July White Wing Messenger

ALIVE AND WELL STEPPING FORWARD TO SERVE IT ECHOES UP THE HOLLER

WHITE WING

MESSENGER WE BELIEVE in the Holy Trinity—one God, eternally existing in Three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

We believe in one God, the Father, creator of heaven and earth, of all things seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father.

All things were made through Him and for Him. He is true God and true man. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and was born of the virgin, Mary. He suffered, died, was buried, and on the third day He rose from the dead. He ascended to the right hand of the Father, and He will return to judge the living and the dead. His kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, who eternally proceeds from the Father. He is Teacher, Comforter, Helper, and Giver of spiritual gifts. Through Him the saving and sanctifying works of Jesus Christ are applied to the life of believers. He is the empowering presence of God in the life of the Christian and the church. The Father has sent His Son to baptize with the Holy Spirit. Speaking in tongues and bearing the fruit of the Spirit are New Testament signs of being filled with the Holy Spirit.

We believe that salvation is by grace through faith in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ on the cross and that He died in our place. The believer’s sins are forgiven by the shedding of His blood. We believe that healing of mind, body, soul, and spirit is available to the believer through the blood of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. We believe in one baptism in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

We believe that the grace of God brings forgiveness and reconciliation to those who repent, as well as transformation in holiness, enabling them to live a Christ-like life.

Sanctification is both a definite work of grace and a lifelong process of change in the believer brought by the blood of Jesus, the Word of God, and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit.

We believe in one holy, universal church, composed of all true believers in Jesus Christ, offering fellowship and calling for service to men and women of all races, nations, cultures, and languages. We believe in the spiritual and ultimate visible unity of the church.

We believe that the Bible—both Old and New Testaments—is the inspired Word of God. The Bible is God’s revelation of Himself and His will to humankind, sufficient for instruction in salvation and daily Christian living. The Bible is the Christian’s rule of faith and practice.

We believe that God will ultimately reconcile all things in heaven and earth in Christ. Therefore, we look forward to new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

Executive Editor/Publisher: Sam N. Clements Managing Editor: Marsha Robinson Copy Editor: Olivia Jones Editorial Assistant: Roxanne Corbett Graphic Artist: Jonathan Lovvorn About the Church of God of Prophecy The Church of God of Prophecy is a vibrant, worldwide body of believers, united in worship, working hand-in-hand to share God’s love and a message of hope to the brokenhearted. The organization has more than a million members and more than 10,000 ministers, worshiping in more than 10,000 churches or missions in 135 nations of the world.

Church of God of Prophecy Core Values Prayer • The Harvest Leadership Development • Stewardship OUR VISION The Church of God of Prophecy will be a Christ-exalting, holiness, Spirit-filled, allnations, disciple-making, church-planting Movement with a passion for Christian union.

OUR MISSION Empowered by the Holy Spirit, through prayer, we will plant churches and equip leaders to carry out the biblical mandate to make genuine disciples of all the peoples of the world, to the glory of Christ our Lord, Head of the church.

General Presbytery: Sam N. Clements: General Overseer Tim Coalter: North America Clayton Endecott: Europe/CIS/Middle East Benjamin Feliz: Mexico/Central America/ Spanish-speaking Caribbean Clayton Martin: Caribbean/Atlantic Ocean Islands Stephen Masilela: Africa Tim McCaleb: Asia/Australia/Oceania Gabriel E. Vidal: South America White Wing Messenger (ISSN 0043-5007) (USPS 683-020) is published monthly as the official

publication of the Church of God of Prophecy, 3720 Keith St. NW, Cleveland, TN. Send all materials for publication to Editorial Department; PO Box 2910, Cleveland, TN 37320-2910; e-mail: editorial@cogop. org; fax: (423) 559-5121. For subscription rates, visit www.cogop.org; call (423) 559-5114; e-mail: subscriptions@cogop.org. Subscription rate: $18.00 per year, payable to White Wing Messenger by check, draft, or money order. Periodical postage paid at Cleveland, TN 37311 and at additional mail office.

Donations for the White Wing Messenger may be sent to the above address. All Scripture references are from the King James Version unless otherwise indicated. POSTMASTER: Send address change to White Wing Messenger, PO Box 2910, Cleveland,

TN 37320-2910. Please submit all material to the White Wing Messenger; Managing Editor; P. O. Box 2910; Cleveland, TN 37320-2910; phone (423) 559-5128; e-mail us at Editorial@cogop.org.

Cover photo DepositPhotos.com

JULY 2020 • Volume 96, Number 12

FEATURES

8 Alive and Well

Marsha Robinson

10

Stepping Forward to Serve Philip Polo

11 Bellshire Helping Hands Kindergarten

Philip Polo

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17

Little is Much When God is In It Vickie Viars

It Echoes Up the Holler

Terry Newsome & Mitchell Cathey

18

THINK and THANK

James Wallace

DEPARTMENTS 20 22 26 28

Leadership Development Children’s Ministries Global Missions Stewardship

Scott Gillum

COLUMNS

4 Facing Forward by Sam N. Clements

Sam N. Clements Jesus is Coming

5 Connections

Testimony/Church

6

Prayer Ministries Karen Harper

Visit us online—www.whitewingmessenger.net MEMBER The White Wing Messenger is a member of the Evangelical Press Association

Sam N. Clements General Overseer

JESUS IS COMING “And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh” (Luke 21:25–28 KJV).

Jesus is coming! He is coming swiftly! He is coming suddenly and we must be ready. In Matthew 26:64 Jesus said, “Nevertheless I say unto you, hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”

The angels said He would come again. The Holy Ghost, by the mouth of the apostles, said He would come again. Paul said, “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you as a thief” (1 Thessalonians 5:4 NKJV). In the fourth chapter of the book of Thessalonians, Paul wrote, “For the Lord himself shall descend

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from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first” (v. 16 KJV).

The last book of the Bible, Revelation, begins and ends with the theme of His coming. Every chapter relates to this subject. World events revolve around it. Jesus is coming and nothing or no one can stop Him.

“HE WHICH TESTIFIETH THESE THINGS SAITH, SURELY I COME QUICKLY. AMEN. EVEN SO, COME, LORD JESUS”

The second coming of Christ should be the foremost hope in our minds. It is the key factor in our faith. At the time of His ascension, the angels stood by and spoke to those who had been with Him and said, “Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11 KJV).

At His first coming, He put off His glory and took upon Him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men. He was clothed with the veil of flesh, but at His second coming, He will be clothed with the garments of God. At His first coming, He appeared in weakness, an infant in a manger, but at His second coming, He shall appear in power as the King of Glory, the sign of His exaltation before God the Father.

He is coming in the glory of the Father, He is coming in the glory of the angels as the Captain of the Host of Heaven. He is coming in the glory of the church as the bridegroom with the bride. The Son of God, the root and offspring of David. The Son of man, born of a woman, the crucified man, the risen man, the infinite eternal man, the one who was God and man—Jesus Christ.

He is coming as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. “He which testifieth these things saith, surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20 KJV).

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CONNECTIONS THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE CHURCH OF GOD OF PROPHECY FOR THE MONTH OF JULY 2020

TESTIMONY

GOD STILL HEALS As Told to Sister Cathy Payne Throughout my Christian life, God has promised me He would heal me.

When I was four years old, I began to have petit mal seizures with brief, sudden lapses of consciousness. At 10, I developed temporal mal seizures which involved agitation and impaired awareness. Then at 12, I progressed to grand mal seizures. This was the most life-altering level of epilepsy. I would lose consciousness and have violent muscle contractions. My condition went untreated until I was 18, when I married my husband. He took me to a neurologist, and I started taking medication.

On March 11, 2019, I had a dream.

In the dream, Sister Elva Howard was with me. I remember that she took me by the wrists when she saw me. We walked into a large house, entering by the front door. Once inside, we began to pray in the Holy Ghost. We went through each room one by one. After that, we left. Through the roof! I turned and looked back and saw there were three large holes in the roof.

We returned to the ground. Off to one side was a wall. On the wall were two words—“bold” and “authority.”

Sister Elva began to tell the devil, “I told you to get out, and stay out, and keep out.” Then she ascended into the heavens. I heard God say, “Didn’t I tell you I was going to heal you?”

On July 12, 2019, I fell and broke my left leg. I became bedridden. In August, I developed an infection in my body. It grew worse, and in the last week of

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CHURCH

BAHAMA BRASS BAND: MARCHING ON

and gives them a place to grow with support and help from consistent mentors.

“From its inception and its first appearance at an international church gathering, dedication was a vital part The recent global pandemic has of the formation and early initiatives created even more pressure to use of the BBB,” writes Adrian L. Varlack technology for connection and change. Sr., church historian for the Church The Church of God of Prophecy has of God of Prophecy. He continues, a history of seeking innovative ways “The consistent training and shining to carry the message to the lost and example of the band’s first founders hurting. Social media opens new and their spiritual message was the avenues for sharing and connecting underlying and most important piece with those who were previously at a of the band’s inspiration and assured distance. But even this is not the only the volunteerism that has made means of sharing the Gospel in the the longevity and success of this community. Some groups within the exceptional musical group possible.” church find extraordinary ways to keep Young men in the group learn quickly the Gospel message alive and growing. to embrace the ministry commitment One such group is the world-famous of the band. Members encourage those Bahama Brass Band. in training to stay in church and take The Bahama Brass Band (BBB) an active part in ministry. This kind of was formed in 1925 and made their impact is not social media driven. It has first appearance at the International not been watered down by modern Assembly in 1938. The band’s ministry ideas but comes through giving these includes teaching musical skills, training future leaders understanding of their leaders, and mentoring young men in God-given purpose. the faith. This ministry involvement provides stability for many young men Continued on page 31

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PRAYING FOR YOUR PASTOR’S COMPANION Prayer Points July 2020

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

CONTRIBUTOR: Karen Harper “By humility and the fear of the Lord Are riches and honor and life” (Proverbs 22:4 NKJV).

“Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor” (Romans 13:7 NKJV).

Honor is: 1) a showing of merited respect; 2) a person of superior standing; 3) one whose worth brings respect or fame (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). When I think of those deserving of honor, I think of our pastors’ companions. They labor without complaint, give of their resources, pray without ceasing, and love unconditionally. Many of them have cooked meals for families in need, come to the rescue of wayward souls, listened on the phone to bleeding hearts, or served with their hands doing things like building a handicap ramp or mowing a lawn for an elderly member. These companions daily live the example of the love of God. Their humility and fear of the Lord dictates that their lives and riches, honor, and long life are due them. They are the prayerful support, the foundation of the parsonage home.

Leadership is not without its struggles. The attacks from the enemy can seem to come from many different areas. The very fiber of the pastor’s home is often built on the faithfulness and nurturing love of the pastor’s companion. Therefore, the enemy of our soul seeks to destroy God’s people by breaking the fiber of the parsonage home through destroying the self-confidence of the pastor’s companion. Prayer changes this!

As we pray for our pastor’s companions, let us be reminded, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news. . .” (Isaiah 52:7 NKJV). Honor your pastor’s companion by praying over them every day and cover them in the Word of God.

PRAYER DIRECTIVES:

• Prayer for their emotional and physical strength to handle daily responsibilities with confidence (Psalm 18:2).

• Pray that they have a heart of obedience and submission to God’s will (Deuteronomy 11:13).

• Ask the Father to give them true and deep friendships (Proverbs 27:9).

• Pray that they have a spirit of wisdom in dealing with others (James 1:5).

• Pray they have an ability to face criticism with grace and mercy (Colossians 3:12).

• Ask the Father to give them contentment in ministry with a heart to serve (1 Peter 4:10).

• Pray that they be a good steward of money (Proverbs 3:9, 10).

• Ask the Lord to bring growth in the church to financially support a full-time pastor (1 Timothy 1:15; Matthew 28:19).

• Pray for unity among any children in the home and protection from excessive expectations from congregants (Matthew 18:16).

• Ask the Father to give your pastor and their companion good health (Proverbs 14:26).

• Pray that you would be a faithful encourager of your pastoral family (Acts 11:22–24).

• Ask the Father to give you insight as to how you can support and share the vision of your pastor for the church (Acts 2:17).

For more information, visit www.cogop.org.

Spirit and Life Seminary Cleveland, Tennessee Fall semester Session 2 dates October 12—December 4, 2020 Courses being offered: TS100 Intro to Christian Doctrine (online) BI150 Survey of the New Testament (online) July 11, 2020 Live Global Address General Overseer and General Presbyters 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (US)

Karen is a graduate of Sullivan University with a diploma as an executive secretary. She has served as the administrative secretary to the Director of Procurement for Kentucky Fried Chicken and office manager of Harvest Worship Center in Taylor, Michigan. She currently serves as the executive assistant to the regional overseer of the Great Lakes Region and is the webmaster for the Great Lakes.

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Just because you’re STUCK at home doesn’t mean you can’t make a difference!

Ten-year-old Madison McKinley has made the most of social distancing by being the hands and feet of Jesus to her community over the past few weeks.

It all started at Easter. Madison and her friends were disappointed that they couldn’t go to Sunday school like normal, so Madison had an idea: Why not bring Sunday school to kid’s houses?

Using Zoom online, Madison taught an Easter lesson to the kids in her neighborhood, complete with a craft and snack. “It was really fun, so I was like, we could just keep doing this every week.

We’ve been doing it every Sunday.”

To keep with social distancing guidelines, Madison distributes the supplies that go with the upcoming lesson in the kid’s mailboxes—like a jellybean slingshot for David and Goliath or animal crackers for the creation story.

With the help of her dad, International Director of Children’s Ministries Shaun McKinley, Madison and her friends make fun and interactive Bible lessons that share God’s truth with neighborhood kids who may have never heard the Gospel. “Even if they don’t know God, they can know about who God is,” Madison said.

As the lessons continue, more and more people are wanting to get involved. Madison is hoping to create a way for more kids to get the lesson supplies and be a part of the weekly Zoom meetings. “I could do it with lots of other people who didn’t even live by me.”

Madison also worked with the neighborhood kids to help with tornado relief after extensive damage was done in Cleveland over Easter weekend. They crafted bracelets and sold them at a jewelry stand in the neighborhood, with all proceeds going toward charity.

Madison encourages other kids to shine God’s light in their neighborhoods. Whether it’s selling a craft, sharing something you baked, or hosting a Bible lesson, there are plenty of ways to make a difference.

“You don’t have to have all this stuff to share God’s Word. Just get on Zoom or get together and open the Bible, read it, and share with everybody else what you’ve been reading about. If you share with just a little group of people, they can share with someone else, and it can just go on forever.”

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For

more than a century, Church of God of Prophecy pastors have prepared to step into a pulpit and address their congregations face-to-face one or more times a week. They prepared with Scripture references, three or four main points, and some had a funny story or two. Usually, when pastors preached, they saw nods of understanding and maybe heard an “Amen” of approval once in a while. Pastors came to expect some kind of immediate feedback from the people listening, whether spoken during the sermon or afterward with a handshake and a heartfelt, “Enjoyed that, Pastor.”

Then came the spring of 2020. For a series of Sundays in March, April, May, and beyond, the pews were empty.

Congregants did not gather with their pastors. It was definitely a new ballgame. It may affect how we do church for a long time.

During this time of quarantine, pastors have sought the Lord, relied on other pastors for ideas, and talked to their people to figure out ways to have church without being physically together. Easter came and went without congregations worshipping in their churches. How are our churches doing? How are pastors handling these circumstances? You might be surprised. Here are just a few of their stories.

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Pastor Gilbert Alfaro The pastor of Front Street Community Church in Philadelphia meets with his congregation on Sundays at 11:00 via YouTube and Facebook Live. He is reaching an average of more than 200 people, more than his usual attendance, with one Sunday sermon garnering 1,700 unique views!

Bishop Mark Menke has stayed in contact with the pastors of Pennsylvania and been a tremendous help. Pastor Alfaro says of his church, as they reach out and connect on multiple platforms, he is hearing from people who have not been involved with the church in years. Front Street also offers ministry for youth, women, and men’s Bible studies using Zoom. They offer some type of ministry every day of the week. Fridays, they have a live worship service on YouTube and Facebook. Various speakers have been invited to share a word of encouragement on these broadcasts. He provides his cell phone number so that people can share prayer requests confidentially. People are excited and new people call to ask when the church will be open for services.

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Marsha Robinson is managing editor for the White Wing Messenger. She is a contributing writer for the Regal Books anthology, I Believe in Miracles, and writes an online devotional, The Fragrance of Flowers. She is an ordained COGOP minister who loves to speak in churches, at conferences, and to the incarcerated.

MARSHA ROBINSON | EDITOR He said he was reluctant at first to ask the leadership of the church to share in the burden of reaching out to people in these new ways, but was overjoyed to find his people were “all in.” What they are doing has impacted the lives of people every day. Prayer and interest in the Word has greatly increased. They also operate God’s Storehouse Community Foodbank for people who have lost jobs. Volunteers deliver boxes of groceries (provided by a local food-sharing charity) to the doorstep of many families. Pastor Alfaro said, “All I want is to be a servant like Christ. He did what He did for the least of these and I want to mimic that.”

Pastor Tim Gribbins Sister Dina Gribbins, wife of Pastor Tim Gribbins, reports that Victory Lighthouse COGOP in New Albany, Indiana, is alive and well. State Overseer Tim Harper has been an excellent presiding bishop during this time of pandemic, holding weekly Zoom meetings with the pastors of the Great Lakes Region (Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin). Even though the Gribbins live in Kentucky, the church is in Indiana.

They began their new venture by utilizing the Facebook Messenger call feature to connect with their church body each week. They called the entire church family and shared a time of ministry with them for three weeks. Soon, they saw the need for praise and worship. The music director prepared selections for a time of worship each week and they began conducting live services online. Their livestream services averaged 65 comments from viewers and 300 views per service. This greatly exceeded their reach pre-pandemic.

In mid-May, the governor of their state allowed inhouse services and the church went back to having onsite church, but this was restricted to 33 to 50 percent capacity. Due to the great success of their foray into livestreaming, the pastoral staff and leaders agreed they should continue to offer online services, even with inhouse services taking place.

Someone has donated a camera, computer, and monitor.

People are receiving training in audio and video production.

Sister Gribbins said, “People, some of them old acquaintances we have not heard from in a long time, message asking for service times and other information about the church. We are really reaching more people than ever with the Gospel.

I am excited that so many people have heard the Gospel.

There are people out there who are searching for answers.

There is a lot of poverty and drug use in our neighborhoods.

We have sent postcards and walked the streets to get addresses for Christmas cards and Easter booklets. We share Scriptures door to door. We are intentionally investing in the neighborhood. We can be a help to these people. Everybody needs a good church family.”

Pastor Lance Skipper Gloverville, South Carolina COGOP pastor, Lance Skipper, is also the co-director of South Carolina Youth Ministries.

During the past weeks of following the new guidelines for managing church activities, Presiding Bishop of South Carolina George McLaughlin stays closely connected to the pastors in the state through frequent phone calls, emails, and Facebook Live. Speaking about Bishop McLaughlin’s involvement, Pastor Skipper said, “I have never had to wonder what was going on.” He also joyously reported, “We have done it all!

We started online, added a parking lot service, we sent out devotions every day, we dropped roses off on porches for Mother’s Day, conducted social distance funerals, adapted and changed things up numerous times. You cannot expect the Lord to establish your steps if you are not willing to be continuously stepping. We never sit back. We ask ourselves, ‘Are we working for God or with God?’ We made up our minds to do this well so that when we get into the next season, we have planted good seed.”

Their online services are mainly for the church body, but others are watching, too. A man at a funeral told Pastor Skipper, “It’s good to see you in person. I’ve been watching online for weeks!” The church intentionally uses the parking lot services to reach the community. New people have been coming to it. And they come back. Many people sit on their porches in the neighborhood and listen. Pastor Skipper was very humbled by the privilege of being asked to go into the hospital to minister to a critically ill man who passed away.

He remarked, “The church is still committed. Our people are not seeing this as a vacation. We feed the homeless every week. We have passed out gifts to graduates. We use all kinds of social media platforms, even TikTok. We have had no financial issues. Teenagers are still coming to service. God is good.” You can find them at https://www.facebook.com/ GlovervilleCOGOP/

Pastor Scott Kifer Scott Kifer is the pastor of House of Hope COGOP in Vandergriff, Pennsylvania. He is very grateful for the leadership of Bishop Mark Menke, state overseer, who has kept in touch and met via Zoom calls regularly. House of Hope had been doing Facebook Live broadcasts for more Continued on page 14 WWM J U LY

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S

Serving humanity is the mission and core value adopted by the Great Commission (GC) COGOP in Rongai-Tuala, Kenya, since its beginning. Our mandate is to reach out and share the love and compassion of our Lord Jesus Christ with a lost and hurting world. The GCCOGOP is always looking for opportunities to fulfill this mandate.

In the past, the church has reached out to local communities through such events as VBS, community feeding programs, donating clothes, distributing Bibles, discipleship resources, and even life skills training for the youth. More recently, the Church of God of Prophecy, through the support of the Helping Hands for Kids and in partnership with Bellshire Church of God of Prophecy, initiated the creation of the Bellshire Helping Hands Kindergarten to reach out and serve the children in our community. We serve not only the children, but their families, also, by sharing the love and compassion of Christ with them.

The current global crisis regarding the Coronavirus pandemic provided another outreach opportunity, in spite of challenges and difficulties. Initially, we had intended to have a joint outreach initiative with our sister COGOP churches in the region and across the country, but this was hampered by the restrictions in movement, especially the lockdown in Nairobi and its metropolitan areas.

To by-pass these challenges, the GCCOGOP, a Pentecostal Christian church, entered into a unique collaboration agreement for relief and outreach with a Muslim retail store to serve the local community with a meal every Sunday

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afternoon from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., as a means of sharing the love and compassion of our Lord Jesus Christ with suffering humanity.

From the onset of this initiative, the shop manager, Diqo Abdikadir, was reluctant to grant our plea when we mentioned that our church was doing this outreach to share about the love of Jesus Christ with the local community. However, when we explained the challenges we had earlier (our original suppliers failed to deliver the required supplies), she accepted our request.

We have received appreciation and testimonials from families who benefited from the program during the three weeks of service. They praise the Lord and thank God for the provision of the meal by the local church family.

A man in the community, Mr. Thiong’o Ng’ang’a, has been a beneficiary of this community outreach initiative and has since turned into an ardent witness of the love and compassion of our Lord Jesus Christ, as he has been witnessing about Jesus Christ to the community for the last three weeks. As a local church, we are grateful to God our Father for the ability to serve our community in this small manner, with a significant impact on the Kingdom, as we serve humanity, sharing the love and compassion of Christ to the glory of God!

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Phillip is pastor of The Great Commission Church of God Of Prophecy at Rongai-Tuala in Nairobi, Kenya. He is also a lecturer at the Africa Nazarene University’s School of Business, and previously served as the editor of the Kiswahili Edition of the Upper Room Daily Devotional Guides—a Christian magazine that encourages believers to spend time with God on a daily basis through prayer, meditation, and fellowshipping together.

PHILIP POLO | NAIROBI, KENYA

BELLSHIRE HELPING HANDS KINDERGARTEN Rongai-Tuala COGOP Nairobi, Kenya The Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ instructs believers to go into all the world and share the Good News with every creature, to make disciples of all nations, and teach them to observe all things that our Lord Himself has commanded. This call further encourages us that our Lord Jesus Himself promises to be with us always, through every possible challenge and fear in the ministry, even to the end of the age (see Matthew 28:19, 20).

In most instances, going into the whole world to preach the Gospel to every creature often ignores a significant target audience–the children, who are often bypassed and ignored as their parents are presented with the Good News. From its inception, the church in Rongai-Tuala dedicated her outreach missions to children as a way of training them up in the way they should grow so that when they are old, they would not depart from the way of righteousness (see Proverbs 22:6).

To achieve this objective, one of the strategies the church adopted was to create a kindergarten on the church premises to cater to the holistic developmental needs of the children and their families in the area. So, Bellshire Helping Hands Kindergarten was launched in 2016 through the support of the International Children’s Ministries Helping Hands for Kids Project Giving.

Results Realized

Today, the kindergarten is home to about 60 preschool children who learn at the center, are taught the Word of God daily, and get their meals there. Testimonials received from the parents during progress reports show that families are being transformed by the witness from their children who attend the kindergarten.

In addition, two of our sister churches, in Kasarani COGOP (Nairobi District) and Ombo Hills COGOP (Homa Bay District), are working in partnership with the church in Rongai-Tuala through a mentorship program, with the hope of establishing their respective kindergartens on their church premises with tremendous results.

Future Projection

Within the last two years of operation, the kindergarten has faced a number of challenges. One challenge is the need to expand the structure to be able to accommodate more children by building additional rooms and acquiring additional land for expansion, to add a primary school. In the future, we project establishing a secondary school and vocational training center to cater to the future needs of these children as they grow into youth and adulthood.

Due to the harsh terrain, the outreach has been hampered by lack of reliable means of transportation to transport the children from their respective residential areas in the mornings and back in the evening.

From the experiences of the last two years, there is also the need to establish an emergency response unit/clinic to take care of minor ailments and injuries to the children while they are at the kindergarten.

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BELLSHIRE HELPING HANDS KINDERGARTEN The steps taken so far have not been easy. We continue to trust the Lord for every future endeavor, believing for His divine guidance and direction. We believe, just as He promised, He is journeying with us through this ministry, for His name’s sake and His glory!

The first pupils to join the kindergarten

The initial days of the church when the church was planted

Class Sessions in progress

Children’s Sunday school in progress in church’s early days

A past children’s outreach mission

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To apply for the Certificate program, go to spiritandlifeseminary.org/apply.

To apply for the Master’s program, go to cogopamd.org/apply-pts-masters.

To apply for the Doctoral program, go to cogopamd.org/apply-pts-dmin. WWM

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Continued from page 9 than a year. This was no transition for them. Praise and worship leaders lead worship from their home, projected onto a screen in the church sanctuary. Zoom then captures the screen. They have been having Facebook Live prayer meetings on Zoom. They delivered flowers to the mothers of the church on Mother’s Day. They have approximately 200 people participate in the Facebook Live, adding additional views throughout the week. People share the service on their personal pages and then others share from there. Here’s the thing about House of Hope: They never closed their doors. Pastor Kifer is the township supervisor and is familiar with the governmental guidelines. He told his church, “I’m coming to preach from the pulpit every Sunday. If someone chooses to show up, and a handful have been there every Sunday, it is up to those individuals.” They had communion together by Zoom. Many new people watched the services. The church did a Facebook Live announcing their children’s ministry was going to be painting and hiding four rocks with a Scripture reference on the back. The finder was to look up the reference, come to the church, and read the Bible verse. Every child who did that was entered into a drawing for a $10 Dairy Queen gift card. People were introduced to the church and to the Scriptures with this event.

The church took part in an event at the local drive-in theater where a community prayer service was held. They have done a food drive for those in need and essential workers; some are ministering at the nursing home.

Pastor Richard Ramsey New Beginnings Worship Center is in Somerset, Kentucky, where Gary Smith is state overseer. Bishop Smith meets every Tuesday with Kentucky’s pastors. New Beginnings has always had a Facebook presence and a YouTube channel.

They conducted an online revival for four days. Different pastors preached, around 2,000 viewers participated, and people were saved each night. They also conducted parking lot services. Security ushers set up and kept a watchful eye.

Pastor Sharon Hopson took an active role helping with these services. Children’s ministry did online Sunday school. Every senior was called every week. The church fed 1,200 people in a drive-through food bank event. They had online communion and a singing with hundreds of people singing along.

Pastor Ramsey considered going back to onsite services in May. His favorite thing about this time was watching other pastors preach online. He was very blessed as a district overseer to hear them. NBWC has a food ministry for seniors

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in the church and promotes blood drives. They participate in a community food program in which Gordon’s Food donates a truckload of grocery items to several COGOP churches who package it and give it to those who drive up to receive it. They have done this for three or four weeks. Cars are wrapped around the church each time.

The church’s website is www.nbsomerset.com

Pastor Raul Carrasca Orange, California COGOP is led by Pastor Raul Carrasca.

Phil Pruitt is the state bishop and is communicating often and informing the pastors of California of the rules and the regulations of these interesting times. Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 1:30 p.m., the church goes live on Facebook.

The music and media pastor prerecords everything through the week, edits, and finalizes it for the Friday Facebook Live.

During the week, they have Zoom youth meetings. Facebook is new for this church, but they now have many followers. Pastor Carrasca has only been pastoring this church nine months and three of those months were in lockdown. He prefers the Zoom call platform because it is powerful to hear the congregation’s voices and not just his own. The musicians of the church are very involved during this time, doing much of the preparation and ministry tasks. Assistant Pastor Geraldo Palacio calls the members every week. He visits but keeps social distancing requirements. The ministry team drops off groceries and prays from a distance, so the members can see them.

The pastor feels this way of having church has definitely activated some people that had lost contact with the church.

Many of them text and congratulate him on what he is doing for people during this time. He is praying they will come back and be a part of the church again. Four people who are not members of the church have donated toward the expenses of the church. One new family has connected and been consistently active in the Zoom meetings. Pastor Carrasca said, “I feel what we are getting out of this is that we are seeing our people not be shaken. We are seeing their commitment to God and the local church. It is a blessing to see it. We are paying our bills, people are giving, people are still connected.

It has brought us closer. When you pastor a local church, the first year, people are getting to know you. I am not saying they were asking me to prove myself, but the situation has proven I am pastoring because it is a calling, not a personal interest.

The whole church has embraced the ministry. This church was hurting before this pandemic. We were struggling financially and now everyone is giving. It should be a greater challenge when people are not able to attend the physical church, but this congregation has embraced the call.”

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Pastor Donna Howard

Pastor Shel Sullivan Southside Church in Winter Garden, Florida, is a church on fire. Pastor Shel Sullivan is preaching online, the youth are meeting in Zoom meetings, and there is Bible study throughout the week. Scott Gillum is the presiding bishop of Florida and is a hands-on, connected leader of leaders.

Southside also launched a program called Celebrating Good News the first week of shutdown. It was an idea to help spread joy and a good word and also inspired by the fact they could use special guests who would not have to travel to the church to speak with our congregation. That has been a real highlight and had some of the highest views and interaction of any of our programs. The Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday night meetings are live with Zoom, to facilitate interaction. Sundays and Fridays are typically from the speaker to an audience and don’t require as much face-to-face interaction, although there is interaction in the chat.

The influence and reach of the church has grown many times over. During Zoom meetings, people speak up and offer prayer requests and reactions to the teachings offered.

Southside put a church directory on a google document that’s accessible by several in the church, which allows them to call members and keep a record of the calls and how they’re doing. LeAnn Hamby had the idea to drive by houses and say hello. That evolved into dropping off balloons. Sylvester Logan contracted COVID-19 and recovered! He is seen in the picture with a balloon we delivered. The church hosts communion once a month. The associate pastor, Rejust Campbell, leads this regularly. He tapes himself at home speaking a word and leading through communion. It is a special time. Special singing and worship has been provided. The first week, a live service was offered with a scaled back worship team. Then the order came to shelter in place, and it was necessary to use recorded videos from various people in the congregation. The goal was to include as many different voices as possible during this time instead of it being just the regulars. The viewing audience has grown each week with some even outside the area. People from all over the country tune in.

Executive Pastor DeWayne Hamby said, “It’s hard to quantify what has been done in the hearts of those watching, but Pastor Sullivan and his staff are trusting that God has made a huge impact through this ministry. We will continue doing this as we move back into the church building for services.”

DeWayne also shared, “We visited one of our members to drop off a balloon. He came out and we visited for a long time, talking more than we probably ever did at church. He was so happy and encouraged us as much as we were trying to encourage him. A few days later, he sent in a special offering because of that visit, which let us know how much it meant to him. Instead of pushing us all apart, this entire thing has drawn us closer together and I’m just so grateful for that.” https://www.facebook.com/southsidechurchwintergarden/

The Odenville Church in Odenville, Alabama is blessed to have Donna Howard as pastor. Her presiding bishop, Brian Sutton, recommended her to be interviewed for this article.

She has conducted church services on Facebook Live and via Zoom during this time of social distancing as well as provided a lively parking lot service each Sunday. Pastor Howard shared, “We have volunteer children’s director and she is being trained to use Zoom. She feels more comfortable using technology now. Our youth are spread out and it is hard to bring them all together. Our senior citizens receive visitation. Mother’s Day packages were delivered. Some of the seniors can navigate the internet but they need someone who will walk them through it, so we do that. Facebook is helping us reach more people than we were able to reach before. In a recent Zoom meeting, on a Wednesday night, the Spirit fell; it was rich and powerful.

These meetings have been powerful.”

Pastor Marvin Slagle Pastor Marvin Slagle has been pastor of Heartland Fellowship Church for more than 20 years. His presiding bishop is E.C. McKinley. Brother McKinley has stayed in close contact with the pastors and ministry leaders in Tennessee throughout this pandemic. At the time of this writing, the intention was to continue with outdoor church at Heartland Fellowship until the last week of May. The church offered an outside food pantry and drive-in church for many weeks. Attendees used an FM radio station to hear the singing and preaching. Coffee, water, and refreshments were offered, placed on a table, and distancing measures were strictly enforced. A flatbed trailer is used as a stage. A keyboard is there for accompanying the special singing. Youth planned to have service on Sunday nights. Women’s ministry, with a wide age range, meets on Tuesday nights in the auditorium to facilitate social distancing.

Instructions for keeping the guidelines are passed out at each service. Honking for feedback is encouraged! Parking attendants assign spaces so that people are six feet apart if they get out of their cars. Big buckets are provided as people leave for offerings. Communion elements are placed in a baggie and handed out as people enter the parking lot. Offerings have not diminished. A sign by the road advertises the service, which begins at 11 a.m. EST. People who had stopped attending have returned and said they enjoyed it. The church has seen an increase in attendance by about 20 people. Some sit on their porches and listen. Some members have expressed a desire to continue having the outdoor service when the restrictions are lifted.

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DRAPER VIRGINIA COGOP Pastor Vickie Viars has been conducting drive-up services at the Delton Church of God of Prophecy at 4570 Boyd Road in Draper, Virginia, a tiny town in Pulaski County. Pastor Viars began having the outdoor meetings soon after the Virginia governor mandated that churches should not meet in their sanctuaries. Pastor Viars has been in contact with Virginia Overseer Bishop Jerry Schall throughout this time of government mandates, quarantines, and social distancing.

Bishop Schall has been a great encourager and is aware of the particular challenges Pastor Viars has faced.

One of those challenges has been that all but one of the members of her elderly congregation is without any connection to the internet and most do not even own a cell phone. This means they could not participate in an online, livestream service. She keeps in contact with her congregation through daily telephone calls and by sending letters. She finds out if they have any prayer requests or specific needs and provides them with counsel, conversation, prayer, and anything else she can provide. Several have been without any visits from family members during this time.

down the windows and listened for the entire time. When the service concluded, they excitedly thanked Pastor Viars over and over for providing this much-needed ministry. They assured her they would be back.

Pastor Viars has not limited herself to the parking lot, however. She also prepares and records 10 to 15-minute clips of preaching each week to broadcast on several social media sites. She maintains a prayer group on the Delton COGOP Facebook page.

“The feedback I have received from those videos has encouraged me more than anything else in my years of ministry. You know, the devil is a loser. He thought he was going to stop God’s Word, but he was wrong. The number of people I am able to reach has only increased.”

One week, the combined views from one of her videos reached 7,000 unique viewers! In a town of 388 people, she was able to impact thousands of people with the Gospel.

Praise the Lord! These are extraordinary times and God’s ministers are doing extraordinary things.

Pastor Viars has maximized the tools at her disposal, faithfully offering the weekly parking lot service at 12 noon each Sunday. She and her husband set up their sound system, utilize CDs for music, and frequently have Brother Morgan play the guitar and sometimes lead a song. She is so pleased that her members have also been very faithful, all of them attending every week.

Recently, a car passed by the church as they were beginning the service. The driver turned around and joined the other cars to hear the message. The occupants of the vehicle rolled

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Terry Newsom and Mitchell Cathey are co-pastors of Cumberland Furnace COGOP in Dickson County, Tennessee. Because of their reputation as larger-than-life mountain movers, State Overseer E.C. McKinley has dubbed these Western Highland Rim ministers the “Cumberland Furnace Boys.” District presbyter Mike Burton asked them to co-pastor the church after faithful COGOP trailblazer, Pastor Buna Lampley (who had mentored them), went to glory.

The pastors sought the Lord in an intense season of prayer and fasting. Both men felt the call of God to conduct an outdoor revival, but the Lord gave them no specific timeframe. This was long before the shutdown of churches due to Coronavirus. When the Holy Spirit prompted them that it was time for them to move into revival, they began preparations. They checked with local authorities and marked off the parking lot of the church. They put up a tent and a small sound system.

The Hope and Healing Revival (as the Lord instructed them to name it) began on April 1 and continued every night until April 30. They have seen people saved, healed, filled with the Holy Ghost, and drawn closer to God. Children and adults have been moved by powerful experiences in God’s presence. People have been delivered from addiction and destructive lifestyles. Whole families have been affected and lives have been completely turned around.

Many pastors have ministered in this revival, some from Dickson County and some from other areas. The gifts of the Spirit are in operation. People are drawn to the services from all over. Brother Cathey says the sound of the services “echoes up the holler.” People from as far away as a mile from the church, specifically the residents of a drug rehab facility up the mountain, are hearing the Gospel. God is on the move in Cumberland Furnace. Pastor Newsom and Pastor Cathey testify that it is not about personalities or individuals. All the glory goes to God. For now, the Lord has instructed them to wait, but they know a part two and a part three of this move of God are coming. The Lord has told them that when they go back inside for services, they are to make a way for the people outside the church to hear the Word being preached. They intend to install large, powerful speakers outside the church that will facilitate this. If you would like to attend the church or help purchase the speakers to keep propelling the Gospel to people who desperately need God, the address of Cumberland Furnace COGOP is 2981 New Dry Hollow Road, Cumberland Furnace, Tennessee 37051.

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THINK and THANK From Alabama Presiding Bishop Brian Sutton comes this report of how one church in Alabama is staying in contact.

“Brother Wallace is in an area where the internet is spotty.

Therefore, he couldn’t do online services for his church. To make up for that, he writes his congregation and mails the message to them, encouraging them to read it to their families on Sunday morning. I told him this was a great idea and since he had went to the trouble of doing that, he should submit the articles to White Wing Messenger to consider for publication.

He couldn’t figure out how to email them to me, so he printed and literally mailed them to me. I promised him I’d pass them along to you for consideration. I’m sorry they will have to be

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retyped if you use them. Brother Wallace is well known in the COGOP. He was an instructor at Tomlinson College, and has served as a pastor for over 40 years. Not that any of that matters. I just wanted you to have a little background.”

This is one of the most precious emails I have received as editor of the White Wing Messenger. Yes, we could have typed out the message from Brother Wallace, but the beauty of seeing it directly as he prepared it and as Bishop Sutton received it was not lost on me. I believe it is clear enough to read. I believe it is holy unto the Lord. Be blessed as you partake of this anointed bread from the hand of God’s servant.

—Marsha Robinson

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Kathryn Creasy Executive Director of Leadership Development and Discipleship

Jesus loved to challenge the faulty religious perceptions of His day. In anger, He turned the moneychangers’ tables over and pronounced that they were robbers and thieves. He refused to condemn a prostitute who had been “caught in the act” by the religious leaders. And to His disciples’ dismay, He called a child to Him when they asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

But perhaps the most significant misperception Jesus challenged was His disciples’ perception of leadership in the Kingdom.

Matthew 20:23–28 recounts the mother of James and John petitioning for her sons to sit on Jesus’ right and left when He came into His kingdom. Even though Jesus did not grant the request, the disciples were indignant with the two brothers.

Jesus called His disciples together to confront their worldly perceptions and the wrong actions that had been birthed from them.

“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:25–28).

“No words of reproof could more strongly point to the contrast between the true and false views of the Messiah’s kingdom.

The popular Jewish expectations, shared by the disciples, were really heathen in their character, substituting might for right, and ambition for the true greatness of service” — Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers.

The disciples’ actions revealed that they continued to embrace both the Roman and Jewish cultures’ understanding of leadership. In the Roman culture, leaders were tyrants who oppressed the people with heavy taxes and unjust punishments. In the Jewish culture, the religious leaders were more subtle tyrants, demanding obedience to burdensome religious rules and rituals and shunning those they judged as “sinners.”

Jesus stated emphatically, “It must NOT be like that among you.” Your attitudes and actions must not reflect the oppressive leadership of the Romans or Jews. To overcome this, you must become a servant just as I (Jesus) have done.

As leaders today, we may not be aware of the faulty constructs of leadership that exist within us and impact our actions. Yet, Jesus says to us, “It must NOT be like that among you.” How can we work with God to reveal and purify faulty perceptions so that we can lead as servants rather than lords?

Consider our motivations for serving. Jesus served out of a desire to bring God glory (see John 12:28). Paul was compelled to preach the Gospel because of Christ’s love, the love that caused Him to lay down His life (see 2 Corinthians 5:14, 15). What compels or motivates you to serve? That is a question that can only be answered as we allow the Holy Spirit to search our hearts and reveal wrong motivations to us. But it is a question that has to be answered continually if we are to be servant leaders that honor God and love others.

Consider whom you serve. Jesus’ service was given to everyone; His mission was clear. He declared in Luke 4:18 (NIV), “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.” He served those in need regardless of status or wealth. Is your service as a leader without prejudice of wealth, status, race, religion, or any other label? Do you serve with the heart of welcome to all? Isaiah declared, “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters” (Isaiah 55:1 NIV).

Consider how you serve. “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (Colossians 3:23, 24 NIV). How does your leadership serve?

Do you serve with zeal, with excellence, with humility, and with willing sacrifice? Do you serve as to the Lord?

Today, when there is so much written about servant leadership by secular and Christian authors, it is easy to conform our leadership to the patterns of this world. But Jesus’ words still are heard, “It must NOT be so among you.” Take some time to prayerfully reflect on how you lead. Consider why, whom, and how you serve. “The servant leader is servant first…”

—Robert Greenleaf

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God has long been in the business of using young people for the glory of His kingdom. In Genesis chapter 37, we read how He used Joseph. Only a youth, with fantastic dreams, God’s hand was upon Joseph. God would use Joseph as His vessel to show His love to all mankind. Through him, He would save the entire known world of the time. In 1 Samuel chapter 17, we read how the Lord uses a young shepherd boy to slay a giant with only a rock and sling shot. In Luke chapter 1, we read how God fills the first two people with the Holy Spirit, confirming the Messiah, the Savior of the world, through Elizabeth and her unborn baby. Yes, God uses the unborn, despite what our world today tries to convince us, He uses every life.

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Current research shows that our young people are found to be the largest and growing populous to be depressed and hopeless. Why is there such a heavy shroud of darkness upon our children? The enemy of our soul is trying his best to destroy our children, and he is targeting them at younger ages than we have ever witnessed. Why is this happening? Our adversary knows that if he can acquire our children at a young age, he can wipe out the perfect will of God. Satan wants to destroy that strategic journey that God has planned for each and every child. The same journeys that glorify His kingdom, exactly as He purposed for Joseph and David.

Look up! Literally and metaphorically. There is good news. All is not lost. Statistics tell us that the best way to return hope and joy to anyone, no matter the age, is to help someone else.

Our children may ask, “What can I do and how? I’m too little.”

Absolutely not! Yet another lie that our foe uses to stop us, but we will not be deterred. Here are a few ideas to get your children involved in helping others. Most of these volunteer situations can easily be found in all communities.

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Shaun McKinley International Children’s Ministries Director

CHILDREN’S MINISTRIES

MELISSA DICKERSON | CHILDREN’S MINISTER, RICKMAN, TENNESSEE

These ideas are just a few places to start your endeavors. You will find that your children will come away from these experiences with a new sense of gratitude, hope, and joy. The shroud of depression will be replaced with a garment of praise.

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Homeless shelters provide an opportunity for parents and children’s ministers to involve children in serving. There are different capacities of feeding the less fortunate in which children can volunteer their time and effort.

There are organizations that will allow you to collect and assemble necessities for homeless people living on the streets. They will also allow your group to go out on the streets to distribute these necessities.

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Food banks allow opportunity for children to come and help fill boxes of food to be handed out to needy families, or help pack boxes to be loaded on trucks going to areas where natural disasters have occurred. Your children can always start a food drive at your local church to collect food and donate to the food bank, as well.

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Children learn best from their peers. Check with your local schools to see if they have a peer study group or help lab for children to share their knowledge to their fellow classmates.

There are usually services that collect clothing several times throughout the year (around the changing seasons). Have children start a clothing drive to collect clothes to donate. Global Missions Ministries at the International Offices also collect clothing items for the Mission Clothes Closet at the International Assembly. These items are given to ministers, overseers, and their families serving the church abroad.

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International Children’s Ministries has opportunities to partner with missions through KidServe, which offers ways for our children to partner with the global COGOP to raise money for our brothers and sisters.

Habitat for Humanity is another outlet that children can volunteer their efforts in several different capacities. Check with your local Habitat for Humanity office to find out what opportunities are available for your children’s ministry group.

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PROJECT BUILD-A-SCHOOL SURPASSES $20,000.00

El Salvador Outreach Continues Serving Most Vulnerable Children During COVID-19 Pandemic On a conference call with overseers and children’s ministry leaders on Monday evening, International Children’s Ministries’ KidServe Coordinator Michelle Brooks-Young announced that giving to the ministries’ mission project has surpassed $20,000.00. Project Build-A-School, which began in June 2019, is the largest and most ambitious missions giving project ever attempted since the first project in 2005, then called Helping Hands for Kids.

“I am both excited and overwhelmed with these project updates,” said Brooks-Young. “The collective teamwork of our churches and children’s ministries in the United States is making an impact in El Salvador! What an amazing accomplishment in just a few short months!”

Project Build-A-School is raising funds to support the Church of God of Prophecy (COGOP) National Office of El Salvador in their effort to strengthen outreach ministries that presently serve more than 2,000 children every day with meals, tutoring, recreational activities, and spiritual training. For many of these children, these ministries provide the only stable adult influences in their lives, enabling them to be academically successful and develop a trade for future employment.

For the past decade, the COGOP in El Salvador has partnered with philanthropic organizations to open Centers of

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Learning in our local churches. Through the generosity of these organizations, our local ministries are enabled to hire professionally trained directors, teachers, and staff to serve the children in these centers. Each school is audited monthly and every child is evaluated regularly to ensure satisfactory progress in their studies.

Although these programs are making a significant impact in the lives of El Salvador’s children and communities, the facilities housing the programs are insufficient. Because of the requirements of the donors, upgrades and expansions are required for our six flagship schools for the program to continue. Each location also has a waiting list of hundreds of more children that could be served if adequate facilities were available.

In December, KidServe distributed the first payment of $10,000.00. With these initial funds, the first site was completed in Gotera, El Salvador.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, construction of the BuildA-School sites has paused as building permits have been suspended. However, the outreach to the children continues with local churches safely delivering food and personal care items to the families they serve.

“It is exciting to watch as the leaders in El Salvador continue to invest in their respective communities, both in project building and community outreach,” said Brooks-Young.

“Their initiative has not been paused due to this pandemic.

It has opened new doors of opportunity for them to minister.”

El Salvador has been named “the most violent country in Latin America,” and its murder rates are the highest in the region. According to the United Nations, on average, 40 children are killed every month, the victims of poverty, civil war, and natural catastrophes. 1.8 million children are a part of the nation’s workforce. 4 out of 10 children live in poverty with over half of all children surviving on less than $1.25 per day.

For more information about KidServe and Project Build-ASchool, visit www.cogop.org/children.

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As the news reports of the growing pandemic began to escalate in early March, we were moved to action here in Global Missions Ministries. We understood to help care for the children in our global orphanages/children’s homes, it was necessary to get funding to each ministry quickly. We were grateful for a grant received some time ago and for the giving of many donors who were already responding to the immediate need.

We heard quickly from each of our works that funding had been received, food and resources had been acquired before inflated prices kicked in, and the children were safe and would be safe for the duration.

Almost immediately, we began to witness compassion and service from several of our national ministries. Before relief could be requested and received, I noticed several of our works were already distributing food and necessary supplies to their pastors, their people, and those who were immediately in need.

As we communicated to these workers, I asked them from where the funding had come. The response was almost always the same. Since we send personal allotments for ministry on the first of the month and project funding the middle of the month, these national leaders had used their personal funding to obtain food and necessary supplies to assist the needs of the people.

might continue for as many as 90 days. Unfortunately, these adverse decisions affected everyone, shutting down earning opportunities in many already impoverished and largely unemployed nations.

One national overseer wrote, “I could not take it when my members with their children are suffering of hunger and I know that I just received my quarterly personal allotment. Well, I believed it was better for all of us to remain hungry than for only me and my family to have food, especially with the Easter services approaching. So, I have used what I have to buy food and have shared with our members and those needy so that all will have something to eat.”

He continued, “A number of our harvest partners churches especially have called to ask how they can help. I never called them to ask but they called me to find out what is going on.

Most of them encouraged me to ‘not hesitate to let us know.’

While I never asked for donations, they saw what we were doing on Facebook, and sent donations to the office and it has come to help us. The testimonies I received from our members have been great. Our church has been recognized as the only church responding to their needs during this hard time. This made our members proud to say they belong to a church organization that though small but full of love, and care.”

Thankfully, they moved with such quickness, as most of their nations went into lockdown, some without any national stimulus to assist their people. The projection was the lockdown

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Dr. Cathy Payne Coordinator of Global Missions

This same national overseer wrote to say, “The International Offices have been of tremendous support and pivotal to the successes here . . . You have demonstrated great love, giving us your physical, moral, and financial supports as well as guidance.

To this we will ever remain grateful.”

To add to the grateful heart of those in the midst of the crisis and yet rising to supply for the hungry and needy in every nation during this time, I want to thank the Harvest Partner churches and individual donors who were prompted by the Holy Spirit and also moved quickly to send support to minister to the Gospel work globally—this time in ministering to the needs of those in crisis. We are stronger together. Thank God for the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Thank you for your response.

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to

drink? “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’” (Matthew 25:37, 40 NIV).

One of the challenges from India was that many of the people who live in the villages had traveled into the cities for work.

When the virus struck and the manufacturers shut down, the trains also shut down. Many villagers were stranded in the city with nowhere to go and nothing to eat. They didn’t know how long the crisis would continue. Many of them began the long journey home by way of walking the roads. At night, many had to sleep along the road with nothing to eat. It was some days before the President ordered the trains working again so the people could get back home to quarantine with family in family homes. It was the kindness of our church that provided food and help for many along the way.

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Apostle Peter writes, “We are being built up a spiritual house” (see 1 Peter 2:5 NKJV). In this “spiritual house,” systems and structure, while important, must well up from the essentials of deep intimate relationships with God and one another.

Systems and structures should serve the church, not the church serving the systems and structures. In some cases,

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we have endeavored to develop a global financial system to produce a healthy global function of biblical stewardship.

The essential relationships must precede the critical systems and structures for the spiritual health of the church at all levels of ministry to be fruitful.

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Paul Holt Director of Finance and Administration

STEWARDSHIP MINISTRIES SCOTT GILLUM | FLORIDA PRESIDING BISHOP

No system or structure, legislative demands, hierarchical pressure, or meritorious rewards will produce the Acts 2 and Acts 4 principle of, as Luke puts it, having “all things in common” (see Acts 2 2:44, 4:32 NKJV). From the context of supporting those in need, Paul writes of what many would call, the grace of giving or the spirit of generosity that flows from a heart that understands, “God loves a cheerful giver. and God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:7, 8 NKJV).

THIS ACTION OF THE INFANT CHURCH ESTABLISHED A SENSE OF UNITY AND TOGETHERNESS SO THAT NO ONE WAS ALONE WITHOUT CONNECTIONS THAT WOULD ASSIST IN MEETING THEIR NEEDS As we review the book of Acts, we see how Jesus intended His church to do life together. We see foundational principles that must guide our movement into a proper stewardship alignment with God and one another. Rightly understood, Acts as a historical record provides us an invaluable glimpse into the life and times of the early church. The Holy Spirt at work at the center of church life in a careful study of Acts is compelling. Acts 2 and 4 details a reflection of the infant church’s character, not just a function that met the needs of the saints. Efforts to establish a healthy stewardship function without establishing a healthy stewardship character may produce results. Still, our alignment with biblical stewardship of “having all things in common” will produce “an abundance for every good work” (2 Corinthians 9:8 NKJV). The key in this passage rightly understood as radical generosity and rightly seen flows from the dynamic of shared common life experienced within the “household of God” (see Ephesians

2:19), “the body of Christ” (see 1 Corinthians 12:27), “the Church of God” (see Acts 20:28), and “fellowship with one another” (see 1 John 1:7).

This common bond was certainly understood based on the work of Holy Spirit in the lives of first-century believers as the apostles boldly proclaimed the resurrection of Jesus. Their bold declaration fueled the one heart, being together, all things in common understanding. The understanding from Acts 2 and 4 is that ownership was not for the benefit of one, but the whole. Similarily, as Paul’s words were to the church regarding spiritual gifts, for the benefit of all. “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all” (1 Corinthians 12:7 NKJV).

This action of the infant church established a sense of unity and togetherness so that no one was alone without connections that would assist in meeting their needs.

As in many things, we see the behavior as paramount and miss the heart that drives the action. This phrase carries with it more of the idea that the believers were experiencing an overflowing unity among themselves that produced togetherness—the heart of this infant church. Giving was more of a spiritual and emotional condition than it was a mandated action.

So, the answer to any financial dilemma may be more founded in a spiritual dynamic rather than legislated behavior. The system and structures should serve the core values of the church as aligned with the scriptural revelation of the heart of God as led by the Holy Spirit, not the church serving rules of tithing and giving. Tithing and giving is a matter of the heart. The grace of giving Paul mentions to the Corinthians will permeate our living in a common bond of Christ.

With that said, no one level of leadership should bear the responsibilities of the world. We are a global church with global responsibilities. The needs of others are met as we live in “the grace of giving” (see 2 Corinthians 8:1–3).

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We are thankful to have received immediate funding to assist the One Child Fund orphanages and children’s homes in the early days of the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

We acted quickly to provide support to help care for our children. Below are responses received from each of our works indicating funding was received, food and resources were acquired, and the children are safe for the duration of the crisis. Thank you to all who have come alongside in this time of need. —Cathy and Shelly Greetings from Bulgaria. After we received your help, we were able to distribute food to the poor children, orphanages, and some poor families. Thank you for your love and care.

From Haiti, we send you a big thanks in this difficult time.

We continue to accelerate our prayer for all affected by this pandemic. We made the purchase to cover two months to limit the risk of buying the products at a higher price. Thank you kindly.

From the bottom of our hearts, we are very much thankful for our Mighty God, Harvest Partners, and IO staff for the gift to our children in our needy time in India. Thank you for also supporting us with your generous regular donations, it is helping us to provide new life to the orphan children.

Greetings from Indonesia. Thank you for loving us, caring for us, and helping us. We love you!

I want to inform you that we are all in perfect health by the grace of God. We believe that our Lord will protect us. We are more valued by your constant encouragement and support for orphaned children in Mali. May the grace of our Lord Jesus keep us all in His goodness.

Thank you very much for your love and fervent prayer for the family in Myanmar. By God’s grace and your constant prayer, we are safe under His wings. We received the gifts which you have raised for our orphanage’s homes today and immediately transferred to them. May God bless the donors 30

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and make them a channel of blessings to the nations. Words from the children: We love you so much and appreciate your love for your spiritual children in Myanmar.

Thank you to all our donors, partners, loved ones, and those who participate in this ministry for your continued love, care, concern, prayer, and financial support for our three children’s homes in Nepal. In this time of crisis, the funding you sent for all of us is so helpful to buy basic needs and food.

Love you all with Christ’s love.

We are doing well, although almost no one in our church is working now. Thank you and all who donate to the One Child Fund. To receive your letter telling us about this emergency donation was a wonderful and very welcome surprise. The offering will provide for food and other expenses in our two children’s homes in Paraguay that house 24 children, adolescents, and youth. We are so grateful.

Our staff has gone above and beyond for the sake of our children in Philippines. We are homeschooling three hours a day. We are thankful that our children are safe within Horizons’ compound, away from the “maddening” crowd.

They can run and play and carry on normally.

We continue thanking the Almighty who is protecting us in these tough situations. I take this opportunity to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the touching help in the form of financial funds for feeding and taking care of the children in Rwanda amidst these situations. They are in a quarantine, but also in the shadow of the Most High.

I take this opportunity to thank you for your long-time support and working with us in the orphanage care ministry in Uganda. Much has been done to make sure that our underprivileged children experience love and care. We thank you for all you have done.

—Submitted by Cathy Payne and Shelly Wilbanks Global Missions Ministries One Child Fund

CONNECTIONS THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE CHURCH OF GOD OF PROPHECY FOR THE MONTH OF JULY 2020

GOD STILL HEALS Continued from page 5 September, I was hospitalized. I spent a week on antibiotics. They sent me home with hospice care. I didn’t know it at the time, but the doctor had given me two weeks to live.

On October 12, I had another dream. In this dream, I was with a lady who had on a blue and white dress.

There was some type of a symbol on the front of her dress. It looked like a stalk of corn. As we walked up and down the rows of a garden, the blood of Jesus began to come up out of the ground. We were singing, “Nothing but the blood of Jesus.” Roots began to grow out of our feet. Even while still in the dream, this thought came to me: “I am being rooted and grounded in the blood of Jesus.”

BAHAMA BRASS BAND: MARCHING ON Continued from page 5

was music to his ears because I had not been able to eat or drink for some time because I was so sick with the infection. The day after that, I felt this strong desire to live surge into me. It was a gift from God! On day three, I had another wonderful experience.

The power and presence of God came into my room. God healed me! All three types of epilepsy were gone. I was filled with a tremendous, overflowing flood of love and joy in my heart. Never in my life have I been so immersed in God. There aren’t even words to explain it.

I can truly say with joy and peace and thankfulness, God is an awesome God. He alone is worthy of all praise.

—Patricia Joplin Drumright, Oklahoma

The next morning, I asked my husband for something to eat. This

The Bahama Brass Band has proven over their 95-year history their message and music are here to stay.

The BBB’s sound is rich and uplifting and brings people from many diverse and culturally different backgrounds together. Their history includes traveling and meeting people around the world, often playing for important events.

What makes the Bahama Brass Band still relevant and successful?

The band’s testimony of overcoming hardships serves as a testament to the goodness and grace of God. “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?”

(Romans 8:31). Over the years, they faced challenges but they pressed on. Their trust in God speaks to their lasting quality. The Bahama Brass Band continues to be a testimony to God’s faithfulness and their legacy marches on.

—Roxanne Corbett Cleveland, Tennessee

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