Category: Stay Connected

In this update, GCI-Netherlands national leader Frans Danenberg reports on the Pentecost celebration of GCI in the Netherlands.

On Pentecost Sunday, five of GCI’s Dutch congregations combined for an inspiring celebration in the city of Tiel. The 130 people in attendance (pictured below) represented many languages and ethnicities (Congolese, Burundese and Dutch). Several visitors attended as the result of a newspaper ad. Also attending were pastors and members from congregations interested in associating with GCI.

The celebration was a wonderful time of coming together, reflecting the theme, Unity through the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13).

In my sermon (see picture at right) I challenged the audience to tell more people about God’s great love for mankind and bear more fruit of the Holy Spirit.

A highlight of the service was the combined choir (pictured below) singing ¨How Great Thou Art.” After the service we enjoyed a good meal with excellent fellowship.

GCI district and church pastor Paul David (PD) Kurts, his wife Emma Lee and their son Jimmy recently appeared in a community theater production of the musical, Les Miserables. PD said that doing so was “one of the best experiences of my life.”

Pictured below (clockwise from upper left) are: Emma Lee, PD (looking appropriately ‘miserable’), Jimmy and a back-stage pix with Emma Lee at right and PD next to her.

Generations Ministries (GenMin) reports the successful completion of three of its summer camps. For information about GenMin camps coming later this year, click here.

Heart O’ Texas

As is the case for most of GenMin’s camps this year, the theme for Heart O’ Texas Camp conducted recently in the Dallas area was “Super Heroes.” A highlight of the weekend camp was a day at Hawaiian Falls water park (pictured at right) enjoyed by the 16 campers and 17 staff members. The group ate lunch and shared a chapel service at the water park. Other camp activities included “In It to Win It” games that enabled campers to practice teamwork and trust and to develop courage.

Each camper was given a mask and cape to help them feel even more super hero-like. Many wore their capes for the game activities. Both nights included gathering around an indoor “campfire” for chapel and a fireside chat. Aaron Wiley and camp director Scott Herridge led the services, helping campers focus on the attributes of the true Super Hero, Jesus Christ.

On Sunday, camp participants led the worship service at GCI’s Dallas North church where the camp was held. A group of campers provided the worship music (see them rehearsing at right), shared camp stories, lessons and favorite moments.

Camp wrapped up after the service with a meal shared by camp participants and the host congregation.

Mountaintop

This GenMin camp in Georgia also utilized the Super Hero theme. The theme was enthusiastically embraced, and some of the congregations represented are now using it in church services back home (if you would like a copy of the Super Hero curriculum, click here). Several of the 74 campers noted that the theme gave them a better understanding of Jesus.

Some of this year’s 54 staff members commented on encouraging trends. One noted that, “We are seeing the kids grow from year to year, and that makes the work we do even more fulfilling. We are blessed to be a partner in this ministry. Camp this year was God-inspired and fantastic.” Another noted the encouraging progress seen in an increasing number of campers becoming staff members, fulfilling one of GenMin’s primary goals—the multiplication of young ministers within GCI.

SEP Florida

GenMin’s camp in Florida, known as SEP Florida, took place at beautiful Camp Shalom in Orange Springs, Florida in June. This year there were 20 staff volunteers, 24 elementary school age campers and 20 senior campers. Activities included swimming, canoeing, arts & crafts, dancing, basketball, volleyball, kickball, drama, campfire, boating and chapel services (Michelle Davey is pictured at right, giving a chapel presentation).

Camp participants included several first-time campers, making up about 20% of the group. Several of the campers from Miami and Jacksonville, Florida were either unchurched or new to church, giving great opportunity for evangelism. One camper shared his intention to be baptized after camp back home.

Grace Communion Bowling Green, the GCI congregation meeting in Bowling Green, Kentucky, recently celebrated its 46th anniversary. The celebration was held during the weekly worship service and included honoring five member couples married for over 50 years. Member Brenda Maxie offered an inspiring testimonial concerning how she came to know and trust Jesus in prison and then became a GCI member. The celebration included a catered meal. Here are some pictures:

As reported by pastor Mary Bacheller, Hands for Christ Community Church, GCI’s new church for the deaf in Staten Island, New York, continues to make progress. Part of that progress involves multiplying additional churches for deaf people. Toward that end, Mary is working with GCI members in Texas and West Virginia (see pictures below) to start new churches for the deaf in their areas. As a first step, groups are meeting in both locations to participate through live streaming video in the Hands for Christ worship services each week.

Mary recently conducted a special session of GCI’s Church Next Training (CNT) for the Arners and Hottles to equip them for taking next steps in planting their new churches. Here, as reported by the participants, are some of the CNT take-aways:

• When you talk about Jesus, you talk about your heart
• Planting a church is a natural process
• We are not alone—we always have support, through God, Church Multiplication Ministries and, our sponsor, Mary Bacheller
• Hands for Christ live streaming is not a TV show, but church
• Our focus, vision and mission is Deaf people using American Sign Language coming to the understanding of JESUS and HIM crucified, buried and resurrected
• We are working to help deaf people understand the Trinity in their language through their culture
• God is love—the dynamic relationship between Father, Son and Holy Spirit
• God shares his love with humans
• We are to be part of deaf community as we are a part of Jesus

The two groups will be writing down where they see themselves in three years and their plans to get there. They will discuss these plans via video conference as they continue working together toward starting new churches for the deaf within GCI. We invite you to join them in prayer as they journey forward.

GCI’s congregation in Big Sandy, Texas recently participated with five other area churches in the 11th annual Big Sandy Community Vacation Bible School (VBS). A project of the Big Sandy Ministerial Alliance, the VBS was held in GCI’s church building. Pastor Liz Elkins of Gospel Lighthouse Church directed the VBS, GCI member Sarah Strub served as co-director, leading staff members representing the participating churches. About 65 children were served by 36 staff members. On family night, there were over 100 in attendance.

The theme for the VBS this year was “Remember…Joseph!” with the teaching portion led by a different pastor in the community, including GCI pastor Sonny Parsons. A worship band composed of members from GCI and another church provided music.

GCI member Jerome Ellard reflected on the results of this VBS: “Pastor Parsons has done a wonderful job of taking our congregation from the ‘mysterious church’ three miles down the road behind the white fence at Ambassador University, to an active, contributing part of the Big Sandy community, located right across the street from the Big Sandy post office.”

Here are pictures from the event (click to enlarge):

 

This update is from Tori Emerson, a member in GCI’s Kenmore, Washington congregation.

This past Memorial Day weekend, seven young adults from Christian Family Fellowship in Kenmore, Washington (Seattle area), met for the third session of Generations Ministries’ mentoring program, Journey with the Master. The legendarily rainy Pacific Northwest weather favored us with sunbreaks as we got into the weekend.

It was a great blessing to be able to get together with all of the young adults, our new pastor and his wife, Wayne and Patty Mitchell, as well as to have Anthony Mullins, GenMin national coordinator, fly across the country to lead us.

Before the weekend began, Anthony and Pastor Wayne had decided to shift the focus of the session from its regular topics to addressing our identity in Jesus. The change, as well as the entire weekend, was definitely Spirit-led! We greatly benefited by taking time to delve into who we all are because of the love our Savior freely gives us.

Besides our discussions, we were able to worship, eat together, play football out in the yard and take turns learning to cruise around on the lawn mower! The weekend ended with some personal sharing that helped us grow closer as a group of believers committed to encouraging each other. After sharing communion, we joined the rest of our church family at a BBQ.

With each Journey with the Master we have, we grow and learn more about ourselves and each other. We recommend JWM for any congregation or larger area. Anthony has been great in working with us to help adapt JWM for a smaller group. To learn more about Journey with the Master, click here.

A ministry training seminar was held recently on the island of Martinique. Forty-seven leaders (pictured below), representing seven Caribbean islands participated in an intensive class in Christian Leadership offered by Ambassador College of Christian Ministry (ACCM). Seventeen of the participants received additional training to prepare them to teach the class to others.

The event sprang from the vision of Kernani Cheny, one of GCI’s pastors in Martinique. Kernani invited ACCM leader John McLean from Australia to come to Martinique to accredit instructors. Though unable to make the trip himself, John sent U.S. leaders Greg Williams and Charles Fleming to conduct the class and then to work with the smaller group of 17 (pictured below), to accredit them to teach the class to others.

On the final day of the event, the group discussed plans to offer the class to other groups in the Caribbean in upcoming months. The group also committed to meeting again in Martinique in June 2015 to be accredited to teach ACCM’s “Jesus and the Gospels” class. The goal is to accredit instructors to teach at least four of ACCM’s core classes.

Charles Fleming commented: “It was exciting to see this cooperative effort by GCI leaders from different regions of our denomination. ACCM is administered by GCI in Australia, the course instructors came from GCI-USA and the students came from various parts of the Caribbean. Over the past few years about 30 Caribbean leaders have taken at least one of ACCM’s 10 courses. They found them to be extremely helpful and that created not only a desire for more, but a vision for training ACCM instructors in the Caribbean. Those in Martinique (who are French speaking) have indicated a willingness to travel to French-speaking congregations in Africa if there is an interest among those congregations for taking ACCM classes.”

To learn more about ACCM, go to http://www.ambascol.org/.

GCI Missions Philippines, headed by Dr. Rey Taniajura, visited Seoul, South Korea in May on a short-term mission trip. Eleven GCI members along with seven people from other churches participated.

The group was hosted by the Jesus People Church in Seoul. From there they traveled to Paju City near the North Korean border where they prayed for the reunification of the people of North and South Korea. The group also visited a memorial to the Korean War that includes a tribute to the Filipinos who fought beside the South Koreans in that war.

Back in Seoul, the group received street evangelism training. They reviewed and practiced sharing the gospel with each other, then worshiped together, singing and dancing for God’s victory over the streets of Seoul. Following lunch they paired up with young people from the host church and went to Korea National University and Cheongnyangni Train Station where they shared the gospel with everyone they met. Though they experienced some rejection, they made many new friends. They prayed for them and talked with them. Sharing the good news is a blessing whether it is received then or later.

In the days following, the group participated in worship services at the host church and took part in classes and small group discussions concerning salvation and the power of the cross. They also toured Seoul City, including visits to several local attractions. On the last day of the trip, they shared breakfast with their host families. One commented: “We will forever remember their kindness and generosity. They not only took us in, but gave us gifts to bring home. We felt so loved.”

Here are reflections from other participants on the trip:

“God exposed me to a different path, a path I never expected to take. The mission trip revived the fire in my heart. I saw how our Korean brothers and sisters are striving to do their part for the Great Commission that God has given to every Christian. I am inspired. I realized how much I can do by the power of prayer and faith.”

“In this short-term missions exposure, I saw how the Koreans love their country and also their love for their North Korean brothers, always remembering them in their prayers. South Koreans go to the northern border to pray for the unification of the nation. We too should pray, not only for the unification of the Koreas, but for all the nations to hear the good news of Jesus’ love for us.”

“In doing the mission of the Lord, our nationality does not divide us. Instead, it unites us to do his mission together.”

“I thank the Lord for letting me experience this trip, for it inspired me a lot. I am touched and very much amazed on how God works not only in the Philippines but also in other countries like Korea. For me, mission was limited to serving in our local church. Now, I thank God for making me realize that his love knows no bounds. Wherever he sends you, he will surely guide and protect you. All glory and praise to our God!”

In early May, 111 youth campers and over 50 staff members (pictured below, click to enlarge) gathered on the island of Luzon in the Philippines for six days of laughing, learning and growing together. Almost half of the campers were first-timers.

The camp theme, Beyond our Boundaries, was designed to help campers more deeply understand Christ’s inclusive and self-sacrificing love, their identity in Christ and their calling to participate in the Lord’s work in the world. Camp activities addressed spiritual formation, team-building and personal development. Each morning began with a worship service, followed by sports and Christian-living sessions. Activities included basketball, volleyball, swimming, dance and bonsai plant-making.

In keeping with the camp theme, campers participated in community service sessions. The helped out with chores in the camp and in the surrounding community. Other camp highlights included a bonfire, chats with dorm parents, a variety show featuring the campers, a sports fest and a dance on the last night.

In response to God’s goodness and grace, we had the privilege of baptizing 11 young people. We praise God for the amazing things he is doing in and through SEP Luzon. We are grateful for the support of pastors and churches who go beyond the boundaries of nationality, status and age to make this life-changing program a continuing reality.

—SEP Luzon 2014 Planning Team