Prayer is requested for John Novick, Lead Pastor of GCI’s congregation in Jackson, Mississippi.
John was diagnosed recently as having an aggressive form of cancer. He is currently evaluating various treatment options. Please pray for wisdom as John considers the best path forward. Please also pray for John’s wife Cathy as she cares for her husband.
Cards may be sent to:
John and Cathy Novick
182 Commonwealth Ave
Brandon, MS 39047
Prayer is requested for Jeff Snyder, Facilitator of GCI’s fellowship group in Savannah, Georgia.
Jeff is very sick and in the hospital. His doctors have been unable to determine what’s going on. Please pray the doctors can determine quickly what is happening with Jeff. Please also pray for Jeff’s wife Stephanie as she cares for her husband.
Cards may be sent to:
Jeff and Stephanie Snyder
11 Bay Pines Drive
Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
Thanks for your prayers for our members in harm’s way in the recent hurricanes, floods and earthquakes. We continue to receive updates and will pass them along as we do. Below is an update from Daphne Vidal concerning our members in the Caribbean Island of Dominica.
Our thanks to the prayer warriors who have been lifting us up in prayer during and following Hurricane Maria. Our members in Dominica, which was devastated by Maria, are all fine, though five families lost their roofs and others sustained other forms of property damage. Because communications have not been fully restored, we have not been able to reach some of our members, but we know all have survived.
Dominica’s air and seaports are now open, which will allow us to receive relief supplies sent by our churches in Barbados and Grenada. We also are encouraged by the community spirit here as people have pulled together to clear roads and help one another otherwise.
Please continue to lift us up in prayer as the rebuilding has only just begun. The psychological impact of Maria on Dominicans is also something to pray about.
The GCI Disaster Relief Fund provides members in disaster areas with emergency needs such as food, water, medicine, clothing, temporary housing, home and/or church hall repairs, temporary local pastoral salary expenses and other emergency needs. Monies received into the Fund that are not immediately needed will remain in the Fund to be allocated in future disasters. In previous years, money from the Fund was used to help members recover from Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, storms and flooding in Bangladesh, an earthquake and tsunami in the Solomon Islands, typhoons in the Philippines and an earthquake in Haiti. If your congregation would like to donate to the Fund, your treasurer can set up a one-time or monthly donation through the GCI-Online system (http://online.gci.org) by logging in and clicking on Donate under the Manage tab. If your congregation prefers to send a check, make it out to Grace Communion International, indicating on the memo line that the donation is for the GCI Disaster Relief Fund. The donation should be sent to:
GCI Disaster Relief Fund
Grace Communion International
P.O Box 5005
Glendora, California 91740
Church Law & Tax recently conducted an hour-long webinar applicable to GCI-employed pastors within the United States. Here is a description of the webinar’s content:
Richard R. Hammar—author of the 2018 Compensation Handbook for Church Staff and the annual Church & Clergy Tax Guide—will cover critical information related to pastoral retirement planning, including church plans, deferred compensation plans, tax-sheltered annuities (such as 403(b) plans and IRAs), and housing allowances.
To watch a recoring of the webinar, click here.
