Good News Email – November 22, 2015
November 24, 2015
Greetings from London, Moscow and Manila! The Spirit is moving in very powerful ways in these cities! Elena’s and my goal in visiting each of these churches was to strengthen and encourage them. Yet during our time with all three congregations, we were the ones who were incredibly built up by their “work produced by faith, [their] labor prompted by love, and [their] endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Thessalonians 1:3)
The McKeans and Rebecca Rico receive a
SoldOut Movement Welcome in London
for the European Missions Conference!
The Moscow Disciples sing to Kip & Elena,
We Love You With The Love Of The Lord!
At 3:30AM, the Manila Disciples joyfully welcome
the McKeans back to their beloved Philippines!
Phillipe Scheidecker – Leader of the Paris Church: On Friday night, November 13th, terrorists staged coordinated attacks at six locations throughout Paris. Sadly that evening, 129 people were killed and 352 wounded. First of all we are deeply moved by your support on social medias, your messages, your profile pictures with the colors of the French Flag, and all your prayers!
Facebook allows Lianne Kernan of LA and
Prisca Scheidecker of Paris to show
solidarity of resolve to fight
against Satan’s schemes!
All over the world – from Sydney to DC – there
is heartfelt support for the citizens of Paris!
Pray for the other cities and nations
threatened by terrorists!
Joe Willis – Austral-China World Sector Leader: Lord willing, the Hong Kong Church – the twelfth (and last) Crown of Thorns City – will be planted in 2017! However, since several of our Chinese students from Sydney are “home for the holidays,” the plans for the first Hong Kong Service are in place! The service will commence at 11am on Sunday December 20th! Our venue will be the Lan Kwai Fong Hotel, 3 Kau U Fong, Central, Hong Kong. We will be speaking in English and translated into Mandarin!
Calvin, Chi and Themis are eagerly awaiting their
dream to become reality – a SoldOut Movement
Service in Hong Kong!
Chris Broom – North USA World Sector Leader: God has truly blessed our efforts in the USA North Quadrant as all four of our churches – New York City, Boston, Chicago and Syracuse – far exceeded our Thanksgiving Missions Contributions by giving well over 10X our weekly contribution! Of special note, to insure a victorious Missions Contribution the next day, the Chicago disciples went above and beyond the call by going out and “tagging” in a snowstorm on Saturday, November 21st!
Nothing stops the forceful advancement
of sold-out disciples of Jesus!
Congratulations to Adrian & Kacie!
Lola Lof and the Korezouzoua ICC!
The flooding in Chennai 1/3 mile (600 meters)
from the Rajans’ home!
Parthiban embracing his mother and sister
after their baptisms!
The entire Santiago Campus Ministry was
fired-up by Romina’s baptism!
Also in Mexico City, we had an amazing Women’s Day yesterday as we had over three visitors for every one Christian! There was close to 100 women at this event which included women from the Cancun ICOC and the Guadalajara ICOC! Lucy Mejia preached the keynote message, LIBRE SOY! Carlos Mejia reports that the fellowship was on fire!
Lucy Mejia radiates joy as she passionately
preaches the Word!
An Around The World Missionary Trip
Kip McKean: In Exodus 33, after the Lord had told Moses that He was pleased with Moses, Moses boldly said, “Show me your glory!” This is what God did for all of us at this year’s European Missions Conference simply entitled, GLORY!
The 2015 EMC – GLORY!
Dynamic preachers of the Word – Blaise
Feumba (above) and Argo Arneson!
Then came the very practical section, BUILDING THE CHURCH THROUGH BIBLE TALKS. This began with a hilarious short film about how to and how not to do Bible Talks! Several gave short charges but the one that touched everyone’s heart was by Cassidy Olmos, ELEVATING WOMEN THROUGH BIBLE TALKS!
Anthony & Cassidy Olmos have added so
much to the London Church Family in
just a few months!
Following this spiritual feast was the Speakers Luncheon at a nearby very tasty Indian Restaurant!
At the Speakers Luncheon, Kaspar asks Ashley
for her hand in marriage! She says yes!
The remainder of the afternoon was off providing time for deep fellowship talks – the kind that change lives! The First General Session was that evening! After a rousing video, we heard the message, THE GLORY OF THE LORD FILLS THE WHOLE EARTH! On Friday morning, we had the MERCY Presentation by Nick Bordieri and Michael Ochwa. So touching was Nick presenting Michael with his ICCM diploma since he could not attend the GLC! Though Michael has a Master’s Degree from a prestigious college, he cried as he spoke about how much it meant to him to have an ICCM Degree in Ministry and Charity Services!
MERCY Day at the European
Missions Conference!
Michael Ochwa is overcome with emotion upon
being awarded an ICCM Degree in
Ministry and Charity Services!
Following, Carlos Mejia and Anthony Olmos both blew out their messages! Then Jeremy Ciaramella gave a message that every disciple needs to hear, THE HIDDEN FIELD OF GLORY! Jeremy addressed the evils of the internet as well as the tremendous ways that souls are being won – by baptism and restoration – regularly through Facebook and other internet opportunities! In particular, Jeremy shared the inspirational account of Yuri Zykov of London who joined a “meet-up” group that was a Bible Study interest group in his area on social media. The person who founded the group “left it” and then the “meet up” group (composed now of 117 individuals) voted Yuri in charge! When they set up “meetings” in meet-up, Yuri showed up and those “interested” would show up as well and two have already been baptized from this internet Bible Talk!
Jeremy Ciaramella spoke with deep conviction
about evangelizing the “Invisible Continent” –
the worldwide web!
Friday night, Oleg delivered a riveting message on THIS IS TO MY FATHER’S GLORY!
Oleg Sirotkin of Moscow inspires all at the EMC
that we will evangelize the world
in THIS generation!
Simon Oxton!
Kia and the Popettes!
Jeanette Yeboah!
The London Boys!
Saturday morning was filled with highlights! Of special note were the Kingdom Appointments of the Kukoyis and Vermaats to join Michael & Maria Hart as Shepherding Couples for the London Church! Then came the heartwarming appointment of Yomi Bello to be an Evangelist in the Kingdom of God by Michael Williamson!
Michael & Michele appoint the Kukoyis and Vermaats
as Shepherding Couples for the London Church!
Michael appoints his beloved son in the faith
Yomi to be an Evangelist in the
Kingdom of God!
After a short fellowship break, Chris McGrath – who earlier in his life in the ICOC planted Sydney, Australia and Dublin, Ireland, as well as preached in London – spoke on BRINGING BACK THE GLORY! There was not a dry eye in the conference as Chris closed out his message playing on the guitar and singing the Irish ballad, The Streets Of London!
To close his powerful lesson, Chris McGrath
sings an Irish ballad about London!
Then we broke into MEN’S and WOMEN’S PROGRAMS which covered the FIVE CORE CONVICTIONS OF THE SOLDOUT MOVEMENT. The speakers for the men were: Blaise Feumba of LA, Jeremy Ciaramella of Phoenix, Anthony Olmos of London, Kaspar Tambaur of Stockholm, Philippe Scheidecker of Paris, and Yomi Bello – soon to be in Lagos, Nigeria!
Blaise preaching at the MEN’S PROGRAM!
Michele grabs the sisters hearts as she speaks
about A GREATER GLORY!
The spiritual and charismatic teachers for
the WOMEN’S PROGRAM!
Sunday morning we met in a different and gorgeous place – The British Medical Association! The singing was “off the charts!”
Paul Busari reclaims the Championship
Football Trophy for England!
Under the threat of death, Anup humbly
returns to the Lord!
The newly married Erik & Michelle af Klint of Stockholm presided over Communion and Jacques & Jeanette Groenewald stirred our hearts about Contribution as they have given up everything to move back to their homeland of South Africa to initiate the Johannesburg Remnant Group!
Erik & Michelle af Klint share a
moving communion!
Then Michael Williamson gave the message, SHOW ME YOUR GLORY! A fantastic message in the midst of overseeing the entire Missions Conference!
Michael Williamson’s lesson – SHOW ME YOUR
GLORY – should be the prayer
of every disciple!
There were three baptisms – all glorious! Yet Carlos Vargas baptizing his at one time estranged daughter Carla was awesome! Now they are totally united as brother and sister in the Lord!
Carla is joyfully baptized by
her father Carlos!
In closing, we had the send-off prayer for the Johannesburg Remnant Group Mission Team and a flag ceremony where all the nations on the European Crown of Thorns were represented!
Jacques & Jeanette – South African Nationals – will
lead the Johannesburg Remnant Group!
The three London Shepherds pray over
the Johannesburg Mission Team!
The Flag Ceremony gave vision that we will
reach all the European Nations!
So much prayer and planning were put
into the glorious EMC!
Bonds of friendship were forged during
this life-changing conference!
dreaming to plant this great city in 2017!
At the beginning of the Bible Talk Leaders Meeting,
Artiem asks Sasha to be his girlfriend!
She said, “Da!”
Dima, Masha, Anya and Fabrice share a
common vision for a future
ICCM-Moscow!
Elena so enjoyed her time at the Moscow Circus
with her spiritual granddaughters –
Sofia and Lidia Sirotkina!
Sunday, the snow came! Yet the now 90 Moscow disciples (and 10 from the Kiev Church) saw God bring 207 in attendance! It was a special Lord’s Day which was called Prodigal Son Sunday!
The Prodigal Son Website Banner!
Elena walking briskly to church!
The warm fellowship of the Moscow ICC!
The McKeans shared good news from
around the world for communion!
Oleg’s translating of Kip was not only word
for word, but gesture for gesture!
Amazingly, the Moscow Church Inaugural Service was on February 1, 2015. Since that historic Sunday of 227 in attendance, God has blessed the 51 member Moscow ICC (17 on the Mission Team and the 34 in the Remnant Group) with 59 additions: 34 baptisms, 20 restorations and 5 place memberships!
Oleg & Elena Sirotkin – the Moscow ICC
Leaders and the World Sector Leaders
for Russian-speaking Eurasia!
Staff Meeting at the Bartholomews’ apartment!
Cathy Manresa is reinstated by Joan to be
a Women’s Ministry Leader in
God’s Movement!
Kip & Elena love the Philippines as they
have joyfully labored there since 1989!
Ronnie, Carol and our newly restored brother
Hong Meng will form the core of the
Singapore Remnant Group!
On the Sunday morning that we boarded our flight home to LA, the Manila Church saw four more baptized into Christ and Hong Meng restored!
After Julius (right) is baptized, he baptizes
his friend Juaner!
The Manila ICC had 49 in the Remnant Group and just 9 on the Mission Team from LA at the Manila Inaugural Service. So in the a little over five months since that service, the Lord has added an astounding 89 souls to their number – 66 baptisms, 15 restorations and 8 amazing place memberships all directly from our former fellowship as they were seeking revival!
The Bartholomews – Kyle, Joan, Brett, Connor and
Bree – treat the McKeans for their last night in
the Philippines to Buffalo Wild Wings!
Andrew Smellie – World Sector Leader of Africa: “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” (Isaiah 9:2) Greetings from Lagos, Nigeria! It was truly a privilege to visit this incredible country in West Africa from October 31st to November 10th! I am so grateful to report that God is moving in strengthening and multiplying the almost 600 disciples across the continent of Africa!
At the heart of the vast continent
of Africa is Nigeria!
Thank you for your love to God expressed in your Missions Contributions which have allowed me to visit South Africa in March, Cote D’Ivoire in June for the First African Missions Conference, and Nigeria in November! God willing, Blaise Feumba and I will fly out early next year to the Democratic Republic of Congo in February 2016 to count the count with the 350 member Kinshasa Remnant Group! Pray for these incredible brothers and sisters as they are scheduled to have their Inaugural Service as a “church planting” in March 2016!
Remarkably, Nigeria is the third largest English-speaking nation in the world after India and the United States, as well as the eighth most populous nation in the world – over 180 million people and growing! I was also surprised to discover that Nigeria is also home to the third largest movie industry after “Bollywood” (India) and “Hollywood” (USA)! It is known as “Nollywood!” Upon my arrival at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos on Saturday, October 31st, I was greeted warmly by Goodhope Atason, the former Mainline Church of Christ preacher who has joined our new movement, and two of his younger brothers who have also left the Mainline Church of Christ – Bobby (a movie director), and Lordson who “was” training to become a preacher in the Mainline Church of Christ!
Lordson, Andrew, Goodhope and Bobby!
That night we had dinner together at my hotel where I was exposed to authentic Nigerian food for the first time! I had a very flavorful goat stew with rice! I didn’t realize that they used ALL the parts of the goat in the stew, but it was incredible! I also invited to our dinner one of the “stranded” London disciples who had been in Nigeria since 2013 – Akin Idowu!
The view from the Eko Hotel
where Andrew stayed!
Akin (right) with Andrew and
the Atason Brothers!
Akin had become a disciple in London while visiting there for schooling, but when his visa had expired he was forced to return to Nigeria. Please pray for him and his family as they prepare to move to Lagos from Abuja – Nigeria’s capital – to be with the church!
On Sunday, I was able to travel to Lekki – a suburb on Lagos Island! Here we had our first official Lagos Remnant Group Church Service in the apartment of Goodhope & Bonita Atason! In attendance were Goodhope, his wife Bonita, their four year old daughter Anita, Goodhope’s brothers – Bobby and Lordson, as well as Akin, Chuks (Goodhope’s friend), and Jane (the Atasons’ nanny)!
The first Lagos Remnant Group
Worship Service!
I preached Kip’s lesson on THE DREAM as we were inspired to see God’s plan to evangelize the world in THIS generation! It was truly convicting to notice that Nigeria, while being one of the most religious countries on the planet, was also one of the most corrupt! Truly the Gospel is needed to unite the hearts of many who are seeking the truth! I was personally moved by the joy of Anita, as she reminded me so much of my own four year old daughter, Naomi!
Andrew and his spiritual niece –
Anita Atason!
The environment of the Atason’s home reminded me of the sacrifice they have made for the sake of joining God’s new movement. Goodhope is a trained IT (Informational Technology) professional and Bonita is an accountant, yet due to the persecution from the Mainline Church of Christ for standing up for Biblical doctrines, Goodhope was forced to resign from both his position as an associate minister and his IT position, due to the fact that one of the elders in his former congregation was also the chairman of the IT company where Goodhope was employed! Despite our movement’s best efforts to help support him financially, his living situation is radically different than before, and Bonita now has to leave the house at 4AM to be able to make it into work by 8AM, yet they are both grateful to join God’s new movement!
The Goodhope Atason Family’s sacrifice is clear:
Above is Goodhope’s former home; below is
Anita beside their present
residence!
On Monday and Tuesday, we were able to check out pre-schools for Naomi and Isaiah as well as visit the University of Lagos!
The beautiful campus of the University of Lagos!
We also met with an attorney to get our church registered in Nigeria! On Wednesday, we were able to check out locations for our Inaugural Service. Pray for us to nail down the Eko Hotel on Victoria Island! (“Eko” means Lagos in the Yoruba language!)
On Thursday, Goodhope and I were able to take a short plane flight to visit his father and our dear friend Benedict in Umuahia, a city east of Lagos in Abia State. (Nigeria has 36 states!) In Umuahia, I was able to meet Benedict’s wife Felicia and his other two children – Queenette, who is preparing to go to Law School, and Princewill, who is in high school!
Benedict’s (right) family in Umuahia – Goodhope,
Queenette, Princewill and his wife Felicia!
Once again, it was extraordinary to see the sacrifice of a man who was well-known throughout the Mainline Church of Christ community, yet sacrificed his job and support to join God’s new movement! Despite the challenges (inconsistent electricity without a generator, no government benefits like Social Security or Medicare, and no car for transportation), Benedict continues to preach the Word boldly! He actually PAYS for the transportation of his visitors to make it out to his Bible Talk! On Thursday, there were 30 people in attendance at the Bible Talk at his home!
Benedict’s Bible Talk had 30 in attendance!
After returning from Umuahia on Friday, we stayed at the airport to greet our dear sister Damilola Arulogan, another “stranded” London disciple who was presently living in Abuja! Despite persecution from her family, Damilola has been valiantly worshipping with the London Church on Skype since she was forced to return to Nigeria due to an expired visa in May of this year! Thankfully, she finished all her studies to graduate from the University of East London, yet due to her visa expiration will be unable to attend her graduation ceremonies. I was happy to sponsor her flight from Abuja so she could join our fellowship in Lagos for the weekend, and she shared powerfully on Sunday for contribution about the impact that the movement’s sacrifice has made in her life since becoming a disciple!
Sunday at the Lagos ICC! Damilola (third from the
left) gave her heart during the contribution!
On my return home, the dream of seeing not only Lagos, but all of Africa evangelized for the Lord is truly on my heart!
Andrew is greeted at LAX by his precious family –
both physical and spiritual!
Please pray for us as God is working powerfully to gather the remnant in Nigeria! As I prepared to write this message to you, I was connected – through a disciple in our Manila Church (May Kalalang) – with a former ICOC Evangelist in Nigeria – Bolaji Akinfenwa – who is eager to join God’s new movement! Truly, God is saying to us, “The time to plant Lagos is NOW!” Please pray for our Inaugural Service on April 24, 2016! And to God be all the glory!
2016 MISSIONS CONFERENCES NEWS
The Latin America Missions Conference will be held in Mexico City on February 11-14, 2016. The theme is LA GRAND COMISION. It will be held at the Hilton Mexico City Reforma. Lord willing, the Bogota (Colombia) Mission Team will be sent off that Sunday! Register at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-latin-american-missions-conferencela-gran-comision-tickets-18183388003. Carlos Mejia (cmejia7@gmail.com) is the Director.
The Latin American Missions Conference –
LA GRAN COMISION!
The African Mission Conference will be held in Lagos on April 23-24, 2016. It will be held in conjunction with the Lagos ICC Inaugural Service that Sunday! Andrew Smellie (andrew@usd21.org) is the Director.
The Eurasian Missions Conference will be held in Moscow on April 28 – May 1, 2016. Oleg Sirotkin (oleg.sirotkin@mac.com) will serve as the Director.
The Austral-Pacific Rim Missions Conference will be held in Manila on June 16-19, 2016. Since some neighborhoods of Manila are “third world,” MERCY Day on June 18th will provide some very special opportunities for MERCY Ambassadors to serve! Kyle Bartholomew (kbartholomew1981@gmail.com) is the Director.
Kyle, Joan and the entire Metro Manila Church look
forward to hosting the First Austral-Pacific
Rim Missions Conference in June 2016!
The European Missions Conference will be held in London on October 27-30, 2016. Michael Williamson (tyronee70@hotmail.com) will continue as the Director.
The South Asian Missions Conference will be held in Chennai (India) on November 4-6, 2016. Lord willing, the Bangalore (India) Mission Team will be sent out that Sunday! Raja Rajan (soulwarrior@rocketmail.com) will serve as the Director.
Raja & Debs Rajan are so looking forward to the
South Asian Missions Conference
in Chennai in November 2016!
Paris, France: Sandra Vignault was happily married to Kevin Toto on October 31, 2015! Disciples came from London and LA to support this amazing couple on their special day!
is wearing a Congolese Traditional Dress!
This was her smile all day long!
Congratulations to Viral & Ashley Seth!
Chicago, Illinois: Polo & Isabel Saravia were married on Sunday November 15, 2015! They were living together and after studying the Bible and seeing God’s plan for purity, Polo moved out! Once they were both baptized, they started doing pre-marital counseling and a few weeks later, they were married God’s way! Their children Julio and Mareli are so thrilled about not only their parent’s wedding but their new church family!
Congratulations to Polo, Isabel,
Mareli and Julio Saravia!
Tim Kernan – World Sector Leader of Western USA, Canada and India: Greetings from the palm tree lined streets of sunny Los Angeles, California! “The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly!” (1 Chronicles 29:9)
First and foremost, I would love to share with you all the excitement and joy felt across the whole City of Angels Church last Sunday as we blew away our 9X Thanksgiving Special Collect Goal! With a target of $284,000, the whole church generously gave $330,651 – 116% of our goal! Disciples in every region celebrated that God had used them in such a powerful way! I will personally never forget the Friday before this special collect. As I was driving, Lianne my wife made our last contribution “to Special” as a family over PayPal. She then joyfully gave me a high five and exclaimed, “We made it babe! Our Special is all in!” My eyes filled with tears as I realized for the millionth time what a lucky man I am to have a wife who shares my passion for God and His mission! Thank you again to all the amazing disciples, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters for your incredible sacrifice!
The generosity of the USA Disciples – in this
9X Missions Contribution – will allow us to
plant the Eleventh Crown of Thorns
Church – Dubai – in 2016!
Also, it was amazing to have our new ICCM Interns joining the Bachelor Program of ICCM-LA! Our second class of the Fall Semester was dedicated to Jesus’ Principle Of Small Groups – Bible Talks! Let me tell you this next generation of leaders gobbled-up voraciously the Scriptures throughout the whole Bible on this principle! Teaching at ICCM-LA and having the privilege to train this amazing group of budding leaders is one of the greatest honors for all of us on the Faculty and Staff! It is so invigorating to put 2 Timothy 2:2 into practice, “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”
ICCM-LA!
Of special note for all of us here in LA is that our dear sister Wazirah Yamin, Cory Blackwell’s mom, has officially place membership in the City of Angels Church!!! Kip and Cory studied with her! Wazirah is now putting all of her incredible wisdom and experience into evangelizing the world in THIS generation next to her incredible son Cory and the rest of us here in LA!
Wazirah – though blind – sees the truth and
places membership in the City of
Angels Church!
Cory welcomes his mom and the others who
placed membership by leading, We Love
You With The Love Of The Lord!
Cory’s two Moms – Wazirah and Elena,
his spiritual Mom!
Every baptism is special, however once in a while you hear a story that is really touching… Helen, who was baptized last Sunday in the Pasadena City College Ministry of the Central Region, is just such a baptism! Helen was baptized on her mother Korina’s physical birthday, a godly gift that moved her so much that Korina in turn was baptized today at our amazing AMS Region! It’s incredible what God is doing to unify families!
Helen is baptized last Sunday (above), then
baptizes her mom Korina this Sunday!
Finally Lianne & I are so grateful to have our parents in the faith, Kip & Elena back in LA, safe and sound, after a vigorous missionary journey around the world! “One who is taught the Word must share all good things with the one who teaches.” (Galatians 6:6) Everyone here in LA cannot wait to wrap our arms around the McKeans tomorrow morning at Staff and show them how much we missed them! To God be the glory!
Dear Brothers and Sisters: For those disciples in the United States, this Thursday is Thanksgiving Day! Most Americans consider that the “First Thanksgiving” was celebrated by the Pilgrims in the Autumn of 1621. From firsthand accounts, this feast lasted three days, and it was attended by 90 Native Americans and 53 Pilgrims. The Pilgrims were so thankful that the Native Americans had not only taught them to grow corn but how to live off the land (and even to eat eel) when their supplies had dwindled to nothing. Much later in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln – in the midst of the heartbreaking American Civil War – proclaimed a “National Day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our Beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens” to be celebrated on the last Thursday in November!
The first American Thanksgiving in 1621!
Yet all disciples of any nation cannot help but remembering the stirring account of the 10 Lepers, when only one – “and he was a Samaritan” – returned to thank Jesus for healing him of this dreaded disease! (Luke 17:11-19) So let us all be like the Samaritan with our hearts full of thankfulness to God for “healing our lives” and giving us so many blessings – our physical families, our Bible Talks, and our church family both locally and around the world! As for Rebecca, Elena and me, “We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you, because… of your love for all the saints… All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and understood God’s grace in all its truth!” (Colossians 1:3-6)
We are family… to the end,
Kip