Author: Elizabeth Mullins

GC Sun Valley is grateful to our heavenly Father for allowing us to celebrate Hispanic Heritage once again. It was commemorated on September 15, with around 180 participants, including congregation members and visitors.

The event was adorned with vibrant decorations, with each booth representing the unique culture of a different country. Our volunteers prepared and served delicious food, which was enjoyed by everyone.

Celebrating unity and diversity among our fellow members and visitors is vital as we walk by faith. While we take pride in our roots, we recognize and teach that there are no borders between us. Our objective in celebrating is to represent unity, as we are all one in Christ. We are honored to pray for other countries, acknowledging the need for prayer where our brothers and sisters are facing difficult times.

Our children’s ministry taught the young ones about diversity and the truth that we are all one in Christ. Demonstrating unity to our children and embracing each other’s heritage is a powerful way to share our Father’s love.

Above all, we received his word, reminding us of the importance of being a strong light to illuminate the darker corners of the world. Through it all, it remains essential to model Christ by showing kindness and love while sharing his word.

We extend our heartfelt thanks for the support and contributions from all the volunteers whose efforts made this celebration possible. Their participation is essential in bringing these special events to life, and their love for God is evident in their work. We deeply appreciate their dedication and service.

Dina Rash, Children’s Ministry — Hope Avenue Team
Sun Valley, CA, US

Spanish Translation:

Estamos agradecidos con nuestro Padre Celestial por permitirnos celebrar una vez más la Herencia Hispana, conmemorada el 15 de septiembre de 2024, con alrededor de 180 participantes, entre miembros de la congregación y visitantes.

El evento estuvo adornado con decoraciones vibrantes, y cada puesto de comida representaba la cultura única de un país diferente. Nuestros voluntarios también prepararon y sirvieron comida deliciosa, que todos disfrutaron.

Celebrar la unidad y la diversidad entre nuestros miembros y visitantes es vital cuando caminamos por fe. Nuestro objetivo al celebrar es representar la unidad, ya que todos somos uno en Cristo. Aunque nos sentimos orgullosos de nuestras raíces, reconocemos y enseñamos que no existen fronteras entre nosotros. Nos sentimos honrados de orar por otros países, reconociendo la necesidad de oración cuando nuestros hermanos y hermanas atraviesan tiempos difíciles.

Nuestro ministerio de niños enseñó a los pequeños sobre la diversidad y la verdad de que todos somos uno en Cristo. Demostrar unidad a nuestros niños y abrazar la herencia de cada uno, es una manera poderosa de compartir el amor de nuestro Padre.

Sobre todo, recibimos Su palabra, que nos recuerda la importancia de ser una luz fuerte que ilumine los rincones más oscuros del mundo. Es muy esencial modelar a Cristo, mostrando bondad y amor al compartir Su palabra.

Extendemos nuestro más sincero agradecimiento por el apoyo y las contribuciones de todos los voluntarios, cuyos esfuerzos hicieron posible esta celebración. Su participación es esencial para dar vida a estos eventos especiales, y su amor por Dios es evidente en su trabajo. Apreciamos profundamente su dedicación y servicio.

Melbourne, FL, US

Our children attended Ocean Breeze Elementary School, and I was a school aide and a crossing guard for six years. This is a school that is near and dear to my heart. When our congregation was choosing a way we could engage and serve the community, I thought immediately of this school. I know teachers there spend their own money for student school supplies.

I first approached Jennifer, the School Resource Officer, to find out the needs of the school. Now Officer Jennifer sends us a list, and we shop for the items. This is such fun and a joy to see the look on Officer Jennifer’s face when we show up with all the goodies. In this way, GC Melbourne has been partnering with the school for approximately four years. The teachers truly appreciate our congregation’s help.

Marianne Legg
Melbourne, FL, US

Kenockee, MI, US

In September, GC Kenockee celebrated the beginning of the school year and a new Children’s Church year. Pastor Jim Meade prayed a back-to-school blessing over the children. And Pastor David Borum commissioned and prayed for the new Children’s Church teachers and helpers.

During this special Sunday service, Kathy Forsyth was honored. She is retiring from the role of Children’s Church Coordinator after serving for many years. Kathy passed the baton to the new Coordinator, Angie Ashbrook. Pastor Grant Forsyth commissioned and prayed for Angie.

Thank you, Kathy, for your dedication and service!

Queens, NY, US

On September 7-8, GC Queens hosted a unique community event, departing from the traditional broad public outreaches. Instead, we took a more personal approach, limiting the invitation to families who participated in our previous back-to-school events. This event attracted hundreds in the past, but it was difficult to make a personal impact.

By narrowing the invitation list to those with whom we had already established relationships, the event had a more personalized and “community reunion” feel. This allowed for deeper conversations and more meaningful connections, which we believe left a lasting impact. Many family members who attended already knew us, and we also met new guests. Instead of just handing out backpacks, we used the time to pray with our guests, offering conversation and literature in Spanish. This impressed our Spanish-speaking families (a large part of our target community), making them feel equally valued and included.

In addition to meeting immediate needs with school supplies, we took the opportunity to discuss our various ministries, including our plans for a 2025 neighborhood camp. Parents learned about our Sunday School program for children, and many adults were able to connect with leaders from our Men’s and Women’s Ministries. These conversations helped strengthen existing relationships within the community, and they opened doors for further spiritual support.

We were blessed to hear and pray through individual stories from the neighborhood. We heard from fathers looking for a strong men’s ministry and their children’s career dreams. We prayed with families seeking reassurance in uncertainty, sharing their hopes for healing and community. We listened to and prayed with new immigrants looking for relief and a spiritual home.

The impact of our community outreach event was further demonstrated the next day as many guests joined our Sunday service, doubling our average attendance. Vicky Newsom gave a bilingual sermon, “Who is God’s Favorite?” from James 2. She explained that God’s favorite is all of us in Christ, so all are welcome at GC Queens! This increase in attendance and the whole service validated the event’s effectiveness and showed the community’s growing interest in our church and its activities. It was a hopeful sign for our future endeavors.

Our church’s commitment to spiritual and practical support was evident in the smaller but much more spiritually fruitful event. I would also like to recognize the work of our Avenue champions: Eleanor Toussaint, Hope Avenue champion; Ruth Phillips, Faith Avenue champion; and Vicky Newsom Love Avenue co-champion, along with elders, James Hills and Jonathan Browne. We are grateful for the reunions and the new contacts made, and we look forward to continuing to walk alongside these families, sharing the love of Christ in both spiritual and practical ways.

John Newsom, Pastor
Queens, NY, US

Considering God’s missional nature can be tough if it conjures ideas about missionaries who lived this out in radical ways. We respect these examples, but they feel unattainable. Is this what it means to live for a missional God? While it is true that God is missional, the primary calling God has for us is to be God’s children, submitting our entire selves so that we might live into this new identity. Then, as Christ grows us up into that identity, we will naturally reflect the missional identity of God.

Ruth is a good example; she surrenders her previous ideas about herself.

But Ruth said,
“Do not press me to leave you,
to turn back from following you!
Where you go, I will go;
where you lodge, I will lodge;
your people shall be my people
and your God my God.” Ruth 1:16

We may think that Ruth participated with God because of her upstanding character, but it was God’s invitation and movement toward her first that allowed her to submit and surrender who she thought she was — her old self. Then Ruth clung to her newfound identity as a child of God.

As we step into the identity that God has for us, we need to trust that it is God who is missional. God does not need us, yet he allows us to share in his work of love. From this understanding, we can be more effective at reaching out, because our identity and worth is never dependent on the results of our effort.

Reflect on what God’s missional nature means for you.

Prayer
Dear Lord, as I consider how capable you are to bring your mission of redemption to completion, please reveal how I might release my identity to you, that I may live more fully into the identity you have for me. Amen.

By Alexander Brandt, Pastor
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada