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Recovery Coach Training Seminar: June 1,2

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Grace Fellowship’s Recovery Coach Training Seminar is scheduled for June 1,2, 2018 in Lancaster, NY (a suburb of Buffalo).

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Here is the announcement from the host pastor:

First Bible Baptist Church Presents 
“Recover Coach Training” Seminar
Dr. John Woodward — Grace Fellowship International
Friday, June 1, 2018 7pm – 9:30pm
Saturday, June 2, 2018 — 9am – 4pm
Price: $40.00 per student 
Dear Church Family:
In next weekend our church will be hosting a “Recover Coach Training” seminar.  Actually this will be a presentation of the biblical nature of man.  There is perhaps no more important material to be exposed to than this.  Whatever Christian seminars or conferences you have attended in the past this one will be the most foundational of all.  We all need help — with our marriages, with our relationships, with the victorious Christian life, with cravings and addictions, with living an authentic Christian life — this seminar will unlock the key to many of the needs and struggles that we face as believers. 
To more fully appreciate what we are and who we are as Christians it is essential to understand our biblical makeup.  In other words, what the Bible says about us as human beings is vital to our understanding of the changes that took place at salvation and how we are to live as a believer in this world.  
Though the work of the Cross ‘for’ the believer has been accomplished for all eternity, the work of the Cross ‘in’ the believer may not be understood nor appropriated in the life of the believer in all of his sojourn here on Earth. (Dr. Charles Solomon)
I can’t recommend this training any more strongly.  On my recommendation please consider attending every minute.  If finances are a problem — please let me know and we will work something out.  If scheduling is a problem — do whatever you can do to make room for this seminar.  If motivation is the issue — remember God never leaves a child of God empty when they sincerely seek Him. 
Would you seriously consider attending?  You will not be disappointed.  In fact you will be given keys that will unlock the Crucified Life and will make your Christian life more genuine, more authentic and more fruitful for the cause of Christ.  
Serving the Lord with Gladness,
Pastor Richard Scheer 
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Dominican Republic Trip

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by John Woodward

April 22-27 Linda and I ministered in the Dominican Republic. We were able to teach an Exchanged Life Conference and DominicanRepublic1Workshop to about 30 missionaries in Juan Dolio (east of Santo Domingo).  The equipping was taught with an interpreter and based at the campus of SCORE International. Participants received copies of Handbook to Happiness (20 in Spanish, 10 in English), the workshop notebook and a CD ROM for ongoing study and ministry. There were also opportunities to minister to some of the missionaries one-to-one. The testimonies and comments indicated that they really appreciated this teaching and equipping experience.

The GFI alumnus there, Erica Jude, gave testimony to the group of how God used the GFI conference and workshop (in Tennessee) in her life, and that she has been using this model at Lily House ever since.   At the conclusion they sang, gathered around us, and prayed. What a blessing.

Thursday afternoon we ministered at Lily House to the residents and staff. Learn more about this holistic redemption and rescue program for women here: scoreintl.org/ministries/lily-house

The SCORE house hostess was impacted by this message through hearing Major Ian Thomas over 40 years ago; she said that the conference/workshop explained these truths in a special way and that God applied the message to her life in a deeper way. The SCORE base also has a nine month GAP program for college students. They learn Spanish, D.R. culture, missions and Bible. This group has heard the wheel and line message through Erica, and now the GAP Director (who attended the conference/ workshop ) is using these materials with them too.

We give thanks for a safe and fruitful trip and request prayer for the Lord’s ongoing blessing on these ministries in Dominican Republic!

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Nicaragua Trip

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EXCHANGE LIFE UNITED CHRISTIAN MISSIONS PASTOR CONFERENCE – APRIL 2018

from Eric Harbinson in Nicaragua

Hans teaching the pastors

Hans teaching the pastors

WOW–God really does answer prayer! In October we prayed for God to provide specific Counseling and Discipleship resources. And as indicates in Eph 3:20– God answered and provided far more abundantly than resources. He also provided the team that was willing to travel to Nicaragua to teach this initial conference. NOW– the pastors and leaders prayed for their nation and in each other’s churches to be churches that are not limited by culture. They want to be effective to prepare leaders to counsel, reach and teach the people of their communities to change their country for God’s glory.

A special thanks to Grace Fellowship International for providing these materials, to Chilhowee Hills Baptist Church for allowing us to borrow these 3 men and to Mark McKeehan, Matt Paradis and Hans Haun for sharing their hearts for the Lord. They gave everything this week to these pastors and leaders. We are set for next steps– not just to spend a few days and give them a book, but to walk along side them, encourage them, model the material, observe and give them feedback to empower them to change their communities. GOD WILL GET GLORY!

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Prison Ministry

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One of the strategic opportunities do Exchanged Life Discipleship/ Counseling is in the prison system. We appreciate those who are using Grace Fellowship’s books and DVDs to minister to those who are incarcerated. Our associate, David Howell, is reaching 10’s of thousands through “How to Be a Child of God” booklets. Today we mailed out study Bibles and GFI books to prisons in Florida, Oklahoma and Arizona. Let’s pray for those who are in prison and for chaplains and volunteers in this field of ministry. For example, a volunteer is using the “For Me to Live is Christ” workbook and DVDs at this Oklahoma facility:

 

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Recovery Coach Training

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On April 6,7 Tri-State Bible College in South Point, Ohio hosted GFI’s Recovery Coach Training seminar. This was a follow up event related to the one day Addiction Recovery seminar presented by Joe and Cherri Freeman in Proctorville, Ohio February 24th. The host church, First Baptist Church of Proctorville, posted videos of that day on their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/FirstBaptistProctorville/videos/

The Recovery Coach Training seminar, presented by John Woodward, gave a practical overview of how to apply the Exchanged Life Discipleship Counseling model to helping others find freedom from chemical and behavioral addictions. Grace Fellowship International is prayerfully developing an ongoing track to equip Recovery Coaches for personal and local church-based ministry. Here is a local news story on the seminar:

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Cape Town

Ministry in South Africa

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A report from Piet and Sylvia du Toit in South Africa

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Cape Town

Our hearts are overflowing with love and gratitude to Father God for a very blessed 2017. During the course of this past year we were able to visit 17 communities and in every instance, we were overwhelmed with gratitude in observing the positive impact which the “Exchanged Life” message has been making upon the lives of people. This is true evangelism and it is the ‘good news’ which our Lord Jesus talks about.

The depth and true impact of the profound Galatians 2:20 “Crucified Life” message impacts the hearts and lives of people in such a positive way that a radical change in their day-to-day lives and living becomes apparent.

Whilst we were ministering in the various congregations we made it our business to introduce the Ministers to the “Exchanged Life” and to GFI websites, encouraging them to make use of the wealth of wisdom and teaching available.

This year marks the completion of 25 years of ministry for us… and we are asking Father God to give us guidance, seeking the Holy Spirit, so that we may know God’s Will for our ministry work, going forward.

We have experienced during the past year that in general, people are becoming so increasingly stressed by simply having to cope with the ever-increasing challenges of daily living, that that they are experiencing difficulties in attending a 5-day seminar. We are accordingly seriously considering the possibility of in future, simply holding a short ministering presentation, followed by making available for sale, recorded DVD/CD’s for the balance of the program, as to make it easier for working couples to compete the full course module, but without the pressures of having to attend a 5-day seminar.

This DVD/CD method may also contain an added advantage of being able to be extended into the Church Home Cell Groups, whereby the impartation of the seminars can then become available over an extended period, to those working couples who have been totally unable to attend a 5-day seminar…

We are grateful to Father God for being charged with bringing such a liberating message to South Africans whilst our country is traversing a time of unprecedented criminal violence, causing our population to have great concern over even their daily living. Lawlessness is sadly the order of the day and from the core message of the Cross (Gal 2:20) we are charged with
bringing the message of hope (2 Cor. 4:16).

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Guatemala Trip

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GFI board member, pastor Dan Riley, and about 30 others have been on a mission trip this week, returning to Tennessee today. Here is a report from him: “Yesterday I had the opportunity to share the wheel & line with a group of pastors and leaders in Guatemala. Many Pentecostals attended. There was a really good time after for questions and answers. We had great conversations. In another meeting of Evangelical(?) Catholics a “catholic” leader who has embraced the exchanged life spoke. I shared the wheel last night after helping lead a softball clinic and playing in two games, with the commissioner of the whole league, and prayed over him. This is Rosario’s copy from 1979(!) of her materials when she (and most of the others here) heard about this. She still has her book and notes! It’s been a blessing to be back. We’ve seen beautiful things in people’s lives this week. Everyone sends their greetings and love!”

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Christ-Centered Addiction Recovery Seminar

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Joe and Cherri Freeman presented a Christ-Centered Addiction Recovery seminar on Saturday, Feb. 24th. Over 180 registered for this Love Them to Life event that provided valuable information, inspirational testimonies and biblical counsel for those struggling with addiction and their families. A big thanks to the leaders and volunteers at First Baptist Church, Proctorville, Ohio and the lead organization—Tri-State Bible College. John Woodward gave a session in the afternoon and John Norman hosted a GFI resource table. Other ministries that were represented included Tri-State Bible College, Drug Prevention Ministries, and RU Recovery. As follow up event, a Recovery Coach Training seminar is planned for April 6,7 at the college.

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Nepal Ministry Trip

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GFI’s Director in east Africa, Charles Ambaka, is returning to Nepal. Please lift this ministry trip up in prayer. He writes,

“The Lord in His way again has provided family friends here who have committed themselves to facilitate another Training trip to the Himalayas… I have been in communication with a Couple that I met in 2012 and who represent Campus Crusade in Nepal. Their lives have continued to yearn for my return trip there. I have also asked Pastor Timothy Aryal to bring other Churches and Ministries on board so that I can use this trip as a spring board to the neighboring Countries. My travel date is 21st of February to arrive in Kathmandu the following day. It will be a very intensive trip that will involve Trek Evangelism on one of the Himalayas. I plan to be back on the 3rd of May.