Dear GCI Family and Friends,

I don’t always enjoy surprises, but I do appreciate good surprises. This is exactly what Susan and I experienced when we visited the island nation of Fiji. When you hear Fiji mentioned in a conversation, your mind goes to wonderful artesian drinking water, gorgeous flowers of all types, exotic birds, and breath-taking sunsets. These are all true, but my mind was mostly captured by the beautiful people – especially the GCI people.

Three years ago, James and Alisi Panuve extended a formal invitation for Susan and me to visit the church in Fiji. Upon the heels of the Australian conference in August, we were at last able to join Regional Director Dennis Richards and his wife, Sue, for an extended weekend visit.

The church gathered on Saturday morning for a formal Fijian welcoming ceremony called Veiqaravi Vakavanua. It is a solemn event performed and observed with dignity. The presentation of ceremonial items acknowledged how far the visitors have come. The ceremony signifies the respect for the honored guest in the spirit of welcoming a chief or a state dignitary. It also symbolized the joy and submission of the group in receiving me as their President of GCI. I was humbled and highly honored.

Susan and I were greeted by all the members in attendance, and we enjoyed a wonderful social gathering in the British tradition called “Tea.” After the food and fellowship, Susan and Sue Richards met with the ladies and shared testimonies, life stories, and prayer for one another. Dennis and I were turned over to the care of the Young Adult group, a most lively and fun group ranging in ages of 17 to 35. We did an icebreaker exercise where we learned interesting facts about one another, and then one of the leaders facilitated a short lesson from Philippians 4:8. The energy and mutual love the group demonstrated was exceptional.

To further the relationship building, and to simply have some good clean fun, I invited the youth group back to the ice cream shop at my hotel. It was quite a spectacle of 30 of us walking down the city streets across the pitch (sports field) to the hotel, and then lining up to order our cups of ice cream. The hotel was kind enough to allow us to gather poolside and enjoy a beautiful afternoon in a delightful setting.

The youth group and a children’s choir played a significant role in the Sunday worship service. Their musical gifts were on display, especially the harmonies of their blended voices. I gave a sermon entitled, “Jesus Our True Foundation.” I have been giving this message in many places around the world for the purpose of showing that our model of Team-Based Pastor-Led ministry, accompanied by the ministry avenues of Faith, Hope and Love, are fully based in Jesus and better align us as we seek to participate with him under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Many commented how this message helped provide clear direction about where we are going as a church family, and many expressed how this feels like a restart for our church. I sense that too.

One of the highlights of the day and a main purpose for the trip was to ordain Frank Boyd, alongside his wife, Emily, as the new lead pastor for Grace Communion Fiji. Frank and Emily are deeply committed leaders who love the Lord and his church. They have the respect of the people and move with wonderful ease and grace as they interact and flow among the members. I am confident that this church has an able under shepherd who will flourish as he is led by the Great Shepherd.

Fiji was a happy surprise to Susan and me, and we enjoyed being in the company of one of GCI’s healthy churches in the middle of the Pacific. On their behalf let me say a hearty, “Bula!” This word embodies the deep joy in greeting another person. You certainly feel the joy of the Lord when you are with our dear brothers and sisters in Fiji.

Honored to be the GCI President,

Greg

P.S. Don’t miss more about the Fiji gathering in this issue by Epeli Nakautoga.

Dear GCI Family and Friends,

Susan and I had the wonderful opportunity to join Australasia Superintendent Daphne Sidney and 90 or so pastors and ministry workers for a “Compelled by Love” conference. We met on Thursday and Friday with the leadership and began with training sessions in “Appreciative Inquiry,” conducted by Ambassador College of Christian Ministry (ACCM) Director John McLean. This grace-based process of how we set our minds and attitudes to think on what things are noble and good is incredibly helpful for ministry teams who are seeking to determine what is good to the Holy Spirit and to us.

John’s training set the tone for National Team members Dennis Richards and Peter Edalere to speak about the model of Team-Based Pastor-Led. This gave a great overview for how we see pastors building their teams and provided oversight as we dug into the need to have “Ministry Action Plans” (MAPs). These MAPs help teams set attainable goals that help them move toward our vision of Healthy Church and make progress toward their Three-Year Plan.

This is the first gathering Daphne has been able to host since the onslaught of COVID. The ability to meet face-to-face, to hug necks, to sing worship songs in corporate worship, to share meals, and to simply be together was met with deep enthusiasm and appreciation.

More members were able to join the celebration over the weekend, and I was able to give them a pictorial update of the GCI family around the world. Sharing faces of brothers and sisters from Africa, Canada, the US, and the UK warmed their hearts immensely. The training continued as several pastors and avenue champions shared concepts about the Love, Hope and Faith Avenues of ministry. A highlight to me was seeing that the presenters are moving beyond concepts and are growing as practitioners. They are organizing their teams, developing plans, and trying new approaches to the various ministries of the church. Dare I say that they are discovering how to better join Jesus in what he is doing in and through our expression of the local church.

During the Saturday sessions, newly ordained Pastor Helen Callaghan gave a wonderful summary of Michael Frost’s book, Surprising the World. She aptly pointed out how the instruction in the book is simple and straight-forward, and centers on how we as believers can engage the not-yet-believers through meaningful relationships. Helen pastors a small church in Sydney with mostly aging members, so she was quick to point out that age is not a factor keeping us from loving and knowing our neighbors.

As I travel the world and spend time with our GCI church family, I am refreshed and encouraged to see how the material that we are producing at the denominational level is being embraced and applied. These materials are meant to center us more and more into the relationship and ministry of Jesus, who is the center of the center. It does my heart good to see so many presenters who have grasped what we are teaching and where we are going as a worldwide denominational family. Our sole purpose is to ground ourselves in Jesus, and to build out from him as our true foundation. As we receive the faith, hope and love that originates in him, it channels through us as we reach out to a broken, hurting world.

It is a beautiful journey that we are on as a collective fellowship around the world. Read more from Daphne here. And by the way, your brothers and sisters from Australia say “G’day.”

Greg Williams

P.S. I am extremely pleased with the good work that John McLean, Registrar Nadia Worthing, and other faculty members are doing through ACCM to equip ministry workers around the world. Please see the details in this issue of Update.

Dear GCI Family and Friends,

In early August, I was able to join Board Chair Dr. Randy Bloom and North America and Caribbean Superintendent Michael Rasmussen in a gathering with Canada National Director Bill Hall, and 120 conference attendees in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Due to COVID, this was the first gathering like this in four years. Hence, Bill titled the conference “Welcome Home.”

The family reunion element was a big part of the celebration, and we were grateful to the hotel property to honor their rates from the original contract signed three years ago. We give thanks to our triune God.

Bill invited Christian music recording artist, Steve Bell, to share his music and his thoughts about the trinity and worship. Steve inspired the audience with his meaningful songs and stories, and he fit perfectly into helping us have deeper thoughts about worship through the Hope Avenue. I was especially pleased for how Steve immersed himself within the group, and how he reinforced our values for the Revised Common Lectionary and the annual worship calendar.

Early in the conference, I shared the “big rocks,” or priorities of how our ministry is structured. Long before we move into the how and implementation, there is need for us to be crystal clear on the questions of who? Who we are? And the why? Hopefully, you have some answers in mind, but allow me to fill in these answers. The “who” is the triune God revealed to us in the person of Jesus. “Who we are?” includes believers and followers of Jesus, and as such we are fellow members of his church. I reminded the attendees that “We are Church People.” It was music to my ears to hear them echo those words back to me. “Why?” is the mission of the church, expressed in our motto, “Living and Sharing the Gospel.”

Mike Rasmussen picked up the training from this point and gave a wonderful thousand-foot view of the Faith, Hope, and Love Avenues, with a deeper dive on the Hope Avenue. Mike shared stories out of his past decades of pastoral ministry, and most recently what he has been learning as he participates in the church and Ministry Training Center in Surrey Hills, Oklahoma. It was amazing to observe the interaction of the pastors and ministry leaders as Mike fielded questions and comments. There was a spark of life, creativity, and hope in this mix of church people. Praise be to God!

Randy Bloom met with the Canadian Board of Directors. The board members are those “hidden figures” that offer their time, experience, and wisdom in support of the national director as he attends to the business and mission of the church. A major decision made in this meeting was to elect Gillian Houghton as the Board Chairperson for the coming year. Please keep her and the work of our Canadian church in your prayers.

On Sunday our conference group was joined by another 200+ attendees through a video link. I was humbled and privileged to be able to address just about half of our dear church members across Canada. I shared with them a message out of 1 Corinthians 3 about “Jesus Our True Foundation.” Any enduring work that we will do in this life will only happen when we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, when we participate by building with him, when we build on him and when the work is inspired and saturated by his love.

We join Jesus and our brothers and sisters in Canada as we go forward into the life of GCI. May God continue to bless our participation with him and his work in GCI Canada.

Greg Williams

Dear GCI Family and Friends,

As I write this update, I am travelling to Fargo, North Dakota (Susan’s home state). From there, Superintendent Mike Rasmussen and I will head north and join the National Director of Canada, Bill Hall, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for a three-day conference with pastors and ministry leaders with the theme, “Welcome Home.” We anticipate a wonderful time of regathering after the Covid pandemic and a time of learning and inspiration. (I’ll write about this in our next issue.)

When I prepare to make such trips, I solicit prayer support from the extended Home Office family. Safe and uninterrupted travel is part of the request (especially with all the travel-related horror stories circulating in the news). In a book on Christian leadership I recently read, the author challenged us to think about better prayers, rather than just more or longer prayers. I surmised this to mean more thoughtful and more specific prayers. It caused me think about the words of James when he said, “You have not because you ask not.”

I have come to take a fresh look at prayer. Beyond my personal safety and comfort, plus a general covering of blessing on the meetings, what if I prayed about conferences and celebrations with more intent? Would you join me?

Lord, be with the presenters in their time of preparation. Give them the thoughts and words that the attendees need to hear. Bless them with creativity and passion so that the presentations of the gospel are exciting and move the listeners to action. Jesus, be in the hearts and minds of all who gather that there is a palpable sense of receptivity. Jesus, meet us in the informal gatherings – the shared meals, chats in the hallway, late night discussions, and even the difficult conversations that need to take place. Bring us together in a spirit of unity and harmony. May we deeply appreciate the opportunity simply to come together after this long season of being unable to gather. We join the Psalmist in saying, “How good and pleasant for brothers to dwell together in unity” (Psalm 133:1). Most importantly, we come together to raise up your name, Jesus, and proclaim you as Lord of our lives and Lord of your church. Jesus, we worship you and declare that we are here to seek your will and humbly ask that you empower us to be the church you would have us be. In your strong name, we anticipate your positive response to our requests. Amen!

May we also be in prayer for our weekly services and our neighborhood engagement. God is present in and cares about our Hope and Love Avenues. We’re soaking up Jesus’ presence when we pray, and his presence transforms us.

After the Canadian conference, Susan will join me, and we will jet off to Australia and Fiji. In late September, I am in the Philippines for a week, and I will then end my 2022 travel outside the U.S. in October with a trip to France. All of these are important gatherings that deserve to be covered in prayer. And just as we pray about the preparation and execution of these gatherings of God’s people, let’s remember to pray about the longer-term lasting impact that they have as pastors, leaders, and members return to the local expression of the church. Lord, continue to guide, bless, and empower our journey toward Healthier Church!

Going Forward on Our Knees,
Greg Williams

It is my pleasure to have Heber Ticas as a guest writer. The consulting and coaching he has done with several churches through “Outside the Walls” (OTW) have been transformative. To see our congregations come together and intentionally focus on how they as a corporate body can better connect with their neighborhood, and to work together with their Love Avenue activities and events is helping them to shine the light of Jesus beyond the interior walls of their church building. In this issue, Heber will share what happened in three US sites during summer 2022. It is our goal that OTW will be shared with our brothers and sisters outside the US also.

Heber, thank you for the way you have served our churches. It is making a positive difference!

–Greg Williams, President

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Dear GCI Family and Friends,

As I address all of you through this Update, I pray that you are enjoying the riches of the grace that our heavenly Father has poured over every one of us in Christ. Amid the many challenges that we may face in our lives and in our local congregations, we are sustained through his love. In union with Christ, we are empowered to live out our individual and corporate church expressions as we participate with Jesus in his everyday mission.

Our GCI mission statement of “Living and Sharing the Gospel” is at the core of who we are as followers of Christ. We are a sent people to bear witness to the saving grace of our God in Christ Jesus. In GCI, we desire that our churches live out our mission statement as we are compelled by his love. His love motivates us to move out of the four walls of our churches in order to engage our neighborhoods with acts that express the love God has for all.

As GCI’s National Coordinator for Church Multiplication, I have been entrusted with the task of bringing high support to some congregations that possess the bandwidth to move outside the walls of their churches. We call this support Outside the Walls (OTW) consulting. The purpose of the consulting is to assist the pastor and leadership teams through the process of understanding the current environment of the congregation and the demographics of the church neighborhood and to help the congregation move towards missional participation with Jesus. This high support provided to these churches is holistic in nature and consists of five phases. This year we offered this support to three congregations in the US, as Greg mentioned.

At the center of the consulting is the planning and preparation of the OTW weekend at each of the congregations receiving the support. The weekend consists of comprehensive healthy church equipping coupled with a missional event that is put together with the purpose of creating a relational space for the congregation. This space affords the church the ability to meet their neighbors and forge new relationships.

Terry McDonald, pastor of South Kansas City, reflected on their OTW experience:

“What we discovered together as a team was that there needed to be a shift in the mindset of the fellowship regarding the reason and purpose of engaging our neighborhood. People deserve to be loved because they are the image-bearers of our triune God, not because we need more bodies in the seats. We need persistent engagement, clarity of purpose, and intentionality as we love our neighbors as ourselves.”

By God’s grace, our experiences in all three events were formative and helped shaped the churches’ approach to living and sharing the gospel. Our church members stepped out of their comfort zones and engaged God’s children in ways that powerfully reflected the love of God. One of the churches hosted a neighborhood block party, the other hosted a neighborhood summer celebration, and the third church hosted a Christmas in July event. All three events expressed the vibrancy of our fellowship, the local congregation, and our desire to make disciples with Jesus.

As we move forward as a church family, we must not discount the calling that God has placed on our fellowship to step out in faith and partake in the joy of joining Jesus as he calls his children by the Spirit into communion with his body. I ask you to join me in prayer, petitioning our God to give us the ability to discern Jesus’ movements in our neighborhoods so we may step out in faith to join him.

In him,
Heber Ticas
Latin America Superintendent & CMM Coordinator – US

Dear GCI Family and Friends,

Susan and I are part of a new church plant in Steele Creek, NC (a neighborhood in Charlotte). So far, we have been gathering in the home of the pastor, Dishon Mills, and it has been a delight. I am proud to say that we follow the Revised Common Lectionary and keep in step with the GCI Worship Calendar.

During Easter season, we studied John 17 and explored the prayer of Jesus that he prayed for the disciples and us. How amazing for Jesus to include all believers in his prayer, and even more amazing to include us in his life and love. The essence of the prayer is, “that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.” (John 17:21)

It struck me how the Godhead of Father, Son, and Spirit are all at work in this process of bringing the oneness and unity that only God possesses, and only he can give. My mind went to Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus.

In GCI we spend a great deal of focus and instruction on this New Testament letter. In chapter 4, Paul speaks about the offices of the church and the purpose for each office. It was from this letter and other passages that I extrapolated the 4 E’s of pastoral ministry – Engage, Equip, Empower and Encourage. These aspects of ministry had a solid biblical foundation for the New Testament church and still do for our church today.

Notice that before Paul speaks specifically about the church offices, he says this, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3, NIV).

The oneness, the unity that Jesus prayed for us is produced through the presence and power of the Spirit. It is a gift for us to receive, and then for us to pass along.

In light of all this, who God is and who we are as his adopted, redeemed children, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences. (Ephesians 4:1-3 MSG)

There is a lot going on here in our walk with Jesus through the Spirit. Allow me to draw your attention to three basic actions that allow us to stay in step with Jesus and to maintain the Spirit-produced unity.

1. 1. Pour yourselves out in acts of love for each other – tangible, selfless acts of kindness and care.
   2. Be alert in noticing differences. Noticing differences is not meant to divide, but to motivate us for positive actions toward building meaningful relationships. This begins with knowing that all humanity is under the spilled blood of Jesus, and we can’t see anybody in any other way. This means we regard others as we regard ourselves. (2 Corinthians 5:16)
   3. Be quick to mend fences. Saying, “I was wrong, please forgive me” is one of the most powerful statements a human can make. Instead of simply being peacekeepers, Jesus said to be peacemakers.

Our walk with Jesus and participation with the Spirit will move us on this path of unity. If you read to the end of chapter four it speaks about us growing up into the stature and fullness of Jesus. We are back to the “oneness” that he prayed in John 17. May the prayer of Jesus be fulfilled in you and me, and throughout the church.

In him,
Greg Williams

P.S. I solicit your prayers for this new church plant and for all church plants that are springing up across our global family of churches. Church experts will tell you that there is no stronger demonstration of the gospel than the start of a new church.

Dear GCI Family and Friends,

Many Christians have a passion to want to do something “for” Jesus, with perhaps an underlying motivation to impress Jesus. The apostle Paul speaks of this conundrum in his letter to the Romans. He talks about having a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge (Romans 10:2). Even if the intent is energetic and well-meaning, when it isn’t channeled in the true knowing of Jesus and flowing through his power accomplishing his purpose, then it easily moves in the wrong direction. Often it results in tearing down rather than building up. In Paul’s case, his zealousness found him actively persecuting and destroying the church.

Our western culture values being active and productive, and this creates the dilemma of thinking we can somehow achieve and earn salvation with our energy, our hard work, our effort, our sweat, and our pain. Doesn’t that count for something? It does count if it is channeled toward the knowing of Jesus. Notice what Paul shares about his personal journey in his letter to believers in Philippi.

Yet whatever gains (earthly accomplishments and credentials) I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:7-11 NRSVA)

Jesus didn’t become human and fulfill his mission to then throw us back on ourselves. He rescued us from our sins and our human treadmills. He created us for relationship, and it is through knowing him that we can now see our brothers and sisters under the same umbrella of grace. This motivates—even compels us—to make strides in loving our neighbor as ourselves. It really is about the two great commandments.

Paul offers the clarity we need concerning works and grace. In his letter to the church in Ephesus, he clearly stated that we are not saved by works, only by the grace of Jesus. He adds, because of grace and our relationship with Jesus we now engage in good works. It is with and through Jesus that we are saved, and it is with and through Jesus that we engage in good works.

Many years ago, I attended a Youth Specialties conference where one of the speakers made an over-the-top challenge. In his attempt to spur us on toward making new followers of Christ, he submitted the idea of us in the next life standing in front of Jesus and being asked by our Lord why we didn’t share the good news about him with every single person that we had encountered in this life. The implication is that somehow, we are responsible for any of these people who may find themselves in the speaker’s version of hell. This rang loudly in my ears with the sensitivity of “What am I doing for Jesus?” Certainly, he must be disappointed in me. I found the “motivational speech” de-motivating and quite perplexing. Is part of our heavenly reward an arena of guilt?

As I continued to sort out this concept of evangelism and making disciples I came upon a fresh approach from another author and speaker from the Youth Specialties circuit, Andrew Root. I found that he had the same perplexities I held. He had discovered that the love of Jesus was unconditional rather than transactional. He had discovered that salvation of humanity was through the vicarious work of Jesus, who was 100% God and 100% human. He discovered the “place-sharing” ministry of Jesus that Dietrich Bonhoeffer had written about in the early 20^th century. And he had written a book, Revisiting Relational Youth Ministry, that was a huge gift to me at that stage of my life and journey with Jesus.

I count this as one of the huge benchmarks of grace in my life, and it prepared me to be a better minister, educator, and Christ-follower for the roles I have served within GCI.

It is in the true knowing of Jesus, and experiencing his unconditional love and acceptance, that now prepares us to join with him in accomplishing good works (dilemma solved). It isn’t about our individual striving and the “look at me, look at me” attitude that takes us to where we want to be with Jesus. It is not the good works that somehow bring us to Jesus and make us right and just, it is only Jesus who makes us right and just and then from there the good works can flow.

In His Grace and Unconditional Love,

Greg

From time to time, I invite a guest writer to share meaningful experiences and information with our church audience. It is my pleasure to have GC Cleveland Pastor, Tamar Gray, as our guest writer this issue. Tamar presented at the Love Avenue workshop in March, and she is uniquely gifted as an educator. Her relational connections in her community are serving her very well in reaching out to new people with the love of Jesus. Tamar has some important words to share about how we use our time and talents to better participate with Jesus in his mission to the world.

–Greg Williams, President

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“This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.” (2 Corinthians 9:10-11, The Message)

I was asked to join a prestigious music board and replied “yes” immediately to the honor before knowing the requirements. I was disappointed to learn there was an expectation of a sizeable monetary donation. As I prepared to decline the invitation, the board president explained that it was not the financial contribution they required, but my time and talent.

This epiphany moment poses the question, how often do we allow our preconceived mindsets to limit sharing ourselves because we believe what we have to offer will not be of value? Placing our time and talents into the hands of the Master will be an invaluable resource for work being done here on earth as the compelling love of Jesus overflows in every aspect of our lives.

Time

There are only so many hours in a day, and giving time speaks to what and who we consider important. In scripture, we witness Jesus being generous with time. He would share with those considered the least in society, heal their infirmities, or share the good news that would change their lives.

One example is found in Mark 5: 25-34. Jesus was on his way to heal Jarius’ daughter when he was “interrupted” by the woman with the issue of blood as she reached out to touch his garment. He could have told her he would pray for her as he continued on his way. Instead, Jesus stopped, saw her, and by faith, she was healed. As we move about our busy lives, may the Holy Spirit make us aware of those who are touching our garments.

Taking time for others means something else will not get done at that moment, but it is usually time well spent. As a teacher, I find interruptions occurring every day in the classroom with students and colleagues who need to be seen and heard. Participating as Jesus works in their lives and sharing the time becomes a privilege.

A transformation can take place with a touch, word, or prayer. As the church, we can impact our communities by taking the time to share our personhood and allowing space for others to do the same. It is in our relationships that we encounter Jesus.

Talent

We can use our God-given talents to place-share and create relationships that allow us to see Jesus and begin to know each other. Some skills are apparent, while others take some discovery and encouragement. When we share our abilities for God’s glory, they become the conduit for spreading his word and praise.

As I view my life, I can see three talents God has gifted in me:

• • • Teaching—the ability to share knowledge that people can use in the classroom, community, and church.
    • Singing—a ministry that brings people together, gives hope, and can bring others closer to God.
    • Administration—the capability to see the big picture, implement details, and gather groups of individuals to put a plan into action.

I am using these skills in the classroom, community, church, and now as a member of the prestigious music board which helped me recognize the value of time and talent.

What about you? Are there any newly developed giftings that you see God growing in you for this specific season? Take time to pray, reflect, and ask God to show you the areas in your life where God may be calling you to share your gifts.

As we continue on this compelling journey of love, may our Lord of generosity continue to bless us, and may we give him the praise so richly deserved.

Tamar Gray
Pastor, Cleveland, OH, US

 

 

Editor’s Note: Pastor Tamar wrote about using our God-given talents to place-share and create relationships. Want to dig deeper into place-sharing? See this GC Buzz.