By Cara Garrity, Development Coordinator As previously mentioned, the 4 Es – engage, equip, empower, encourage – provide an intentional process to guide the development of the priesthood of all believers for participation in Jesus’ ministry. So where do we start? Engage is the first of the 4 Es for a reason. The process of … Continue reading "Process of Development: Engage" Read the article
This month’s Church Hack demonstrates the importance of developing an annual church calendar and budget to ensure that the congregation’s resources, time, and money are being invested in alignment with the church’s mission and values. Follow this link to read the full Church Hack: 2023-CH4-Planning-Budgeting.pdf (gci.org) Read the article
The importance of debriefing after a Love Avenue event. By Ceeja Malmkar, Love Avenue Champion, Grace Communion Surrey Hills, OK I’ve enjoyed event planning for as long as I can remember. As Jesus drew me back into church and ministry, that passion never changed. In fact, it opened a whole new world of ministry for … Continue reading "The Gift of “Gotchas”" Read the article
The Holy Spirit came as wind and fire, symbols that help us focus on God. Included in this article is a spiritual practice using one of these symbols. By Justine Paolo G. Parcasio, Associate Pastor, Philippines Pentecost is part of the Christian Worship (Liturgical) Calendar. This year, it is celebrated on May 28, 2023, and … Continue reading "Symbols of Pentecost" Read the article
Pentecost reminds us of our true identity as the children of God and brought us into a new community as the body of Christ. By Bill Hall, National Director, Canada Recently, I had the opportunity to attend the Saskatchewan Homelessness Conference. For two days I listened to presenters talking about the causes of homelessness and … Continue reading "“Homeless No More”" Read the article
Easter Sunday is the most attended church service every year. It is also a great opportunity to invite those who don’t normally attend to visit your church. Check out the March Church Hack and consider using our linked Easter icons and imagery to make your Easter service last beyond the Hope Avenue experience on Sunday. … Continue reading "Church Hack: Easter Service Tips & Tools" Read the article
Adapted and paraphrased from Living the Christian Year, by Bobby Gross. Palm/Passion Sunday – This is a week to follow Jesus and vicariously enter in his suffering. Imagine laying your coat in the road before him as a sign of honor and respect. Wave your palm branch over him as you worship and shout Hosanna, … Continue reading "Spiritual Responses for Holy Week and Easter" Read the article
Healthy leaders lead to healthy church, which leads to healthy leaders. What might the 4 Es look like in GCI. Check this link for more information. Engage: recognize & recruit As pastors/leaders, we create an environment of recruiting and invitation. This is proactive. We do this by modeling a pattern of recognizing and inviting others … Continue reading "Application of the 4 Es in a Healthy Church" Read the article
As with all things in ministry and mission, context matters. By Cara Garrity, Development Coordinator In college I had the opportunity to study abroad in London, UK. My first night there I asked a waitress “where is the bathroom?” After a few strange moments, someone in my group kindly translated for me and asked, “where … Continue reading "Contextualizing the Process of Development" Read the article
This is the first of a series of articles on the process of development that discusses the 4 Es of Engage, Equip, Empower and Encourage. By Cara Garrity, Development Coordinator What do you think about when you hear the word “development”? What examples come to mind? How would you describe them? One of the images … Continue reading "Process of Development" Read the article
