Pam and Mat Morgan are thrilled to announce the birth of their third grandchild – Rosemary Jo Zeng (Rosie for short). Rosie was born on November 17, weighing 7 pounds 4 ounces, and 20 inches in length. Mom, Dad, and big brother, Henry, are all well and excited about the newest addition to their family.
Don Mason served faithfully as an elder in GCI since his ordination in 1970. He pastored both the Raleigh and Wilson, NC congregations from 1987 – 2007. He continued serving the members in Wilson, NC until his retirement in 2021. The following is the obituary provided by his family.
Donald Edgar Mason died peacefully on October 26, 2023. He was born February 13, 1941, in Houston Texas to Edgar and Lois Mason. Don graduated from Jefferson Davis High School in 1959 and immediately traveled to New London, CT for Naval Submarine training. While in the Navy, he was able to take courses at the University of Houston. Upon discharge in 1964, he transferred to Ambassador College where he met and married his lifelong sweetheart, Geraldine Mason.
After graduation in 1969, they moved to Evansville, Indiana; in 1970 he was ordained into the ministry of Jesus Christ. Over the next 52 years, he served seven congregations in Indiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, and North Carolina. He retired from the ministry of Grace Communion International in October 2021. He is survived by his wife, Geri, his daughter, Elizabeth, and his sons, Derek and Dustin, and Dustin’s wife, Megan.
Dear Family,
On behalf of GC San Leandro, here’s a big thank you to all who came and celebrated with us on Sunday, November 12. As we gathered for the congregation’s final service, with “old” friends from far and wide, it really felt like a big family reunion. We sang old songs, viewed old pictures, listened to inspiring messages, and enjoyed great food and laughter. And the words of our first hymn came to life, “how good and how pleasant for brethren to dwell in unity.”
We give praise to our triune God for giving us this time to celebrate the many relationships we’ve enjoyed through the years. We can only imagine how great our reunion will be in the fullness of God’s kingdom. Until then, let us enjoy each day as we journey through the next chapter of our history—living and sharing the gospel to everyone.
For the video of the full service and celebration, click here.
With love and appreciation,
Jun and Yolly Caranto
San Leandro, CA, US
“The movement in our relationship to God is always from God to us. Always. We can’t, through our piety or goodness, move closer to God. God is always coming near to us.” ― Nadia Bolz-Weber
Join us as we pray for our congregations around the world.
To download the full January Prayer Guide and participate in corporate prayer, visit here.
On November 19, Grace Communion Cleveland held a wonderful outreach event. We served our neighbors Thanksgiving dinner with all the traditional Thanksgiving dishes and pies.
For this engagement, we partnered with another community organization, the Heights Emergency Food Center. The event was advertised in advance with a poster at the Center, inviting their clients to receive a free dine-in or take-out meal. We also provided take-home flyers, and a sign-up sheet helped us keep track of how many were planning to eat with us.
Another church in Cleveland Heights where the Center is located allowed us to borrow their commercial kitchen with an attached fellowship hall. GC Cleveland members cooked the food items at home. Then we used the commercial kitchen to keep the food warm as we distributed the meals. Although very few people stayed to dine in with us, we had many good conversations and prayer requests with our take-out clients. We also delivered nearly 30 meals to nearby apartment residents. There were lots of smiling faces that day, not only from the recipients but the servers too!
We only planned food for 96 people, but we served 149 meals in total. Jesus saw to it that we could actually serve many more meals than projected. A true “loaves and fishes” event was witnessed that day!
By Pat Shiels, Love Avenue Champion
Cleveland, OH, US
Discover the transformative power of Christ’s love in our new series GCI Testify. Join us as members from our global fellowship share testimonies of their experiences with Jesus through GCI congregations and ministries. Don’t miss the opportunity to witness firsthand the impact of the Spirit in and through GCI.
For many, Christmas includes the tradition of giving gifts. Have you ever watched someone open a gift and recognized that it wasn’t what they wanted? Is it wrong to want more?
We are often admonished to be grateful for what we have. Can we be both? Can we be grateful and still long for more?
We are in the season of Epiphany. It is the time in the worship calendar when we celebrate God manifesting as the baby Jesus and revealing Godself to the world. Jesus came into the world because the world needed more.
Is it wrong to want more?
In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the east came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star in the east and have come to pay him homage.” Matthew 2:1-2
The Magi are also remembered in this Epiphany season. What can we learn from their story? How deep was their longing for more to seek the Messiah, to risk this journey?
“Their courage gives our questing hearts a voice
To seek, to find, to worship, to rejoice.” — Malcom Guite, from the sonnet, The magi
May we be grateful that light has come into the world and reconciled all. May we seek the light, as we long for more to walk in the light.
Prayer
Beautiful, triune God, we are grateful for the Incarnation, for the way you are manifested in Jesus. Thank you, Jesus, for revealing the Father. Thank you, Spirit, for stirring in us a longing for your kingdom. May your kingdom come in all its fullness. And wrap your hope around our weary hearts when we grow tired of waiting for the world to be good and beautiful and kind. Amen.
By Elizabeth Mullins, Update Editor
Durham, NC, US
Please join us for a weekend of training, appreciation, and worship. Everyone is invited.
See flyer below or visit our website here for more information.
Registration opens February 2024.
Registration Fee:
The Home Office will cover the registration fee for one pastor/facilitator per congregation and their spouse to attend a regional gathering. A coupon code will be sent with instructions on how to register in mid-February.
Lodging:
Each pastor/facilitator will need to book their own lodging for the gathering.
Hotel courtesy block links will be made available after registration opens. You may also consider booking other accommodations that work best for you (examples: hotel, Airbnb, VRBO, or accommodation with friends/relatives).
After the gathering, the Home Office will send a subsidy to your congregation via the send/draw to help offset the cost of one pastor/facilitator’s housing for the regional gathering. The amount will be set based on the average cost of the discounted hotel rate we were able to obtain for three nights.
One aspect of my role as editor of Update is to recruit people to contribute stories. I attempt to engage contributors from a diverse range of backgrounds, ages, and locations. Yet one of the common responses I receive is, “oh, I’m not a writer.”
It reminds of when someone says, “I’m not creative.” Perhaps they are thinking of a literal artist, like a painter. But here’s what I say to that. You are made in the image of a creative God, so yes, you are creative. Writing is telling a story, putting it into words. And you are made in the image of the greatest storyteller.
So yes, you are a writer because everyone has a story. Every congregation has a story.
I engage folks, requesting they write for Update. I assure them they will be equipped to tell their story because I can help by editing and refining the writing structure. I empower them by convincing them that they don’t have to be the pastor to tell the story, and their unique perspective is needed.
You, the reader, help with the final “E” in the 4 Es. When you leave a comment, affirming what the contributor has written, you are giving them much needed encouragement. We’re grateful.
Here’s a special mention for the members who left the most comments. Thank you for cheering us on!
By Elizabeth Mullins, Publications Coordinator
Durham, NC, US
