Our Eugene, Oregon congregation, has undergone quite a transformation this year as they transitioned from their old facilities to a new home facility.
To follow their journey from services under a tree, now on their new property, and soon to be in their newly renovated new-to-them building, check out the Grace Communion Eugene Facebook page.
Bunda Congregation:
This month, our Bunda Congregation was able to provide an Under-five Clinic facility for the surrounding communities. For those unfamiliar, Under-five Clinics are clinics that provide special care for children under the age of five. For more photos, check out the GCI Malawi Facebook page.
Lilongwe Congregation:
Every second week of the month, Lilongwe Congregation Youths conduct a Full Church Service including fellowship, announcements, praise and worship, a short message, and the main message. For more photos, check out the post on their Facebook page.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I pray you are well during this unusual time. Who could have known that 2020 would be so full of surprises! COVID-19 pandemic, economic and job turmoil, civil protests, and an earthquake in North Carolina have made this a year to remember, and summer has just barely ended! I have heard some say that they are staying up until midnight on December 31, not to celebrate the beginning of a new year, but to make sure that 2020 does not stick around!
We are blessed to know that our future is secure in Christ. With challenges also come opportunities, growth, and blessings. Shared below are a few of these challenges, opportunities, and blessings as well as some insight into GCI finances so far this year.
Challenges
As you might expect, the pandemic that has shuttered many organizations and forced many out of work has affected GCI operating income this year. Overall, income (excluding Paycheck Protection Program funds) as of June 30 was down roughly 6% from 2019. We pray that in God’s timing, the world will reopen fully, and that donation income will stabilize. Apportionment and estate income have been most affected by the pandemic since many churches have not met in person for many weeks. Thank you to the faithful donors who have continued to support and even increased your giving when others have not been able. Your faithfulness is inspiring.
Another challenge has been the necessary postponement of celebrations and learning and fellowship opportunities in the U.S. and abroad. Much work, preparation and excitement were focused on the international celebration in Charlotte, two regional celebrations in Africa, and other leadership gatherings in 2020. Most of these events have been postponed and funds reallocated to provide successful events for 2021. Like you, we dearly miss the opportunities to fellowship and learn with our brothers and sisters from around the globe, and we look forward to celebrating with you in 2021 knowing that this absence will make these celebrations even better!
Opportunities and Blessings
We have cheered as many Grace Communion International (GCI) congregations began offering online worship services and online giving opportunities. I believe Home Office efforts to provide tools to help congregations with online giving options starting last year was Spirit-led and has helped some congregations thrive in the middle of the pandemic. My hat is off to those who have taken advantage of these tools and have expanded their online ministry reach, despite ongoing challenges. Some congregations have reached new members online that they will have the pleasure of meeting in person when physical worship services resume. Recently, I spoke with a GCI pastor who said that donations have increased 30% from last year because of the online worship, Bible study, and prayer groups that they offered! Please see some giving resources that have helped congregations succeed with online giving. The COVID-19 closures may linger for some time so these tools may yet prove useful.
Another exciting opportunity moving forward during this year of challenges is the construction of a church and Ministry Training Center (MTC) in Oklahoma City. This facility will soon serve the vibrant local church and its surrounding community, providing a GCI training arena for new interns and pastoral residents in the U.S. Central Region and beyond. A groundbreaking ceremony anchored by prayer took place August 15 commemorating the start of this project. The construction phase is expected to take about 12 months.
The Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (PPP), a bipartisan bill designed to help organizations, including churches, during this challenging economic environment has been a tremendous blessing. GCI qualified for approximately $1.2 million of PPP benefits, a majority of which were given to eligible congregations in the form of reimbursed salaries, benefits, rent and utility expenses.
With fewer events, we have been able to update the Planned Giving Reference Chart and mail it to all congregations and donors. It is also available online in pdf form. This chart can be used by individuals or congregations to help explore planned giving opportunities. We are happy to answer any questions you may have about planned giving options for your local members. See the contact information within the brochure.
The U.S. church was able to bless our brothers and sisters in the Philippines and the Bahamas through the Disaster Relief Fund this year. Approximately $9000 was sent to aid members affected by the Taal Volcano eruption in the Philippines, and $24,000 was also sent to the Philippines to stabilize church operations, fulfilling urgent needs caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. Disaster assistance of $9,700 was sent to help members in the Bahamas recover from Hurricane Dorian in 2020, following $23,000 sent in 2019.
On behalf of our brothers and sisters in the Philippines and the Bahamas, “thank you” to all the churches who have contributed to this fund so that it stands ready in times like these. Just as God forgave us before we knew that we needed it, you have provided help before the need arose. Thank you for your generous examples!
Among other updates and blessings that are too numerous to mention, is the completion of our annual combined external audit of GCI and Grace Communion Seminary (GCS), both receiving positive unqualified reports, and the accreditation of GCS through 2025. If you are a life-long learner and want to receive a quality, accredited masters-level Christian education, check out GCS at https://www.gcs.edu/.
If you would like to receive a copy of the annual GCI audit and you are a member in good standing, you are welcome to receive a copy by requesting it in writing from Financial Services at financial.services@gci.org.
In closing, I would like to pass on a warm greeting from all of us in the Financial Services area at the Home Office. We are blessed to be working together with you as we join Jesus in his mission to reconcile all people to himself through the miracle of grace. Every time I read Romans 5 and other similar passages; I am overwhelmed by this grace that we have the privilege to share and I am proud that the word “grace is in the name of our church.
Mathew H. Morgan, CFO
GCI President, Dr. Greg Williams, gives an update on the life of Grace Communion International. He talks about our plans for the future of the denomination and addresses the question, what is our greatest need?
For further reading on our denominational vision, please check out our next issue for an article from Dr. Kerry Magruder about the strategy for Ministry Training Centers (MTC’s) across the global landscape of GCI.
God is working among our Grace Communion congregations.
In the midst of Covid-19, our services by Zoom have attracted some 14 new people to our churches – families with children to one GCI church, and one family to our African church in Friesland.
In the meantime, we have resumed physical meetings, while still incorporating Zoom as an option every Sunday.
The joyous news is also that we had one baptism in July and three in August last week!
For our GCI congregation De Hoeksteen in Tiel (The Netherlands), this pandemic has been a time of spiritual growth. Four people were baptized in July and August 2020:
Three in a river, and one in an inflatable bath. The 4 baptized are Gratia Hopman, Monique van der Slikke and the couple David and Berdien Keulen. The ceremonies were performed by pastor couple Hans and Denise de Moei.
So God added four precious people to his kingdom! We are very thankful and praise him for this encouraging growth. We rejoice God is adding to his kingdom!
Warm regards and blessings,
Frans Danenberg
Grace Communion International Nederland en Vlaanderen
The newly baptized members are: Ipan Lay-ayan, Ita Gay-ayan, Alyas Salayaw, Adones Gay-ayan, Leony Lin-iman, Asonn Gay-atan, Sima Gay-ayan, Dimi Ipoy, Yumis Lin-iman, Lalyn Yumyan, and Idong Amay.
After the baptism, with proper social distancing, the members gathered in GC Bansud service hall each to receive a sack of rice donated by Pastor Ric Sayo, Pastor Ronald Hernandez, and Pastor Pol Makahiya. The worship service ended with the blessing of the children by Pastor Narding.
Long time GCI Elder Frank Espinoza has been diagnosed with cancer and we are requesting prayer. Frank has served the church for many years – as an employee in Pasadena and also in the Spanish-speaking area. Now serving in San Diego as an elder at Cornerstone Community Church (Lemon Grove) – a congregation of GCI. Frank’s wife Carmen also has severe health issues.
Frank was diagnosed on September 2 with stage 4 liver cancer that has spread into his lungs. He was in the hospital for only a few days and is now in a hospice house. He is receiving palliative care to deal with the pain, especially as it progresses. His wife, Carmen, has been battling Parkinson’s disease for some time and is almost bedridden at home. The family is working to make it possible for Carmen to move to the same facility where Frank is so that they can be together. Please pray for them both and also for their family as they take care of them during this difficult time.
Cards of encouragement can be sent to:
3591 Ruffin Rd Unit 127,
San Diego, CA 92123
Blessings,
Mark Stapleton, Pastor
Cornerstone Community Church
San Diego, California
Am I the only one to get confused when wearing a mask? Recently I had my face mask on when I went for a cup of coffee. I tried to pay by using my phone, but it would not process. What was the problem? My phone’s security works by facial recognition and the mask obscured my face! I felt flustered and peered intently at the phone, thinking it would click in. People in the socially distanced line behind me were snickering as they watched, and I too began to laugh.
Masks have a fascinating history and were worn for all sorts of reasons, and they still are. I remember watching a movie that featured a masquerade, a party where people wore elaborate masks to conceal who they were. The idea goes back to the theatres of ancient Greece and elsewhere, where actors would don a mask to get into character. Typically, they’d use a mask that featured a recognizable attribute of the role they were playing.
A friend of mine, who knew I was a Christian, asked me once about God. What is he like? Would he please come out from behind his mask and identify himself? My friend was being sarcastic, but I had an answer, based on Colossians 1:15, where we read that Jesus “is the image of the invisible God” (ESV). Jesus came, I said to him, to show us who God is, to reveal how God is love.
It’s something worth noting. If we want to know what God is like, how he thinks and how he cares for us, we look to the life of Jesus.
Jesus is God unmasked.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for revealing yourself through your Son, Jesus Christ, and help me please to grow more and more into his image. In his name, Amen.
By James Henderson
