October 7, 2008
Thieves broke into the home of John and Hoiling Chan, C&MA national church partners in Berlin, Germany, the night of October 5. “They took some money, documents, a television, and most importantly their two computers,” said Alliance missionary Calvin Lai. Even the Chans’ updated backup hard drive was taken.
“The police were notified, but we think it may not be easy to retrieve the stolen items,” said Lai. “Please pray that John and Hoiling may have peace in their hearts and find a way to get back their lost data in their computers. Also, pray that Satan’s scheme will not succeed in disrupting their studies and their ministry with a short-term team from New York this week.”
September 19, 2008
When neighbors on Dogwood Court in Winchester, California, decided to come to the opening of Chorus (Alliance) Church, they hardly knew each other. “And they had no idea that God would lead one of them on journey that would involve physical sacrifice,” reflects John Cappelen, Chorus pastor of Connections.
Herb and Susan LaMadrid were a part of that initial group of neighbors that made Chorus their home church. The LaMadrids decided to reach out in love to all the families on Dogwood Court, including Chuck and Peggy Donnelly. The Donnellys responded to an invitation to join a small home group. Chuck suffered from polycystic kidney disease, a genetic disorder that he was convinced would end his life early. “I just kind of accepted it,” Donnelly said. “This was something God gave me, and I accepted it.” The only thing that would save Donnelly’s life was a kidney transplant.
Although Donnelly had not discussed his medical problems with the group, his wife encouraged him to share a prayer request for a kidney donor with their fellow believers, who unanimously agreed that each would be tested to see if one of them was a match. “When test results showed that Herb was a match,” said Cappelen, “he decided that since he had two good kidneys, he would give Chuck one.”
The Donnellys had been attending Chorus for about two years. The four-year-old church with nearly 300 members is part of a greater Alliance multiplication effort in Temecula Valley. “[The church] just spoke the truth,” Donnelly said. “The love and compassion the congregation has toward each other—I have never felt that.” LaMadrid’s willingness to give Donnelly a kidney took that compassion to a personal level.
“I didn’t look at this as something that would make me a better person or more angelic,” said LaMadrid. “It was something I was called to do. It’s a bond we’ll have for years to come.”
Donnelly returned to Chorus a week after his operation. “I feel like Herb is a part of me,” he said, “When I woke up [from the surgery], I had this need to hear his voice and know that he’s okay.”
“We had people all over the country praying for us,” said Peggy, who also was baptized after her husband’s recovery. “We give all the glory to God, because it is the power of prayer that made this come to pass.”
“Herb’s sacrifice was an inspiration to the entire body at Chorus,” says Cappelen. “It is evidence that if we let God use us in our neighborhoods, we can reach a whole street— and if a street, then the city, the state, the country, and the world. It is the life-giving story of transformation.”
September 17, 2008
A concert produced by members of Word of Grace (WOG) Family Christian Fellowship (C&MA), featuring top Filipino entertainers, will be held September 19 at the 4,000-seat Arie Crown Theater in Chicago, Illinois. Part of the proceeds will be used to support the Great Commission Fund as well as a medical mission planned for the Philippines by WOG in partnership with its daughter churches in that country.
The WOG Youth Drama Ministry will open the concert, dubbed “Duel of the Divas, with an evangelistic skit. Flyers with the gospel message and information about the church will be distributed during the event. The youth will operate a display booth in the lobby and conduct one-on-one evangelism. Also, a prayer booth will be available for guests to fill out prayer request forms or be prayed for at that time if they desire.
Dr. Richard Mirpuri, founder and spiritual director of Word of Grace International Ministries, will address the audience via video at the start of the event to thank those attending and to inform them that a portion of the proceeds will go toward the church’s missions programs. “We are asking our friends and partners in ministry to include the success of the concert in your prayers,” he said. “Also, please be in prayer for the medical mission and evangelistic outreach planned for the Philippines in 2009.”
Mike and Estrellita Duquilla, who produced the concert, are active members and leaders of WOG, located in Chicago. Mike is president of the C&MA Men’s Ministry while Estrellita, the church’s missions coordinator, is vice president of Alliance Women. Their children also are involved in ministry. Their eldest son, DM, is training for the Chicago Marathon in October and will represent Word of Grace. “Any amount he is able to raise while [participating] will be given to the Great Commission Fund of the C&MA,” said Mirpuri.
September 15, 2008
Hurricane Ike may have devastated the Texas landscape but not Alliance family members who rode out the storm. The following is a report from Mark Searing, Southwestern district superintendent.
I was able to speak with most of the pastors in the Houston area and in Louisiana. The following reports are initial reports and may change as people are able to venture out to survey the damage more closely. I will update this throughout the day as I get reports.
Curtis Pace in Centerville, Louisiana, reports the levees broke overnight and flooding is occurring. They received quite a large storm surge there on Friday night in advance of the storm. Even so, his home and the church are undamaged.
Elder Fred Stark from Sulphur, Louisiana, reports flooding in low lying areas. He also left a message stating that several families had stayed at the church Friday night, since it is on higher ground and everything seems to be well there.
Jim Black in Baytown reports his home has shingles missing and some superficial damage but nothing major. He has not been able to get to the church yet but will report in when he does.
Charles Smith and David Seckinger, Houston Multiplications Center and Parkway Fellowship, report slight damage to shingles but no major damage to their homes. They do not have electricity. Charles has not been able to get to Parkway yet but will let us know when he does.
Laurie Chernosky, wife of the Central Spanish District pastor in Pasadena, Texas, reports that all is well with them but they have not been able to get to the church.
Pastor Di, Vietnamese First Alliance Church in Houston, reports he is fine as well as his congregation. He has not been able to get to the church yet.
We have not yet been in touch with Pastor Liang of Trinity Fellowship but I will continue to attempt to reach him. We will update all information as it is received.
Our Office Manager’s brother lives in Crystal Beach on the Bolivar Peninsula. He was able to get out before the storm surge hit but many people were caught and had to stay. There were reports late last night of people in their homes (on stilts) with waist high water in the second floor. This indicates water in excess of 20 feet deep. Pray for this community as the potential devastation is great.
Chaplain Paul Northcutt and his emergency service van/ATV and supply trailer will be headed into the recovery zone after the wind has died down. He was a great help to our Louisiana congregations and others as needed. He is our emergency go-to-guy in these kinds of situations.
If emergency housing is needed away from the zone of the hurricane, please know that there are Alliance Churches willing to help. Pastor Ken Cluck in San Antonio (ABC) and Rev. Ben Andrus from Hope Fellowship in Longview have extended that invitation, and others are waiting for our call to jump into action.
I received e-mails and phone calls all day Friday from people around the country saying that they are praying for us. I want to thank The C&MA family for their prayer support and would ask that they pray for encouragement and joy in the midst of tribulation. Let’s pray for our faith to be centered in Him and be wise to obey the authorities over us as we deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Ike and its winds and rain. Nothing is too big for Him to take us through!
September 12, 2008
Since 1997, Alliance workers in Mongolia have ministered Christ’s love to hurting people through practical acts of compassion. Today, seven churches are flourishing in a land that had been untouched by the gospel for 700 years.
In July, 110 young people attended the first-ever CAMA (Compassion and Mercy Associates) Mongolia International Youth Camp. During the event, 10 participants made decisions to follow Jesus, and 90 youth committed to “running the race” for God’s glory. A seven-member Youth Council was selected from among the youth leaders for the purpose of encouraging and equipping youth leaders and planning future events for the CAMA churches in Mongolia.
As of this writing, Alliance missionary Bernie Anderson and his colleagues have been working to renovate a building to be used as a student ministry center in the heart of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s capital. Dubbed the Grain of Wheat Student Center, its close proximity to several major universities will enable our workers to reach thousands of young people with the gospel.
“I cannot share all of the amazing things God is doing in these far corners of the earth,” said Alliance missionary Jeremy Fields. “There is purposeful excitement [among our team] for what we believe God can do in our communities this coming year.”
by Bill Malick
There, I said it. Whenever my wife Debbie and I are on a trip and I miss an exit or make a wrong turn I will admit that I am slow to ask for directions. So I compensate for being lost by driving faster. Don’t tell me that you don’t do the same thing. Statesman and outdoorsman, Daniel Boone was asked if he was ever lost while making his way through the wilderness. “I was never lost,” he said. “I was bewildered for about four months one time, but I was never lost.”
So what happens when you create your own vision? You wound yourself and any who follow you. Paul Becker tells us in his book, Seeing Your Vision Come True, that you will end up unfulfilled, frustrated, and defeated.
When we dream up our direction and fail to slow down and listen to God day in and day out we miss out on the greatest opportunity of all time—that being to drink in His direction. The apostle Paul bears down and tells us to be confident that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. David is described as a man after God’s own heart. Sure wasn’t because he was perfect! In II Samuel 2:1, David asks the Lord the question, “Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” The Lord answered, “Go up.” David spent a lot of time listening to God and he enjoyed it…probably learned it as shepherd boy.
Finally, here is the dilemma that I find myself in time and again. I get so preoccupied with what I want and want to do that I don’t slow down and listen. For some time now I have been carving out specific times to listen and guess what, my hearing is getting better. The best part is that the intimacy with God is SO REFRESHING. Don’t create your own vision…slow down and hear!
September 4, 2008
About 200 Alliance believers participated in a recent church camp in Thailand. The theme, “Stand Up and Shine for Jesus,” emphasized reaching out to the lost in the surrounding community. “God moved in a mighty way during the worship,” said Alliance missionaries Ed and Sue Danneker. The service began with preaching from the biblical story of Gideon smashing the foreign altars and restoring worship to the one, true God. The worship leader invited people to come forward to ask forgiveness for any “foreign altars” in their hearts. “Within minutes, the entire front area was filled with people responding to the conviction of the Holy Spirit,” said the Dannekers.
In addition, 38 people were baptized during the camp. Members of three Alliance churches—Mahapawn Tri-County Church, its daughter church (Mahapawn New Vision Church), and another daughter church in Mahachai—attended the event. “Pray for all the newly baptized Christians,” said Ed and Sue. “Pray that commitments made at the camp will be followed through.”
September 3, 2008
For most Gulf Coast residents, Labor Day weekend was spent evacuating their homes in anticipation of a major hurricane. Preparation was unprecedented for the natural disaster, but Gustav, although causing widespread damage, did not deliver his expected knock-out punch. Alliance leaders in affected areas are praising God for His protection.
“We cannot have a good assessment until our workers are back in their areas,” says Southern District superintendent Fred King. “According to our New Orleans and Waveland teams, they expect to be home on Thursday or Friday.”
Alliance pastor Darren Sanford from Journey4Life Ministry in Gulfport said, “Flooding seems to be limited to properties along the gulf to mostly small businesses and a few large homes. Our ministry building, Freedom Hall, sustained minor damage to the roof.”
With the possibility of more hurricanes on the way to either the southeast coast or the Gulf Coast, CAMA, the relief and development arm of The Alliance, has set up a general hurricane fund to help affected C&MA districts if necessary. “CAMA has pledged $30,000 to assist in relief efforts upon receipt of a damage assessment,” says a CAMA spokesperson. If you would like to contribute to this relief effort, visit www.camaservices.org.
The Alliance Communications team will keep you updated as hurricane information comes in.
September 2, 2008
During a recent outreach, a team from Messiah’s Lighthouse, a Metropolitan District C&MA Jewish congregation being planted by Abe Sandler, distributed 24,775 tracts proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah. Sandler also is the C&MA national evangelist to Jewish people.
“Twenty-six Gentile believers and six Jewish believers stopped to talk with us,” said Sandler. “They want to receive our newsletter and material to help them witness to Jewish people. Some would like to visit Messiah’s Lighthouse, the congregation we are planting in New York City.” The teams also received some phone calls and e-mails in response to the outreach.
The third annual Awake O Israel evangelistic campaign took place from August 18–22 in New York City, home to more than 2 million Jews. Volunteers spent the five days on the streets and in subways and parks, handing out tracts and witnessing to all who stopped to talk to them. “As each day passed and the team became more experienced and more prayers went up, we gave out more tracts and had more conversations and got more contacts to follow up on,” said Sandler.
One young man, a Gentile, prayed to receive Jesus as his Savior. “Three unsaved Jews and ten unsaved Gentiles gave us their names and addresses and said they wanted to hear more about Jesus being the Messiah and Savior,” said Sandler.
Despite hostility from the Jewish community, some religious Jews accepted the group’s tracts and read them. “As we headed out to our site one afternoon, William read our shirts and said, “I’m Jewish but don’t know much about my heritage. Can you help me?’ We let him know that we could and that we would share with him that the Jewish Messiah is Jesus,” said Sandler. “He readily gave us his name and address.”
David, a member of the Awake O Israel team, was on a subway platform as the group was returning from giving out tracts. A Hasidic Jewish man, ultra religious, was standing near the team. David felt the Lord “push” him over to the man, who couldn’t help seeing the message that Jesus is the Messiah emblazoned on David’s shirt. David began a conversation with him and was able to witness to him. “To our amazement, he did not turn away or cut him off, but allowed David to talk to him,” said Sandler.
“We sowed a lot of seed, it is being watered with prayer, and we are trusting God for fruit. I am now in the process of following up on all of the contacts with appropriate literature and phone calls and setting up visits with the unsaved contacts,” said Sandler. “Please continue to pray as this outreach is ongoing. There is a veil over their spiritual eyes, and only the Holy Spirit can remove it. Pray, pray, pray!”
For more information about Jewish Ministries and/or help in witnessing to Jewish people, e-mail AWAKEOISRAELJM@AOL.COM or call 215-676-5122.
August 29, 2008
Teenagers from inner-city Detroit made their mark at a recent Bible Quizzing tournament. The team, led by Alliance missionary candidate Liza Gmetro who serves at Acts 29 Fellowship in Hamtramck, Michigan, traveled to Ohio, where they faced their competition. “Emotions ranged from excitement to apprehension,” said Gmetro. After some practical spiritual lessons about perseverance in light of apparent failure, the team took first place in its division. “It wasn’t about winning,” said Gmetro, “but about character.”
Read full story
Forums
RSS
Podcasts
Newsletters