 Printer-friendly versionInside EGC is a bi-monthly newsletter that provides information about EGC and our ministries as well as what we are learning about urban ministry and the Kingdom of God in Greater Boston.
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2013
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Starlight Ministries: Fresh Thinking on Homelessness | Winter 2013, Vol. 20, No. 1
Over the last year, Brian Gearin, director of EGC's Starlight Ministries, has been using a new tool in conversations with pastors and leaders who either currently serve or are seeking ways to engage with people who are poor. For some, the presentation helps them identify areas where their church can grow in its understanding of the complex nature of homelessness. For others, it helps clarify their existing ministry goals, whether for homelessness prevention or equipping church members for effective incarnational ministry through relationships with people on the streets. Here's how and why the system diagram came about and what we are learning from it...
2012
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EGC Ministry Update: The Boston Education Collaborative | Fall 2012, Vol. 19, No. 3
This issue highlights the recent work of EGC's Boston Education Collaborative and its exciting new developments.Now in its 13th year, the BEC has worked through various strategies toward its mission of “working with churches, schools, and nonprofits to empower underserved urban students with the education they need for transformation—in their lives and in their communities.” Read on to learn about the BEC's deepening partnership with Boston Public Schools and how the BEC's “Reflection and Learning” sessions are making a difference for local Christians who work with students.
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Stories of EGC's impact through its various ministries | March-April 2012, Vol. 19, No. 2
This issue highlights seven stories that were featured at the EGC fundraiser at Jubilee Christian Church on March 17, 2012. Because many of you were not able to be with us, we want to share those stories with you so you can see how your prayers and financial support are making a difference in Boston and beyond. Also, our EGC staff welcomes one new staff and two newborn babies!
2011
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EGC Staff tell stories of God at work in 2011 | Nov-Dec 2011, Vol. 18, No. 5 (web page)
This issue is dedicated to stories about how EGC staff saw God work in our ministries and lives in 2011. We hope these stories bring you great encouragement! Also, save the date for our 2012 Annual Fundraiser and read our FY 2012 Annual Report.
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How EGC's newest program uses a living system approach to address human trafficking | Sept-Oct 2011, Vol. 18, No. 4 (web page)
This issue highlights The Abolitionist Network, EGC's newest program. Learn how Sarah Durfey, the program's director, is helping create a network of modern-day abolitionists and trying to understand the systems of human trafficking using a Living System Ministry approach. Also, read about a new name for our consulting services, and catch up on the latest EGC staff and board updates.
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What kind of clues is EGC looking for? | May-June 2011, Vol. 18, No. 3 (web page)
This issue focuses on applied research and its importance and relevance at EGC. Hear from Jeff Bass, executive director, on why applied research is a big deal at EGC, then read about current projects at EGC that showcase applied research in action. Also, learn about current volunteer needs and get a photo recap of the 2011 EGC Dinner. Finally, Grace Notes are back--learn what's happening with EGC staff.
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MAR-APR 2011, VOL. 18, NO. 2 (web page)
COVER STORY: EGC & THE SOCIAL MEDIA REVOLUTION -- At EGC, we’ve been thinking that the Twitter/Facebook revolution is too big to ignore. But we’ve also been asking ourselves whether the time we’d have to spend to do social media well would be time well spent. In the first article, Senior Researcher Rudy Mitchell jumps into Twitter, and reports on what he learned in his first 40 days. In the second article, Jeff Bass, executive director, and Grace Lee, assistant director of development, dialog about the ins and outs of a social media and how it might fit with the mission of EGC.
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JAN-FEB 2011, VOL. 18, NO. 1 (507 KB)
SPECIAL ISSUE: Your Opinion Needed! Real communication takes two. For the past 17 years publishing Inside EGC, we've been doing almost all the talking. But we really want to hear from you! Take a few minutes to log on to www.egc.org/newslettersurvey and tell us what you think about our newsletter.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
*Celebrating John Mason - Dr. John Mason served on our Board between 1970 and 2004. He passed away on January 15, 2011. Doug Hall reflects on his legacy. *The 2011 Annual Dinner is Coming! Please join us onSaturday, April 9, 2011, from 5 to 8:30 pm at the Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Center in Boston. More information to follow.
2010
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NOV-DEC 2010, VOL. 17, NO. 6 (706 KB)
COVER STORY: A WEALTH OF DIFFERENCES – One way to understand EGC is to get to know the people God sends to serve here, because what we do collectively is dependent on the gifts, character, training, experience, and faith of our individual staff members. What kinds of people work at EGC? On page one, facts start to tell the story: Our 36 staff members have an average staff tenure of 12.4 years, compared to the national average of 4.4 years. Half our staff were born outside the U.S. One quarter of our staff are ordained ministers, two are trained architects, one a civil engineer, one a lawyer. Differences make us stronger.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:
STAFF STORIES: How Doug and Judy Hall discovered their calling in 1964. • What Sol Védrine was doing in Boston when he joined the staff 25 years ago. • How Michele Mitsumori’s passion for infrastructure brings clarity to EGC. • What Sheba Telore heard at the water cooler. • Why Bobby Bose paid attention to some birds one morning in Calcutta. • Why a top offensive line prospect from Virginia is now in seminary in Boston. • How a commitment made in third grade shaped the career of one Boston lawyer. • How God created the perfect job for a college graduate when prospects were bleak. • What brought Bianca Duemling back to Boston.
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SEPT-OCT 2010, VOL. 17, NO. 5 (2.58 MB)
COVER STORY: URBAN FOCUSED SEMINARY TRAINING FOR MINISTRY PRACTITIONERS -- EGC has had a long and fruitful relationship with Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary since the 1970s, a relationship which continues to be strong today as we work closely with the Seminary's urban extension, The Center for Urban Ministerial Education (CUME). In this issue of Inside EGC, we explain what that collaboration is all about, and how this partnership continues to produce fruitful ministry in Boston and around the world. Learn more about CUME's mentored ministry, the staff of EGC who are also instructors at CUME, and how this partnership got started.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
• Helping Urban Churches Motivate and Support Underserved Students. It is not just politicians, educators, and parents who focus on education, but churches and Christian non-profits in Boston want to do what they can to motivate and support students in their churches and communities. In this article, we look at the new face of EGC's Boston Education Collaborative and find out how we are coming alongside churches to help support them in their desire to serve the city's children. (page 4)
• Keeping the Faith in our Faith-Based Programs. BEC director Ruth Wong writes about the difference that Jesus Christ makes in church-based educational programs. (page 5)
• How three of our programs are offering rich training opportunities to equip people to serve in the areas of homelessness, reducing youth violence, and church-based urban youth ministry. (page 6)
• Grace Notes: Saying good-bye to Melissa and Drew. Saying hello to Julie. (page 7)
• The Emmanuel Gospel "Training" Center? As we pursue our mission at EGC, training seems to permeate all we do. Jeff Bass explains. (page 8)
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JULY-AUGUST 2010, VOL. 17, NO. 4 (866 KB)
COVER STORY: STARLIGHT TURNS 20 -- Today, Starlight is training church teams to create redemptive “communities of faith” with people who are without housing or are street involved. The key to making this happen is for Christians to build meaningful relationships with people in their own communities who are homeless. In this cover article, recently appointed Starlight director, Rev. Dr. Brian Gearin, unpacks the vision for Starlight’s next phase of ministry.
Also in this issue:
*Greater Boston Church Planting Collaborative Turns 10 – The trend of robust church planting continues in Boston, and EGC’s Church Planting Collaborative is there to help grease the wheels. Rev. Ralph Kee, a veteran church planter, talks about his daily work as “animator” for church planters, and his vision for a growing movement of even more start-up churches moving out from Boston to the region and the world. (page 4)
*Long-term Thinking Produces Long Lasting Fruit – excerpted from The Cat and the Toaster, a book released this year by EGC’s President Dr. Douglas Hall. This article looks at why the notion of “long term” is so important in Living System Ministry. Taking his lead from the biblical book of James, Doug points out that urban ministers need to have the same sense of timing in ministry as rural farmers do with producing our food. (page 6)
*Grace Notes: Saying good-bye to Khary and to Rema. Saying hello to Hanno. And offering congratulations to Brian and Sandy. (page 7)
*The Importance of principles. EGC closely follows a set a five principles of ministry. What are they, and how do they work? Jeff Bass explains. (page 8)
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MAY-JUNE 2010, VOL. 17, NO. 3 (869 KB)
COVER STORY: DIVINITY AND DIRT--EGC helped host the 10th Annual Ethnic Ministries Summit, A City Without Walls, in April, 2010. How does this Summit fit into the ongoing work of Intercultural Ministries, and what did we learn? Rev. Dr. Gregg Detwiler, director of EGC’s Intercultural Ministries, says there are some clear takeaways from the three-year Summit planning journey, but also some curiosity as to where we go from here. Gregg goes on to talk about working with what he calls “divinity and dirt,” the reality of God’s anointing coexisting with the reality of the interrelational barriers we construct that impede the flow of God’s work.
Also in this issue:
*EGC’s Multicultural Milestones: snippets from EGC’s 40 years of involvement with Boston’s thriving immigrant and ethnic Christian communities.
*Bianca Duemling, a recent intern from Germany, shares her perspective on Christian leadership in the light of growing cultural diversity within the evangelical community, and asks how relationships among cultural groups and churches can be transformed from conflict or oppression to equal partnerships. (page 6)
*Rev. Dr. Brian Gearin, back from sabbatical, starts a new role at the Center. (page 7)
*Complexity + Unity = EGC? Jeff Bass talks about the difficulty of defining what we do at EGC. (page 8)
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MARCH-APRIL 2010, VOL. 17, NO. 2 (910 KB)
COVER STORY: WHAT IS LIVING SYSTEM MINISTRY? We start with a quote from EGC President Dr. Doug Hall’s interview at the EGC Annual Dinner on March 13. Then, on the following pages, we look at the question from the standpoint of an Old Testament story, and Dr. Hall offers a few recent thoughts about “cat and toaster thinking.” Be sure to check out the 3-minute video describing Living System Ministry online at www.ToasterCat.org.
Also in this issue:
*I didn’t know what I was doing! – Dr. Rodney Hart, President of Teen Challenge New England, spoke at the Annual Dinner, telling the story of how he went from living on the streets of Boston to leading a regional ministry with a staff of 200, helping people recover from addictions. (page 4)
*Annual Dinner Photo Album – This year’s Annual Dinner was the best ever! Take a look at what we did! (page 5) Or, you can view our complete dinner album at www.egc.org/2010dinnerpics.
*When the faith of our fathers collides with the culture of our children – Drew Winkler is taking a closer look at second-generation issues in the Haitian community, hoping that what he learns will help churches serve their members well. (page 6)
*Help us help Haiti – An update on EGC’s ongoing response to the Haiti earthquake. (page 7)
*Intern feature – Meet Bianca Duemling, an intern from Germany serving at EGC this spring. (page 8)
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JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2010, VOL. 17, NO. 1 (1.04 MB)
COVER STORY: CREATING A SAFER BOSTON. The Youth Violence Systems Project reaches new milestones in 2010. What happens when we look at youth violence as a systemic issue, and start to see the variables in the social system that drive violence? And what happens if we put all this data in a computer model that can suggest outcomes to actions that agencies and organizations might take on the system? Now online at www.gettingtotheroots.org.
Also in this issue:
*The Boston Haitian Community and the Earthquake – Steve Daman talks with Pastor Sol Védrine and Haitian Ministries Associate Drew Winkler to learn how the Haitian churches in Boston are responding to the crisis in Haiti just three weeks after the tragic event. (page 5)
*Dr. Bose to Cape Town 2010 – Get acquainted with EGC’s Dr. Bobby Bose, Global Urban Ministries Network Education Coordinator, and find out why he is going to Cape Town. (page 6)
*Grace Notes – EGC staff updates: new roles for Sam Kim and Liza Cagua-Koo, new Board member, new baby, and two special prayer concerns. (page 7)
*Your 2010 EGC Annual Dinner Invitation – The annual dinner is coming to Boston on March 13, 2010. Are you? (page 8)
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