Mexico Missions Team 2012
April 19th, 2012
God has provide Grace Bible Fellowship with an exciting opportunity to share His love and spread His gospel to the nations! We are in the midst of organizing GBF’s first ever short-term missions trip in July. The team will be traveling to Mexico to serve at the Hope House along side former GBF members Walt and Nancy Heine. The team has been finalized. Please begin praying for the team as they prepare for the trip. In the coming weeks we will be providing more information about the trip as well as how everyone in the GBF family can help both our missions team and the Hope House.
The team members are:
Nathan Anderson
Brad Burman
Bob Douglas
Paige Douglas
Cindy Lee
Joshua Magana
Maria Magana
Daniel Magana
Cliff McManis
Tim McManis
Robert Saams-Hoy
“May the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you rule the peoples justly and guide the nations of the earth.” Psalm 67:4
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Pastor Cliff’s Time in Kiev
May 2nd, 2011
Enjoy these pictures of Pastor Cliff’s time in Kiev, Ukraine. Missed the sermon? Want to here it again? Go to the GBF teaching page to hear his sermon from 5/1/11 titled, Missions Sunday, Ukraine 2011.
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Operation World: Ukraine
April 27th, 2011
Did you know that the Ukraine was once considered the “Bible Belt” of the Soviet sphere? This coming Sunday we have the wonderful opportunity to hear about the great work God is doing in Kiev, the capital city of Ukraine, as pastor Cliff shares about his recent missions work there. Brush up on your knowledge of this Eastern European country before Sunday’s sermon and find out how you can pray for them at Operation World or watch this YouTube video, also from Operation World.
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God, the Gospel, and the Nations
April 20th, 2011
Who is called to be an ambassador for Christ? Isn’t it for a select group of believers? Evers Ding systematically and dynamically unpacked the Scriptures for us on Sunday to reveal the truth about who God has called to be involved in world missions. Certainly, we are told, not all are called to venture to the remote corners of the Earth to preach the Good News, but, we are all called to be ambassadors of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20). But your heart isn’t in missions you say? Well, we aren’t told to measure the significance of missions (or anything else in this life for that matter) based upon what it means to us, but rather what it means to God. So the question for believers then is not, “who is called to be an ambassador for Christ?” but rather “how am I doing as Christ’s ambassador?” Follow this link to listen to Evers’ sermon, God, the Gospel and the Nations from 4/17/11.
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Michelle Ho: Medical Mission in Haiti
September 16th, 2010
One of our members, Michelle Ho, is heading to Haiti on a medical missions trip. Please keep her in your prayers! Below you’ll find her prayer letter as well as a link to photos from the area she’s going to.
Dearest Friends and Family,
Hello! I am excited to share with you an opportunity for me to serve in Haiti this fall. Since my last letter in 2007, I served in Tijuana, Mexico and Macau, China as a pharmacy student. During that summer, the Lord impressed on my heart a duty to serve and glorify Him through my calling as a pharmacist. I graduated from pharmacy school in 2008 and since then went on to complete a pharmacy residency. By God’s grace, I am now working as an oncology pharmacist at Stanford.
While there have been numerous opportunities to serve the sick locally, I have been eagerly waiting to use my training to also minister to those in need overseas. From my visit back to Macau last year, I was introduced to the Samaritan’s Purse for medical missions. Though I was familiar with the organization through preparing shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child, I learned that Samaritan’s Purse is committed to providing for the spiritual and physical needs of hurting people in other ways. Two months ago, the organization contacted me with the chance to serve as a pharmacist in the Cite Soleil Medical Clinic in Haiti.
I will be traveling to Haiti with Samaritan’s Purse for 9 days from September 24 to October 2. Cite Soleil is an impoverished community of 300,000 people living within two square miles. Staffed by volunteer Christian doctors, nurses, and pharmacists, the permanent clinic and three mobile clinics treat up to 100 patients daily. In addition to treating physical ailments, an attending physician and a Christian interpreter pray and share the Gospel with each patient. Evangelism, vocational training, education, and other community projects are emphasized at the site.
I am not only humbled, but in awe of our Lord’s goodness and sovereignty. God’s grace in my life has compelled me to share the Good News and to joyfully serve Him, the Great Physician, in going to Haiti. The new environment will be challenging and the needs of the sick will be great, but it is my heart’s desire for God to use me to further His Kingdom. I am writing to ask for your prayer support. Please pray for: the Gospel to be proclaimed faithfully and boldly, the salvation of the People in Haiti, and my continued faith and trust in God to accomplish His will. Attached are some pictures of where I will be in Haiti. More information is available at: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/Haiti/index/ Thank you in advance for your prayers and your love and support. God bless!
By His Grace Alone,
Michelle Ho
P.S. Here is a PDF with photos of where I’ll be serving: Haiti Photo Overview
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Responding to the “Threat” of Islam
August 3rd, 2010
By Evers Ding
According to some sources, Islam is one of the fast-growing religions throughout the world, including the United States. Just the past few months, I’ve seen billboards on the highway asking, “Why Islam?” which provides a phone number to call to learn more about the supposed religion of “Abraham, Moses, and Jesus.”
Naturally, anyone who’s spent even cursory time studying Islam knows that what they actually teach about Jesus is utterly incompatible with Biblical Christianity (Pastor Cliff preached on this topic last year).
So how are we to respond to Islam and its adherents? There’s no question that in many places in the world, Muslims respond with violence and suppression against those who profess Christ. Are we to view Islam as a threat? Are we to fear them? Are we to launch our own modern-day “crusades” to “take back” land or nations in the name of Christ?
Ted Esler, who serves with the missions organization Pioneers, offers helpful, gospel-informed counsel on this topic at the Desiring God blog in a post titled “Islam, Fear and the Gospel’s Demand“:
Paul wrote, “Many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ” (Philippians 3:18). The dangerous anger of Islam does not burn foremost because of our culture, our freedoms, or our “way of life.” It is an attack on the cross first and foremost. Our response should be based on this fact.
Watching the news one might be led to conclude that anger is the best response to Islam. Another response might be fear, such as that felt by my friend (an understandable, human response).
Jesus taught another response. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: love your enemies …” (Matthew 5:43, 44).
For many evangelicals, the threat of Islam—both real and perceived—has sometimes distracted from obedience to the demands of the gospel. While radical Islam certainly has a political agenda that should not be minimized, we should, in obedience, follow Jesus’ command to love them.
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Giving 100% to Missions
August 3rd, 2010
What is “missions?” Is it mainly a way of describing what a church does when it goes across international boundaries, or especially across oceans? Is it most accurately applied only to reaching faraway nations and peoples yet to hear the gospel, or in “closed” nations?
Or are we also missionaries, as a church in the middle of a country that has strong historical Christian influences but is increasingly abandoning those roots for secular humanism?
To this latter question, blogger Dave Dorr offers a resounding “YES” in a post provocatively titled, “Why Our Church Gives 100% to Missions.” As he puts it, “our church is a mission.” Here’s an excerpt:
Our church gives 100% of its budget to missions. That’s because our church is a mission. Staff salaries are mission. Benevolence (our fund to support those who are in need financially) is about missions. Paying the rent, again, missions.
And why shouldn’t we think of church in America like this? Are we still under the assumption that we are the chaplains to our culture, to use Ed Stetzer’s apt illustration? We are missionaries. We are not at home, even in our home country. We don’t share similar world views with people outside of the body of Christ.
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2010 Summer Basketball Clinic
July 21st, 2010
By Evers Ding
For the 4th summer in a row, GBF sponsored a youth basketball clinic in the month of July. We invited children entering 1st-6th grade to join us for a week of learning the fundamentals of basketball while also getting a healthy dose of the gospel. Each morning, from 9am-12p, we met at the gym of the Mtn. View Academy with over 50 campers.
The typical day included:
- several instructional sessions featuring “Coach” (and pastor) Cliff McManis
- numerous breakout drill groups (separated by age group) in which the campers got to practice layups, free throws, and defensive skills
- several fun relay drills, practicing dribbling and shooting
- snacks and water breaks
- singing songs as a group, complete with hand motions and Biblical themes
- a 10-minute devotional from one of the coaches, with the goal of conveying the gospel over the course of the week
- small group discussion times where groups of 4-5 children would discuss the material conveyed in the devotional of the day
Key highlights from this year’s camp included:
- over 30 volunteers from our church family, filling such crucial roles as coaches, refreshments, registration, and first aid.
- over a half-dozen men who took time off from work (or shifted their busy schedules) to serve as coaches
- many returning campers from previous years as well as a good number of new campers
- repeated opportunities not only to preach the gospel, but to exhibit its fruits with many of the children
- another cool camp t-shirt
The campers were a mix of both churched and unchurched children. As with previous years, we advertised online as well as in some local venues, but most of the campers heard by word of mouth. We had a great time, and cherished the opportunity to reinforce Biblical truth in these children’s lives, and in some cases, introduce it. Keeping in mind that missions is not only about conversion, but making disciples; we treasure this ministry opportunity that the Lord has given us in our community. If you’re interested in helping out in any way for future years, please let “Coach” Cliff know!
Here are some photo highlights from this year’s camp:
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Biblical Missions at GBF
March 7th, 2010
By Dr. Cliff McManis
Missions is at the heart of the Great Commission which Jesus delegated to the Church (Matthew 28:19-20). The main imperative in Jesus’ Great Commission is “make disciples.” That is what Christians and churches are to be busy doing. Making disciples is the backbone of church work and ministry.
Based on Matthew 28:19-20, there are three steps to making disciples. The first step is “‘to go.” This has to do with infiltrating the society and evangelizing unbelievers. The second step is “to baptize.” This is assimilating new believers into the local church. The third step is “to teach them all” Jesus commanded. This is the life-long process of equipping believers unto sanctification and maturity.
Our English word “mission” comes from the Latin, missio, which means “to send.” This corresponds with step one of the Great Commission, “to go.” So when we speak of “missions” in the church, we are talking about going out into the unbelieving world, locally and abroad, representing Christ, speaking His truth and His gospel.
Jesus commanded Christians “to go”! In Acts 1:8 Jesus commanded His disciples, saying, “you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” In Mark 16:15 Jesus commanded believers, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.”
So missions is about going into society and penetrating the world with the gospel of Christ. And Jesus has chosen the local church to be the focal point of launching missions. Jesus promised to build His Church. The church is the only institution He promised to build and perpetuate. As a church, GBF needs to be an outpost for the Kingdom of God, the Gospel of Christ and missions–both locally and globally. 1 Timothy 3:15 says, “the church of the living God is the pillar and support of the truth.”
Missions is not primarily about sending money to a missionary 3,000 miles away or to the local missions agency. Real missions starts with you–and me–on an individual basis, being willing to represent Christ and speak His truth every day, wherever we go, with whomever we meet. So, how’d it go last week? Who did you share with? Did you plant any seeds? 1 Peter 3:15 says, “sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence.” God, help us to be bold, courageous and faithful as ambassadors for You.
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