On August 5, Major Chaplain Joseph (Bo) Welch was ordained a GCI elder serving as a U.S. military chaplain. He was ordained by GCI ministry developer Randy Bloom during the Sunday worship service at Good News Fellowship, the GCI congregation in Nashville, Tennessee.
Bo served as an active duty Army Chaplain for nearly nine years and has been a U.S. Army Reserve Chaplain for the past three. He now serves as Command Chaplain for the 290th Military Police Brigade in Nashville, where he provides direct ministry for soldiers and family members of the brigade headquarters and supervises five battalion chaplains throughout the Southeast region of the United States. The entire brigade and subordinate battalions have around 2000 soldiers.
Bo has a Master of Divinity degree from Reformed Theological Seminary (Jackson, Mississippi 1992) and a Masters of Marriage in Family Therapy degree from Trevecca Nazarene University (Nashville, Tennessee 2012). He recently opened a private practice counseling agency in Fairview, Tennessee called the Fairview Counseling Center.
For the past four years, GCI’s Kingston, Jamaica church has hosted a week-long Vacation Bible School (VBS). This year, they were assisted by a GCI Generations Ministries (GenMin) mission team from the United States. Here is a report from team member Anne Marie Fleming.
VBS children leading worship
At GenMin’s national summit meeting last year, a dream was expressed by some of our Jamaican members that their VBS would have more of a “summer camp feel.” At the same time, sisters Tabitha and Natalie Wendt, and my sister Mychelle Fleming and I were expressing a desire for an overseas mission trip. With over 30 years of combined experience in camps and missions, we felt called to help our Jamaican brothers and sisters realize their dream.
Pastor David Perry
Well, God opened the door, bringing together a mission team that included Tabitha, Natalie, Mychelle, Mat Morgan, David Perry, Jeff Snyder, Charles Fleming and me. Some of us served in construction, working on the church hall where the VBS was held. Others partnered with Jamaican members to form a team of eleven VBS teachers and five assistant teachers.
Tabitha Wendt (left)
God also blessed the VBS with help from local companies that donated food and from individuals who donated money to scholarship kids. Campers from Base Camp, a GenMin camp in Tennessee, made bracelets for the kids and teachers. And the Wendt sisters, who are Base Camp leaders, donated 50 soccer balls that had been signed by their campers.
Mychelle Fleming (left)
Through these combined efforts, the VBS was able to minister to more than 70 children between age three and eighteen. The kids were given opportunity to learn, to be fed and, most importantly, to feel the love of Jesus.
The VBS theme was Rooted (from Ephesians 3:16-19) – the same theme used this year in many of GenMin’s camps. This theme had special significance for my sister Mychelle and me since we were returning to our Jamaican roots. We lived in Jamaica when we were young – our dad, Charles Fleming, was a pastor there for 13 years.
This update is from Eugene Guzon, GCI’s national leader in the Philippines and mission director for Northern Asia and Micronesia.
I recently traveled to Rayong City, Thailand, a two and a half hour drive from Bangkok. There I met with GCI pastor Joel and Beth Alisbo who work in Rayong as teachers, along with Jean Anne Almera. They gave me a tour of their mission’s halfway house and worship center. This place is also their venue for teaching English as a second language to Thai adults and children.
Eugene Guzon (upper left) with teachers and students at the Rayong City mission school
Several of our members now living in Rayong City received missions training in the Philippines. They saw the benefit of going to the mission field in teams, and now in Rayong City they serve in missions together. Because teaching English as a second language is a Thai government priority, the team found an English-language school to be an effective outreach ministry tool. They also serve at the Rayong City Juvenile Center, a correctional facility with about 500 inmates. There they conduct values and skills training and provide instruction in the English language. The center’s director has been so pleased with their ministry that he wants to open their training to the center’s employees.
The group is also reaching out through weddings. Recently, Pastor Joel and Pastor Dante Abatayo helped organize for an overseas Filipino couple a wedding at the exclusive Siam Country Club in the tourist area of Pattaya, a beach resort popular with tourists and expatriates. Pastor Joel gave the wedding sermon and Pastor Dante handled praise and worship. While many of the guests were Filipinos, some were middle class Thai nationals who also heard a presentation of the gospel in the message and music.
These are some of the things that excite our members in Rayong City and other parts of Thailand. In the midst life’s daily grind, these outreach ministries are building enduring relationships. Before the end of the year, the Rayong City members hope to host a short-term mission trip to their city. They covet your prayers and partnership, as they seek to participate in the life, love and work of God in Thailand.
Here is a group picture from the recent GCI Australia Pastors Conference. Click here for additional pictures on Facebook (you must be signed into FaceBook to view these).
This update is from Jeff Chandler who pastors the GCI church in Jonesboro, Arkansas.
We recently launched a new service/outreach project named Worship Workout. It’s being held at Fitness Bootcamp Unlimited. About 26 people attended the first session.
I opened the session with prayer, which was followed by a 35 minute “Full Body & Soul” workout accompanied by Christian music. I then asked everyone to have a seat on the floor and gave a 10 minute message about our physical and spiritual health. We then ended in prayer.
It was a CRAZY GOOD and we now are praying that it grows and that some who attend will move on over into our church congregation.
Sonia Orozco, pastor of GCI’s church in Barranquilla, Colombia and several members from her congregation joined recently with Hector Barrero (Colombian GCI National Director) for a radio interview in which they discussed how the church is like an extended family.
Sonia Orozco (in the middle) with Hetor Barrero (at right)Barranquilla members who participated
This update is from Eugene Guzon, GCI National Director for the Philippines and one of the Mission Directors serving Asia, the Philippines, Australia and Oceania.
Beginning on July 20, Muslims around the world celebrate Ramadan, a month of spiritual reflection, increased focus on the Muslim faith, charity toward the poor and the avoidance of fighting with others. However, Ramadan this year is being marked by political uncertainty and violence in many Muslim countries in the Arabian Peninsula and in North Africa. In particular, violence is rampant in Syria and Bahrain. Even in Dubai, which is more stable politically and peaceful, people have been arrested on charges of anti-government activity.
This is the situation faced by many of our GCI members living in primarily Muslim countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Due to the violence and political unrest in Syria, the Philippine Embassy began to evacuate thousands of Filipinos who are working there. In the Philippines, we just had another round of oil price increases as a consequence of the political unrest in the Middle East. It is amazing how the world has become like a small village. Our lives are interconnected and we are impacted by what is happening thousands of miles away.
From left: Cesar Dela Paz, Eugene Guzon, Jerry and Lal Ortiguero, Joana Dela Paz
I was in Dubai and Abu Dhabi recently. Pastor Cesar Dela Paz picked me up at the airport and we had a chance to meet and have some personal and ministry updates. Our days were full with birthday celebrations, a house blessing, a worship service, meetings with leaders, and a time of prayer, sharing and planning concerning how the Dubai church can be empowered and mobilized for discipleship and ministry. We also planned for a retreat or special celebration this coming November.
Our members in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and other Emirates are a cross section of the guest workers and professionals there. Some work as professionals in private and government offices, and some work as domestic helpers. It is a blessing that some are able to have their families with them, however, many face difficult working conditions.
One of our members recently tried to flee the country where she was working due to the harsh working conditions but was caught and detained. She is now receiving legal help, hoping to get back to the Philippines soon. One of the inspiring things that happened to her was that despite being a rather timid person, in the detention center she became bold in leading Bible studies and offering counsel and encouragement to those detained with her.
Dubai members
Our worship services in Dubai are held on Friday afternoons. The service I attended on July 6 was typical, attended by about 40 members. For the past several years, the congregation has had to transfer their service to other venues due to increasing costs. There is also speculation that the government will be imposing new restrictions on Christian worship services, allowing them only in specified locations. This would make it even more difficult for some of our members to attend services due to the distances involved. Not all of our members there have cars and transportation otherwise can be cumbersome and expensive. In the meantime, they are still able to worship freely and regularly in a hotel in downtown Deira in Dubai.
Let us continue to pray for our members in Dubai and other Emirates. Please also pray for those scattered in other countries in the Middle East like Oman, Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. These countries are more conservative in their religious practices, and some also are politically in transition right now. Our members there are facing even greater challenges to practicing their faith and, depending on where they live and work, also are concerned about their personal safety. Please also pray for greater peace in the Middle East and the Northern African regions and that during Ramadan, God will lead many Muslims to know of his unconditional love for all people and of the peace of God that surpasses all understanding.
Daniel Leon, a member of GCI’s New Hope Christian Fellowship in Los Angeles and veteran of GCI camps and mission trips, has partnered with Hayden Betts to form D&H Tractors. The work of this volunteer organization was profiled in a Pasadena News Now article (see below) and mentioned in The Garden, an Academy Award-winning documentary film (see the film trailer at www.dandhtractors.org).
D&H Tractors is building a tractor that will be used by the South Central Farmers Co-op. This group of community farmers/gardeners previously farmed a 12-acre tract in South-Central Los Angeles. There hundreds of inner-city families gained self-reliance, produced food for their families and learned lessons of hard work and community unity. Sadly, the co-op lost access to the garden when the property was sold. However, 120 acres of land became available to the Co-op in Shafter, California, some 100 miles north of Los Angeles. This property cannot be farmed effectively without machinery; hence, Daniel and Hayden’s vision to build and then donate a working tractor for the co-op’s use.
Daniel and Haden are building the rather sophisticated tractor from scratch. They have partnered with local businesses to acquire (and sometimes build) the parts. They are also using donated space and equipment to assemble the tractor. So far, they have spent hundreds of hours on the project.
Joseph Tkach visits Daniel at work on the tractorDaniel welding tractor frame
GCI’s congregation in Bogota, Colombia used to conduct baptisms at a nearby swimming pool. However, this arrangement seemed inadequate. And so, the congregation constructed a new bautisterio (baptistry) in their church hall and inaugurated it recently with six baptisms. As shown below, their baptism service includes baptismal robes, immersion in the baptismal pool, prayer and a celebration breakfast.
