Danny Niceley has taken the Grace Fellowship Conference and Workshop, and has done some apprenticeship in Pigeon Forge. He is currently working as a librarian at Carson Newman College. In this 6 minute video Danny tells of his athletic achievements, near-fatal accident, and discovery of grace-based acceptance in Christ.

Pastor Joe Faraldi of Bayside Chapel in New Jersey and was given a sabbatical to develop an exchanged life-oriented discipleship counseling manual. The document has been written is now being introduced to church leaders. Drawing upon devotional writers and including Charles Solomon’s Wheel and Line diagrams, the manual gives vital teaching and defines coaching and counselee roles. Let’s pray for this ministry at this church and beyond “for such a time as this.” You can email Joe at joe@baysidechapel.org

An update from GFI alumnus, Jose Barreda:

Book Published

Recently Jose published a book called The Exchanged Life.

“I commend to the reader, Jose Barreda’s book The Ex­changed Life!” This thorough examination of Paul ‘s declaration “I am crucified with Christ,” unveils essen­tial truths for victorious Christian Living. Such a study leads to the conclusion that what the message of John  3: 16 is for salvation, the message of Galatians 2:20 is for sanctification. Each chapter of this book is followed by an inductive Bible Study to encourage the applica­tion of related Scriptures and insights.” – Dr. John Woodward  GFI International

The principles of this book have been used in the ministry by Jose and Marla for over 35 years. The first printing of the book was in 1978 and used in discipleship in various church­es. The updated printing brings light how to appropri­ate the finished work of Jesus Christ through the understand­ing of Galatians 2:20. It  is being used by EPN Inc. to help  Educators  know  how to bring hope in the lives of their students. It is being used in some Christian Clubs, as well as in other small group and Sunday School class settings. For your order please contact EPN Inc. at either 813-963-6770 or write us at EPNTam­pa@gmail.com.

LINK Consulting

LINK Consulting ministry is a ministry that started as a discipleship encounter training in 2004. Jose had been using Spirituotherapy model for counseling since 1978 for ministry, discipleship, counsel­ ing and ministry/business consulting. In 2014 Jose was certified using the Spirituotherapy model in the Exchanged Life counseling. In addition Jose has also been certified in Temperament Counseling and Family Counseling.  He recently finished his courses to receive a Master’s Degree in Counseling…This certification and degree has helped establish new credentials for ministry. See more about this ministry at EPNTampabay.com

GFI Associates Joe and Cherri Freeman spoke at New Village Church, Lake Grove, NY, last weekend. See their ministry newsletter at XLproject.org

Conference alumni, Dan and Carol Keiser are leaving today for a mission trip to Africa. He writes: “… I will be preaching again in their church on Sunday in Kaberamaido, Uganda and doing some lessons for the teenage boys there in the village. Carol is coming with me this time. It’s a long exhausting trip. (It takes 27 hours to get to the village…) Let’s pray for their safety and fruit that remains.

Here is a photo from the GFI gallery of the Freemans (left) and Keisers (right) with me at Bayside Chapel in NJ in 2013.

-JBW

Joe and Cherri Freeman in New Jersey (XL Project / Love Them to Life) relate the message of the Cross to those dealing with addiction…and those who love them.

Their December newsletter is online here.

Cross to Life Discipleship Ministries in Minnesota provide discipleship counseling and equipping. The photo is of a recent class at their office in Edina.

Their December e-letter is online here.

Cherri Freeman – “Love Them to Life”

by Cherri Freeman

My certification process has been a long one, extending over three and a half years. I first went to Grace Fellowship International in November, 2011, thinking that I was only attending the conference. I was first offered a scholarship for the workshop and then a further scholarship for the Solomon School of Counseling. At that point in time, counseling was very far from my mind; however, God had other ideas! The truths of the Exchanged Life became very clear to me during that time and I knew that I would never be the same.

Joe and I were called into full-time ministry as field staff with GFI in April, 2013, including solidifying the relationship with John Woodward as our mentor. We have felt the call to take the grace message to those who are in addiction so that they also can experience freedom in Christ. The motto of our ministry is “Surfing the wave of grace as we reach out to those in addiction and to those who love them.” God has blessed in so many ways as we see lives transformed and families restored. This journey has been difficult but also rewarding.

Joe has taken classes towards a Master’s Degree in Biblical Counseling. I felt that I should complete the GFI counseling certification process and have been working closely with John Woodward to meet the requirements. The reading list was a blessing, as were the video and audio series. Working with counselees who have been abused or who have addiction issues personally or in their family is difficult but rewarding.

God has led me to start a ministry to mothers who have children in addiction and that has provided opportunities to counsel many women, including leading several to make a decision for Christ. [www.LoveThemToLife.com] I am grateful to be able to use the experiences that have hurt me to be able to encourage, exhort, teach, pray with, and share the love of God with others in pain.

“…but we have this treasure in earthen vessels that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” 2 Corinthians 4:7

I would like to thank the Lord in allowing me to share how a loving Heavenly Father, took me from a life of self-defeat and engrafted me into His life to fulfill my life purpose.  I will share this through five events and encounters with the Lord in my life.

INTRODUCED TO GOD’S LOVE!

I grew up in a home that had very little regard to God, though from my mother’s background was very religious.  My mother emphasized the importance of going to church, and being Roman Catholic, made me go through the sacraments of my holy communion and my confirmation.  (In the Catholic Church this process is with tests, and a lot of memorizations of the catholic doctrine, and practices).

From early childhood, even though I had lived under a very abusive and immoral home, I had a sense of desire to be good in spite of all that I was introduced to through the influence of my older peers and my father.  I also sensed that there was a God and that that I would have the favor of God in my life.   I guess I believed this because of the many things that He had allowed me achieve in my formative years.

My parents separated when I was 6 years old and divorced when I was 12.   I attempted to balance out my life and cope with the sense of rejection or abandonment by getting involved in sports and becoming a high academic achiever.    My identity was in being successful in these areas in order to get noticed, and acceptance my by mom and peers.

read the rest of Jose Barreda’s testimony (PDF)

Jose and Marla Barreda with John and Chuck

GFI alumnus and associate, Edmund Spieker, is leading a TransWorld Radio initiative aimed at men called Champions Arise.

Champions Arise was born as a prayerful answer to a question from an African brother in Mozambique. Aware of the worldwide plight of women and TWR’s ministry through Project Hannah, he asked the challenging question, “Why doesn’t TWR have programs for men? We men need so much help!”

We agree! The need for men to take on their spiritual leadership role in the church is a crisis of tremendous proportion. There is a great need for mentoring, encouragement and discipling of men.

Champions Arise is a TWR initiative unique in its development and administration. CA differs from the typical TWR cooperating broadcaster model. With an emphasis on relationship and spiritual calling, TWR not only serves as a distributor of content, but as the initiator of a ministry built on prayer, and as provider of program content, partnerships and coordination…

 

We hope to provide a series of transcripts for this radio broadcast on the theme of the Exchanged Life. For more information, visit the web site: http://championsarise.org

Spanish edition of Handbook to Happiness

I am in Mexico teaching in the Word of Life Bible Institute for three weeks. The Lord ordained an encounter with a young man that asked to meet with me privately. He is currently preparing to enter the pastorate and his desire is to serve in a country that is a spiritually dark place. In our first conversation I learned that he was discouraged, suffering defeat in his walk with the Lord, and questioning whether God would use him in the ministry. He was at the point of giving up on his dreams. The Lord used His word to restore this young man´s heart in an amazing way. I shared the basic truths of the exchanged life using the wheel and line diagrams; of course I am using the Spanish Language version.
We discussed the meanings of the truths represented in those drawings, read the Bible passages and prayed together. First he was broken when he saw his life experience reflected in the wheel. He recognized that in his own strength he would never accomplish the dreams God placed in his heart. But his eyes were opened to understand that God´s design for his life is an exchanged life. He has a new identity, Christ living in him. I believe he really got Gal. 2:20! Christ is his life!
In a follow-up meeting he said that life looks different now and he has a fresh understanding of 2 Cor. 2:17; “old things are passed away and all things are being made new”. I later learned that when we first met it was his birthday! What a birthday present the Lord gave him! He now has had a white funeral, a death certificate and a proclamation of his new identity.
Well, I suppose you can guess as to what is happening now.  This guy is beaming with joy. One by one guys that want to talk privately are looking for me between classes, after classes, at night … looks as though my days are going to be full until I leave for home on Dec 5.
I hope you will pray for me as the Lord brings me to your thoughts. God is doing great things!

IN CHRIST,
Jim H.

graduate of GFI Workshop 11/2014

On October 12 I paid a visit to Exchanged Life Ministries of Greater Philadelphia in Perkasie, PA. It brought back memories of when I lived down the road a few miles while attending Biblical Theological Seminary (1978-81). Robyn Henning leads this ministry by providing Exchanged Life Counseling to people in the area (and some by e-counsel). Robyn and a friend also visited Americas Keswick last week and it was good to fellowship with her as one of the GFI alumni from years ago. Pray for her ministry to grow and continue to bear fruit. – John W.

Robyn Henning

Office building where Robyn counsels