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May I Serve You? Don Dennison, CCM Director Would your church be interested in adding a staff member (without salary) for 6 months to further develop your missions ministry? I m available!

2 May I Serve You? Don Dennison, CCM Director Would your church be interested in adding a staff member (without salary) for 6 months to further develop your missions ministry? I m available! While I am retiring from the Director s role, I will still focus on missions education through writing, speaking, teaching, and (yes) some travel. As a Church & Mission Consultant for the denomination, I look forward to working more closely with a few churches who want to strengthen their missions ministries. In that capacity, my goal is have a covenant relationship with up to 6 churches during a 6-months period to provide mentoring and coaching. This could include such things as helping to organize a missions team (if one doesn t exist), evaluate missions policies, set priorities, recommend funding ideas, and provide mission (and missions) teaching to the congregation. As a consultant to the local missions team and/or church, I plan to be on location several times during the first 6-months and available beyond that. A 1-page covenant form is available if you want to know more. Note in the previous paragraph, I used mission (not missions) in my new title. My primary emphasis will be to help the church understand and respond to the mission of God. From my vantage point, we do missions (plural) because of the (singular) mission of God. If we don t understand His mission accurately, we usually do an ineffective job of missions. What that looks like in a local church will vary depending on the church body and its location. For that reason, the covenant will be tailored to each individual church. I want to continue to serve CGGC Cross-Cultural Ministries in ways that benefit this ministry. I will not be personally accepting any salary or honorarium from churches which commit to the 6-month covenant relationship. However, reimbursement for travel expenses and/or support of our CCM Contingent Fund (CC2725) will be encouraged. This will be my last editorial as CCM Director. I began serving on May 1, The last 20 years have stretched me far beyond what I could have imagined, but God has been faithful. He continues to bless this ministry in ways that give Him greater glory. Thank you for your partnership and your friendship. How may I help you fulfill God s purpose for His mission? ))) Front cover: : Feetwashing service on Sunday morning, March 15 during annual Brazil Conference (Igreja Biblica Boas Novas). The Missionary Signal (ISSN ) Rachel Foreman, Editor Published bimonthly by the Commission on Cross-Cultural Ministries, 700 E. Melrose Ave., P.O. Box 926, Findlay, OH Send all subscription requests to: THE MISSIONARY SIGNAL, 700 E. Melrose Ave., P.O. Box 926, Findlay, OH Second Class Postage Paid at Findlay, Ohio and Additional Entry Offices, POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Missionary Signal, P.O. Box 926, Findlay, OH 45839

Venezuela Churches Celebrate! by Don Dennison The CGGC churches in Venezuela held their 4th annual conference December 12-14, 2014 in San Juan de Los Morros.

Highlights of the weekend included a missions banquet featuring Jivi tribal leaders from the Amazon region; seminars focusing on different aspects of Teamwork; vibrant worship at the

A teamwork theme was emphasized in the pastors meeting, seminars, and worship.

3 Venezuela Churches Celebrate! by Don Dennison The CGGC churches in Venezuela held their 4th annual conference December 12-14, 2014 in San Juan de Los Morros. CCM Director Don Dennison along with Latino Ministry Directors Caleb & Christina Acosta and Pastor Eva Lezama from Columbia, PA represented the USA at this gathering. Highlights of the weekend included a missions banquet featuring Jivi tribal leaders from the Amazon region; seminars focusing on different aspects of Teamwork; vibrant worship at the Admirable God and Esperanza Viva churches; an outdoor baptism service with eleven converts; and a visit to the new church building site at Calabozo. A teamwork theme was emphasized in the pastors meeting, seminars, and worship. Specific topics were What the Bible Tells us about Teamwork (Christina Acosta); Unity in Teamwork (Eva Lezama); The Challenges & Risks of Teamwork (Don Dennison); and The Tools & Benefits of Teamwork (Caleb Acosta). Following are photo highlights of the Venezuela visit: Nightly worship services were filled with praise and expectation. God spoke through music, drama, testimony and the scriptures. 3

Guest leaders taught and preached on the value of

Pastor Eva Lezama (left) from the Sanidad Divina

Christina Acosta express appreciation to CCM Director

Venezuelan churches Pastor Juan Herrera of Admirable

Leaders of the Jivi tribe are commissioned with prayer

4 Guest leaders taught and preached on the value of teamwork in ministry: Pastor Caleb Acosta (right) and Pastor Eva Lezama (left) from the Sanidad Divina Church in Columbia, PA Host Pastor Liarxi Alcala and Christina Acosta express appreciation to CCM Director Don Dennison for his support and encouragement to the Venezuelan churches Pastor Juan Herrera of Admirable God baptizes one of the new converts on Sunday morning Leaders of the Jivi tribe are commissioned with prayer and a special offering as they prepare to return to the Amazon 4

Meet Travis Helm! Cross-Cultural Ministries is pleased to announce the appointment of Travis Helm as the new Assistant Director of CGGC Cross-Cultural Ministries.

5 Meet Travis Helm! Cross-Cultural Ministries is pleased to announce the appointment of Travis Helm as the new Assistant Director of CGGC Cross-Cultural Ministries. Travis will join our CGGC staff on July 1 and serve alongside of the new CCM Director Ben Tobias as Don Dennison transitions out of his full-time role on July 31. Travis and his wife, Lisa, are members of the Greenvillage Church of God (ERC) and are recognized as affiliate missionaries, having served with Gospel for Asia in the Dallas area since Gospel for Asia (GFA) is a well-known international ministry focused on church planting through national workers throughout Asia. In his role at GFA, he has: Directed the overall strategy for ministry development. Includes fundraising efforts focused on planting churches as well as encouragement of spiritual/ personal growth of staff and students Managed and coached numerous departments within the ministry, including Church Relations, Volunteer Network, Strategic Giving, Relational Marketing, Field Communications, Korean and School of Discipleship Spoken at churches and conferences throughout the USA Cultivated and maintained relationships with church leaders, ministry partners and Christian ministries Trained, encouraged, and mentored staff in the support raising process Recruited and interviewed potential staff and performed annual evaluations of current staff Organized and helped lead pastors and students on ministry vision tours to South Asia. Pray for Travis, Lisa, and daughters Faith and Grace as they prepare to transition from the Dallas area to Findlay, Ohio in the coming months. ))) 5

The Familiar Yet Unfamiliar: The Re-Entry Process by Ben Tobias My life has changed! Why doesn t anyone seem to care?? Why is home so different? And what IS home?

6 The Familiar Yet Unfamiliar: The Re-Entry Process by Ben Tobias My life has changed! Why doesn t anyone seem to care?? Why is home so different? And what IS home?? These are frequent statements from many a recent short-term mission trip (STMT) participant as well as long-term missionaries. Chances are, you or someone you know has had an incredible, life-changing experience on a short- or long-term mission trip only to find out that coming home isn t as easy as expected. People even loved ones just aren t as interested as they should be. Going to the store causes new guilt and embarrassment that wasn t there before. We asked our missionaries about what makes home-coming difficult after extended time away, and here are some of their responses: [F]or me it was being able to connect and accept family and friends where they were in life and be gracious about the things that were important to them (such as homes, possessions, job advancement etc.) and realize that very few could relate to or were interested in what was important to me. As one tries to keep up with news of the family, church and friends, after a while you realize: it s not that they are not including you on purpose, you re the one that left. I have had a really hard time with people saying, I bet you re so happy to be back. Uhh, no, not yet, not really. I try to explain that I m happy to see everyone but there is still a lot of adjusting to be done. Missionary kids (MKs) deal with this issue, too. In addition to missing their playmates and friends, they have to adjust to a completely different way of life. Miranda Snyder says, Living in Haiti has changed how I look at life. The American way of life is difficult in my opinion. I liked the simple way of life we had in Haiti. In addition to missionaries coming home, re-entry is also an issue for shorttermers. But it isn t something we talk about much in preparation, primarily because we re focused on everything that comes before it! Lisa Espinelli-Chin is the Director of International Student Ministries for InterVarsity, and she has written and spoken extensively about the need for effective debriefing following mission trips. At the Mission Leadership Conference in Atlanta, GA (Sept ), she shared helpful ideas churches can use to help those returning from time spent abroad. First and foremost: LISTEN! Each mission trip participant or missionary needs somebody who will take time to help them debrief their experience. In fact, this person should be chosen by the traveler before the mission trip. 6

But do provide the first line of listening. Avoid yes/no questions; use tell us and how did you to elicit their story.

7 When debriefing, keep the following points in mind: use inviting and helpful comments and questions. Especially after a traumatic experience, give people a chance to talk as soon as possible and as much as possible (depending on their willingness). Don t counsel beyond your ability. But do provide the first line of listening. Avoid yes/no questions; use tell us and how did you to elicit their story. One of the greatest blessings of cross-cultural ministry is how God uses it to disciple the participant, and one of the best things the Church can do is to help them process his or her experience and see what God has done. Help them deal with re-entry and listen to their stories. You ll be glad you did! ))) CCM Commission Members Approved On March 11, the CGGC Administrative Council approved two new members of the Cross-Cultural Ministries Commission. The new appointees will replace Stacy Dix (Indian Head Church, ARC) and Pastor Ken Thomas (Wooster 1 st Church, GLC) who have served the maximum of two 3-year terms. The new appointees are Pastor Eva Lezama (Sanidad Divina, ERC) and Pastor Bob Huber (Pine Grove, ARC). Eva Lezama pastors the Iglesia Sanidad Divina in Columbia, PA and regularly teaches in the Latino Training Center. A native of Venezuela, she is the first Latino representative to serve on the CGGC Cross-Cultural Commission. She and her husband, Italo, have two children and live in Mountville, PA. Bob Huber pastors the Pine Grove Church of God near Cherry Tree, PA. He and his wife, Shere, served in our Southwest USA ministries for 13 years ( ) pastoring the Hooghan Nizhoni and then Gamerco churches. Bob also serves on the Missions Commission in the Allegheny Regional Conference. The continuing Cross-Cultural Ministries Commission members include Joyce Hornbaker (Eastern), Kara Norris (Great Lakes), Phil Wallace (Western), Laurie Harrison (Eastern), Jeff Burns (Midwest), Don Dennison (Director), and Ben Tobias (Associate Director). ))) 11

How a Mission Trip Benefited our Church by Mark Halliday, Pastor of Bare Memorial Church (ERC) On March 22, 2014 a 12 member team from the Bare Memorial Church of God embarked on a mission trip to

One was to do some work for our sister church in Guichamps, Haiti and the other was to encourage the missionaries in Borel from our church, Andy and Theresa Snyder and family.

8 How a Mission Trip Benefited our Church by Mark Halliday, Pastor of Bare Memorial Church (ERC) On March 22, 2014 a 12 member team from the Bare Memorial Church of God embarked on a mission trip to Borel, Haiti. We had a two-fold task on this mission trip. One was to do some work for our sister church in Guichamps, Haiti and the other was to encourage the missionaries in Borel from our church, Andy and Theresa Snyder and family. Our mission team consisted of members of all different age groups. We also had members who had been to Haiti before and a few of us who were making our very first mission trip. Some of our members were long time members of our church and had a very solid foundation with the Lord, while others were newer people to our congregation and even some sporadic attenders. But we traveled as a team and I must say that it was a great experience for everyone. Some of the members are on fire to do many more mission trips, while others chalked it up to a good life experience but not high on there to do again list. We did accomplish the tasks that we set out to do in Haiti. We built and painted the benches/desks for our sister church. We were able to spend plenty of time with the Snyder s and help encourage them during that week which went by way to fast. But I am writing to really share about another benefit of our trip to Haiti. 12

9 While we were making arrangements for our trip to Haiti, I spoke with our trip coordinator. We talked about who was interested in going on the trip and the finances and the normal stuff required for a mission trip. But we also talked about the individuals that were sporadic attenders to our church. We were praying and hoping that maybe on this trip together we could help build bonds with these young men. The individuals were known to be hard workers who don t like to be idle and they were going on this trip to do as much work as possible and spread the Gospel. Their zeal was undeniable and we were hoping that we as a church could make some close connection with them. Each evening as a group we had devotions and discussed what God showed us during that day. It was a free flowing time of sharing. Between devotions and working side by side with these young men we got to know them and they got to know us. It was a trip that not only accomplished a mission with the Haitian people, but it also allowed for bonds to be formed for our church back home. Those two young men now call our church their home church and they have said that we now feel like family to them. One young man has brought in new visitors with him every week. His mother has started attending every week and calls us her home church. This past Sunday, that young man had seven new visitors with him. He told me when we were on our way back from Haiti that he was going to try to bring all his friends and family to the church because they need to know Jesus and he feels like we are part of his home. The mission trip was beneficial for our whole team. People are being reached for Jesus in Haiti and in Roaring Spring, PA because of the relationships that were built on this mission trip. I would just like to tell people that they should not only look at a mission trip to help other cultures but just maybe it will help your own home church as well. ))) 13

2015 Prayer Focus Pray for VENEZUELA in May Venezuela has been suffering from increased political tensions between the socialist government and a growing number of dissidents.

Pray for our brothers and sisters as they reach out and plant more churches in this time.

10 2015 Prayer Focus Pray for VENEZUELA in May Venezuela has been suffering from increased political tensions between the socialist government and a growing number of dissidents. As a result, there has been an increase in crime and widespread shortage of consumer products. But PRAISE GOD for the faithfulness of the churches in their bold witness for Jesus Christ. Pray for our brothers and sisters as they reach out and plant more churches in this time. Pray for SWEDEN in June It is said that Sweden is perhaps the most difficult culture to reach with the gospel of Jesus Christ. After centuries of domination by the State-supported Church, modern Swedes are highly skeptical and suspicious of evangelical Christian witness. Pray for Pastor Doug and Anna-Karin Molgaard as they reach out to their atheistic neighbors with the Good News of Jesus. ))) With Appreciation CGGC Cross-Cultural Ministries wishes to acknowledge recent Missions Tribute gifts: In Memory of: Dr. E. Fidelia Gilbert (2) Jim Martin Don Peter (5) Don Peter (5) Sue Speelman Catherine Binkley (3) Pastor Melvin Summy Joseph Dix For: Bangladesh Medical Ministries Project HELP Partnering Fund Gordon & Annie Avey Support Doug & Anna-Karin Molgaard Support Bangladesh Medical Ministries Haiti Medical Ministries Bangladesh Churches & Evangelism Caleb & Christina Acosta Support 14

New Summer Interns Approved Alyssa Miller (Mattoon, IL) is preparing for a 3-month missionary internship in San Juan de Los Morros, Venezuela this summer.

010 Missionary Internship (Alyssa Miller). Morgan Scott (Latrobe, PA) is preparing for a 3-month missionary internship in Uluberia, India his summer.

011 Missionary Internship (Morgan Scott). ))) M i s s i o n s M i n u t e s Applications are being received for the position of Chief Financial Officer for our Project H.E.L.P. ministry in Haiti.

11 New Summer Interns Approved Alyssa Miller (Mattoon, IL) is preparing for a 3-month missionary internship in San Juan de Los Morros, Venezuela this summer. She will assist with ministry at the Calabozo church under the direction of Pastors Liarxi and Mara Alcala. Gifts should be payable to CGGC, Box 926, Findlay, OH and designated for CC Missionary Internship (Alyssa Miller). Morgan Scott (Latrobe, PA) is preparing for a 3-month missionary internship in Uluberia, India his summer. She will assist in children s ministry under the direction of Rev. Samir and Charusheela Singha. Gifts should be payable to CGGC, Box 926, Findlay, OH and designated for CC Missionary Internship (Morgan Scott). ))) M i s s i o n s M i n u t e s Applications are being received for the position of Chief Financial Officer for our Project H.E.L.P. ministry in Haiti. Candidates will have missionary status and live in Haiti, need to have training in accounting procedures, and be familiar with accounting software (such as Quickbooks). A more detailed job description is available online at cross-cultural-home-page. ))) 15

COMMISSION ON CROSS-CULTURAL MINISTRIES Churches of God, General Conference 700 E.

cggc.org Periodical Rate Postage Paid at Findlay, OH Permit No.

little sense of how they fit into the larger book.

to the real point of each book and how it fits into God s mission.

12 COMMISSION ON CROSS-CULTURAL MINISTRIES Churches of God, General Conference 700 E. Melrose Ave., P.O. Box 926 Findlay, OH Phone (419) Fax (419) Periodical Rate Postage Paid at Findlay, OH Permit No Global Tools for missions education So often we read little bits of the Bible with little sense of how they fit into the larger book. In God s Story in 66 Verses, author Stan Guthrie selects key verses that actually lead us to the real point of each book and how it fits into God s mission. This is valuable to those who are new to the Bible as well as those who ve been reading it a long time. Order your copy for only $14.00, plus shipping or at publications@cggc.org. )))

IN THIS ISSUE: Brazil Conference Leaders Meet p. 3 An Update from the Dillingers p. 5 God at Work in India p. 6

IN THIS ISSUE: Brazil Conference Leaders Meet p. 3 An Update from the Dillingers p. 5 God at Work in India p. 6 It s About Family Ben Tobias, CCM Director Feet-washing is one of those beautiful practices