Greetings from Orlando, San Francisco and Los Angeles! What a terrific month in God's SoldOut Movement! In Orlando, Elena & I were privileged to participate in the wedding of Adrian & Kacie Jimenez, as well as to visit with dear partners in the faith, Matt & Helen Sullivan and Mike & Chenelle Patterson! The Orlando ICC was so encouraging to my parents who came to Sunday's Worship Service and the wedding! The following weekend, the San Francisco Church welcomed us with open arms as Elena spoke at their packed-out Women's Day and I was privileged to address this fiery congregation on Easter Sunday! Then the next Sunday on April 3rd, we were back home in Los Angeles for the incredible All Congregational City of Angels Church Worship Service, where the San Diego, Las Vegas and Santa Barbara Churches joined us! During this incredible three hour service, we witnessed the miracles of 12 amazing baptisms, the Kingdom Appointments of Jermaine & Stephanie Peacock, and the Spirit sending out the incredible, 24 member Seattle Mission Team! And to God be all the glory!
Joel & Courtney Parlour are the Seattle Mission
Team Leaders! Since Courtney was baptized
seven years ago, she has prayed that
God would send a mission team
to her hometown!
BREAKING NEWS
Raul Moreno – Lead Evangelist of Sao Paulo: "'I am not insane, most excellent Festus,' Paul replied. 'What I am saying is true and reasonable.'" (Acts 26:25) INSANITY, MADNESS, DEMENTIA, LUNACY, INSTABILITY, MANIA, PSYCHOSIS! That is what the world considered Christianity in the days of the Apostle Paul as it does in our day sadly! However, we are not insane! The message of the cross "is true and reasonable!" The Christian is the most logical and intelligent being on earth because only we have an investment for the next life! Everyone else's hopes, dreams and accomplishments end with this life and then there is judgement! Who's insane now? Thus enter ICCM – São Paulo! ICCM – São Paulo was just initiated last Saturday with 26 awesome students who are on fire to learn the depths and richness of the Word of God!
The dream of ICCM – Sao Paulo became a
reality just one week ago!
The ICCM – Sao Paulo has indeed been an answered prayer for us since ICCM – LA started in 2012! Also, God gave us a pretty good week with three baptisms! We love you!
Tim Kernan – Director of the 2016 Global Leadership Conference: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth!" (Acts 1:8) Jesus' radical vision for the first century church was for it to spread "to the ends of the earth" in the lifetime of the Apostles! Therefore, the stirring theme for the 2016 GLC is REVOLUTION! The date for this momentous occasion is Sunday, July 31st through Tuesday, August 2nd!
Tim Kernan – Director of the 2016 Global Leadership Conference: "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth!" (Acts 1:8) Jesus' radical vision for the first century church was for it to spread "to the ends of the earth" in the lifetime of the Apostles! Therefore, the stirring theme for the 2016 GLC is REVOLUTION! The date for this momentous occasion is Sunday, July 31st through Tuesday, August 2nd!
The 2016 GLC will be back at the Anaheim
Hilton in Los Angeles!
On Friday, July 29th will be the exciting Church Builders Workshop and the inspirational International Campus Devotional! On Saturday will be CyberCon, The MERCYWORLDWIDE Symposium, The International Teen Devo and the fun-filled Talent Show and PURE Dance! As well, Elena McKean's new book entitled, ELEVATE – Jesus' Global Revolution For Women will be available in both English and Spanish!
Join Tracy and the REVOLUTION by
registering for the 2016 GLC!
The 2016 GLC registration this year is $185. You may register and secure housing by going to the City of Angels International Christian Church Webpage at CAICC.net. Let's be praying for Jesus' REVOLUTION to extend "to the ends of the earth" in this generation!
Oleg Sirotkin – Lead Evangelist of Moscow: Privyet! We are praying for as many of you as possible to come to our First Eurasian Missions Conference (EAMC) in Moscow, Russia! We celebrated our First Anniversary Service of the Moscow Church on January 31st! During our first year, God added to the 17 on the Mission Team and the 30 in the Moscow Remnant Group 77 additions – 41 baptisms, 24 restorations and 12 place memberships! The following websites will guide you in registering for and participating in the Eurasian Missions Conference on April 29th – May 1st!
Oleg Sirotkin – Lead Evangelist of Moscow: Privyet! We are praying for as many of you as possible to come to our First Eurasian Missions Conference (EAMC) in Moscow, Russia! We celebrated our First Anniversary Service of the Moscow Church on January 31st! During our first year, God added to the 17 on the Mission Team and the 30 in the Moscow Remnant Group 77 additions – 41 baptisms, 24 restorations and 12 place memberships! The following websites will guide you in registering for and participating in the Eurasian Missions Conference on April 29th – May 1st!
Pray for the historic First EAMC in Moscow
as it is less than a month away!
In English – The EAMC information: http://conf.moscowicc.org
In Russian – The EAMC Information: http://www.moscowicc.org/evrazijskaya-missionerskaya-konferenciya-29-04-01-05/
The Moscow ICC Website: http://www.moscowicc.org
Kyle Bartholomew – Lead Evangelist of Manila: Mabuhay! The First Austral-Pacific Rim Missions Conference will be held in beautiful Metro Manila on June 17-19, 2016! Please go to our Metro Manila ICC Website for more detailed information! http://www.mmicc.net/
HEROES OF THE FAITH is the thrilling theme for the First APRMC!
Andrew Smellie – World Sector Leader of Africa: "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned." (Isaiah 9:2) On May 22, 2016, the SoldOut Discipling Movement will witness an historic event – the sending from LA of the First Mission Team Planting to the continent of Africa in LAGOS, NIGERIA!! Appropriately called "the Giant of Africa," Nigeria is the home of over 180 million lost souls – the largest of the 54 nations of Africa with a land mass that is twice the size of California! The Lord has continued to gather His remnant into the Lagos Remnant Group from the Mainline Church of Christ, our former movement – the ICOC, and also a number of Nigerian disciples from the London ICC whose UK visas have expired, but their faith for their homeland is still ablaze!
The new stunning logo for the Africa World Sector was designed by Rob Onekea!
From Friday, June 24th to Sunday, June 26th, we will celebrate our Second African Missions Conference (AMC) entitled, A Great Light Has Dawned! The close of this momentous event will be the Sunday June 26th Inaugural Service of the Lagos International Christian Church!
With the planting of the Crown Thorns City of Lagos
comes the theme for the Second AMC –
A GREAT LIGHT HAS DAWNED!
This historic event will be held at the Four Seasons by Sheraton – Lagos, Plot 9/10 Block 2, Oniru Chieftaincy Estate, Victoria Island. Please register at www.amc.iccchurchevents.org.
HEADLINE NEWS
Answered Prayers
Kyle Bartholomew – Lead Evangelist in Metro Manila: Greetings from the Metro Manila International Christian Church! This past week has been phenomenal, as two more amazing souls were added to the Kingdom! Each of these souls really was the result of not only hard work, but also answered prayers!
First, Roma, an amazing biology student at the prestigious De La Salle University, was baptized on Wednesday night after the West Region Midweek Service! Mike Malnegro, who had been baptized almost exactly two years before, had been praying fervently for God to help him bring another student on his campus to God! God, in His perfect timing, brought Roma who was not only excited about becoming a disciple but now is so fired-up to evangelize this great campus!
HEADLINE NEWS
Answered Prayers
Kyle Bartholomew – Lead Evangelist in Metro Manila: Greetings from the Metro Manila International Christian Church! This past week has been phenomenal, as two more amazing souls were added to the Kingdom! Each of these souls really was the result of not only hard work, but also answered prayers!
First, Roma, an amazing biology student at the prestigious De La Salle University, was baptized on Wednesday night after the West Region Midweek Service! Mike Malnegro, who had been baptized almost exactly two years before, had been praying fervently for God to help him bring another student on his campus to God! God, in His perfect timing, brought Roma who was not only excited about becoming a disciple but now is so fired-up to evangelize this great campus!
After baptizing Roma (left), Cake Castro
joins Roma and issues the old IE
Challenge, "You will be next!"
joins Roma and issues the old IE
Challenge, "You will be next!"
Then, Ryan, an amazing young man, was baptized in the RTU Campus Ministry (Warrior Nation)! He was a former member of Datin Daan which is a denominational Christian church that teaches its members to debate with all other religious groups! But after being unfulfilled in his soul and desiring peace and not war, Ryan walked away from the church and even convinced his friend Renmar to leave as well. After some time, Ryan began longing for God again and prayed that God would lead him back to Him. God then used the last person Ryan ever thought would help him, his friend Renmar, who had just become a disciple a month earlier! After doing the Discipleship Study, Ryan gave up his plans to go to Dubai later this month, broke things off with his girlfriend, and after finishing the studies was baptized into Christ! Ryan now has high aspirations to go into the fulltime ministry some day!
Renmar, Ryan and RJ echo the Manila Motto –
"One Kingdom! One Movement!"
Lastly, God answered a personal prayer for me and the church when two weeks ago we saw the 100th person baptized into the church since June 7th! In our first Staff Meeting in which we united the 49 member Remnant Group and the nine member Manila Mission Team together in May 2015, we laid out the prayer goal to baptize at least 100 people our first year. God and His gracious hand has been upon us as we not only met our goal but continue to exceed it! So in total since June 7th, God has now added 135 to our number: 104 baptisms, 22 restorations and 9 placed memberships! To God be all the glory!
Carlos Mejia – Lead Evangelist of Mexico City: "The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off – for all whom the Lord our God will call." (Acts 2:39) As Christian parents, our prayer is that our children will one day be saved! Because we believe in God's promises, it has truly been amazing to see four of our "Kingdom Kids" become baptized disciples in the last month: Santiago and Daniel Gomez, Carlos Mejia, and now Sebastian Negrin, who was our latest addition to our fast-growing Teen Ministry! Sebastian is the son of our dear sister Daniela Gallardo! God is good!
Sebastian is the fourth teen baptized in
Mexico City in the last month!
My personal prayer for the Mexico City Church is to have ten additions every month and so far the Lord has blown me away as He has given us 32 additions in the last three months! Truly, God is faithful!
The Mejias (embracing Kip's parents – Admiral Tom &
Kim McKean) fly from Mexico City to
Orlando to participate in the
Jimenez Wedding!
Ashley Godwin – Intern in Stockholm: "Don't you have a saying, 'It's still four months until harvest'? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest." (John 4:35) Greetings of love from the amazing nation of Sweden! In a country predominately atheistic, we as a church have been praying to find people that "are ripe for harvest" now! Given that it has taken on average around a year for someone to gain conviction to become a disciple, we have specifically prayed that we would find someone that would become a disciple in a week!
Amazingly God answered our prayers by placing Nahia in our path! From a Ugandan family, Nahia had grown up believing in Islam, but when she move to Australia for two years to attend school she started questioning her relationship with God. There she was introduced to Christianity, but had to abruptly return back to Sweden this past August when her mother had a stroke. She had been going to another fellowship and was sitting in the subway waiting for a train home when we ran into her and invited her to our weekly Sunday night Music Café which is immediately after our late afternoon service. She came, and then decided to study the Bible! After studying the Bible for just five days, when asked when she wanted to come into the light she replied, "ASAP! I'm tired of living in the dark!" Nahia was baptized on Easter Sunday full of deep conviction!
Amazingly God answered our prayers by placing Nahia in our path! From a Ugandan family, Nahia had grown up believing in Islam, but when she move to Australia for two years to attend school she started questioning her relationship with God. There she was introduced to Christianity, but had to abruptly return back to Sweden this past August when her mother had a stroke. She had been going to another fellowship and was sitting in the subway waiting for a train home when we ran into her and invited her to our weekly Sunday night Music Café which is immediately after our late afternoon service. She came, and then decided to study the Bible! After studying the Bible for just five days, when asked when she wanted to come into the light she replied, "ASAP! I'm tired of living in the dark!" Nahia was baptized on Easter Sunday full of deep conviction!
The Stockholm Disciples rejoice over God working
so quickly to bring Nahia into His
Swedish Family!
Nahia truly was an answered prayer and part of the harvest that's already been prepared for us! Praise God for His infinite love for all of us!
Micky Ngungu – Lead Evangelist of Kinshasa: Our deacon Désiré Mbokolo is a very trustworthy man. One day he was fired from his workplace. Surprised, he asked for an explanation. His boss said to him, "A fraud was committed, money was stolen, and you have been found guilty." Later on Désiré shared his experience at work with the church and asked us to pray for him. We told him with confidence that this was not over and that God would answer our prayers for God is just. We prayed and asked God to shine His light upon this situation. The amazing thing is that when he went home, he told his wife what had happened and together decided to add another chair even though there were only two people discussing the matter. They decided that the third chair was God's, the one and only true judge. They asked him to rule on this matter. They dropped to their knees and started praying for justice.
Micky Ngungu – Lead Evangelist of Kinshasa: Our deacon Désiré Mbokolo is a very trustworthy man. One day he was fired from his workplace. Surprised, he asked for an explanation. His boss said to him, "A fraud was committed, money was stolen, and you have been found guilty." Later on Désiré shared his experience at work with the church and asked us to pray for him. We told him with confidence that this was not over and that God would answer our prayers for God is just. We prayed and asked God to shine His light upon this situation. The amazing thing is that when he went home, he told his wife what had happened and together decided to add another chair even though there were only two people discussing the matter. They decided that the third chair was God's, the one and only true judge. They asked him to rule on this matter. They dropped to their knees and started praying for justice.
The next day when Désiré returned to work to get his last paycheck, his boss called him and asked "Désiré, how do you call me?" Désiré answered, "I call you boss." Then the boss asked, "Why?" And Désiré answered, "Because you are my boss." His boss then said, “Although I am your boss, I ask you for forgiveness, as we have found who was really responsible for the theft. Even when I was firing you, I knew deep down myself that you couldn't do such a thing. I now know that people here are jealous of you because according to them you want to show that you are a good Christian. They are not able to steal because of your integrity so they had a plan to get you fired in order for them to be free from that." The boss then doubled Désiré's salary! Désiré went back, shared this with the church, and we glorified God together! This is just to say that we should learn to drop to our knees and pray when we're in trouble!
Micky & Lyly Ngungu – the Kinshasa ICC Leaders –
met Kip for the first time at last year's
AMC in Abidjan!
One day a brother named Christopher asked the church to pray for him to get employed. God gave him a job but the job ended up making him miss services, d-times, etc. His discipler was not happy about it since that same job we had prayed for made him weak spiritually. A few weeks later, he lost the job. He then came back to the church for us to pray for him but this time with a repentant attitude saying he would not allow this second job to make him weak like the first one did. As 1 Samuel 12:23 says, "As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right." We prayed again and so the next day he found an even better job! Ever since, Christopher does not miss services and is doing well spiritually!
Joe Willis – Lead Evangelist of Sydney: Last year the Sydney Church focused on an "impossible prayer lists" for every Christian. Liz, who was baptized at the end of last year, made her own list soon after her baptism. She is originally Indonesian, who then moved to Hong Kong and then Mainland China, before moving to Sydney. Since we have several international students in our rather diverse congregation, Liz prayed to have an impact in Australia by baptizing an Australian Citizen.
Little did she know that God was immediately answering her prayer! A friend of hers from her international high school in Hong Kong some six years ago, whom she had not been in contact since then, saw on Facebook that Liz was in Sydney and initiated with her! After unsuccessfully trying to meet up several times, they arranged to meet at church for the Chinese New Year Service in February. James "The Doc" came, now an Australian citizen, studied the Bible, and was baptized last Sunday! He is a first year medical student at the University of New South Wales!
Joe Willis – Lead Evangelist of Sydney: Last year the Sydney Church focused on an "impossible prayer lists" for every Christian. Liz, who was baptized at the end of last year, made her own list soon after her baptism. She is originally Indonesian, who then moved to Hong Kong and then Mainland China, before moving to Sydney. Since we have several international students in our rather diverse congregation, Liz prayed to have an impact in Australia by baptizing an Australian Citizen.
Little did she know that God was immediately answering her prayer! A friend of hers from her international high school in Hong Kong some six years ago, whom she had not been in contact since then, saw on Facebook that Liz was in Sydney and initiated with her! After unsuccessfully trying to meet up several times, they arranged to meet at church for the Chinese New Year Service in February. James "The Doc" came, now an Australian citizen, studied the Bible, and was baptized last Sunday! He is a first year medical student at the University of New South Wales!
Liz prays to help baptize an Australian Citizen
and God brings her old high school friend
James into His Kingdom!
Also on Friday night, we added our 13th nationality to our church, Kriti from North India, who is studying at the University of Technology for the next 3 1/2 years! God's plan is now so evident to us all: Reach the campus and we’ll reach the nations!
Elena Sirotkina – Lead Women's Ministry Leader in Moscow: God has answered so many prayers with one of our best months in Moscow with seven additions! The first answer to prayer is the baptism of Eggi Tomorbaatar, who is from Mongolia! She is studying at the Moscow Power Engineering University. We have just a small campus ministry in Moscow so we have been praying hard for campus baptisms! Before baptism, Eggi shared that she has always considered herself a "good person," but when she was doing The Cross Study, she realized that only God is good, and we need to die to ourselves and be born again to live for Him!
The Moscow Campus Ministry baptized their third
Mongolian Citizen – Eggi!
Also we are praying daily for the remnant to join us! Mikhail (Misha) Vorobyo was restored as your brother! He was baptized in the Chelyabinsk ICOC (a city in the Urals, Russia). Preaching the Word and discipling relationships ceased to be something important in his church. Misha began to sin and despair as he had only materialistic goals. But recently he talked with his old friend and our sister Zoya Braesh, who moved from the Yekaterinburg ICOC to Moscow to be a part of God's new movement! Misha was inspired by her example and decided to radically restore his lost relationship with God! Arriving in Moscow, he studied the Bible with brothers and was restored in the church last Sunday. As well, Svetlana Timchenco and Alex Dolgiy were restored! Let all the glory go to God!
Misha is gloriously restored to his first love!
Svetlana has an aurora around her
ever since her restoration!
And Refat & Natasha Badamshiny were restored! Natasha & Refat served many years in the church fulltime. Natasha was the women's leader of a super region in our former fellowship in Moscow, and the leader of the women in the Art, Culture and Sport Region. Then, after the wedding, they started the Kazan Church which was the last church planted in Russia by the ICOC. They and we agreed that the sinful doctrine of autonomy and the "uselessness of discipleship" stopped all missionary expansion in the International Churches of Christ.
In time, Refat & Natasha returned to Moscow and became members of the ICOC – now a church without a goal. They fell into sins and even almost their lost relationship with each other! When they came to the Sunday service in the Moscow International Christian Church, they shared that they saw a living God, a loving family, bold preaching, and understood that they should fully repent of unfaithfulness to God! Thank you Refat & Natasha for your humility and we are so grateful to God that He gathers His children with all His justice and mercy!
In time, Refat & Natasha returned to Moscow and became members of the ICOC – now a church without a goal. They fell into sins and even almost their lost relationship with each other! When they came to the Sunday service in the Moscow International Christian Church, they shared that they saw a living God, a loving family, bold preaching, and understood that they should fully repent of unfaithfulness to God! Thank you Refat & Natasha for your humility and we are so grateful to God that He gathers His children with all His justice and mercy!
Refat's & Natasha's restorations forged a stronger
marriage and a happier family!
Philippe Scheidecker – Paris Church Leader: Greetings from the City of Love! We have a very beloved brother, Alexandre Hauguel, who suffers from chronic depression which often physically and emotionally exhausts him. Yet by faith, he put into practice the Scripture, "Go in the strength you have!" (Judges 6:14) Alexandre prayed an impossible prayer as applied from a job whose position was just taken! Amazingly, not only he did receive a call for an interview, but they opened the position for him and he started on April 1st! Alexandre is now working for the Headquarters of the Ministry of Education and Research, which is in a classy and expensive district of Paris! God uses any mustard seed we can offer Him. God can get anyone a job in any city… if you pray persistently! (Luke 18:1-8)
If you need a job, then follow Alexandre's
example and PRAY!
Sarah Dimitry – Women's Ministry Leader of San Francisco: "In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly." (Psalm 5:3) Greetings from the Saints in San Francisco! Two weeks ago we hosted our Women's Day entitled, Once Upon A Time. Our prayer goal was to have 120 women in attendance with 56 disciples. God blew it out and gave us a total of 154 women!!! We were so honored to have "Dr." Elena McKean as our guest speaker and also to have Kip preach the next day at our Easter Service!
Sarah (right) and Amanda prayed and worked very
hard to organize the San Francisco Women's Day!
The incredibly impacting San Francisco
Women's Day!
Elena vivaciously delivers the keynote speech –
ONCE UPON A TIME!
The San Francisco Women's Day Speakers!
Elena's beloved daughter-in-law Tiffany asked
Elena if she could come to the
SF Women's Day!
Also, last September at our Third Anniversary Service, we put a prayer goal before the church to get 100 additions in a year. Six months in, we are just 52 additions away from completing this goal! Lastly, the five year prayer of our dear sister Monica Fang was answered when her boyfriend Aaron Garrett asked her to be his wife!
Congratulations to Aaron & Monica!
Cesar Limon – Lead Evangelist of Portland: It is always "good" to see our God answer us by fire! Greetings from the Saints in Portland! Our first answered prayer was regionalizing the Portland Church into two regions: The Central Region which Debbie & I lead and the West Region which Fernando & Jackie Chavez lead! The Chavezes have truly been an answered prayer as they are incredible "partners in the gospel!"
The Portland West Region Leaders – Fernando &
Jackie Chavez with their daughters
Natalia (left) and Andrea!
From the regionalization of the church comes the focus of small groups, and because of that we were able to see Reina be baptized in the West Region! Amazingly, she was fruitful that same day with Ivan, who she reached out to while she was studying! Then Reina baptized her son Brian into our RISE ABOVE Teen Ministry! And lastly, last week also baptized her best friend Maite!
Reina's deep gratitude for God allows her to be
fruitful even on the day of her baptism!
Another answered prayer is one that the Portland Church has had for a while: The sending out of the Seattle Mission Team! Also we are sending our sister Macque to Lagos, Nigeria where she has been dreaming to go even before she was a disciple! God answers prayers!
A "prayer come true" for Macque as she
is on the Lagos Mission Team!
Matt Sullivan – Lead Evangelist of Orlando: "Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed. And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth." (Joel 2:27-30)
The last three days have been a dream come true for so many – young and old alike! Truly the "old men dreamed dreams" and the "young men [had] visions!" Mike Patterson dreamed for years that we could host a Campus Conference in our area of influence in order to inspire and build up the campus ministries, giving them faith that God would build a "Hall of Tyrannus" in each city that would evangelize their region. I personally dreamed on the day Helen, myself and the kids drove into Orlando as we drove by the Amway Center where the Orlando Magic NBA Basketball Team plays and I thought privately… someday… that would be amazing if we could meet there as a church! That day was April 3rd, the final day of our Second Annual Campus Conference entitled Fight To Win! Our dear friends Cory & Jee Blackwell were with us the entire weekend and to see him speak on the basketball floor where he used to play was a dream come true for him!
Cory & Jee Blackwell on the floor of the Amway
Center where Cory – a former NBA Player –
once played the Orlando Magic!
Cory on the teleprompter in the Amway Center
as he preaches on Sunday morning!
The theme Scripture for the Conference is taken from 1 Timothy 6:12, "Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses." 191 campus students and leaders from NYC, Boston, Syracuse, DC, Houston, DFW, Gainesville and Orlando gathered at University of Central Florida on Friday night to kick-off the conference and it was amazing! Mike Patterson preached a sermon for the ages and all were called higher!
The Friday Night Kick Off of the Second
Annual Campus Congress for the
USA East World Sector!
Saturday, we had several incredible guest speakers also give lessons and charges that built our faith. Then we closed out Sunday morning at the Amway Center, the home of the Orlando Magic with our worship service! Amazingly, we were told by the staff that a church had never met on the floor of the coliseum! We were the first! It was stunning to see all God had done in just 3 ½ years from 29 "would-be-disciples" to 276 in attendance!
Mike lives out a dream to preach
in the Amway Center!
Then to close-out the dream-filled weekend, we all went back to watch the Orlando Magic handily beat the Memphis Grizzlies! They fought to win too! "He stoops down to make [us] great!" (Psalm 18:35) Here’s a video of the Sunday Worship Service! https://www.facebook.com/jsweetser2/videos/10208433870420487/
Raja Rajan – Lead Evangelist of Chennai: Greetings from India! We want to thank all the brothers and sisters across the globe, who have been praying for a particular sister, who went through major persecution. Dhanalakshmi (whose name means goddess of wealth), was beaten, drugged, hand bound and taken back to her hometown by her own father. She was kept locked up and drugged so that she would forget Christ! She was even admitted in a Mental Institute because she kept insisting on going back to her spiritual family. Despite her confession that her life had now changed for the good as a disciple, her father had decided to put her to death because she was an immense disgrace to their family.
Raja Rajan – Lead Evangelist of Chennai: Greetings from India! We want to thank all the brothers and sisters across the globe, who have been praying for a particular sister, who went through major persecution. Dhanalakshmi (whose name means goddess of wealth), was beaten, drugged, hand bound and taken back to her hometown by her own father. She was kept locked up and drugged so that she would forget Christ! She was even admitted in a Mental Institute because she kept insisting on going back to her spiritual family. Despite her confession that her life had now changed for the good as a disciple, her father had decided to put her to death because she was an immense disgrace to their family.
We almost had lost all hope, but in our helplessness we could only beg God to save her! After seven months of battle, one fine day her father decided to set her free and allowed her to return to Chennai and to be part of the church! Dhanalakshmi is finally free and back with her spiritual family and now her father encourages her to grow and be strong in the Lord! Dhanalakshmi says, "The change in my father could only be produced by God!"
God has answered the prayers from the
entire movement for the deliverance
of our sister Dhanalaskshmi
(in the maroon shirt)!
Another answered prayer was for Women's Day! With a little over 50 Chennai Sisters, God blessed us with 104 in attendance! So many new studies were set up with open women!
The charismatic Chennai Women's Day Speakers!
104 attended the Women's Day in Chennai!
The Sisters Band "Prophetess" rocked
the Women's Day!
God has been surprising us with miracles. Johnson Selvaraj, who was a former Evangelist and was once upon a time leading the fastest growing church in India at Hyderabad, was restored on Sunday! He later baptized his daughter Samantha, a fired-up teen, who was impacted by my daughter's Shefali's Bible study!
Johnson Selvaraj and Raja, friends for over two
decades now share one purpose – to
save as many as possible!
So, in the first 12 weeks of 2016, God has blessed us with 29 additions! To God forever be all the glory!
Ajith who is an Engineering student from Loyola
College is baptized into Christ!
Joebert another Engineering graduate
rejoices as his sins are forgiven!
Kalaivani (center) is excited about her
new life in Christ!
Ebeniser, yet another Engineering graduate,
makes Jesus his Lord!
One last prayer request: My dear youngest daughter Isheeta is very sick and in the hospital being cared for by Debs with an unknown disease. Please pray for a full recovery.
FAMILY NEWS
Orlando: In a fairy-tale wedding on March 20th, Adrian & Kacie Jimenez were solemnly united in holy matrimony! The reception following was filled with good food, much laughter and even a few tears of joy!
Congratulations to Adrian & Kacie Jimenez!
Moscow: Few weddings can match the sense of love and celebration as Dima Serafonov & Tatiana Serafonova! So many non-Christians were in awe of not just its beauty but the purity of Dima & Tatiana's dating relationship! We are praying that in the future they can be appointed Evangelist and Women's Ministry Leader!
Dima & Tatiana's love for God and each other
has inspired the entire Moscow Church!
Eugene: God blessed Jason & Whitney Woodke with their twin babies, Liam and Olivia, on March 23, 2016, which happened to be their Third Wedding Anniversary! Although they were born at 35 weeks, both babies are healthy! Whitney was put on bed rest at 24 weeks thinking she would go into labor any day, but after many days of praying, God allowed the twins 11 more weeks to grow strong in the womb! Now, 11 days after being born, the twins are making great progress in the Natal ICU and the doctors say they may be able to go home this week! God has truly answered the Woodke's prayers!
Liam and Olivia – Welcome to God's Family!
Toronto: We are all overjoyed to witness the very first birth in the Toronto Church Family! Eddie and his wife Nikeisha Joseph, an incredible disciple baptized in August 2014, gave birth to her firstborn son, little Eddie Joseph Jr. on Tuesday, March 22nd!
Congratulations to the Joseph Family!
Chicago: Praise God our Father for an incredible addition to the Chicago Church and also an answered prayer – Elian Ninel Chagolla! When the Chagollas were first married, they were told they wouldn't be able to have children except through a complicated medical procedure – IVF. They turned to the best answer they had: Prayer! For seven years they prayed their impossible prayer that God would give them a child naturally. A year ago, before the GLC, they received the incredible news that they were pregnant! Today we welcome their little miracle – Elian Ninel to our global Family!
A true miracle baby – Elian Ninel Chagolla!
Los Angeles – Orange County Region: Congratulations to Kirk & Margie at the birth of their firstborn on March 25th – Leena Rebekah Hamula!
After 40 hours of labor, Leena Rebekah
meets her dear mom Margie!
West Region: Congratulations to Simon & Ashley Ajayi, who will be going on the Lagos Mission Team that leaves in May! Simon is Nigerian and lived 20 years in Lagos! He is bringing back hope (and a bride) to his people!
Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs.
Simon & Ashley Ajayi!
LOCAL LA NEWS
Tim Kernan – Lead Evangelist of the City of Angels Church: Greetings from sunny Los Angeles, California! This past Sunday, we had an unforgettable service as the Seattle Mission Team was sent out! Lianne & I are so proud of Joel & Courtney Parlour, and this courageous team of fiery disciples who are making their way up the coast at this very moment! Joel wrote an incredible article for the CAICC Bulletin which you can download by clicking here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B04yqRhbUxoNNzRtdUJRNWswOVU/
Over 1,300 attended the Seattle Mission
Team Send Off Service!
The Sisters of Encouragement – Lianne and
Coleen – welcome Stefano, Amar and Carl
to the CAICC Fellowship!
Pat & Pam Boea award Raymond, Dacosta
and Jennifer CR Certificates of graduation
and the prized yellow CR T-shirt!
The Parlours draw us to the cross during
their moving communion!
Tim preaches passionately on THE
REBELLION OF KORAH!
Also this week, Lianne & I had the pleasure to travel to the awesome Eugene Church to introduce their new leaders Brian & Joaly Carr! It was incredible to be joined there by the Dimitrys of San Francisco, the Limons of Portland, the Parlours of (now) Seattle, and Ryan Keenan as we set out to prepare the church for a great year ahead! The disciples lovingly embraced their new leaders and have been so impressive in their resolve to evangelize the nations in this generation!
Brian & Joaly Carr are the new leaders
for the Mighty Eugene Church!
It is a great honor for the City of Angels Church to send out mission teams! Currently, we are preparing to send out a Supplemental Mission Team to Chicago lead by our dear brother and sister, the amazing Cory & Jeraldine Blackwell! As well, the beloved Luke & Brandyn Speckman with a small supplemental mission team will be heading-out to lead the mighty New York City Church! Andrew & Patrique Smellie are resolute in their vision to plant the church in Lagos with their two children and an awesome mission team! Last but certainly not least, Lord willing, RD & April Baker will be sent out at the 2016 GLC to plant Dubai! Please join us in praying for them and their team of gutsy disciples!
It is the custom of the SoldOut Movement to present
upside down globes to each member of a Mission
Team at their Send Off representing turning "the
world upside down for Christ!"
(Acts 17:6 RSV)
These mission teams have come at a great cost to the City of Angels Church, which we have joyfully embraced! The LA disciples are determined to send out these mission teams with the proper financial support and also to continue to support all of our churches in the third world! To ensure this, we have set percentage goals for each month, leading up to May 15th, when the total mission's goal will be reached and God willing surpassed! Pray for us as this coming Sunday, we are striving with God's help to reach our 60% goal!
Lance Underhill and the ICC Hot News Reporters!
Spread the word about ICC Hot News and go to
https://www.facebook.com/lance.underhill.3?fref=ts
for this week's Hot News about the
Seattle Send Off Service!
God is performing so many incredible miracles here in Los Angeles! Sunday, we witnessed the powerful reinstatement of our brother Jermaine Peacock as an Evangelist in the Kingdom of God, as well as the appointment of his dear wife Stefanie as a Women's Ministry Leader! Although this couple had served in the full-time ministry for 18 years in our former fellowship, Stefanie had never been appointed as a Women's Ministry Leader. Many tears were shed as she spoke of her tremendous gratitude for her husband, for Luke & Brandyn Speckman, and for the LA disciples who helped nurse her back to health. Truly, Jermaine & Stefanie are once more on fire for God as they now powerfully lead our precious San Diego Church!
Congratulations to Jermaine & Stefanie Peacock –
the new Evangelist and Women's Ministry
Leader for the dynamic San Diego ICC!
Of course, no Harvest Sunday Service is complete without incredible baptisms! At the conclusion of our service, we were able to witness 12 baptisms, nine from the City of Angels Church, two from the Las Vegas Church, and one from the San Diego Church! Four more were baptized earlier this week in LA bringing the total number of baptisms this week for the City of Angels Church to 13!
Roland of San Diego enters the Kingdom!
Anna of San Diego is born again!
Keelan of Las Vegas joyfully comes into the light!
Laura of the IE Region is so grateful to be
embraced by God's Family!
What was particularly special about these baptisms, was the number of physical family members who were baptized! It warmed my heart to see sons and daughters reunited with mothers (such as Mt. SAC student Tommy baptizing his mother Rhodera), sisters reunited with sisters (Jessi of our East Region with Jodi of the Santa Barbara Church), and Tony & Carol Castillo realizing their dream of baptizing their eldest son Antonio! The family of believers shouted and clapped for joy as each person loudly exclaimed, "Jesus is Lord!"
Jessi (center) is so excited to become "double
sisters" with Jodi (far right)!
Jessi of LA's East Region is united with her sister
Jodi of the Santa Barbara Church!
All of his prayers are answered as Tommy
baptizes his mom Rhodera! Both are
now in the East Region!
Also in the East Region, the Castillos realize their
dream of baptizing their eldest son – Antonio!
The CAICC Shepherds – Tony Untalan and Nick
Bordieri – pray over the Seattle Mission
Team at the close of the service!
Another encouragement was the visit to LA of one of my best friends Raul Moreno of Sao Paulo! Since Sao Paulo was going to initiate their branch of the ICCM, Kip encouraged Raul to come and see the LA ICCM March Session! Raul was particularly blown away when we presented him with ICCM caps with the words "Sao Paulo" on the back of the ICCM cap!
During Raul's visit to the ICCM – LA, Tim presents
Raul with ICCM gear that has ICCM – Sao Paulo!
Lastly, Evan Bartholomew reports that the CAICC Basketball League is highly competitive as after only two weeks of play, the Grizzlies are the only undefeated team! So the good news is that all the teams have a shot at the playoffs and the championship trophy!
Before every CAICC Basketball League Game the
two opposing teams come together to pray!
Please continue to pray for us as we continue to bring in the spiritual harvest for the Lord, to prepare to send so many awesome disciples to advance the mission, and to get ready to welcome the movement for an awesome 2016 GLC! We love you all very much!
Andrew Smellie: "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in Heaven." (Matthew 5:43-45) Greetings from the AMS Region! It has been a remarkable time of inspiration and growth since my wife Patrique & I accepted the honor in January to lead this incredible group of disciples! In the last 10 weeks the Lord has blessed our efforts with eight baptisms!
A miracle prayer that was answered this year were the baptisms of Erik Daniel and Mayra Cardenas! Erik and Mayra were engaged when Erik was met back in January of this year. Erik is a successful businessman and was also a "transformational dating coach" – a "Hitch" of sorts! After repenting of his worldly lifestyle and fighting intense persecution from his family and former friends, he was baptized into Christ on January 31st of this year!
Erik breaks his engagement to become
a sold-out disciple!
Mayra had started studying the Bible as well, but when Erik decided to end their engagement, she became very hurt and began boldly persecuting the church. Thankfully through the faithful efforts of Patrique and the AMS Sisters, Mayra saw that she was actually persecuting the Lord and repented of her bitterness. (Acts 22:7-8) She was joyfully baptized into Christ on February 28th! Only through the power of prayer and boldness were these two miracles achieved!
Mayra (third from the right) goes from being a
persecutor to a persuader of the truth
as she helped Nicki (with baby)
get baptized on Sunday!
Mark Garrido: It is every disciples dream to see his or her physical family become a baptized disciple of Jesus. This past week, we have seen several families united in the Lord! One of the most amazing prayers was answered after our Central Region Campus Leader for Pasadena City College Nathan Carr received the very sad news about his grandmother Linda Tajada and the possibility of a short life. She is suffering from Alzheimer's disease and currently is bedridden. Nathan had been praying for his family members to grow close to God over the two last years, so he went down to San Diego and studied the Bible with his grandmother along with disciples in the San Diego ICC. God gave his grandmother the ability to understand this decision and she was baptized last week!
Desperate prayers are answered as Linda –
Nathan's grandma – is baptized by him!
Nathan's physical family witnessed this great miracle that has sparked their interest in the Lord! Please be praying that this answered prayer will lead to many more answered prayers!
Evan Bartholomew: Greetings from beautiful Ventura County! First off, Kelly & I would just like to say how much of an answered prayer it is to have been given the charge of leading this incredible region of the City of Angels Church! We are so grateful for the hearts of the disciples here! They have wholeheartedly embraced our family, and the plan we've put forth for the evangelization of Ventura County – or as we like call it since the Apache Tribe at one time lived here – the "Apache Project!”
Evan Bartholomew: Greetings from beautiful Ventura County! First off, Kelly & I would just like to say how much of an answered prayer it is to have been given the charge of leading this incredible region of the City of Angels Church! We are so grateful for the hearts of the disciples here! They have wholeheartedly embraced our family, and the plan we've put forth for the evangelization of Ventura County – or as we like call it since the Apache Tribe at one time lived here – the "Apache Project!”
The new Ventura Region Leaders – Evan &
Kelly Bartholomew!
Another incredible answered prayer is the baptisms of Isaac Ruiz and Haleigh Talavera! They are the son and daughter of Andy & Denise Talavera, who serve very dutifully as our Kingdom Kids Coordinators! (They will also be kicking-off our Moorpark Bible Talk in mid-May!) Like all disciple parents, Andy & Denise have been praying for their kids for several years, and God has now bound together this amazing family in His Kingdom! Truly, God answers persistent and faithful prayers!
Editorial
Kip McKean: Dearest Brothers and Sisters: So good to be back in Los Angeles with our beloved City of Angels Church! Since God placed Tim & Lianne Kernan over this incredible congregation at the end of 2015, this valiant couple has done an outstanding job rallying and solidifying all 138 Bible Talks in the first three months of this year through their inspirational preaching of the Word and their loving discipling of the leaders! This has freed up Elena & me to preach and teach at several key congregations: Moscow, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Orlando and San Francisco! We have been so encouraged by the zeal for God and the love for each other in all of these glorious churches!
The McKeans are greeted at the San Francisco
Airport with a Kingdom Welcome – the
singing of We Love You With The
Love Of The Lord!
While in San Francisco, as Elena & I walked along Market Street, we saw on the Adidas Store window the words "SOLD OUT!" Immediately we both smiled and laughed a bit because the sports world seems to understand commitment a whole lot better than the religious world!
SOLD OUT is better understood by the sports
world than the religious world!
The name for our movement actually came from critics of one of my sermons while we were serving the Lord in Portland. I had used the term "sold-out" to describe Jesus' call in Luke 14:33, "In the same way, any of you who does not GIVE UP EVERYTHING he has cannot be my disciple!" The initial name that our persecutors had called us and the few small churches that were with us was "The Portland Movement!" Thinking that renaming us "The Sold-out Movement" would make us more unappealing to particularly disciples around the world that were "watching" the Portland Church, instead people were reminded of Jesus' call to all that would follow Him and scores joined "the new movement!"
Shortly after the Portland Jubilee – FOLLOW THE
FIRE – in the summer of 2006, the Spirit
formally initiated the SoldOut
Movement in October 2006!
Ironically, a similar "name change" by persecutors happened to the first century church! The initial names taken by God's first century movement were "Disciples" and "The Way." However, in the third largest city in the Roman Empire – Antioch – where so many were being baptized in the ministry of Barnabas and Paul, "the disciples were [first] called Christians!" In other words, persecutors were mocking the disciples as "the ones like Christ!" The disciples liked this new name and over the years called themselves Christians! (1 Peter 4:16)
In Matthew 13:44-46, Jesus preaches two short parables, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went a SOLD ALL HE HAD and bought that field. Again the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and SOLD EVERYTHING HE HAD and bought it." In these two profound parables, Jesus teaches that there are two ways to enter the Kingdom: 1) One accidentally stumbles on the "hidden treasure" of the Kingdom, and 2) One has been searching for "fine pearls" – the Kingdom. Both individuals pay the same price to enter the Kingdom as they "SOLD EVERYTHING!" In other words, the only way to get into the Kingdom is to be "sold-out!" Even in John's vision of Heaven which is a city with 12 gates reinforces this concept of the Kingdom being "fine pearls," for each gate is a pearl – the price you paid to get into Heaven! (Revelation 21:21)
Interestingly, Elena "stumbled" on the Kingdom in 1973 when her sister "dragged" her to a college devo! I found the Kingdom in 1972 because I knew I was living a hypocritical life as a "so called Christian" and was searching for a Bible church where my faith could be strengthened. Interestingly, Elena & I were both baptized at 17 years old! Only by God's amazing grace and abundant mercy, will I celebrate my 44th Spiritual Birthday next week on April 11th!
Elena on her first Spiritual Birthday in 1974!
So being in "The Sold-out Movement" – which we have branded as the "SoldOut" Movement – is being in Jesus' movement! Every member of the movement being "sold-out" was the secret on how the first century church evangelized the nations in just 33 years! (Colossians 1:6, 23) So let us genuinely and unapologetically embrace the call of God's 21st Century SoldOut Movement and by faith pray that God's Spirit will evangelize the nations in THIS generation! Therefore continue to pray for Joel & Courtney and the Seattle Mission Team!
Pray for Joel & Courtney Parlour and the
inspirational Seattle Mission Team!
Pray for the Bogota (Colombia) International Christian Church Inaugural Service on April 17th! And pray for the planting of the 10th Crown of Thorns City Lagos (Nigeria) as this courageous mission team will be sent out from LA on May 22nd! And to God be all the glory!
We are family… to the end,
Kip
We are family… to the end,
Kip
Since Seattle is only a three hour drive from Portland
Courtney readies her son Brinton for their
