New Life Fellowship, GCI’s congregation in Baltimore, Maryland, gathered recently to proclaim the gospel with their hands—packing gifts in shoe-box size containers for 100 orphaned, abandoned and disabled children living in Cameroon, Africa. According to senior pastor Timothy Brassell, “The love of the Triune God was flowing!” Here are some pictures:
This update is from Kalengule Kaoma, one of GCI’s national and missions directors serving in Africa.
I traveled earlier this month to Cameroon and Democratic Republic of Congo where our national leaders and members warmly received me. They send warm greetings to all.
I arrived on September 28 in Yaoundé, the capital city of Cameroon. Pastor Jean Mvondo and Andre met me at the airport. Refreshed by a good night’s rest, I attended an enthusiastic worship service the next morning after which all of us shared a delicious meal. On September 30, I visited the homes of our resident pastors where I fellowshipped with small groups of members. Later in the afternoon, we traveled to Peace Center in Balmayo for the fall convention.
During the convention I spoke first on the convention’s theme: “consecration and communion” of the saints. The second time I spoke about “God’s purpose for us.” Communion followed both of these sermons and was a highlight each day of the eight day convention with about 90 people attending. Another convention activity brought members together for an evangelism drive in the town of Balmayo. We hope a new church plant will result.
Later in the week, our two senior pastors in Kinshasa, Pastors Mvita and Mpinda met me at the Kinshasa airport and took me to a hotel in Kasa-Vubu, Kinshasa. A two-day church pastors’ and leaders’ training seminar began there on October 5. Pastor Jonas, who was translating for me from English to French and Lingala, was so thrilled with our seminar that he expressed interest in becoming a GCI member.
I will be conducting five more conferences in Africa this year. Please remember our African missions in your prayers. We appreciate your support.
This update is from GCI Canada national director Gary Moore.
It was a privilege and joy to attend recently the annual weekend worship celebration hosted by the Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada congregation. This year, about 60 of our members attended (see picture at right). They came from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
There was a happy buzz of fellowship before and after each service. A lovely chicken dinner was enjoyed on Saturday night, followed by a sing-a–long led by Jim Noseworthy (see picture below).
During the celebration, the Moncton congregation presented a gift to Eric and Edna Vautour to commemorate their 30th anniversary in ministry. The Vautours are wonderful servant leaders of our New Brunswick churches who have yielded themselves to Jesus Christ in a wonderful and fruitful way.
Life Club is a speech club that includes men and women of all ages. It is being used as an outreach and discipleship tool by GCI congregations in the UK. Here are reports on recent Life Club meetings.
London
A Life Club hosted by the London church met on June 9. The theme was the Diamond Jubilee. A Union Jack of flowers made by Pauline Daley was displayed on stage (see picture at right). The chairperson, Maxwell Victor, quoted from the Archbishop of Canterbury’s sermon in St Paul’s Cathedral on June 5 in which the Queen’s dedication was highlighted. Referring to 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Maxwell mentioned that we should “give thanks” for the Queen’s service over the last 60 years. The club’s four speakers focused on the Queen. At the end of the club, Maxwell proposed a toast to the Queen and Gordon Brown prayed the Jubilee Prayer. This was followed by children waving Union Jack flags (see picture below) while singing the National Anthem. Club director James Henderson said that “Life Club is a good preparation for whatever we do in life.”
Birmingham
A Life Club was hosted by the Birmingham church on March 31. Christine Jordan (pictured at right) won the best speaker cup. She spoke about Acts 20:35, “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” David Gibbs who directed the club, noted that we need to develop deeper relationships with young people in our congregations to help them stay in the church.
Cambridge
A Life Club was hosted by the Cambridge church on May 5. Chairperson Sylvia Low,quoted Ecclesiastes 3:7, which says that there is “a time to keep silence and a time to speak.” Speakers included three members of the same family: Alan, Val and Corinne Quinn.
About 55 members and children from Lima and La Huaca, Peru gathered in Piura on September 28 through 31 for a GCI-sponsored seminar. Piura is a large Peruvian city about an hour’s flight from Lima, Peru’s capital city. During the seminar, GCI Mission Director Hector Barrero presented lessons focused on Steve McVey’s book Grace Walk Experience. His goal was to help members draw closer to Jesus and to join actively in what our Lord is doing to proclaim the gospel. Members expressed gratitude, noting that the seminar helped them gain a closer connection with GCI.
During the event, Juan Carlos Florian, a GCI leader from La Huaca, Cajamarca, was commissioned a ministry leader (deacon). Also, with parental consent, two children were baptized: 15 year-old Christian Nieves and 10 year-old Camila Gutierrez. Activities for children were provided, including their participation in a talent show.
More than 500 members and guests from GCI congregations in Ghana converged recently at the Kutunse grounds to celebrate their annual convention. Speakers included Casely Schandorf, Cleo and Catharine Sturdivant (from the U.S.), Theophilus Nii Okai, Augustine Adih, Francis Ablordeppey, Alfred Ablordeppey, Emmanuel Okai and Emmanuel Sogbo.
Activities included worship, drumming, dancing and a women’s tournament. Children from the church’s Kutunse Ambassador International School provided entertainment. A film was shown one evening and hymn singing was featured on another.
During the event, it was announced that an association of pastors’ wives has been started in support of the Kutunse Ambassador International School. The Sturdivants also delivered a donation to the school.
On September 11-16, 1,231 GCI members gathered in Baguio City to celebrate the 50th anniversary of GCI in the Philippines.
The celebration, titled Awesome God—Amazing Journey, included worship services, a variety show and a dance night. Special guests included John Halford, representing GCI headquarters, and Wong Mein Kong with his wife and daughter, representing GCI churches in Singapore and Malaysia. John brought with him special 50th anniversary greetings from GCI president Dr. Joseph Tkach. In one of his messages, Mr. Halford encouraged the group to participate in what God is doing through them—being what God wants them to be and doing what God wants them to do.
GCI Philippines national director Eugene Guzon encouraged the group to abound in God’s love (Philippians 1:9-11). For those wondering where GCI Philippines is headed, Eugene explained that “abounding in God’s love” will always be its direction.
This update is from Rod Matthews, GCI’s mission director for Asia.
Daniel Zachariah (pictured at right), pastors GCI’s congregation in Secunderabad, India. He was asked recently by the Director of Person-to-Person Institute for Christian Counseling, Samson Gandhi, to present two seminars on his behalf. Mr. Gandhi is recovering from an accident that dislocated his shoulder.
Mr. Gandhi, who has preached in the GCI Secunderabad congregation on several occasions, appreciates our approach and emphasis on counseling in church, and as a result he invited Dan to join with him to help the churches and people of the Hyderabad/Secunderabad twin city area.
Dan has been volunteering as a counselor ever since and conducting seminars for the Institute’s program to train counselors. Dan also reported that recently the Director of Agape Bible Academy (an informal Bible school ) asked if he could conduct some classes for them. Their leadership asked him to teach a class on “Essentials of the Christian Faith” and after one session, requested he continue with two classes a month until the end of the year.
Mohan Jayasekera (pictured at right), is GCI’s National Director in Sri Lanka and the Senior Pastor of GCI congregations in Western Australia. He was invited recently to Sri Lanka to be guest lecturer for a four-day course at the Colombo Theological Seminary (CTS), titled Views of Scripture. The course covered important attributes of Holy Scripture, addressing such important questions as: How did the scriptures come into being? Did God override the personalities and personal efforts of the writers? What does “inerrancy” of the scriptures really mean? Mohan also presented a condensed version of the course at the Calvary Theological Seminary in Colombo.
The Colombo Theological Seminary’s publishing division printed both the Sinhala and Tamil editions of GCI’s course Discipleship 101 and the booklet The God Revealed in Jesus Christ. Discipleship 101 is used as a text in one of CTS’s entry level classes, and the Sinhala edition of the booklet has been distributed to hundreds of Anglican pastors across Sri Lanka.
At a recent special dinner in New Zealand’s national capital of Wellington, the CEO of the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), John Morgan, presented the first-ever NIWA Excellence Awards. These awards were established to recognize people who have made exceptional contributions to NIWA, New Zealand’s premier research organization. The final award of the evening was presented to GCI New Zealand elder Dennis Gordon. In a special Executive Update, John Morgan stated:
Dennis Gordon, Group Manager, Marine Biodiversity, Wellington, won the Research Excellence Award for his central role in the creation of the three-volume New Zealand Inventory of Biodiversity—documenting all the known species in New Zealand, over all time. Dennis instigated the project, managed the contributions of over 200 scientists, and oversaw the arrangement of taxa and editing, as well as making the inventory highly readable.
An article in The Wellingtonian reported,
For Mr. Gordon, compiling the catalog meant working with 238 scientists from 19 different countries to produce chapters on each living and fossil species of New Zealand’s plants, animals, fungi and micro-organisms…. He launched the project at a millennial symposium in 2000…. Volume one was published in 2009, volume two in 2010 and volume three earlier this year. He said it was challenging to find authors to describe all the groups of species, so he wrote 11 chapters himself.
The picture above shows Dennis (at left) being congratulated by the Chairman of the NIWA Board Chris Mace. Dennis commented later:
I was utterly stunned—there are so many excellent scientists in NIWA far more deserving and cleverer than I am. There was a financial reward and a bottle of Moët & Chandon that went with the award but that is small compared to the recognition by one’s peers (and the executive). I was overjoyed.
The boxed set of the New Zealand Inventory of Biodiversity is being made available to New Zealand schools.
We are pleased to announce that the “launch service” for Hands for Christ — the newly planted GCI congregation in Staten Island, New York — occurred on September 16. Here is a report from Pastor Mary Bacheller.
What a great day it was! God was surely present. Our Launch Sunday service had 38 people (33 adults and 5 children) in attendance. The average age was about 38.
We opened with prayer and the whole service was conducted in American Sign Language with no voicing. It was truly wonderful! Following the service we met in the fellowship hall downstairs to celebrate the birth of a new church for the deaf: Hands for Christ Community Church!
The birth of this new church has been greatly helped by several people. First I want to mention the capable assistance given to me by Randy Bloom and Becky Deuel from GCI’s Church Multiplication Ministries (CMM). Also I have learned a great deal by attending Exponential conferences. I also want to give thanks for the love, support and prayers from our mother congregation, GCI’s New Life In Christ church in Queens, New York, led by its dedicated pastor, John Newsom and its ever-thoughtful elder, Jonathan Browne. I thank all these people from the bottom of my heart!
Note in the picture below the joy reflected in the smiles of those who attended this first service. Their generous offering reflected that joy and was an awesome tribute and praise to our Living God! I thank God for giving me the opportunity to lead a wonderful team in starting this new GCI church for the deaf in Staten Island.
