Watch these interviews with Place-sharing practitioners and hear their stories about how place-sharing has transformed them in their participation in Jesus’ ministry. Click the images below to watch the corresponding video. Click here to check out this GCI Church Hack about the Apprenticeship Square. Click here to check out this GCI Church Hack about Missional Living and the BELLS Model. Read the article
Have you considered how it might feel to be a first-time guest in your local worship service? Or to attend a connect group or church event for the first time? While long-time members may be very comfortable surrounded by familiar faces and friends, it is easy to forget how that first encounter with church might feel. This month’s Church Hack shares best practices for developing welcoming Hope, Faith, and Love Avenues. #GCIchurchhacks To view and download this month's church hack visit: https://resources.gci.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/2022-CH8-A-Welcoming-Church.pdf Read the article
A candid conversation with the apostle Paul about sharing the gospel[1], part 2. By Michael Morrison, GCS President “Paul, last time we talked, you talked about how sin has impacted us. You used the analogy of pottery and said we are like pottery that is broken beyond repair. Then you said rather than start over with new clay, Jesus demonstrates his love for us by putting us back together, with the end product being better than the original.” “That’s right. Do you have a follow-up question?” “I like the pottery analogy; it’s almost like we are in a factory and Christ started the machinery working again. Is that what you are saying?” “No, it’s not a mechanized procedure. Emotion is part of it.... Read the article
Some GCI definitions for you and your leadership team For the past several years we have focused on various aspects of healthy church, and we’ve done our best to stay true to our definitions, enabling you and your leadership teams to all speak the same language. Still, we’ve received several queries about how we define specific terms and we’ve been asked for some clarification. Since knowing language is important, let’s add clarity so that all of our GCI congregations and Fellowship groups are speaking the same language. We’ve linked several of the terms to videos presented by our GCI President. We have also included a number of linked articles we hope you will share with your teams. Healthy Church ... Read the article
Save the date for the 2023 Denominational Celebration! The Denominational Celebration is the perfect time for your local congregation to be encouraged, inspired, challenged, and to reflect and discern the vision to which God has called your unique congregation. If you are able to spend time together over meals, in worship, and in prayer together, it is the perfect time to take your next step toward Healthy Church. Even if you are unable to attend in person you can still participate by hosting a watch party with your local congregation. Daily worship sessions and each keynote session will be livestreamed. We will also provide resources to host local breakout sessions and relational building activities. Have questions about hosting... Read the article
Healthy Church always seeks to create a healthy environment where both attendees and guests feel welcomed. This is not something that occurs accidentally—there must be some intentionality behind it. In fact, it is a vital ministry of the church. This month’s church Hack provides best practices and reflective questions to consider your congregation’s accessibility. #GCIchurchhacks To view and download this month's church hack visit: https://resources.gci.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/2022-CH7-Accessibility.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2_rg-J0xu6l94R2INhpHSKgmdO3_j0m5NKiGtva6nx4RCvYGW4x0tt1pk Read the article
Though disassociation is a rare occurrence, there are times difficult decisions must be made for the health of the congregation and/or an individual. By Dr. Greg Williams, GCI President and James Henderson, Superintendent - Europe By God’s grace, we have moved away from being sheriffs to caring shepherds who point people to Jesus. With that said, there are times when a situation needs special attention and decisions need to be made for the physical, emotional, or spiritual health of a congregation or an individual. In these cases, we look to Paul’s example for guidance. It is clear Paul had compassion for the congregations under his care. He wrote in 2 Corinthians 11:28 of “the daily pressure” on him of his... Read the article
The Revised Common Lectionary helps us stay focused on the Worship Calendar, which helps us stay centered on Jesus, who is the center of everything. By Glen A. Weber, Regional Support Team, US Central Like many of you, I was not a fan of the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL). I had all the usual thoughts about its origins, restrictiveness, my great Holy Spirit inspiration of topics, and other objections. It had taken me years to learn how to exegete a passage rather than give “concordance sermons.” I was one who had my sermon topics and basic passages chosen several weeks or months in advance. Four years before I retired, I began to occasionally use the lectionary, especially on weeks when I didn’t feel “my passage/topic”... Read the article
A candid conversation with the apostle Paul about sharing the gospel[1], part 1. By Michael Morrison, GCS President “Paul, I have a question. You teach that Jesus died for everyone; he experienced the results of sin that they deserved, but he didn’t deserve those results, so everyone could be rescued from death. That’s really good news for everyone. You are traveling land and sea to tell people the good news that they’ve all been reconciled to God by the death of Christ.” “Yes, that’s right. So, what’s your question?” “Well, their sins are forgiven. If they die tomorrow and get taken to the judgment seat of Christ, they are going to find out that God is not counting their sins against them. That’s good news... Read the article
The practice of place-sharing brings intentionality to the nature of the relationships we form with our neighbors. Check out the following videos to learn what place-sharing is, why it's valuable, and how it reflects the ministry of Jesus. Click here to check out this GCI Buzz to see an overview of Place-sharing. Click here to see the Place-sharing ABCs GCI President Greg Williams discusses our participation in the Great Commission and how we can share the love and light of Christ with our neighbors. Click the image below to watch the video. Why is Place-sharing Valuable? Watch these interviews with Place-sharing practitioners and hear their stories about how place-sharing has transformed them in their... Read the article
