Category: Stay Connected

The pandemic situation has turned grave for India. The second wave of Covid has come like an avalanche, with some reports mentioning a triple mutant strain, more infectious, more deadly. The health system is inundated, made worse with a severe medical oxygen shortage. Some hospitals are unable to handle the number of patients needing treatment and have been forced to close admissions. The number of people being infected has been over 300,000 per day over the past several days.

A big concern for me is Nelson Philips, our team leader in Hyderabad. His symptoms turned serious after testing Covid positive. He currently needs a sizable quantity of oxygen round the clock due to signs of significant lung infection. We are all longing to see a turnaround for him. Several more members are ill, but some of them are turning the corner towards recovery.

We also heard from Amiyo Bacher, who reported severe economic stress for some of our contacts in Bangladesh due to continuing lockdowns. We are hoping to provide some support for immediate food relief.

Danny Zachariah
Pastor, Hyderabad, India

 

Mike and Janet Morrison are happy to announce the birth of another blessing, Lydia Hope Muyargas, born Easter, April 4, 2021, in southern California. She was 20 inches, 7 pounds, 7 ounces. All are doing well.

Mr. Lee Pettijohn, longtime GCI member in Big Sandy, Texas, passed away April 14 while in hospice care at a local nursing home. He had been in declining health the last few years and had recently suffered a stroke. He was formerly in the church’s television department in Pasadena, California. He and his wife Vivian were wonderful members and friends in Big Sandy. Mr. Pettijohn was 87 years old and his widow, Vivian, is 93. We are especially grateful for the care they received from Lee’s daughter and her husband, Don & Jeanie Cochran, who moved here a few years ago from Oklahoma to take care of the Pettijohns.

Mrs. Pettijohn’s address is:

Vivian Pettijohn
104 W T&P Ave
Big Sandy, TX 75755

And the Cochran’s address is:

Don & Jeanie Cochran
209 N Lexington Dr
Big Sandy, TX 75755

In Myanmar, the immediate concern now is the welfare of the people and the church in Myanmar in light of the military seizure of power. There is anger, injustice, a sense of loss and uncertainty with the ongoing protests, civil disobedience movement by the people and violence by the authorities. Coupled with the covid-19 pandemic, the lives and livelihood of ordinary people have become more difficult. The progress of the last 10 years is in danger of being rolled back, including the gospel work in Myanmar. We pray for God’s power and providence in directing the affairs of history in line with his will.

In Bangladesh, with the passing of John Biswas the BEA organization is regrouping. One member, Amiyo Bacher, is a Bengali national who is well connected to our GCI Asian leaders and wants to plant churches.

To help our GCI brothers and sisters in St. Vincent with urgent needs caused by the recent volcanic eruption there, GCI is sending $5,000 immediately from the Home Office GCI Disaster Relief Fund. This will help provide emergency food, water, and other urgent needs. We will monitor the situation for potential additional assistance needs. We have also learned that GCI Canada has sent $5,000.

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GCI Disaster Relief Fund

If your congregation is sharing the gospel about Jesus in the one square mile around your church and still has available funds and a heart to help members impacted by major disasters like the one in St. Vincent, one of the best ways to do so is to donate to the GCI Disaster Relief Fund. The Fund helps provide members in disaster areas with emergency needs such as food, water, medicine, clothing, temporary housing, home and/or church hall repairs, temporary local pastoral salary expenses and other emergency needs. Monies received into the Fund that are not immediately needed will remain in the Fund to be allocated in future disasters. In previous years, money from this Fund has been used to help members recover from Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, storms and flooding in Bangladesh and Honduras, an earthquake and tsunami in the Solomon Islands, typhoons in the Philippines and an earthquake in Haiti.

If your congregation would like to donate to the Fund, you can set up a one-time donation through GCI Online Giving (https://www.gci.org/online-giving/) by selecting Give for Disaster Relief under the drop-down menu.

If your congregation prefers to send a check, make it out to Grace Communion International, indicating on the memo line that the donation is for the GCI Disaster Relief Fund. Send the donation to:

GCI Disaster Relief Fund
Grace Communion International
3120 Whitehall Park Dr.
Charlotte, NC 28273

Registration for the virtual 2021 Denominational Celebration is open! We will be focusing on the Hope Venue, shaping our worship services to be inspirational experiences that center around our hope in the person of Jesus.

Individual Registration for members and Watch Party Registration for leadership teams to participate and debrief together are both available. Make the Celebration a retreat for your congregation, click here for ideas on how to host a watch party.

Our Main Session Speakers

We are excited to present our GCI Superintendents & 2021 speakers! Each Superintendent will share stories of hope, revealing how the Spirit is moving in their regions. The Main Sessions will also feature an interview by GCI President Greg Williams with each Superintendent. Click here to visit our events page and read the Superintendents’ bios.

 

Project Hope

Don’t forget to share Project Hope with the kids in your congregation! For more info on the challenge, click here.

This Easter, Christian Family Fellowship, our congregation in Jacksonville, FL, hosted a children’s Easter play. Church members enjoyed the children’s presentation of the Easter story, as an extra special addition to their Hope Avenue service.

Click the link below to watch:

As we prepare to go digital for our denominational celebration, we have a special 2-part challenge for all the young people in our GCI Family. “Project Hope” is open to all children and teens who would like to participate. Here are the details:

Part 1- The Project

As we focus on HOPE, we want to know, ”What gives you hope?” The challenge is to create something to show “what gives you hope”. Your child’s creation could be as simple as a picture or drawing, a sculpture, a poem, a dance, any way he or she would like to express themselves. The sky is the limit when it involves the creativity of young people. Whatever they come up with, we would love to see it!

Part 2-The Videos

We are creating something special and need your help! We are asking for a short video of each participant answering the question, “What gives you hope?”. Friends, there are no wrong answers here. We are looking for authenticity and are fully prepared for amazing and original answers. Each participant should display their “Project” they created while answering the question.

But wait, there is more!

We need one more short video Clip of each participant clearly saying, “Our hope is in Jesus!” When you’re finished, you can email both video clips and the Signed Release Form to us at challenge@gci.org no later than June 1, 2021. (if the files are too large to email, please use the free service on wetransfer.com)

Be sure to check out our GCI Church Hack link on the Basics of Recording for important information like shooting your video horizontally, instead of vertically.

We can’t wait to see your final products!

 

On Saturday, March 20, I had the privilege of ordaining and commissioning Kairis Chiaji, Michael Smith and David Houck to serve as the pastoral team for Living Grace Fellowship, our GCI congregation in Sacramento, California. In addition to other elders present, I was also joined by Michael’s father (who pastors a GCI congregation in Fairfield, CA) and Kairis’ son Dwight, who served as the former pastor in Sacramento until last year.

The day included an inspiring worship service, praise dancing, prayers offered by the spouses of each of the team members, the lighting of a unity candle by Kairis, Michael and David, and a message presented by Kairis. Many of us were able to continue the celebration outside at a nearby restaurant afterward.

 

 

Tim Sitterley
Regional Director USA, West

CenterPointe Church’s Love Avenue held its second Community Care Day on Sunday, March 21, 2021. The team spread smiles, warm wishes for a great 2021, and spring cheer in the neighborhood immediately surrounding the church. The team went door to door and gave away over 85 gift bags containing candy, flower seeds, an inspirational quote, and information about the church. Nearly twenty members volunteered in various capacities to make this day a huge success.

“We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.”

– 1 John 4:19-21 (NIV)

 

Jen Gregory
Pastor, CenterPointe Church
Grove City, OH