Category: Be Inspired

Citizens of God’s kingdom embrace God as triune and relational and strive to spend our time in a way that prioritizes relationships and invests in people. We ask the Spirit to empower us to live relational lives, seeking proximity to others. We believe a fitting response to God’s love is to generously give our time to others as an offering. May we waste time on others in the prodigal sense — lavishing and expending extravagantly!

We invite you to read below a spiritual formation article from Publications Editor, Elizabeth Mullins. It was adapted from the Equipper article, Killing Time.

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It’s always a good practice to reflect on Jesus’ mission and my participation in it. I believe fellowship is a spiritual discipline, but am I devoted to it? A good formation practice for me is to regularly contemplate whether the way I spend my time prioritizes relationships.

One way I am being conformed to Christ is through relationships. Hanging out with others is how I pursue belonging and connection and build meaningful community. Often the connection that the Spirit intercedes between or among people cannot be planned for and cannot be hurried. Have I made room for availability and spontaneity?

Here are some reflections about cultivating the spiritual discipline of fellowship. May they serve as prompts as you discern with the Spirit.

• • • How much unscheduled time do I have? Why? How am I spending it?
    • When do I choose comfort, simplicity, solitude? When does that choice contribute to my formation in Christ? Is it ever a hindrance?
    • Am I ordering my life around the convenience of privacy and an uninterrupted schedule? Are there ways it has led to isolation?
    • How am I drawing a “wider circle” — wider than my family, my home, my preferred friend group? (Jesus widened our image of family — creating a new family, God’s household. Ephesians 2)
    • Reflect on the last time you spent time with a toddler or an elder. What do they have to teach me about the way we keep time? Are there ways we can celebrate inefficiency?
    • What story is my timekeeping telling? If a stranger observed my bodily rituals, what might they decide that I worship?
    • How might the Spirit be inviting me to create just a little more space and margin for killing time with other people?

Kingdom Living looks like faithfully investing time in people.

Read below about three initiatives in GCI India for examples of this type of investment.

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Bible Study Fellowship in Bachupally
The GCI India Hyderabad congregation continues to extend pastoral care and spiritual nourishment beyond the church premises. A group of four families residing in Bachupally, a distant part of the city, have been receiving monthly Bible study and fellowship visits from Pastor Praveen Chinta.

These gatherings include 12 adults and children. They are held in rotation at each family’s home. The meetings are filled with joyful participation, heartfelt worship, and deep reflection on God’s Word. The families have expressed how much they miss regular fellowship with the larger congregation but are thankful for this opportunity to grow together in faith and unity.

Through these monthly visits, GCI India continues to nurture spiritual growth and strengthen the bonds of Christian fellowship, ensuring that distance never separates God’s people from his love or his word. The church is prayerfully hopeful that this small fellowship in Bachupally will continue to grow and, in time, become a thriving GCI congregation serving that part of the city.

Equipping for the Lord’s Harvest
Grace Communion Church Hyderabad, in partnership with RHEMA Glob-al, joyfully completed its 53-day Pastoral Training School held from June 2 to July 25.

The participants graduated, equipped with foundational theological education, pastoral care, and missional training to serve the Lord and his people.

Pastor Praveen, who coordinated the training, expressed heartfelt thanks to GCI India for their generous support and encouragement throughout the program. The Lord said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Matthew 9:37. Let us continue to pray for these new laborers as they go forth to serve in the vineyard of the Lord!

Ecumenical Equipping in Vijayawada
Pastor Praveen has begun volunteering his time equipping co-laborers in Vijayawada. Though many of them have not received formal pastoral training, they are faithfully ministering in their local churches (non-GCI). They show a deep hunger to learn more about Scripture, theology, missional living, and pastoral care.

On October 10, 25 participants attended the first class. Pastor Praveen taught on Bible Study Methods and Rules of Interpretation through the Lord’s Prayer, while Pastor Moorthy from Guntur helped translate into Telugu. The students participated with great enthusiasm and a genuine thirst for the word of God, deeply encouraging the teaching team.

Your prayers are requested for the continued success of this training, that it may strengthen churches in the region and raise up more faithful leaders for the kingdom.

As GCI India continues to live out its motto “Be Blessed and Become a Blessing,” this initiative stands as a testimony to God’s ongoing work in equipping his people and spreading the light of the gospel in local communities.

Jesus used parables as one of the primary means of teaching about his kingdom. “Parables became one of the primary ways Jesus disrupted the default way of thinking in his culture. The word parable (parabole) comes from two Greek words that mean ‘to place or throw beside.’ Para means ‘beside’, as in parallel lines; bole means ‘to throw or to place.’ Teaching by parable means placing two things next to each other in order to learn more about them through contrast and comparison.”[1]

The parables challenge us to think about our beliefs and values, in light of the culture of the kingdom. Even the disciples had difficulty in understanding the parables when first given. After giving the Parable of the Sower, Mark records:

Later, when Jesus was alone with the twelve disciples and with the others who were gathered around, they asked him what the parables meant. Mark 4:10 NLT

Jesus then went on to explain the meaning of the parable. If we ask Jesus to teach us, he does. Ask him.

There is so much we can all learn from studying, discussing, and sharing the kingdom parables, and in so doing, we repent. We change the way we think, as we come to understand more about Jesus, his kingdom culture, and our living as citizens of the kingdom of God.

Prayer
Thank you, Father, Son, and Spirit, for including us in your life and kingdom. Help us, Jesus, to change our minds, to repent. Your teaching, healing, and sacrificial love, has revealed the glory and beauty of your kingdom. Spirit, teach us. Give us wisdom to understand your parables. We’re grateful that we don’t need to perfectly understand the meaning of your parables to be included in your kingdom. Amen.

By Bob Regazzoli, Pastor
Carina, Queensland, Australia

[1] Willard, D. (2024). The Scandal of the Kingdom: How the Parables of Jesus Revolutionize Life with God. Zondervan.

Citizens of God’s kingdom appreciate the importance of multiplying leaders. Ministry Training Centers bring increased focus to the development of emergent leaders in GCI.

Apprenticing and mentoring the next generation to participate meaningfully in Jesus’ ministry is an act of stewardship for the future. It presents an opportunity for mutual learning and fresh expressions of ministry in response to the Spirit. Ultimately, investment in emergent leadership is a natural outflow of healthy church rhythms.

What is a Ministry Training Center?

Read an interview discussing benefits of creating a learning center like an MTC.

Kingdom living involves preparing leaders who make disciples who make disciples. Read on to learn more about the important work taking place in our Ministry Training Centers (MTCs) around the world.

Bogotá, Colombia

Manila, Luzon, Philippines

Sun Valley, California, US

Surrey Hills, Oklahoma, US

Bogotá, Colombia

MTCs, within a Christ-centered Trinitarian theology, are not merely a doctrinal framework but a way of forming disciples and ministers who live and serve from communion with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In practice, the MTCs emphasize learning in community rather than individualism. Learning takes place through dialogue, mentoring, small groups, and shared service within relationships of discipleship and collaboration.

The movements experienced in the MTCs are interpreted through Christ himself, both as the content and as the model of ministry, in dependence on the discernment of the Holy Spirit. Students are taught to join the mission that God is already carrying out in the community so that each one may experience it in their daily lives. Therefore, it is not merely an academic formation but one of life, service, and relationships, both within the church and beyond it.

It is an integral formation that affirms a clear identity in Christ, who is shaping each of his children into his image and character. At the same time, it develops knowledge that enables a biblical, theological, and cultural understanding, so that students may discern the times and the place where they are, leading them to live lives of service and accompaniment in community. The way we think about God shapes our practice in the church, in community life, and personally.

We can say that the MTCs embody Trinitarian theology in practice when they are formed in community, with Christ at the center, in dependence on the Spirit, participating in the mission of the Father, and living the Christian life with the character, knowledge, and service of the Lord Jesus Christ, who sent us, as Jesus said, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21 NIV).

By Paulina Salinas, MTC Coordinator and Superintendent of Latin America
Bogota, Colombia

Manila, Luzon, Philippines

The MTC in the Philippines was launched in 2023, following the pilot of the Healthy Church program beginning with Grace Communion (GC) Pasig. During its inception, the MTC design and delivery model was adapted to the local context.

To address immediate and strategic needs for equipping in an inclusive and sustainable way, the MTC program was set up for hybrid implementation. It is hosted by GC Pasig but opened to leaders from other GCI congregations, with 16 local churches currently represented. Many interns are emerging leaders, with a few current leaders also included. Now on its second year, MTC Philippines has two batches of interns: batch 1 with 10 students and batch 2 with almost 30 participants.

3Ms: Ministry Training, Mentoring, Multiplication

One way multiplication is evident in the MTC Philippines program is in the awakening of pastors and congregations to the need for training their leaders and the benefits of leveraging the MTC. There is now a stronger appreciation for long-term and systematic leadership development. Local churches show ownership through their pastoral teams. These teams help select interns and provide church support for their financial, administrative, and ministry needs.
Multiplication is also evident in the growing number of interns, the MTC Philippines administrative staff, and volunteers from GC Pasig and other areas. It is also reflected in the variety of instructors who bring relevant knowledge and expertise, including church leaders who are also GCS students.

Meanwhile, focused and sustained mentoring is an area of growth. Many of our pastors did not have this kind of mentoring early on. To help cultivate a mentoring culture in the MTC, pastors are required to attend classes with their interns and debrief them weekly to promote accountability and deeper relationships. The curriculum involves an annual retreat for all interns, pastors, and instructors to facilitate personal interaction and learning exchange. The hope is for mentoring to become part of GCI Philippines’ leadership culture and way of doing ministry.

For ministry training, MTC Philippines aims to address the three domains of learning: head (knowledge), heart (character), and hands (ministry skills) by providing the Trinitarian Christ-centered lens, character development and team-based culture, and practical ministry tools. Assignments involve application and activities in interns’ local churches or ministry teams, which they have been implementing real time. It is worth noting that local churches have unique ministry contexts and opportunities, so the practicum fields vary.

In the last few years, the MTC program has been instrumental in the Philippines’ leadership development efforts, for interns to better understand GCI beliefs, cultivate practical leadership skills, and receive mentoring and support. It also benefits local churches and contributes to the continued roll-out of Healthy Church by deepening interns’ knowledge of principles and ministry implications, enabling them to participate more in cascading this to our congregations.

By Aron Tolentino, MTC Coordinator
Manila, Luzon, Philippines

Sun Valley, California, US

The Ministry Training Center in Sun Valley, California, began in fall 2024 with 15 credit students and 12 auditing students from the Sun Valley and Hawthorne congregations.

During the spring 2025 semester, we had 12 credit and 10 auditing students. In the Fall 2025 semester we have 12 credit students and 13 auditors.

At the Sun Valley MTC, we have four university students between the ages of 22 and 27. We have three couples between 30 and 45, and some between 50 and 60. All these students are actively involved in the church as Avenue champions, AWANA and Sunday school teachers, and facilitators of connect groups. We fervently pray to the Lord that in the coming years, leaders will emerge from this group of students who will pastor our churches or serve in various areas of ministry.

Finally, I would like to highlight that during the Fall 2025 semester, we had the pleasure of welcoming Dr. Greg Williams, who was the instructor for the class “Introduction to GCI Polity.”

By José Lopez, MTC Coordinator
Sun Valley, California, US

Surrey Hills, Oklahoma, US

For over three years, I have had the honor of serving as the Ministry Training Center Coordinator for Grace Communion Surrey Hills. It has been an incredible experience. I also had the privilege of participating in earlier internship and residency programs years ago before stepping into full-time ministry. Looking back, I can see how the program has shifted and grown, and I believe what we are experiencing now is truly something special.

At Surrey Hills we have two pastoral residents and one intern, and I have seen so much growth, hard work, and heart for ministry in these young leaders. The key, I believe, is GCI’s commitment to High Support/High Challenge. In the past, there was often strong encouragement and support, but perhaps not enough challenge or accountability. Young leaders crave responsibility and ownership. At the same time, challenge without support can overwhelm. Holding both together makes all the difference.

Support looks like saturating them in prayer, grounding them in Trinitarian theology, providing hands-on training, ensuring adequate financial help, and inviting them into life-on-life ministry each week. Challenge means trusting them to lead ministries, form healthy teams, and take responsibility for discipling others. It also means lots of time with me and lots of accountability. When these two dynamics work hand in hand, young leaders are not only encouraged — they are equipped to thrive.

What excites me most is that the fruit is already visible. Our two residents and our intern are new to GCI since we planted here in 2022. They aren’t just learning about church — they are being the Church. They serve daily, lead actively, build relationships, and invite others into the life of Christ. They are walking others through the Apprenticeship Square and are passionate about equipping more disciples.

God has been so faithful to this work, and I believe the best is yet to come. We are seeing leaders emerge who love Jesus, embrace our theology, and are eager to join the Spirit in what he is doing in our neighborhoods. This is how leaders, ministries, and churches will multiply — not by theory alone, but by living out the gospel together every day.

By Ceeja Malmkar, MTC Coordinator and Pastor
Surrey Hills, OK, US

Everything we do and believe flows from the relationship of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ. That relationship imparts meaning to all we do in life. This was highlighted for me recently when I officiated a funeral, then attended a wedding.

I officiated the memorial service for Doris, who had been an example of the love of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Before she died, she asked me, “If you do the funeral, tell them about God’s love.” Her family shared, “In the past few years, Mom became even more loving. She just exuded love.”

During her service, I related how Genesis starts with, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” But the apostle John refers to something even earlier.

In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. John 1:1

Then I described how Father, Son and Holy Spirit live in perpetual love and desire to share that love with all. I explained that the love they had felt from Doris was the love of God she had been experiencing and sharing.

More recently, my wife and I attended a wedding where the bride’s father opened the ceremony with a discussion of the relationship of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The bride and groom had invited that love into their relationship with Jesus Christ. Their vows described walking in the love of God.

Two ceremonies – one for death, one for marriage – reminded me the relationship of the triune God should permeate every aspect of our lives. It’s kingdom living.

Prayer
God, we thank you that in creating us, you wanted to share your relationship within the Godhead with all. May every aspect of our daily lives also flow from our relationship with you. Amen

By Glen Weber, Elder Emeritus
Aurora, CO, US

Citizens of God’s kingdom take seriously our mission to love our neighbors and to share the gospel. Our calling includes the responsible management of our resources, congregationally and personally.

The intersection of mission and money in budgeting supports a church’s commitment to living out its vision. Below is an excerpt of Cara Garrity’s Equipper article, “Money Follows Values.” Read the full article here.

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The most effective budgets begin with mission, vision, and values. What is the mission, vision, and values of the local congregation?

You may have heard it said that money follows what we value. Reflect on the budget and financial habits of the congregation. What does it reveal about what has been given value?

• • In what ways has the budget reflected the mission, vision, and values of the local congregation?
  • In what ways has the budget reflected values or priorities other than the stated mission, vision, and values of the congregation? Where did these alternative priorities come from?
  • How can the budget become better aligned with the mission, vision, and values of the congregation in the upcoming year? What needs to change for that to happen?

You may have also heard the phrase “put your money where your mouth is.” It is meant as an exhortation to align your actions with your words. Don’t just talk about it, do something about it. Prayerful budgeting is one way that we can “put our money where our mouth is” concerning our participation in Jesus’ ministry and living out the mission, vision, and values of the local congregation.

• • What are we willing to do or change so that our budget reflects our mission, vision, and values?
  • How will the annual budget support the goals of the Team Ministry Action Plan (TMAP)?
  • How will the annual budget reflect the priorities of the Faith, Hope, Love, and Pastor Avenues?
  • How do we want to communicate about church finances?

By Cara Garrity, Development Coordinator,
Lynn, Massachusetts, U.S.

 

Kingdom Living looks like trusting God as provider. It looks like generous people sharing their treasure with others. Kingdom citizens do not hoard from fear and scarcity. Read below how two congregations are trusting God with their resources.

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Appleton, Wisconsin, U.S.

GC Appleton thanks our God of abundant provision for the resources to pay off the mortgage on our church building that has been our home since 2008. We’re grateful to have been able to use this building over the last 17 years for multiple community events, weddings, monthly community interfaith prayer gatherings, as well as our weekly worship services and church events. We’re also grateful for this building that housed our Good Neighbor Day Camp for the last three years. We praise God, and pray that God will provide guidance going forward in stewarding our funds in a way that furthers the kingdom in this neighborhood and brings God honor and glory. Amen

By Becky Deuel, Pastor
Appleton, Wisconsin, U.S.

Ferguson, Missouri, U.S.

Since 2013, GC Ferguson, in Missouri, has conducted a special offering at the end of the year, which longtime members look forward to with joy. Here are some of the best practices we have found useful.

Set a goal: A specific target with clear objectives helps people know how the year-end offering (YEO) will be used. This gives people a tangible target to pray about and to invest in personally. We often include activities we feel the Lord wants us to start or expand but could not fund through regular offerings. For example, you might need upgraded audio visual (AV) equipment or rent for a connect group at a neutral location. Our goals generally amount to 5-10% of our annual budget.

Communicate early and often: I begin reminding members about the YEO in September or October through periodic announcements so they can begin planning. I encourage members to begin setting aside funds. Using a special envelope that is dedicated to the YEO helps to build anticipation. There are two main strategies we employ:

1. 1. Proactive savings: Put aside funds to match your spending. For example, I set aside a dollar for each gallon of gas purchased. Some may prefer to put aside a few dollars each time they shop for groceries.
   2. Found money: Be on the lookout for little surprises from our heavenly Father. We all occasionally receive money that was unexpected: a gift for no reason, a rebate, a discount, or perhaps a bill that was much lower than we budgeted.

I include reminders to members during offering messages or announcements and through emails. This builds anticipation as we see the Lord providing for the YEO.

Special appeal to co-laborers of the gospel: Share your needs and invite them to share in the joy of meeting these needs. Encourage them to respond by the end of the year and include the ways they can send gifts — text, online, cash apps, regular mail. GC Ferguson supplies a return envelope for their convenience.

Set a date for the in-service offering: Joy is increased by having a specific date to receive the offering. We traditionally set the third Sunday in December to receive the offering during the worship service in addition to the regular weekly offering.

Celebrate the results: I share the results as they come in, which adds to the joy of giving. We have a final tally only after mail offerings arrive in early January. Members are always excited to see how the Father, Son, and Spirit meet these special needs through them.

By Karl Reinagel, Pastor
Ferguson, Missouri, U.S.

 

Do you know what a white rainbow is? Better yet, have you seen one? I haven’t, and I only just learned that they even exist.

White rainbows are sometimes called fogbows. They are like rainbows — light entering water at just the right angle. But the droplets of fog are about 100 times smaller than drops of rain. Because the droplets are so tiny, most of the light is scattered rather than refracted as in a rainbow. As a result, the colours are washed out, leaving a white rainbow.

The combination of light and water and its effect got me to thinking of Jesus as the Light of the world, flowing to and through us.

All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it. John 1:3–5 NRSVUE

Neither the rainbow nor the fogbow would exist without the sun (in our case, the Son). We are blessed to live in a constant state of being receivers. We easily forget this and think of ourselves as being doers.

We are God’s children (his drops or droplets), and we receive and reflect his light. In both Ezekiel and Revelation, we find references to the glory of the Lord described as a rainbow. Consider the beauty and glory of God’s determination to finish the work he has started in each of us. I may never see a rainbow again (or a fogbow, if I’m lucky) without thinking of the rainbow beauty of God’s life that he shares with and through me.

Prayer
Jesus, thank you for being our light. Spirit, empower us to refract the beauty of God’s love out to others. Amen.

By Ruth Matthews (1951 – 2023)

Adapted from the full article written in 2023.

Citizens of God’s kingdom believe that Jesus is working through his Bride, the Church. We believe that members of his Body together are being conformed to the image of Christ. GCI’s CMM is devoted to transformational church values and resources. Learn more below.

Church Multiplication Ministries | Grace Communion International Resources