Category: Stay Connected

About 85 leaders from GCI Generations Ministries’ camps, mission trips and administration gathered recently in Southern California for Converge West. Also participating were GCI youth ministry leaders from outside the U.S. and special guest Jeff McSwain who leads Reality Ministries.

Converge is the annual summit of GenMin’s leaders, held this year in two locations: Southern California (now completed) and Ohio (in April). The purpose of Converge is to gather for inspiration, encouragement and instruction. Participants worshipped, shared meals and fellowship, and participated in discussions with Jeff McSwain and various GenMin leaders.

Information about Converge West and the upcoming Converge East is found on GenMin’s Facebook page and the GCI website.

 

 

 

 

 

This update is from Joseph Franklin, the pastor of GCI’s church in Haiti, which sponsors a school.

We request your prayers for the safety of the teachers and children in our school here. They need protection against kidnapping! Recently, God saved us from what appeared to be a kidnapping attempt in which the kidnapper was demanding from the school master a ransom of $60,000.00 (USD). Due to risks like these and the constant fear of earthquakes, we have only 134 students, though we can accommodate 200. This is causing us financial difficulties. The devastation caused by the January 2010 earthquake still greatly impacts daily life here.

Despite trials, the work of God advances. One of our youths, Jephte Jaques, recently received Christ as personal Savior and requested baptism. We just finished constructing a baptismal pool inside the school building. Jephte is part of a group that attends our Bible study series on the triune nature of God.

Lascan Sikosi, the pastor of GCI’s Kutima Mulilo congregation in Northern Namibia, held an evangelism event on Christmas Day, 2012. As a result, 15 people committed their lives to Christ, were baptized and now attend the congregation, which now has 105 members.

Funding for the event was provided, in part, by GCI’s Canadian Mission Fund. For this support, Lascan is very appreciative. The pictures here show the congregation preparing for the event.

This update is from Doug Johannsen, GCI district pastor and Snowblast camp leader.

This year, Showblast brought the gospel and fellowship to a diverse group of about 30, ranging in age from 70 something to pre-school.

Since 1997, there has been a winter youth activity in Minnesota called Snowblast. This year it was held at Camp Chicagami near Evelyth, Minnesota. It lasted from noon Saturday to Monday morning, and was led by Pastor Tom and Sandy Kennebeck (from Orr, Minnesota) and Pastor Troy Meisner (from Rochester, Minnesota who also directs Northern Light summer camp).

Snowblast was begun by Jeff and Sarah Skrove. They were unable to attend this year due to the condition of their 16-year-old son Jonah who is recovering from amputation of his lower right leg due to bone cancer. Using internet video conferencing, we included Jonah and his family in one evening of the camp. Everyone participated in decorating and filling a “treasure chest” for Jonah (see picture at left).

Outdoor activities included ice fishing, snowshoeing, sledding and hiking. Ice fishing was challenging due to high winds and cold temperatures. Still, the fishermen pulled up a couple of sunfish through the 24 inch thick ice.

Indoor activities included worship, decorating and filling Jonah’s treasure chest; making pottery, baking lefsa, leather tooling and making jewelry out of polished rocks. Messages during worship were given by pastors Tom Kennebeck, Troy Meisner and Doug Johannsen.

Monday morning we couldn’t get the three outdoor thermometers to agree whether it was -29 F, -24 F or -23 F (they must be theological thermometers!). All vehicles but one started and after a couple of shots of ether it was up and running too.

The Florida Times Union newspaper in Jacksonville, Florida recently highlighted the community service work of GCI elder Gadson Burgess and his wife Orzola. To read the story about their participation in the preparation of a community redevelopment plan, click here.

The Burgesses, who are both in their 80s, are members of Christian Family Fellowship, GCI’s Jacksonville congregation.

This update is from district pastor Heber Ticas, the senior pastor of Comunion De Gracia, the GCI Spanish-speaking congregation in Sun Valley, California. Heber is also shepherding the start of a new congregation in the Lincoln Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles.

On October 14, Comunion de Gracia (Los Angeles church plant) celebrated its first anniversary service with 109 in attendance. The first year has been filled with surprises. We have encountered the joy of seeing people come to faith in our Lord but we have also shed tears as we encountered those in bondage to alcohol and drug abuse, children suffering because of the breakdown of the family and wives suffering as they see their spouses imprisoned. We thank Almighty God for the comfort and peace of knowing that he is in control.

On November 18, we had an outreach event to the community. We also served dinners on Thanksgiving and Christmas. The ministry team continues to create connections with the community. Our growth strategy includes both “attractional” and “incarnational” approaches: attractional through “big day” events such as our Christmas celebration; incarnational through missional groups that live and share the gospel in the midst of the community life.

This update is from Kalengule Kaoma who is GCI national director in Zambia and missions director in much of Africa.

Starting in late October, I have traveled to Madagascar, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Our national directors, their wives and church pastors and leaders send their greetings. Most of them are well and are keeping the faith with determination, love for God and love for our members.

Madagascar

When I visited Madagascar, the members were completing their annual convention, this year gathering in Antsirabe, which is three hours north of Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar. Angel Bodolalao Rafiringason, wife of GCI Madagascar’s national director Dr. Rigobert Rafiringason, gave an encouraging message about the promises we have in Jesus. I then covered as many topics as time allowed. The enthusiasm and desire of the members to learn electrified the meetings. There was lots of praise, worship and prayer. The Rafiringasons invest a lot of resources in their youth—many youth leaders were in attendance.

Kenya

James Henderson facilitated the conference in Kenya with me where we met with 28 pastors and other leaders in Nairobi. A week earlier, many of these leaders had met to discuss the future of the Kenyan church. It was good for them to be together to cement relationships, beliefs and to grow in leadership skills. From Nairobi, I flew to Arusha where I met with three church leaders interested in joining GCI.

Tanzania

I met with 26 Tanzanian church leaders in Musoma. The last conference we had together was in 2010. This year there was a lot of noise as we greeted each other. Many questions were asked about grace and its implications in our lives. These leaders are eager and thirsty for more. I also met with a group of leaders in Kalisizo. I’ve been working with them over the last three years in an affiliation process.

Uganda

In Entebbe, I met Pastor Joseph Mark Emeu-Oedo, who is seeking GCI affiliation. He trains rural pastors who have not attended Bible school. A lot of these “untrained” pastors oversee large congregations. He became interested in GCI when he visited our website and found that GCI plants “all kinds of churches in all kinds of places for all kinds of people.”

I then met another pastor in Kampala who had traveled 250 kilometers to meet me. He had many questions about our stand on grace. After the discussions, he invited me to visit him in his hometown.

In Eastern Uganda we met with 18 GCI leaders in Tororo. Pastor Edward Kagoro and his wife were not able to attend because of burns inflicted by thieves who had spread sulfuric acid on his shoulders. They also stole his motor bike. Thankfully, Edward is now better. His bike was recovered and his attackers were arrested.

GCI-USA’s SEP Rockies camp and Ground Zero Church recently hosted the annual Rocky Mountain Retreat in beautiful Estes Park, Colorado at the YMCA of the Rockies. There were 45 participants this year.

The retreat is designed as an informal leadership incubator for young adults who serve in camp and church ministry. Sarah Miles and John Egbert coordinated the retreat and Anthony Mullins, director of GCI Generations Ministries, was guest speaker.

Retreat sessions addressed loneliness and depression, Christian apologetics, and the strengths and weaknesses of social networking. Lots of fellowship, food and a roaring fireplace made it a special atmosphere for all, including the ten young adults who attended for the first time.

65 singles from seven GCI Philippines congregations and fellowships attended a year-end camp at Playa Calatagan, Batangas. The camp was held as part of the year-long jubilee celebration of GCI in the Philippines. The camp was designed to address the spiritual, emotional, intellectual, social and physical aspects of life as a single.

The camp site was located beside the white sand beach of Playa Calatagan Seaside Community. Everyone was grateful to God for the perfect weather. Inspiring presentations were made by Pastor Audie Santibanez, Pastor Gil Llaneza and Julian “Jing” Concepcion, Jr.

Following Christmas Day gang violence that left three innocent bystanders dead in Pasadena, California, several community leaders including GCI pastor Glen Weber (in the picture above at upper right) gathered with about 100 city residents to pray for peace. Rev. Kerwin Manning declared, “We’re here to declare peace over our community and our city.” The leaders asked the assembled crowd to take an active role in promoting peace.

Among the dead Christmas Day was Victor McClinton, a longtime Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department employee and founder of the nonprofit Brotherhood Community Youth Sports League. He was killed by a stray bullet from a gang-related shooting.

Read more at http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_22285680/community-members-leaders-rally-peace-pasadena#ixzz2GerwdlNS.