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Why Do We Gather?

GCI President Greg Williams reflects on the importance of gathering as a church community, from worship and fellowship to renewal and mission. Discover how our unity in Christ leads to joy, connection, and a deeper walk with our triune God.

Program Transcript


Why do We Gather? 

Hello church! It is my pleasure to come to you via video, and I must say that it has been a wonderful summer having been with so many of you in person. In May I was able to be with leaders and members in Australia and Fiji. Then in June, July, and August, I was with US leaders and members in Cincinnati, Ohio, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Hawthorne, California for our US Regional Gatherings. And as I am recording this message I will be going to a large gathering and celebration in Ghana, Africa. Videos are helpful, but there is nothing as good as being in person.

So, why do we gather? I have 5 key points to answer this question.

The number 1 reason is to Worship our triune God. To raise our collective voices in song. To be washed over by the reading of God’s word. To hear the inspiring messages that the appointed speakers bring.

My mind goes to the doxology that we often close our services:

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost! AMEN

The second reason is the Family Reunion. Isn’t it a blessing to pick up on old relationships? It’s like time and distance have no effect as we pick up with the people we love. And then the openness to new friendships and welcoming others into the GCI circle. We are GCI!

Point 3, we need Fellowship. We need it for joy & laughter. We also need it for lament & tears. The Bible instructs us to rejoice with those who are rejoicing and to grieve with those who are grieving. And notice this, even Ministers need to receive MINISTERING. At our gatherings this summer I witnessed participants praying over pastors, and the Body of Christ being the Body of Christ. It was a beautiful expression that really moved me.

Point 4, is to be Centered on what the triune God is doing with us individually & collectively. We all need to hear from the Lord, and yes, he whispers to us in our prayer closets, but I believe that he speaks boldly to us when we gather as the church body. Then as we collectively experience worship, fellowship, and messages we find uniting themes that join us more closely. I also believe that there will be a handful of special nuggets, a new understanding or transformative experience, for each participant. Always listen for and open to mining for these nuggets.

The final point is to return home renewed & rededicated. Our triune God gathers his people and then he sends his people. We are to be like salt and light. Light that is pure and clear always pointing and guiding to Jesus. Salt as a seasoning and preserving agent, in other words, living as kingdom citizens pointing toward the eternal kingdom of God.

I think Psalm 133 encapsulates these 5 points that I have shared. I will end with this passage.

1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!

It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Running down on the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down on the edge of his garments.
It is like the dew of Hermon,
Descending upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord commanded the blessing—
Life forevermore.

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is. Pleasing to us but it is especially pleasing to God.
Life forevermore – this is what we’re created for.

I am Greg Williams speaking about the life of the church.


P.S. Don’t miss the update of our U.S. Regional Gatherings that took place this summer. Read it here.

Know Your Enemy

Greg and Susan Williams
Greg and Susan Williams

Dear GCI Family and Friends,

My pastor recently gave a sermon about Jesus the great shepherd from John 10. He emphasized how Jesus loves us, pursues us (even leaving the 99 to come after us), and saves us. Then he emphasized how important it is for us to listen and recognize the voice of our shepherd. Thank God we have this wonderful shepherd in Jesus.

In this same passage, Jesus says that there is a thief. This thief’s motives are to steal, kill, and destroy. The apostle Peter makes a similar reference in his letter to the church.

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8 NIV)

If our enemy is on the prowl and seeking to devour and destroy us, it behooves us to understand his tactics, and then to be sober-minded and alert. Deception, division and distraction are his best and most-often-used tools.

Deceit

The apostle John, who identifies the devil as a thief, gives us more insight.

You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. (John 8:44 NIV)

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Living a Gospel Lifestyle

Greg and Susan Williams
Greg and Susan Williams

Dear GCI Family and Friends,

I hope the title caught your attention. I also hope that it didn’t frighten or intimidate you.

Often, when we talk about the Christian life, we need to break it down and simplify it. Dr. Barry Corey does a great job of this in his book, Love Kindness. Allow me to share an enlightening section.

Living a life of radical kindness, a life that others are watching, means owning up to the fact that our lives are messy and uncertain, our roads are crooked. We don’t have it all together. The kind life acknowledges that we have little true certainty, a claim that seems so countercultural. The wonder in which we live as people of the Spirit is that the wind of the Spirit – as the Gospel of John says – “blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (3:8). It blows without our logic and where it pleases. As my home church pastor said, “God is totally reliable but hardly predictable.” (p. 30)

What I take from the wisdom of John, Barry, and Barry’s pastor, is that I am in a relational journey with Jesus and guided by the Spirit. My idea of getting from point A to point B is not typically the map the Spirit has in mind. A recent example was when I was on a three-day golf vacation with a group of professional people ranging from doctors to lawyers, and business owners to politicians. A neighborhood friend invited me to participate. Three of us were on the balcony one night, observing the stars and anticipating the solar eclipse that was to happen in a few days.

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Developing Ministry Leaders

Greg and Susan Williams
Greg and Susan Williams

Dear GCI Family and Friends,

Development is the greatest need for GCI, especially for the preparation of future ministry leaders, pastors, and church planters. We have long understood our need for training and development, and we believe Ministry Training Centers (MTCs) are essential for our future. The development of MTCs is part of our vital strategy to reach the younger generation. We want to invest in them, to equip them, to bless them, and to empower them to populate our churches, which are positioned for renewal, with fresh leadership. The MTC strategy also includes maintaining an intentional focus on planting new churches. We will celebrate the day a church with an MTC gives birth to a daughter church.

Our Development Coordinator is Cara Garrity. Her responsibilities include overseeing MTC sites across all six GCI regions to maintain alignment with the Home Office. She had this to say about the key ingredients needed to establish an MTC: “If you are baking a cake and you leave out the salt, baking powder, or any key ingredient, you will not end up with a cake.”

We believe that the following are key ingredients for MTCs:

We understand that an MTC must grow out of a church body that is in renewal displaying healthy ministry.

It is important to understand that it is a church that has an MTC and not a fledgling MTC that aspires to be a church. This foundation is vital to the overall vision. Renewal is measured by the presence of the following three components:

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Altar of Communion

Greg and Susan Williams
Greg and Susan Williams

Dear GCI Family and Friends,

When we read through the Old Testament, we see many occasions where an altar was built. These altars symbolized meaningful encounters with God and were often places of sacrifice and communion with him.

Genesis is filled with examples of altars built by the patriarchs:

A place of sacrifice and thanksgiving — The first altar recorded in Scripture was built by Noah after he and his family left the ark. The Bible says the offering was a pleasing aroma to God, who responded by promising to never again curse the ground because of humankind (Genesis 8).

A place of promise, leading to covenant — We read about several altars that Abraham built, each seemingly with a different purpose, but all leading to the covenant God made with Abraham. Here are some places where he built altars:

      1. Shechem — Here the Lord first promised Abraham that his offspring would inhabit the land that was currently inhabited by the Canaanites (Genesis 12). This could be called an altar of hope.
      2. Mamre in Hebron — Abraham followed God’s lead and left his family land and went where God led him. Here God expanded his promise by promising Abraham that his offspring would own all the land he could see (Genesis 13). This could be called an altar of faith.
      3. Moriah — Here Abraham built an altar to sacrifice his son Isaac. Of course, God never intended Isaac to die and was confirming to Abraham that he was different than the pagan gods. He is a God who fulfills his promises. Here Abraham earned the name, friend of God (Genesis 22). This proved to be an altar of love.
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What Shall We Do?

Greg and Susan Williams
Greg and Susan Williams

Dear GCI Family and Friends,

Dr. Jeff Broadnax has been representing GCI with racial reconciliation initiatives held by the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE). I recently asked Jeff to represent me at a gathering in Montgomery, Alabama. His letter below gives the details of this visit. We have strategically placed his letter in this issue of Update as a good introduction to the similarity training that will be held at each of the Regional Gatherings this summer. Thank you, Jeff, for your instructive and inspirational insights.


I was honored to represent GCI, along with more than sixty leaders and ministry members, on the NAE’s Racial Justice and Reconciliation Collaborative. For two days, we interactively discussed the Christian church’s response to racism, injustice, and social, cultural, and political division in America.

We gathered in Montgomery at the Legacy Sites established by the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI). Fueling our discussions and reflections were messages from NAE President, Dr. Walter Kim, Dr. Bernice King (daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.), Dr. Christina Edmonson, and EJI Founder, Bryan Stevenson. We toured the Legacy Museum, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice (devoted to the victims of racial terror lynchings) and the newly opened Freedom Monument Sculpture Park [pictured above].

I felt like one of the pilgrims in Jerusalem on Pentecost. Peter’s compelling witness about the life and ministry of Jesus went beyond simply reciting teachings received as Jesus’ disciple. Peter’s narrative recounted his freshly baptized and restorative experience of Jesus’ calling, ministry, crucifixion, resurrection, and personalized sending.

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Character, Credibility, and Calling

Greg and Susan Williams
Greg and Susan Williams

Dear GCI Family and Friends,

In my term as GCI President, I have worked with many of our longtime leaders helping to process them into retirement. It has been a privilege to come alongside these fine people. Whatever role you play in the life of the church, please realize you perform this service for a season. That’s an important lesson that I have learned. We are all interim servants. Yes, the ranges of time vary, but eventually, we will all be replaced.

Can we think about transitions with advanced planning and preparation? Succession may not be immediate, yet I suggest that it is urgent. It deserves our attention and care.

Whether you are a pastor, a ministry Avenue champion, or another position of leadership, what would advance planning and preparation look like? The critical question is, “Who are you bringing along beside you?” What traits are you looking for? Let’s consider what Paul wrote to his young protégé Timothy.

The saying is sure: whoever aspires to the office of bishop desires a noble task. Now a bishop must be above reproach, married only once, temperate, sensible, respectable, hospitable, an apt teacher, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, and not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, keeping his children submissive and respectful in every way— for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how can he take care of God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may be puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace and the snare of the devil. 1 Tim 3:1-7 NRSVA

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Healthy Churches Have Purpose

Greg and Susan Williams
Greg and Susan Williams

Dear GCI Family and Friends,

I invited Grace Communion Seminary (GCS) President, Michael Morrison, to show us how our theological foundation is married to our mission. I very much appreciate the truthful points he shares that we all need to hear as we continue to strive to be healthy churches.

Please encourage your leaders and members to read Mike’s letter. I pray it inspires deep conversations about the mission for your congregation or fellowship group. Healthy Church equals healthy mission.

Greg Williams


The purpose Jesus gave us is to work together on mission to the world.

A few people seem to have taken the slogan “to be the healthiest expression of church we can be” as an excuse to focus on ourselves, on our internal relationships, rather than on the mission Jesus gave to us. Like a nursing home resident might try to be as healthy as possible, considering the circumstances, some of us seem to be simply striving to prolong our days with a minimum of discomfort.

Health is good, but it should not be a goal in itself; we want health so that we can do something else with our lives. We want churches to be healthy so that the churches can do something other than tending to their own health. A healthy church has a healthy mission – or we might say that mission is part of the measure of whether a church is healthy.

Let’s be honest, many of our churches have been in maintenance mode for decades, saving fuel by coasting along, not going anywhere but downhill. What is the alternative to maintenance mode? It is going up the right hill. It is working together to do something bigger than any of us can do on our own. It is reminding ourselves that we are called to sacrifice for others, to be on mission with Jesus.

As God led us to our understanding of Incarnational Trinitarian theology, some of us fell into the trap of congratulating ourselves on having better theology even when it didn’t seem to be having many results in our churches. Yes, we do have better theology, but along the way, some people drew some unwarranted conclusions:

    • Jesus did it all, so we don’t need to do anything.
    • Jesus is already at work in the world, and we can join him if we want to. But if we don’t want to, then don’t worry about it – Jesus will get it done anyway. There is no need for our involvement, so we might as well coast.
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Belong, Believe, Become

Greg and Susan Williams
Greg and Susan Williams

Dear GCI Family and Friends,

Down the street from the home office of GCI, there is a storefront church nestled in among a couple other businesses. Underneath the name of the church, their sign includes this slogan, “Belong, Believe, Become.” I like the phrase, especially because it is in the right order.

Belong

All of humanity belongs because of Jesus. He is the creator of every person who has ever lived. He is also our Redeemer and active mediator. The first chapter of Ephesians eloquently describes our adopted status through Jesus.

He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace Ephesians 1:5-9 NRSVA

Jesus, who is the beloved of the Father, has made us the beloved. The beautiful picture of adoption is that he chose us. Being chosen makes you feel special and satisfies the longing to belong.

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New Wine

Greg and Susan Williams
Greg and Susan Williams

Dear GCI Family and Friends,

As Jesus was sharing the good news about the kingdom of God with his disciples, he shared the following:

He told them this parable: “No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’” (Luke 5:36-39 NIV)

What Jesus was saying is simple: you can’t take the arrival of Jesus and his kingdom and simply put it on top of the Jewish Pharisaic system and traditions. It won’t fit.

Something new was happening. There was a new covenant. The old covenant paved the way with sacrificial and ceremonial laws constantly pointing toward the need for a Messiah/Savior. And when Jesus the Messiah/Savior came, he referenced the old, and he accomplished what the symbols can only point toward

His classic teaching is the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus didn’t abolish the law, he said he was the fulfillment of the law. (He alone was perfect and without sin.) He reminded the audience of what they were told in the past under Moses, and that now he was moving beyond the letter of the law to the spirit of the law. The new covenant and law of love that Jesus was bringing couldn’t be absorbed totally by the old. There had to be a new and better agreement – hence the idea of new wine.

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