Category: Stay Connected

Pastor Len and I were at GC Minalabac Children’s Learning Center, in Minalabac, Camarines Sur, Philippines, last weekend (Feb 8-9). This was part of our meetings with the Districts in Bicol, meetings with the local leaders, and to support the ongoing initiative for the churches to be more healthy, missional, and community-based through sustained holistic ministry. The late husband Pastor Reuel Pamor and wife Gina started this ministry to kids some three years ago conducting kids Bible studies, and participated in giving gifts in partnership with Operation Christmas Child.

Due to the typhoon Nina, which struck two Christmases ago, those facilities along with some houses of our members were destroyed. From the support of the Home Office and our international fellowship, those structures were rebuilt and rehabilitation work (physical and livelihood, values) has been ongoing. One of the structures they use for kids fellowship was called Grace Communion Minalabac Kids Learning Center (which we formally inaugurated) where Gina, along with some daughters and leaders, continue to nurture scores of children every Saturday.

During the visit of Mr. Tom Fallon last year with the Odyssey In Christ, Tom saw the ministry that Pili Church has been doing, and he was also able to witness and participate in the ministry of Pili Church to the students of the university and he also got to see some of those kids. He was moved to offer some token of support so that by Christmas, these kids can have some joyful fellowship. That money was used to buy tables, chairs, school supplies, food, etc. and this past weekend, this plan was implemented with about 130 children, 30 parents, and about a dozen members of the Minalabac Police Force who attended. These police officers (including Police Chief Captain Chester Enriquez) have been beneficiaries of an ongoing values formation for the local police by GCI leaders led by Pastor Ricardo Perez of Pili Church. But this weekend, they also became our GCI partners as they provided security, and gave a relevant seminar on RA 9262, which is the law that protects women and children from physical, emotional, and psychological abuses by men and husbands. Most of the parents there were moms and they really appreciated the seminar. Before the seminar and the fellowship ended, we were able to pray for the police force, the kids and the parents.

The members and leaders are very excited about what the Lord is doing, through our leaders and brethren in Pili and Minalabac. The members there are not many, nor well to do, but led by Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, they serve with a lot of energy, and a lot of love. We pray for those kids, parents and those police officers that they will get to understand and believe the gospel, we pray that one kid and one family, one officer at a time, our servant leaders and churches (along with other GCI churches elsewhere in the country) will be catalysts for change in their communities. Thanks to God, to our servant leaders and our members.

Blessings!

Eugene

 

 

It is my joy to announce the GCI USA GCNext Team. The GCNext Team is a team of emergent young-adult leaders in GCI USA who have said yes to an opportunity to be equipped and empowered to actively participate in the ministry of Jesus. The members of the team will be equipped and empowered to lead GCIgnite, a young-adult gathering, at the 2020 Denominational Celebration. I am privileged to introduce the team members and the GCI USA regions they represent:

Sarah Rossi: East
Andrew Rakestraw: Southeast
Christianna Doele: Southeast
Izzy Hernandez: North Central
Daniel Hill: North Central
Rezzelle Santibanez: Central
Gordon Herrmann: Central
Hazel Tabin: West

In January the newly established team gathered for a team retreat. It was a Spirit-inspired weekend of prayer, fellowship, team-building, vision-casting, planning, games, worship, and more. I am encouraged by the enthusiasm this team has for what God is doing in GCI. Please join me in prayer for these faithful leaders as they continue to follow Jesus and say yes to participating with him in ministry.

With Hope,
Cara Garrity
Development Coordinator

 

Please keep the Rasmussen & Rageth Families in your prayers. Mike and Michelle’s mom passed away last week.

If you would like to send a card please see the addresses below.

Mike & Juli Rasmussen
12012 Surrey Ln
Yukon, OK 73099-8139

Michelle Rageth
8850 80th Street South
Cottage Grove, MN 55016

 

This month was a milestone for GC Surrey Hills in Oklahoma and for the Brannen family. Just before Christmas, Joe and Megan, along with their three children, Geni, Grayson and Lily, packed up all their earthly belongings and prepared for their long journey west to their new home and ministry in Surrey Hills as the Lead Pastor of Grace Communion Surrey Hills congregation.

22 years ago, almost to the month, my wife Juli and I arrived in Surrey Hills from the Home Office in Pasadena, CA. We are very excited about having Joe serve as our new lead Pastor and for Megan to serve as our new Worship Director. We have been through thick and thin together for more than twenty years, cutting our teeth on Crosswalk Regional Camp, local congregation and the region.

Joe and Megan both served as leaders in the Oklahoma City congregation for more than a dozen years and then four-plus years in the Dallas (Central) congregation as an Associate Pastor, Youth Pastor and Worship Leader. Most recently, both Joe and Megan served at the Home Office in Charlotte. Joe has been the Digital Content Developer on the GCI Media Team, led by Michelle Fleming. Joe also filmed and edited Speaking of Life videos, various special video projects, and served as co-host, along with Michelle Fleming, on our GC Podcasts. We deeply appreciate Joe’s creative insight and passion for our denomination and Jesus Christ. He and Megan will be an incredible blessing to the Central Region and the Surrey Hills congregation, and we eagerly celebrate their return.

I love you all and hope you have a blessed year!

Michael D. Rasmussen
Superintendent, North America & Caribbean
Regional Director, Central US

Elizabeth and Anthony Mullins are celebrating the marriage of their daughter Sarah Gill to Trevor McGuire. The couple wed on the beach of Oak Island, NC on September 21, 2019.

Their daughter, Riley, was thrilled to participate in the ceremony as the flower girl. Sarah was attended by her sister, LeeAnna Gill, as maid of honor, and her uncle, Paul David Kurts, officiated.

On January 25th, 2020 Grace Communion Cleveland sponsored and partnered with “Bonfire Girls” and their leader Tammy Mason Johnson to host an all-day event for girls ages 9-17. About 30 girls (including adult leaders) attended.

The event was based on John 15:5, “I am the vine and you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” The girls participated in four stations: Worship, A Servants Heart, Rest, and Vision. Each station reinforced the scripture and the importance of staying connected to Jesus.

We are looking forward to our next event with the girls (ages 13-17) at our women’s LiLY conference April 17th-19th, 2020 in Cleveland. For more details go to gccle.church.

Hope, Love and Faith,
Tamar Gray
Pastor, Grace Communion Cleveland

It is with great joy that we introduce the newest member of the GCI Media Team, Reuel Enerio. Reuel grew up in GCI and has served in GCI-Philippines as a youth leader, worship leader, and camp staffer. After moving to the United States in 2016, he served in Grace Communion Orlando leading worship and on the Multimedia Team.

Reuel will be the team’s Digital Content Developer. He brings fresh ideas, over ten years of professional videographer and design experience, and an eager spirit. Click on his profile to get to know Reuel better, and join us in welcoming him to the team in the comments below.

GCI Gear is Here!

As part of our Denominational Celebration, we are excited to announce GCI clothing and accessories for you! Represent our fellowship and reflect your personal style. Shop now by clicking on the image below.

For all customer service requests for your purchases please contact: 1.888. 934.6909 or email us at customerservice@smartpress.com.

Dear Members around the World

Warm greetings from GCI Burundi, in Jesus name. I hope this report finds you well. The purpose of this report is to let you know our joy as we gave thanks to the Almighty God for providing us an acceptable church hall in Bujumbura-Carama as recommended by the Burundi Government.

Secondly, we extend our gratitude to all who prayed for us around the world, and especially to GCI France for its donation, which helped us construct the church hall. I can’t begin to express the depth of my gratitude. You did wonderful work and we shall not forget this good partnership. May God bless you so much.

Thanks again for your regular prayers to GCI Burundi. We are a young church ministry, and in Burundi while there are many ripe for the harvest, we need just as many willing servants. Your continuous partnership will help the church of God in Burundi to grow in many ways.

I strongly invite those who are able to travel to visit GCI Burundi many times. May God bless you.

Yours in Christ’s service,
Dr. Eugene Sibomana
GCI Burundi Legal Representative
Whatsapp number: +257 75 928 899

 

 

On the Crossing Borders mission trip in December 2019 (our 28^th trip into Mexico), Chaplain Steve Solari encouraged all the attendees to look for miracles from God on the trip. Maybe not always sea-parting, disease-curing, raise-from-the-dead type miracles—but miracles nonetheless. Over the 72 hours we were together on the trip, God was actively working in our lives, in the lives of those we served, in circumstances and events all around us.

The families to which Crossing Borders gives shoebox gifts are extremely financially poor and live in desperate conditions. Whether there will be food for the next meal is always a concern, having no electricity or running water is normal, and corruption and violence is a common occurrence. But when we see the bright smile of a child as he or she receives a simple shoebox gift, we know that smile is a miracle from God.

Many of our mission trip attendees do not speak Spanish, and most of those we serve do not speak English. But we find miraculous bonds of communication in facial expressions, hand motions, hugs and the heartfelt desire to share God’s love. It is amazing how well we can convey our thoughts and understand others despite the language differences.

Here’s one miracle story: A lady from a church in Texas had material in her closet that she hadn’t used, and several weeks prior to the trip she decided to send it to one of the pastor’s wives in Mexico. On Saturday the Crossing Borders team delivered the fabric and on Sunday the pastor’s wife in Mexico offered for one of the seamstresses in her church to look at the fabric and see if she could use it.

The lady was overwhelmed to find fabric in the box that matched their church’s décor. The week prior (during Mexico’s National Day of Prayer), the lady felt God telling her to make cushions for the church altar because the ladies were using their jackets to kneel on. She told the Lord she didn’t know where she would get the supplies, but if he provided, she would make the cushions. Not only was the box of fabric a perfect match to the church décor, but it was exactly the size she had prayed for as well. This lady had no idea that the fabric was already on its way to Mexico before she even prayed the prayer! In Matthew 6:8 Jesus tells us that “Your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!”

At our first event of the weekend, we were blessed to share the event with two other ministries: A Bible-based youth teaching program and an orphanage with a busload of children. Our Crossing Borders team was able to perform a drama about the events surrounding Jesus’ birth, we led in joyful singing, we prepared and fed everyone a hot lunch, we visited with and encouraged several ministry partners, and we distributed shoebox gifts to all the children. There was also a preaching service (by a Mexican pastor) and a call for salvation decisions. A miracle took place in the lives of several young people when they surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ, and we were able to pray for these young converts.

I could tell about other miracles on the trip, such as how we somehow managed to pack 1200 shoebox gifts into our vans; it didn’t look possible. Or how our three vans were the last vehicles to cross the bridge coming back into the U.S. one night before the authorities closed the bridge for some reason.

Those of us on the mission trip got to see and hear God’s miracles. But many of you reading this report contributed shoebox gifts and/or were praying for the trip. With your support, our attendees were able to participate with the Father, Son and Spirit as our amazing God showered his blessings on everyone involved. Thank you for your prayerful support of Crossing Borders missions! May we all continue to recognize and give thanks for the miracles God performs every day in our life.

Our next mission trip is scheduled for June 20-28, 2020. Info at www.cbmission.org or call 903-746-4463.

In Him,
Lee Berger, Crossing Borders Mission Director