What is Christian witness?
This month’s GCI Buzz explores how witness begins with Jesus and grows through our relationship with him. As we follow him, we’re invited to share his love through our words, actions, and everyday relationships.
Living Kingdom Culture involves getting outside the walls of the church. In a world where meaningful connections can be difficult to find, local gatherings are helping bridge the gap. By bringing people together, we can create welcoming spaces where people can build friendships, support one another, and grow together.
Summer Block Party
Families, children and bubble enthusiasts enjoyed a day of fun, fellowship and community connection as Bubbles in the Park returned on Saturday, July 18. Hosted by GC Sacramento, California, the free event began at 11 a.m. and continued throughout the day, offering a welcoming space for people of all ages to gather outdoors and enjoy the simple joy of blowing bubbles.
Guests were welcome to bring their own bubble supplies, and free bubbles were available throughout the event. In addition to bubbles, attendees could request prayer, enjoy a complimentary lunch, or take advantage of all three. Cold water and light refreshments were also provided while supplies lasted.
The event brought neighbors together while creating opportunities for meaningful conversations, family fun and community engagement. We relocated to Citrus Heights in June 2024 with the goal of building relationships and serving its new community.
GC Sacramento welcomed families again this year as children enjoyed their summer break. Attendees spent the day enjoying the park, fresh air and activities.
We developed the idea for Bubbles in the Park as a simple way to connect with local residents and provide a free family-friendly activity during the summer months.
Our hope is to continue offering events like this and become an active part of the community. We love meeting people, sharing conversations, and offering encouragement. Each year we give away hundreds of bottles of bubbles, snacks, and if they’d like, prayers. Bubbles are a reminder that some prayers are answered immediately — they ‘pop’ right away — while others seem to float for a while before the answer comes. We hoped the gathering left participants feeling encouraged and connected.
Kairis Colter-Chiaji, Pastor
Sacramento, California, US
When we are young, time moves oh so slowly! And we have a perspective that we have all the time in the world. But when we get up in years, time moves so fast, almost like a blur. Technology doubles every 18 to 24 months and is producing results that are almost uncomprehensible.
So why is it important to think about time? The faster we go and the busier we get, the more dull, deaf, and blind we can become when it comes to godly things. We can lose the ability to sense when someone needs help; we might lose the ability to want to stop and help others. In our hurry, we run right past God’s invitations and God’s opportunities without even realizing it. We also lose the ability to truly love our fellow human beings. “The love of many will wax cold” (Matthew 24:12).
You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your being, and with all your mind. You must love your neighbor as you love yourself. Matthew 22:36-40
Love is patient. Love is slow-paced. Relationships — our relationship with God and our relationships with others — will grow when we are in unhurried time.
No matter what stage of life you are in, young, old, or in-between, we can adopt a mindset of unhurried time when it comes to God and our fellow humans. Sometimes we are so caught up in striving for efficiency that love seems like a luxury or even an obstacle to efficiency. Let’s take time to just talk and allow someone our precious time. Relationships are at the heart of the two great commands.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, we pray that you help us develop unhurried time to develop a relationship with you and others. Amen
Randal Roberts, Associate Pastor
Maumee, Ohio, US
Citizens of the kingdom believe in one Lord, one faith, one baptism — Lord Jesus, his faith, his baptism. We are baptized into Jesus’ baptism and his faith.
And we take seriously our responsibility to disciple members for the sacrament of baptism. Here’s one GCI resource that is helpful for baptism classes: We Believe with teacher’s notes
The sacrament of baptism proclaims that we are saved by Christ alone and not through our own repentance and faith. It is a participation in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, in which our old selves have been crucified and renounced in Christ, and we have been freed from the shackles of the past and given new being through his resurrection. Baptism proclaims the good news that Christ has made us his own, and that it is only in him that our new life of faith and obedience emerges. Grace Communion International baptizes by immersion. — GCI Statement of Beliefs
Baptism is a cherished value in the life of the kingdom because it visibly proclaims the grace of God already given to us in Jesus Christ. It is not about earning God’s favor but about participating in what Christ has accomplished on our behalf. Baptism declares our union with him, our forgiveness, and our new life by the Spirit.
As an outward sign of an inward reality, baptism joyfully bears witness that we belong to God’s family and share in his redeeming love.
Join us in celebrating the following GCI baptism. Both the individual and the community celebrate the transforming work of grace already at work among us.
O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come. Psalm 65:2 ESV
To hear from God is a great blessing. But it’s also a great blessing that God hears us. Consider the story of Hagar. When cast out into the wilderness, alone and desperate, she discovered that God is “the God who sees me” (Genesis 16:13). Then in Genesis 21:17, we are told that “God heard the boy [Hagar’s infant son, Ishmael] crying.”
These statements reveal something essential about the very nature of God: He is the God who hears!
To say that God hears is to say that he is moved, that he responds, that he is personally involved. These are truths that reach their full expression in Jesus Christ. And we are told in Hebrews 4:15-16, that as our High Priest, Jesus sympathizes with our weaknesses.
In Jesus, God not only hears human cries, but also enters into them. Think of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane where his prayers were raw, honest, and deeply human. And though the path of his suffering was not removed, God heard those prayers. The Father was present with Jesus in his suffering.
This reshapes how we understand being “heard.” It is not a guarantee of immediate relief but of divine presence and faithful response. So, when we pray — whether our words are articulate or faltering, hopeful or weary — we are not speaking into silence. We are being heard within the very life of the triune God who hears.
Prayer
Lord, you are the God who hears — not from a distance but from within the depths of our lives. Teach us to trust that no cry is lost, no whisper ignored. In Jesus, our High Priest, draw us into your listening love, that we may find rest in your faithful presence. Amen.
Ted Johnston, Grace Communion Seminary Faculty
Foley, Alabama, US
Through education, citizens of God’s kingdom focus on equipping the members of Jesus’ Church for their contribution in the ministry of all believers. Check out the opportunities for education and equipping through ACCM.
Ambassador College of Christian Ministry is operated by Grace Communion International in Australia.
Citizens of God’s kingdom value lifelong learning. And while they are learning at every stage of life, they agree that it’s even better to learn with others.
I was thrilled to be the instructor for Ambassador College of Christian Ministry (ACCM) for the inaugural Jesus and Gospels class. We had a wonderful cross-generational mix of men and women who came with a passion to learn more about Jesus. The four narrative Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are rich and unique as they paint four portraits of the same Jesus. The students eagerly dug into the class material and especially with the group assignments and group presentations.
Here’s a note from Pastor Julie Frantz:
This was an opportunity to come alongside young adults and growing leaders in the church. It provided an opportunity for deeper discipleship and intentional investment in walking with them through Scripture. In our desire to be a faithful Ministry Training Center (MTC), we continue to invite and invest in others as the Lord provides opportunity. This past Memorial Day weekend, we hosted our first ACCM intensive and humbly report that the Lord brought an eager and faithful group to grow and learn together. We are thankful for these initial steps towards being an active MTC.
In our three U.S. MTCs (Cincinnati, OH / Surrey Hills, OK / Sun Valley, CA) our goal is to offer two onsite ACCM classes per year. The students who represent the local church are formed into what we call a “Learning Community.” These people are already regular attenders of the church and are plugged into the life of the church. To invest in their development of Christ-centered, biblical knowledge is to better equip them for more impactful ministry. An added aspect is to create space for some of our current pastors who need to attend to their education, and these classes are a great way to assist them in professional development.
This new way of engaging students at the MTC sites marks a more formal partnership with ACCM and U.S. Church Administration and Development (CAD). It is a huge blessing to have the services of ACCM with the quality classes that are going to make a difference for the students in the Learning Communities.
Greg Williams, President
Charlotte, North Carolina, US
The retreat’s focus was Kingdom Living. The first evening began with a lecture as part of the Christian Leadership course offered by the Ambassador College of Christian Ministry (ACCM). The retreat included a full worship service on both days and an interactive examination of passages drawn from Acts of the Apostles and several of the epistles.
One of the features of this year’s retreat was the number of children in attendance. The children ran and played and ran some more, chasing each other all over the campgrounds. There was a 2-hour session each afternoon of games and children’s ministry activities themed around Kingdom Living.
The total number who participated in the interactive breakouts was nearly 40 adults and teens: six groups of 5 or 6 people on average. Each had a leader and one or two scribes to record the ideas the small group considered important. Then groups reported back to everyone. This was done essentially by the youth, with a little assistance from older members as needed. They did a remarkably good job, and a few of the shyer teens made great strides in their confidence, speaking before all of us.
We plan for the discussion conclusions, and especially those elements that might shape how things might be done in the church in the future, to be collected and woven into a summarising report for use by the GCI Fiji board and pastoral team.
By Dennis Richards, Pastor
Palmerston North, New Zealand
Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 NIV
Tom was one of our tour guides on a trip to Vietnam. On our second day with him, he apologised for his imperfect English. Apparently, he had come under criticism from previous tours and was worried about his position with his company.
While it was obvious that the guide was still learning English, we could follow what he was saying. And he was skilled in leading us around the various sites on the tour. Tom broke down as he spoke, and he later explained that he had come from a poor fishing village. Tom had wanted to get a good education but sadly was told that he would never accomplish anything.
He went to university, obtained a degree, and has worked for two years with this tour company. He is married with a young child. He was open about this, because our fellow tour members had shown him kindness and consideration. Following his openness, everyone in our group encouraged him.
How important it is to encourage rather than to criticise! To build up rather than tear down. To give others the benefit of the doubt, realising we generally have no idea of their life story, and the burdens they are already carrying.
Prayer
Loving Father, help me to be an encourager and to love people for who they are. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight. Let my words be kind and gentle, and full of grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen
By Bob Regazzoli, Pastor
Carina, Queensland, Australia
Citizens of the kingdom ask: How is Jesus already at work among our neighbors, and how can we participate faithfully? We understand it’s important to learn the religions, cultures, worldviews, and rhythms of our neighborhoods when discerning mission.
Mapping your neighborhood is an effective ministry tool to help you understand your community. See this Church Hack for more information.
How do we engage with our neighbors whose faith traditions are not Christianity? Below are some ideas:
1. Begin with curiosity, not assumptions. Learn your neighbor’s story. Ask questions before offering answers.
2. Build genuine friendships. Relationships create trust. Friendship is not a strategy; it is Christian love.
3. Listen for spiritual hunger. People often reveal hopes, fears, and questions naturally.
4. Share your experience of Jesus. Testimony is less threatening than debate.
5. Trust the Holy Spirit. We are witnesses; God converts.
