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December 22, 2010

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

May God grant you a blessed and merry Christmas as you celebrate the Incarnation of the Son of God!

Grace Communion International administrative offices will be closed December 24 – January 2. Due to our closure, there will be no email update next week, December 29. The next update will be on January 5.

Offices will officially reopen at 8:00 a.m. PST on Monday, January 3, 2011.


Mike Feazell recently came up with a Christian “pledge of allegiance.” I thought it was a pretty good summary of our mission together in the world. He wrote:

We pledge allegiance to our Savior, the Incarnate Son of God.
And to his Church, which bears his name,
One Body, in Christ, sharing his love and hope with all.


Summer 2011 mission trips

Bahamas

A mission trip to the Bahamas is planned for July 15-30, 2011. We will be helping the local GCI congregation to run a 2-week day camp for Bahamian and Haitian children. Many of the Haitians have left their country hoping to better their lives. They now live illegally in shantytowns on the outskirts of Nassau. To read more about this mission trip go to <http://gctrips.org/BAHAMASTRIP.aspx>.

If interested please contact Janet Morrison at gctrips@gci.org by December 31, 2010.

Zambia

A mission trip to Zambia and Malawi (in Africa) is planned for August 4-20, 2011. We will be running Vacation Bible Schools with six GCI congregations, including a refugee camp in Malawi where refugees have come from the war-torn zone of DRC Congo, Rwanda, Burundi and Somalia. For more details about this trip go to <http://gctrips.org/ZAMBIA.aspx>.

If interested please contact Janet Morrison at gctrips@gci.org by December 31, 2010.


Prayer requests and updates:

From Bernie Schnippert

In my last update I stated that I was having severe fatigue and nausea from my carcinoid cancer and was only slightly ambulatory, able to walk only very short distances basically within or around my house, and that I had a great deal of nausea. I also said that I was to have a procedure on December 17 whereby the doctors would inject radioactive beads, (called “Sir Spheres”) into one of the largest tumors in an effort to kill it. I am happy to say that in spite of some worrisome blood test results I was able to go through the procedure. From a technical perspective, it was quite successful in that they effectively injected the radioactive spheres, mostly into one large tumor in the right lobe of my liver. I am happy to report that I did not suffer a complete collapse of strength after the therapy like I feared may occur, and like had occurred after some tests before the therapy, but of course I am having a dip. They have told me that I “will feel worse before I feel better” after the procedure though, and, it is true that I am still as or even more fatigued, and even more nauseated. I am able to eat very little real food and get most of my calories from protein shakes, which, unfortunately, also do not sit well. The plan is for me to go back to hospital in four to six weeks so they can treat the main tumor or tumors in the left lobe of my liver. The hope, and my prayer, is that in the interim I not only recover from the sphere injection (i.e. from feeling worse before I feel better), but also that I begin to experience relief from the cancer symptoms — extreme fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, nausea — that led to the need for the therapies in the first place. Also, I need to be strong for the second injection since it is an injection of drug eluding beads, not radiation, and it creates greater short term side effects, like pain, fatigue, and nausea. In summary: The therapy went well, but I am in the process of recovery which can take weeks, and I hope I not only recover but regain much of my normal strength because one tumor is now killed. I have about four to six weeks before the next round of therapy, and need to be ready for it when it comes. Thank you very much for all your prayers and cards. They are very much appreciated.

Cards may be sent to:
64651 Jan Drive
Bend, OR 97701-8824


Ehlen Family

The father of Jan Ehlen, wife of Hillsboro, Missouri pastor Bob Ehlen, passed away December 12. He lived a full life and the family appreciates our prayers.

Cards may be sent to:
12893 Morgans Meadow Rd
de Soto, MO 63020-6410


Andrew McArthur

Please join us in prayer for Pastor Andrew McArthur of our Hillsdale, New Jersey, congregation, and his family. Andrew is in the Hackensack Medical Center suffering from symptoms of a tumor on his brain.

Cards can be sent to:
Andrew McArthur
PO Box 22
Garfield, NJ 07026-0022

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


December 15, 2010

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

What is it that makes the Christmas season a time of such joy? I think the joy of Christmas comes from knowing that God loves us so much that he made us one with Jesus. In Jesus, God opened up the life of the Trinity to humanity and drew us into that life through the Holy Spirit. Jesus stood in for us and did for us what we couldn’t do for ourselves. He reconciled us and he secured our adoption as beloved children of the Father. We didn’t decide any of this. We didn’t earn any of it. We didn’t qualify for any of it. It was a God’s gift, given to us solely out of his great kindness and mercy and love, because he is love. That’s what Christmas is all about, and what could be more joyful than that?


Resource idea

The “Narnia Faith” group offers some resources for teaching from the new Narnia film. Here is their announcement:

C.S. Lewis’ timeless story, The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader, released in theaters December 10, offers many themes for spiritual discussion and evangelism. The Teach Section of the Narnia Faith website offers a collection of sermon outlines, study guides, and youth materials created by respected and influential pastors and Christian organizations. From a study guide on the life and works of C.S. Lewis, to how to talk to your children about Narnia, to sermons addressing temptation, courage, and redemption, these free resources are available to help ministry professionals connect to the lessons and themes of the movie. http://www.narniafaith.com/teach/study-guides-and-youth-resources/


Demographics

According to Howe & Strauss (Engage Gen-Y 11/12/10), the six current generations in the U.S. and their birth years are:

• The GI Generation: 1901-1924
• The Silent Generation: 1925-1942
• The Boomer Generation (Boomers): 1943-1960
• The Generation X: 1961-1981
• The Millennials (Gen-Y): 1982-2004
• The Homeland Generation: 2005-20xx


GenMin Update

From Ted Johnston:

Generations Ministries is now producing GenMin Life, a video discussion resource for small groups with teens and/or young adults. This resource is cataloged on the new GenMin Life webpage at http://genmin.gci.org/GenMinLife.htm. This resource may also be useful for other small groups and Bible studies.

GenMin Life videos are also linked on GenMin’s new FaceBook site at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=109129609109038.


Prayer Requests and Updates

Please remember our brothers and sisters in the devastated nation of Haiti. Pastor Joseph Franklin sent this update to Caribbean Missions Director Charles Fleming:

Andre Naval & Joseph Franklin

The general condition of Haiti has worsened since the past three weeks. The population is imprisoned at home (under the tents). The first week after the preliminary result of the elections was terrible, particularly in Petionville and Les Cayes. In Petionville, stores were looted and burned. In Les Cayes, the demonstrators occupied the streets and demanded the resignation of President Preval. Radio stations, schools and stores have been burned down. The whole education system is paralyzed. The national roads are barricaded. There is no traffic, no way to travel from one town to another. Kidnapping has restarted, and shooting is heard all over the capital in the night.

This morning, Sunday, we met for worship; we were six. We took a moment to discuss the Saint Marc region, where we have been negotiating with two churches that have written to GCI-CAD asking for affiliation. Because of the fact that the cholera epidemic was more severe in the area, Serges Jacques has only been able to make one visit there. It has also become difficult for their leaders to come to Port-au-Prince as we had scheduled. However, in the midst of all this tragedy, we, the families in the church at Port-au-Prince and the provinces are safe. We thank you all for your prayers.

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


December 8, 2010

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Several have expressed their appreciation for the new One Quick Thought videos on the GCI website (www.gci.org/oqt). Many are using these short excerpts from our You’re Included interviews along with Speaking of Life as part of the weekly service.

Beginning today, another all-new, short program will be posting weekly as well – GCI Reflections (www.gci.org/category/series/gci-reflections). Through the eyes of GCI members, GCI Reflections will explore a wide variety of topics related to the Christian life and experience. I think you’re going to really enjoy both the variety and the opportunity to hear from members around the world in these short programs.


Bahamas

From Charles Fleming:

On the weekend of November 19-21, Randy Bloom and I were in Freeport, Grand Bahama, for a two-day conference on Church Multiplication. Robert McKinney, Senior Pastor for the Bahamas, along with four members from the Nassau church also flew in to join the 25 members of the Freeport congregation.

Randy led us in lively discussions of mission and church multiplication principles. The conference was timely, as the Freeport church recently took possession of some land on which they plan to construct a building. It was good to remember the reason God gives us property – for mission and multiplication.

.

A highlight of the weekend was the ordination of Calvin Parker, who pastors the Freeport congregation. Attendance almost doubled for the ordination service as a number of relatives and friends of the Parker family came for the occasion. Calvin and his wife Colleen have three children who, during the service, dedicated a song to their father and provided accompaniment on keyboards and drums during the worship service. It was special to experience the gifts and loving ministry of the Parker family, and to share the joy of the congregation.


Cincinnati, Ohio

From Pastor George Hart:

For the second year in a row Christ Community Church of Cincinnati reached out to the community around its church hall the Sunday before Thanksgiving with Thanksgiving meals. The meals included all the traditional Thanksgiving trimmings and a gift certificate for a turkey at a local grocery. The first year we collected enough items to put together 100 meals, but this year we set an ambitious goal of 150 meals. Not only did we reach the goal, but we exceeded it, in putting together 170 complete meals. After a shortened service, the congregation pitched in to put the meal packages together. We enjoyed a pizza dinner and delivered the meals to the community.

. .

The area around the church hall is one of the lowest-income communities in the county, with many school-age children. The impact was tremendous. We received calls and cards not only from those who received the meals but from people who were aware of the outreach. In addition to reaching the local community, a number of members shared the meals with family members and neighbors in their own communities. Even after exceeding our goal, we were able to donate several hundred dollars of food supplies to a soup kitchen the congregation serves every month.


Tucson, Arizona

From Pastor Ted Milhuff:

Grace of God Fellowship in Tucson meets at an SDA church on Sunday afternoons. The Orthodox Presbyterian Church of Tucson meets there on Sunday mornings. A couple of months ago one of the GOGF members gave the Called To Be Free DVD to Pastor Crum of OPC.

Pastor Crum talked to me and asked if he could show the DVD to his congregation. We agreed, and on December 5 Pastor Tom Landess and my wife, Lila, and I joined OPC for some snacks and then watched the video.

The OPC congregation was quite interested. At the end of the video, Tom and I gave testimonies of how the changes had affected us personally and the effect on the entire congregation as their understanding was opened.

We ended with a Q&A session.


Eagle Rock, California

From Mat Morgan:

Teens of New Hope Christian Fellowship filled 77 shoeboxes with toys, toothbrushes, hair brushes, tooth paste, soap, shampoo, school supplies, crayons, coloring books, socks, blankets, candy and other necessities and surprises donated by the congregation for needy children in Mexico. After the teens were finished wrapping and filling the boxes, they prayed for the recipients, hoping that they would feel the love of Jesus through these gifts. The boxes are now on their way to Texas, where they will be combined with gifts from GCI congregations in Washington, DC, Tennessee, Big Sandy, Tyler, San Antonio and Longview, TX. SEP Rockies also contributed baby blankets. The gifts will be transported across the border on December 11 by Lee Berger, Director of Crossing Borders GenMin camp; Pedro and Consuela Orduno; San Antonio Pastor, Rodney Schuler; Barbara Miller and approximately 15 other volunteers. The gifts will be distributed to Casa Hagar Douglas children’s home, and Blanca Navidad and Los Artistes, pallet cities in Nuevo Laredo. Please pray for the safety of those traveling to deliver these packages and that the message of hope in Christ will also be delivered through their gifts and words.

. .


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


December 1, 2010

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

As we enter the Christmas season, we can rejoice that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is not still a baby in a manger. He is our life, and he has already done everything necessary for our salvation. He has already forgiven all our sins–past, present and future, and he has already presented us perfect and sin-free to God the Father.

Jesus is our righteousness. He is our perfect sacrifice for sin. He stands in for us in every way before the Father as the perfect Son who has kept all his Father’s commandments. He both substitutes for us and represents us.

That is why the Advent season means so much to us!


Generations Ministries

The Generations Ministries (GenMin) leadership team (Greg Williams, director; Anthony Mullins, GenMin camps and missions leader; and Ted Johnston, communications and resources) met Nov. 17-19 in Atlanta with CAD director Dan Rogers to make plans for the year ahead.

During the meeting, the team reviewed the ten-year history of GenMin, which began with a year 2000 meeting held at church headquarters. At that meeting, Dan Rogers cast a vision to increase youth ministry camps regionally, using the camps as a key tool for developing young emerging leaders. At that meeting, Dan named Jeb Egbert and Ted Johnston co-directors of Youth Ministry, which in 2005 was renamed Generations Ministries.

In accordance with Dan’s mandate, Youth Ministry in 2001 held its last national camp in Orr, Minnesota, with 540 campers and 140 staffers. The next year, six regional camps were launched. And by 2005, God had given GenMin a vision for “20 camps by 2010.”

This year GenMin celebrated the realization of that dream as it sponsored 20 camps and short-term mission trips, serving about 1300 campers/missionaries through the work of about 800 staffers. For this growth, we thank God and the many volunteers who faithfully serve our GenMin camps and mission trips. A list of these events is posted at http://genmin.gci.org/campministries.htm.

If you or your congregation is interested in supporting the work of GenMin, we encourage donations to the GC Next domestic mission fund (see http://genmin.gci.org/donate.html). GenMin not only sponsors events such as camps and short-term mission trips; it also trains and coaches youth ministers, provides resources that help churches 1) disciple children, teens and young adults, 2) minister through older adults, and 3) offer support for married couples and parents.

Now GenMin is looking forward to the next ten years of helping start new GCI congregations with an emphasis on developing

young believers and young leaders.


Tipp City, Ohio

From Becky Valekis, Discipleship Coordinator:

On November 17 the Discipleship Ministry at CrossRoads Christian Fellowship in Tipp City, Ohio, completed The Alpha Course for a second time in 2010. The results and blessings from this outreach and building tool have taken everyone by surprise. It not only opened the door of our church to people who do not have a GCI background but it has helped change the lives of people inside our congregation.

Alpha is a course that covers the basics of Christianity in a 10-11 week class. It was founded about 25 years ago in London, England, and has spread to almost every denomination in the world. Each week, guests gather for about two hours, share an informal meal, listen to a talk on DVD on how Christianity approaches the question at hand, and then gather into small groups for discussions. Its emphasis is on the love the Father has for us in Christ, and the healing made available in our lives through the Spirit. The material is adaptable for local contextualization.

Information about starting an Alpha Course in your church can be found in the December issue of Equipper.


From Kalengule Kaoma, Mission Developer for Africa:

Last week I travelled to Rakai District, Uganda, to meet a group of leaders who have been calling themselves Grace Communion International. They have seven congregations with a list of 1047 people: 296 men, 327 women, and 424 children. Of the 424 children, 321 are orphans!

I arrived at Entebbe International Airport and was met by two pastors; Specioza Nabwami and Joyce Nalugya. The three of us travelled to Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, where we connected by bus to Kyotera. The journey took three hours on a road that is undergoing construction. We arrived in Kyotera a little before 5 p.m. and immediately went to meet a group of members who were waiting for us.

After introductions and my brief address to the congregation, I had a discussion with leaders who were present. The group generally accepted our teachings after visiting our web site and several emails we have exchanged. They can hardly wait to be incorporated into our denomination.

I then had several meetings with pastors from various church groups in Nairobi, Kenya, who have shown interest in working with us. These are groups that have indicated that they need spiritual oversight and sound biblical teaching. I will meet them again in the first quarter of 2011. We have kept our doors open.

The GCI East African leaders conference was held November 19 at Shalom House in Nairobi, Kenya. Delegates came from Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.

. .


Prayer Requests and Updates

Paul David Kurts requests our prayers for Martin Manuel. Martin pastors Church of The Living Waters in Charlotte, NC. He has prostate cancer and is having surgery on December 28th.

Cards may be sent to:
627 Lancer Dr
Concord, NC 28027-6605


Update on James and Shirley Henderson:

James and Shirley Henderson, who were attacked and injured by a water buffalo in Africa, are home now, where they are being well looked after by family and friends. They have responded well to medical treatment, and most of their pain has subsided. They send their heartfelt thanks for all the love and concern, and for the cards, e-mails and telephone calls. Above all, they appreciate the prayers, and they have felt the presence of God throughout their ordeal.


From Bernie Schnippert:

Dear Ministers and Friends,

As most of you know, about three years ago I was diagnosed with a serious case of a rare type of cancer called “carcinoid.” Although the cancer had invaded my liver and could not be cured, the day-to-day symptoms were manageable with drugs, and a monthly shot kept the cancer “stable,” meaning not growing but not shrinking. As long as it did not grow and my symptoms were manageable, I had almost a normal life and normal strength. I continued to work full-time as General Counsel.

About a month ago the tumors showed evidence of renewed growth, but more seriously, the cancer began to create severe fatigue, breathlessness, and nausea, making me almost bedfast. For example, I can walk only very short distances, such as to my living room and back to the bedroom, and even then I become breathless like someone with severe heart disease. Furthermore, the nausea makes it very hard to eat, and I must struggle to get food down. Hence, I am losing weight.

After emergency consultations with specialists, it has been determined I must have a special, albeit proven and common, radioactive bead therapy whereby radioactive beads are fed into my liver. For technical reasons, the beads kill the cancer but not the liver. The belief, although there are no promises, is that after the therapy, enough of the cancer will be killed that my liver will once again function well enough for me to live a more or less normal life. The effect can last for numerous months or even years, and, in most cases, including apparently mine, can be repeated if necessary. Again, there is no cure for my cancer. The goal is to die with it, but not of it. The actual therapy requires five days: two days to test me and conclude whether I am eligible for the therapy, and then three actual therapy sessions, each one day long but spread six weeks apart. They do only part of the liver at a time – in my case, in three parts.

A week or so ago I traveled to Portland for the preliminary tests to determine if I am eligible medically for the therapy. The good news is that I am eligible. However, the drugs used in the procedures and preliminary testing left me very ill for about a week, unable to get up except for the bathroom, and mostly unable to eat. Now, a week or two later, I have convalesced to the point where I am eating, although I struggle with nausea, and ambulatory almost to the same degree as before the tests, meaning I can walk out to the living room for TV, etc. but do not get out of the house very much. I can drive, but don’t have enough energy to go far from the car.

The most important thing right now is that I am healthy enough for the therapy procedure. This means I need to gain as much strength as possible, and gain back as much weight as possible, between now and the first round of therapy, which is December 16. In praying for me, please pray especially that my nausea improves and that I can gain weight.

Please also remember my wife, Arlene, who has nursed me through this difficult time. She has been an angel in every way and is under a great deal of stress. Also, so you know, I have unhooked my email inbox completely and am unable to work on any legal matters that are not emergencies. If you have such an emergency, please contact my assistant Evelyn Dailey. As I feel up to it, I may start up my email for short periods and work on pressing projects, but full workload will probably not occur until after the therapy, assuming it is successful.

Thank you for your prayers during this very difficult time.

Cards may be sent to:
64651 Jan Dr
Bend, OR 97701-8824

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