Category: Stay Connected

Anthony Gachanja, GCI’s national leader in Kenya reports the recent baptisms of 10 people in that nation.

GCI in Colombia held its annual seminar in the city of Bogotá in early November with 76 members attending from the Bogotá and Barranquilla congregations.

The seminar theme was “The Heart of a Disciple.” Guest lecturer Hanz Daza from the Colombian Bible League provided instruction concerning disciple making.

This update is from Eugene Guzon, GCI’s national director in the Philippines. It was filed on November 16.

Since super typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) struck central Philippines on November 8, the situation remains bleak. Statistics vary, but the official death toll is 4600 and rising. We praise God that most of our GCI members in Tacloban and in other hard-hit areas have been located and are alive, though their homes and belongings have been damaged.

In Tacloban City (the hardest hit) and other places in the Visayas, thousands have died while others are half-alive from fatigue, hunger and disease from infections and scarcity of hygiene supplies and medicines. These people would like to flee to neighboring cities, like Cebu and Samar, and even as far as Manila to find temporary refuge from an otherwise deadly situation, but there is a lack of transport facilities. This is an overwhelming crisis for the Philippine government and considering the scale and scope, there is a need for everyone to join in this humongous effort. Thank you so much for the outpouring of prayers and willingness to help in service and in kind. These updates will give you some of the ways GCI members have been helping.

Visiting affected members

In the last several days, I have visited GCI members who were impacted by the typhoon, including 13 families with damaged homes, three of which were destroyed. One family lost their poultry houses—their main source of income. Two families lost their retail stores. I saw the overwhelming destruction of infrastructure, including telecommunication, transport and money transfer facilities. During a short candle-lit church service, I relayed to these members your love and that you are praying for them. During the visit, I represented you all in delivering to them the first wave of support in the form of food and building materials. Next week, we will deliver the next wave of support, including generators to restore power and communications through phone charging, along with supplies to help in reconstructing homes and businesses.

Relief team en route

As I write this, a team of GCI Philippines leaders are travelling from Manila to Samar and Tacloban—a dangerous drive that will take well over a day. They are going to minister to our members with prayer and counseling, and to gather information concerning their immediate needs. They are carrying with them relief goods for members and their families—enough to last a week. They also are delivering power generators. Please pray for travelling mercies and special protection for this team, especially as they approach the worst-hit areas where security is a concern. And thanks for your generosity in giving, which is making the delivery of these supplies possible.

Outreach in Manila

Villamor Airbase in Manila is the drop-off point for typhoon victims arriving on the government’s C-130 planes. Members from our Santa Rosa Church along with others, are volunteering there in support of the Tacloban refugees who are now arriving. They are providing relief goods, counseling and other forms of support. According to their report, they need donations of food, medicine, slippers and transport vehicles to use in shuttling the refugees to public transport hubs in order to reach their families. As of this writing, we are mobilizing to send relief supplies. We are calling for volunteers to help at the airbase with various tasks including crisis counseling, marshaling, goods disbursement, feeding efforts, and other work; especially at night because the operation goes on 24 hours a day.

SEP camp community helps out

Staff and campers from our SEP Luzon youth camp recently volunteered for re-packing of relief goods at a Manila university. They joined other young people and volunteers in putting together family packs to be deployed by the Philippine government to Tacloban and surrounding areas.

Moving forward

These are just a few of the ways our church has an active part in the relief efforts, allowing God to use us as instruments of his love and provision to our members and others badly in need of help. We thank our churches and members from all over the Philippines and around the world, for their prayers, encouragement and other forms of help. To the churches and members who have already responded with donations in cash and in kind, please know that your contributions are going a long way in helping our affected brothers and sisters. We praise God for your compassion and selflessness. We also thank our members and partners from GCI headquarters and across the United States for their generous donations given to this relief effort through the GCI Disaster Relief Fund. This aid is helping our affected members rebuild their homes and businesses and address other immediate basic needs.

We are truly blessed to be part of a worldwide family, through whom we powerfully experience God’s love, despite the distance.

This update from GCI Philippines director Eugene Guzon describes the terrible aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan (called Typhoon Yolanda inside the Philippines).

As you know, Typhoon Yolanda has devastated part of my country, the Philippines. The damage is particularly great in the area known as the Visayas. The typhoon left behind heartbreaking loss of life along with terrible suffering and massive destruction. The situation is chaotic. Many people lack food and safe drinking water. Many are dying from disease and injury. There is much desperation.

Many GCI members are among the thousands of victims in Tacloban, Samar, Iloilo, Aklan and other affected provinces. Though Tacloban was the worst hit, Samar also took a terrible beating, and several other areas in the Visayas were severely damaged.

Danny De Guia, a GCI assistant pastor and area superintendent for Visayas has just returned from visiting Tacloban. The GCI members he located there are alive, though weak and lacking basic necessities like food, electrical power and communications. There are some we have not been able to contact yet. We hope and pray that they are safe. Many of the residents of Tacloban are fleeing the area, though transportation is hard to find.

I talked with our pastor in Kalibo. Our members there also lack necessities. Some of them have lost their homes and had to flee to neighboring towns to find shelter. They were told that power will not be restored for a couple of months.

I have asked our pastor in Bicol and members of our staff inthe National Office to go to Tacloban to get more information on how we can address the needs of our members in Tacoloban. We are exploring setting up a supply center in nearby Samar to feed them and provide other necessities. However, it is still risky to bring these things into the area due to a lack of security.

I ask for continuing prayer for these people—please pray that they experience God’s grace, healing, relief, peace and provision at this difficult time. These are trying times for many of our brothers and sisters. When they hurt, we all hurt, for God has united us to one another. My prayer is that against this backdrop of pain, suffering and calamity, our love will abound even more.

---

Here is a related message from GCI treasurer Mat Morgan:

Thanks to previous generous donations to the GCI Disaster Relief Fund, we were able this week to wire about $35,000 (U.S.) to help our brothers and sisters in the Philippines recover from Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda). This donation was in addition to ones sent earlier this month to help those affected by the recent earthquake there.

If your congregation would like to help us respond quickly to this and future disasters, please have your treasurer either make a donation through the online portal at https://www.gci.org/participate/donate or send a check to the fund at the address below. Your donations change lives by providing necessities to members who find themselves overwhelmed and in need.

GCI Disaster Relief Fund

P.O. Box 5005

Glendora, CA 91740

GCI Canada recently held a Thanksgiving Celebration in the city of Moncton, New Brunswick. The 53 people attending came from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.

Guest speaker Dr. Gary Deddo (pictured at right) gave sermons on our identity in Christ and the obedience that flows from faith. He urged the audience to remember to first ask: “Who is God? and then ask: “Who are we in Christ?” He noted that we only are able to love unconditionally—with no strings attached—when all of our strings are attached to God.

In one of his sermons, Gary discussed loving God with all our mind (expounding on Matthew 22:37). Because theology is how we think about God, we all have a working theology. However, to have right theology, we must focus on who God is as he reveals himself in Christ. The foundation of our thinking is therefore of utmost importance. Loving God with all our mind involves actively seeking God to know him better.

An atmosphere of peace and joy was prevalent throughout the celebration—God’s presence and blessings were evident. The members fellowshipped, shared meals and enjoyed a sing-along with Jim Noseworthy (pictured above, left), and shared communion at the beginning and end of the weekend.

The mission statement of In His Grace Community Church, GCI’s congregation in Kenockee, Michigan is this: “To live and to share God’s Grace in: our homes, our community and our world!” That they are ministering accordingly is evidenced by an article by Bob Green in the Port Huron “Times Herald.” Here are excerpts:

It’s hard to imagine a congregation tinier than the 25 or so members of In His Grace Community Church… But don’t let the size fool you. With the help of their neighbors, members of the church are making sure people who are hungry receive the food they need.

The church had a food giveaway on Oct. 19. “We know the need is there,” said Pastor Grant Forysth. “There still is a great number of people who, due to the economy, are not making it. We are trying to, in any little way we can, help people make it.”

He said 161 families signed up for the latest food giveaway, which represented 516 people. The food comes on a truck from the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan. “We try to do two a year,” Forsyth said. “This year, that was the only one we were able to get done.”

A food truck costs $650, said Alice Rieves of Mid City Nutrition in Port Huron, who works with the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan to coordinate food giveaways. That $650 guarantees 12 pallets of food. “My job is to make sure the food is distributed equitably, fairly and the people are treated with respect and the paperwork is done,” she said.

In addition to the $650, which Forsyth said his church raised through donations, the group sponsoring a mobile food pantry also must have 30 volunteers to help with the giveaway. “We have connections with volunteers in Kenockee Township, the leadership there,” he said. “They send volunteers; they like to be involved.”

For additional pictures, click here.

This update is from GCI pastor Mark Porter who coordinated the conference.

 

Over 325 people gathered in September for Engage 2013—a weekend of inspiration and fellowship in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. This year marked the launch of a new name and theme for what was previously called the Wisconsin Dells conference. The Engage name highlights how our faith in Christ is lived out through intent and action.

Each of the four days of Engage 2013 conference featured a worship service with messages emphasizing a heavenly worldview that leads to serving others with God’s love. Engage sermons were given by Becky Duel, Joseph Tkach, Rick Shallenberger and Stephen Hill (left to right in the pictures below).

Worship services also featured the Engage praise and worship team, interpretive dance, and a skit and music by the children. The event was packed with other opportunities to engage—from breakout sessions on multiple topics to recreational activities for families, teens and seniors.

Preparations for Engage 2014 are underway. It will be held September 25-28 at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells—a beautiful facility with a large indoor water park and a theme park with rides, games and challenge courses. Discounted resort lodging rates and passes are available for GCI attenders. Visit www.EngageGCI.org for details and updates. Early bird registration rates are now available. Make plans to join us for a time of meaningful fellowship, family fun and spiritual refreshment.

“Because God loves everyone, we in the church should not exclude anyone.” This was the resounding message from GCI Philippines national director Eugene Guzon at the conclusion of the 4-day Mindanao-wide festival held this month in Cagayan de Oro City in the province of Mindanao in the Philippines.

The focus of the festival was to urge the 500 members attending to develop within their churches a culture of Connectivity, Sensitivity and Proactivity.

This update is from Sarah Miles who directs the GenMin camp in Colorado—SEP Rockies.

Watching God “do his thing” in the hearts and lives of his people (young and old) is addictive. As one of my favorite Bible study teachers says, “There ain’t no high like the Most High.” God is good!

We had a phenomenal SEP Rockies this summer. A heartfelt “thank you” to all who supported us. Your money, time and service enabled a truly life-changing experience for 62 campers and 46 staff.

This year we shifted from a reliance on activities to focus on helping campers and staff develop deeply bonded relationships. We had fewer classes and more small group sessions. Although the content of these sessions was educational (including finance, public speaking, prayer, Bible study 101, woodworking, art, first aid and apologetics) the intent was to provide a safe environment for sharing and discussion. These small groups have “moved down the mountain” and are still meeting.

Our theme this year, “The Future Is Now,” walked through Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 and 6), covering such tough topics as sexual purity, adultery, divorce, forgiveness, prayer and revenge. It was our desire to apply the content to the campers’ struggles/issues back home. It was amazing to watch the Spirit move and bring comfort and conviction simultaneously.

Again this year we offered swing dance classes and group dances. The kids love hanging out with each other and learning about chivalry and dating. It’s a lost art in our society! Our dances were “out of this world” with our outdoor pavilion transformed into an image of the galaxy complete with planets and a massive rocketship that smoked and lit up…and we might have had a storm trooper DJ one night as well! So much fun.

One day was devoted to guy/girl focused activities. The boys and girls didn’t see each other all day and we had a great time working through gender-specific struggles and distractions in society. The boys went fishing and built racing carts. The girls picnicked, did some Zumba and painted their nails.

All in all, we sought after, learned about, looked for and worshiped the one true God who made himself known to us. I can’t wait for next year! Here is a video from this year’s camp:

Watch on YouTube at http://youtu.be/R0J6m0C6s1A

This update is from district and church pastor Howard Blakeney.

Earlier this month, about 200 members and friends attended a GCI-sponsored conference in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The conference theme, “It’s All About Jesus,” was emphasized in a powerful testimony given by Melissa Harring and her dad Bill. They related how Melissa as a young teen was headed down the wrong path, resulting in a terrible automobile accident. Initially, the doctors did not think she would survive, let alone walk again. But thanks to God’s mercy, she not only is now able to walk, she tells people about Jesus and the importance of not drinking and driving.

Another conference highlight was joining Jesus in reaching out to the surrounding community. One group went to what locals refer to as the “homeless village”—a place in the woods where homeless folks live in tents without running water, flushing toilets, central air, refrigerators or soft beds. We gave them food and toiletries, but most importantly, we talked and prayed with them. Some of them understood that despite their circumstance, Jesus would take care of them. A few accepted Jesus and became believers. Another group of conference-goers visited a homeless shelter where they led a worship service and provided a meal.