July '18 Update: Changes are Afoot!

Hello, GMI

Up to this point, our home church (Calvary Bible Church) has provided the administrative support for the Pastors Training Ministry. But with the help and encouragement of our elders, these last several months, Tina and I have been in the process of applying to the missions organization known as Grace Ministries International. GMI provides administrative, logistical and spiritual support to facilitate the work of making disciples around the world. Unlike many missions agencies, GMI is a ministry from a local church (Grace Community Church) which provides the advantage of being under the oversight of a group of qualified elders as well as reinforcing the importance of the local church in fulfilling the Great Commission. We recently received word that we have been accepted by GMI but we will only become official when we have raised our full support (we need to raise an additional $2000/month – please see our prayer request below).

Why the Change?

Why the change, you may ask? There are a number of reasons that come to mind.

1. We currently work almost exclusively with missionaries from GMI and thus it made sense to be under the same organization so that we would share in the same vision and philosophy of ministry.
2. As an established missions organization, GMI is better equipped to provide much needed training and support for the missions work we are doing, something that our church is not able to do at this point in time. In addition, the TMAI centers which we work with are predominantly made up of GMI missionaries.
3. Also, as a missions organization, GMI is better able to provide the administrative and logistical support required for missions work (which includes collection of donations, reimbursement of missions expenses, salary, travel, etc.). Up to this point, that administrative support had come from our church, specifically from our controller, Don Churnock, who was taking care of this in addition to his normal work duties (something for which we are very grateful – thanks, Don!).
4. Another reason for the change has to do with the fact that, because I am only a pastor at Calvary Bible Church part time, the church is unable to provide medical insurance as a benefit. Switching over to GMI will allow for us to come under their insurance plan, one which is also better designed for international travel.

This change does not affect my part-time role as pastor at CBC nor does it require that we change churches. CBC is still our home church where we will continue to attend. Like several other GMI missionaries we are sent out by our church while missions work is supported through GMI at the same time.We are very excited for the opportunity to work with GMI and are also extremely grateful for the help and support that Calvary has provided these last three years, without which the Pastors Training Ministry would not have gotten off the ground.If you have any questions, feel free to contact me and I can give you more details.

Are there any changes in how you can support us?

For those of you who have supported us financially, we first want to express our gratitude for that support. The training we do could not happen without you. With the change to GMI there are some important changes to the donation process that we want to make you aware of.If at all possible, we would encourage to begin making your donations directly to GMI.

1. Visit our webpage at Grace Community Church (https://www.gracechurch.org/carns)
2. Give a one-time donation or set it up for ongoing support.

If you have been donating on a regular basis, please take a moment to click the link and set that up online. This way you won’t have to try to remember to do it each month or quarter.OR you can give your support the old fashioned way by check, made out to “GMI” with “Tim Carns” noted on the memo line. You can then mail it to Grace Ministries International, 13248 Roscoe Blvd, Sun Valley, CA  91352.While it is preferred that you send your donation to GMI, if you would like to continue to send it to Calvary Bible Church, the money will eventually make it to our GMI account. Again, thank you for your support—not just financially but also in your prayers and encouragements.

Prayer Requests

Speaking of prayer, please pray not only for the transition to GMI but also for my upcoming trip to the Philippines (08/09 – 08/29). I will be traveling to Baguio to teach Module 4 of the expository preaching program and then attend the TMAI regional summit in Asia. Following this, I will be visiting Cagayan de Oro to meet with pastors to discuss the possibility of teaching the modular preaching program there. This is an exciting opportunity to potentially expand to another region between Cebu and Davao. Please pray for wisdom and that God’s will would be clear.

Here are a few additional requests:

• Please pray for the transition to GMI. Before we can be formally accepted we will need to raise more support to cover additional expenses which include GMI conferences and training as well as health insurance. In addition, there has been a drop in support during 2018. Thus, the extra amount needed to cover these is about $2000/month.
• Continue to pray for Carissa’s mission trip to Malawi that God would give her safe travel and use her to be an encouragement to the missionaries and Malawian pastors. She leaves just a couple days after me but, unfortunately, we will not be there at the same time this year.
• Also, Brie starts her senior year of high school in August (I can’t believe she’s a senior already!). Please pray for her testimony and for wisdom regarding college.

If You Wish to Support Us

If the Lord leads you to support this ministry, you can do so by check or online.

• Visit our webpage: https://www.gracechurch.org/carns where you can give a one-time donation or set up ongoing support
• Make out a check to “GMI” with “Tim Carns” noted on the memo line. You can then mail it to Grace Ministries International, 13248 Roscoe Blvd, Sun Valley, CA  91352.