From Fellowship Coordinator Tom Avey. This is an excerpt–to read the entire highlights document, click here.
Fellowship Council Highlights
The Fellowship Council of the Fellowship of Grace Brethren Churches met January 21‐25 in Seal Beach California.
Meetings began Wednesday evening, January 21 for dinner followed by a time for update and prayer.
On Thursday, January 22, the council met to talk about the Commitment to Common Ministry document that was drafted at the 2008 Charis conference in Bad Homburg, Germany. The following significant facts were noted:
• The first Charis conference was held in 1994 in France, the second in 1996 in Toronto, Canada, the third was held in Argentina in 1999. Regional Charis gatherings happened between 1999 and 2008. The 2008 Charis conference was held August 2008 in Bad Homburg.
• The FGBC was represented by Bob Combs, Bob Wagner, and Steve Kern. Keith Shearer represented the FGBC on the Charis conference planning committee. All of these men served at their own (or their churches) expense
• The Commitment to Common Ministry document was a multi‐national document. Sections were originally composed in English, French and Spanish.
• The Commitment to Common Ministry contains three sections: Church Planting, Leadership Training, and Integrated Ministries. A copy of the Commitment to Common Ministry can be downloaded by clicking here.
• Executives of National Ministries have met three times to talk about their support for the Commitment to Common Ministry. The boards of all FGBC National Ministries have endorsed the document and are discussing its implications.
The Fellowship Council took the following action in response to the Commitment to Common Ministry:
To affirm the CHARIS Commitment to Common Mission and encourage participation of the local churches of the FGBC. The council discussed ways to focus resources and opportunities for the next decade more effectively on multiplication, leadership development and integrated ministries.