Category: Be Inspired

Click on the image below to learn about GCI Africa Superintendent Kalengule Kaoma.

²⁶ Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,^[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” ²⁷ So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. ²⁸ God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:26-28)

In the earlier verses of Genesis chapter one, God said, “Let there be…,” and it was. When we get to verse 26 the scene changes and now God said, “Let us make man in our image.” Now God leaves no doubt in our minds that the triune God is going to be involved in making man not just one of the persons. The verse states that God (the triune God) took the dust of the earth and formed the man. He could have said let there be man and there would have been man just like was done for the plants and animals; man would have been a living, breathing being. But, the word indicates that like a sculptor molds a statue, God molded a man. When he was done molding the man, the word says he breathed into him the breath of life and then man became a living soul. From this we learn that each human being, no matter how the egg was fertilized, is special. As it says in the Psalms, God shapes our inner parts in the womb. That is how special we are to God. He takes interest in the smallest details of our lives and is with us every moment of every day, breathing his breath of life into us.

By Nathania Mckinney

 

Visiting Israel is Like Reading a Fifth Gospel

Visiting Israel is like reading a Fifth Gospel – so much comes to life. We saw where Jonah ran from God, and where Paul was held prisoner. We saw where Elijah battled with the false prophets of Baal, and we walked the route the mob took Jesus to throw him off the “brow of the hill.”

We walked through the city gates and into the area where Solomon had his stables, where Ahab built a tunnel to get water in times of siege, and we overlooked Armageddon. We visited the town of Mary Magdalene and stepped on the threshold of a synagogue Jesus preached in. We saw a 2,000 year old boat and then took a boat across the Sea of Galilee.

We visited the Mount of Beatitudes and the shore where Jesus preached. We saw the ruins of Jericho and rededicated ourselves at the baptismal site on the Jordan river. Then we spent three days in Jerusalem and walked where Jesus walked. We prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane and took communion at one of the proposed sites of the Garden Tomb.

All with a group of people whom I love dearly. A trip that changed my life. If you have the opportunity – go without hesitation. Maybe I’ll go with you.

 

– Rick Shallenberger

January is one of my favorite times of the year because of GCIgnite! I look forward to it every year because I get to visit with friends from across the globe and anticipate meeting new ones. An integral part of GCIgnite is its welcoming atmosphere. There is great significance in being able to come just as we are: to come with our questions, burdens, and brokenness. Throughout the gathering, we learn that we are not alone and others seek answers too.

What’s amazing about this four-day summit is that we as a community learn and find answers from the Word, God’s voice, and from one another. It’s impossible to leave without having gained a new perspective of something, especially of our Triune God. The Spirit shows up and somehow reveals himself to each of us personally and reminds us of our calling, gently convicts us to do it, and reassures us that he is with us all the way. As the curious group is reminded of who God is, the answers are clear with the how’s and why’s. A safe and loving place where we are pushed and equipped to lead and serve others as we go back to our local contexts is what GCIgnite is all about.

The theme for 2019 was Renew: renewing our self, worth, rhythms, and our love for our neighbors. The gist of the theme is renewing all parts of our lives to be transformed by the living God who is constantly shaping us as he works through us. Our God is inviting us every single day to participate in this adventure with him and with others. There is beauty in knowing that through renewing our hearts and minds before God, our everyday life which can seem mundane, is turned into something wonderful as it becomes worship and as our response becomes an active choice of saying yes to him and trusting him completely.

Workshop sessions are where we dive into the details of Ignite’s theme. We were given the opportunity to step out of our comfort zones as we share and discuss such important topics as leading with doubt, sexuality, processing social media and current events, conflict resolution, and holistic love. Some of the workshops challenge us to shift our lenses and see things in a clearer, more meaningful way, like Rediscovering the Bible, Renewing Prayer Life, Church Worth, Financial Rhythms, and Rhythms of Self-Care. In these workshops, we are able to learn, share, and equip one another through the Spirit.

Pouring our hearts out through singing, worshipping God through art and journaling, playing board games, ping pong, and basketball, fellowshipping with one another under the snow, sharing a meal, praying with someone, dancing, lip sync competitions, taking photos together, and staying up to continue conversations that are honest and life-giving are some of the activities that happen at GCIgnite. There is so much joy in doing these little things because we get to do it with one another and Christ’s presence is pervasive through every single activity.

One of my highlights was taking the 5 Voices assessment and learning the gifts God has revealed in me. Through this, we were able to know ourselves more and what God has called us to do. It is so reassuring to think that he has designed each of us so intentionally and uniquely that we are invited to participate in the Kingdom work here on Earth, helping the body of Christ reach its full potential. Another highlight for me was when we walked around the room encouraging others and being encouraged. This time set to affirm someone of their gifts and be affirmed allowed us to feel seen, heard, needed, and loved by our GCI families.

We also gathered to share and pray for our local churches. This conference really is important for intergenerational ministries as the young adults are being empowered by each other and by people with more experience and wisdom to be the next leaders of GCI churches. Through this conference, we are reminded that when we go back to our local contexts, we should also start to pray for eyes to see who the next leaders of GCI are from our youth and children’s ministries. I am so grateful to be part of this church in which we are continually being filled up by others and being able to fill up others.

 

– Hazel Tabin

I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me (John 10:14).

Shepherds and their sheep have deeply intimate relationships. Jesus our good shepherd knows us by name and guides us through life’s valleys and mountaintops. When we run the other way, he goes in search of us! His relentless love pursues us. Our good shepherd laid down his life for us, knowing the details of all we would think and do. He didn’t redeem our ideal lives – he sacrificed himself to redeem the actual life we are living today.

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” With these words, Jesus is not only revealing a truth about who he is, but how he feels about us. He knows and loves our whole story. Sheep are utterly dependent animals. They physically cannot rest until all their needs are met. In the comforting presence of Jesus we can relax and let go of our fears.

Prayer: Jesus, we thank you that you are faithful to supply all my needs. Help me to see how you providing for me today, and make me aware of how I can share your love and provision with those around me.

 

By Michelle Fleming

 

Dear Fellow Servants of Christ

Praise be to the Father, who by the power of his Spirit has blessed us with a gift of life to see the dawn of 2019! Time is a gift of grace. It allows us to start again, to try again, and to yearn for tomorrow. The start of each day, each week, each month or each year must always remind us of God’s grace. We can rejoice in the new opportunities that a new year presents, and the hope it engenders.

Margaret and I saw the dawn of 2019 under the Namibian skies of the Caprivi strip. We joined Pastor Lascan Sikosi, the National Ministry Leader of Namibia, and the Namibian pastors for a three-day conference. The first day, we had a church service with the local church members. It was followed by anniversary celebrations of GCI Namibia, complete with a birthday cake, which we all shared, followed by Communion. The rest of the conference consisted of pastoral and leadership training.

Thank you for the prayers for safe travels. After almost two days of driving, I experienced a bout of motion sickness on arrival in Namibia, and had to see a doctor. Fortunately, the problem cleared quickly, and I was ready for the meetings the next day. We had great weather with rain, which started the day we arrived. Please pray for the members in Namibia. Unemployment is a huge problem. Many rely on subsistence farming in the villages.

Congratulations to those who have passed their exams last year. May your 2019 plans come together. I want to also congratulate Lorna Laister, our National Children’s Ministry Coordinator, who has completed her Bachelor of Theology degree with UNISA. In the future, all GCI pastors will be expected to have minimum academic qualifications. This is a huge achievement by Lorna. Congratulations from all of us!

Shalom,
Takalani Musekwa

“We Are GCI Series” is a collection of videos where various GCI family members are highlighted.
In this episode, GCI President, Dr. Greg Williams interviews newly appointed GCI Superintendent of North America, Michael Rasmussen. Mike shares a little about his story and how he plans on moving the vision of GCI “Healthy Church” forward in his area of supervision.

Most of us are not strangers to traveling, whether it be a daily commute or long-haul travel. Our trip to the U.S. Conference in October lasted 20 hours with several stopovers. Upon arrival in America, we were in a rush to get through the airport. As we hurriedly emptied our pockets and removed our bags for security, my backpack passed through the X-ray machine but something was detected so it was stopped and brought back. The staff motioned for me to bring it over for inspection and asked me, “What’s in your backpack?” As it turned out, it was an unsuspecting stapler that caused the delay.

With life often compared to a journey, it would be good to regularly evaluate what we carry with us. What is in our “backpack” says something about our values, priorities, and aspirations. There may be things that should be there but aren’t. At times, we may be carrying things that are nice to have, but not really necessary. We may also be unsuspectingly taking along things that delay us by distracting us or weighing us down.

Hebrews 12:1 comes to mind, “therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…”

We can be weighed down by physical baggage, in terms of too much dependence on people or material things. It can be emotional baggage – like resentment, discontent, envy, and insecurity. It could be spiritual baggage – like guilt, legalism, self-righteousness, or sinful habits we refuse to confront. Sometimes these are clearly evident to us. Sometimes though, further introspection is required to come to terms with what is in our “backpack”, and what we should or shouldn’t take along.

At the crossroads of another year, let us rest and reflect on what we have been carrying with us. Allow God to search our heart and detect what does not belong there. What are the things we should not leave and live without? In this journey, let us make room for what matters – the joy of salvation, hope for the kingdom, boldness for the gospel, and passion for God and for the people he has called us to love. Happy travels!

Prayer: Lord, in this life we all go through, you are with us all the way. Let nothing hold us back, or weigh us down, but rather, refresh us, and help us fix our eyes on you. In Jesus name, Amen.

By Eugene Guzon

Click on the image below to learn about GCI-India elder Franklin Paupens.

On January 6, the Garwood, NJ, congregation honored David and Hinka Gilbert on their retirement after 34 years of pastoral ministry. We all love them and thank them for their dedication and loving service in Christ and pray they experience every blessing possible as they follow Jesus into this new chapter of their lives.

At the same time, the new pastoral team was installed by Randy Bloom, east regional director. The team includes John Adams, Richard Brothers, and Robert Tyson, Jr.