Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I had the pleasure of spending the weekend in the Chillicothe and Columbus, Ohio, congregations pastored by Jeff Broadnax. These congregations are a new assignment for Jeff, who recently transferred from New York, where he had pastored three congregations for many years.
The worship was warm and the fellowship an equal delight. It was serendipitous to be there on that particular weekend, because Good Friday (and Earth Day) this year were also the occasion of John Halford’s 70th birthday. John and Pat, who live in Indiana and attend church in Cincinnati, were visiting along with other Cincinnati members.
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Randolph, Massachusetts
Dishon Mills, pastor of a new church plant in Randolph, Massachusetts, sent the following report about the informal “friendship feasts” that he and his wife, Afrika, are conducting to bring unchurched people together to develop relationships and share God’s life and love.
Thank you for your prayers. Our first friendship feast had a total of seven people. This time 31 people came (19 adults and 12 children). It was wonderfully diverse, with people representing at least seven different ethnic groups. We focused attention on ensuring that people could easily break the ice and be comfortable. Here are some of the things we did:
Nametags. We put a “getting to know you” question on the bottom of each nametag (e.g., What is your favorite ice cream flavor?). This provided an immediate conversation starter.
Paper tablecloths with crayons on the tables. Everyone loves to doodle, and giving adults (not just the kids) permission to play set a lot of folks at ease.
Puzzles and Games. We brought games for the kids and small puzzles for the adults.
Gifts. We gave everyone a small gift to say “thank you for coming.”
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Dishon and Afrika will have another friendship feast in June. Please keep them in your prayers. You can visit their website at: www.redeemedofchrist.org.
Philippines
Joan Lumabe and Eddie Centellas, two Oyango tribal members, were baptized April 17, 2011. They attend Christ the King of Glory Church, a congregation of GCI composed of the Oyango tribe. Pastor Boni Gonzales, who is now working in Canada, planted this church. Pastor Doming Trilles conducted the baptism ceremony.
New Churches in Mozambique
Tim Maguire (National Director in South Africa), Caleb Makhela (one of our South African pastors) and Daniel Fernandez (a deacon from our Portuguese congregation) are in Mozambique for a conference with about 55 pastors of the group that has now become part of GCI. Your prayers for a very successful and encouraging time of learning and fellowship would be greatly appreciated. The deacon from Portugal will provide translation into Portuguese. He was born in one of the Mozambiquan towns in which we now have a congregation.
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Photo captions: 1. Board representing the 55 congregations in Mozambique 2. Pastor Mariano Binzi (regional pastor) and Tim Maguire (National Ministry Leader in South Africa) 3. Mozambique Congregation 4. The Late Pastor Domingos, his wife and the youngest of their three children. (Domingos was the initial contact between GCI and their group.) 5. Local church building 6. Pastor Mariano Binzi visits congregations on bicycle.
Prayer Requests and Updates
Karl Reinagel sent this note regarding the tornadoes in St. Louis:
We have no reports of damage to any members’ homes, though there have been power outages for those closest to the airport. Thankfully no lives have been lost and all reported injuries have been minor—cuts and scrapes from shattered glass, etc.
It is strange the way some homes can be totally wiped out and others just next door seemingly untouched. Thankfully, we have been spared this time. We appreciate your concern and your prayers.
Retired District Superintendent Don Lawson sent this update about his wife, Sue, who is undergoing treatment for leukemia at USC University Hospital:
I had to come home and get some rest for a day, but am going back to the hospital today. Just had a phone call, and the report is very good. Her white cell count is on its way up, also the neutrophil count. The doctor said she may be out of protective isolation by the end of this week. Looks like she may be able to come home soon. She will still have a lot of chemo to go through, even after returning home. We want to say thank you to all for prayers, cards and concern. Would appreciate your keeping Sue on your prayer list. We thank God for how far she has come since this started.
Cards may be sent to:
78406 Hampshire Ave
Palm Desert, CA 92211-1954
Please pray for Jim Meade, pastor of In His Grace Community Church, in Port Huron, Michigan.
While being checked for some longstanding stomach pains, Jim was referred to a heart doctor the same day. They discovered that he had several major arterial blockages (some more than 90 percent) and some valve leakage. After an overnight hospital stay, he met with a cardiac surgeon who confirmed the diagnoses, and is now scheduled for quadruple bypass surgery Tuesday May 3.
Cards can be sent to:
Jim & Kim Meade
3665 Ruddock Rd
Kenockee, MI 48006
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
