The Global Advocate - May/June 2022

May/June 2022

Vol. 187, No. 3

ADVOCATE The

G L O B A L

a publication of the Churches of God, General Conference

Reimagine: MISSIONS

I N

T H I S

I S S U E

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Moved to Pray by Travis Helm

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Faithfulness in Prayer by Heather Houghton

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Welcome to the New World by Ben Tobias

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Gifts of Hope: Blessing Others Through Fair Trade Shopping Opportunities by Lance Finley

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

Moved to Pray

by Travis Helm, Assistant Global Reach Director

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

Vol. 187, No. 3 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.

Correspondence: Address correspondence to The Editor, The Global Advocate, Churches of God Publications, PO Box 926, Findlay, OH 45839, or email to RachelF@cggc.org.

Periodical rate paid at Minster, Ohio.

Postmaster: Send address changes to THE GLOBAL ADVOCATE, PO Box 926, Findlay, OH 45839. © 2022, Churches of God, General Conference 2 Mau/June 2022

I recently took a perspectives class through Zoom during

the pandemic. Most of the weekly speakers/instructors were seasoned missionaries that spent years serving or still actively served in countries which are hostile towards the gospel. The bulk of the people in those countries have yet to hear about Jesus. A common theme that resonated with these missionaries was that prayer is the pivotal tool in reaching these people and sustaining their ministries. These missionaries coveted intentional, consistent, and fervent prayer of believers and supporters as the most valued treasure on their behalf.

As we try to reimagine Missions with the uncertainty of our future, one main constant that cannot be shut down is prayer.

We

may not be able to travel as teams to certain countries and we may not have much access to meet in groups because of lock downs or safety issues, but we are always able to pray. I’ve often asked myself why it seems so difficult to make something like prayer a priority and commit time to it. It is something every believer can do regardless of age, abilities, talents, or education, and yet it seems as though prayer takes a back seat to most other activities in our lives. Some reasons why our prayer life for Missions may be anemic is because we simply don’t plan regular times to do it. I also think that some people don’t believe their prayers will make a difference in these mission fields or they just don’t know what specific needs exist in those fields.

As I’ve traveled throughout the various regions the past several years, many mission leaders have expressed their concerns about diminishing engagement in global missions. They shared their burdens for a lack of new leaders and mission mobilizers. As I have listened, thought, and prayed, I continually come back to the foundation of prayer. If we look at the life of Christ, his journey was bathed in times of prayer both privately and with small groups like his disciples.

He has modeled the example and in Matthew 9:38 instructs us to pray for workers due to the ripe harvest of souls around us. I know that there is always a remnant of believers and churches that are taking this to heart and are fervently seeking the Lord to move on behalf of a lost world. What about the rest of us? How can we be moved enough in our hearts to see and feel what Christ does when he sees a lost sheep? I think it begins with prayer. “Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you

may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” James 5:16, NIV. Many of the champions of faith described in Hebrews chapter 11 left this earth without seeing certain prayers answered. Verse 13 says, “All these people were still living by faith when they died.

They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.” We don’t have all knowledge about how God may be working in response to our prayers, but can we follow their example and remain faithful in praying?

Psalm 116:2 says the Lord “bends down to listen” when we pray. Ezekiel 22:30 says the Lord is “searching for someone to stand in the gap.” He is bending down to listen. Are you willing and available to Stand in the Gap and cry out to Him for those that need Him? I hope the following article is an encouragement to you as a simple way to be intentional about praying for our mission fields in your church or small group setting. One of our dear sisters in the Allegheny region felt convicted to organize a regular prayer time and I asked her to share the story (see p. 4). May we all be moved to spend precious time crying out for the lost in our mission fields. I believe it will make a difference for eternity.

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aithfulness Fin rayer P

by Heather Houghton

The worldwide shutdown had me wondering, what else can I be doing to further

mission efforts? Earnestly seeking God is a great way for Him to show you all the opportunities that are available to us. Lance Finley has had some good “reimagining” articles this year. We have all had to reimagine our lives during a pandemic. I viewed the shutdowns as an opportunity to be still and listen more closely to God. I prayed often for refreshment and renewing of my mind and soul. I asked God to keep my passion for mission lit and sought alternative ways to accomplish mission.

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O

ne idea, that really isn’t original, kept popping to the forefront of my mind, was a monthly missionary prayer session. Believers all over the world know how powerful prayer is. I thought a monthly prayer session dedicated to our Global Reach Missionaries and Fields could be one more way Kingwood Church of God could collectively and intentionally bless our missionaries. I type up prayer points every month for each field, and we use them as springboards for our focused prayers. We hold our prayer session the first Sunday of every month after our last worship service. It typically lasts around 30 minutes. We gather in the front of the sanctuary and we lift our voices to God in intercession for our missionaries. Those who are led to pray take turns praying for each field and their leaders. Our prayers change as needs change in any given field, and when there are specific needs, those are lifted.

Some months there are more of us, some months there are fewer. I do not allow myself to be upset by lack of participants. I am only concerned with having a regularly scheduled time to meet and pray for our missionaries. God tells us in His Word that where two or more are gathered, He is there.

I believe that faithfulness in prayer is vitally important in the life of a believer. Missionaries make up a valuable arm in the Body of Christ. They are on the front lines in a war for souls. They face trials and tribulations and dangers we cannot imagine. This is why I also believe that it is our duty and responsibility to support them in prayer. In the big picture, our small sacrifice and commitment to praying for them is their very large blessing. I have heard Mike and Dawn VanDervort say that they have literally “felt” the prayers of others. They need us as much as we need them serving where they have been led by God. I don’t think we need to reimagine prayer. I think we need to recommit ourselves to being faithful in prayer.

I think every Christian should ask themselves, “What am I doing to expand the kingdom of God?” The first place to seek answers to this question is in prayer. It’s not about you and it’s not about me. It is all about Jesus. It is about serving Him. We need only be willing to make some sacrifices to our time and dedicate ourselves to prayer.

Colossians 4:2 “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”

James 5:6b “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

The Global Advocate 5

Welcome New World

to the

Re-Imagining Missions

by Ben Tobias, Director of Global Reach

6 May/June 2022

“Oh wow, missionaries fight lions!” When I was a child in the 1970s, my parents had a collection of stories on LPs, and my favorite was the story of the famous Scottish explorer/ missionary David Livingstone (1813-1873). He was famous for the many years he spent in the African interior, and his exploits were eagerly followed by Victorian England. The dramatized story of his being attacked by a lion in 1843 had the same effect on me as it did over 100 years earlier in England: I was hooked by the idea of missionaries risking their lives in dangerous jungles with a machete in one hand and a Bible in the other. Livingstone was followed by hundreds of European and North American Protestant missionaries in what has been called “the Golden Age of Missions,” an era lasting through the 19th century until WWI that saw the establishment of pioneer mission fields in Africa, Asia, South America, and the South Pacific.

It was during this time that Miss Clara Landes became the first Churches of God missionary in 1898, and since then the CGGC has seen cross-cultural missions multiply in Bangladesh, Haiti, the Navajo Nation, Brazil, Venezuela, Kenya, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Nicaragua, Argentina, Chile, and Thailand. We’ve sent missionaries to work in Sweden and Indonesia, and local congregations have supported many affiliate missionaries serving in South Africa, the Philippines, Japan, Uganda, etc. For a small denomination, we’ve had an outsized impact! I’m incredibly grateful for the generosity of so many churches and individuals who regularly give to support ongoing ministries as well as to bless in times of crisis. For example, in 2021 Global Reach received over $945,000 in donations to support ongoing ministries, and that doesn’t include the almost $100,000 raised for emergency COVID-19 relief given in 2020 and 2021.

The romantic figure of a western missionary trekking through the jungle isn’t exactly accurate anymore. Things have changed in a BIG way since David Livingstone and the “Golden Age.” In some ways, though, we’re still in the “Golden Age,” but for different reasons. All around the world, cross-cultural missionaries are ministering in every country, from every country. This means that the USA – like most other countries – is both sending and receiving missionaries.

The nations that were evangelized in the 19th century have matured to the point of sending missionaries themselves. That’s great news! But it doesn’t mean that the CGGC has “retired” from missions-engagement. It does mean that we need to re-imagine what our obedience to Christ’s command to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19) looks like.

As we re-imagine missions, I want to highlight three major shifts taking place in Global Reach.

1. National Field Leaders are now leading all of our international fields. This started happening in the 1980s when the last American missionaries – Dan and Marlene Fortney – left Bangladesh in 1984, and most recently when Mike and Dawn VanDervort left Haiti in November 2021. This means that missionaries have worked themselves out of a job in India, Bangladesh, Brazil, and Haiti – and national leaders are now in charge of each of those fields. Some of our fields – Kenya and Latino fields – have never had expatriate (away from home country) missionaries. While this is a sign of remarkable success, it does present a few challenges. Namely, most of these leaders are serving as pastors or have secular employment in addition to their field leadership role, so they are especially stretched for time. Furthermore, they tend to lack direct access to US-based donors and supporters, unlike traditional expatriate missionaries.

For this reason, we have created support accounts for the national field leaders, and we hope to “stand in the gap” and promote their ministries through newsletters, digital media, and regional missions events.

The Global Advocate 7

2. International travel is increasingly difficult. Whether it’s due to the pandemic or political instability, the past few years have seen a sharp decline in short-term mission teams. Nevertheless, we’re hoping that intergenerational ACTS Teams will rebound, and team members will bless their hosts as well as experience spiritual growth that happens when we work side-by-side with cross-cultural friends. Shortterm teams need to be very intentional in how and where they travel. Also, because it’s difficult to bring international guests to the USA, we’ve developed the “Virtual Summit,” a quarterly event of hearing directly from missionaries and field leaders via Zoom. This is a great opportunity for individuals and church groups to interact with Global Reach friends from around the world!

3. Global Reach Partners seek stronger connections. Several churches and organizations are making significant investments in specific fields, and the goal is to foster strong Christ-based relationships – not just send financial support.

We’ve had the Sister Church and School ministry between Haiti and the USA for a long time now, but we want to extend this concept to all fields. To this end we’re developing a cohort of Global Reach Partners who will learn the best practices of cross-cultural friendship.

Perhaps you’ve noticed some common themes in these three shifts. On the one hand, we’re experiencing more distance from various fields, primarily because of the absence of US missionaries and difficulty in travel. But on the other hand we’re seeing more connections via digital technology and bigger investment of time and finances.

What does this mean for the local church and individual believer? First of all, Jesus still commands us to “make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19) and to be His witnesses “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). Regardless of how much our world changes, our mission hasn’t and never will. But we do need to reimagine what obedience to His command looks like, just as I needed to change my David Livingstone missionary model.

Here are some practical suggestions for “reimagining missions”: 1. Embrace “both/and” instead of “either/or.” Missions is BOTH local AND global.

Missionaries are both home-grown AND international. Ministry is BOTH spiritual AND physical. Mission support is BOTH financial AND relational (i.e. prayer, communications, personal presence).

2. Start young. Build missions into discipleship starting at the earliest ages. Encourage children, teens, and young adults to see the world from God’s perspective and provide them opportunities to experience cross-cultural ministry opportunities.

3. Develop a prayer ministry devoted to global mission. Utilize the Global Advocate Prayer Calendar, missionary newsletters, Global Reach updates, videos, etc. to stay up to date. Incorporate these prayers into congregational worship and/or a separate prayer time outside the worship service.

So much more can be said! We at Global Reach would love to have an opportunity to visit your church, regardless of size or location. Please contact GR Director Ben Tobias (BTobias@cggc.org) or GR Assistant Director Travis Helm (Travis@cggc.org) if you would like to schedule a visit.

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CGGC 2022 Triennial Conference Sessions July 25-27, 2022 University of Findlay Campus, Findlay, OH Winebrenner Theological Seminary Building

THEME: Reimagine SPEAKER: Brad Brisco Registration now open at www.CGGC.org at $95 per person For more information see www.CGGC.org.

All persons in the CGGC have an open invitation to attend the 2022 Triennial Conference July 25-27, 2022. The theme for the event is Reimagine and the Keynote speaker for the event will be Brad Brisco. Brad Brisco is Director of Bivocational Church Planting for the North American Mission Board and is with Send Institute. He has authored a book titled “Rethink” which describes “9 Paradigm Shifts for Activating the Church: Rethinking the Nature of the Church, the Mission, the Missio Dei, the Culture, Vocation, APEST, Leadership, Discipleship and Evangelism and Scorecards” (a download of the book is available at www.CGGC.org).

Brad will use these topics to stimulate discussion around the idea of how we “do church” in the days ahead of us. How can we understand and reach our culture? How do we prepare to live as disciples? How do we “rethink” what we understand to be the ministry and work of the church?

How do we affirm our beliefs and “reimagine” the best way to communicate this to others?

While business sessions will consume a small portion of our time together, most of the time will be open to all who desire to learn how our churches can be more effective and relevant to those in our communities. Come and “Reimagine” the future of your church. Bring someone along!!

Live-streaming is available for those who are unable to attend.

The Global Advocate 9

Monday

2 Unite in prayer for Haiti as gang violence continues. Trust God to provide safety for our Haitian leadership.

9 Happy Birthday to Christina Acosta!

Praise God for her work in the Latino ministries!

16 Seek God’s wisdom for the CGGC Global Reach Commission members as they meet virtually this evening.

23 Intercede for our brothers and sisters in Venezuela. Pray for demonstrations of God’s provision for His children, and for growth.

30 On this Memorial Day, remember military chaplains as they minister to our troops. Pray for peace.

Sunday

1 Intercede for the people of Ukraine as they deal with the long-term effects of the Russian invasion.

8 Happy Mother’s Day! Give thanks to God for the mother and women in your life who encourage and pray for you!

15 Happy Birthday to Kalpana Costa! Delight in asking God to cover her in grace and mercy this next year!

22 Praise God that Jacob Day is in the Master’s program at Winebrenner Seminary. Pray for strength as he and Haley lead at Gamerco.

29 Thank the Father for the willing hearts of Mission Advancement Volunteers Jeff & Julie Burns. Pray for open doors & opportunities to minister and encourage others.

31 Trust the Lord to provide opportunities to witness to Dave & Kenda Kapaku as they serve in Hawaii.

24 Unite in prayer for Mike & Dawn VanDervort as they advise Haitian leaders.

17 Praise God for the effectiveness of our ministry in Bangladesh!

10 Intercede on behalf of the people of Brazil as they continue to deal with the effects of COVID-19.

3 Pray for strength & wisdom for India Field Director Samir Singha as he seeks to do the work the Lord has called him to.

Tuesday

25 Ask God to bless the pastors of the Voice of the Gospel in Kenya with excellence in ministry skills and unity of vision.

18 Unite in prayer for Caleb & Christina Acosta as they lead the church they pastor as well as the Latino Ministry fields.

11 Happy Birthday to Mary Teller! Pray the Lord’s blessings on her this next year!

4 Remember in prayer Rod & Mila Ayers and ask for safety for Rod as he works on roofing jobs this summer.

Wednesday

Thursday

26 Happy Birthday to Lance Finley, Executive Director at the CGGC! Pray for wisdom and discernment as he leads.

19 Pray for the children of India to be able to gather more regularly for school.

They miss the social interaction.

12 Lift up John & Toni Thumma and their ministry in NM. Pray that the Lord would continue to demonstrate His faithfulness through divine answers to prayer.

(National Day of Prayer)

5 On this Cinco de Mayo, pray for unity and vision for the churches in Mexico.

Global Advocate Prayer Calendar

May 2022

27 Remember in prayer the ministry workers in Bangladesh. Ask that they be surrounded by a hedge of protection.

20 Praise God for the mission teams going to the Navajo Nation!

Pray for long-lasting spiritual growth.

13 Pray for the Allegheny Regional Conference sessions being held today and tomorrow.

6 Pray for retired missionary Geneva McNutt as she mourns Carroll on their wedding anniversary.

Friday

28 Intercede on behalf of Bryan & Katie Crabtree as they return from their first year in Thailand.

Pray for their rest and time with family.

21 Happy Birthday to Dawn VanDervort!

Have faith that the Lord will bestow his blessings upon her this year!

14 Happy Birthday tomorrow to Jim Marckel! Jim is the Archive’s curator at the CGGC office.

7 Happy Birthday to Scott Frobel tomorrow! Scott takes care of the maintenance of the CGGC office.

Saturday

6 Pray for Assistant Campus Ministries leader Josiah Parkhurst as he works with summer interns.

13 Seek the Holy Spirit’s restoration and encouragement for the pastors in Brazil.

Petition for major revival within the churches.

20 Pray for racial reconciliation in the USA as we observe Juneteenth and remember the Emancipation Proclamation.

27 Happy Birthday Rod Ayers! Thank the Lord for Rod & Mila’s love for the people of Haiti. Pray for the fruit of the Spirit to be very evident among the believers there.

12 Petition to the Lord to open doors in Honduras as church members from Sanidad Divina work to help the people there with missionary efforts.

19 Happy Father’s Day! Delight in the goodness of your Heavenly Father today. Intercede for the Lord to raise up godly fathers among every people group.

26 Happy Birthday Bryan Crabtree!

Pray for blessings this next year as Bryan & Katie transition to missionary life in Thailand.

Monday

5 Pray for God to grant patience and endurance to GR Assistant Director Travis Helm so he can share what God is doing around the world.

Sunday

28 Strengthening Churches: Ask the Lord to provide the resources to help every church develop in its commitment to Him and stewardship of resources.

21 Pray for the ministry taking place in Argentina.

Have faith that the work being done will continue to grow!

14 Join in prayer for Pastor German Baquedano in Nicaragua. Ask for wisdom as he works with local leaders to provide outreach to the community.

7 Thank the Lord for Ken & Betty McIntyre. Petition the Lord for continued opportunities to share with churches as Mission Advancement Volunteers.

Tuesday

29 Happy Birthday to Latino Ministries Director Caleb Acosta! Ask the Lord to encourage our brother as he travels, directs, & encourages.

22 Happy Anniversary Mike & Dawn VanDervort!

Praise the Lord for their strong partnership. Intercede for them as they prepare to retire.

15 Pray for the leaders of our churches in Mexico.

Churches are being restricted in regards to meeting.

30 Intercede on behalf of Rod & Mila Ayers and ask the Lord to provide safety while they travel and serve in Haiti.

23 Commit to the Lord the Midwest Regional Conference sessions today through Saturday.

16 Join together in prayer for the people of the Dominican Republic and ask that there would continue to be strong spiritual growth!

9 Intercede for the first ACTS Team to Argentina! Pray for their effectiveness as they serve today through June 16.

2 Pray for husbandand-wife team Dario & Yolmary as they head up the outreach in Chile. Ask for doors to be opened.

1 Have faith that God will use the Child of Promise schools in Bangladesh to share the love of Jesus with the students and their communities.

8 Unite in prayer for the India staff family. Pray for their fruitfulness and God’s blessings for them.

Remember Samir Singha as he guides these Mission leaders.

Thursday

Wednesday

Global Advocate Prayer Calendar

June 2022

24 Pray for Dr. John Costa, Bangladesh Field Director, as he provides care to patients and that there would be opportunities to witness.

17 Lift up Dave & Kenda Kapaku in prayer as they serve the Kahana Door of Faith church in Maui.

May the Lord add daily to their number!

10 Join in prayer for Global Reach Director Ben Tobias. Pray for divine wisdom to lead well and for encouragement and strength to deal with constant challenges.

3 Lift up in prayer the Great Lakes Conference sessions as they meet today and tomorrow.

Friday

25 Intercede on behalf of the people of Venezuela as the government continues to enforce tighter restrictions. There are weeks they cannot leave their homes.

18 Tomorrow is Gordon Avey’s birthday! Give thanks for his many years of work in Brazil. Pray that the Lord will bless him this next year!

11 Call upon the Lord and ask Him to open the hearts of the people who live in Thailand, that they would want to know him more.

4 Remember field leader Pastor Joseph Mwaura in Kenya.

Pray for wisdom and discernment as he oversees churches.

Saturday

Gifts of Hope

Blessing Others Through Fair Trade Shopping Opportunities by Lance Finley, CGGC Executive Director

F

or many years, the congregations of the Churches of God, General Conference have been strong partners in the cross-cultural ministry efforts of Global Reach. These partnerships have been lived out in a variety of ways, often with a strong emphasis on going, seeing and participating in global ministry fields. For the past two years, we’ve been forced to think creatively about how to be partners in Global Reach ministries due to the restricted travel brought about by the global pandemic and other rising tensions across the globe. How can you participate in what God is doing around the globe when you can’t lead mission teams outside the U.S.? How can you participate in global ministry when it’s nearly impossible to go somewhere else in the world? How can you make a difference somewhere else in the world when you can’t go there in person?

On December 4, 2021, the Mt. Pleasant Church of God (https://mpcog.org), located in Mt. Pleasant, PA and a part of the Allegheny Regional Conference, hosted the Gifts of Hope fair trade shopping event. We asked Penny Zeisloft and Blaine Barclay to share about their experience with Gifts of Hope and fair trade.

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Some of our readers may be unfamiliar with the concept of fair trade. What is it and how did you come to get involved in such an effort?

According to the World Fair Trade Organization, fair trade is “a trading partnership, based on dialogue, transparency and respect, which seeks greater equity in international trade. It contributes to sustainable development by offering better trading conditions to, and securing the rights of, marginalized producers and workers.”

Zeisloft stresses that, “Fair trade is a concept where everyone in the supply chain shares a commitment to help disadvantaged people. It is a market-driven trading partnership fueled by a heart change in the buyers. It’s about trade, not aid and people over profit.” She continues, “One of the goals of fair trade is to empower, rather than exploit, the workers. It’s about protecting their dignity and increasing their independence through sustainable and meaningful employment.”

Barclay pointed out that in many developing world countries, people are forced to live and work in conditions that are less than satisfactory. “There’s a reality that corporations often take advantage of workers in these countries. Fair trade offers an opportunity to do better. Fair trade addresses both working conditions as well as fair wages for the workers.” Some common elements include concerns such as no child labor, safe working conditions and capacity-building opportunities that allow workers to become more independent. Zeisloft offered the example of a vendor whose artisans in Nicaragua relied upon wood heat in their homes and workshops and suffered from the effects of constant smoke in enclosed areas. As a result of fair trade, the vendor was able to utilize the profits from their work to purchase eco-friendly stoves, which resulted in healthier and safer living and working conditions.

Zeisloft shares, “God put people in my life who taught me how fair trade principles correspond to my Christian faith. Throughout Scripture, we find a consistent theme of God’s concern for the poor and His heart for justice.

Isaiah 58 and Matthew 25 are just two of many passages that highlight God’s concern for the marginalized and disenfranchised.” In 2015, Zeisloft attended a party featuring the fair trade goods of Rahab’s Rope, which rescues women and children from human trafficking in India. That same year, she began holding events in her home with a handful of fair trade vendors. Over the years these efforts have grown, and over $75,000 has been raised cumulatively since 2015. The Mt. Pleasant Church of God has helped partner in the work since 2019.

“

One of the goals of fair trade is to empower, rather than exploit, the workers. It’s about protecting their dignity and increasing their independence through sustainable and meaningful employment.

”

What were the results of the most recent fair trade shopping event?

The Mt. Pleasant Church of God hosted Gifts of Hope on December 4, 2021 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Over 20 fair trade vendors sent their products, which featured jewelry, accessories, handbags, pottery, coffee, ornaments, chocolate, scarves, wallets, baskets, toys, home decor, candles, soap, aprons and more. Over 300 people attended the event. At the end of the day, $18,000 worth of merchandise was sold, and 100% of the profits went back to the vendors who directly support the artisans, farmers and their communities. Barclay shared that the congregation underwrote the cost of the event, which included advertising, entertainment and complimentary coffee and donuts for the shoppers. Mt. Pleasant Church of God held the first Gifts of Hope event in 2019 before taking a hiatus due to the pandemic in 2020. The church partnered with organizations working with people from India, Ghana, Guatemala, Cambodia, Uganda, Ecuador, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Haiti and others.

What did it take for the Mt. Pleasant Church of God to host this kind of event?

Over 40 individuals volunteered to help with the day. Some of these volunteers worked as salespeople at the vendor tables, some helped with the food for the day, and others provided the musical entertainment. The set-up took 2-3 days before the actual event, and volunteers set up pallets and crates and helped get the product ready to display for shoppers. The youth group at Mt. Pleasant helped with set-up on Wednesday evening, and another group of volunteers helped on Thursday evening and enjoyed dinner together as well. Zeisloft adds that it made a “great body of Christ moment with many different people contributing their different talents to the effort.”

What’s the motivation for holding this kind of event?

Zeisloft shares that “We chose to hold this event at Christmas because it’s a time when all of us are buying gifts.

Why not take our gift-buying and turn it into a way to bless others?” She notes that Genesis 12:1-3 has provided some of her own motivation and points to the call on Abram’s life to “be a blessing.” She continues, “When you buy a gift at Gifts of Hope, you’re doing something that has the potential to touch the lives of people from as many as 20 different countries around the world. We get to demonstrate that we care about the poor and disenfranchised people of our world, and we get show our local community of Mt. Pleasant that we care about them as well. We’re giving them access to unique products that they wouldn’t normally have access to here, as well as a nice Christmas event with food and entertainment.”

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Barclay adds that the products featured at Gifts of Hope give folks the opportunity to find unique items that won’t be found at the large chain retail stores. “People have shared that they appreciate the variety of the products we carry from over 20 vendors, the fact that you can’t often find these products here in the U.S., and the uniqueness of each individual gift. There are not 5,000 units of each item, but typically only one or two uniquely crafted items of each type of product. People have the opportunity to give a very special gift that won’t be easily duplicated.”

Zeisloft adds that the unique products that fair trade efforts bring to small-town and rural markets like Westmoreland County is a special way to bless the people of their community. “In larger areas like Pittsburgh, people have greater access to fair trade stores and the unique gifts and products that they sell. For instance, in 2019 we held a similar event in Pittsburgh, which resulted in about $6,500 in sales. The following week, we held Gifts of Hope here in Mt Pleasant, which resulted in over $13,000 sales (double what was sold in the city)! Folks in our community typically do not have opportunities to find unique, handmade products outside of the city.

Westmoreland County is an untapped market for these fair trade goods.”

What encouragement would you offer others throughout the CGGC? Start small! You may want to start working with one or two vendors and see how that develops.

Zeisloft shares that Proverbs 3:27 provides the main motivation for her passion for this ministry: “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.”

“When we make purchases, ‘it is in our power to act.’ When we buy gifts at Christmas, why not make sure our gift-giving is done in a way that helps change the lives of people around the world?”

Zeisloft and Barclay add that they would be more than happy to provide assistance to others that may want to explore similar kinds of efforts across the CGGC. “We would love to offer guidance and advice from what we’ve learned here at Mt. Pleasant.”

Here is a list of some of the Fair Trade vendors featured at Gifts of Hope: Revy Fair Trade Apparent Project Building New Hope Mayan Hands Sak Saum Ornaments 4 Orphans SEED Rahab’s Rope World Crafts Mira Fair Trade Eternal Threads Global Mamas Seeds To Sew Ten Thousand Villages Project Have Hope

https://revydirect.com/ https://apparentproject.org/ https://www.buildingnewhope.org/ https://www.mayanhands.org/ https://www.saksaum.com/ https://ornaments4orphans.org/ https://shopseedmarket.org/ https://www.rahabsrope.com/ https://www.worldcrafts.org/ https://shopmira.com/ https://eternalthreads.org/ https://globalmamas.org/ https://seedstosew.org/ https://www.tenthousandvillages.com/ https://projecthavehope.org/

The Global Advocate 15

Global Reach Updates T

hank 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 and the downtrodden in their parts of the world. Please celebrate the following updates from some of the Global Reach fields. These updates are provided by various staff from the fields of ministry.

Dominican Republic

Pastor Evelyn Jimenez from the El Mango Limpio Village reports that the Kilometer 20 church plant has a great start! They are picking up strength with outreach as they continue ministering to the needs of their local community. They have partnered with other churches, Nuevo Inicio Church (New Initiative Church of God) and Cristo es mi Esperanza Church (Christ is my Hope) to serve together. The partnership outreach is called “First God.” In this effort, they brought an evangelist to share God’s Word to the village. They also prepared and served rice and chicken for everyone.

Others served by providing hair services as an outreach ministry. Pray for Pastor Brigida who has tumors in her colon.

They have operated but her wound has not healed properly, and she is very sick on bedrest for several months.

16 May/June 2022

Bangladesh

Ministry has been difficult in many ways throughout 2021 but God has been merciful. He has provided many opportunities to reach village communities despite the hardships created through the pandemic. The pictures at the right are just a sample of some of the fruit we can praise God for. Some highlights from 2021 ministry are: 195 professions of faith, 103 baptisms, 872 students in 19 schools and 155 in Boys/Girls Hostel. 82,800 patients treated at Bogra Christian Hospital (BCH) and Khanjanpur Medical Clinic with 5,725 operations. 1,875 families received Covid relief, 990 blankets were distributed in northwest region and hardware was provided for 17 clean water wells.

Southwest

2022 began with a very big transition as Pastor John Thumma retired from Gamerco to take more time to focus on his own studies, being with Miss Toni, and to continue his ministry at Hooghan Nizhoni. With his retirement, Jacob and Haley Day have assumed the titles of co-pastors at Gamerco.

In their first week as co-pastors, the sanctuary furnace broke. After making a few phone calls to different local companies and trying to figure things out on their own, they were able to arrange for furnace replacement with much help from Pastor Thumma. Gamerco has been doing a penny war and are hoping to try a live/silent auction on Facebook along with donations from the congregation to help raise the $7,000 needed to replace the furnace. Thankfully, winter hasn’t been too cold in the SW and until it is fixed, they have been relying on a supplemental heater and blankets to keep warm on Sundays. The Days say they won’t let a little cold stop them from worshipping and praising His name! They have a busy year to look forward to with church events and visiting teams. Pray that they can bring the lost to Christ and glorify God through it all.

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Argentina

Tierra de Adoracion (Land of Worship Church) in Argentina is getting together with churches from different cities to hold worship together with the theme “One Body” as their main focus. It is a reminder that though we are from different denominations, we can still come together and learn from each other and know that we are of one body in Christ Jesus. Pray for the worship service gatherings as they meet on Wednesdays and Saturdays of each week. Pray for the continuation of the radio hosting program of Christian Education and for their youth as they develop into leadership roles.

Chile Outreach

Esperanza Viva (Living Hope) in Chile is now in a new place of worship.

Friendship Community (ERC) has decided to partner with them to help them have a more stable weekly gathering. They are using space within another church building. The Chile church is very thankful for this partnership and the prayers offered for them.

18 May/June 2022

Thailand

One of Katie Crabtree’s students ran up to her on the playground and told her with concern in her voice that our new student doesn’t know about Jesus! (Keep in mind that this student didn’t know about Jesus herself before starting at ICS last school year.) Katie told her that this student is in the right place then because she has new friends who can tell her all about Him. The student’s eyes lit up as she ran off, enthusiastic to share all that she knows about Jesus with her new friend. In addition to what Katie can teach this new student about Jesus, it is so meaningful to hear it from other kids their own age in a natural setting as it comes up while they play. Pray that these types of interactions would continue to happen as kids are eager to share with one another about the truth.

Thank you for your faithful prayers and support in reaching the lost across the globe. It is making a difference for eternity. Below is a table which provides some 2021year end summary statistics for CGGC Global Reach fields.

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