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Organizational News

Thank you for keeping us in your prayers this month! We are excited about the upcoming holiday season and the many opportunities for sharing Christ's love with our neighbors around the world.

November 26th: Thanksgiving! This is a unique time when we are able to connect with our international students, sharing hospitality and a grateful spirit.

December 1st: Giving Tuesday! This is a special day where you can be a significant advocate for GCMI through social media. With your help, GCMI touch even more lives for the Kingdom. Be on the lookout for more information-COMING SOON!

If you would like more information about GCMI or would like to partner with us, please contact Carey Cox Bouchelle at careybouchelle@globalcitymission.org.

 

Unexpected Receptivity by Carissa Basuini

"Why are you a Christian?" a young Taiwanese woman asked me as we sat in a cafe. "Can you help me with my problem?" asked a young Chinese woman about a week later, explaining her desire to "know more about religion," but feeling conflicted about her search through books about Buddhism and Taoism. This year, during Equip training, I am leading two English conversation groups for international students at Columbia University. I have the opportunity to meet individually with these 18 internationals to get to know them, share more about my faith and invite them to study the Bible with me.

I absolutely love this opportunity, but found myself a little anxious about how these conversations would go; I definitely did not expect to get such interest before I even got to the "inviting" part! And I especially did not expect the sincere thankfulness that they expressed after I did invite them—their appreciation and desire to learn about God was overwhelming. These two students, as well as a few others, will be starting Bible Studies with me. Praise God for their receptivity and pray that they will desire a personal relationship with Him.

Our Choice by Carey Cox Bouchelle

Sometimes it surprises me, in the best way, when one of my ministry friends shares insight into the Christian life. My (mostly) nonreligious friend, Maria, and I recently had a “girls’ night.” She told me about her frustration with the hypocrisy found in churches and about her meaningful encounters with God. She asked me if it was true that the highest value in Christianity is forgiveness. She explained a recent situation in which she had an issue with a co-worker, who is a churchgoer, and after which she had called the woman out for holding a grudge. Maria said, “I just don’t get it. If that’s what you claim to be, why wouldn’t you live it out?”

I feel like this is a fair question. Maria recognized a key aspect of following Jesus that perhaps we as Christians sometimes overlook. Following Jesus is a choice. We choose to identify ourselves as Christians, and the world will know if we don’t practice the example we claim to live by. Not only is this a challenge, it is also an encouragement! Simply by living according to Jesus’ teachings, we are witnessing to those around us. I am thankful for the opportunity to be a living testimony to the grace of God.

 
 
 

A Word From Jared

At the end of October, several members of the GCMI team traveled to Richmond, Virginia, for the International Conference on Missions. During the weekend, I had the opportunity to teach a workshop entitled Reaching the Nations Next Door, and it was an extremely encouraging experience for me. I was encouraged standing before leaders from various parts of the United States who had a clear understanding of the needs and opportunities facing the church during our present age of globalization, urbanization and international migration. It was a one-hour class, and while I was the one teaching about reaching the nations living next door, I was deeply encouraged by the sophistication and passion for crossing cultures in our cities among the Christian leaders in the room with me in Richmond. I have hope that a missionary people are on the rise in North America.

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