Category: Stay Connected

Camp Oasis (Tennessee)

This report is from Sondra Peters, co-director of Camp Oasis.

On a beautiful (and hot) Saturday, June 6, Grace Fellowship hosted our second Camp Oasis afternoon of fun for children in Summit Heights, a public housing area only a few blocks from our church in Clarksville, Tennessee. Our 22 volunteer staff members spent the afternoon with 23 campers (plus a couple parents) playing games, gospel face painting, and staying cool with brain freeze (water balloon game) and popsicles. A local agency, Tender Paws, stopped by for a visit with two therapy dogs. We ended the afternoon with a short message from the book of John, a time of prayer, and then sent the campers home with some treats, a Grace Fellowship water bottle, and info about Good News Clubs during the school year.

We offer the camp to children age 4-12, though we allow younger children to come (with an adult present) and we don’t turn away older youth if they want to participate.

One older youth came just before we were starting and began talking with a few of our volunteers. He told them he is Wiccan and described some health and spiritual issues that he has dealt with lately. He was skeptical about staying if all we played was Christian music, but after talking with our volunteers he decided to stay. He participated in most of the activities and as he left he asked for our website address because he wanted to list it as a site he likes.

Some of our volunteers will follow up by visiting this young man. We see camp as the beginning of an opportunity to show our campers that we care about them and that God loves them.

Our relationship with The Clarksville Housing Authority and other community organizations has led to more opportunities to serve in our community. Grace Fellowship will continue to work in the Summit Heights area helping children practice their reading over the summer. Several members are involved with Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) through their Good News Clubs after school. We also partner with a local elementary school as tutors to students in need in various classrooms. It has been a joy to see the overlap with some of the organizations and our Camp Oasis outreach.

CrossWalk Camp (Oklahoma)

This report is from Michael Rasmussen, director of CrossWalk Camp.

We just concluded our 27th Crosswalk Camp and walked away deeply grateful for all God has allowed us to do at his side through the years. This was the first camp session totally planned and led by our young adults. Months of planning went into coming up with a theme (#Selfie), putting together skits, determining worship, assigning ministry breakouts, creating team building, etc. All of this work was designed to carry out the camp theme while bathing our kids in God’s unconditional love. They did a wonderful job!

We were blessed with 95 campers in our Junior Camp, Senior Camp and Mini-Camp; 29 were first time campers! We had 76 staff members with 8 joining us for the first time.

For the first time in 15 years, we had to send one of our campers home for behavior issues. I was so proud of our staff in the way they lovingly handled the situation. It was made abundantly clear to this individual that we loved them and all were glad God had brought them to camp and we definitely wanted them to come back next camp, but the rules and boundaries would be the same. We were reminded as we reach inner city, unchurched and hurting youth, it’s going to get messy. Many youth struggle when they encounter God’s unconditional love and acceptance for the first time.

One of our staff members, who is a middle school teacher, brought 14 youth from her school to camp. She not only invited them, but helped them raise the funds for camp and arranged transportation to camp. She is impacting these young people in a wonderful way. Another staff member had been intentionally reaching out within her neighborhood—opening her house to children within her neighborhood and sharing the love of God in a tangible ways. Because of this ministry, she was able to bring eight pre-teens with her to camp. Through this ministry, these women are investing in the lives of young people both at camp and back home throughout the year.

SEP Florida

This report is from SEP Florida director Marty Davey.

2015 was our 20th year of having a youth camp in Florida. We had our largest turnout ever (most are pictured below): 71 campers (including 26 first-timers) and 30 staff members. The weather was excellent, and so was the lakefront setting at beautiful Camp Shalom in Orange Springs, Florida.

Camp activities included swimming, canoeing, a water park outing, basketball (with a workshop from a professional women’s basketball player), football, soccer, volleyball, games, arts & crafts, music and drama, a dance, Christian living discussions, and daily chapel. The theme and curriculum were built around God’s “Epic Story.” It was a time of drawing closer to Jesus, coming to understand better his part in our life stories, and our part in the Triune God’s epic story, which includes all humanity.

Here are links to reports on recent ministry activity in GCI congregations in the Philippines:

• http://my.gci.ph/nd-guzon-visits-gci-cabanatuan-ordains-elder/ – Elder ordained.
• http://my.gci.ph/testimonies/ – Testimonies from an emerging young leaders’ retreat.
• http://my.gci.ph/bicol-summer-youth-camp/ – This is the recent SEP 2015 in the Bicol Region

Greg Williams, GCI-USA director of Church Administration and Development, recently visited South Africa. Here is his video report on a visit to one of GCI’s churches there—known to many of us as “The Church Under the Tree.”

On YouTube at https://youtu.be/-XZnX5UgdiY.

Three GCI-Philippines congregations in Tabaco City gathered recently for the baptism of 16 men, women and children. To read about this joyous event, click here.

SEP Luzon

GCI-Philippines held a youth camp in Luzon in May (SEP Luzon). Against a backdrop of sea and sky, 144 campers and 40 staff gathered for six days of rediscovering what it means to Live the Life. This theme encouraged the young people to embrace, live out and share the fullness of the life we have been given in Jesus Christ. To read more about the camp, click here.

SEP Florida

Here is a video from the Generations Ministries camp held recently in Florida:

Here are links to updates regarding recent GCI events and people in the Philippines:

• http://my.gci.ph/gci-mindanao-emerging-leaders-retreat-2015/
• http://my.gci.ph/gci-sta-rosa-vbs-2015/
• http://my.gci.ph/youth-weekend-in-ubay-bohol/
• http://my.gci.ph/its-all-about-giving-back/

In his video update for May 2015 (embedded below), CAD director Greg Williams profiles the youth-focused community outreach of the GCI congregation in Big Sandy, Texas.

Watch on YouTube at https://youtu.be/JtJQCKZ5MqQ. For an earlier Weekly Update post on GCI’s outreach in Big Sandy, click here.

Here from GCI Mission Developer Rod Matthews are updates on GCI ministry in Myanmar and Dubai.

Myanmar

GCI Senior Pastor Wong Mein Kong (pictured at right), who lives in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia, coordinates GCI’s work in the southeast Asian nation of Myanmar (formerly Burma). In May, Mein Kong visited Myanmar to meet with GCI pastors and ministry leaders of other groups interested in our fellowship and work there. One group based in the Chin State in the north of Myanmar whose leader is Chan Thleng previously broached the subject of joining GCI. They were advised to take more time to study our theology and to discuss its implications with their elders and members. Chan Thleng also has a congregation near the main city of Yangon in the south.

Mein Kong and his wife, Chew Yeng, returned home excited and encouraged because Chan Thleng had come with the news that his group had definitely confirmed that they want to become part of GCI. Here is Mein Kong’s report:

On Saturday, May 2, we went to his church in a village outside Hmawbi, about 50 km from Yangon. Chan Thleng and four elders from Chin State and a group of his church members came for the meeting and discussion. It lasted three hours as they asked about our teaching and various doctrines. I also briefed them on GCI’s history, theology and mission. This was the third time I had visited and spoken to them in their church. They were very pleased with our sharing. One of the elders declared that they want only to learn from GCI and not other churches! They had been praying for several years for a church that could provide them spiritual understanding and leadership. They believe God has led them to GCI. I must say I feel the same way.

On Sunday we attended their worship service with about 40 people and I gave the sermon. After the service there was a women’s meeting with Chew Yeng. A few of their leaders continued to ask me questions. On Monday, Chan Thleng came to our hotel and continued discussions with us. I suggested that his group change their present name of Myanmar Bible Presbyterian (BP) as there is already a BP church in Malaysia and Singapore. They are very happy to use the GCI name. I asked Chan Thleng to look into applying for membership for the local GCI in the Myanmar Evangelical Christian Fellowship (MECF) which is a member of the World Evangelical Alliance. The MECF is recognized by the Myanmar government.

The present BP church that wants to be a part of GCI comprises seven elders overseeing 180 members in the Chin State, plus Chan Thleng and his assistant, who pastor 34 members in Hmawbi. The churches are self-supporting, mission-oriented and active in church planting. Only Chan Thleng speaks English and he translates the material I give him into Matu Chin for his fellow elders.

The group requested GCI’s help in erecting a church building in Matupi, Chin State, where most of the elders and their congregations are located. Chan Thleng has started his church building on his land and is using it as a focal point for outreach into the surrounding community. He hopes to send one of his leaders as a church planter in another township in Yangon. I have told Chan Thleng and his elders that GCI would be happy to welcome them into our fellowship.

Mein Kong has also developed a close friendship with Nyein Thu, a well-educated young man who teaches at an international school in Myanmar and who appreciates our theological understanding and loves our literature. Nyein Thu has finished translating our booklet, “The God Revealed in Jesus Christ,” into Burmese, and is looking into the cost of printing it in Yangon. We are awaiting further information so we can offer another item of literature in Burmese.

On his return to Malaysia, Mein Kong told the Klang church of Chan Thleng’s desire to join GCI. The entire congregation is excited with this growth and are happy to support him and his church in mission and church planting.

Dubai

North Indian Regional Pastor, Daniel Zachariah, was invited to teach in a training program entitled “Leadership and Theology” for about 200 pastors held in Dubai. It was sponsored by Person-to-Person Institute for Biblical Counselling in Hyderabad in conjunction with the Chaplaincy of Dubai and Sharjah with the Northern Emirates. Dan was told that as many as 150 denominations were represented.

Dan facilitated six sessions involving a Survey of the Old and New Testaments, with a focus on explaining “Who is the God of the Bible?” Dan said, “I had an opportunity to present God from a Trinitarian/Incarnational perspective. I was pleasantly surprised that there were shouts of “hallelujah” and “praise the Lord” when I concluded. Perhaps they just wanted an affirmation that we worship a God who loves us, rather than a God who constantly makes demands on us to please him. There was some aggressive questioning though, especially from some African pastors (I presume they come from a prosperity gospel background).”

After brief remarks on the canonization, inspiration and interpretation of the Bible, Dan (pictured at right) focused on what the various sections of Scripture (Pentateuch, Historical books, Books of Poetry and Wisdom, Gospels, etc.) reveal about our God. Many pastors found that using an incarnational Trinitarian foundation was refreshing, with the head of the Chaplaincy, Fr. Ruwan, commenting that it was a unique perspective. Dan presented the Chaplaincy office with copies of a booklet we produced in India entitled, “Bible Prophecy – A Testimony to Jesus Christ.”

While in Dubai, Dan was also able to visit the home of one of our members for dinner, and share videos and a biblical message with the group.

Here from GCI mission developer Rod Matthews is an update about the aftermath of the recent earthquakes in Nepal.

GCI’s ministry partner in Nepal, Deben Sam, sent out from Kathmandu teams of church members to ascertain the circumstances facing the congregations that are part of his Gospel for Himalayas Ministry. What they found is quite distressing. For example, the congregation in the village of Dolakha (northeast of Kathmandu, close to the epicenter of the second major quake; actually a massive aftershock) was devastated (see pictures below). The congregation has 25 believers from eight families.

In a previous message prior to the second major quake, Deben reported on the congregations located northwest of Kathmandu. The homes of over 160 members (including five pastors) were destroyed in five districts (news from two other districts has not been received). Deben requested prayer for Christians in the village of Sankhu where the Hindu residents are blocking food distribution to Christians. He said that most of the Christians from eight churches in the village were living outside without food and tents. Deben reported that his “flying team” had observed the situation there and his “distribution team” immediately raced there to distribute instant noodles and tents to both Christians and non-Christians. Nepal has an estimated population of just under 29 million and only 1.5% are Christian.

With much gratitude, Deben has utilized the emergency funds that GCI has sent him from the Disaster Relief Funds in our Home Office in Glendora, and in our offices in Australia, the U.K. and New Zealand. These funds have been used to distribute food, water and tents first to believers and their families without homes, then to others in need as he has opportunity, especially focusing on his neighborhood. Further funds are being arranged as the task of looking after the members and their families, the congregational meeting places in the villages and in Kathmandu, is exceptionally challenging.

You may recall that several years ago GCI established as a joint project a basic medical clinic to serve the very poor, focused on the brickyard and street workers in the southeast of Kathmandu. The rented building housing the clinic was not damaged in the quake, but the owner’s home was destroyed and he needs to use the clinic building to house his family. Therefore the clinic needs to find a new location. Deben said most of the brickyards which have very tall smoke stacks were badly damaged.

God already knows about these needs, and Deben’s heart for his people impels him and his teams to do as much as humanly feasible to reach, help and comfort people with these practical expressions of God’s love and care. It is encouraging to him, his wife, Manju, his extended family, and the local members and teams, to know that people all over the world are praying for them, for Christians and all people in Nepal suffering so much in this massive natural disaster.

We rejoice when God calls and equips men and women to serve as elders in the body of Christ. Here is a list of those recently ordained to serve the GCI congregations noted:

• William Patterson, Salt Lake City, Utah
• Kathy Houston, Pine Bluff, Arkansas
• Raul Horta, Santa Fe Springs, California
• James Pitman, Antlers, Oklahoma
• Ronald Hernandez, Baliuag PHILIPPINES
• Lenny Underwood, Middletown, New York