Category: Stay Connected

On July 22, Grace Communion Seminary (GCS) instructor and retired GCI pastor Neil Earle (pictured at right) gave a lecture at the Duarte Public Library in Southern California on the 70th anniversary of the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947. “The Dead Sea Scrolls evoke mystery and legend,” Neil told the audience. “It’s a fun subject when you start with this young Bedouin goat-herder named Muhammed the Wolf throwing a rock and hearing a clunk and discovering these stone jars that contained copies of the Hebrew Bible transcribed about 150 years before Christ.”

According to Neil, the challenging part was helping the audience see that the Dead Sea Scrolls should be evaluated by the official Jewish Masoretic Text that forms the Old Testament in many of our English Bibles. “It’s almost a case of ‘I’ve told you this story to tell you another one,'” Neil said. The significance of the scrolls is that scholars could now have an earlier Hebrew text than the Masoretic manuscript that makes up the Law, Prophets and Writings that Jesus bore witness to in Luke 24:44.

“It’s in describing the skill of the authorized Jewish scribes that the audience comes alive,” Neil added. “Those Masoretes counted the middle letter of the Torah, of the Hebrew Bible, and of each book and numerous other references as well. William Foxwell Albright, the great scholar of the early 20th century stated that there is no other ancient text that has been so well handed down.” Neil also gave thanks to GCS professor Tim Finlay (who also teaches at Azusa Pacific University) for his help in preparing the lecture. “With a subject this fascinating, you want to make sure you get the finer points right,” said Neil.

On Sunday, July 9, Good Shepherd Church (GCI’s congregation in Cicero, IL) held a baptism service. “It’s always been a desire of mine to have baptisms here at our building—this year we did it for the first time, and we hope for many more,” said Pastor Israel Hernandez.

The baptism service, which began in the sanctuary, continued outside where ten young followers of Jesus were baptized in a pool (seven were participants in the GenMin camp in that region). Many non-member family and friends attended, bringing the total to 95 people witnessing this joyous occasion. After the ceremony, the children jumped into the pool and a picnic-style potluck was served. Here are some pictures (for more, click here).

Open Hearts Fellowship, GCI’s congregation in Lexington, SC, celebrated its 50th anniversary on Sunday, July 16 with about 200 members, friends and guests attending. GCI Vice President Greg Williams (pictured at right) gave the sermon, titled “Seasons of Life, Seasons of the Church.”

Several charter members and/or their offspring were present for the celebration. Three former pastors and a good number of guests from at least three groups with former WCG members attended. One member summed up the event this way: “The room was beautiful, the music and service were inspiring, the food was delicious and the fellowship was wonderful.”

GCI’s congregation in Pikeville, Kentucky, pastored by Debby Bailey, operates the Grace Fellowship Community Kitchen. This outreach to the community feeds people in need for free on the last Tuesday of each month. Recently they have been focusing on helping veterans. This outreach to an often forgotten segment of the population was recently highlighted in a report by an area television station. To view the report, click here.

As noted in Dr. Tkach’s letter, GCI recently held its Denominational Conference in Orlando, Florida. Its theme, We Are GCI!, was celebrated by about 1,000 members and friends who travelled to the conference from 29 countries. The conference included a ceremony in which about 30 students graduated from Grace Communion Seminary. Below is a video with highlights of the conference and below that are pictures of the conference and the graduation.

On YouTube at https://youtu.be/yupDm-93gn0

Friends of Camp Connections (FOCC) recently raised $20,000 (Canadian) in support of Camp Connections, one of two GCI youth camps in Canada. FOCC raised the funds through a bicycling trip that involved the 18 riders pictured below (each had received pledges for each mile covered). Recipients of the funds include various campers including children of refugees who have settled in Canada.

About 40 staff and campers (pictured below) gathered in mid-July at the Eagle Bluff Environmental Learning Center near Lanesboro, MN, for the 11th year of Northern Light Camp, which is one of GCI Generations Ministries’ youth camps.

Set in scenic southeastern Minnesota along the Root River, the Eagle Bluff staff provided activities such as canoeing, high ropes, pioneer life, pond life, archery, skeet shooting and indoor rock climbing. Additional activities provided by GCI volunteer staff included T-shirt tie dyeing, making pottery, wood turning ink pens and rolling pins, making lariat rope, cup stacking, paracord bracelet making, card playing, hands-on engineering, physics of non-Newtonian liquids (think slime and quick sand!), Frisbee golf, making noodles and home-made ice cream. Worship and messages supporting the theme, “The Journey (a lifelong adventure with Jesus)” were given daily by Charles and Keysha Taylor, Becky Deuel and Doug Johannsen. Camp Director was Troy Meisner.

Generations Ministries’ mission organization Crossing Borders (CB) recently completed its 23^rd mission trip into Mexico. CB’s missionary team (pictured below) spent eight days building relationships, accomplishing tasks, and living and sharing the gospel.

CB chose “encouragement” as the theme for this summer’s trip—the goal was to bring encouragement to CB’s ministry partners in Mexico who face various crises and other sources of discouragement including illnesses, decreasing church attendance, defection of leaders, property thefts, tight finances, government corruption and threats from drug cartels. To bring encouragement, the CB team devoted one-on-one time to their Mexican ministry partners—listening to their stories and needs, letting them know they are not alone, and praying with them.

For a long time, one of the Mexican pastor’s wives had been saving small amounts of money hoping one day to be able to cover the concrete floor of their humble home with tile. She had finally accumulated enough money, but then her husband had opportunity to be able to make a trip to some very poor churches several hours farther into Mexico to deliver shoebox gifts to the children. Nora donated her floor tile savings so the children could receive the gifts. As it turns out, some CB supporters had donated some funds with the instruction to use them when a fitting opportunity arose—and this was the opportunity. CB replaced Nora’s funds so she could tile her floor, and left-over funds were used to bless their congregation with much-needed supplies.

In another instance, CB became aware that Sister Juanita, the senior-citizen director of a children’s home that CB has “adopted,” had only one door on her 4-door car that would open from the inside (due to broken handles). She had to crawl over the front seat into the back seat, and then exit through the rear passenger door. CB was able to help her get the handles working again. CB also was able to buy supplies for the children’s home, and took Juanita on a shopping trip for clothes and other personal items for herself (she never spends money on herself; always on the kids). In addition, CB purchased and installed new plumbing fixtures, three ceiling fans and three hi-velocity floor fans (there is no air conditioning in the children’s home).

During the trip, the CB team helped out at a “church in the park” for homeless people (pictured above); painted walls and fences at a Christian youth school (the painters are pictured below); visited two children’s homes; purchased items that were distributed during a church outreach event; conducted a Vacation Bible School for 50 children; and lots more.

A highlight of the trip was hosting CB’s 15 ministry partners at an “encouragement luncheon” at a restaurant (see picture below). This was the first time CB’s ministry partners had been together—the joy and friendship was amazing as life stories were shared over the meal. CB team members gave encouraging messages to the group along with bags full of gifts for all.

We are grateful that through CB’s ministry in Mexico, the love of God is being shared, the gospel message is being lived and spoken, and lives are being transformed—the lives of CB’s missionaries and the lives of those being served.

CB’s next mission trip to Mexico is scheduled for December 8-11, 2017. For information go to www.cbmission.org, or call CB director Lee Berger at 903-746-4463.

GCI-Australia pastors Rod Dean and Mark Latham recently returned from a visit to our brothers and sisters in Papua New Guinea (PNG). What follows is Rod’s report.

The trip to PNG took months to prepare to maximize the time there while allowing for the unexpected. Our trip was interrupted by a political demonstration and after arriving we expreienced a severe earthquake. Despite these disruptions, it was a wonderful trip.

Our biggest emphasis this trip was youth and children who make up the majority of the Mt. Wilhelm congregation (pictured above). For the growing number of youth, we introduced our first speaking club (Life Club) with 35 teens and five adults attending. The club is part of an effort to motivate our youth to improve their English and think about their future. This program accompanies our ministry at the high school, youth meetings and talent shows.

The children’s class has been challenging. We have around 70 children on our rolls, and the coordinators and teachers have decided that we need to raise the standards, especially as children approach the age of our study center. We put together a curriculum for the rest of the year and held a meeting with middle school (grades 6-8) parents to encourage them to learn English and read with their children. At present, the middle school has 150 students up to grade 3 and they will be adding a new grade every year, perhaps up to grade 8. Of the 150 students about 80 are disadvantaged and 20 are orphans living on site. There are still clothing needs for the disadvantaged children, and the school is $25 a day short of nutritional food. We plan to bring a supply of clothing on our next visit and the focus of our Ulladulla Charity Appeal will be on the school’s food needs.

I spent the remainder of the trip with the congregation’s leaders and worship team, giving an ACCM preaching intensive, a worship intensive, and a talk on how to approach the Bible. I also introduced reading materials I brought with me, among them, GCI’s Discipleship Series, sermon notes, and Speaking of Life transcripts. Lastly, we had the annual pastoral advisory council meeting in which we shared the importance of accountability. We audited the books and encouraged appropriate counting and storage of money. While I met with the pastoral team, Mark coordinated various work projects, which necessitated walking over the mountain range about five times! Mt Wilhelm now has running water for the showers and flush toilets in the orphanage.

Mark and I are very aware that we were accompanied on the trip by the prayers of the church. I told the church in PNG that we do not come alone. So many people contributed in different ways to the trip—we are truly grateful for their support.

Here are links to updates on recent GCI events in the Philippines:

• Member receives award
• GCI Santa Rosa honors security guards
• GCI Southern Tagalog holds sports fellowship
• GCI Calamba holds Vacation Bible Schools