The Global Advocate - January/February 2023

a publication of the Churches of God, General Conference

Reimagining Ministry

Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints (Jude 3b).

THE GLOBAL ADVOCATE (ISSN 0009-630X) is published bi-monthly by the Churches of God, General Conference.

Vol. 188, No. 1

Established June 5, 1835 as THE GOSPEL PUBLISHER, re-established on May 1, 1846 as THE CHURCH ADVOCATE, and re-established on October 1, 2019 as THE GLOBAL ADVOCATE.

Rachel Foreman, Managing Editor

The Global Advocate, official publication of the Churches of God, General Conference, exists to encourage members of the CGGC to maximize their collective potential for Kingdom impact.

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© 2023, Churches of God, General Conference

The Need to REIMAGINE

by Jacob Clagg, Director of Communications

The CGGC's theme

for the last year has been “Reimagine.” There was a recognition in the last few years that things just were not “working” anymore for many churches. We could place the blame on Covid, but common wisdom suggests Covid merely accelerated already entrenched problems. Small churches had been feeling the pinch of low attendance and lower evangelistic outcomes for years prior (maybe decades prior). In truth, a whole host of reasons surround the impetus for reimagining ministry

Low attendance, precipitous Christian demographics and a significant fallout with the current and next generations of youth, a changing cultural stance towards (or against) Christianity, the failure of many new church initiatives, the closing of many well-established churches, large denominational splits, and horrendous clergy scandals are all challenging issues for the Church. From the perspective of the average inward facing Christian, not much about church had probably changed in the last two decades, but for those with an outward focused or local church leadership perspective, almost everything about ministry feels more difficult. The same evangelistic tactics that worked in the last decade have had poor results in this one, and the amount of effort put into reaching people seems to have had a disproportionate return on investment. Christianity writ large recognizes these problems, and innovators from all over are trying new strategies, propping and sifting to find what works.

I think there’s a hesitation when any of these new trends pop up, whether it’s Reimagine, Strategic Planning, Fresh Expressions, or any number of other fancy and innovative terms we use. And that is perfectly reasonable. Christianity is, after all, a thousands-of-years-old religion, deeply steeped in tradition, and which adheres to a specific book or canon. Christianity inherently resists change because it claims to have found the truth, and the truth doesn’t change. Instead, what we really mean by “Reimagine” is about getting back to the way Jesus asked us to do ministry, not reimagining the truth itself. As we stated in our first Reimagine issue last year, “We’re really talking about rediscovering our true calling or core mission.”

We’ve not been reimagining the gospel, we’ve been reimagining how we go about sharing the gospel effectively in our modern context, and in doing so we’ve been considering all the fixtures of religiosity that might need stripped away. Which parts of our religious traditions are based on Christ and Scripture, and which parts have just been accumulated over time and are getting in the way? Which parts of our church life have started to become so important that they are compromising our ability to do what Jesus

has called us to do? Our attempt at Reimagining seeks to use Scripture like a compass to point us back to authentic Christian methods of worshipping God, saving the lost, and making disciples.

What We’ve Reimagined

This is fundamentally what all revivals are, a push to get “back to basics.” This necessarily means excising and throwing off some of the overencumbering weight of past methods and modes. This doesn’t mean we toss out all the old worship music, stained glass windows, and pews for the sake of contemporary aesthetics. No, we mean a major rethink of ideas like “seeker friendly” services, where the inbuilt expectation is that people will just show up to our services, convert, and be discipled.

Very little has been left off the table of our reimagining. We’ve rethought the way we do church planting, as the incredibly high investment cost of starting a new worship service, even in an existing building, has become an unsustainable proposition for many church planters. Naturally, there’s also a serious question about whether or not more worship services are the kind of ministry that our culture needs right now. Worship is a quintessential part of our Christian life, but should our weekly gatherings be limited to worship and a sermon? Likewise, the physical space of the church was reimagined. If we have these wonderful spaces to worship in, they ought to be utilized more than just 2 or 3 days a week. We asked and considered what other kinds of ‘expressions’ of the church we might dare to see in the future. Perhaps the community needs a food pantry, or a perhaps other non-profit community resources need a space to operate out of.

Practical Reimagined

In our next article, CGGC President and Wharton Church of God Pastor David Odegard shares what he believes are four essentials for reviving local church ministry. Here we get incredibly practical and offer truly simple principles to apply to a congregation of any size, but particularly for small local churches. These aren’t radical new ideas. As we’ve stated, much of our reimagining is reclaiming the value of truly ancient ideas of discipleship, prayer, and hospitality.

Reimagining

Local Church Ministry

by Pastor David Odegard, CGGC President

Jesus Christ rose from the dead, appeared to His disciples, and sent them to the corners of world bearing the message that the Kingdom of God has arrived. The Kingdom advances from its epicenter in Jerusalem, rippling through space and time, leaping from heart to heart ever in conflict “against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). Nevertheless, these evil forces could not entirely resist the “demonstration of the Spirit’s power” (1 Corinthians 2:4) and the dedicated evangelism of true Jesus followers as they traversed the globe shining the light of Christ’s resurrection in every dark space they could reach.

Christianity triumphed over the powers of Roman darkness, brutality, and its culture of death. The churchmen of the age of Nazianzus, Augustine, and Patrick stubbornly refused to love what the pagans loved. Their hearts were captivated by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and they fought to maintain their first love, ordo amoris. Because of this they provided a deep intellectual frame for loving God in a hostile world, a source of theological unity, and structure to keep the Kingdom advancing in the face of determined, Satanic obstruction. As Jesus prophesied, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).

Jesus began to stitch the patchwork mosaic of the barbarian tribes of Europe together by His work through the Church, through the development of common stories, values, philosophy, and experience. A culture of life began to blossom under the dark shade of Roman tyranny, fostered by Christians’ faithful adherence to the Scriptures, and especially the new order of worship set down by the New Testament.

Their lives were centered upon and ordered by a new identity “in Christ.” They allowed God to order their homes and businesses by His Word. Wives, husbands, children, neighbors behaved differently as members of God’s new society, the Kingdom. They took seriously the Sermon on the Mount, and showed their devotion to the Apostles' teaching, prayer, the weekly fellowship gathering, and the Lord’s Table.

Christianity slowly overcame the surrounding barbarian cultures by becoming the very center of every community and sharing the blessings of the abundance of the Christian life to whatever degree it could. “. . . Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. . .” (Jeremiah 6:16).

We find ourselves in a similar situation today. On the one hand, postmodernism is preparing the way for a resurgence of barbarianism; on the other, philosophical naturalism has steadily risen as a shiny new, secular religion, purporting itself to be a fully robust worldview capable of providing meaning to the modern world; but it isn’t. Naturalism, secularism, and scientism fail to provide an adequate basis for goodness as the 20th century has repeatedly demonstrated. Without an objective point of reference centered in God Himself, one cannot develop and sustain a campaign for the Kingdom of God.

4The 4 Essentials

Therefore, we must learn how to think and preach in a time of subjective relativism. How to love in an era where tolerance and compassion have been politicized to the point where it brings harm to its recipients. How to pray in the internet age, the postquarantine age. How to live faithfully present as life to the perishing: to be incarnate in our ever more discarnate world. I believe that if we put Acts 2:42 in a metaphorical Bunsen burner and turn up the heat, as it begins to boil it will release four essentials for mainstreet ministry or local ministry.

First, the Word and the Apostle’s Teaching. This is the weight of the Good News message to which

all Christians are to bear witness, even to the ends of the world. It is the summary of Jesus’ person and work, the gospel, the kerygma, the Word. Only the Gospel can convey the saving truth of God’s promise of salvation and the means for us to grow as disciples.

Secondly, Prayer. Oswald Chambers said that “prayer is the great essential of fitness.” This means that without prayer, nothing comes to life. Prayer is the basic work of the Christian. A solid gospel strategy includes mobilizing churches to pray for everyone within reach in a sustainable, longterm way. At Wharton, we divided the town up in seven zones and prayed for everyone by name. It was very difficult, but it changed the church from an aging, introspective church to the center of the community. Where your investments are, there your heart will be also. You will love those in whom you invest prayer.

Thirdly, Love. We are called to radical hospitality and to love the world. God loved the world so much, He gave them His unique Son. Jesus said, “As the Father sent me, so I send you” (John 20:21). We are sent to demonstrate love to a world in revolt against its Creator. That is very difficult, but remains our calling. Be creative in how you demonstrate love for the people of your community. We did a variety of outreach events and we also let people know we were praying for them. Love is attractive and infectious; if you want young people in your church, you must love your community practically (and in truth).

Fourthly, Time. Life with God is formative over our entire lives. We are in a marathon, not a sprint. As we do the first three things faithfully throughout our lives, we must be patient. All things take time to grow and develop. Be faithful. As Chris Clugh, worship director at Grand Point Church, said once in a seminar, “We must demonstrate faithfulness. Be faithful faithful faithful faithful faithful faithful faithful faithful faithful, and then one day—boom—fruit.”

Word (preaching, teaching, communication), Prayer, Love, Time. These are a handful of essentials for local church ministry.

of

Ashes Out

by Travis Helm, Global Reach Assistant Director

It’s been almost 125 years since our CGGC Mission in Bangladesh was established. At the time, it was still the country of India. Many different westerners from various locations within the USA served as missionaries throughout the northwest region of what is now Bangladesh. Their hard work and sacrifice serving alongside nationals help build the various departments of what the Mission is now. A large hospital in Bogra and a smaller one in Khanjanpur. Together they treat as many as 130,000 people annually. A large portion of these patients is underprivileged. The Mission also has 22 schools at the lower primary level and a Boys and Girls Hostel. Through the faithful service of CGGC early missionaries, many Bible studies were started, which eventually grew into churches. The Bangladesh Mission now has 185 churches scattered throughout the northwest region of the country. The Mission serves the people through many community development projects, like helping provide communities with clean water, disaster relief items in times of need, and numerous other social programs.

The “People’s Republic of Bangladesh declared itself as an independent nation in March of 1971. There was guerilla-type warfare through most of the rest of 1971 in the struggle to make that independence stick. On December 16, 1971, the country won its independence. During that struggle, the USA missionaries and staff had to exit the country due to the conflict. Many national workers within the Mission had become the leaders of the Mission and worked very closely with the USA leadership. This transition has not been without its struggles, and there have been many ups and downs since then. During my tenure beginning in 2015, I began to learn about many of the fruitful ministries of the Mission, but also some deep-rooted and destructive conflicts both internally and from outside influences on the Mission. By 2017, the conflicts between different departments of the Mission, leadership, and an outside anti-Mission group had grown to a toxic level. The Mission had become very divided and was losing its effectiveness and witness. I had recently learned that several groups of people had broken away from our Mission due to a lack of connection, visits, and any form contact for years. This was both sad and hard to hear. Inside, I had grave concerns that the Mission was going to be rendered useless and become like a heap of ashes from a burned-up building. Both national and local government officials were asking the USA leadership to intervene and bring peace and unity. During the following two years, Global Reach leadership made many visits to Bangladesh and met with many

Mission leaders, staff, and government officials. During that painful process, we made numerous leadership changes, added a new leadership position, and sought help from our India Mission leadership in working through many difficulties. With much prayer, many tears, meetings, and visits to the communities the Mission serves, we began to see the Lord providing breakthroughs.

Then the pandemic hit, and travel stopped, which meant no visits and no in person relationship building meetings or times of fellowship. We tried to maintain the best communications as possible through WhatsApp and Messenger calls. It wasn’t until the summer of 2022 when sufficient travel restrictions had been lifted, that I was able to travel to Bangladesh for a much-needed visit. I planned to meet with four or five senior government officials to build rapport and a working relationship for the purpose of growing and expanding the Mission while suppressing anti-Mission activities. In meeting with key government officials, they shared some very encouraging words and aspirations for our Mission. They asked that we expand all our departments as our finances allow and promised to aid our Mission in all the “red tape” aspects and to also help eliminate any anti-Mission element. They explained that Missions have a good history and reputation in Bangladesh as helping the underprivileged with education, skills training, and disaster relief while offering quality and compassionate medical services. They especially

favor our Mission because we serve all faiths. They were also very concerned that we take care of our village church communities and to be careful not to neglect what was established many years ago. Pictured below are some of the meetings between Mission leaders and government officials.

During this trip, I traveled to various village areas that were once neglected and abandoned by our Mission (some as long as 25 years ago) but are now reunited with us. It was humbling and an honor to dedicate new church structures that were recently built through funds given by generous donors in the USA. It was so encouraging to see large groups of people waiting for us in each of these areas which were forgotten and neglected but now overjoyed to be

valued and part of the Mission again. One of these village areas (extremely poor) had 40-plus families who used to be part of the Mission 25 years ago. They referenced Rhoda Kauffman, and I learned this was a primary area where she established churches. Dr. John rebuilt trust with them over the past two years, and they were overjoyed by our visit. They desperately desire (and need) a church structure for worship and they announced on my visit that they have donated land to the Mission in hopes of us helping them to construct a simple church building. I estimate close to 100 people were present during our visit. Pictured below is a reunited village area we met with that donated land to the Mission in hopes of getting their own worship structure for meeting together.

I was also able to spend quality time with Bogura Christian Hospital (BCH) leaders and staff. They held a welcoming reception and a dedication service for the renovated surgery ward. Almost all of the hospital staff were present for singing, speeches, and prayer. Dr. Suprotik, BCH Medical Director, gave a detailed tour of the hospital. I was amazed at so many improvements since my last visit in January 2020. They built a new pharmacy and eye lens/frame store out in the front portion of the hospital. This gets enormous exposure and has increased their capacity to serve more people and to increase profits (which go back into the Mission in various forms, including supporting other Mission departments). They have made other improvements to the various building structures to go along with the renovated surgery ward. With the addition of the new eye surgical microscope, they have almost doubled their eye surgeries. Dr. John has been instrumental in helping them strategize for maximum efficiency and profit where opportunity exists. They have hired three new doctors and an intern is serving under Dr. John in the eye department at Khanjanpur. Dr. Suprotik has started traveling on occasion with Dr. John to some of the outlying villages near Bogura so they can soon begin to have eye camps to help the underprivileged communities. This has enabled Dr. Suprotik to interact with some of our village churches and pastors. I see a completely different attitude within BCH as they are gaining trust in the new leadership and becoming more unified under the Mission. This is a huge answer to prayer.

In conclusion, I would say this was the best all-around trip I have had to Bangladesh, and I was amazed at how much God is doing there despite the pandemic over the last 2.5 years. I am excited to spend more lengthy future trips there to help better unify the Mission and build closer relationships with the various leadership staff. Through many years of sacrifice of the pioneer missionaries, continued support through resources and prayer by CGGC churches in the USA, and God’s providence, the Bangladesh Mission is experiencing one of its most fruitful periods of growth. Thank you to so many of you who have prayed for, given to, or served in the Mission over these many years of existence. Most of all, praise and glory belong to our Lord for what He is doing through a unified effort of His body both in the USA and Bangladesh.

to

Reimagine Daring

by Lance Finley, CGGC Executive Director

Change is hard. Regardless of age, change is just hard. There seems to be some wisdom in the fact that change gets harder with age. We recently talked with two congregations who are daring to reimagine what their ministries could become. Such actions always require a fair amount of resolve as well as a willingness to risk beyond what’s known and seen. This is particularly true when it comes to dealing with congregations that are well over one hundred years old.

About forty-five minutes northeast of Pittsburgh, PA, a church called Saved by Grace (formerly Brackenridge Church of God) is engaging their local context in a new way. The congregation is led by pastors George and Marcie Marasia, who have served the congregation since 2015, and they work alongside church leaders Patrick and Beth Linhart.

Established in 1869, Saved By Grace has a long and rich history in Brackenridge, PA. But in 2019, the congregation changed its name from the Brackenridge First Church of God to Saved By Grace, in part to give the congregation a fresh approach to the surrounding community. In doing so, Save by Grace sparked a desire to make a radical reorientation.

This past year they moved their gathering to Freeport, only a distance of about 5 miles, and the congregation is currently in the process of selling the former church building in Brackenridge. Now Saved by Grace utilizes rented space in Freeport for some of their gathering times. As it turns out, Freeport is where most of the congregation lives, works, and plays anyway. “This is where we have the best opportunity to ‘be’ the church in the midst of the community where we spend most of our time,” relates George. By making the move from Brackenridge to Freeport, the church is no longer operating in a community as visitors but as residents. There’s a real focus on living as the church, seven days a week rather than just attending a church service on Sunday mornings. The move and the sale of the building are just natural outcomes of a journey they’ve been on for several years.

When COVID hit in early 2020, Saved By Grace, like many congregations, suspended their in-person worship for four to five weeks in the spring of 2020. They had already made the shift

to digital previously, so the shift wasn’t as dramatic as it was for some congregations. But as they re-emerged out of this time, they began living into a form of gathering that is much more non-traditional than your average Sunday morning gathering, but it’s served them well.

Worship, Discussion, and Food

The typical Sunday morning gathering happens at what has become known as the “Building @ 211 5th Street” in Freeport. The building is a former pharmacy and pizza shop located in the heart of Freeport. The Marasias and Linharts are co-vocational pastors and the space Saved By Grace utilizes for gatherings just happens to be located in the same space that the pastoral couples have leased to operate their small businesses that provide their co-vocational support. Their co-vocational enterprises provide the space for congregational gatherings and activities, including most of their Sunday morning gatherings.

Sunday morning is a mix of familiar elements but perhaps all situated in a more relaxed or relational approach to church life. The congregation engages in worship together but also has a more interactive teaching and discussion time that can run anywhere from a half-hour to an hour. They walk through a couple of chapters of scripture with an approach that emphasizes discussion and answering questions rather than just a monologue. The discussion typically happens over some good food as well. George emphasizes the importance of being led by the Spirit and how that may shape the discussion each week. “We may come in with the idea that we’re going to handle x, y and z. But when someone gets stuck at x, we stop and work through it together, and that means we may not get to y and z like we had planned.” This time is an allages gathering with young and old participating and contributing to the discussion and learning together.

George notes the difference between the former way of “doing church” to their present experience. “We used to spend a lot of time and energy on the church building. Now we’re focusing our resources on people. We live in this community, and we serve the people of this community.” And it’s not just talk,

they’re seeing the impact of their efforts. Many folks who feel disenfranchised from the typical church find the community at Saved By Grace to be a place that welcomes them and walks with them. Marcie shares, “We’ve made some connections with folks in the LGBTQ community here.” Beth adds, “It is very hard to build trust with those who already feel hurt. We haven't compromised our beliefs. If asked where we stand on an issue, we are open and share. However, we focus on simply introducing people to Jesus and practice loving them where they are. We trust the Holy Spirit to move and work in them from there. There is no condemnation or judgment; there is simply love. Jesus said to love God and love your neighbor. We try to show this in everything we do.”

Saved By Grace looks for places to serve in the life of the larger community. The “Building @ 211 5th Street” was offered as a place to get out of the cold and get something cold or hot to drink during the recent community Christmas celebration and parade. George says, “We want to be people who help fill the gaps in our community and, as we do so, help change their idea or perception of church. We want to live as the church every day!”

Saved By Grace is striving to build a disciplemaking culture that helps people live out their faith in Christ where they live, work, and play. Beth adds, “When things get shut down again, we’re creating a model that’s sustainable through these kinds of disruptions. You can be the church at work, in your home, and in your neighborhood and it isn’t dependent upon one central gathering or access to the paid professional pastors.”

George and Marcie offer the following reflection from their own journey at Saved By Grace: “Pray, listen to, and do what God says.” They also are quick to add

January 2023

Global Advocate Prayer Calendar

Saturday

7 Uplift in prayer the Haiti Conference as they hold sessions in Borel, Haiti. Pray that they would stand firm in God’s truth.

14 Intercede for clear vision and discernment as Rod & Mila Ayers coordinate the Sister Church ministry for Project Help-Haiti.

Friday

6 Seek out the Lord’s comfort and prosperity for Caleb & Christina Acosta. Pray for increased unity for their family and all Latino pastoral families.

Thursday

5 Join together in prayer for the Midwest Region Conference. Have faith that the Lord will provide clarity and discernment in the coming year.

Wednesday

4 Have faith that ACTS teams in 2023 will provide opportunities to witness to those in need and provide encouragement for all participating.

Tuesday

3 Happy birthday, Dr. John Costa ! Support him in prayer as he leads the Bangladesh mission.

Monday

2 Ask the Lord to guide the UrbMissions Conference participants as they take their next steps in ministry.

Sunday

1 New Years Day! Join together in prayer for strength and renewed vision for all our GR missionaries and field leaders as we begin a new year.

13 Lift up in prayer the people of the Dominican Republic. Pray for faithfulness and to stand firm in God’s truth.

12 Happy Birthday Mike VanDervort!  Praise God for his faithful service in Haiti as he enjoys retirement.

11 Trust the Lord to provide ample support for the International Field Leaders who oversee ten Global Reach fields.

10 Happy birthday, Rev. Samir Singha ! Pray for the Lord’s comfort as he continues to mourn Charusheela’s passing.

9 Be in prayer for all fields as they deal with government regulations. This is required for transferring funds and maintaining integrity.

8 Intercede on behalf of the people of Mexico to grow in Christ-like character. Praise God for new ministry expansion!

21 Unite in prayer for the Allegheny Region Conference. Trust that the Lord will provide Spiritual growth and encouragement for the new year.

20 Uplift the USA President and other elected leaders. Seek the Holy Spirit to direct them in a way that brings all glory and honor to God.

19 Remember in prayer the people of Nicaragua. Pray that they experience increased love and encouragement.

18 Praise God for Pastor Phil Scott , Director of the Allegheny Regional Conference.

17 Ask God for spiritual growth for Everett & Mary Teller as they pastor the Tsaile Community Church in the Navajo lands.

16 Cover the Global Reach Commission in prayer as they meet this evening via Zoom.

15 Happy Birthday Dave Kapaku! Pray for wisdom as he breaks down strongholds keeping Hawaiians from knowing Christ.

28 Lift up in prayer Jeff & Julie Burns who serve as Mission Advancement volunteers and serve on the Global Reach Commission.

27 Happy Birthday Geneva McNutt! Praise God for this retired U.S. Southwest missionary and her faithful service.

26 Remember in prayer Pastors Denis Droicin and Watson Joseph as they lead Project Help in Haiti.

25 Seek spiritual growth and protection for Jacob & Haley Day and for clear direction for their ministry in Gamerco.

24 Unite in prayer for David Odegard , CGGC President and Great Lakes Conference Director.

23 Trust the Lord to provide for the people of Kenya. Pray for mercy and comfort.

22 Thank God for Ryan & Karla Myers who serve as Mission Advancement Volunteers.

31 Appeal to the Lord for the leaders of the CA Eldership. Ask for God’s blessings and protection.

30 Ask the Holy Spirit to encourage and guide pastor Ernesto Nunes as he shepherds the church in Brazil.

29 Remember in prayer the Eastern Regional Conference. Call upon the Lord for obedience and unity in the coming year.

February 2023

Global Advocate Prayer Calendar

Saturday

4 Pray for clear knowledge of God’s will for each of the ministry fields and wisdom so GR Director Ben Tobias can advise accordingly.

Friday

3 Appeal to the Lord for Jacob & Haley Day and trust the Lord to provide opportunity to grow in Christ-like character.

11 Praise God for Pastor Kendall Hughes , Director of the Western Regional Conference.

10 Happy 3 rd birthday Elli Crabtree ! Ask the Lord to bless her with health and joy in Udon Thani, Thailand.

Thursday

2 Uplift the Project Help Executive Team as they meet this evening to oversee the ministry in Haiti.

Wednesday

1 Call on God’s protection for the churches in Mexico . “ For our struggle is not against flesh and blood… ” (Eph. 6:12).

Tuesday

Monday

Sunday

18 Pray that many will step out in faith to serve on the ACTS Teams being sent this year.

17 Remember in prayer Caleb & Christina Acosta and thank God for their opportunities to witness to those who need Christ’s touch.

9 Appeal for ongoing protection for Pastor German & Silvia Baquedano as they serve faithfully in Nicaragua.

8 Pray for the new church plant in Argentina being led by Pastor Maria Grigioni, and for her radio ministry to reach thousands!

7 Request the Lord’s director and guidance for Rod & Mila Ayers as they seek to minister in Haiti.

6 Lift up the leaders who are receiving training from Winebrenner Seminary in Kenya. Pray for wisdom in expanding ministry!

5 Ask God to continue blessing ministry partnerships between the USA and the Dominican Republic.

16 Pray for the many children who seek education in India , and for the ministries to provide it.

15 Pray for the growing ministry of the Nicaragua Conference in the midst of political tensions.

14 Intercede for the strengthening of marriage, that the Holy Spirit would give each one grace to love his or her spouse unconditionally.

13 Intercede for the churches in Sao Paulo, Brazil , as they continue to recover from the pandemic shutdowns.

Lift up in Prayer

12

Global Reach Assistant Director Travis Helm and trust the Lord to provide wisdom and discernment.

25 Praise God for Pastor Travis Bodden , Director of the Midwestern Regional Conference.

24 Seek the Lord’s protective and peaceful hand to settle over Chaplain Matthew Shenton as he ministers to military personnel and families.

23 Pray for University of Findlay Campus Ministries interviews scholarship candidates who are potential leaders.

22 Praise God for Dr. John Costa’s leadership and commitment to provide medical work in Khanjanpur and Bogra, Bangladesh .

21 Pray for the Prince of Peace to reign in Haiti as government leaders need courage and conviction to lead!

20 Happy birthday Kenda Kapaku! She and David serve at the Kahana Open Door Church in Maui. Praise God for their kingdom vision!

19 Ask God to bless Pastor Everett & Mary Teller in their jewelry business and their ministry at Tsaile Community Church.

28 Intercede for the pastor and leaders of your church. Ask that the Lord provide knowledge and discernment.

27 Join together in prayer for Bryan & Katie Crabtree as they reach out to their neighbors in Udon Thani, Thailand.

26 Pastor Acheton Anger reaches out to the Haitians in Orlando, FL . Pray for Haitians to find the work they need.

that “Sundays are fun again instead of exhausting.” George offers one last piece of wisdom for those who want to help their own congregations dare to reimagine, “Be patient and wait on the Lord and His timing. Not every congregation can be turned around like a speed boat.”

That’s how a 153-year-old congregation is working to reimagine its ministry. But, if you were to travel about two hundred and thirty miles to Lancaster County, PA, you’ll find another congregation that’s even older working to do the same. The Elizabethtown First Church of God was established in 1837. David Robinson has been the pastor at E-town since 2016.

organizations, including a Christian school, therapy services, and the St. Monica & St. Augustine Coptic Orthodox Church of Elizabethtown. They had developed a great relationship with St. Monica & St. Augustine, and the congregation had expressed a desire to purchase the facility. The two congregations finalized the sale of the old facility at 144 South Market Street this past September.

David shares that as important as the financial challenges were, they were not the primary driver for what led the congregation to reimagine its future as a congregation. “I had a growing dissatisfaction with the reality of the North American church. How we operate, how we think about worship, and how we go about making disciples. I had a growing uneasiness with the status quo of the way we were doing church.” David continues, “It was a process. God placed some people in my life who were asking the same kind of questions about how the church needed to change. It was more about getting back to what the church was meant to be, caring for people and being the church more than just going to a service on Sunday.”

David shares that the impetus to reimagine grew out of a couple of different issues at Elizabethtown. The congregation is 185 years old and had been in decline for decades. The congregation’s 120-year-old building was becoming more difficult to maintain given the steady decline in attendance and income. The congregation was faced with some difficult decisions and worked to right-size their budget and make it work, but then COVID hit, exacerbating the budget situation and making the trajectory unsustainable. They made the difficult decision to sell the building.

David relates that it was his predecessor, Dr. Mark Yarer, who had helped the church develop an openness to an outward-focused mission which had resulted in making the building available to several other mission-minded groups. The building was being used seven days a week by various

David shared that there was a period of time when he and other leaders sought out different training and investment to flesh out this growing sense of discontent with the status quo. David was introduced to a book, The Celtic Way of Evangelism: How Christianity Can Reach the West Again by George G. Hunter III, through an Eastern Region Conference Boot Camp. One of the book's premises is that faith is more caught than taught. David notes that the elders and church council at E-Town worked through the book as they explored what the future might look like. This long process of learning, seeking the Lord, discerning, and preparing ultimately led to a decision to decentralize the church.

Today, the Elizabethtown First Church of God is a collective of church houses. The term “house” is borrowed from the traditional English educational system, which places people into groups called “houses.” The houses are not where you meet, but rather, groups of people. The four church houses meet weekly for worship, discipleship, and service. Each house has its own schedule and currently gathers at a variety of times ranging from Saturday evening to Sunday evening.

Each church house has a weekly gathering with teaching and discipleship, as well as other gatherings that focus on outreach and service. On the second Sunday of the month, all four church houses gather together at the old Elizabethtown First Church of God building on South Market Street for a time of celebrating what the Lord has done over the past month, worship, teaching, and sharing a meal together. Each church house knows that the intention is to see the house multiply eventually and start new church houses. With that in mind, every house has a leader and a mentee being trained to lead a new house at some point in the future.

When asked about the learnings from such an enormous shift – from a traditional congregational approach to a decentralized network of church houses, David shared several key insights. He was quick to point out the strength and maturity of their elders as they led the church through such a dramatic shift. They demonstrate a love for one another and have developed a trust and transparency that was key in helping the congregation make such an enormous change.

One of their biggest challenges and learning opportunities has come in the way of figuring out how to help each church house handle a diversity of children and youth. Some houses have younger children, while others have school-aged children or teenagers. Each one has had to figure out an approach that works for their context, whether that means integrating all ages together or providing something specifically for the children.

David also notes that his role as pastor has undergone a transformation. He’s shifted to more of a supporting and equipping role instead of being the essential servant of the church. Dave’s work primarily focuses on training and equipping the house leaders. While he provides the themes and scriptures each month for house meetings, each house has great freedom to adapt and innovate. This shift has allowed him to focus more on developing people and relationships rather than just producing weekly services.

Dave shares an interesting observation from his interactions with other leaders about the shift they’ve made at E-Town. “I find that a lot of pastors have approached me with sympathy when they learn that we’ve sold our building. It’s as if they always see

the fact that we don’t own a building as bad news. We don’t see it that way. We believe this might be one of the best things that could have happened to us. We’re no longer enslaved to maintaining a building we couldn’t afford, and we’re no longer chained to a Sunday morning mindset. We believe this is helping us truly embrace the priesthood of all believers. I know we all say that we believe in the priesthood of all believers, but I’m not convinced that we really mean it. For E-town, we’re trying to live out the priesthood of all believers.”

The brothers and sisters at E-Town are just a few months into living out their faith in this new (and old) way. They’ve learned a lot and risked a lot to come to this point, and there is still more learning and risking ahead. They’re committed to learning how to multiply, but they’re still early in this process. They’re learning what it means to become followers of Jesus in ways that are genuine and stretching.

Two different congregations. Two different stories and approaches. A love for Christ and a willingness to risk are the common threads that bind these two congregations. Jesus always calls beyond our own comfort and preferences in ways that stretch and mature our faith. What does your local fellowship need to risk for the sake of the kingdom of God? It might require abandoning a physical location, or it might demand some other kind of risk. We’re grateful for these two congregations and their willingness to dare to reimagine what could be. May their tribe increase.

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Global Reach Updates

Thank you for partnering with our friends and fields in Global Reach. Your prayers and gifts help sustain and encourage them as they minister to communities, families, and individuals in their parts of the world. Please celebrate the following updates from some of the Global Reach fields. Special thanks to Caleb and Christina Acosta for the following updates from Latino Ministry fields. Remember to pray for our leaders and the souls they serve and with whom they share the Good News.

USA Latino

The churches in the United States are continuing ministry. Betesda in Middletown, PA, hopes to buy a building for their place of worship and ministry hub. Sanidad Divina in Columbia, PA, is hoping to expand the building they already have for community services. Esperanza de Gloria in York, PA, is reaching out into the community, trying to find ways to connect and meet needs. Pictured above is a baby dedication service held at Sanidad Divina Church.

ArgentinaPastor Maria Grigioni was invited by local government officials to be involved in community events recently. They were the only church involved in outreach in this effort. She has planted new works as a baby church. The Acostas have connected Pastor Maria Grigioni with Pastor Abelardo, who has a house church with quite a few members. Pastor Maria sees the work as promising, and we encourage them to work together. Pictured is the first ACTS Team to Argentina earlier in 2022.

Venezuela

is beginning to experience a better economic status. The Church continues to grow, and a goal is to plant churches in many other places. They continue to work united, and we hope to develop more churches in other provinces of the country— churches that will live out the Word in actions. The churches in Venezuela are involved with their local communities to help the less fortunate. They have partnered with the Red Cross and local government officials to serve the community together. Pictured is a “March for Jesus” walk held in Caleb’s hometown.

Dominican Republic

There are five established CGGC churches in the Dominican Republic. The conference meets annually. They work together for some activities in between to encourage each other. The process to establish the necessary conference financial account has been detailed and difficult. It is now in the final stages. Pictured is our Kilometer 20 new church plant.

NicaraguaPastor German and his wife have many years of experience and are organizers which helps them grow the work. They have regular meetings with pastors, and they are working together towards the same direction with a united vision and mission. Pastor German has been ill with diabetes and his legs are sometimes swollen which interferes with mobility. He asks for prayer for his health. There are plans for an ACTS Team to visit in the spring of 2023. Pictured are Covid relief efforts on the streets of Chinandega.

Chile

There are plans to visit the potential field of Chile in 2023. Pastor Yolmary is doing a good work there, and was able to find a new location to conduct worship services which has enabled church growth. Pictured is a children’s outreach effort.

Bangladesh

An ACTS Team visited Bangladesh in October of 2022. The overall goal of the team became an effort to bring encouragement to the pastors, staff, and communities of the Bangladesh Mission. The team came away from the trip with a sense that they were blessed and encouraged as much as those they went to serve. Samir was able to be with the team in Bangladesh and help with translation. His presence added an additional element of fellowship which became a huge bonus for everyone. Pictures on these two pages help tell the story of the trip.

Thank you for your faithful prayers and support in reaching the lost across the globe. It is making a difference for eternity.

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