Category: Announcements

All are welcome to come for all or part of a GCI-Canada Thanksgiving Conference that will be held in beautiful Penticton on October 8-15, 2016. Guest speakers will include GCI-USA Regional Pastor Rick Shallenberger with his wife Cheryl.

The conference theme is Empowered by Grace. As our understanding of God’s amazing, extravagant grace deepens, we are transformed and empowered to do the work he has prepared for us. Join in as we explore the depths of that grace, and how it empowers us to live today.

The conference will feature inspiring worship and fellowship. Ticketed events include a catered Thanksgiving banquet, dessert buffet on the historic S.S. Sicamous, lunch at the historic Zia’s Stonehouse Restaurant, a tour of the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory, and more.

NEW THIS YEAR: We will put on a community outreach event, providing worship music and reaching out to the community as they attend the very popular Farmers’ Market on Saturday, October 8.

For information and registration, go to www.gcicanada.ca.

GCI is a member of the National Association of Evangelicals in the United States. Joseph Tkach, GCI president and NAE board member, encourages GCI congregations to join other evangelicals in a special time of prayer during their times of worship on July 10, asking Jesus to reset our hearts and our nation. For information and resources, go to http://nae.net/praytogether/.

Congratulations to the individuals listed below who recently were ordained as GCI elders. We also congratulate their families and congregations.

• Cristobal Daza: Bogota COLOMBIA
• Samuel Tau: Moruleng SOUTH AFRICA
• Jose Romero: BOGOTA COLOMBIA
• Michael Guibord: Mt. Sterling, KENTUCKY

In addition to being ordained a GCI elder, Michael Guibord (pictured at right with his wife Brenda and Regional Pastor Randy Bloom), was recently installed as lead pastor of GCI’s congregation in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky.

We are pleased to make available to our camps, congregations and ministries a children’s version of GenMin’s 2016 camp curriculum, Celebrate the Grip. This curriculum is written for elementary school-age kids and comes with songs, games, participatory activities and small group discussion guides. It was written by Becky Jarrett, a friend of GCI and an ordained minister, mom and veteran children’s leader. To download this curriculum, click here.

Additional related resources

For a teen or adult version of the Celebrate the Grip curriculum, written by Jeff McSwain, click here. For resources that will help you teach the curriculum, and for other curricula provided by GenMin, click here.

As noted by GenMin national coordinator Anthony Mullins, our prayer is that the Holy Spirit will use this material to bring children, teens and adults to conscious participation in the life and love of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Church Administration and Development recently announced that the following men and women have been ordained elders in GCI. Congratulations to each one, and to the congregations in which they serve.

• Margarita Bahinting (10/4/15) Talisay, Cebu PHILIPPINES
• Rolan Laniba (10/4/15) Mactan, Cebu PHILIPPINES
• Daniel Rakotondrabary (10/6/15) Antsirabe MADAGASCAR
• Richard Ablordeppey (12/27/15) New Ashongman, Accra GHANA
• Abraham Asante-Manteaw (12/27/15) New Ashongman, Accra GHANA
• Apolonio Makahiya (1/17/16) San Pablo, Laguna PHILIPPINES
• [name removed] (1/24/16) Kings Mountain, NC
• Anthony Auernheimer (4/23/16) Tontitown, AR
• David Allen (4/24/16) Columbia, SC

Congratulations to GCI’s Victoria, B.C. (Canada) congregation—they recently celebrated their 50th anniversary as a church! Over 50 people attended the celebration church service and about 60 shared the meal that followed. During the celebration, Pastor Jack Kost (who with his wife Betty has pastored the congregation for the last 21 years) read greetings from former pastors. Here are pictures:

Would you like to join us for a week’s holiday on the beautiful island of Cyprus? GCI is holding a spiritual retreat there February 18-26, 2017. The retreat will involve Bible studies, worship services, prayer, meditation, outings, and, of course, hopefully some winter sunshine! Come for a minimum of four days, or for as many days as you like, or arrive early and leave late at the same pre-set rates.

The retreat will be held at the Athena Beach Hotel in Paphos (pictured above). The B&B rate for a standard room is 31 Euros (~$35) per night, per person in the room. Each person will also need to arrange for and pay for their travel.

At this point we need to gather the names of those who may be interested in attending so that we can get a count to assess the feasibility of conducting this retreat. If you are interested in participating, please email james.henderson@gracecom.org.uk. Once the possible numbers are more clear, further announcements will be made.

The May issue of GCI Equipper is now online. It addresses how we may participate with God in what he is doing to rebuild our congregations and denomination. To read the articles, click on the titles below. If you would like to be included on the list that is sent the monthly Equipper email (announcing the new issue, with links to the online articles), send your request to Ted.Johnston@gci.org.

From Greg: Our journey of rebuilding
In his letter this month, Greg Williams discusses how we can share in what God is doing to rebuild GCI—leading us forward to GCnext.

Rebuilding smaller congregations
Bob Miller discusses the transformation in his small, aging church when they changed ministry focus.

Rebuilding larger congregations
Dustin Lampe, Marty Davey and Gabriel Ojih recount how their churches are being rebuilt using tools acquired through GCI’s Outside the Walls consulting.

Sermon summary: Forward with Jesus
Brian Carlisle preaches about how Peter’s encounter with the risen Lord Jesus transformed his life and ministry.

Kid’s Korner: Planting lasting seeds
Susi Albrecht discusses the purpose and power of children’s ministry and children’s church.

GCI Generations Ministries (GenMin) is hosting the Converge West event in Encino, California, on April 15-17 (click here for details). With the theme “Celebrate the Grip,” Converge West is open to people of all ages, with a specific focus on those age 16-30.

Registration closes on April 1. Please consider sponsoring emerging leaders in your congregation. To register, click here.

The reviews from Converge East (held in Ohio in early March) say this event plays an integral part in gathering young adults, teens, pastors, camp directors, ministry leaders and others who want to be an effective expression in their local area of Christ’s love for all people. Here’s what you’ll find at Converge West:

• Jeff McSwain sharing the life and theology behind the 2016 GenMin camp curriculum “Celebrate the Grip.” He also will share details about the GCI Intern Program.
• Susi Albrecht talking about the GenMin 2016 theme, “The Year of the Child,” which addresses ministry to elementary-aged children in churches and camps.
• Susan McSwain, Executive Director of Reality Ministries, sharing how ministry to people with disabilities forever changed her outlook on compassion and service to others as she helps us “see the unseen” in society.
• GCI’s interns in the western part of the US having a significant role in the weekend.
• A theology forum answering important questions the young people have.
• Greg Williams providing a glimpse into happenings around the GCI landscape and how we can get involved
• Brad Turnage, a veteran youth pastor and part of a GCI church planting team, sharing insights on incarnational ministry—getting “outside the walls” of the church and camp to connect with young people where they are.
• Inspiring stories of what people are doing, around the region, to engage people in their communities.

Daniel Boesch, national director for GCI in Italy, announced recently that a worship festival will be held in Italy this summer (August 25-28, 2016). The event will be held at the Commodore Hotel (pictured above) in Montegrotto Terme, a resort-spa near Venice. Guest speakers will be James Henderson (from the UK) and Greg Williams (from the US).

For information, download the flyer at https://www.gci.org/files/Italy_festival_2016.pdf.