*Grace Fellowship International India Office opening & dedication*
30.03.2019 @10:30 a.m.

I. *Presidential address* JZ

1. Short history of GCI
“Counseling with the mind of Christ” by Dr.CRS sent to PPT by Rev. Dr. T.V.Thomas in 1982.
# Critical evaluation by PPT to CRS who invited PPT to Denver for GFI Training.
# PPT suggested CRS to come to India so that he can train more with the same travel expenses. Finally PPT went to GFI as CRS could not get Visa.

# First ELS @ St. Augustine School, Mvpzha in 1983.

# 1990 First One month Training Institute in Whitefield, BLR, with CTS in the faculty.

# Since then we bad the desire to have a base in BLR and searched for a site. Couldn’t with the raised ₹40,000 through 10 years as cost in BLR was too high.

# 1994 -2000: Purchased 80 cents land at Gandhi Nagar, KTM and buildings were constructed.

# GFII registration was proposed by GFI in 2018.

# Registered on 28th Feb 2019 as Trust in BLR with GCI founders PPT, AM & JZ (with PT John & Joesam) as founder members.

# Idicheria Ninan & JSA Julius were added as BoTs.

# A few more from cross cultural background to be included.

2. Goal of GFII – Discipleship
# Mentoring to maturity
Col.1:24-29
# Comforted to comfort
2 Cor. 1:3-7
# Christ-minded Phil 2:5
# Exchanged Life in 2 stages
👌Gal 2:20 – Acknowledge
our Identity in Christ
👌Gal 5:24 – Apply the
CrucifIxion of FLESH
# Flesh is the issue of all
problems in life,whether of
unbeliever or believer
# Message of the Cross, the
only solution –
application in daily life

3. Through
– Fellowship programs
– Teaching, Training
– Barefoot Counselors

4. # ELS in different places,
# Study circles (the 4 PPT,
AM, JZ & Jacob Kurian
through around 15 days
through an year before
2000, later@ GCI Centre)
# TIs at GCIC KTM
# Future goal: PG Diploma &
Degree Courses.
Idi – academic consultant.
5. Request your cooperation
Library on Counseling for the use of Educational & Theological Institutions and researchers and for the interested people from different Christian organisations and Churches in Bangalore.

Much of the books in the Library are supplied by PPT after he purchased for him and read from the 1960s and graciously donated by Annette Jones of East-West Ministries International. Praise the Lord.

6. Messages from:
# *PPT(received 30.03.19)*

GFII office opening at B’lore.
Dear sisters & brothers,

I am with you in spirit, though absent in body.

I am delighted and praise God for the new stage in our counseling ministry that our Heavenly Father has entrusted with us.

We should prayerfully participate in the ministry as our Lord enables us.

*Sharing is CARING* is the thought I would love to leave with you on this special occasion.

Very special appreciation for the people whose active involvement will be the main factor in the practical usefulness of our ministry for the glory of God and His Kingdom.
Thank you all,
In Christ,
P. P. Thomas.
(Your Brother)

# *AM (given at 1st BoT on 6th March 2019)*
Let us try to do our best by trusting in Jesus Christ, and do the ministry by committing ourselves to the cause we are entrusted with. We should make sure that we will not be stagnant in the ministry of GFII. We should not compromise in the Biblical Counseling approach God has entrusted with us but stick on to “Exchanged Life in Christ” basics, and teach and train; and operate with faithfulness to our vision and never aspire for the appreciation from the world or even from the Christian community. By God’s grace, we will expand our service to the needy persons effectively by humbling ourselves under the hands of God, by identifying the areas of need in our nation. We should take our ministry to the people, as Jesus Christ commanded us to “Go and make disciples” and not to follow the principles adopted by the secular world of counselors waiting for the counselee to come to us. Through our ministry we should share the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ beyond human understanding and the joy which is the gift of the Holy Spirit instead of manipulating and manufactured happiness which is temporary and never satisfying. We need to develop the mechanism for what we have received from God’s Word, which will, in turn, even reduce many diseases in our society. That should be our goal. Focus should not be building up a kingdom for us, but sharing the peace we have received.

II.*Dedication of the Office & Library* was done by Rev. Moncy Varghese.

III. *Opening of the Library* by JZ giving a copy of H2H to Dorothy Sonny Zachariah (to others too later)

IV. *Prayers* by JSA Julius, Som Thomas, Sonny Zachariah, Rakesh

V. *Bible reading*
Jeremy Joesam Col.1:24-29
Joanna Joesam 2 Cor.1:3-7

VI. *Vote of thanks by Presty Thomas, Secretary, GCI*

VII. Followed by Lunch
17 attended the meeting