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Avenue Champions Commissioned

On Sunday, April 16, the church plant growing in the Steele Creek neighborhood of Charlotte, NC took an important step in its development by commissioning its Avenue champions. Each of the three leaders was chosen after a season of individual and collective discernment. It was clear to the church plant team that the new champions were equipped by the Holy Spirit to serve in their respective roles.

Michelle Fleming will serve as the champion of the Hope Avenue. Stacey Meade will head up the Love Avenue. Afrika Afeni Mills will lead the Faith Avenue. We praise God for putting in place such capable leaders and will continue to hold Michelle, Stacey, and Afrika in prayer for the journey ahead.

By Dishon Mills, Church Planter
Charlotte, NC, US

From Equipper—Symbols of Pentecost

This month we’re highlighting a spiritual practice from Equipper.

Enjoy and subscribe today!


Pentecost is part of the Christian Worship (Liturgical) Calendar. This year, it is observed on May 28 and is a celebration that commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ. It is celebrated on the seventh Sunday after Easter, which is 50 days after Easter Sunday. The name “Pentecost” comes from the Greek word pentekoste, which means “fiftieth.”

The celebration of Pentecost can also commemorate the birth of the church, as it was the day when the disciples followed Jesus’ instruction and gathered in the upper room in Jerusalem to await the coming of the Holy Spirit. Luke tells us of this remarkable event in Acts 2.

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:1-4 ESV)

From this great outpouring, the believers were empowered to go out of the upper room and be witnesses of Jesus. It is interesting that churches find different liturgical ways to commemorate Pentecost, including the use of symbols. In the early days of the church and today, symbols play a big part in helping Christians to teach, preach, and to create a more meaningful celebration. God often uses symbols like those we read about in the above passage, to bring our attention back to him. The symbols give us new ways to think about God. There are several objects from the day of Pentecost that often symbolize the Holy Spirit.

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Neighbor Day

On March 26, GCI Carina celebrated Neighbour Day with our community. Neighbours are encouraged to get together in small and large ways on this annual event promoted by Relationships Australia, a leading provider of relationship support services.

We promoted the event on Facebook and Nextdoor (a hyperlocal social network to connect neighbors). And we placed a banner at the Carina Community Centre a couple of weeks before the event. Most importantly, we reached out to people passing by in the nearby park on the day. More than 25 people from the neighbourhood enjoyed the BBQ with our church members. We also had fun serving ice cream and playing games with the young.

By Bharat Naker, Pastor
Carina and Logan, Qld, AU

Devotional—We Are One

All these [gifts] are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 1 Corinthians 12:11-13 (NIV)

The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost gave birth to a new living entity, a body whose international members powerfully proclaimed the revolution of Christ’s kingdom on earth: diversity does not have to mean division, and unity does not have to be uniformity.Instead of giving in to the temptation to compare ourselves with other people and let our differences divide us, let us celebrate humanity’s rich diversity of cultures and languages.

Instead of thinking we’re better than other people or feeling insecure around others with gifts we don’t have, let us celebrate the fact that we belong to one another and that we need each other to be the unique part of the body no one else can be.

Christ came to break down social and ethnic barriers so that his followers may be unified and healed in him. In the body of Christ, no one person and their gifts are “better” than another. Every follower of Jesus has an indispensable role to play in the restoration of creation through unity and self-giving love.

Prayer: Abba Father, thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit. I need your Spirit to transform me into a new person, one who lives and loves more like your Son Jesus. I need your Spirit to discern the spiritual gifts you’ve given me to build up the body of Christ. I need you, Holy Spirit. Come and fill me anew. Amen.

By Jillian Morrison, Associate Pastor
Glendora, CA, US

Holy Spirit

Greg and Susan Williams
Greg and Susan Williams

Dear GCI Family and Friends,

Have you ever experienced the power of the wind? My most vivid memory was living in Fayetteville, NC, when the outer bands of Hurricane Fran blew 80 mph gusts through the wooded acre of my backyard. The combination of the high-pitched whistling sounds and the cracking of limbs as they broke and fell was unnerving, to say the least.

Wind is a common theme in the Bible. It has been compared to the breath of God in Genesis, to the length of life in Psalms, and to the Holy Spirit. We see Jesus referring to the wind in his conversation with Nicodemus, a teacher of Israel and a Pharisee. He was talking to Nicodemus about being born again when he said:

The wind blows where it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit. John 3:8

Jesus is reminding Nicodemus that just as you cannot see the wind or know it is there, except by what it does — rustling the trees, blowing the dust around, wreaking havoc in your backyard — you cannot see any outward signs in those who are born again. But you can tell who is born from above by the fruit produced in their life. Just as the invisible power of the wind accomplishes things that can be seen, the invisible power of the Holy Spirit works in converted Christians producing fruit like love, joy, patience, and kindness.

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The GCI Swag Store Is Now Open

GCI Gear is Here!

We are excited to announce that GCI clothing and accessories are now available as part of our Denominational Celebration! Represent our fellowship and reflect your personal style. Shop now, by clicking on the image below.

We chose the vendor for our on-demand store based on their high-quality and ethically sourced items, as well as their ability to ship internationally. However, please note that the shipping costs are per item. You can get detailed shipping information here.

Death of Ihor Kulbida

Ihor Kulbida served as the associate pastor of the GCI congregation in Rochester, NY for more than 18 years. Pastor Leonard Banks submitted the following to share with our Update readers.


Ihor Kulbida, 82, passed away on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. Ihor was born in 1940 near Kiev, Ukraine. When he was a small child, his parents fled Ukraine due to World War II. They found refuge in a displaced persons camp in Germany. After several years, they were given residency in Brazil and built a life there for nine years, finally immigrating to the United States in 1958.

Ihor met his wife Marina four years later in 1962 in Brooklyn, NY. They were next door neighbors. They were married in 1964, and their son Chris was born in 1965. Their lovely daughter, Larissa, was born in 1969 and sadly passed away in 2021.

Ihor graduated from the City College of New York with an electrical engineering degree. He and his family moved to Rochester, and he worked as an engineer and manager at Xerox Corporation for 33 years. When he retired, he devoted his time as an associate pastor and treasurer for his church.

Ihor will be remembered as a caring husband by Marina, his wife of 58 years, and as a father, grandfather, and good friend to many.

Community Festival

On March 18-19, our town held the Celebrate Mooroolbark Festival. Numerous volunteers from the Grace Communion Mooroolbark church contributed countless volunteer hours in the days beforehand and during this annual autumn festival. The committee chair of the festival told one of our members, “Your church is a godsend.” She was most appreciative of our help.The town festival is held in parkland beside the town centre and attracts thousands of people over two days. The festival hosts market stalls, rides, free activities for the kids, on stage live entertainment, a car show, and a wool and handcrafts show. Grace Communion Mooroolbark is a major sponsor of the festival due to our Living Today magazine promoting the festival and its activities.

The same edition of the magazine also promoted the upcoming Easter church services – both our own, and other local churches. It’s a blessing that we can join Jesus in being a blessing to the local neighbourhood and work together with churches in the area.

By Matthew Gudze, pastor
Mooroolbark, Victoria, AU