The Global Advocate - July/August 2023

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. 4

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

Region by Region The California Eldership

by Jacob Clagg, Director of Communications

More and more, I take it as an axiom that all proper ministry is vulnerable and by extension, all persons make themselves vulnerable when engaged in proper ministry. Try as we might to shore up our weaknesses, defend ourselves from critique, stuff down our emotions, and safeguard ourselves and our families from ministry's obligations, I do not believe we can do this very well, or for very long. At some point, I think, we are inevitably pulled into ministry with the metaphorical plastic gloves off, or we are inevitably pulled out of ministry, by God or by our own unwillingness to get dirty.

On the cover: California Eldership pastors (l to r) John & Anita Burns from the Wheatland Community Fellowship and Tomas & Luisa Rodas from the Fallbrook Church of God.

To love other people in the way God has commissioned us is to be real, tangible, and present, not merely token, symbolic, and distant. It’s not just that ministry requires of us great effort, although it does that too, but it seems to obligate us to other people, and I can think of nothing more antithetical to the American way of life than to be obligated to others, or, in other words, to be neighborly not with just a wave and a Christmas card, but with investment of our life and our time.

The stories coming out of our California Eldership bear testimony to this way of ministry. From the migrations that founded the eldership, to the embracing and cooperative relationships between our Hispanic and Caucasian churches, the California Eldership is all in on transformational ministry in their communities. They are breaking stereotypes with stories of long-term recovery, flipping tables through homeless ministries, taking daring action in their cross-cultural ministries, and raising up the voices of youth.

In this latest issue in our series of Region by Region, I hope you take inspiration from the stories here, find hope in God’s movement and action all around our denomination, and recognize a deeper sense of unity and community with the faithful pastors, teachers, evangelists, and lay leaders of the California Eldership that are doing the work God has called them to do.

A History of the California Eldership

by Lance Finley, CGGC Executive Director

Today the California Eldership consists of congregations in San Diego, Fallbrook , Farmersville, Manteca, Vacaville, and Wheatland. They embody the CGGC core value of Vital Connection. The distance between San Diego (in the south) and Wheatland (in the north) is approximately 550 miles. In spite of the great geographical distance between the congregations, churches in the California Eldership gather for quarterly meetings no less than four times a year. These times together provide for worship, fellowship and encouragement and rich times

of connection for the brothers and sisters of the California Eldership. This strong connection comes from a shared history of hardship and intentional relationship building.

The story of the California Eldership grows out of the story of the Dust Bowl and the great migration out of Oklahoma and other Great Plains states. As Church of God folks left the hardships of the Dust Bowl, many of them settled in California in search of a better prospect for the essentials of life: employment, food, and opportunity. In 1947, Pastor R. A. Kruzan, the Western Missionary Superintendent conveyed that he had received letters from Church of God members who had reported that as many as twenty Church of God families had relocated in Farmersville, CA. Up to this time, Idaho was the furthest west where a Church of God congregation had been organized.

In 1930 a severe drought started in the Midwest and Great Plains and lasted through most of the following decade. The Dust Bowl would bring devastating economic impact upon the mid-section of the United States. During the 1930s it is estimated that 2.5 million people left the Dust Bowl states of Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska in one of the largest migrations in American history. During the five-year period of 1935-1940, nearly 250,000 Oklahomans migrated to California in search of a better life.

The first Church of God congregation established in California was in Sheridan, north of Sacramento. It was organized on March 2, 1947 with 15 members including three ministers and three deacons. The church met in an old Methodist church building and had been organized from several Church of God families who had come from Oklahoma. The church was established by Pastor G. C. Burns (grandfather of two current CGGC

Pastors: John Burns – pastor of the Wheatland Community Fellowship in Wheatland, CA and Roger Burns – pastor of the Eufaula First Church of God, Eufaula, OK).

In September of 1947, there was a mass meeting held in McFarland, CA to discuss mission work and church

planting in California. It was reported that there were as many as 15 Church of God ministers living in California at that time. In November 1947, the Fallbrook Church of God was organized in northern San Diego County with 13 members. It was around this same time that the Church of God people in California began to organize themselves into a larger body, holding “Fifth Sunday” meetings which were times of worship and fellowship held each quarter at a different church location. By early 1948, there were three congregations and 14 ministers in California.

In February 1948, the brothers and sisters gathered for a Fifth Sunday meeting and approved a proposed constitution and made plans to organize the Eldership. Pastor M. H. Tudor of Waterford was employed as the state missionary. The organizing session of the California Eldership was held on October 10-12, 1948 in McFarland. Viola Cover, retired missionary to India, presented during the Sunday school hour during the first day of the Eldership. During the business sessions, it was resolved to form the California Eldership and a constitution was adopted. Pastor O. C. Kennedy reported to The Church Advocate that, “We all were glad as we began our business session the spirit of unity prevailed.”

Throughout the 1950s and the 1960s, the Eldership focused on church planting and establishing mission work in new areas. There have been at least 20 to 25 different congregations that were established or affiliated with the eldership over its history. There were multiple attempts to establish a congregation in the Los Angeles area as well. Unfortunately, several churches fell victim to the expanding highway system and imminent domain claims as new highways were constructed to support the evergrowing population.

In the early 1980s, Pastor Fred Adams who was in his second tenure at the Fallbrook congregation took note of the growing Hispanic population and began to intentionally reach into the Hispanic community and built bridges between Spanish speaking people and the church. What developed from this relationship is a thriving

congregation led by Pastors Tomas Rodas, Johnny Rodas, and Roberto Lopez as a result of pastor Adams' foresight.

In recent years, the churches of the California Eldership have cultivated a heart for their local communities and this had been demonstrated through their work with homeless outreaches and resource centers, the development of community centers for youth, and a Recovery Rocks addiction recovery center. In addition, the congregations have innovated to reach every level of the community as evidenced by Hispanic radio broadcasting and utilizing social media outlets and podcasts addressing youth and the controversial topics of the day. Most of the California Eldership pastors are bi-vocational or covocational and you’ll also find them involved deeply in the activities of their community. Pastor John Burns of Wheatland has been involved in the local football program in the area and Pastor Tim Welsh has coached cross country in Stockton.

The congregations of the California Eldership, while serious about reaching their local communities, also have a vision to see the Good News of Jesus carried to the ends of the earth! The Eldership has an ongoing partnership in Oaxaca, Mexico that several of the congregations have supported. This partnership has resulted in new works being established in El Perdis, San Mateo, and Vera Cruz with ongoing connection and support from California Eldership congregations. In addition to Mexico, the Eldership has been a committed partner with CGGC’s Global Reach as leaders from the Eldership have travel to Haiti, India, and Bangladesh which has resulted in ongoing support and partnership in ministry.

The Eldership just recently celebrated the Fallbrook Church’s renovation and expansion at the April 2023 quarterly meeting where they were met by God's gracious Spirit and the glowing hearts of love between the members of the hopeful bride of Christ.

May God Bless the California Eldership as we move forward together under the direction of the Chief Shepherd of our souls, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

Unidos por Jesús Radio

by Galilea Rodriguez

It was the year of 2020 when I was invited on a radio station called “Unidos por Jesús Radio.'' In English it’s translated to “United by God Radio.'' My mother had been invited to preach on the topic Depression/Suicide on a youth podcast called “Conteta Fe.” She asked me to join her since she knew I had gone through depression and I would be able to help out many, but due to my fear of speaking in public I was not up for it. She told me just to say a few words and I agreed, but little did I know that it would be the start of the plan God had for me all along. The very first time I spoke on the radio, God took control of me and put the words in my mouth because speaking in public gave me anxiety. At that moment, all fear went away and like the verse says, “For my power was made perfect in weakness,” God perfected my weakness.

The sister in charge of the youth podcast on the radio invited me to preach consistently since she was inspired by my testimony. The youth radio podcast was every Friday from 7-8 pm. I started as a guest preacher getting invited once in a while to be the main preacher every Friday. We spoke on topics related to youth like anxiety, suicide, abortion, drug addictions, and many more related topics. We were also Facebook live streaming on a page dedicated specifically to all the podcasts from Unidos Por Jesús Radio, and as time went by it started to grow in views. We had many views from different countries, like Canada, Mexico, Chile, and India. By 2021, the sister in charge told me that she wanted me to take her place and she would be moving in another direction for her ministry. She told me to pick a new name and take over completely.

I was 21 years old when I took over and God gave me the name “Juventud Que Deja Huella,'' translated in English, “Youth that leaves a Mark.” I wanted to leave a mark to make an impact on

many youths’ lives. I noticed how hurt and lost the youth from my generation were and I wanted to see them being restored, transformed, and liberated. In a prayer I asked God, “Why me? Why did he choose me and not anybody else?” And he told me, “Because you will be the one to bring back many who left my path, and bring many to my path.” From there I started speaking more on topics I believe would attract many young people, and I started promoting myself on Instagram and Facebook. I created a Facebook and Instagram page called “Gali Ministries” and I post everything I’m doing in the ministry and flyers on the next topic we will be preaching on the radio.

I also try engaging with the youth to get them to speak up about their views on different topics that were not talked about much in church. For example, church hurt, relationships, sex till marriage, sexual abuse, etc. I started doing surveys that I would upload to my Instagram page to ask youth their thoughts or experiences on a related topic before

Galilea at the mic

I preach about it. One survey I did really helped me understand the youths’ mentality on the topic “Church Hurt.” Many young people who used to go to church and left the church talked about how they got hurt and why they left. During that podcast, I preached with Pastor Timothy Welsh. We responded to their comments and we got a lot of engagement. I know in my heart someone was spoken to. My vision was coming true as many youth would respond and complete my surveys and posts with their responses and commentary. In the beginning I wasn’t getting much interaction and I would get discouraged. I would think, “Why aren’t the youth engaging in my podcast?” But little did I know, they did listen to my podcast, just because they weren’t liking or commenting didn’t mean they weren’t listening. An old friend from my high school got inspired from my preachings and he messaged me telling me he had been watching my podcast and he felt God was speaking to him through my preachings and that he needed prayer since he was going through a lot. I mentioned to him I would pray for him on Facebook during the live podcast, and after the prayer, he told me, “Words can’t explain how I felt. I felt spoken to. I want to devote myself to God and follow him. I am ready to break this chain that I’ve been dragging for so long.” When I saw that message I was filled with happiness because I knew all that hard work was worth it.

When I would go to different churches to visit, many sisters would come up to me saying they

listened to my radio program and it touched their lives. It inspired me more to continue preaching those topics because I saw they were making an impact, not only on the youth, but on the adults as well. At first, we would preach only in Spanish, but I started preaching in English as well to reach out to more youth. I invited Pastor Timothy Welsh virtually on the live streams and we spoke on many different topics in English. Now it’s 2023 and Juventud Que Deja Huella has grown in number. In the beginning, when it was just me, my desire was to encourage other youth to preach as well. It was a challenge since many youth would have a fear of public speaking and would always say no. But little by little, I started encouraging them and got them to speak about their testimonies on the radio. Now, we have a group of nine youth from the ages of 14-27 who have a beautiful testimony from what God saved them from. They are so passionate about serving God and God is doing great things in their lives. This is the beginning of something big.

My vision is to encourage more young preachers on the podcast and reach out to many. My desire is to help out the youth who are far from God's path, who have strayed away, and bring them back to his feet. I want to bring the Word to those who don’t have happiness in their heart and tell them that in God they are complete. I would like my podcast to reach many different areas and countries. I know that all this is happening because God made it happen. I would have never imagined I would be where I am now.

Regular contributors on the radio

The Word of Life

Crosses Borders

by Jacob Clagg with Pastor Victor Montalvo

At2,000 miles, the distance between San Diego and El Arenal, Veracruz, Mexico is truly massive. That’s about 33 hours by car without stops or bathroom breaks, and nine hours by plane without layovers. Yet, that’s the distance that Pastors Victor Montalvo, Juan Santos, and Alfredo Luevano of San Diego Palabra de Vida (Word of Life) Church, make every four to six months. They make the journey to El Arenal so often because that’s where their sister church is; a church called Iglesia De Dios Palabra de Vida (Church of God Word of Life), established about 10 years ago.

El Arenal is a small town close to the Atlantic coast and named after the abundance of sand in the area. Thanks in no small part to the support of the San Diego Church of God, Iglesia De Dios sprung up in hopes of reaching out to the community. Pastor Victor described El Arenal as an economically poor town that struggles with drugs and alcoholism. Having preached on the streets there, Pastor Victor talked about the cantinas that El Arenal locals like to frequent, and that gangs have an active presence as well. “There is an area where they make the drugs. They make them right there. There is a cartel within the town. They never bother us or the church. It seems to me that they have respect for the church, but the cartel is very active there,” Pastor Victor said, making it clear that in El Arenal, many people are uninterested in Christianity and the message of Jesus. In general, the population is neither receptive nor angry, but truly apathetic. Because of this, the church in El Arenal has had to be creative in its outreach and strive for a different demographic to make an in road with the community.

Currently pastored by Fausto Agustin, Iglesia De Dios Palabra de Vida has found a ministry in the children of the town. Ministering to the youth of El Arenal, the church has seen major success in teaching and supporting the children, which inevitably leads down the family tree. Once they see their children’s interest, it isn’t long before

the mothers start coming to the church, and then eventually the fathers come, too. Pastor Victor witnessed that kids are more open to the church and in learning from the pastors there, and their interest sparks the interest of other kids as well. It’s an example of how youth ministry and the inherent sociality of youth make for a naturally evangelistic ministry. Their strategy is to change the heart of the community by creating a new generation of Christfollowers who will break patterns of abuse and addiction. “There is a generation coming... That’s our goal. Very soon we will have a generation of leaders and they will have a lot of power, and when they fall on fire for the Lord, they will work hard,” Pastor Victor said.

Initially the church was started as a family church with just a floor and a ceiling. But as their outreach has grown, so too has their ambition and their need. The Pastors from San Diego who helped start the church are still routinely raising funds to help with additions. Most recently they’ve helped to build a kitchen, bathrooms, and extra rooms for visitors to stay. Now when Pastors Victor, Juan, and Alfredo go to visit, they come to celebrate anniversaries, baptisms, and revivals. Just this past March, the church baptized eight people.

Despite the support they’re giving, the San Diego church isn’t very large, maybe 50 or 60 people. When asked about how they manage to sustain their own ministry, and so heavily support the good work of their sister church in El Arenal, Pastor Victor spoke candidly about the generosity of San Diego Palabra de Vida, and how small acts of giving inspire a reciprocal process.

On a flight back from Mexico to the States, Pastor Victor shared his ministry experiences with a young man in the seat next to him. The young

man, 18 years old, seemed interested and listened to Pastor Victor talk at length about the trip and the support they’ve been bringing. As they departed the plane, then young man gave Pastor Victor $100. Pastor Victor kindly said, “I don’t want your money.” But the man responded, “No, I want to give this to you. I know you’re going to use it to bless those people.” Pastor Victor graciously accepted, and later reflected in how outlandish the gift was. “Who wants to give $100? Not some teenager. They want to spend it on the movies, not give it to someone you don’t even know… But this is the way the Lord works.” When he returned to church the next week, he told his congregation in San Diego all about it and this prompted a young, eight-year-old girl to bring up her piggy bank as an offering during the following service. The congregation was so touched that soon numerous people were bringing their proverbial piggy banks and the church raised $1,500 to continue to help their sister church. Pastor Victor said of that story, “It was a blessing, and it’s good that kids have a passion to give to others, a passion for the Lord. It was a great story. I love that story.”

San Diego Palabra de Vida’s penchant for giving doesn’t stop at piggy banks or even at El Arenal. Church leaders, Pastor Victor included, often make

trips across the border to help feed, clothe, and support workers who frequently migrate within Mexico for work. Often these workers will move from the south of the country to the north, as Pastor Victor tells it, and when they do, they bring their entire families, sometimes barefoot, often sleeping under cardboard roofs. Many of the workers and their families find support from local churches, and San Diego Palabra de Vida tries to ensure that these local churches have what they need to continue their own ministries. “They aren’t sister churches, but they need help. Every time we go, I bring food, or clothes, and toys for kids, and we store stuff there.”

Pastor Victor told one instance where they were passing out food, and clothes to families, and they had 12 childrens’ bikes they had brought across the border as well. Unfortunately, waiting for those 12 bikes were more than 300 children. The disparity between the needs and the available means is, at times, staggering, but it doesn’t stop Pastor Victor or the rest of Palabra de Vida from continuing on.

As a dual citizen, Pastor Victor is able to bring some material goods back and forth across the border, but sometimes security is tight, and he’s stopped and searched. Certain products are simply not allowed

across the border, while others are just suspicious and may elicit a shake down. In order to avoid trouble or corrupt border guards, Pastor Victor and his ministry team try to make small trips, and store the goods in a location in Mexico, and when they have enough, they bring it to a location in one large caravan.

In a mixture of tension and comedy, Pastor Victor was stopped and searched while hauling a van full of goods to pass out. During these situations, he said he never lies about his intentions, but he has his way of dealing with the patrols. “I got pulled over with a van full of clothes, food, and all this other stuff. I say, well, yeah I have it, and I’m going over there and I’m going to give it to all of these people that need it, because they don’t have anything. I’m going to give it away.”

When the officer told Pastor Victor it was illegal, and he couldn’t let him go, Pastor Victor responded, “I think this is going to be the biggest sin of your life.”

The officer laughed and said, “Put some tinted windows in your van so we don’t see it.”

“That’s only one story of dozens and dozens.” Pastor Victor said. “Sometimes they return me. They returned me two months ago.” While reflecting on this story and the difficulties he routinely goes through crossing into Mexico, Pastor Victor said,

“Sometimes by doing good, you might get in trouble. That’s a risk I’m willing to take. If I’m punished for doing good, then I’m blessed. And then [the officer] let me go.”

Manteca Homeless Ministry

by Jacob Clagg

with Pastor Timothy Welsh

“When you have your vision, and that vision gets squashed, how do you react at that moment? Is God’s greater vision more important than your smaller vision going forward?”

Pastor Timothy Welsh of Manteca Church of God, and the President of our California Eldership, posed this question while reflecting on one of his most difficult valleys during his 15 years of street ministry in the Manteca, California area. It’s a question that comes out of years of ambition, toil, and vision, only to be “squashed,” as he put it, right when victory looked secure. In order to solve a complex homelessness problem in Manteca, Pastor Tim helped coordinate 12 different agencies to purchase a property right next to City Hall. The intention was to create a medical respite for the homeless, and also to make the location a one stop shop for multiple entities to work together to help homeless people get basic services and support. Pastor

Pictured on this page: Formerly homeless, Brigitte now has a place to call her own with the help of MGRM and other cooperating ministries.

Tim had worked with the city government to run all the numbers and to get city officials on board, going so far as to speak with the mayor. He and his team of agencies had even received approval from local businesses and tenants to ensure that the rest of the community was in support too.

“We had it all written out, how every group would participate and come along… And the city turned it down… Everything was laid out for them,” Pastor Tim said. And as he walked out of City Hall, hanging his head, he asked, “Why? The city said they were behind us, and they wanted our help, and they turned it down.” Pastor Tim describes it as a particularly low moment for him, and it’s apparent that the emotions were a mix of both frustration and confusion. But amid this, he heard what he attributes to the voice of God saying, “Don’t give up on them. Stay with them. Go back to the drawing board.”

Hence, the reflective questions, “How do you react at that moment? Is God’s greater vision more important than your smaller vision going forward?”

Pastor Tim commented that moments like this, and numerous others, were what God used to squash him down and build him back up. It’s all part of the process that Pastor Tim calls “Progressive Sanctification,” and it doesn’t happen in the way we might think. We might be tempted to think that Progressive Sanctification would be a process that is both enjoyable and exciting. But the way Pastor Tim describes it may leave some of us running

for the hills. “It’s not in this ideal, surreal church environment when you walk in the doors and the angels are sounding… It’s when you’re getting cussed out by a homeless person that wants you to get a driver’s license for them." Pastor Tim describes progressive sanctification as a series of events that, more often than not, painfully stretch us, shake us, and humble us, because those are the events that force us to either rebel and to wash our hands of people or grow and become more Christ-like.

“Those interactions are where the true progressive sanctification happens and then we bring those testimonies into the church. When those testimonies come back to the church, [they] bring more unity, bear more fruit; it’s a magnification.”

Of course, it’s not just the homeless people that are challenging to work with, it’s the church people too. Pastor Tim described working in Manteca initially as territorial, and where different organizations were jealous of their ministries. When they weren’t jealous, they were apathetic or unwilling. Pastor Tim recalled another frustrating time when he called 30 different churches together to support a homeless outreach event, and only 11 came. The response from some of the other 19 churches that didn’t show was that the homeless people “weren’t their target demographic.” In other words, they weren’t tithing people, and so the churches didn’t see much use in reaching out to them. While we might expect more of a person in a faithbased community, Pastor Tim said “No, don’t expect more, okay? They are people, right? When people get hurt by other people, they just want to wash their hands of them. And the number one thing that God has helped me grow in is keeping the vision central, not the hurt.” It’s a difficult perspective to maintain, but that’s progressive sanctification in action. It’s not just when there’s friction with people on the outside of the church, sometimes it’s the self-righteous people on the inside that also need our grace. To be sure, we need the people in the church, even the most difficult Christians, to line up and to start doing good kingdom work. As Jesus says, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few” Matthew 9:37.

Pastor Tim admitted, “We’re not going to say all the right things. We’re not even going to do all the

Pastor Tim & Jamie Welsh

right things. But is the vision more important than the small little hurts that are done along the way? The answer has to be, ‘Yes’.” That’s why Pastor Tim, despite the setbacks and the hurts, has continued to work with other non-profits and other faithbased organizations to bring healing and recovery into Manteca where it’s needed. By working “in the trenches” with these other non-profit organizations, they have managed to come to a sense of mutuality and trust. “It wasn’t easy at first. But slowly and surely, we’ve formed this coalition and now we’re all working together.”

Now the different non-profits share a database where they focus not just on the gaps in services, but also on the duplicated services they provide to the homeless as well. This means that the level of cooperation has grown tremendously. Rather than acting as isolated ministries, they all work together to cover gaps and ensure they aren’t accidentally giving out redundant service. This increases efficiency and helps to make sure some people don’t fall through the cracks while others take more than they need. Collectively the coalition offers ID vouchers, transitional housing, addiction recovery, water bill payments, education, prayer, spiritual counseling, community medical services, a food and clothing pantry, and even mail services. They’ve also partnered with a local Catholic charity to help provide food stamps.

But they haven’t stopped there. Despite being turned down by the city in the past, they’ve managed to secure an even larger success. Pastor Tim confirmed that the city has purchased a $16 million, 8-acre piece of land which will become a navigation center for men, women, children, and families, with transitional homes and apartments on the property. The different non-profits will begin operating out of this navigation center, so services and charities can continue working closely together. This is scheduled to happen in the next 3-5 years. In the meantime, the city has been operating a massive tent that non-profits are working out of, providing shower services, three meals a day, and clothes. Pastor Tim sees this as a massive success, and a testament to the persistent work of the different non-profit and faith-based organizations that have strived for years.

Pastor Tim says, “We are trying to bring our community together and to meet the needs of the underserved in our community. The people that are bankrupt and have absolutely nothing. They need our help. If you have joy, give it out. If you have love, give it out. People are not going to react the way you want them to react when you give it out, but is the vision, our vision, God’s vision, that’s hopefully aligned, worth it to disregard the small hurts along the way, and not just wash our hands of people?”

Recovery Rocks at Farmersville

by Jacob Clagg with Pastor Brad Taylor

Pastor Brad Taylor from Farmersville Church of God in Farmersville, California has been running a recovery ministry out of the church for the better part of the past 10 years. Together with his wife,Trudy, the pair have worked tirelessly since 2013 to build Recovery Rocks into a ministry that helps people begin the process of recovery from addiction, hurts, habits, and hangups. We were inspired by Pastor Brad and Trudy and we wanted to learn more about how their ministry started, and where they want to take it into the future.

What is Recovery Rocks and why did you choose to start it at Farmersville Church?

At Recovery Rocks, we talk about hurts, habits, hangups, and addictions. My wife and I have had a lot of those since we were growing up. Because of the abuse my wife endured growing up and I, being someone who is a delivered, recovered alcoholic, we felt really drawn to that Celebrate Recovery concept.

Celebrate Recovery (CR) was bringing God back into the recovery process. I really felt that churches needed this incorporated, and they need to be able to offer that to people in church. We were involved in CR for a few years at a different church. When I became a pastor at Farmersville Church of God (FCOG) we wanted to offer a recovery program at our church as well. It took about two years, when the time was right. My wife was attending other recoveries and she wanted to draw from each one. We recognized the fact that God heals, and He delivers, and we didn’t want to be held back by a particular set of rules and regulations from any individual program. We know some people have found God with CR, but also at the foot of their bed. We want a recovery that’s open to all that, and to offer more prayer for those who attend.

It will be 10 years in November since we’ve been doing Recovery Rocks out of our church. We’ve seen growth. It’s not made our church burst at the seams. It took a little bit of time. Somebody told me, “This will be your biggest outreach ministry.” There are a lot of other faith-based recoveries that have folded up, and it takes a lot of patience, and it takes the pastor to want to be involved. Sometimes a church changes pastors and they don’t relate to it and the recovery folds up. It has been our biggest outreach, and our most consistent outreach. We are there every Tuesday; we were challenged during Covid of course. But we just couldn’t leave people hanging out there. Our door is always open. We have a big chunk of our congregation there every Tuesday night as well.

Can you walk us through what a typical evening looks like at Recovery Rocks? Is it like an AA meeting or like a worship service?

We meet every week; every other week is a lesson and incorporates one of the steps, and every other week is a testimony. They must have a year of “clean time,” clean from all addictions and mind-controlled

substances. They can’t share the testimony if they haven’t been clean for a year. Testimonies may consist of overcoming their past hurt, their childhood trauma. We try hard to recruit testimonies out there.

Typically, the night will run just like a church. We're a small church so Recovery Rocks is held in the sanctuary. I didn’t want to treat it like a stepchild. We’re all one big family. There is some meet and greet beforehand, people have coffee and snacks. But we start with prayer, and then worship, announcements, and my wife introduces herself and tells everyone what Recovery Rocks is. We state our names, our clean time, and we call that “large group” when everyone is together. Then we do the reading of the 12 steps and their biblical comparisons. We try to get other people actively involved in the reading. We do something fun. One side does the step, one side does the biblical comparison. Then we do a “Ruach,” a breath of God. We incorporated that because it relaxes people, causes them to laugh and have a good time.

Then the teaching or the testimony gets shared. After that, we offer up a surrender chip. You’ve been clean for a day, and you’re surrendering that, or a hurt, habit, hangup, or even surrendering Facebook, or whatever is taking our time away from family and God. Every week we offer the surrender chip. It’s stepping out of denial and recognizing that you can’t do it on your own.

Can you Explain what the surrender chips are about?

Every week we offer a blue Surrender Chip, we order it from CR, and I like to encourage those surrendering to write a date on them. “This is the

night that I surrender my drinking problem,” or whatever they need to surrender. And then, on the last Tuesday of the month, we celebrate all of the lengths of recovery—maybe they are one month clean, or one month since they received a surrender a chip. We have chips for all lengths of recovery. For example, they might be four months clean from an addiction or surrendered a habit or hurt. We celebrate that at the end of each month, we call that the birthday night.

It's really cool that people get a token, like a physical symbol of their recovery.

Sometimes it’s really awesome because some of them bring their mom or their dad, or they give the chip to their best friend or parent who has stuck by them and is supporting them. And they are little

mini testimonies for them to see too. It gives other people something to aim for, so they are motivated to do it too. Even the family members may pick up a surrender chip. Maybe they were enabling an addict, and they had to take a stand and stop that enabling for them to realize they need help. It’s all things related to addiction, hurts, habits, and hang ups.

What’s your vision for all of this?

I want to see us expand on offering more small groups during the week where 4 or 5 people could come together. We have “Large Group” (the worship, teaching testimony, the giving out of the chips) and then we also have small groups (men's group, women’s group). I just want to have more step study groups, which is something that other recovery groups will offer. It’s a little more personal, a closer atmosphere. It’s part of people staying involved. More small groups could incorporate a little more counseling for them, and it’s discipling too.

There are so many people out there that aren’t having the full potential of their relationship with Christ, and they think just being faithful to church attendance is all there is. There is so much more we can learn, and that’s what I like about recovery. We have a gentleman that comes to Recovery Rocks because of church abuse. For some people that’s taken them out of church. They never trust God or the church again. But he applies what we do at Recovery Rocks to get over that, and to begin forgiving and trusting again.

There is so much for people to gain, who may feel too embarrassed to come to a recovery group. It’s hard for people to shake that, or to look past it. But there is so much more there than can be offered.

*Quotes have been edited for clarity.

Global Reach Updates

Thank you for partnering with our friends and fields in Global Reach. Please continue praying for our Haiti and Latin America fields, and India as they are struggling through challenging difficulties. Please celebrate the following updates from our Global Reach fields. Remember to pray for our leaders as they serve God and share the Good News with seekers.

Haiti

Stanley Lambert (right) joined the Project Help-Haiti team in mid-April as the PHH Hospital Administrator. He is a graduate of the Physical Therapy school and had run his own clinic in Port-au-Prince before fleeing to the Dominican Republic with his wife and children. Pray for him as he tackles the many challenges facing the hospital.

Latino Ministries

Pastor Victor Montalvo (pictured at left with his wife, Alma) has agreed to serve as Co-Leader of Latino Ministries, and he plans to visit all the Latino fields in the coming year. He pastors the “Palabra de Vida” Church of God in San Diego, CA, and helps the California Eldership oversee two mission churches in Mexico. Please be in prayer for him while he travels and acclimates to his Global Reach position. He is juggling several roles. Please consider supporting Victor financially as he serves. His support account number is GR 2755.

Bangladesh

Musical instruments (Harmonium) were donated to a few village churches. It is a joyous occasion for them to receive and make part of their worship time. Many thanks to God and brothers and sisters of Churches of God in the USA. There was a time of communion for the worshippers too.

Many thanks for the provision of bicycles and the new microbus. They are such blessings and ministry tools. The Mission has measured for microbus seat covers and poly coversheet for the floor. Pictured at right are some of the Bangladesh Mission staff by the new microbus.

At the request of our India and Bangladesh Missions, we are planning a celebration to commemorate the 125th year since the establishment of our India/Bangladesh Missions. It will be held in Bangladesh along with some teaching sessions from October 23-27, 2023. If you have interest in attending, please contact Travis Helm at travis@cggc.org or 567-301-5088. You would need to set aside at least 8 total days for the trip and the approximate travel costs would be $2,600 plus the cost of a Bangladesh visa. We hope to have many of the Mission staff in attendance and we could use donations to help fund the lodging and food for the event. If you want to help, you can give to “GR2705-125th celebration.”

India

The India Mission recently held two and a half days of teaching sessions on Old Testament Survey, New Testament and Study Method with social responsibilities like Tree Planting, Environment, and Child Education for the community leaders. This is important as many of our staff become certified as “social workers.” It is becoming more important to be certified in the eyes of the government.

The Mission also recently held a two-day “Vacation Children School” which is a children's Bible class. Sixty-eight children attended and all of them were of non-Christian faiths. They enjoyed numerous fun activities as well as lessons from the Bible.

Thank you for all the prayers and support that each of you give to keep these ministries active.

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