Pastor Anthony Gachanja, regional director for East Africa, shared the following in his monthly church report.
Our GCI conference this year was held in the outskirts of Nairobi. The attendees were invited from all congregations across Kenya. We were blessed to have two attendees from our neighboring country, Uganda. The height of the conference was the commissioning of the church building in Nairobi. Both events were conducted by Kalengule Kaoma, Superintendent of Missions in Africa.
GCI Ottawa is a congregation of Grace Communion International.
This church saw an influx of immigrants coming to Canada and recognized the need to help the new immigrants become integrated into society. The church walks alongside the immigrants helping them settle into their new home country as permanent Canadian citizens.
I have never played much golf. And when I did, it showed. My friend called my approach the “hit and hope method.” And he was almost right. He thought I just hit the ball, and hoped it went in the right direction. Actually, I just hoped to hit the ball.
Much of life can be this way. What passes for hope is often wishful thinking. We hope our team wins, that tomorrow is better than today. Let’s face it – these hopes often let us down. Hence the old saying, hope makes a good breakfast, but a poor supper.
Have you ever had hopes that were disappointed? That’s something we all share.
Yet this is not the biblical notion of hope. The hope of the gospel is something far more robust, lasting and life-changing – and eternal. The hope of the gospel is grounded in the person of Jesus. Paul can succinctly say that Jesus is our hope (1 Timothy 1:1).
This is a hope not dependent on circumstances, external situations, pressures and outcomes. This is a hope that transcends all situations. It is not the absence of trials, pressures or stresses, but the assurance of Jesus’ presence in the midst of these things, and indeed every part of life. It’s a hope that never disappoints. It’s participating in the life of the “God of hope” through the power of the Spirit, a hope that inspires us, and through the Spirit creates joy and peace in our innermost being. It’s the hope in our Lord Jesus Christ that enables us to endure patiently and work energetically in love for others.
May the hope of Jesus encourage, empower and guide you.
Prayer: And may we share Paul’s prayer: May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 15:13)
By John McLean
Superintendent
Carina, Australia
Dear Church,
By now you have likely viewed my video update inviting you to come together in the keeping of the annual cycle of worship that we call “GCI Worship Calendar.” Our denominational calendar is designed to guide and direct our worship out of the seasonal flow of celebrating the life and salvific work of Jesus. We are not simply borrowing or importing another calendar. We are endeavoring to design a calendar that our church family around the world can embrace.
The initial diagram of the annual calendar that we sent out rightly displays Jesus in the center. I especially like the outer ring that shows the progression of our Lord’s coming, life, ministry, death, resurrection, ascension, and the continual building of his church. Is there anything greater, that we can rally around and make the focus of our praise and worship? A Christ-centered church is “Healthy Church.”
I just completed an outstanding week of meeting and planning with the GCI Superintendents. They are all enthusiastic and supportive of having a GCI Worship Calendar. However, through their wisdom and experience, they have convinced me that some of the wording of our initial design deserves reconsideration. So, we will take the necessary time to provide a revision that will allow us to move forward together.
Keep in mind, the calendar is a framework that guides us through the seasons of the life and work of Jesus. Living out of this calendar and ordering our worship must be done nation by nation, and literally congregation by congregation. There is more education to come and much more practice as we seek to make Jesus the center of our center. This is a long journey in the right direction, and I solicit your prayers as we attempt to craft a calendar that rightly represents who we are.
Please know that our desire for a GCI Worship Calendar is not a step into legalism or ancient rituals of the historical church. Pure and simple, this is a step toward Jesus, the true object of our worship. I am convicted that our GCI Worship Calendar can be unifying and life-giving to our global church, and I especially believe it will be a blessing to our children and grandchildren.
To the Glory of Jesus,
Greg Williams
GCI’s Cape Town south church had a very busy Pastor Appreciation weekend. They started off the Sunday service with a blessing of children. Next, Grant Erasmus was commissioned to lead the worship ministry. The service was concluded by honoring the pastor couples in appreciation for their service.
The Solid Rock congregation presented Regional Director Takalani Musekwa and Elder Johan Retief with a certificate of appreciation and an after-service feast as a thank you for their good and faithful work with the local church and GCI as a whole.
At GC Baguio, the team of pastors was honored by being called to the front of the service to speak about their months, years, or in some cases, decades of leadership within the church. They were presented with gifts from the youth and honored through word and song from members of the congregation.
The following statement was first published in a press release online here.
Grace Communion Derby, in Derby, Kansas, has been selected for the 2019 Best of Derby Award in the Church category.
Each year, the Derby Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Derby area a great place to live, work and play.
Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2019 Derby Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Derby Award Program and data provided by third parties.
The Derby Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Derby area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.
The Derby Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community’s contributions to the U.S. economy.
SOURCE: Derby Award Program
CONTACT:
Derby Award Program
Email: PublicRelations@2019awardadvisory.net
URL: http://www.2019awardadvisory.net
For More Information: https://derby.2019awardadvisory.net/s8a9hn6j_GRACE-COMMUNION-DERBY
Here is a note to any who over the years have been supporters of the winter “shoebox mission trip” by Crossing Borders, and to any folks who want to know how they can help now.
Did you know this December 6-9 will be CB’s 14th winter trip (and 28th mission trip overall)? Some of you have been a part of that ride for many years, and we thank you very much. As always, we need the support of folks like you to make these trips actually happen, and to be able to share blessings from God with the folks we go to serve in Mexico.
We need:
Shoebox gifts – Boxes filled with necessities and fun stuff for children. Last year we had a decrease in the number of shoeboxes donated, so we had to ration the number of boxes we could share with each ministry partner and event. I pray that this winter we can increase the number of shoeboxes we can give away to those cute kids made in God’s image, and who actually NEED and appreciate the items in the boxes. If you or your group can provide shoebox gifts, that’s wonderful. If you know of some other group that could help with this, please let them know about the need and the blessing, and point them to our website for details. Go to: www.cbmission.org and click on the Shoebox Ministry tab. Boxes can be shipped directly to our housing facility on the border, and they need to arrive there no later than December 5.
Prayers – We are in the midst of our detailed planning for the upcoming trip. There are multiple contacts to be made (often through difficult communication channels), safety and financial issues to consider, an events schedule to be decided upon, applications flowing in, the health and spiritual challenges of our Mexico ministry partners, travel plans to arrange, shoeboxes to prepare, ship and receive, and more. We solicit your prayers as this final month fills up with preparation and then the actual event happens on December 6-9 when up to 28 CB missionaries spend two days reflecting the love of God, the joy of Jesus, and the hope of the Spirit to hundreds of adults and children in some very needy places in Mexico.
Other miscellaneous items – People also make or purchase blankets (adult-size and baby-size), quilts, scarves, homemade toys, heavy cloth totes with handles (great for moms of infants), baby items such as powder, lotion, pacifier, onesies, rattles, baby bottles, diapers etc. (which we pack up onsite in the totes). Be creative; it’s all good! (NO clothes or shoes, please [except for the baby items]).
If you have questions, feel free to call either Lee Berger, director (903-746-4463) or Steve Solari, assistant director (615-480-0826).
