Category: Be Inspired

Citizens of God’s kingdom are convinced that all believers — of every age — are called to participate in Jesus’ mission to the world through the Body of Christ.

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Equipping Youth for Ministry

In my region of Southern Africa, we are encouraging our congregations to hold local youth camps during the year, as a Love Avenue activity. The local camps are open to the neighbourhood youth, and they provide the local church an opportunity to engage with their neighbours.

In the Republic of South Africa (RSA), we hold an annual national camp in December. The national camp is only for youth who are members of our GCI fellowship. It is focused on equipping our youth for ministry. This year youth attended from congregations throughout RSA, including Polokwane, Maelula, Bloemfontein, Mohlakeng, Aruka, Johannesburg, Redhill, Mohlakeng. View more pictures here.

The highlight of the camp was the gala dinner at which we announced the Youth Ministries Awards. Awards were presented to winning congregations and runners-up in the following categories: Hope Avenue, Faith Avenue, Love Avenue. An Overall Youth Ministry award went to a congregation (and runner-up) that demonstrated a balanced youth program focusing on the three ministry Avenues of Hope, Faith, and Love. This is confirmed through youth participation in church activities (like worship, media, preaching, scripture readings, offerings, etc.), youth discipleship activities, and engagement with unchurched youth. Awards for Emerging Youth Leader were presented to two individuals who show leadership and initiative.

When we reviewed the entries for the awards, I was impressed by the amount of engagement our youth are having in their churches. Our hope is that some of the energy of the youth ministries will filter into the whole church. My prayer for this week is that 2025 may bring more exciting developments as we continue to grow into healthier churches that are living and sharing the gospel through the ministry Avenues of Faith, Hope, and Love. Amen

By Takalani Musekwa, Regional Director of Southern Africa
Pretoria, Gauteng, RSA

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Gathering for Inspiration, Encouragement, and Fun

I am delighted to share an update with you from the Youth and Family Weekend held in January at a recreational camp in Queensland, Australia. We were blessed to have almost 50 young people, including parents and staff, as participants. The campers from Fiji and New Zealand added much enjoyment to the camp. It was rewarding to see the interactions and the developing friendships amongst the group.

The rock-climbing activity took place on Friday afternoon, followed by canoeing and paddle boarding on Saturday morning, basketball in the afternoon, and fun, interactive icebreakers and board games into the evenings. Whilst Sunday was pack-up time, we were able to stay till afternoon tea, giving us another day of activities. It was a blessing that we could avail ourselves of indoor activities such as basketball and volleyball due to the heavy rains that set in on Sunday. We enjoyed discussion time with Pastor Bharat Naker, who gave the two devotionals.

We all came away from camp with some unforgettable memories. I’m grateful for your prayers for the young people and all the preparations. By God’s grace, all went ahead safely and successfully.

By Daphne Sidney, Superintendent of Australasia
Logan, Queensland, Australia

Checkmate! It’s the word the winning player declares in the endgame of chess when the losing king is trapped and as good as dead. Jesus died. Is our King a losing king?

He was despised and rejected by mankind,
a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.
Like one from whom people hide their faces
he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:3–5 NRSVUE

This King of Israel, after being anointed for his burial, enters Jerusalem on a donkey, and the plotters gather to deliver their coup d’etat. He is betrayed, arrested, abandoned, tortured. He stood accused by those in power and did not defend himself against a single charge. On the surface, it appears that evil is winning, and the King is losing.

The soldiers mock the King with a crown of thorns, a scarlet robe, and a staff. Jesus is lifted up on the cross, which resembled anything but a worldly throne. Unlike other kings, who win, who conquer by killing and taking, the King sets the entire cosmos right by giving his life. And in so losing his life, the King draws all to himself. He secures the keys to death by losing his life, entering hades and unlocking it from the inside. Jesus Christ is God’s checkmate!

Prayer:
Abba Father, we thank you for your beloved Son and for giving us an anointing in him through the Holy Spirit. Help us to listen and abide in him, amen.

By Bharat Naker, Pastor
Carina and Logan, Qld, AU

This month, GCI Buzz dives into how Jesus’ teachings on the kingdom of God shape our faith.

Click here or the image below to view the entire Buzz. #gcibuzz

Check out the printer-friendly PDF.

Citizens of the kingdom live missionally because we are made in the image of and follow a missional God. Learn more about how a missional posture fosters discipleship and formation in this Church Hack.

Citizens of the Kingdom are servants, made in the image of our God who serves and lays down His life for the world.

Satkhira, Bangladesh

Early this month, the leaders in Satkhira gathered for evaluations and to plan for 2025. Healthy leaders are servants who seek feedback and are intentional to prepare for the future.

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Rayong, Thailand

Last month, GCI Rayong made a heartwarming visit to a neighborhood school as part of their engagement efforts. This initiative highlighted our commitment to spreading love, kindness, and support to local communities. Rayong Panyanukul School is an exceptional boarding institution dedicated to providing education and care for students with special needs, specifically those with Down syndrome, autism spectrum disorder and learning disabilities.

Our team organized an engaging program for the 30 students that included a short message emphasizing God’s love revealed in the birth of Jesus. The children also enjoyed singing, dancing, playing games, and receiving gifts. Then our team successfully served lunch to the residents of the five dormitories, approximately 260 students. We showed the students warmth and love through the shared meal and heartfelt conversations, offering not just material support but also spiritual nourishment.

Afterwards we celebrated the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord. The program was not just a success in terms of service but also in deepening the faith of those involved. We look forward to continuing Jesus’ mission by spreading more joy and hope in the future.

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Mindoro, Philippines

GC Bansud and GC Naujan are partnering with other Filipino GCI congregations expressing the kingdom lifestyle of serving. Bansud and Naujan are on the Island of Mindoro. Many people on the island are “Mangyans,” the term used collectively for eight tribes in the province.

The members on the island have limited resources. But it is a beautiful sight to see them pool their resources (time, talents, finances) with others to serve their community, collectively joining Jesus in expressing His love in action and words. In December, they celebrated seven baptisms.

Their new hall was made possible through collective generosity. This hall is God’s answer to years of prayer for a place of worship, a place of training, and a shelter during strong typhoons. This hall is in the heart of their neighbourhood and can accommodate about 80 Mangyans. At a recent three-day event, members donated gifts to 75 families, served about 500 meals, and hosted a friendship basketball game for the community.

One inspiring example of service is Mindoro’s leadership. Until his retirement last month, Pastor Bernardo Cuizon, at 90 years of age, was the oldest bi-vocational pastor in the country. He and his wife, Marina, continue to inspire, teach, and model the life of servanthood and Christian love.

After the retirement of Pastor Bernardo, his daughter, Gemma Cuizon Venus, was commissioned as the new pastoral team leader. She also pastors GC Binan, and while serving there, she has been traveling to Mindoro to lend a hand in sustaining their ministry for many years.

The sacrifice and steadfast service of Pastors Bernado and Gemma are a testimony of how the Spirit empowers the citizens of God’s kingdom to reflect Jesus’ mission.

 

When we talk about the kingdom of God, we, of course, understand that we are speaking of the kingdom Jesus established in His earthly ministry. His kingdom is real, and it will have no end. It is already here, and we may participate in it right here and now in this life.

So, who is this King of the kingdom of God in which we can participate now? In short, Jesus is the eternal Son of the Father who became flesh. He became in sum all that we are as humans. The union of God and humanity, in the Person of Jesus Christ, has forever accomplished the dream of the Father — to have us in union with Himself. Jesus is the One who has made this a reality.

In His becoming human, Jesus inaugurated the kingdom of heaven on earth with us as its citizens. The beloved disciple tells us that God is love. This is a statement about the character and nature of God. The King of our kingdom is, in His very being, pure and perfect love. Every thought, every act, every dream of God is born out of love. Even God’s anger is because of love.

God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. 1 John 4:16b NRSVUE

The Father, Son, and Spirit will never oppose you but will always stand in resolute opposition to all that is within us that opposes God’s love for us. This is who our King is — our King is Love. Perhaps in your prayer journal, make a list of all that you think pure love does. Then make a list of all that pure love does not do. In your daily walk with Jesus, hear Him calling you to do the things on the first list.

Prayer:
Father, Son, and Spirit, tutor me in the ways of love. Amen

By Bill Win, Pastor
Mechanicsville, VA, US

Would you help us highlight our 2025 theme, Kingdom Culture?

Even though we live in the tension of the “already but not yet” — signifying that the kingdom is here now, but not in its fullness — we want to embrace the “nowness” of the kingdom. We want to demonstrate the goodness of Jesus as we bear fruit in every good work. We want to proclaim the goodness of Jesus as we point others toward Him in all opportunities.

Through Update, we want to stay connected as a global family and learn from one another. Would you be willing to help us? Send us your pictures and stories of how your congregation is collectively living as citizens of the kingdom! Email elizabeth.mullins@gci.org

As we continue to move forward in our commitment to Healthy Church, we’re focusing on aspects of Kingdom Culture, our theme for 2025. This theme invites us to identify deeply as citizens of God’s kingdom and encourages us to actively participate.

As citizens of the kingdom, what’s important to us? It matters that we acknowledge whose kingdom we belong to — orienting our lives around Christ. One of the ways we do this is to rehearse the story of the gospel through the worship calendar.

Enjoy the following pictures of GCI members gathering during the Advent and Christmas seasons to worship together and to encourage one another with the good news of Jesus’ birth and incarnation.

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Cape Town, Republic of South Africa

Myanmar

Bangladesh

Bicol, Luzon, Philippines

There are moments in life that pull us out of the ordinary and fill us with awe. One such moment happened when my son Abel invited me to Joshua Tree National Park in California to witness the Milky Way.

Joshua Tree is one of the best places to see the Milky Way during a new moon. My wife joined us, along with my son David and his wife, Holli. We packed folding chairs, a telescope, and binoculars, and set out for a night in the wilderness.

As we gazed upward, the sight that met our eyes left us speechless. The Milky Way stretched across the sky, a shimmering river of stars that declared the infinite creativity of God. Sitting there, surrounded by my family and the vastness of the cosmos, I couldn’t help but reflect on the words of King David.

What is man that you are mindful of him? Psalm 8:4

The sheer magnitude of creation was staggering. Here we were, on a small planet in a vast universe, yet God, the Creator of all, is mindful of us.

On the quiet drive back, I felt an overwhelming sense of God’s presence. It was as though the night sky itself was a canvas painted with His love for humanity — a love that sustains not only us but the entire universe.

As you go about your day, pause to take in the wonder of creation. Whether it’s the sunrise, the stars at night, or the gentle breeze, remember that the Creator of all this beauty loves and cares for you personally. You are not forgotten.

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank You for the beauty of Your creation and for reminding us of Your majesty. Help us to see Your hand in the ordinary and extraordinary moments of our lives. May we always be in awe of Your love, knowing that You hold both the universe and our hearts in Your hands. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

By Bermie Dizon, Elder
Glendora, CA, US

 

 

Note: This was adapted with permission, from God, in Every Step, a 52-week devotional that invites readers to recognize God’s presence in the everyday moments of life.

GCI’s vision for Healthy Church includes investing in our youth. All year we’ve brought you stories about our children from around the globe. Enjoy a 2024 review in pictures of these precious young people. But first, read these recent stories showing how GCI invests in youth.

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Cape Town, Republic of South Africa

At the end of November, the Sunday school children and three of the youth participated in an outing to the Planetarium. The joy on the faces of the children is the simplest form of gratitude.

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Rayong, Thailand

The children of the Rayong congregation enjoy an active Sunday School ministry. They learn about our triune God by singing fun songs and creating artwork.

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Suva, Fiji

In November, the Suva congregation seamlessly combined our Sunday worship with our youth camp in the village of Nanukuloa, Ra, creating a weekend filled with service, fellowship, and spiritual growth.

As part of our Love Avenue initiative, on Saturday we partnered with the youths of Nanukuloa to plant Vetiver grass on a hillside vulnerable to landslides — more than 1,200 planted in just two hours! This effort not only helps the community but also supports environmental conservation, stabilizing soil and preventing erosion. It was a beautiful reflection of Christ’s love in action.

This weekend was more than just a fun event. It was an experience where Jesus’ love was evident in every moment — from acts of service to shared meals and worship, we saw God’s hand at work, uniting us in purpose and faith.

By Epeli Nakautoga, Hope Avenue Champion
Suva, Fiji

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Satkhira, Khulna, Bangladesh

Thank you very much for your prayers for GCI Bangladesh. On November 14-16, we had 75 participants from GCI Bangladesh participate in our young adult Friendship Camp. Because of our ongoing college ministry, 20 Hindu and Muslim college students also attended our camp. Among them, three chose to be baptized! By the grace of God, eight more people were baptized on December 5.

By Amiyo Bacher, Facilitator and Church Planter
Khulna, Bangladesh

 

 

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2024 Youth Recap