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Year: 2020
Devotional: The Ripple Effect
Sitting beside the pond the day after my son’s wedding, I was thinking about how beautiful the wedding was, how thankful I am for our new daughter-in-law, and what a blessing it was that God brought them together. While praising God I saw this reflection and told God I wanted to be the perfect reflection of Christ—living as he lived and loving as he loved. And then I noticed the ripples.
The ripples were caused by a stream cascading down the hillside and entering the pond. The stream prevents the pond from becoming stagnant and potentially lifeless. My mind whirled with spiritual lessons from this image and those ripples. Let me share a couple of them.
- If I want to reflect Jesus, I need to walk as he walked—1 John 2:6. I will never perfectly reflect him; my life will always have ripples.
- I don’t need to be discouraged by the ripples. They are part of growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord—2 Peter 3:18.
- The source of those ripples is the Holy Spirit convicting me of sin, righteousness and judgment—John 16:8. He continually points me to the source of the streams of living water—John 15:26.
- The stream of living water that gives me life and prevents me from becoming stagnant comes from believing in Jesus—John 7:38-39.
- The stream is something to thirst for—Revelation 21:6-8.
I realized that I often focus on the ripples in my life as a negative—a constant reminder that I don’t reflect Jesus perfectly. But that day on that hillside, looking at this scene, I believe God wanted to show me a different view. I do reflect Jesus, even with the ripples. My reflection may not be a perfect reflection, but it is still beautiful. I am a work in progress as God makes me one of his masterpieces. And maybe, just maybe, the ripples are caused by the Holy Spirit convicting me so I continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for including me in your work and allowing me to reflect your beauty – ripples and all. Amen.
Lord, bring on the ripples,
Rick Shallenberger
Regional Director USA, North Central
We Are GCI Series – Heber Ticas
Welcoming New GCI Board Members
Not too many people get excited about governmental structures and systems. Who recalls civics class as the most scintillating of your educational journey? I suppose that I am a bit nerdy when it comes to church government, and I will do my best to make this article more exciting than the dry class lectures you may dimly recall.
In Grace Communion International we are “Board Governed.” The GCI Denominational Board of Directors are a diverse group of elders responsible for overall stewardship of the Church and the appointment and oversight of the President. The President is responsible to the Board for the general management of the Church, with the help of other officers, managers, and staff to carry out day-to-day operations of the church. (This is the short version for the civics test.)
The Directors operating according to the organization’s Articles and Bylaws have 3 fiduciary responsibilities mandated by law: duty of care, duty of loyalty, and duty of obedience. Board directors are called fiduciaries because they are legally responsible for the high-level oversite of a nonprofit entity ensuring that support is raised and resources are spent well in support of its mission.
Duty of Care
Duty of care means that directors are required to give the same care and concern to their board responsibilities as any prudent and ordinary person would. Board members must be active participants in board meetings and committees. Working with other directors, they actively advance the mission of the Church. They fulfill their responsibilities by overseeing and monitoring the Church’s activities, including strategic planning, finances, audits, board director development, and recruiting to ensure the Church’s long-term goals are achieved.
Duty of Loyalty
Duty of loyalty means that board directors are required to place the interests of the Church ahead of their own interests. Board members do not serve on the board for personal gain but for the benefit of the organization. They must be loyal to the organization by appointing qualified and loyal members to replace themselves as they rotate out of their positions so that the Church successfully operates as a healthy entity in perpetuity.
Duty of Obedience
Duty of obedience means that directors must ensure that the church is abiding by all applicable laws. The duty of obedience also means that directors carry out the mission of the Church.
Board Officers
The Board appoints “officers” to administer the operations of the Church. The Chair, Vice-Chair, President, Chief Financial Officer, and the Secretary of the Board serve in this capacity. Currently, these positions are filled by Dr. Joseph Tkach, Dr. Randy Bloom, Dr. Greg Williams, and Mathew Morgan, respectively. Dr. Williams and Mr. Morgan serve as ex-officio Board Directors in our governance structure, which means they serve as Board Directors as long as they hold their current positions.
Administration
Under the Board’s oversight, the President, working with other officers and managers, provides direct management and administration to carry out the Church’s mission and is a steward over the administrative functions and day-to-day management of the Church.
In our governance framework, the President, under the supervision of the Board, provides oversight of Superintendents in the US and abroad, providing worldwide focus and collaboration in pursuit of the mission of preaching the gospel and caring for the church.
Board directors and officers carry weighty responsibilities for the care and welfare of the denomination and must have specific requirements necessary to serve. In addition to a willingness to shoulder the duties mentioned earlier, a director must be an ordained elder in GCI, have relevant advanced education, a willingness to work together with other directors to advance the mission of the Church and be nominated and selected by the Board.
It is my pleasure and joy to share the news that Celestine Olive and Jennifer Gregory have been nominated and elected to serve alongside the current Board Directors (Chair Dr. Joseph Tkach, Vice Chair Dr. Randy Bloom, CFO and Secretary Mathew Morgan, GCI President Dr. Greg Williams, Dr. Russell Duke, and Pastor Tommie Grant).
It is a “Welcome back” to Celestine, as she has served a previous term on the Board. She is now retired from GCI employment and serving actively as an elder in the Lancaster, CA, congregation. (see her attached bio)
Jen will be coming on as a Board Director for the first time. She serves side by side with her husband Anthony as they pastor the Grove City, OH, congregation. Welcome Jen! (see her attached bio)
I think we all can appreciate the quote from the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg – “Women belong in all places where decisions are being made. It shouldn’t be that women are the exception.”
It brings me great joy to have the presence and voices of Celestine and Jen on the GCI Denominational Board of Directors.
I would be remiss not to mention that Dr. Charles Fleming and Elder Wendy Moore just completed their terms of service and have cycled off. A big thank you to Charles and Wendy for their dedicated service.
Please pray for the health and wisdom of the GCI Board of Directors, and that the Lord will continue faithfully guiding our journey forward.
Greg Williams
Prayers for Honduras
Please be in prayer for Honduras. The report below is from Heber Ticas
Superintendent of Latin America, on Thursday, November 5.
I have been in contact with our church family and Honduras all morning and the country is getting hit hard with fast-moving torrential rains from hurricane Eta. Below is a report from Pastor Marco Mejia of San Pedro Sula. Their congregation is in an area named La Democracia and is known for flooding.
“Unfortunately, last night the Ulua river overflowed and flooded the colony of La Democracia where we meet, and our church building is located. Eight families from our church who are members were evacuated and now find themselves in temporary shelters. There are 12 additional families that are affected. Many of these are not consistent in our church but their children and teenagers are well connected to our ministry. The situation is dire, and the storm is still with us. Homes have been destroyed, and roads and bridges have also been affected. I have attached some videos of when the river overflowed so you can get a better idea. By the grace of God, I don’t know of anyone close to us that have lost their lives. We continue to pray asking the Lord for relief and we ask that you join us in prayer as well”.
– Marco Mejia
Please join us in holding up our brothers and sisters in prayer.
Update: As of Saturday, the water had not yet receded and folks were still in shelters. A damage assessment was not yet possible.
Heber Ticas
Superintendent of Latin America &
National Coordinator for Church Multiplication
November Prayer Guide
Death of Howard Shadoan
Coat Collection from the NE Region
Grace Communion Cleveland (GCCle) partnered with Cleveland City Mission to help collect coats for men, women, and children, with a focus on those housed at Laura’s Home Women’s Crisis Center. Members asked family and friends to check their closets for winter coats that were no longer being worn but still in good condition. Twenty-eight coats were collected for homeless and transitioning women, men, and children. We are reminded that even one can make a difference.
We were also blessed to volunteer as a church and help pass out “Farm to Families” food boxes each Thursday in October. These boxes included chicken, dairy and produce. In the summer months, we participated by collecting boxes to give to those in need mostly within a mile radius of our former church home. This time, Grace Communion Cleveland was able to take part in the process of distribution on-site with the Cleveland Heights School System who sponsored the giveaway. We are grateful to be finding ways to reach out during this time.
Loving Service,
Pat Shiels
Love Avenue Champion
U.S. Planning Meetings
October 6 through 8, twelve Home Office employees gathered in Oklahoma City, OK, to plan for the coming year. Due to Covid-19, our meetings took on a different look–we even had GCI branded masks.
We were each seated at individual tables to create proper spacing. At first look, everything seemed so spread out and separated, but after we started working, the extra space didn’t hinder the warm communication or collaboration, and most commented that they liked having the extra space to spread out their documents.
While in Oklahoma City, we traveled to Surrey Hills, the site of the new church building that is being built. We were greeted on-site by Surrey Hill’s pastor, Joe Brannen. Joe gave us a tour of where the sanctuary would be located, classrooms, and meeting space. Although no steel or concrete construction had started, the ground had been leveled and chalk marks, colored string, and wooden stakes were seen throughout the space where concrete was to be poured later in the week. This church facility will also serve as a Ministerial Training Center for interns and pastoral residents when complete.
Our meetings were collaborative, focusing on the Faith Avenue theme for 2021. Working within this theme, we discussed how national and regional resources and events could be focused to support congregations and members in exploring this avenue. The Faith Avenue is one of the three key ministries (the others being Hope and Love) that are important in a healthy church as we share the gospel. Tools, including social media, church hacks, prayer calendar, Equipper, monthly church reporting, and more, will all be used to emphasize and inform participants about the Faith Avenue in 2021.
This planning time together was beneficial and joyful because it is the only time during the year that this group gathers in one place to share ideas face to face. We brainstormed and planned, and also enjoyed recreational time together to relax and deepen our relationships.
The next time we will all be in one place will be the Denomination Celebration in 2021. We hope to see many of you there!
Pam Morgan
Operations Coordinator
Big Things with Small Things
In a couple of months, by the grace of God, I will officially begin my tenure as the National Coordinator for Generations Ministry (GenMin). My friend Jeff Broadnax and others blazed a trail that I am grateful to follow. It is humbling to be placed in a position to assist in the spiritual care for the young people of our denomination in the US. Fortunately, God has proven himself to be a God who can do big things with small things. I would like to share a bit of my story with you, so you understand my confidence in God.
I was 5 years old when I last saw my father, and I emotionally struggled with never knowing the man that made me. My mother was always enough, but there were times when the dad-sized hole in me ached. At those times she would say, “Don’t ever think that you don’t have a father. You have a heavenly Father who loves you.” It took me a very long time for me to believe her. I was born into the Worldwide Church of God, and I struggled under legalism and people who did not treat me with kindness. One adult charged with caring for the youth in a neighboring congregation told me that I likely would not amount to much. Encounters like this made God seem unloving and cruel. On top of that, I grew up in a community where many did not value little brown boys. My family was one of few black families in my town, and I suffered under persistent racism. In high school, my guidance counselor refused to help me apply to colleges because he did not believe I was college material. With a backstory like this, you would expect me to become a statistic, but we serve a God who can do big things with small things.
Miraculously, God did not allow the hatred and dehumanization of others to derail his plan for me. By God’s grace, he decided that I would go to Harvard University, where I studied sociology and African American studies. While in school, he introduced me to my wife Afrika, and our union produced Serena and Cairo, our wonderful children. At Harvard, God also gave me my first career through my work-study job. I became the first African American to serve on the adult staff of the South Boston Boys and Girls Club. It was there that I realized how much I loved working with children. For the next twenty years, every job I had was working either with or for young people. For ten years I worked for the Boston Public Schools, where I headed the office that coordinated afterschool programs and student services. At one point, my office supported 8,000 children and youth across the city of Boston. The kid that “would not amount to much” helped thousands of children learn, grow, and realize there were no limits on what they could accomplish. Our God can do big things with small things.
During this time, God was drawing me to himself and towards my calling in Christ. While in college I decided to stop following God. I believed he existed, but I was angry at him and doubted his love for me. That went on for over a year until, like the prodigal son, I remembered my Father and longed to be with him again. Because God is full of grace, he began to reveal himself in different ways and in different places. My wife and I attended a progressive Baptist church, a megachurch, a traditional Baptist church, and a Pentecostal church. At each church except the megachurch, I was invited to lead in ministry — youth minister, associate pastor, and youth pastor, respectively. It was through these experiences that I came to learn that God is a good God, and in him, there is no shadow or darkness. I came to fall in love with the church and wanted to participate in the work Jesus was doing. God took the kid that hated church and was not taught about Christ to share the gospel with scores of youth and adults. Our God can do big things with small things.
God brought my story full circle and returned me to Grace Communion International. God used the denomination that placed burdens on me as a child to spiritually liberate me and finally give me a theology that felt right. After serving as a church planter in Randolph, MA, the Lord led me to shepherd Grace Christian Church, the same church I occasionally attended in college. God blessed me with a truly beautiful church family. When Greg Williams approached me about the GenMin role, my mind flashed back through the journey I just shared with you, seeing God’s hand in every moment. Of course, I prayed and sought wise counsel from those led by the Spirit, but through the circumstances of my life, God showed me the extent to which he had been equipping and preparing me for this moment before I even knew to call on him. My God can do big things with small things. I pray that God will use me, in partnership with parents, pastors, and congregations, to bring the same message to the young people of our denomination.
Dishon Mills
