Congratulations to GCI Navy Chaplain Jonathan Henderson and his wife Nashisha on the arrival of their fifth child (third son), Caleb—pictured at left—already sporting a fohawk!
Caleb was born January 18 at 11:36am, weighing 7 lbs 10.6oz, 20 in. long. The Hendersons currently live at the US Naval Station in Newport, Rhode Island where Jonathan serves as a chaplain. To learn more about them, click here.
This update is from district pastor Heber Ticas, the senior pastor of Comunion De Gracia, the GCI Spanish-speaking congregation in Sun Valley, California. Heber is also shepherding the start of a new congregation in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles.
On October 14, Comunion de Gracia (Los Angeles church plant) celebrated its first anniversary service with 109 in attendance. The first year has been filled with surprises. We have encountered the joy of seeing people come to faith in our Lord but we have also shed tears as we encountered those in bondage to alcohol and drug abuse, children suffering because of the breakdown of the family and wives suffering as they see their spouses imprisoned. We thank Almighty God for the comfort and peace of knowing that he is in control.
On November 18, we had an outreach event to the community. We also served dinners on Thanksgiving and Christmas. The ministry team continues to create connections with the community. Our growth strategy includes both “attractional” and “incarnational” approaches: attractional through “big day” events such as our Christmas celebration; incarnational through missional groups that live and share the gospel in the midst of the community life.
Brian Carlisle, pictured at right with Anne, his fiancée, is the senior pastor of Living Hope Christian Fellowship, the GCI congregation in Vienna, Virginia (in the Washington, DC area).
Brian grew up in San Jose, California. He says that his competitive nature led him to become captain of the water polo team in high school, then a member of the rowing team at the University of California, Davis.
In 2007, Brian became a member of GCI. “It was the promotion of a Trinitarian incarnational gospel vision by GCI leaders that led me to want to join.” His interest in Trinitarian theology led Brian to his pastoral role. “I became a pastor in 2009. A phone call from Pastor Tim Brassell in 2008 asking me to consider being a pastoral candidate for where I am today is what led me to consider God’s call to full-time ministry.”
Brian loves to pastor because he loves people. “I have a desire to know people, to allow people to know me, and to know the God who is made known in Jesus Christ. I enjoy offering support for people to ‘see the Son and believe in him.’”
Brian says that he especially enjoys leading Bible studies and “exegeting the various Old and New Testament books within the context of a learning community.”
When asked what he enjoys about being part of GCI, Brian said, “I enjoy the freedom and openness to inquire and seek the truth in all the important matters of life.”
Brian’s personal vision is to tenaciously stand for truth and stand with others to disarm despair with hope. He also has an interest in the twelve ancient anointing oils mentioned in the Bible and, what he terms, “God’s forgotten biblical gift of healing.”
Asked when he feels closest to God, Brian replied, “When I’m seeking to know him through his written word, either alone or with other brothers and sisters in Christ.”
This update about Brian Queener is from his father, GCI pastor Mark Queener. For additional detail, see the previous post at https://update.gci.org/2013/01/brian-queener-2/.
Please continue to pray for Brian. He remains hospitalized in St. Louis with severe pancreatitis and multiple complications stemming from that condition. He is scheduled for an invasive surgery on January 25 to remove dead pancreatic tissue and infectious fluid from his abdomen. There are risks associated with the surgery and, perhaps, even greater risks involving post-operative complications. He certainly needs God’s protection, intervention and healing.
In a Christianity Today article titled, “Three Is the Loveliest Number,” Michael Reeves explains why the doctrine of the Trinity is not a “philosophical headache,” but a captivating picture of God in his goodness and beauty. Here is an excerpt in which Reeve’s quotes from Delighting in the Trinity (his new book published by InterVarsity Press):
Deep within the Christian psyche today seems to be the notion that the Trinity is an awkward and odd irrelevance, an unsightly wart on our knowledge of the true God. And so, when it comes to sharing our faith, we speak of God’s offer of salvation, we speak of God’s free grace, but we try not to let on that the God we are speaking of is a Trinity. We wax lyrical about the beauty of the gospel, but not so much about the beauty of the God whose gospel it is.
To read the article, click here.
This update is from Kalengule Kaoma who is GCI national director in Zambia and missions director in much of Africa.
Starting in late October, I have traveled to Madagascar, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Our national directors, their wives and church pastors and leaders send their greetings. Most of them are well and are keeping the faith with determination, love for God and love for our members.
When I visited Madagascar, the members were completing their annual convention, this year gathering in Antsirabe, which is three hours north of Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar. Angel Bodolalao Rafiringason, wife of GCI Madagascar’s national director Dr. Rigobert Rafiringason, gave an encouraging message about the promises we have in Jesus. I then covered as many topics as time allowed. The enthusiasm and desire of the members to learn electrified the meetings. There was lots of praise, worship and prayer. The Rafiringasons invest a lot of resources in their youth—many youth leaders were in attendance.
James Henderson facilitated the conference in Kenya with me where we met with 28 pastors and other leaders in Nairobi. A week earlier, many of these leaders had met to discuss the future of the Kenyan church. It was good for them to be together to cement relationships, beliefs and to grow in leadership skills. From Nairobi, I flew to Arusha where I met with three church leaders interested in joining GCI.
I met with 26 Tanzanian church leaders in Musoma. The last conference we had together was in 2010. This year there was a lot of noise as we greeted each other. Many questions were asked about grace and its implications in our lives. These leaders are eager and thirsty for more. I also met with a group of leaders in Kalisizo. I’ve been working with them over the last three years in an affiliation process.
In Entebbe, I met Pastor Joseph Mark Emeu-Oedo, who is seeking GCI affiliation. He trains rural pastors who have not attended Bible school. A lot of these “untrained” pastors oversee large congregations. He became interested in GCI when he visited our website and found that GCI plants “all kinds of churches in all kinds of places for all kinds of people.”
I then met another pastor in Kampala who had traveled 250 kilometers to meet me. He had many questions about our stand on grace. After the discussions, he invited me to visit him in his hometown.
In Eastern Uganda we met with 18 GCI leaders in Tororo. Pastor Edward Kagoro and his wife were not able to attend because of burns inflicted by thieves who had spread sulfuric acid on his shoulders. They also stole his motor bike. Thankfully, Edward is now better. His bike was recovered and his attackers were arrested.
The National Association of Evangelicals publishes NAE Insight. The theme of the new issue is An Agenda for the New Administration. Go to http://www.nae.net/images/content/Insight_2012_Winter.pdf.
GCI-USA’s SEP Rockies camp and Ground Zero Church recently hosted the annual Rocky Mountain Retreat in beautiful Estes Park, Colorado at the YMCA of the Rockies. There were 45 participants this year.
The retreat is designed as an informal leadership incubator for young adults who serve in camp and church ministry. Sarah Miles and John Egbert coordinated the retreat and Anthony Mullins, director of GCI Generations Ministries, was guest speaker.
Retreat sessions addressed loneliness and depression, Christian apologetics, and the strengths and weaknesses of social networking. Lots of fellowship, food and a roaring fireplace made it a special atmosphere for all, including the ten young adults who attended for the first time.
65 singles from seven GCI Philippines congregations and fellowships attended a year-end camp at Playa Calatagan, Batangas. The camp was held as part of the year-long jubilee celebration of GCI in the Philippines. The camp was designed to address the spiritual, emotional, intellectual, social and physical aspects of life as a single.
The camp site was located beside the white sand beach of Playa Calatagan Seaside Community. Everyone was grateful to God for the perfect weather. Inspiring presentations were made by Pastor Audie Santibanez, Pastor Gil Llaneza and Julian “Jing” Concepcion, Jr.
Following Christmas Day gang violence that left three innocent bystanders dead in Pasadena, California, several community leaders including GCI pastor Glen Weber (in the picture above at upper right) gathered with about 100 city residents to pray for peace. Rev. Kerwin Manning declared, “We’re here to declare peace over our community and our city.” The leaders asked the assembled crowd to take an active role in promoting peace.
Among the dead Christmas Day was Victor McClinton, a longtime Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department employee and founder of the nonprofit Brotherhood Community Youth Sports League. He was killed by a stray bullet from a gang-related shooting.
Read more at http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_22285680/community-members-leaders-rally-peace-pasadena#ixzz2GerwdlNS.
