Category: Stay Connected

Registration Open for Crossing Borders Summer 2019

Crossing Borders provides twice-a-year mission trips into Mexico. Here are some important reminders and requests:

We have openings for anyone age 15-99 to come along on our summer mission trip to Mexico. Our 27th trip will be June 22-30. Please consider for yourself and let others know about this opportunity. Details at: www.cbmission.org

We need a camp host(s) for the summer trip — one or two people to stay at camp on the U.S. side of the border and cook meals and do some laundry. Very important support for the mission trip! Let us know of anyone interested and we can discuss in more detail.

For our winter trip Dec. 6-9, we need additional shoebox gifts for children in Mexico. We thank God for people in various churches, clubs, school groups, neighborhoods who send/bring us shoebox gifts every year. But our number of boxes has decreased lately, and we could use an additional 400-500 boxes. Could you organize a group to pack and send gift boxes that we hand-deliver to needy children in Mexico? For more info, click on Shoebox tab at: www.cbmission.org.

Contact Lee Berger for details at Lee.Berger1@gmail.com or 903-746-4463.

It is with sorrow that we share the passing of Paul Kurts, father of former Southeast Regional Director Paul David “PD” Kurts. Please pray for PD, his family and all those who knew and loved Paul. Many of you have known Paul through the years because of his visits and preaching in GCI. We are deeply grateful for his service as a minister of the gospel and his passionate desire for people to know Jesus Christ and the love of the Father. The following announcement was written by his daughter Allison.

Paul Kurts, 74, of Madison, AL, passed away on May 21, 2019. He was survived by his wife, Pat, and three children, Paul D. Kurts (Emma L. Kurts) of Hickory, NC, Michael S. Kurts of Madison, AL, and Allison K. Meadows (Paul W. Meadows) of Alabaster, AL; his five grandsons, James P. Kurts, Michael D. Kurts, Maxwell W. Meadows, John P. Meadows, Jones W. Meadows; his twin sister, Pattie K. McGee; and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.

Mr. Kurts was a 1966 graduate of Mississippi State University, where he attended on a full golf scholarship and was in the Air Force ROTC. He served in the ministry for 40 years before retiring in 2009. Mr. & Mrs. Kurts were married in 1965 in Jackson, MS, and celebrated their 53rd anniversary last September.

Through the years, Mr. Kurts touched many lives through pastoral care, children’s ministry, and teen ministry. He enjoyed spending time with his wife, children, and grandsons, playing golf and giving golf lessons, fellowshipping with his high school friends regularly, encouraging other people, writing about trinitarian theology, composing poetry, and staying busy with his entrepreneurial endeavors. He liked Mexican food, perhaps a little too much, and made the best homemade salsa you’ve ever tasted.

Throughout his entire life, his love and passion for dogs were unparalleled, having cared for many, including Schnauzers, Yorkies, Beagles, Rat Terriers, and Dachshunds. He was richly blessed and will be greatly missed. Plans for a Celebration of Life gathering will be communicated in the coming weeks.

Cards may be sent to:

Mrs. Pat Kurts
243 Rainbow Dr
Madison, AL 35758-8776

In the Netherlands, we celebrated two blessings of the children. On April 28 we performed the blessing for Selah Vrijmoeth, the daughter of Jester and Jeanine Vrijmoeth from The Hoeksteen congregation and on May 26 we had the blessing of Ezra den Hartog, son of Matthias and Yvonne den Hartog from The Hoeksteen congregation as well. Ezra is the first grandchild of Hans and Denise de Moei, pastor couple of The Hoeksteen.

GCI Coach Clinic

For any ministry leader from a GCI church desiring to grow in areas of leadership, discipling others and building a healthy team through a dynamic relating style known as coaching.

Registration Open for Crossing Borders Summer 2019

Crossing Borders provides twice-a-year mission trips into Mexico. Here are some important reminders and requests:

We have openings for anyone age 15-99 to come along on our summer mission trip to Mexico. Our 27th trip will be June 22-30. Please consider for yourself and let others know about this opportunity. Details at: www.cbmission.org

We need a camp host(s) for the summer trip — one or two people to stay at camp on the U.S. side of the border and cook meals and do some laundry. Very important support for the mission trip! Let us know of anyone interested and we can discuss in more detail.

For our winter trip Dec. 6-9, we need additional shoebox gifts for children in Mexico. We thank God for people in various churches, clubs, school groups, neighborhoods who send/bring us shoebox gifts every year. But our number of boxes has decreased lately, and we could use an additional 400-500 boxes. Could you organize a group to pack and send gift boxes that we hand-deliver to needy children in Mexico? For more info, click on Shoebox tab at: www.cbmission.org.

Contact Lee Berger for details at Lee.Berger1@gmail.com or 903-746-4463.

Harvest Your Blessings! Don’t miss out on registration for the North Central or East Celebration.

In 2019, GCI will host Regional Celebrations in the USA:

• June 7 – 9: Central – Dallas, TX (registration closed)
• June 21 – 23: Southeast – Charlotte, NC (registration closed)
• September 27 – 29: North Central – Noblesville, IN
• October 25 – 27: East – Ocean City, MD

Click the image below to for more information and registration options.

 

The following article was written by Charlotte Rakestraw, GCI Social Media & Communications Coordinator, after attending the 2019 Women’s Leadership Forum in Hickory.

From being greeted at the hotel door, and meeting new faces the first night, to the end when we all knew each other’s name and felt like sisters in Christ, the Women in Church Leadership Forum held in Hickory in April, was a delight and honor to participate in.

Pastoral Resident Elizabeth Mullins hosted and led the group of women leaders from the Southeast US. In our opening session, we discussed the importance of a women-only development gathering, and the nuances between different phenomena like inhibition and prohibition. We spoke about the importance of understanding belonging in Christ. Fellowshipping with a group of like-minded women from different areas and backgrounds helped us understand our experiences better, to then better lead others as well.

The forum was co-hosted by Assistant Pastor Davina Winn, who led us Saturday morning in a spiritual meditation practice. We had an open discussion about our experiences while meditating and listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit instead of listening to our inner critic. Davina shared her own story about finding her authentic voice in leadership.

As a group we shared our church leadership stories, exploring our challenges while encouraging our sisters with advice and affirmation. Elizabeth led us again in a discussion on mentorship and gave resources for mentorship development, as well as the opportunity to form a cohort group in which we can have intentional ongoing support for one another.

We had some downtime to fellowship between sessions and unpack individual discussions together. During our lunch break, many of the ladies explored beautiful downtown Hickory and local establishments near the GC Hickory church building, where the forum was held.

Our final discussion focused on detaching from praise and criticism and reframing feedback and conflict. With Elizabeth’s guidance, these conversations helped the group rethink our roles and actions while working as part of a leadership team.

Afterward, each participant was encouraged to give anonymous feedback. Some highlights from the exit survey included appreciation that everyone had a voice and was given time to share their authentic stories.

The entire forum was organized to be a beautiful balance of learning and listening, while also highly participatory and discussion based. We loved the sister circle and appreciated the safe environment where everyone could be open and transparent. It was a unique opportunity to network with other women in GCI church leadership and celebrate the diversity of our female leaders within the church.

 

Harvest Your Blessings! Don’t miss out on registration for the North Central Celebration.

In 2019, GCI will host Regional Celebrations in the USA:

• June 7 – 9: Central – Dallas, TX
• June 21 – 23: Southeast – Charlotte, NC
• September 27 – 29: North Central – Noblesville, IN
• October 25 – 27: East – Ocean City, MD

Click the image below to for more information and registration options.

 

The Edgehill Community Church (GCI) LiLY Conference was held April 26-28, 2019. The Conference was a huge Holy Spirit-filled success. Ninety women and teens came to the Embassy Suites in Beachwood, Ohio, and experienced our theme “Joy Intact” based on Romans 15:13: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

The praise and worship during the weekend was powerful and transforming. We spent time journaling and getting to know each other.

We were reminded that we are God’s masterpiece with a story of our own to tell by Vicki Hart from Cincinnati. While Gail Dudley of Columbus spoke of how we should place ourselves in a position to be ready to receive an abundant life, by being full participants in what God is doing and clothing ourselves with strength, putting on clothes of praise, shaking off the dust, rising up, sitting at his throne and freeing ourselves through Christ Jesus.

Tammy Mason Johnson of Cleveland led our teens the entire weekend in getting to know what it means to have “Joy Intact” with Jesus as the focus. On Sunday Tamar Gray, Assistant Pastor of Edgehill Community Church, wrapped up the weekend with a reminder of things that block our joy and how to recognize and avoid these pitfalls.

Next year’s LiLY women’s conference will be April 24-26, 2020. We are excited to see what God has in store for us.

Dedication of Ghana Church Auditorium by Dr. Greg Williams, GCI President

On Resurrection Sunday, April 21, 2019, history was made when the President of Grace Communion International, Dr. Greg Williams, unveiled the commemorative plaque to officially dedicate Ghana’s GCI Church Auditorium on the church’s 15-acre property at Kutunse, 20 kilometers north of Accra, Ghana’s capital city. The facility, which was started in the early 1980s as a small meeting place for Spokesman’s Club, has undergone several changes, climaxing in its current two story 1,000 seater capacity form. It was funded from donations from our members in Ghana and from resources of the national church.

Pastor Williams, in dedicating the facility prayed for God’s blessings on the members who would use it for God’s glory. He was assisted by Pastor Kalengule Kaoma, GCI Superintendent of African Missions and me.

Prior to the dedication, Pastor Kaoma officially unveiled the GCI Africa cloth which was “outdoored” and used for the Resurrection Sunday service, which was attended by 585 members (including 104 children). 374 members participated in the Communion service that was led by Pastor Takalani Musekwa.

–Pastor Emmanuel Okai