“I love God. I have a personal relationship with our Lord Jesus. I love serving him.”
Get to know Eleanor Toussaint, Hope Avenue champion in Queens, New York, U.S. One of her many roles is Sunday school teacher, where she passionately teaches young people about God’s love.
Vacation Bible School (VBS) is a cherished ministry of the church, designed to reach neighbourhood children and lead them to know and respond to Jesus Christ as guided by the Holy Spirit. In April, GCI India organized a three-day VBS program. Children, volunteers, and teachers came together in a spirit of learning, worship, and fellowship. The theme for VBS 2025 was Forgiveness, centered around the verse: “Blessed are those whose sins are forgiven.”
VBS was held on GC Vanasthalipuram’s premises and jointly hosted by them and GC Hyderabad. Each day we welcomed an average of 25 enthusiastic children, supported by eight committed volunteers and six dedicated teachers. The program began each morning with a sumptuous breakfast, followed by a lively time of worship and praise, and a short devotion tailored for the children. The heart of each day was the activity-based classes, which focused on the theme of forgiveness and were designed to be both engaging and spiritually enriching.
The children witnessed the transformative love of God — a love that heals hearts and strengthens the bonds of community. Our prayer is that these lessons will remain with them, guiding their walk in the love and forgiveness of Christ.
Enjoy the following photos of other Neighbourhood Camps.
Citizens of God’s kingdom feel that inclusive, cooperative, team-based leadership reflects our triune God. Pastors lead from a posture of multiplication, inviting others into Jesus’ mission through the Church.
Learn more from our Healthy Church resource.
GCI India Welcomes New Generation of Leaders
In a spirit of unity and renewal, GCI India joyfully welcomed a new generation of leaders into their boards, marking a significant moment of growth and transition within the church community.
The board of GCI India extended a heartfelt welcome to Miss Selina Sravanthi, Mrs. Shashi, and Mr. Ajay Allam. They were elected to serve on the board, bringing with them vibrant energy and deep commitment to the church’s mission. Their appointment reflects the church’s dedication to nurturing young leadership.
Mr. Om Prakash was elected as the Chairperson of Administrative Leadership, a role that carries great responsibility and trust. His leadership is expected to guide the church’s operations with wisdom and integrity.
The entire church community came together to warmly welcome the new leaders, offering prayers, encouragement, and support. As the boards embrace this new season, the churches reaffirm their commitment to fostering leadership that reflects Christ’s love and humility.
GCI India welcomes New Preachers
GCI India has officially expanded its speaking team, welcoming Selina Sravanthi, a longtime member and Sunday School coordinator, and Satyanarayana, the church’s translator. Both have been actively involved in ministry and are now stepping into preaching roles to support the church’s mission of delivering spiritually enriching sermons.
The church anticipates a wide variety of messages that will deepen spiritual understanding and encourage growth in faith. Members warmly express enthusiasm for the fresh perspectives they bring to the pulpit. The church looks forward to this new chapter with hope and gratitude, trusting in God’s continued work through his servants.
By the GCI India Newsletter editors,
Shanti Nirale
Praveen Kumar Chintha
By the Spirit, we can hear Scripture in the light of Jesus, even the stories we’d rather skip. Here’s an example.
[Jephthah’s daughter] said to him, “My father, if you have opened your mouth to the Lord, do to me according to what has gone out of your mouth, now that the Lord has given you vengeance against your enemies, the Ammonites.” Judges 11:36 NRSVUE
Jephthah emerged from a bad family situation to become a military leader. When the Ammonites attacked, he was recruited to fight back, and he vowed to the LORD: if given victory, Jephthah would dedicate to the Lord whatever came out of his house to meet him.
I am sure Jephthah was expecting livestock — a goat or a sheep. Instead, his only daughter, the joy of his life — ran out to greet him. Though he was lost in grief, he felt bound to keep his vow. “Dedicating to the LORD,” in Jephthah’s world, meant death and fire, so he sacrificed her.
Every time I read this story, I feel grief as if it were my own child. I also feel anger — anger that any father could believe God required Jephthah to keep this promise.
Some Bible stories are there to describe what we shouldn’t do. Indeed, some stories show us, to paraphrase Rowan Williams, how things can go so terribly wrong when we terribly misunderstand what God wants.
We understand God rightly by dwelling on the image he has given us in Jesus. We become like what we imagine, and some of our ideas about God come right out of our wrong imagination.
Prayer
May we receive the love of our heavenly Father as Jesus carries us into his presence. May we come to trust the Father as Jesus does. May the Spirit transform our regret and our grief into divine joy.
Matt Royal, Church Plant Team Member
Durham, NC, US
This devotional was adapted with permission from Matt’s blog. Read the full post here.
Dear GCI Family and Friends,
Nestled in chapter 14 of Romans is an amazing verse that gives us a deeper understanding of the kingdom of God.
For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Romans 14:17
Paul’s short verse profoundly describes the abundant life humanity has in Christ. It is the “kingdom life,” and its initial blessings we enjoy now with a fullness to come for the entire human family.
Righteousness and peace in the Spirit are huge topics on their own. Today we will develop the spiritual fruit of joy. I am picking out joy because I recently saw the impact this message had with participants in a Kingdom Culture workshop I facilitated in Gold Coast, Australia.
Joy is much more than happiness. Happiness is rooted in “happenings.” What is next? What will stimulate me? Joy is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. It provides contentment whether you are abased or you abound. Situations don’t make or break the joy that resides in a Christ follower.
Joy is entangled with our internal thinking and feelings about self. Do we believe and walk in the reality of what God says about us or does the negative, destructive self-talk hinder our joy?
How many of us are our own worst critic? How many of us dominate ourselves? We have internal thoughts like:
You get the point.
Read More
The Denominational Celebration
will be held
in Dallas, Texas, U.S.
on July 23-26, 2026.
Kingdom Living is participatory, relational, and missional.
Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” As citizens of the kingdom and co-laborers with Christ, we are sent into the world to reflect his light. Kingdom Living requires awareness of our calling and our context, seeing our neighborhoods, vocations, and even our sufferings as places where Jesus reigns and sends us.
Kingdom Living is not passive. It is a bold proclamation and a tangible demonstration. We not only speak of the reign of God, but we also show it. Our words align with our works. As image bearers, our relationships become a visible witness to the reality of the kingdom being ushered in.
During this gathering, we’ll explore what it means to live as kingdom people, active participants in God’s mission, deeply rooted in community, and shaped by the presence and authority of Jesus.
Registration information coming soon!
“The reality is, my prayers don’t change God. But, I am convinced prayer changes me. Praying boldly boots me out of that stale place of religious habit into authentic connection with God Himself.” — Lysa TerKeurst
Let us join together in prayer as Christ’s Body. We lift our prayers, knowing the Spirit intercedes on our behalf.
Download the full prayer guide here.
Would you like to receive this Prayer Guide straight to your email inbox before the first of the month? Sign up here.
We share news of a historic event which took place at the GCI Blantyre congregation in Malawi in June. In an unprecedented development, 22 people accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour and were baptized in a single day. The 22 baptized converts were drawn from 4 different congregations, as follows: Chimbeta 3, Miseu 5, Mombezi 4, and Mpanda 10. We also share a significant highlight and positive development in the growth trajectory of the church in Malawi: 14 were youths aged 15–19 years.
This momentous occasion marked a significant milestone in the spiritual journey of these believers. The baptism sacrament was a powerful celebration of faith, with each individual publicly declaring their commitment to follow Jesus Christ. We rejoice in the Lord’s work in their lives and pray that they will continue to grow in their faith. This event is a powerful testament to the effectiveness of our discipleship efforts, and the impact of the gospel in our community. We are grateful for the opportunity to serve and worship together as a body of believers.
We will continue to provide discipleship and mentorship programs to support the spiritual growth of our new believers. We encourage the newly baptized individuals to share their testimonies and experience with others, inspiring further growth and evangelism within our communities and neighbourhoods. Glory and honour to our Lord Jesus Christ for the continued growth of his ongoing work in our midst.
By Gardner Kunje, Malawi National Director
Lilongwe, Malawi
Marshall Dube, Central Africa Regional Director
Harare, Zimbabwe
In August, President Greg Williams presented a training workshop on the Gold Coast, Australia. Almost 40 participants of the Christian Discipleship Pathway (CDP) programme came from New Zealand, Fiji, and Australia. Greg presented material on several facets of Kingdom Culture. Then we discussed the topics in small groups and fed back to the full group at the end of sessions.
One highlight was the Saturday evening meal. The dining room was transformed into a banquet hall. We were invited to use our “sacred imagination” to picture what it will be like to join Jesus at the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19). Throughout the meal, Greg asked questions to stimulate ideas regarding what this dinner might be like. It was a time of excitedly contemplating possibilities about what this amazing event will be like. The dinner ended with communion.
The weekend was a meaningful time of learning and discovery together. It was a wonderful time of fellowship, as friendships were formed or strengthened. We learned more of how we can support one another in our ministries.
In all, the gathering was a great blessing, learning from one another and enjoying the Holy Spirit’s presence. We felt the Spirit’s direction and blessing. Greg is keen that this material is shared with all members, so we will be looking into how to best pass on what was covered.
As we look at how we participate in kingdom work now, we are reminded of how we should be living as kingdom citizens, as well as what we should be doing to share the message of Jesus with others. We also look with anticipation to the fullness of the kingdom following Jesus’ return.
Anthony Dady, Pastor
Auckland, New Zealand
