We’re pleased to announce two GCI media developments in Europe. Our program “Speaking of Life” (with a UK ending appended) is now airing in the United Kingdom on SKY TV and on an internet video channel. In the Netherlands, we have launched a new website at www.gracecommunion.nl and a new YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/gcinetherlands. Here is one of the videos there:
Watch on YouTube at http://youtu.be/dmiApTe-2fc.
GCI Intern Program coordinator Jeff McSwain met recently with GCI-USA regional pastors and other leaders to give them an update. Here are excerpts from his presentation.
On YouTube at http://youtu.be/jkwD3GA6clc.
An effective way to support the Intern Program is to donate to the GCnext mission fund. For information, go to https://www.gci.org/GCnext.
Steve Solari, senior pastor of Hope Community Fellowship, GCI’s church in The Colony, Texas (north Dallas), provided the following update concerning a unique outreach opportunity for his congregation.
I met recently with our new neighbors—the Ring of Hope boxing club. Rich Lox, the club manager and head coach, and I shared our goals for reaching the surrounding community for Christ through building genuine relationships. Rich feels called to reach out to the youth of The Colony by giving them a positive after-school activity. There are many youth boxing programs in the U.S., but not many that are faith-based like his. Rich tells the story of how his childhood boxing coaches had a tremendous influence on him while he was growing up, and if they had only included Christ in their conversations he would have come to know God sooner. He wants to give that opportunity to others now.
Rich invited our congregation to participate in this outreach with him. Some of us already have started doing so (see picture below, where some of our members are helping set up the boxing ring).
Time will tell where God wants us to go in terms of ministry partnership, but I have to say this: if our church building were a person, the shopping center where we’re located would be its “lap.” We’ve been praying as a congregation about how to expand our youth ministry, and here comes a group geared toward leading youth to Christ. They have landed, almost literally, in our lap!
For recent updates on people and ministries in GCI-Philippines, go to http://my.gci.ph/category/news-updates/.
It was a day of mixed emotions recently at Christ Fellowship Church (one of GCI’s churches in the Cincinnati, Ohio area). The congregation said good-bye to their senior pastor Rick Shallenberger and his wife Cheryl who have served them for 12 years. They then celebrated the installation of their new senior pastor, Dustin Lampe, who serves with his wife Rachel.
CAD director Greg Williams (pictured above, right) was present and gave specific charges to the congregation before he and Rick commissioned Dustin. Rick then passed the baton of leadership to Dustin (see picture below). After the baton-passing ceremony, Greg commissioned Rick as a U.S. regional pastor. A meal for the congregation followed the service.
The oak baton used in the ceremony was made from an ancient tree located on the grounds of a Wesleyan church in Minnesota. The display (pictured below) was crafted by CFC elder Mike Lockard.
Reflecting on the day, Dustin posted this comment on Facebook:
Twelve years ago I was beginning my journey in church ministry by voluntarily teaching Sunday school class to teens. At about the same time my current church was beginning a journey with a new senior pastor named Rick Shallenberger. I didn’t have the foggiest idea where I was going with it or why I felt so compelled to teach. Now I see that God knew.
This past Sunday, I was commissioned as senior pastor of a most wonderful, down to earth, good-hearted church. Rick graciously and selflessly empowered me to take over what many would consider the dream job that was his. Christ Fellowship Church was of the same mind, patient with me and always willing to find reasons to accept my approach and the changes that have resulted.
Faith is present at times like these and even seems more real than “certainty.” Certainty is its own end, but faith opens up the world into a greater mystery. Because of the faith of Christ, I am filled with wonder and awe and belief in God and his unrelenting pursuit of people. Because of Christ, I am filled with hope and energy to believe in God’s love for all, from the wealthy and satisfied to the broken and downtrodden. I will not discriminate between the two.
Many are now looking at me with a great expectation that I will be a fine senior pastor for them. I realized this with the utmost of awareness on Sunday. I have never been one to enjoy a lot of attention on myself. But a funny thing happened as I was struck with the awareness of the expectations of my new role. I had a series of images flash through my mind of times in my life when I felt at peace. And the still small voice said, “so it is now.”
And so I rest easy in the arms of my Father in heaven. And I wake up working like crazy each day (except one) glad for the opportunity to be united completely in my heart and mind as a testimony to a God who is good!
This update is from Lee Berger, the director of Generations Ministries’ Crossing Borders mission.
In December we conducted our 18th trip to Mexico in nine years. When we began this mission several years ago, three or four churches donated about 150 shoeboxes full of gifts for needy children. This time 12 churches donated over 750 shoeboxes. Many other churches supported the mission with prayer.
Thirty-five people participated in the mission trip this time. They represented eight U.S. states as well as Monterrey and Guadalajara, Mexico. On previous trips we had about 12-15 people. More missionaries equals more person-to-person interaction with the people we serve. It also means that the mission experience and mindset is taken back home to more churches and communities, spreading the attitude of “being on mission wherever you are”—in your own family, school, with friends and neighbors, in the workplace, with strangers. Jesus is at work everywhere and invites us to join him on mission!
God also brought more people than ever for us to minister to on this trip. At two stops we expected to find about 75-100 people. But the buildings were packed with over 200! We shared God’s love through singing, preaching, sharing food, talking and laughing. We also presented a skit about Jesus’ birth and distributed the shoebox gifts to all the children and totes full of infant supplies (including beautiful handmade baby quilts) to the mothers of babies.
On this trip we also visited two children’s homes, spending several hours jumping rope, face-painting, treating them to pizza, listening, laughing and hugging. I wish you could have seen the radiant faces of the children as they excitedly greeted us on arrival and soaked up the love we shared with them (see the pictures above). When they opened their shoeboxes and unpacked the simple gifts, their appreciation was amazing to see.
Muchas gracias to all who supported this trip. Our next one into Mexico is planned for June 20-28, 2015. For details, go to our website at www.cbmission.org or call me at (903) 746-4463.
Grace Communion Fellowship (GCF), a GCI church plant in the Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, recently was officially chartered as a GCI congregation.
GCF was planted by Angie and Sadie Tabin—a missionary couple from the Philippines. With financial, legal and immigration assistance from the GCI home office, a GCI Church Planting Network in Southern California, GCI Philippines, and several GCI-USA churches, the Tabin family came to the U.S. about two and a half years ago and started connecting with the Eagle Rock community. After a year of gathering new contacts, GCF now averages 35 people in attendance, fulfilling GCI’s requirement to be chartered as a full-service congregation.
The charter document was officially presented to Angie and Sadie by Glen Weber (picture at right). Glen, who is a member of GCI’s Church Multiplication Ministries’ team and senior pastor of New Hope Fellowship (another GCI church in the Los Angeles area), challenged GCF members with these words:
Always think of yourselves as a church plant. Now that you are an official church it’s easy to let down and go into “doing church” mode instead of doing what a church plant should do. Ask yourselves, what have we done in the past that got us here? All the things that you have been doing to get new people to come—keep doing those things. In order for a church to continue to grow, you need to stay in church planting mode for at least another five years. A year from now, if each of you prays for and brings in three new people to church, next year you’ll be four times the size of what you are today.
In addition to providing weekly church services and other church planting tasks, the group is focusing on providing a full range of disciple-making ministries and completing formation of a finance committee to provide prudent stewardship of finances in compliance with relevant tax laws. The congregation is also developing its own website at http://gracecommunionfellowship.com. Your prayers for their continuing journey of development as a new church are much appreciated.
GCI’s congregation in Barranquilla, Colombia recently held a community outreach event. Members went house to house inviting young people to a banquet. Over 75 came, with several parents attending as well. In addition to a festive meal, the event included a gospel message and music. Members of the congregation donated prizes and provided support in other ways.
This year the town of Big Sandy, Texas did not have anyone to set out their traditional Christmas decorations. In response to this need, New Beginnings Church, GCI’s congregation in Big Sandy pastored by Sonny Parsons, volunteered to join with the fire department to prepare the community decorations. Children and adults from the congregation joined in serving the community in this way.
Pictured below is the worship service on the first Sunday of Advent at New Hope Christian Fellowship, a GCI congregation in Eagle Rock, California. Pictured on the bottom row, center, is Sharon Morris from the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), presenting to New Hope pastor Glen Weber a certificate of appreciation for “commitment and service to youth.” Several New Hope members received special training so they can bring foster children to church. Several have attended, with two doing so regularly.
