Registration is now open for GC Next—a gathering of young adults (ages 18-28) sponsored by Generations Ministries. The gathering will be held in Durham, North Carolina on January 13-16, 2017. There are only 38 slots left, so register soon!
We are pleased to announce that Laurent Poyrault, who provides voice-overs for the French version of Speaking of Life, has wed. Laurent and his bride Catherine are now enjoying a honeymoon cruise on the Seine River. Congratulations to them both!
The last GCI-USA Regional Conference in the 2016 cycle is coming to Orlando, Florida, on August 5-7. There is still time to sign up. For information click here (scroll down to the Florida regional conference listing). Note that there will be no GCI-USA regional conferences in 2017. Instead we’ll be hosting an (international) Denominational Conference in Orlando on August 2-6, 2017 (click here for information).
Regional Pastor Ted Johnston and his wife Donna (who live in Foley, Alabama), were in San Francisco recently for the birth of their fourth grandchild, Bodi Hunter Patrick Johnston. Bodi is the son of Ted and Donna’s son Joe and his wife Carey, and brother of 23-month-old River. Bodi was born at 1:20am on July 11, weighing 9 lbs., 1 oz. All are doing well (the grandparents are ecstatic!).
GCI-USA Generations Ministries announced recently that it is sponsoring training for children’s ministers in September. Here are the details from GenMin’s national coordinator Anthony Mullins.
Having deemed 2016 The Year of the Child, we in GenMin want to back up our commitment to children’s ministry by providing resources that will help our churches serve children within their fellowship and in their community. Toward that end, GenMin is hosting an equipping event for people who minister to children. It will be held at Christ Fellowship Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, starting with dinner at 7:00pm on Friday evening, September 16 and ending at 4:00pm on Saturday, September 17 (and you are welcome to stay over for the congregation’s worship service on Sunday morning).
Becky Jarrett, a talented and experienced children’s minister and friend of GCI, will lead the training, which will be highly interactive.
The price per person is $40, payable upon arrival (checks made to GCI)—this includes three meals and the training. Lodging is your responsibility. Lodging is available at Holiday Inn Express West, 5505 Rybolt Rd, Cincinnati. For reservations, call (513) 574-6000 ($99 per night, make your own reservations).
Training Address: Christ Fellowship Church 5000 N. Bend Rd. Cincinnati, Ohio.
Questions? Email Anthony Mullins at anthony.mullins@gci.org.
A GC Next event for 18-28 year olds is being planned for the Martin Luther King holiday in January 2017 in Durham, NC. Event coordinator Andy Rooney (one of GCI’s US ministry interns) developed a Prezi presentation about the event that can be viewed at http://prezi.com/klfld3b3kgvb/gc-next-presentation/.
This announcement is from GCI Treasurer Mathew Morgan.
I am happy to report that Capin Crouse LLP, our external auditors, recently finished auditing GCI’s financial records for 2014 and 2015. They presented their findings to our Board of Directors on June 16, 2016. The report states the following:
In our opinion, the combined financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Grace Communion International and Affiliate in the United States of America as of December 31, 2015 and 2014, and the changes in their net assets and their cash flows for the years then ended in accordance with accounting principles accepted in the United States of America.
This statement means that the auditors have given us a “clean” or “unqualified” report, which is what we always strive for. During the presentation of the report, the auditors also share a “Letter to Management” outlining any suggestions that they may have for changes or improvements. The report did not make any suggestions for improvements. The presenting partner stated, “It is unusual to have a letter to management without any suggestions, because we always try to find something!” She complimented management on the Church’s financial systems.
As outlined in the GCI-USA Financial Management Manual, we ask that our chartered churches and chartered fellowship groups also do an annual internal financial review and an external review every three years. These reviews are vital, for they help insure that congregational finances are handled with proper care so donors feel comfort knowing that their donations are used well in support of the gospel.
Any GCI member in good standing in the United States may obtain a copy of Capin Crouse’s audit report by sending their request to:
Grace Communion International
Treasurer’s Office
P.O. Box 5005
Glendora, CA 91740
Ross Jutsum, GCI elder and director of State of the Heart Ministries, and his wife Tammy are pleased to announce the recent birth of three grandchildren.
Ross and Tammy’s daughter Heidi recently gave birth to a son Gabriel Joseph. Heidi and her husband Ryan live in Connecticut. Ryan recently received a Ph.D. in Theology from Yale Divinity School, and with his mentor Miroslav Volf, coauthored the book Public Faith in Action.
The Jutsum’s daughter Lisa recently gave birth to twins: Evelyne Kathryn and Isaiah Frederick. The newborns, their mother and father (pictured below) are doing well. Lisa and Jonathan met in the Democratic Republic of the Congo while Lisa was serving as a missionary with Samaritan’s Purse, and Jonathan was working as a missionary pilot.
