Category: Be Inspired

The Grace Communion South Kansas City Love Avenue team generated many ideas while planning for Christmas. We chose two events to bless our surrounding neighborhood. The assistance I receive from my team has been invaluable, and they are amazing servant leaders. We stepped out boldly to see where the Holy Spirit would lead.

Using our facility’s large yard and circle driveway, our first event was what lovingly became known as the “Drive-by Christmas Cheer.” Our talented Pastor Terry McDonald made flyers that we distributed to our schools and our surrounding neighborhood. We wore costumes such as a beautiful dancing elf, a very jovial, dancing Santa Claus, and two snowmen. On the drive and lawn, we placed two 6-foot, lighted candy canes strategically to show entrance and exit. And a very cheerful lighted gingerbread man faced the road. A projector flashed a colorful festive light show on the building.

The costumed members danced and offered a warm welcome to passing vehicles. It was a wonderful sight to behold. We served our guests hot chocolate and hot apple cider. We passed out candy canes and Christmas ornaments that were wrapped in greetings from our congregation and our QR code.

We had such a great time and 22 neighbors participated. Some children even got out of their cars to look more closely at our costumes and have fun with us. They were so cute. It is our belief that those people were the ones God wanted us to bless. What a joy!

We are actively serving a neighborhood elementary school, and I’ve been volunteering in one of their kindergarten classes. As our second event, we chose to bless this classroom of children with what became known as “Adopt a Classroom.” We decided to give a pair of Christmas pajamas and a book to each child. The teacher was excited about this idea and provided the sizes for all 19 children. Our congregation prepared the packages. On the day of delivery, four individuals in our group, in costume, delivered the gifts. Watching the students’ excitement and joy invigorated us. We presented the teacher with a gift as well; she was surprised and grateful.

We send encouragement and prayers to all our churches and ministry leaders. Every person touched reveals God’s love, and we are excited to continue this effort in 2024.

Barbara Leatherman, Love Avenue Champion
Kansas City, MO, US

In December we held our Very Surrey Christmas Parade and Neighborhood celebration with our church family and neighbors. We had over 21 decorated golf carts, muscle cars, and floats and were joined by the Oklahoma City Police and Fire Departments. It was incredible and the neighbors went all out!

After the parade, we loaded into our church building. We offered free face painting and craft tables, hosted by neighborhood businesses and volunteers from the school. There were professional pictures with Santa from a neighborhood photographer. And there was a hot chocolate and cookie bar sponsored by our neighborhood Lion’s Club and our favorite coffee roasters!

We had well over 500 in attendance at the celebration (and hundreds more who watched the parade) and neighbors simply hung out together for hours. I just sit in awe of what I see Jesus doing. He is using this church building in all the ways we dreamed it would be used. He’s building bonds through relationships. He’s breaking down walls. He’s flipping the script. He is eliminating this entire idea of an “us” within the church walls and “them” outside. We are just a “we” in Jesus. The church participating in what Jesus is already doing is simply breathtaking. This event was a reminder that at GC Surrey Hills, we truly are “Neighbors Loving Neighbors.”

Ceeja Malmkar, MTC Coordinator
Surrey Hills, OK, US

Have you ever had a quest for knowledge that defied political, social, or religious boundaries? This state of enlightenment is what drove the “three wise men” or magi, who were gentile, to seek out and worship a Jewish baby born in Bethlehem. Why were these men wise, you might ask.

We believe their wisdom was born from a knowledge and fear of the Lord that was handed down by their ancestors throughout the centuries. We have reason to believe the magi were also well-versed in astronomy and understood celestial objects, space, and the physical universe at that time. The star was significant to the magi because of a prophetic timetable, given by the angel Gabriel to Daniel, which they were educated about.

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him. Matthew 2:1-2 (NIV)

In ancient Greek, the word “epiphany” means showing, manifestation, or appearance. The word is principally used in Christianity to refer to the manifestation of Jesus to the gentiles (i.e., non-Jews), namely, when the “wise men” visited and paid homage to the infant Jesus. According to God’s plan, even at his birth he was laying the groundwork for inclusion of all humankind to be a part of God’s family.

Prayer:
Our heavenly Father and Creator of all the universe, we humbly come before you just as the wise men did. Help us to desire a relationship with you. Please give us wisdom in all the decisions we make and give us the heart to believe the unbelievable. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Randal Roberts, Associate Pastor
Maumee, OH, US

On December 9, GC St. Michaels held a community engagement at a local skilled nursing facility. Each year, we budget for a community service during the holiday season. This year, the Love Avenue team decided to buy Christmas presents for the residents of the facility. Rather than merely dropping off the gifts, we received permission to plan a fun game that could be interactive and relational. We played the Dice Game with the gift-wrapped presents; if you roll doubles, you get to pick out a prize. (Some people know it as the White Elephant Game.)

The staff of the skilled nursing facility said that their residents did not often participate in group activities, so we should not expect any more than a couple people to show up. We were grateful and surprised when around 20 residents attended! One resident, who really wanted to attend, had recently contracted COVID. We selected a couple of presents to be delivered to her room. She was overwhelmed to be remembered and cried tears of joy.

The residents who joined in the game had mobility limitations, so the youth from our congregation helped make the game accessible for them. Our young members (grades kindergarten to sophomore in high school) walked the dice around to each player, sometimes even helping the person roll the dice. If the player got doubles, their young helper would run up to the table, pick out a present, and bring it back to them.

I was so proud of our young people and the interactions and relationships they established with the residents. At first, they were a little shy. Actually, both the residents and our youth were shy! But in no time, everyone was talking, laughing, and having a great time. The staff of the nursing home was amazed at how well it went.

By Jon Arnold, Facilitator
St. Michaels, MN, US

On November 19, Grace Communion Cleveland held a wonderful outreach event. We served our neighbors Thanksgiving dinner with all the traditional Thanksgiving dishes and pies.

For this engagement, we partnered with another community organization, the Heights Emergency Food Center. The event was advertised in advance with a poster at the Center, inviting their clients to receive a free dine-in or take-out meal. We also provided take-home flyers, and a sign-up sheet helped us keep track of how many were planning to eat with us.

Another church in Cleveland Heights where the Center is located allowed us to borrow their commercial kitchen with an attached fellowship hall. GC Cleveland members cooked the food items at home. Then we used the commercial kitchen to keep the food warm as we distributed the meals. Although very few people stayed to dine in with us, we had many good conversations and prayer requests with our take-out clients. We also delivered nearly 30 meals to nearby apartment residents. There were lots of smiling faces that day, not only from the recipients but the servers too!

We only planned food for 96 people, but we served 149 meals in total. Jesus saw to it that we could actually serve many more meals than projected. A true “loaves and fishes” event was witnessed that day!

By Pat Shiels, Love Avenue Champion
Cleveland, OH, US

 

---

Discover the transformative power of Christ’s love in our new series GCI Testify. Join us as members from our global fellowship share testimonies of their experiences with Jesus through GCI congregations and ministries. Don’t miss the opportunity to witness firsthand the impact of the Spirit in and through GCI.

For many, Christmas includes the tradition of giving gifts. Have you ever watched someone open a gift and recognized that it wasn’t what they wanted? Is it wrong to want more?

We are often admonished to be grateful for what we have. Can we be both? Can we be grateful and still long for more?

We are in the season of Epiphany. It is the time in the worship calendar when we celebrate God manifesting as the baby Jesus and revealing Godself to the world. Jesus came into the world because the world needed more.

Is it wrong to want more?

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, magi from the east came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star in the east and have come to pay him homage.” Matthew 2:1-2

The Magi are also remembered in this Epiphany season. What can we learn from their story? How deep was their longing for more to seek the Messiah, to risk this journey?

“Their courage gives our questing hearts a voice
To seek, to find, to worship, to rejoice.” — Malcom Guite, from the sonnet, The magi

May we be grateful that light has come into the world and reconciled all. May we seek the light, as we long for more to walk in the light.

Prayer
Beautiful, triune God, we are grateful for the Incarnation, for the way you are manifested in Jesus. Thank you, Jesus, for revealing the Father. Thank you, Spirit, for stirring in us a longing for your kingdom. May your kingdom come in all its fullness. And wrap your hope around our weary hearts when we grow tired of waiting for the world to be good and beautiful and kind. Amen.

By Elizabeth Mullins, Update Editor
Durham, NC, US

Here are the top 10 GCI resources from 2023.

1. 2023 Denominational Celebration: Gathering and worshipping with our members from around the world is always a highlight. Relive the joy and camaraderie — or experience it for the first time — with recordings featuring GCI stories sessions, GCS graduation, and keynote sessions, including worship services. During the keynote sessions, we experienced some technical challenges. We did our best to improve the final product for a better viewing experience.

2. Faith, Hope, and Love in Action: This year the theme “Faith, Hope, and Love in Action” guided our efforts, propelling us to make disciples through deliberate engagement, vibrant worship, and living and sharing our Christian faith. Check out these articles on workshops equipping our leaders around the world to embody this theme:

• • • • Jacksonville, Florida, US
      • Monterey, Neuvo León, Mexico
      • Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

3. Jesus’ How-To: Don’t miss the opportunity to explore the most popular lead article from Equipper. It explores the challenges of adhering to the Great Commandments and introduces Jesus’ new commandment as a transformative shift in focus.

If you are looking for resources on ministry practices and more articles like this, subscribe today!

4. Devotional—A Shining Blessing: In Ordinary Time, we welcomed young authors to offer their insights on the theme, “God is in the streets.” We were blessed by the perspectives of the next generation of emerging GCI leaders as they shared their encounters with God outside of the walls of the Sunday church gathering. Don’t miss the chance to read the most popular devotional by Tongli Panuve in GCI-Fiji.

5. Surprise the World: In relationship with our Triune God and in community with one other, we engage in our neighborhoods shining the light and sharing the love of Christ. A book that has shaped missional living across all six GCI regions is Surprise the World by Michael Frost. In this quick read, Frost provides a framework that helps us develop missional habits in everyday lives.

6. Culture of High Support, High Challenge: In this letter, President Greg Williams explores the culture of GCI, emphasizing its foundation in the person of Jesus and characterized by the philosophy of “High Support, High Challenge, Grace Always.” Stay tuned for more insights and updates in the upcoming January 2024 issue as we continue to pursue GCI’s vision of Healthy Church.

GCI-US Home Church: Many of our faithful and longtime members no longer have a local GCI congregation where they can attend. We recognize that the church is wherever the body gathers and encourage your active participation in the Church in a local setting. Understanding that this may not always be possible, to provide high support we provide weekly sermons to help you stay connected with our fellowship. Click on the link to subscribe and receive our weekly messages of hope.

7. Healthy Church Challenge: Witness the dynamic talent of our youngest members as they share the good news of Jesus and how they experience his love.

8. Faces from the Home Office: The primary purpose of our Home Office is to offer support. Get to know some of our dedicated staff members who were highlighted in profiles this year.

• • • Lucy Santibanez-Enerio, Administrative Assistant
    • Diana Mayhew, Member and Donor Services Representative
    • Bret Miller, IT Manager

9. Defining the 4 Es w/ Gavin Henderson Podcast: The 4 Es are the foundation for ministry development in the Avenues. Catch up on this episode to learn how practically to live out our theology in Healthy Teams.

10. President’s Video—3 Year Plan: In the January 2023 update, President Greg Williams highlighted the focus on leadership in the 6 Global Regions, urging pastors to build teams for the Ministry Avenues of Faith, Hope, and Love. Look back with this video, and reflect on our theme, “Faith, Hope, and Love in Action,” guiding us to make disciples through intentional engagement and vibrant worship. Stay tuned for an update on the culmination of our 3-Year Plan in our first January 2024 issue.

Amazing Grace is a hymn that is sung by many, but only fully understood by some. Have you meditated on the grace that is being sung about in this hymn?

What Jesus did through the Incarnation, out of his grace and unconditional love for all of us, is beyond our comprehension. Jesus was willing to be born a human baby for a chance at a relationship with us.

The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:9-10,14

Experiencing that level of love always leaves me in awe and brings me gratitude knowing that God loves us all so much! We are made in his image. Why wouldn’t we want to unconditionally love others and give them the grace that is shown to us?

As you celebrate the birth of our Savior this month, may you reflect on the amazing grace he demonstrated to you and to all people.

Prayer:
Our graceful and loving Father in heaven, thank you for loving us. Thank you that we have a glimpse of what is in store for us by your grace. Help us love others as you do and be a reflection of your grace to those around us. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Charissa Panuve
Suva, Fiji

I think that sometimes when we see lemons, Jesus giggles and tells us to stop and taste the sweet lemonade. With rain and near freezing temperatures predicted, we made the decision to move our neighborhood Trunk or Treat inside the walls of our building. We knew this would be the best way to stay warm, but we hesitated because our heart behind this event was never about enticing our neighbors into our church. We had already moved the Trunk or Treat from a school parking lot to our church lot last year, due to the benefit of restrooms. Now, we were moving it inside our building, and we worried that between the weather and the move, our numbers would be greatly impacted. But God.

We had more than 2500 neighbors attend our trunk or treat this year! We set up carnival games, staffed with young adults and our neighborhood Lion’s Club. We had over 20 “trunks” set up on tables in the multi-purpose room. Multiple neighbors and new members of our congregation set up stations and passed out goodies!

It was standing room only in the sanctuary for the costume competition. We even had the fire department come join in on the fun! People came together like the community that we are—a community that has no walls separating “us” and “them.” We are just neighbors. We are children of God. There’s nothing like having a front row, interactive, seat to watching Jesus build his church and transform lives.

By Ceeja Malmkar, Love Avenue Champion & MTC Coordinator
Surrey Hills, OK, US