I invited Grace Communion Seminary (GCS) President, Michael Morrison, to show us how our theological foundation is married to our mission. I very much appreciate the truthful points he shares that we all need to hear as we continue to strive to be healthy churches.
Please encourage your leaders and members to read Mike’s letter. I pray it inspires deep conversations about the mission for your congregation or fellowship group. Healthy Church equals healthy mission.
Greg Williams
The purpose Jesus gave us is to work together on mission to the world.
A few people seem to have taken the slogan “to be the healthiest expression of church we can be” as an excuse to focus on ourselves, on our internal relationships, rather than on the mission Jesus gave to us. Like a nursing home resident might try to be as healthy as possible, considering the circumstances, some of us seem to be simply striving to prolong our days with a minimum of discomfort.
Health is good, but it should not be a goal in itself; we want health so that we can do something else with our lives. We want churches to be healthy so that the churches can do something other than tending to their own health. A healthy church has a healthy mission – or we might say that mission is part of the measure of whether a church is healthy.
Let’s be honest, many of our churches have been in maintenance mode for decades, saving fuel by coasting along, not going anywhere but downhill. What is the alternative to maintenance mode? It is going up the right hill. It is working together to do something bigger than any of us can do on our own. It is reminding ourselves that we are called to sacrifice for others, to be on mission with Jesus.
As God led us to our understanding of Incarnational Trinitarian theology, some of us fell into the trap of congratulating ourselves on having better theology even when it didn’t seem to be having many results in our churches. Yes, we do have better theology, but along the way, some people drew some unwarranted conclusions:
Jesus did it all, so we don’t need to do anything.
Jesus is already at work in the world, and we can join him if we want to. But if we don’t want to, then don’t worry about it – Jesus will get it done anyway. There is no need for our involvement, so we might as well coast.
Many of us became passive. Not much happened in some congregations except that we got together and talked about our theology. Our theology does not teach passivity.
If we want to be the healthiest expression of church that we can be, then we need a purpose, and not just any purpose – it must be the purpose Jesus has given us. Jesus assigns us not just to focus on our internal relationships, but also to work together in a mission to the world. It is a mistake to wait until we get all our internals right before we begin working on the external mission.
The triune God is not a passive God – he is a God of action. God’s being cannot be separated from his doing. He is the one who loves, who saves, who wants to live with us. He reveals who he is with verbs, by what he does, and he has made us in that image. We reveal who we are by what we do.
In GCI, people sometimes talk about our need to believe “the truth of who I am.” We are dearly loved children of God, forgiven and holy – that is true. However, we should also say, “As a child of God, as someone who has been created to be like God, I am to do what God says I am to do.” Who we are defines what we do because doing goes hand-in-hand with being. God, the self-existent one, revealed himself most often as a God of action: “I am the God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, I am the God who saved you, I am the God who loved you and sent my Son to die for you.” He does not merely exist, but he does something in relation to others.
We should not separate being and doing, because we are what we do. In biology, life is detected by and measured by its results. In Christianity, people who love God want to do what God says we should do; we are involved in his way of life (love) and his mission (love). The New Testament describes people who didn’t just sit around telling each other to believe in who they are. People showed who they are by what they did. Indeed, the mission helped them understand their true identity.
Jesus told his disciples to take a message to the world, not just keep it to themselves. Many of our congregations are not doing very well at carrying out his commission. The apostle Paul worked hard to take the message to “those who are perishing” (1 Cor. 1:18; 2 Cor. 2:15; 4:3; 2 Thess. 2:10). Is this word “perishing” referring to life right now, or to the future life? Either way, people are perishing. They are alienated from the life of God (Eph. 4:18; Col. 1:21).
Paul believed that his message made a big difference in their lives. He did not try to put a positive spin on their situation by assuming that they will eventually believe. He did not reason, “God will take care of them in the future, so I don’t need to try very hard.” He saw they had a serious need, and he worked as hard as he could to address that need (1 Cor. 9:20-22). That is love in action. That is living and sharing the gospel.
Some GCI members are universalists; they hope that God is as merciful as they believe they are. But this measures God by our own sentiments. We ought to say, “I hope that I rejoice in whatever God does, because I trust that he knows what is best. I leave it to him.” If Paul was a universalist, he didn’t make that part of his message. His hopes for the future salvation of Israel (Romans 11:26) did not reduce his desire to spread the gospel.
If speculations about future opportunities for salvation cause us to neglect the mission Jesus gave us, they are harmful. Speculation in itself may be okay, but it’s not healthy to respond with passivity, a lack of concern, and a neglect of Jesus’ command. Our commission, as dearly loved children of God, is to do the work Jesus gave us to do, not to speculate on how Jesus might do his work in the future.
Jesus is good news for the world, and he has good news for us to share. But for us to be able to describe that news as good, we need to be able to describe the negative consequences if the news isn’t shared. People are alienated from the life of God and are perishing, and the question for us is, do we care? Do we see their serious need and work as hard as we can to address that need? In other words, do we see our mission in the same way as Paul and other apostles did?
If our theological mantra of healthy church leads us into inaction, we need to think a little deeper. That was certainly not its intent. We need to get back to our Master’s business. Numerical growth may or may not come – that is not our responsibility – but we should be doing the job that Jesus gave us. We should be living in light of the gospel and sharing it with the world in our deeds and words. If we want to be healthy, we need to focus on Jesus’ mission, not on ourselves. Spiritual health requires love – an orientation to others; it cannot be achieved by focusing on our own health.
A healthy church will also have a healthy mission, and our mantra of being the healthiest expression of church includes community life and mission. Both are necessary for healthy church. Both are necessary for us to participate with Jesus in fulfilling the mission he gave us. Both are necessary to be the people Jesus wants us to be.
Mike Morrison, GCS President
Devotional—Trinity Sunday
The disciples were grief-stricken when faced with the hard truth of Jesus’ imminent death. Jesus acknowledges their grief and reminds them he is not leaving them alone.
5 But now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ 6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you. John 16:5-7 NRSVUE
This Trinity Sunday, we celebrate our union and relationship with the Father, Son, and Spirit. In this passage, Jesus is comforting the disciples (and us) by explaining that even though he will be ascending to the Father, they will never be alone, thanks to the Holy Spirit who would continue to speak God’s comfort and provide them wise counsel.
The Holy Spirit enlarges our understanding of the triune God and helps us live out and participate in God’s love for the world. We can trust the kind and loving communication of the Holy Spirit to guide our efforts to share God’s grace with those we interact with, and we can follow the Spirit’s lead to help us discern how to express God’s love in the most appropriate ways.
Prayer:
Thank you, God, for including us in your love and union. Father, we’re grateful that you sent your Son. Jesus, we’re grateful for your obedience to the Father and for sending us your Spirit. Spirit, we’re grateful for your advocacy and counsel. We love you. Amen.
Wow! What an incredible “Baptism Sunday” GC Surrey Hills held in April. Periodically, we begin our worship experience with baptisms. Our April baptism ceremony included three child dedications. It was an unforgettable experience to surround these families with love, support, and prayer as they dedicated the lives of their precious kiddos to our amazing Jesus. Praise Jesus!
The celebrations didn’t end there. After the three dedications, we had four baptisms! We celebrated as Calvin, Chloe (our intern), and Lucas and Kacen (my husband and son) were baptized into the name of the Father, Son, and Spirit. They made the choice to follow in Jesus’ footsteps.
It was an absolute honor for Pastor Mike and me to participate in this celebration. It was beautiful and emotional, so there wasn’t a dry eye in the place.
Lucas MalmkarChloe Parker-Foister
We placed baptism cards on every seat for Baptism Sunday. It was a hit, and we had nine more people fill out a card expressing interest in baptism and two more baby dedications. Between those and others who have shown an interest through our regular connection cards, we have nearly 20 individuals interested in being dedicated or baptized this year! We have two more Baptism Sundays on our calendar this year, and we will just keep adding them as Jesus keeps building his church.
Since we launched our church plant/replant as Grace Communion Surrey Hills two years ago, we have baptized 25 people into the body of Christ and dedicated six children to our amazing God! Just look at what Jesus has done!
We are humbled, thankful, and in awe. We constantly find ourselves flabbergasted, saying, “We see you, Jesus!” We are excited to continue to participate with him in HIS ministry as he continues to build the church.
By Ceeja Malmkar, Assistant Pastor
Surrey Hills, OK, US
Healthy Church—Leaders’ Retreat
In April, our Pasadena congregation held a retreat for our leaders in the scenic Big Bear, CA area. We started the evening with a devotional about prayer. Next, individuals volunteered to pray for our country, our church leaders, the home office staff, and our congregation.
Saturday morning, I led a practice of very slowly unfolding the Lord’s Prayer. I invited everyone to meditate on the meaning of “Our Father who are in heaven, hallowed be thy name.” Then everyone separated and found a place of solitude to experience silence and prayer. Later, we gathered again and those willing shared insights. There was gratitude, praise, and worship.
Next, we shared with one another the challenges we’re experiencing. It helped deepen our connection, and we learned how we can pray for one another. In late afternoon, we enjoyed the nature of God’s creation.
Sunday morning, we left early to be back in Pasadena for our Sunday worship. Everyone felt the retreat was a blessing. Hopefully, our next retreat will be longer so we can unfold the entire Lord’s Prayer.
Also, in April we hosted a neighborhood meal for seniors. All ages attended and helped with this luau themed party to honor our elders. We gave recognition to the eldest, who is 98 years old. And we recognized two couples who are celebrating their 48th and 50th wedding anniversaries.
I gave a short message to remind the seniors that whatever challenges we are facing, Jesus is present and will never leave us nor forsake us, quoting John 3. We also gave away raffle prizes and played various games where all participated just for fun.
This was a new event for us and most of the seniors who attended are not from our congregation. Please pray for us as we develop these new relationships.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
By Angie Tabin, Pastor
Pasadena, CA, US
Meet Alexander Brandt
“I can feel that there is a lot changing and happening here, and I love seeing people grow individually.”
Meet Alexander Brandt, GCI pastor in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Click here or the image below to read his full profile.
LiLY Conference
On April 26-28, Grace Communion Cleveland hosted their 20th annual LiLY Women’s Conference. LiLY is an acronym for “Living life for you (Jesus).” With a record attendance of 91 women, our conference highlighted the theme “Reunion” (Luke 15:20).
Pastor Tamar Gray opened our weekend on Friday night with a “Getting to Know You” session. It was followed by praise and worship with our talented worship band.
Saturday morning, after praise and worship, Rose Hamrick, GCI Chief Financial Officer, spoke. Her message, “In My Father’s Arms,” told the story of how God carried her through her struggles in life preparing her for her current job. Her encouragements included: God pursues us and wants to have a relationship with us; we are never alone; we can have our own ideas and plans, but God’s plans far surpass ours.
Robyn Dykstra, guest speaker and author, led the remaining sessions on Saturday. Sharing her testimony, she encouraged us to not hang on to the old and lean into God’s goodness because he sees, hears, and loves us.
Saturday evening ended with a panel discussion led by Rose Hamrick. The ladies shared how the Lord has been moving in their lives.
On Sunday, the families of attendees were invited to our service, where Pastor Tamar Gray preached on our theme Bible passage. She highlighted how the father gave his returning son a robe (covering his child), a ring (signifying that he was back in good standing), and sandals (letting everyone know his son is not a servant). The older brother’s lesson reminds us that we do not have to work for God’s grace, we already have it.
Save the Date: Our 21ST annual conference will be held on April 25-27, 2025. Follow us on Facebook@lilywomensconference for more information.
The author, Rosa (R), pictured with Tamar Gray (L) & Rose Hamrick (center).
By Rosa Hulse, Women’s Ministry Leader
Cleveland, OH, US
From Equipper—Killing Time in Ordinary Time
Join us! As we launch into the Ordinary Time season, we invite you to follow this spiritual practice from Equipper.
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Acts 2:42
At my local pharmacy, I am scrolling through my phone while I wait for my prescription. I see my neighbor, Clyde, seated in the waiting area. We catch up; he tells me what is new with his grandchildren. Suddenly Clyde becomes serious, and his eyes fill with tears. He confides how terribly he misses his wife since her death last year. In that unplanned encounter, we shared a meaningful connection.
It was an encounter that happened while I was “killing time.” “Killing time” is an expression we use in the U.S. to describe something we do to spend our time while we are waiting; it is the time between more important activities. But what if the unscheduled time I spent hanging out with Clyde was the important activity of the day?
The Ordinary Time season reminds me to reflect on Jesus’ mission and my participation in it. I believe fellowship is a spiritual discipline, but am I devoted to it? A good formation practice for me is to regularly contemplate whether the way I spend my time prioritizes relationships. One way I am being conformed to Christ is through relationships. Hanging out with others is how I pursue belonging and connection and build meaningful community. Often the connection that the Spirit intercedes between or among people cannot be planned for and cannot be hurried. Have I made room for availability and spontaneity?
Here are some reflections about cultivating the spiritual discipline of fellowship. May they serve as prompts as you discern with the Spirit.
How much unscheduled time do I have? Why? How am I spending it?
When do I choose comfort, simplicity, solitude? When does that choice contribute to my formation in Christ? Is it ever a hindrance?
Am I ordering my life around the convenience of privacy and an uninterrupted schedule? Are there ways it has led to isolation?
How am I drawing a “wider circle” — wider than my family, my home, my preferred friend group? (Jesus widened our image of family — creating a new family, God’s household. Ephesians 2)
Reflect on the last time you spent time with a toddler or an elder. What do they have to teach me about the way we keep time? Are there ways we can celebrate inefficiency?
What story is my time-keeping telling? If a stranger observed my bodily rituals, what might they decide that I worship?
How might the Spirit be inviting me to create just a little more space and margin for killing time with other people?
Father, Son, and Spirit,
We repent of those times when we say that we embrace you as triune and relational but spend our time in a way that does not prioritize relationships. Empower us to live openly social and spontaneous lives, seeking proximity to others in shared or public spaces. We believe a fitting response to your love is to generously give our time to others as an offering. Help our unbelief! May fellowship be our worship. May we waste time on others in the prodigal sense — lavishing and expending extravagantly!
Amen.
