“As an 83-year-old widow of an unbeliever and as a great-great-grandmother, I want to show everyday people that we can all serve in the ‘little things’ and still have a positive impact on others.”
Check out this month’s GCI Profile to get to know Donna Jones, a member of Grace Communion Big Sandy. To read her full profile, click the image below.
Robert (Bob) Paul Taylor passed away at his home in Franklin, TN on Thursday, January 6, 2022 at the age of 82 from Covid complications. He will be remembered as a loving husband, father, and granddaddy. Bob was born August 19, 1939 in Greeneville, TN to the late Paul Dean Taylor and Willie Irma GeFellers Taylor.
Electronics was Bob’s chosen field. He became a computer engineer with GE at the time when working on a computer actually required walking inside of it. After several years in the profession, he took early retirement from Honeywell. His continued interest in computers led him to begin setting up computer systems and software programs and into computer accounting.
As much as he enjoyed computer work, his most beloved job was pastoring which he began in 1995. He served congregations of the Worldwide Church of God (now Grace Communion International) in Nashville, Clarksville, Crossville, and Bowling Green. In 1999, he began serving as a District Superintendent over several states. It was in ministry that he met and came to love so many dear friends. After retiring in 2006 he helped many churches set up and maintain accounting software programs and performed financial reviews for them as well.
In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, Clark B. Taylor, and sister-in-law Sylvia Taylor of Greeneville. Bob is survived by his wife of 43 years, Jan Jones Taylor, originally from Lewisburg, TN. Children: Deborah Taylor of Murfreesboro, TN; Mike (Mimi) Taylor of Joelton, TN and Stacie (Tony) Whaley of Murfreesboro, TN. Grandchildren: Jennifer (Matt) Prior; Brian (Shandi) Patterson; Jay (Rachel) Taylor; Brody Taylor; Chaz Taylor; Jack Whaley. Great-grandchildren: Hayden Prior; Taylor Prior; Brycen Patterson; Baylor Patterson; Brooks Patterson. Several nieces, nephews and cousins.
A celebration of life was held February 5, 2022 at Williamson Memorial Funeral Home in Franklin, TN. Regional Director Rick Shallenberger and GCI Board Chair Randy Bloom officiated.
Cards may be sent to:
Jan Taylor
115 Chester Stevens Court
Franklin, TN 37067-5838
You’re Included is a video series dedicated to exploring inclusive trinitarian theology. In each episode we interview a different theologian and discuss their understanding and experience in participating with Christ in this relationship we are all invited into. To watch the series, go to https://www.gci.org/videos/youre-included/
“As a mother of two and grandmother of five, I have deep affection, respect, and empathy across each generation and the rich contribution that each age group, from the very youngest to the most senior, is able to make to the life of the church. I know that truly growing together in Christ is vital to a healthy and relevant church.” Check out this month’s GCI Profile to get to know Margaret Cohen, an Elder in our Carina, Australia congregation. To read her full profile, click the image below.
If you were inspired by the youth participation in the Healthy Church Challenge (you can see the results here if you missed it) join me in giving a big shout out to the volunteer Healthy Church Challenge team! These talented leaders worked together to coordinate everything from the design and promotion of the challenge to the collection of challenge entries, monitoring of votes, and announcement of challenge winners. Thank you for making the Healthy Church Challenge possible! It is a blessing to invest in emerging generations alongside you.
Cara Garrity
GCI Development Coordinator
Charissa Panuve GCI Fiji
Where do you call home? Fiji
I feel like I connect with the Faith Avenue the most with the community building aspect. I love meeting people and sharing testimonies and stories and I think the Great Commission is such a great honour to be a part of and I enjoy being able to plant a seed that will hopefully someday grow in someone’s heart
Favorite Activity: If it’s not swimming, it’ll be sleeping or eating 😂
Ria Guzon GC Crossway (Philippines)
Where do you call home? Sunny Philippines ☀️
What I really love about the concept of having a Healthy Church is the intentional strengthening of our community through relationship building across all age groups— all are heard and represented. Having a healthy Faith Avenue encourages members to participate as they are equipped and nurtured in the process.
Favorite Activity: I’m an introvert, so I find my own space in watching re-runs of FRIENDS, and a bag of Cheetos jalapeño all for myself. 🙂
Cairo Mills Grace Communion Church
Where do you call home? Charlotte
The Hope Avenue connects with me the most because of its collaborative nature in how we worship. It promotes inclusion of people into the church so no one is excluded from feeling loved.
Favorite Activity: Soccer and wrestling!
Hello Brothers and Sisters,
I pray you all experienced a joy filled Christmas and are safe and doing well! Last month President Greg Williams, CFO Mat Morgan and I were able to visit with Clifton and Pearl Charles in Trinidad. We were able to tour their church building and have lunch with some of their key leaders. We were not able to meet face-to-face with the brethren due to COVID restrictions. However, we were privileged to join with them for their digital worship service, then meet in small breakout rooms with various leaders and members. I am very proud and thankful for Clifton and Pearl – as well as their loving and sacrificial leaders. They are doing a great job of loving and engaging the neighborhood around their church building. They are also reaching out to the broader community by proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ and finding ways to introduce them to their Savior. Clifton has been very intentional in forming Connect Groups for church members and people leaning in from the community. They are working hard to train new leaders to share various ministry opportunities. I can’t wait to see them soar when COVID no longer limits their activities. Keep up the good work Trinidad! I know you will enjoy reading Clifton’s Update below.
I love and appreciate you all!
Mike Rasmussen– Superintendent North America and Caribbean
As the Holy Spirit leads us from legalism to Christ and the mission of Jesus, our members are increasingly challenged and empowered to make disciples of Jesus in small disciple-making groups. We have not experienced anything more exciting. There are over thirty of these groups in our small but growing denomination of over 200 persons in two congregations. These groups develop spontaneously as the Holy Spirit moves members who have caught the vision to form groups for the purpose of helping people to come to Jesus and become like Jesus. Building genuine relationships that have transparency, vulnerability, and accountability members surrender to the lordship of Jesus in all aspects of their lives and help others to do likewise. Prayer and fasting are vital habits in this process.
Around 2007 we realized that our members would not effectively share their faith with others unless they first become comfortable discussing and applying their faith among themselves. So, we began to preach application focused messages and encourage our members to form small discussion groups after each sermon to discus and share their personal application. This strategy strengthens relationships with God and each other and encourages us to reach out to our families, friends, and neighborhoods. When Covid-19 arrived, we continued this strategy on Zoom, utilizing Zoom breakout rooms with encouraging results as our congregations continue to grow both spiritually and in numbers. During the weekdays we also hold discipleship meetings including women’s and men’s Bible Study on Zoom. Going forward we recognize the need for hybrid church formats of both in-person and online church, while maintaining the same message on each platform each Sunday to facilitate consistency.
Our members serve our communities around our church building by providing food, counseling, spiritual and material support, a homework center for underprivileged children in the neighborhood, a venue for community action council meetings, Mothers’ Day and Seniors’ celebrations, Life Skills training, short courses in barbering, hair braiding, and public speaking (through adapting our spokesman’s club experience). The Ministry of National Security also partnered with us by funding various projects in its efforts to rehabilitate our high-risk neighborhood. Our church building also provides a venue for weddings, funerals, graduations, retreats, seminars, workshops, dinners, luncheons, and church camps, for which we had bookings up to 2026 before Covid-19 arrived.
In addition, we host children’s Christmas parties and provide personalized gifts for approximately three hundred children each year (until the pandemic). Members of our neighborhood help us to obtain the names, sex, and ages of their children. Many of these children also subsequently attend our vacation bible schools and Sunday schools (which are now conducted online on Saturdays because of Covid-19). Eventually, the children’s parents may show up at church services after they are satisfied with their test drive of our church. Members of our neighborhood also attend our special resurrection, anniversary, end of year and old year’s services. In addition, they help us prepare for these activities, wrapping gifts, preparing meals, food hampers and gift bags for prisoners and their families as part of our involvement in Prison ministry. They also help us protect our church property by looking out for us and alerting us to neighborhood threats. In appreciation of our service to our neighborhood they have awarded the church a large trophy.
In 2006 we joined the Trinidad & Tobago Council of Evangelical Churches and Prison Fellowship of Trinidad & Tobago. This began our involvement in the ministries of the wider body of Christ. For many years afterwards, their executive meetings were held at our church building, as well as training sessions for the national prison fellowship volunteers. Approximately twenty members of our congregations are involved in prison ministry, providing various classes and courses such as, starting a small business, women of integrity, floral arrangements, music, balloon craft, Mathematics and English, character development, leadership development, and evangelism and discipleship training to prison inmates. Covid-19 has disrupted all of these in person activities. However, the Holy Spirit continues to challenge us to be the church wherever we are, bringing the fragrance of Christ into all aspects of our society.
By Clifton Charles – Pastor Trinidad and Tobago
Mrs. Eva Moorman, a widow and mother of 17 children, turned age 100 this year, on January 4, 2022.
A committed follower of Jesus Christ all her adult life, Eva is an inspiration to our congregation ever since she started worshipping with us a few years back. Her daughter and son-in-law, Patricia and John, along with her granddaughter Monique and her husband Adam, are active in our church here as well. We are blessed by their whole family!
Mrs. Eva Moorman’s humble spirt and active mind motivate us all to be more like her, as she so well exemplifies what it means to be like Jesus in her love and faithfulness.
Marty Davey, Pastor
Jacksonville, FL
Karl McNeil “Neil” Earle, beloved husband of Susan (married 49 years), died of heart failure at age 74 on December 23. He was born on February 25, 1947, in Carbonear, Newfoundland, Canada. He is also survived by his brother-in-law Tim Welch, his twin sisters Lydia Ash and Lynda O’Grady, brother-in-law Chris O’Grady, nieces, nephews, and many friends.
He held an M.A. in History from the University of Toronto and an M.A. in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary.
Neil was a retired Church Pastor serving for 44 years in congregations across Canada and in Southern California for Grace Communion International. Members would state that he had the talent and ability to bring the teachings embedded in the Bible to our lived experiences.
For the past 12 years he taught Church History courses on-line for Grace Communion Seminary. He was recognized by all who knew him as a truly gifted, creative and innovative instructor. His students benefitted from his teaching style and thought-provoking approach.
Neil enjoyed reading widely and writing. He wrote several books and hundreds of articles for international magazines, newspapers and websites. He was an active participant in local book clubs and the Memphis C.S. Lewis Society.
Finally and most importantly Neil loved his God. His earnest desire was to reach out to the wounded and hurting, demonstrated in a practical way by participating in numerous 5K charity walks. He saw each person as a child of God.
Neil fought the good fight, kept the faith and henceforth there is laid up for him a crown of righteousness.
Cards may be sent to:
Mrs. Susan Earle
8774 Craddle Hill Cv
Arlington, TN 38002-4933
Mat and Pam Morgan are excited to announce the birth of their first grandchild – Henry Morgan Zeng, born on October 26th weighing in at 8 pounds 3.4 ounces and 20 ½ inches long.
Mommy and Daddy (Jessica and Johnny Zeng) are over the moon. As you can see from the photo Henry is very happy and healthy modeling GCI’s Hope Swag.
