GCI’s church in Santa Rosa, Laguna, Philippines, recently celebrated their 15th anniversary as a congregation. They did so by reaching out to the community by conducting a medical mission. In partnership with two local agencies, they served 245 adults and children. Each participant received counseling, followed by assistance related to their identified physical, emotional and spiritual needs. All were fed a full meal. These interactions provided ample opportunity to pray with those being helped, and to share with them the gospel of Jesus. Many said that they felt encouraged, having found hope in the midst of their trials.
For the past 13 years, Mike Stewart and Debby Bailey (members of the pastoral team at Grace Fellowship in Pikeville, KY), have been the driving force of an annual Christian music concert named JULY JAM (Jesus Unconditionally Loves You. Just Ask Me). Youth and young adults are the primary target audience for this free outdoor Christian music event held in one of Pikeville’s parks.
The purpose of JULY JAM is to share with area youth the love of Jesus through Christian music. A primary goal is to help them understand that there is an alternative to a life of drug use. Pike County has one of the highest per capita rates of death due to drug overdose. This year’s concert, headlined by national recording artist, Among the Thirsty, was held July 30. More than 350 people attended. The event received coverage in both local newspapers (pictured above).
This update is from Christine Ojih whose husband Gabriel serves as lead pastor at Pathway of Grace Church (a GCI congregation in Dallas, Texas).
“I just hope it’s not boring!” lamented 3rd-grader Amya when asked about her hopes for the summer by her Pathway of Grace Church Vacation Bible School (VBS) small group leader. In all, 50 individuals from the church and surrounding community participated in the VBS at this GCI congregation, in Mesquite, Texas. Twenty adult volunteers, including a Spanish-speaking staff member from the elementary school across the street, came together with 30 children and teens for five evenings in June to study how putting on Jesus, the full armor of God, helps us “stand strong against the devil’s schemes” (Eph. 6:11).
One parent from the community representing one of five new families who got involved at Pathway because of VBS said, “I don’t know what you guys are doing here, but the kids love it!” Another new child shared, “My uncle has a lot of things planned for us kids this week but I’m missing it. I want to be at Bible school!”
Pathway’s VBS was kicked off with a Saturday Community Family Fun Day where families were invited to bring their children to enjoy bounce houses, carnival games and face painting, along with slider burgers, popcorn and snow cones. At the Fun Day, children and teens were invited to register for the VBS.
Best of all, the fun didn’t stop when VBS week was over. Youth ministry team member, Teri Herrmann, who leads Pathway’s school-aged children’s ministry, took the lead to provide ongoing activities throughout the summer on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Kids have the opportunity to learn more about Jesus and how he is revealed to us through some well-known Bible stories while also enjoying crafts, games and meals together with the friends they made at VBS. Field trips to the skating rink, movie theater and Ranger’s Ballpark offered a special opportunity to get out on the town to many children who might otherwise sit home and play video games or watch TV all summer.
Judging from her enthusiasm—showing up an hour before events start and not missing a single summer activity so far—it seems Amya’s hope for a “non-boring” summer has been fulfilled. Likewise, Pathway of Grace’s hope of demonstrating God’s love that came near in Jesus to families in our community has also been fulfilled and a new hope has emerged—the hope that we can develop ways for even deeper, more meaningful and more consistent involvement with our young community members.
This update is from Steve Solari, lead pastor at Hope Community Fellowship, GCI’s congregation in The Colony, Texas, (on the north side of the Dallas metro area).
When there is a fifth Sunday in a month, we cancel regular worship services and hold a service project in the community where our church building is located. We’ve helped the city’s Volunteer Assistance Project repair fences and clean yards for disabled veterans or shut-ins. We’ve helped a local non-profit prepare boxes of food for children who need meals while school is out. We also helped a senior resident move into assisted living. This July (when it was too hot for an outdoor project) we hosted a meal honoring the community’s first responders (police and firefighters). When I announced the event to the congregation, there was a spontaneous outburst of applause. Like many in The Colony, our members greatly appreciate what our local heroes do for us. We wanted to show our thanks.
Our members brought food for a meal to which all the police and firefighters in the community were invited. The firefighters came in shifts to ensure coverage for emergencies, and police officers dropped in as time permitted (even though it was his day off, the Chief of Police stopped in). Apparently the community noticed—an anonymous donor (who never came inside) gave a cash donation of over $100 to help fund the event. The response was fantastic, and we’re looking forward to doing this event regularly to show thanks to community servants who often are forgotten.
GCI’s Cincinnati, Ohio (East) church was featured recently in a Cincinnati Enquirerarticle. Titled, “Dialogue on Race Difficult but Worth It,” the article notes the congregation’s involvement in Neighbor 2 Neighbor, a racial reconciliation organization formed following civil unrest in Cincinnati in 2001.
GCI members at Neighbor 2 Neighbor meeting L to R: John Hoover, George and Vicki Hart
Vicki Hart, wife of the congregation’s lead pastor, George Hart, noted that the congregation “got connected about three years ago with a Neighbor 2 Neighbor group that meets in Milford, the city where our church building is located. The group has been meeting at our church building for over a year, and several of our members joined the organization and attend the meetings on a regular basis.”
Vicki notes that Kevin Aldridge of the Enquirer contacted the organization recently after the national racial flare-ups and violence, asking if he could interview the Milford group for an article.
Four GCI members are mentioned in the article along with the congregation. According to Vicki, “the article has been received by the community very positively.” To read the article, click here.
In this report, Caleb Makhela, a pastor in GCI-South Africa, tells about his recent visit to GCI congregations in the African nation of Mozambique.
I had flu for three days because of inhaling dust in some of the churches we visited, but now the worst is over. We have mainly been in areas without telephone since Monday, and yesterday we were able to get to Maromeu, a place that has been eluding us all this time because of inclement weather. What excitement and what jubilation when we arrived! It didn’t matter to our members there that we arrived almost at 10 pm! This morning we had a very lively, almost two-hour long service at which many people expressed their joy in finally being visited by somebody from South Africa.
Our visits to the congregations were planned to arrive in the afternoon or evening. We then have a brief service of thanksgiving followed by dinner and go to bed while the locals continue singing (often until 2 or 3 am in the morning!). When we arise in the morning, we hold a service for the women. Mrs. Mariano speaks on the role of husbands and wives and I speak about the whole family, including children, dwelling mainly on Ephesians 5 and 6, and 1 Peter 3. I can tell these teachings speak to the congregations by their expressions of joy.
One of GCI’s congregations in Mozambique (picture taken in 2015)
CAD Director Greg Williams recently conducted an “intensive” (short-term, on site) version of the Ambassador College of Christian Ministry (ACCM) class, Jesus and the Gospels. Here is his report.
Greg Williams
It was my pleasure to be in Dallas, Texas, to lead 17 highly-engaged students in taking ACCM’s Jesus and the Gospels class. This two-day-long “intensive” was a journey of learning, sharing and centering our lives in Jesus. We explored Jesus’ life, death, resurrection and ascension, and reflected on the method and message of his teachings in the four Gospels. We also gave attention to good principles of biblical exegesis in order to discover Jesus more deeply and personally as “The way, the truth and the life”—the One who came in human form to not only show us the Father, but to unite us with the Triune God. Here are pictures from the class, along with comments from a couple of students.
Comments from students
Jim Noordhoek (Batesville, Arkansas co-pastor)
From Kirk Hayden (Wichita, Kansas):
The format of the class was very relational, giving us opportunity to learn together. The students bonded quickly. The readings before the class gave us a good foundation and then following the class we will be completing an assignment that we’ll submit to our instructor. This “intensive” format is a great way to learn. I recommend ACCM’s intensive classes to anyone who wants to experience shared learning.
From Joe Brannen (Dallas, Texas):
I liked the interactive format, which gave us a classroom setting without missing much time away from family and work. The class was very enriching, concentrated, and of great quality. It helped me dig deeper into my life and my understanding of God. I found myself craving to learn and understand more on an intellectual and practical level. The class helped me learn to be a more effective leader in ministry—learning from the other students broadened my thinking. Joining with others from all over the country, to join with Jesus in learning more about God, was very inspiring.
The following report is from Lee Berger who leads GenMin’s Crossing Borders mission organization.
Church in the Park
Crossing Borders missions conducted its 21st trip to Mexico on June 11-19, 2016. Like all our trips, it was a unique blend of people and events. As missionaries to Mexico, we love seeing our dear, long-time Mexican ministry partners and meeting many new people. It’s all about relationship—with God and our fellow human beings. This trip focused on the theme Incarnation, noting that the incarnate Son of God has perfectly revealed God’s nature of pure love to us and our goal as missionaries is to participate with Jesus as he expresses God’s love to the Mexican people.
One of our missionaries with a young girl
We had a busy week! We preached, sang and danced at “Church in the Park”—a church for the homeless and discarded street people (see picture, above right). We visited three children’s homes and a senior citizen home (a visit hosted by the Mexican mayor’s wife). We played, did crafts, sang, listened and were just “there” with the kids and elderly. We also conducted Vacation Bible School programs on four days, with in-home groups of 12 and church groups of up to 65 children (see picture below). We were served “real” Mexican food several days by our hosts, and we reciprocated by providing a lasagna meal for them.
Teaching a song at the VBS
We spent several hours at a city park with our “adopted family”—mom, dad and three kids that we built a house for a few years ago. We reconnect with them on each trip—it is a joy to watch the kids grow up. We had a Fiesta Day at a children’s home, with all kinds of booths and activities, including letting a tarantula spider we found crawl around on our arms.
Tarantula!
The overnight camp facility Crossing Borders uses also provides a transitional rest-stop to full-time American missionaries coming and going out of Mexico. Several of these missionaries shared their inspiring stories with our group, and there were tears, joy and thankfulness to God for his wonders in each story. A local businessman who we have worked with on most of our trips told how one of his employees embezzled $1 million dollars from him, and he and his wife are asking God to lead them to forgiveness and restoration.
One of our ministry partners is building a new, large church building—one piece at a time as finances become available. Because of generous donations to Crossing Borders from individuals and churches in the U.S., we were able to provide funds to pour one-third of the concrete floor slab, and we built new benches for a children’s home. We were also able to purchase paint for the exterior of a pastor’s house and for the exterior of a church.
Our missionaries (at front) with residents and staff at the children’s home)
Our next Mexico trip is on December 9-12, 2016. We’d love to have you with us! Or you or your church can donate shoebox gifts for the children and infants. For information, go to www.cbmission.org or call me (Lee Berger) at 903-746-4463.
During the recent GCI-USA Regional Conference held last weekend in Dallas, Texas, GCI’s Dallas-area congregations hosted a 60th anniversary celebration of the planting of the first WCG congregation in the Dallas metro area.
The celebration was introduced by the lead pastor of the Dallas central congregation, Gabriel Ojih (at left, above, with his wife Christine). Music was provided by a band led by Doc Gibbs (at right, above, with his wife Vera), an elder in the Dallas north congregation. Doc’s band played during dinner and for a dance that followed (with western line-dancing, waltzes and everything in between). A highlight of the evening was to have one of the founding members of the original Dallas church present to help cut the anniversary cake.
Some of the anniversary dinner-dance participants
GCI President, Joseph Tkach, who was present for the event, made this comment:
Not only was being there a treat—I had the pleasure of meeting two former members who have started donating and were delighted with the regional conference. I also met a pastor and his father-in-law who came from Mexico to attend the regional conference. Raymundo (Ray) Rendon pastors a newly planted church in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico—the destination location for our GCI Crossing Borders missionary trips. Although Ray is not a GCI member, he had been invited to the conference as a guest of Lee Berger (Crossing Borders director). Ray told me that he loved the conference, enjoyed meeting our members, and was excited about all the resources GCI offers both onsite and online. Ray also received an additional blessing—on Monday after the conference, while in the hotel dining room, a well-dressed lady approached him and commented on the t-shirt he was wearing because it was similar to the name of her company. After inquiring about Ray’s ministry, she proceeded to write to him a donation check to be used for his church work. I told Ray, “The blessings just keep on coming!”
Note: There is one more GCI-USA Regional Conference in the 2016 cycle. It will be held on August 5-7 in Orlando, Florida. For information and to register, click here (scroll down to “GCI events”).
