GCI President Joseph Tkach and his wife Tammy recently travelled to England for a conference attended by GCI members. As seen in the pictures below (click to enlarge), Tammy gave the sermon at a church service held in Watford. The next day, Dr. Tkach was joined by Dr. Alan Torrance (professor of systematic theology at St Mary’s College of the University of St Andrews) in addressing the conference, which was held in Borehamwood.
This report is from GCI Mission Developer Rod Matthews who works in South Asia and the Pacific.
Along with Northern India and Bangladesh, the country of Nepal was inundated by flooding resulting from exceptionally heavy monsoon rains. Over 100,000 were displaced in Nepal by the flooding. Many of the villages, scattered throughout mountainous areas, and in the plains of Southern Nepal, were devastated.
Our ministry partner in Nepal, Deben Sam, reported that the flooding destroyed food, clothing and household goods along with sources of income including rice fields, chickens, goats and fish. Books and other educational materials used by the children in their schooling were also destroyed. Many dozens of church members in the congregations Deben works with suffered such losses.
Deben immediately initiated an emergency relief program starting with the affected church members in five locations. GCI sent emergency relief funds to help. Deben was most grateful to our members in the USA for their contribution from the GCI Emergency Assistance Fund, along with ssistance from GCI in New Zealand, India and Fiji.
In addition to the personal losses for the dozens of members affected, in Chitwan, the church building was damaged and because the river had changed course, it was not possible to rebuild the church in the same location. In Makwanpur, the church had established a chicken farm to generate income from the community, so they could become financially self-sustaining, but this too was destroyed. Milanchok’s church building was damaged and a simple structure needed to be built so members had somewhere to meet again.
The summer months in Nepal are usually dedicated to conducting the Mobile Bible School in selected mountain villages. This year, Deben and his team have had to deal with the added pressure of this natural disaster. He is most appreciative that so many people in many parts of the world pray for him and for those God is serving through him as a result of the long partnership with GCI.
Here are reports related to “passing the baton” of pastoral leadership in two GCI-USA congregations where, after many years of service, the lead pastors are retiring from GCI employment.
As reported by GCI-USA Regional Pastor Rick Shallenberger, November 5 was “a day of celebration, reflection and affirmation” as George Hart and his wife Vicki were recognized for 33 years of service to GCI, with 21 years serving as lead pastor in one of GCI’s Cincinnati, OH, area congregations, and several years serving as a district pastor.
After presenting the Harts with a special gift, Rick prayed, asking God to bless the coaching and consulting ministry George and Vicki are launching. Rick then installed Jason Frantz as the new lead pastor of the congregation. Following that, George ordained Julie Frantz as a GCI elder. After the service, all shared a meal where members shared stories of affirmation and thanksgiving for the Harts.
As reported by GCI-USA Regional Pastor Tim Sitterley, November 4 in the Sacramento, CA, congregation was a day for celebrating the 50 years that Mike Swagerty has served in full-time, employed pastoral ministry (including several years as a district superintendent). During the celebration, which included a formal dinner, Mike’s long career was highlighted along with the many ministry contributions of his wife Sandy. The celebration included the presentation of a certificate of appreciation given Mike by the mayor of Sacramento.
In January, 2018, Mike will be retiring from GCI employment. At that time, he will be replaced as lead pastor in the Sacramento congregation by Dwight Sanders, who currently serves as a pastoral resident in the congregation.
All the best to the Harts and Swaggertys. We deeply appreciate these two pastoral couples, and are thankful to them and to God for their many years of ministry within our fellowship.
Cards may be sent to:
George and Vicki Hart
8133 Eastdale Dr
Cincinnati, OH 45255-4559
Mike and Sandy Swagerty
8331 Northvale Way
Citrus Hts, CA 95610-0802
This report is from James Henderson, Mission Developer for Europe.
Though small in numbers, our church in Switzerland is big when it comes to caring and generosity. They help with many projects in Europe, among them our small church in Bulgaria, which is shepherded by Nicolay Nicolov. Several of the members there assist Nicolay in translating GCI articles to produce magazines in the Bulgarian and Russian languages.
In September, Swiss members Toni Püntener and Hannes Zaugg visited Nicolay in his home town of Jambol, about 185 miles from Sofia, the capital city. They had the chance to meet with the local congregation close to where Nicolay lives, and to visit another affiliated congregation composed mainly of ethnic Turkish and Romany people.
Toni commented, “We had a wonderful time with Nicolay and our contacts in Bulgaria, who are delighted to be linked to Grace Communion International. Please pray for them as they continue their church journey with us.”
Here are links to updates on several recent events held by GCI-Philippines.
Nearly 300 people gathered in late September in Wisconsin Dells, WI, to celebrate EngageGCI. The theme of the annual conference this year was Engage Neighbor. Guest speakers were Joseph Tkach (GCI President) and Heber Ticas (GCI Church Multiplication Ministries National Coordinator). With 24 breakout sessions to choose from, all attendees could see the practical application of loving others as Jesus loves us. Here is a one minute video with highlights of the gathering and an invitation to EngageGCI 2018:
On YouTube at https://youtu.be/wYwV-CdZBxk.
Here is a report from camp director Mark Yandt on GCI-Canada’s Camp Connections.
Camp Connections 2017 in Ontario was a huge success. We had three sessions: the four-night Junior Camp with 27 participants (ages 7-11) served by a staff of 17; the six-night Senior Camp with 41 participants (ages 12-18) served by a staff of 25; and the Leadership in Training (LIT) program, which ran concurrently with the Senior Camp with 10 participants (age 16+). I can’t say enough about the volunteers who ran these programs—their efforts blow me away year after year!
The camp teaching curriculum was themed around the idea of “mysteries.” When it comes to understanding God and our faith, God’s mysteries are intended to intrigue us, not confound us. We talked about Paul’s description of the gospel as the “mystery of godliness” (1 Tim. 3:16) and how it seems beyond comprehension that an all-powerful entity would suffer a mortal existence, allowing himself to be ridiculed, beaten and crucified. We also explored why God chose to bring us salvation the way he did. The camp chaplain put together a summary of each chapel along with some questions—some were asked during the chapel and a few were used to help stimulate dorm-time discussions.
It’s worth noting the success of Camp Connections efforts over the last few years to partner with various community agencies in serving the youth of surrounding communities by providing them with access to our camp. Doing so gives us a great opportunity to share the good news and to wrap vulnerable individuals in loving community.
In the video below, GCI Mission Developer Rod Matthews interviews Daniel Zachariah who pastors a GCI congregation in India. Danny shares what his congregation is doing to reach out to their community and beyond through various initiatives, including providing Christian counseling.
On YouTube at https://youtu.be/4LjbQQPErRg.
This report is from GCI-Canada director Gary Moore.
My wife Wendy and I experienced a most uplifting time at the Thanksgiving Retreat held recently in Penticton, Canada. About 80 people gathered for a lovely time of learning, fellowship and good food. The retreat’s theme was “God is on the Move,” and from what we saw and heard, there is no doubt that GCI is participating more and more in what Jesus is doing in our world and in our generation.
It was a special treat to have with us GCI President Joseph Tkach and his wife Tammy. During the opening service we ordained Debbie Minke as an elder, and later celebrated at an elders’ dinner at a local restaurant. Debbie (along with her husband Craig, who pastors our Vancouver–Surrey and Prince George congregations) has been serving in an elder capacity for many years. Her ordination was thus an acknowledgement of this reality, and a chance to celebrate her service to our church.
Mission Developer Eugene Guzon talks with pastoral leaders Rex dela Pena and Audie Santibanez concerning recent mission developments in the Philippines and beyond.
On YouTube at https://youtu.be/mYmEC9CzRD0.
