Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As we enter the Christmas season, we can rejoice that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is not still a baby in a manger. He is our life, and he has already done everything necessary for our salvation. He has already forgiven all our sins–past, present and future, and he has already presented us perfect and sin-free to God the Father.
Jesus is our righteousness. He is our perfect sacrifice for sin. He stands in for us in every way before the Father as the perfect Son who has kept all his Father’s commandments. He both substitutes for us and represents us.
That is why the Advent season means so much to us!
Generations Ministries
The Generations Ministries (GenMin) leadership team (Greg Williams, director; Anthony Mullins, GenMin camps and missions leader; and Ted Johnston, communications and resources) met Nov. 17-19 in Atlanta with CAD director Dan Rogers to make plans for the year ahead.
During the meeting, the team reviewed the ten-year history of GenMin, which began with a year 2000 meeting held at church headquarters. At that meeting, Dan Rogers cast a vision to increase youth ministry camps regionally, using the camps as a key tool for developing young emerging leaders. At that meeting, Dan named Jeb Egbert and Ted Johnston co-directors of Youth Ministry, which in 2005 was renamed Generations Ministries.
In accordance with Dan’s mandate, Youth Ministry in 2001 held its last national camp in Orr, Minnesota, with 540 campers and 140 staffers. The next year, six regional camps were launched. And by 2005, God had given GenMin a vision for “20 camps by 2010.”
This year GenMin celebrated the realization of that dream as it sponsored 20 camps and short-term mission trips, serving about 1300 campers/missionaries through the work of about 800 staffers. For this growth, we thank God and the many volunteers who faithfully serve our GenMin camps and mission trips. A list of these events is posted at http://genmin.gci.org/campministries.htm.
If you or your congregation is interested in supporting the work of GenMin, we encourage donations to the GC Next domestic mission fund (see http://genmin.gci.org/donate.html). GenMin not only sponsors events such as camps and short-term mission trips; it also trains and coaches youth ministers, provides resources that help churches 1) disciple children, teens and young adults, 2) minister through older adults, and 3) offer support for married couples and parents.
Now GenMin is looking forward to the next ten years of helping start new GCI congregations with an emphasis on developing
young believers and young leaders.
Tipp City, Ohio
From Becky Valekis, Discipleship Coordinator:
On November 17 the Discipleship Ministry at CrossRoads Christian Fellowship in Tipp City, Ohio, completed The Alpha Course for a second time in 2010. The results and blessings from this outreach and building tool have taken everyone by surprise. It not only opened the door of our church to people who do not have a GCI background but it has helped change the lives of people inside our congregation.
Alpha is a course that covers the basics of Christianity in a 10-11 week class. It was founded about 25 years ago in London, England, and has spread to almost every denomination in the world. Each week, guests gather for about two hours, share an informal meal, listen to a talk on DVD on how Christianity approaches the question at hand, and then gather into small groups for discussions. Its emphasis is on the love the Father has for us in Christ, and the healing made available in our lives through the Spirit. The material is adaptable for local contextualization.
Information about starting an Alpha Course in your church can be found in the December issue of Equipper.
From Kalengule Kaoma, Mission Developer for Africa:
Last week I travelled to Rakai District, Uganda, to meet a group of leaders who have been calling themselves Grace Communion International. They have seven congregations with a list of 1047 people: 296 men, 327 women, and 424 children. Of the 424 children, 321 are orphans!
I arrived at Entebbe International Airport and was met by two pastors; Specioza Nabwami and Joyce Nalugya. The three of us travelled to Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, where we connected by bus to Kyotera. The journey took three hours on a road that is undergoing construction. We arrived in Kyotera a little before 5 p.m. and immediately went to meet a group of members who were waiting for us.
After introductions and my brief address to the congregation, I had a discussion with leaders who were present. The group generally accepted our teachings after visiting our web site and several emails we have exchanged. They can hardly wait to be incorporated into our denomination.
I then had several meetings with pastors from various church groups in Nairobi, Kenya, who have shown interest in working with us. These are groups that have indicated that they need spiritual oversight and sound biblical teaching. I will meet them again in the first quarter of 2011. We have kept our doors open.
The GCI East African leaders conference was held November 19 at Shalom House in Nairobi, Kenya. Delegates came from Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.
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Prayer Requests and Updates
Paul David Kurts requests our prayers for Martin Manuel. Martin pastors Church of The Living Waters in Charlotte, NC. He has prostate cancer and is having surgery on December 28th.
Cards may be sent to:
627 Lancer Dr
Concord, NC 28027-6605
Update on James and Shirley Henderson:
James and Shirley Henderson, who were attacked and injured by a water buffalo in Africa, are home now, where they are being well looked after by family and friends. They have responded well to medical treatment, and most of their pain has subsided. They send their heartfelt thanks for all the love and concern, and for the cards, e-mails and telephone calls. Above all, they appreciate the prayers, and they have felt the presence of God throughout their ordeal.
From Bernie Schnippert:
Dear Ministers and Friends,
As most of you know, about three years ago I was diagnosed with a serious case of a rare type of cancer called “carcinoid.” Although the cancer had invaded my liver and could not be cured, the day-to-day symptoms were manageable with drugs, and a monthly shot kept the cancer “stable,” meaning not growing but not shrinking. As long as it did not grow and my symptoms were manageable, I had almost a normal life and normal strength. I continued to work full-time as General Counsel.
About a month ago the tumors showed evidence of renewed growth, but more seriously, the cancer began to create severe fatigue, breathlessness, and nausea, making me almost bedfast. For example, I can walk only very short distances, such as to my living room and back to the bedroom, and even then I become breathless like someone with severe heart disease. Furthermore, the nausea makes it very hard to eat, and I must struggle to get food down. Hence, I am losing weight.
After emergency consultations with specialists, it has been determined I must have a special, albeit proven and common, radioactive bead therapy whereby radioactive beads are fed into my liver. For technical reasons, the beads kill the cancer but not the liver. The belief, although there are no promises, is that after the therapy, enough of the cancer will be killed that my liver will once again function well enough for me to live a more or less normal life. The effect can last for numerous months or even years, and, in most cases, including apparently mine, can be repeated if necessary. Again, there is no cure for my cancer. The goal is to die with it, but not of it. The actual therapy requires five days: two days to test me and conclude whether I am eligible for the therapy, and then three actual therapy sessions, each one day long but spread six weeks apart. They do only part of the liver at a time – in my case, in three parts.
A week or so ago I traveled to Portland for the preliminary tests to determine if I am eligible medically for the therapy. The good news is that I am eligible. However, the drugs used in the procedures and preliminary testing left me very ill for about a week, unable to get up except for the bathroom, and mostly unable to eat. Now, a week or two later, I have convalesced to the point where I am eating, although I struggle with nausea, and ambulatory almost to the same degree as before the tests, meaning I can walk out to the living room for TV, etc. but do not get out of the house very much. I can drive, but don’t have enough energy to go far from the car.
The most important thing right now is that I am healthy enough for the therapy procedure. This means I need to gain as much strength as possible, and gain back as much weight as possible, between now and the first round of therapy, which is December 16. In praying for me, please pray especially that my nausea improves and that I can gain weight.
Please also remember my wife, Arlene, who has nursed me through this difficult time. She has been an angel in every way and is under a great deal of stress. Also, so you know, I have unhooked my email inbox completely and am unable to work on any legal matters that are not emergencies. If you have such an emergency, please contact my assistant Evelyn Dailey. As I feel up to it, I may start up my email for short periods and work on pressing projects, but full workload will probably not occur until after the therapy, assuming it is successful.
Thank you for your prayers during this very difficult time.
Cards may be sent to:
64651 Jan Dr
Bend, OR 97701-8824
Remember that prayer is the battleground where we fight the good fight of faith. Let’s encourage everyone to join together in prayer, for we belong to Christ, and by the Spirit it is in Christ that we pray. Prayer and other spiritual activities help keep our hearts in tune with God and remind us of who we are in Christ. He is our all in all, and in him we are eternally beloved of the Father and blessed to share his good news with others.
Love from my family to yours,
Joseph Tkach
