Category: Stay Connected

The GCI congregation in Mooroolbark, Melbourne, Australia (the Mooroolbark Christian Fellowship) was finally able to host its annual neighbourhood tree planting day after two years of cancellations due to COVID-affected lockdowns. On a cool and blustery winter’s day in July, the 17th annual Tree Planting Day was held. With trowels and mattocks in hand, about 70 rugged-up-and-rugged tree planters got on their knees in the dirt to dig holes, plant seedlings and saplings, and gently protect almost 1000 trees in a reserve not too far from where the congregation had met for worship just an hour before. Twenty-five people from the GCI congregation were joined by another 40 or 50 people from the local neighbourhood.

For the event, which is planned to coincide with Planet Ark’s National Tree Day, the GCI congregation works in partnership with the local government, which selects the location and provides seedlings and wooden stakes. The main reason for the event is for the congregation to serve the local neighbourhood and invite and engage with residents who also have the same desire to do good and have a positive impact on the local surrounds. The congregation has developed several partnerships in the local community, and it was great to see those partnerships continue to bear fruit with many of them joining us, including the local Girl Guides chapter, the local Scouts and even our local member of Parliament. The congregation also provided hot drinks with jam and scones for the volunteers who put in the hard work after a couple of hours of planting trees.

There is something relaxing about working together outdoors with soil and gardening tools. There were some wonderful conversations had, and it was delightful seeing families planting and conversing together, helping each other out across the generations. Next time we plan to show our church presence even more by wearing a t-shirt with our church logo. Or perhaps, on such a wintery day, a church logo on a beanie would be better!

By Matthew Gudze
Pastor, Melbourne, Australia

Grace Communion Cleveland held its second Love Avenue engagement event on Sunday, August 14. An advertisement in a Cleveland newspaper invited families to pick up school supplies for the upcoming school year and have a picnic lunch of hot dogs, chips, and drinks. In case of rain, it was decided to hold the event in the large interior common area of our meeting space.

Forty-four happy kids, accompanied by their parents, left with bags of supplies to start off the school year. Three $50 gasoline cards were raffled off to any adult who entered their name in the drawing. A member talked with some of the attendees who inserted their written prayer requests into the prayer wall inspired by the west wall in Jerusalem. The prayer requests were presented to God after the event and kept confidential. Most of the congregation was able to be there, filling the room with friendly smiling faces as they handed out supplies and served food to the guests. Set-up and clean-up went quickly with many hands to help with the tasks.

The following Saturday, we engaged with the community at the annual sidewalk chalk art festival sponsored by the organizing tenant of our building, Coventry Peace Campus. We were invited to participate alongside the professional artists with a designated 4’x6’ space. Five members of our congregation volunteered and attended a training session before the event so we could make our art stand out.

One of our members also came up with our design beforehand, based on our mission, “Growing in Faith, Living in Hope, and Serving in Love.” Many other smaller squares and rectangles were painted on the ground for members of the community to come and participate. Our five artists took turns on various parts of the design, which also gave us plenty of time to wander about and interact with the other members of the community.

By Pat Shiels
Love Avenue Champion, Cleveland, Ohio

GC Big Sandy’s core team (Pastor Jerome and Helen Ellard, Rick and Lois Peterson, and George and Sarah Strub) gathered for a retreat at the rustic and comfortable “Whispering Pines” cabin in nearby Holly Lake Ranch, Texas, in July. The three members of the core team are our Avenue Champions: Rick – Love, George – Hope, and Sarah – Faith.

We are very busy people in our congregation and in our lives. As pastor, I desired for us all to get away to rest and get to know each other in a relaxed, natural setting. We shared making delicious meals, sitting outside and watching the deer walk through the yard, and resting in the love of God together.

We got to experience a Strub family tradition during one dinner by having dessert first! Food, games, laughter, and good conversation was the order of each day. One of many highlights was when each couple successfully circumnavigated Holly Lake on paddleboats. As Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, God is all about relationship, and this retreat helped us grow closer to him and to one another. I heartily recommend that all church leadership teams spend some rewarding, relaxing time together like this! You and your church will be blessed.

By Jerome Ellard
Pastor, Big Sandy, Texas

The month of October is Pastor Appreciation month. In addition to the way you plan to demonstrate your appreciation locally, help us honor our GCI pastors in Update. Use the form below to tell us why your pastor or pastoral team is wonderful. How have you been encouraged or invested in personally?

Next month, we’ll share your stories celebrating our pastors. Click the link below to fill out the form. Thank you!

When I asked one attendee of the Welcome Home Conference how she would describe the conference in one word, she replied, “Hope.” I could not agree more. Certainly, this conference came at a time when the message of hope is sorely needed in our country, both within and outside of GCI. We are still dealing with the aftereffects of the pandemic. All our churches and fellowship groups faced being online for several months and many have just started to have in-person services. As a country, we have faced divisions over the handling of the pandemic as well as the stress of dealing with our colonial past and our interactions with the original inhabitants of this land. Finally, as a denomination we are facing the reality of having an aging ministry and members. So, the presentations regarding the Hope Avenue resonated with many of us.

It also fit with the theme of “Welcome Home.” We all have a place in relationship with our triune God, and he is in the process of welcoming all peoples to their true home. As our guest performer and lecturer, Canadian Christian artist Steve Bell said during his For the Journey presentation, “We are all in communion with God by his grace” (a play on our denominational name).

The presence of many new Canadians from Africa and Latin America gave us all a sense of what the future leadership of GCI in Canada will look like. Canada and GCI have become a new home for immigrants from many countries, and they are excited to be part of this fellowship and are inviting others to participate in this relationship with our triune God.

As Michael Rasmussen kept mentioning during his presentations on the Hope Avenue, “God is calling all people to be a part of the church…they just don’t all know it yet.”

By Bill Hall
National Director, Canada

 

 

Claudine Lorraine Woodie, age 97, of Greenwood Village, Colorado passed away on Wednesday, July 13, 2022. Claudine was born December 10, 1924, and she was an employee of GCI in Business & Human Resources and Mail Processing from 1951 through 1995. Her brother-in-law, David Hunsberger, submitted the following to be shared with our Update readers.

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Claudine was a long-serving employee, known by many who would have enjoyed her exceptional hospitality and generosity in both Bricket Wood and Pasadena. Claudine hosted many dinners in her home. After retirement and moving to the Denver, Colorado area, she continued serving members and youth with enthusiasm.

Widowed in 2001, Claudine lived her final years with Shirley and David Hunsberger and niece Teresa Hannaway, and her children—a real “full house!” As she took her last breath here at home, she was surrounded by sister Shirley, brother-in-law David Hunsberger, nephews Glen Hunsberger, Gavin Hannaway, and Justan Presley, and nieces Annette Presley and Teresa Hannaway. With a peaceful look, Claudine departed for her spot in glory, to wait for and welcome the rest of us.

 

 

 

 

The following is a prayer request for Patsy Ross, wife of John Ross, the pastor of Greenwood, Mississippi, U.S.

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Patsy suffers from serious digestion complications that make it difficult to eat enough and get the necessary nutrients. The lack of nutrition has caused her heart to beat too fast. The good news is that a heart specialist recently determined that Patsy’s heart is healthy, and she is trying a new medication to slow her heart rate. Patsy will see a pain specialist and a gastric specialist to hopefully resolve some of her symptoms.

Due to nausea and lack of appetite, Patsy has lost more than 50 pounds this year and is very weak. She needs assistance moving around, and John is her primary caregiver. Please pray for provision, healing, and peace.

Cards may be sent to:

Patsy and John Ross
1204 Glendale Cir
Greenwood, MS 38930-7203

On July 31, in the Atlanta area, I had the privilege to commission Phil Doele as the pastor of GCI Snellville. It was a blessing to have Elizabeth with me as we celebrated Jesus Christ and his unflinching love with the congregation. The day before, we enjoyed the retirement party for their former pastor, David Beckner, and his wife, Gayle.

Installing a new GCI Pastor is a wonderful experience. Within the congregation is a renewed hope through a refined vision in the Holy Spirit, an anticipation for the future, and gratitude for the triune God’s provision. Join me in praying for Pastor Phil and Esther during this time of transition.

Allow me to share a little about Phil and his family and vocational context. He’s married to Esther Carlisle Doele. Many of you will know Esther and the Carlisle family from Alabama. Esther’s sister, Jacquelyn Carlisle, is an elder and facilitator of our fellowship group in Montgomery. Please excuse their love for Alabama football! Their older daughter, Christianna, is a student at Georgetown University in the Washington, D.C. area and has served on our regional GC Next team and as a cohost for GC Podcast. Their younger daughter, Eula, will soon begin her freshman year at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Eula is following in her father’s footsteps by attending Yale. I can’t say enough about Christiana and Eula! They are exceptional young women and emerging leaders in our denomination.

Phil will not only serve as the pastor of GCI Snellville but will continue his full-time employment as an architect. Phil, we are grateful for your humble servant-heart and your deep love for God and your neighbors. Thank you for saying “yes” to God’s “yes!”

By Anthony Mullins
Regional Director, Southeast

 

Grace Communion River Road, just outside Eugene, Oregon, recently held a successful Outside The Walls (OTW) event. We invited neighbors to join us for fun carnival games, free food, and even summer snowball fights.

Our Love Avenue team wanted an event as welcoming as it was repeatable. “Christmas in July” seemed simple to explain and an instant tradition to draw people year after year. Throughout the training the acronym OTW became widespread. Looking Outside The Walls to serve our neighbors is important. Even so, I immediately saw OTW as ‘On The Way’ and for me, the event took on new meaning. The great commission is translated with the command, “Go”, but the Greek reads, “as you go.” In other words, ‘On The Way’ to whatever you do, make disciples.

I feared that a failed OTW would discourage our congregation from ever reaching out again. We have to remember that events are opportunities, not obligations. When we have fun engaging with guests, they are bound to want to join us on the way.

We made ourselves known in the community and started some good relationships with the neighbors who stopped by, but we learned we could have had better advertising and signage. Also, reducing the event from five to three hours could prevent wearing out our volunteers in the future. I look forward to seeing more neighbors at our monthly family nights, and we already have volunteers eager for our Halloween event.

You don’t have to spend a fortune or overwork the members of your congregation to attract people to join you in the body of Christ. Your congregation just needs to be welcoming and treat every guest as a new friend. I know that I picked up some friends on the way and am excited to see what God has in store for the future.

By Aleck Thompson
Associate Pastor & Love Avenue Champion