On May 30, the Grace Communion Pikeville congregation celebrated its ninth anniversary of serving free meals to our neighbors. For several years, we offered Easter and Christmas meals to our community. But nine years ago, we sensed God was telling us to do more. We sought to understand what the “more” was, and we felt God telling us to feed people meals on a regular basis, more than twice a year. And the community kitchen was born.
We started by serving a meal at the end of each month. Over time, we adapted as we discerned the needs in our community and felt an urging by God to do more. We went from serving a meal a month to a meal a week. Then in 2020 during Covid, we began serving meals two days a week and have continued to do so.
God has made the way for us to be able to serve and provides the means to do so, often in very unexpected ways. Through the hard work of our volunteers and community partners, we serve an average of 800 meals a week.
We are truly privileged to be able to share the love of Jesus to our community through our meals. Our motto is found in Matt. 25:35 “For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat …”
On June 1, Grace Communion Cleveland, by the power of the Holy Spirit, successfully organized and held a free event for kids to celebrate the start of their summer vacation from school. As a connecting point, the engagement event was held where we meet for services. From noon until 4 p.m., our common area was filled with families who we invited from two of the elementary schools in our community.
Students enjoyed games, earning tickets for prizes, and a bounce house that was always filled with children. We also set up an indoor roller skating rink in the gym. We served hot dogs cooked on the outdoor grill, lemonade, bags of popcorn, and frozen popsicles to fill hungry people.
A mother and daughter team in our congregation never took a break from creating beautiful individual works of art on the faces of children and adults. Our hired balloon artist continually made fun balloon sculptures for everyone who waited patiently in line. Some children took the opportunity to create a canvas board painting at a table run by an artist who has a studio in the building. The table offering stacks of children’s books that were donated by the literacy cooperative were happily taken home by families as they left the event.
We estimated that there were more than 200 people in attendance. We felt very blessed to have had such a wonderful connection with our community. Glory to our God!
By Pat Shiels, Love Avenue Champion Cleveland, OH, US
Dr. Jeff Broadnax has been representing GCI with racial reconciliation initiatives held by the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE). I recently asked Jeff to represent me at a gathering in Montgomery, Alabama. His letter below gives the details of this visit. We have strategically placed his letter in this issue of Update as a good introduction to the similarity training that will be held at each of the Regional Gatherings this summer. Thank you, Jeff, for your instructive and inspirational insights.
I was honored to represent GCI, along with more than sixty leaders and ministry members, on the NAE’s Racial Justice and Reconciliation Collaborative. For two days, we interactively discussed the Christian church’s response to racism, injustice, and social, cultural, and political division in America.
We gathered in Montgomery at the Legacy Sites established by the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI). Fueling our discussions and reflections were messages from NAE President, Dr. Walter Kim, Dr. Bernice King (daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.), Dr. Christina Edmonson, and EJI Founder, Bryan Stevenson. We toured the Legacy Museum, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice (devoted to the victims of racial terror lynchings) and the newly opened Freedom Monument Sculpture Park [pictured above].
I felt like one of the pilgrims in Jerusalem on Pentecost. Peter’s compelling witness about the life and ministry of Jesus went beyond simply reciting teachings received as Jesus’ disciple. Peter’s narrative recounted his freshly baptized and restorative experience of Jesus’ calling, ministry, crucifixion, resurrection, and personalized sending.
Peter unashamedly proclaimed hard truths to all with ears to hear because he understood that it was by hard truths that Jesus enabled his own ears and eyes to be spiritually opened afresh. The garden of Gethsemane, Pilate’s courtyard, the upper room, and the shores of the Sea of Galilee, among others, were key moments with Jesus that shaped Peter’s passionate witness to “strengthen his brothers.”
So convicting and compelling was Peter’s message, that the pilgrims cried out, “Friends, what should we do?” The answer was clear. “Turn to God and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins and you will receive the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38 CEV).
Every Jesus-follower’s responsibility is to listen for and hear truth from God, then respond by sharing it. While in Alabama, I saw and heard of the wonders of God “in my own language,” and the Holy Spirit took me deeper into some hard truths regarding racial justice and reconciliation in the Body of Christ.
Christian leaders gathered for the NAE Racial Justice and Reconciliation Collaborative
While sitting in the very same room where enslaved people were chained and examined before being auctioned off, Bryan Stevenson shared his visionary calling from God to confront the darkness of historical, current, and future racial division and injustice with the disinfecting light of truth and reconciliation found in Jesus. He chose Montgomery as the site for these museums because Montgomery represented the heart of racial division in America.
Montgomery was the site where Jefferson Davis was sworn in as the President of the Confederate States of America in 1861, and it was where Alabama governor, George Wallace, proclaimed in his 1963 inaugural address, “I say segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever.”
These two days of Christian discussions and experiences of hard racial truths of American history were by no means my first. I have visited over a dozen major sites addressing America’s racial history. However, I can say, this experience was the most personalized.
You see, my paternal grandparents and great grandparents were born and raised in this racialized part of the south in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. With God’s help, they navigated in real time the hard truths I was learning about 160 years later.
Before arriving in Montgomery, I toured other key sites of the civil rights movement in Birmingham. I sat in my car and listened to Dr. King read his letter from that very jail to local Christian pastors calling them to experience a metanoia and join Jesus in the ministry of racial justice, inclusion, and reconciliation. (The Greek word metanoia means to change one’s mind.)
I then visited my great grandparents’ graves in the small, unkept cemetery at the end of a rural dirt road. I wanted to share a time of prayerful lament, thanksgiving, and worship to God for his faithfulness in allowing me to live out the dreams they only saw in their mind’s eye. While kneeling there in the Holy Spirit’s comfort, I was also convicted of some personal divisive darkness needing cleansing in Jesus. That’s how he works.
The Christian church, as ambassadors of reconciliation, must shine God’s disinfecting light of grace and truth into the dark brokenness of sin that hides, resides, and at times gets expressed within human interactions. GCI embraces this mandate and at the Friday sessions of the Regional Gatherings this summer, I will lead a Christ-centered equipping workshop designed by Pastor Miles McPherson, called, The Third Option Similarity Training exploring relational oneness in Jesus.
Once washed and compelled by the reconciling forgiveness in Jesus, I humbly look forward to asking the “What shall we do?” question to those ready to explore the hard truths guiding the ministry and message of reconciliation.
From the editor: To our U.S. readers, may you have a meaningful Juneteeth observance! If your fellowship held a Juneteeth celebration with your neighbors, tell us about it. Send your story to elizabeth.mullins@gci.org.
“The more we pray, the more we think to pray, and as we see the results of prayer—the responses of our Father to our requests—our confidence in God’s power spills over into other areas of our life.” — Dallas Willard
Join us as we unite in prayer and align our hearts with the purposes of God, trusting in his guidance and provision. Download our June prayer guide and participate with Father, Son, and Spirit in bringing our petitions and praises before the throne of grace.
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Kathy & Grant Forsyth, David Borum, Rick Shallenberger
On May 5th, I had the blessing of installing David Borum as the associate pastor of our GCI congregation in Kenockee, Michigan. I wish I had the space to tell you all the Holy spirit interventions we experienced during this transition.
During some downtime at the 2023 Denominational Celebration, I was chatting with Tim Sitterley, US West regional director, and David. David shared his excitement about the growth some congregations were experiencing, and his desire to serve even more. When Tim asked if he’d ever consider moving, David said that as much as he loved the members in Seattle, he had determined that he would follow wherever the Lord led him. Eventually, I interjected, “Would you consider moving to Michigan?” I hadn’t planned to bring up the topic and was a bit surprised the words came out of my mouth. Tim and David also looked surprised, but David repeated that he was willing to follow where the Lord led. The next morning, I introduced him to Grant and Kathy Forsyth.
From that introduction, the three of them spent much of the rest of the conference together and quickly realized how much they had in common in their approach to ministry. They continued getting to know one another virtually, and David visited the congregation and fell in love with it. Several other Holy Spirit interventions took place throughout the discernment process, which culminated in his installation on the congregation’s annual Dedication Sunday.
Prior to coming to Kenockee, David was serving as the pastor of GC Northshore (Seattle, Washington). Originally, David was a part of GC River Road (Eugene, Oregon), where he completed his pastoral residency. David said he is looking forward to serving the congregation and being fully integrated into the community in hopes of being a blessing to all he meets. Read More
Below Pastor Grant describes the transition.
Some time ago, Rick Shallenberger asked me where I saw myself in five years. I said “retired!” I was not eager to leave ministry, but it was clear there would need to be some succession planning if we were going to keep the momentum going in the congregation in Kenockee, Michigan. Kathy and I had been praying for God to supply the leader for the next chapter in our story, not knowing who we were praying for!
David Borum was our answer.
Kenockee is a big change for David! He comes from an urban, west coast community, and we are a middle America, rural farming community. But the congregation members have welcomed and accepted David. All of us are enjoying getting to know him. He fits right into “Kenockee life.”
It is obvious that the Holy Spirit has sent us David Borum as associate pastor to lead us in the continuation of Healthy Church here. I think it’s amazing how God uses each of us in his story, since there were several connections, consultants, and introductions that came together for David to come to us.
A huge thank you to all the participants that followed the lead of the Holy Spirit. We are excited to see where God is leading. Thank you, David, for uprooting your life and crossing the country to follow God’s lead.
Grant
By Rick Shallenberger, Regional Director U.S. North Central
Discover the transformative power of Christ’s love in our new series, GCI Testify. Witness firsthand the impact of the Spirit in and through GCI, as members from our global fellowship share testimonies of Jesus. Click here to view previous testimonies; scroll to “Archive” at the bottom of the screen for the full list.
As part of our Love Avenue rhythms at Comunion De Gracia Sun Valley, we celebrate and honor mothers in several ways. On the Saturday prior to Mother’s Day, our men’s ministry put together a gala dinner for the mothers of our congregation, along with some guest mothers. Church members were encouraged to invite their friends and family who are mothers. The only prerequisite is registering for the event. Sixty-seven mothers participated in the event including 13 first-time visitors. The men and the youth waited the tables to the delight of the participants.
In addition to the exquisite dinner provided, the mothers enjoyed fellowship, music, and multiple goodies that were raffled. Perhaps the most enjoyable part of the night was the professional photography. All the mothers were invited to partake in a free photo shoot that was donated by a church member.
The following day for our Sunday service, we prayed over and anointed all the mothers in attendance, including many first-time visitors and some of the mothers who attended the gala dinner the previous day. The whole weekend was dedicated to celebrating and blessing the mothers in our midst. Two weeks earlier we had celebrated our first of two Blessing of Children services for the year. It was so fitting that the mothers were now the ones who were being anointed, celebrated, and the recipients of much love.
These missionally minded events are a great way to express love to the mothers and create a space for the greater body to participate missionally and to join Jesus in his continued pursuit of all people.
Every Blessing,
By Heber Ticas, Pastor & Superintendent of Latin America
The Suva congregation in Fiji reached a key milestone on their ongoing vision when the three Avenue champions were commissioned last fall. Epeli Nakautoga is serving as the Hope Avenue champion, Eugene Panuve as the Love Avenue champion, and Jason Raki as the Faith Avenue champion.
Together with Pastor Frank and Emily Boyd, I have observed Eugene, Jason, and Epeli and their ongoing maturing, clear leadership abilities, and willingness to serve. We felt their unique giftings and temperaments make them well suited for these roles. Happily, they readily agreed.
We commissioned them before the congregation, and I explained that they were selected because they had shown themselves faithful over time. Each had stepped up to serve whenever asked and had shown himself teachable and consistently enthusiastic about the congregation’s vision and plans. They have demonstrated both their leadership capacities and suitability for these new responsibilities. What a pleasure it was to commission them as Avenue champions, and what an encouragement to the church in this region.
Youth leader is another important role in the life and health of the Suva church. Tongli Panuve and Joana Wainibuli are youth leaders providing regular weekly studies for the youth. I am encouraged that the relationships amongst the group are strong, and I see their potential for greatly assisting our vision of Healthy Church in Suva.
I ask that you pray for all three Avenue champions. Pray for Frank and Emily Boyd, who will guide and encourage them. And please pray for me also that I provide appropriate training and resourcing in a timely fashion.
Dennis pictured with his wife, Sue
By Dennis Richards, Pastor and Regional Director, New Zealand Palmerston North, New Zealand
Just the fact that the word ordinary is a synonym for common is enough reason for me to love Ordinary Time. Because I feel common and often clumsy at kingdom living. Do you ever feel that way?
In truth, Ordinary Time gets its name from the word “ordinal,” which simply means counted time. In the English language, we use “ordinary” to mean typical, regular, habitual, which also feels appropriate for this season, doesn’t it? What habits or rhythms do you plan to begin in Ordinary Time?
During the other worship calendar seasons, we celebrate that the incarnate Son has come into the world. We rehearse that God is saving and reconciling us through Jesus’ life, death, resurrection, and ascension. We commemorate that Jesus gave us his Spirit, so we are never alone.
What now? What is a typical life, embodying this good news?
During Ordinary Time, let’s talk about “what now.” For the next 11 issues, our devotionals will reflect on participating with Jesus in his mission to build his church. Let’s reckon with the challenges of loving our neighbors and wrestle with the questions that don’t have easy solutions.
Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, “Where I am going, you cannot come.” I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:33-35 NRSVUE
Prayer: Beautiful Savior, we don’t always know how to live this life. But as the vicarious Man, you know. Teach us to love. We’re so grateful that we never do it alone. May we trust our union with you in deeper and deeper ways. Amen.
On May 30, the Grace Communion Pikeville congregation celebrated its ninth anniversary of serving free meals to our neighbors. For several years, we offered Easter and Christmas meals to our community. But nine years ago, we sensed God was telling us to do more. We sought to understand what the “more” was, and we felt God telling us to feed people meals on a regular basis, more than twice a year. And the community kitchen was born.
We started by serving a meal at the end of each month. Over time, we adapted as we discerned the needs in our community and felt an urging by God to do more. We went from serving a meal a month to a meal a week. Then in 2020 during Covid, we began serving meals two days a week and have continued to do so.
Debby Bailey, Pastor
