school administrator and four teachers have been contacted and asked to resume their duties. Later this week Mr. Franklin will place an announcement on the local radio station inviting parents to a meeting at the school. Mr. Franklin will also write to the mayor offering to take in some of the children the city has on its lists. The hope is to re-open the school later this month.
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In the midst of all this, Mr. Franklin still needs hernia surgery. Last Friday he reported that he may have his surgery done in Haiti (by a visiting team of U.S. doctors) and should know later this week if he will be accepted. The decision depends on the results of the usual pre-surgery tests for someone his age. He hopes to relocate his family to the church property before going in for surgery as the owner of his rented home needs it. Mr. Franklin sends his deep thanks for the financial assistance they have received. The money sent in so far has helped our members with personal needs and also been used to pay workmen to demolish and rebuild the church building.
Tony and Wilma Murphy
Tony and Wilma Murphy, long time employees of GCI, are retiring this week. Tony has served the church in many capacities in video production over the years, and since our move to Glendora he has headed first a one-man video production department and then a two-man department when he took on Nate Smith part-time and began grooming him to one day replace him. Tony is not only an outstanding producer and director, but is also a highly talented set designer, camera operator, audio technician, and video and audio editor. As we can all attest, his work on Speaking of Life, You’re Included, and GCI Together have been nothing short of exemplary. We are delighted that he will continue to work part-time producing the You’re Included video program. Nate Smith, Tony’s assistant and protégé, will now step into Tony’s full-time duties. Nate actually began his professional video production career in high school as an assistant to Tony several years ago. Now, with a bachelor’s degree from Azusa Pacific University in cinema art, industry awards for outstanding film and video production and working for the past two-and-a-half years with our GCI video programs, we are pleased to welcome him as our new video producer.
Wilma has been serving as Mat Morgan’s executive assistant in the Treasurer’s Office. We will greatly miss working with her, but, at the same time, we are excited for her as she opens this new chapter in her life. We wish her every blessing and thank her for her capable and faithful service! We are pleased to welcome Cheryl Corson back to employment with GCI in Wilma’s place. Cheryl is a graduate of Ambassador College in Pasadena and a 20-year-plus employee of the church. She returns to work for the church after serving in a management roll for another firm during the last five years. Cheryl brings many talents and her warm personality to the office so I am sure that you will enjoy working with her also. Please join me in welcoming Nate and Cheryl.
Rick & Lois Peterson
Big Sandy, Texas
Pastor Sonny Parsons reported that Rick and Lois Peterson were the Big Sandy Chamber of Commerce Man and Woman of the Year 2010. A committee of community leaders with the Chamber of Commerce announced the unanimous decision at the annual Chamber of Commerce banquet held last Tuesday. In other Big Sandy news, Savanna Reed, the granddaughter of Kelly and Vinita Barfield, was named Miss Big Sandy.
U.S. Economy affects church giving
According to the second annual “State of the Plate” research by Maximum Generosity and Christianity Today International, “Nearly 40 percent of churches across the country experienced a decline in church giving and offerings in 2009, representing two consecutive years of significant decreases. After the October 2008 stock market drop, 29 percent of churches experienced a decline in giving and this past year the number has climbed up to 38 percent of churches. Multiple research projects last year documented the sharp decline in church giving and our research this year shows that things have only gotten worse for a growing number of churches.”
Jackson, Tennessee, Church visit
Last weekend, Tammy and I enjoyed visiting our GCI congregation in Jackson, Tennessee, pastored by Wayne Wendt. I was pleasantly surprised to find that every week, before their 11 o’clock church service, they serve breakfast, and often they also serve lunch after the church services. I mention it since many may not have thought of this as being a regular weekly activity. I have to tell you that it really enhances fellowship when practiced regularly.
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.
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Tony and Wilma Murphy, long time employees of GCI, are retiring this week. Tony has served the church in many capacities in video production over the years, and since our move to Glendora he has headed first a one-man video production department and then a two-man department when he took on Nate Smith part-time and began grooming him to one day replace him. Tony is not only an outstanding producer and director, but is also a highly talented set designer, camera operator, audio technician, and video and audio editor. As we can all attest, his work on Speaking of Life, You’re Included, and GCI Together have been nothing short of exemplary. We are delighted that he will continue to work part-time producing the You’re Included video program. Nate Smith, Tony’s assistant and protégé, will now step into Tony’s full-time duties. Nate actually began his professional video production career in high school as an assistant to Tony several years ago. Now, with a bachelor’s degree from Azusa Pacific University in cinema art, industry awards for outstanding film and video production and working for the past two-and-a-half years with our GCI video programs, we are pleased to welcome him as our new video producer.
Jackson, Tennessee, Church visit
