Travels to Europe on the horizon....

 

What is on the horizon? When you sit with this picture, from Lake Michigan  you can observe a lot of things. Light, beauty, calm, colors, contrasts, life, hope, glory, to name of few. "The heavens declare the Glory of God and the firmament shows his handiwork." Psalm 19:1. 

It is time again for us to venture out on the horizon. This time we are heading to Albania by way of London. We will be traveling over this weekend through June 10th. Our layover in London will give us an opportunity to connect with one of our Global Workers who lives there and has been serving in Guatemala with a Street Kid's Ministry in partnership with WGM. We will connect with him for a visit and spend some time there before we fly on to Tirana, Albania. 

Every other year, WGM has a leadership training event known as IMPACT. It usually is held in Indiana  but this year instead of bringing mission leaders back to the USA for IMPACT, we are going to take the training across the ocean to them. Mission leaders from countries around the world where WGM serves, will be coming to Albania for 10 days of retreat, refreshment and training in leadership and ministry in order to better reach the nations for Christ.  

We are going not only to take part in IMPACT, but to be available to connect with our missionaries. It is always great to attend events like this, where we have a large gathering of our people in one area. We understand that we will be meeting on the Mediterranean Sea and we anticipate that there will be countless opportunities to meet with our global workers in times of pastoral care, support and listening to their hearts for ministry and serving Jesus. 

We have always said that we have the best job in the whole world, we get to be encouragers to those that are working on the frontlines of ministry and partner with them as we listen to their hearts, pray for their concerns and walk with them in their ministries. We will have an opportunity to impact over 20 countries with the Good News of Jesus, as we meet with folks from all walks of ministry. We have often realized that the sun never sets on the work of WGM, the Gospel is always being lived out, preached, taught and shared as persons come to Christ and are discipled in the faith. 

You may wonder if your investment in our ministry is making any impact on the world? The answer is YES! We hear of lives transformed and hope coming to the hurting, each and every day. God has called persons to go, and WGM has facilitated their going out to the nations to impact them with a better way of living. Our roles as pastor/counselor is to help to shepherd, encourage and keep those persons engaged in ministry. 

As you pray for us in these coming days, we ask that you will ask Jesus to give us great times of connection, very big and energized hearts to hear the joys and the concerns of our missionaries, and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit to speak, to listen, to empathize, to care, to pray, to encourage. Our greatest need is to have the impact of the spirit of God on our lives so that we may be ready to minister. We also know that in these travels there are always those unexpected opportunities to be a light in the world. Pray for us that we will be open and available to respond. 

IMPACT 2023 will be held in Albania, and together, you, and us, we can make an IMPACT on the nations at this event. We plan to take you with us in our hearts knowing that your prayers and your support has made this trip possible. 

We will plan to share some highlights and updates with you all in the next blog. 

Impacting the world together,

Ned and Marlene

WGM Missionaries

World Gospel Mission, Box 948 Marion, IN 46952 

To support Ned and Marlene

Easter Greetings and Updates in Ministry

 

...what a tremendous reminder for all of us as we enter this Holy Season. Easter is a wonderful time to remember that Jesus resurrection was wrapped in His love for this world. We need the love of God now more than ever, and if you are reading this blog today, it affirms that you are a part of spreading His love around the world. Thank you for being a part of spreading the Good News of Jesus through the ministry of World Gospel Mission. You are a valuable part of helping to support and establish the Kingdom of God here on Earth. 

We are excited to let you know about many of the things that have been going on in world missions. Just recently we commissioned 8 Global Workers, 6 of which we are mobilizing from countries other than the USA. How exciting it is to see God raising up a generation of leaders to spread the Good News around the world from places around the world.  WGM has dozens of non-US based missionaries that we are equipping and mobilizing to reach  others. We seek to answer God's call on our lives through the Great Commission by being the support and encouragement to each Global Worker. Many are being called and we believe more are on the way to serve! Please join us in praying for the Lord of the Harvest to send forth laborers. 

In the coming week we will spend four full days with eight Global Workers that will be at the WGM Marion campus for Renewal. If you have followed our ministry, you know that our Member Health Team offers this time of debriefing and renewal three times throughout the year. We do this in March, July and Sept/Oct. We have missionaries come from around the world. This week we will have them coming from Mexico, Kenya, Japan, and Honduras. These folks have been out on the front lines ministering and carrying the Gospel for the past few years, and they are coming back to begin ministry to their supporters here in the USA. We are privileged to spend intentional time with them to hear their stories, share in their burdens and rejoice in their joys. We walk them through times of celebrating where God showed up in their work, and how he provided for them even in the tough times. It is an honor to debrief with them and allow them time to refuel and ready their hearts to continue their ministry here at home and as they return. 

We are pleased to offer many resources to our workers through the gifts of member care. Our team consists of care givers with many years of mission experience. As a matter of fact, 301 years of ministry experience with 268 years of cross-cultural ministry is represented in the picture below. We have coaches, pastors, counselors, nurses, physical therapists and even a chef and all with big hearts to love people well. I once heard it said that most people in the world need a good listening to! This is precisely what we do. Also we realize that it is important for us as a team to care for our own souls. Earlier this year, we met for a full week to do our own soul care.

We had Dr. Jeff McCrory and his wife Barb come and provide ministry during a week of retreat. He shared with us using the Psalms and opened our hearts more to listening and receiving from the Lord. We found that we were warmed, encouraged and helped as our own souls were ministered to. It is so important. We are only as good at helping others when we have taken good care of our own souls. Dr. McCrory also pointed out to our team that we are a soul. It is not that we 'have' a soul...we are a soul and we must steward the care of our soul in a way that allows us to serve in the power of Christ to minister to others. We trust you will steward well the care of your soul. 

In looking ahead in our ministry travels and what we are doing, we would love to invite you to continue to pray with us as you think of us. We know that the Holy Spirit is faithful to help and we lean on His direction. We will be celebrating Easter with our family here in Indiana. I see egg hunts, candy and ham dinner in the future as the grandkids and our kids come. Later, we have a wedding to officiate of a family friend and then on to a conference to attend in Austin, TX the end of April and first week of May. We return home only to pack our bags and prepare for a couple weeks of travels. We will be going to Albania with a stop off in London where we will spend a couple of days with a missionary that has been serving with WGM in Guatemala. It is then on to Albania where WGM will hold it's bi-annual IMPACT Leadership Conference. We often hold it stateside, but this year we will invite our WGM g Global Workers from around the world to come to Albania for this important conference. Marlene and I will be available and meeting with workers from around the world during this conference. Please be praying for us as these important days will be upon us. 

We sure appreciate each person that is a part of our ministry team. We could in no way do this ministry with out you as part of our team. The prayers of our people standing with us, the gifts of our people giving to support this work mean the world to us. Thank you from our hearts! If we could sit with each one of you we would personally tell you just how much you mean to us!

May the Lord Bless you, and may you sense His loving presence in a powerful way. 

Sincerely,

Ned and Marlene McGrady

Missionaries with WGM

Marion, IN 

You can contact us by email at ned@straightpaths.org or marlene.mcgrady@wgm.org

To support our ministry go to www.wgm.org/mcgrady

We Wish you a Merry Christmas! Thanks for a great 2022!

  

Christmas 2022

Dear Family and Friends,

We have heard so many times in the last few weeks how fast people feel this year has gone. To be honest, we can’t disagree. How is it December already? Yet, as we reflect, we realize just how much we have accomplished and how many we have been blessed to minister to!

After two years of not being able to really travel due to Covid, we were finally able to make two international trips this year. There were additional steps to take to make those travels, but it felt so good to get to visit with our precious missionaries again where they serve. In February, we traveled to Kenya with Jeff and Christine Stanfield for our sixth trip there in the last eight years. We had many opportunities to meet with several one on one as well as deliver Valentines Treats to the kids and adults. Ned was able to spend a whole day in surgery with Dr. Ben Roberts as he performed several cataract surgeries, giving sight or improved sight to many. Ned loved this opportunity. And to think that when we got married, he didn’t even like hospitals. We also got to do something that we had not been previously able to do there and that was to take a short Safari, spending two nights “glamping” in the Masai Mara. We were able to see animals in the wild that absolutely amazed us. It was such a blessing and one we highly recommend if you ever find yourself in Kenya!

Then in March we were excited to be able to travel to Paraguay with our teammates Greg and Teresa Leeth and hang out with the teens for sessions while the adults had theirs…we don’t know how the teens felt, but we had a blast! We took the missionaries out for a boat ride and ice cream and spent time
just hanging with each one, listening to their hearts. It’s the part of what we do that we cherish the most!

In May we traveled to Arizona to lead a retreat for our missionary team that serve in various missionaries with Native Americans. Once again, we had many opportunities to just spend one on one time with them as well as lead sessions twice a day about walking with Jesus in His easy yoke. Our hostess on the trip was one of our favorite people, Laura Lee. Sadly, just weeks after that retreat, she lost her life in a car accident. This was a huge loss for her fellow workers, those she ministered to, her family, and those of us who loved her dearly.

In August we were blessed to have a family reunion near Gatlinburg with many cousins and one remaining aunt on Marlene’s mom’s side. Just being with family for a few days warmed our hearts for sure. Including that week, we were able to spend a good bit of time with our grands, Rowen (6) and Elliot (3). We have so much fun when we are together and bonus when we get to be with their mommy and daddy and uncles, too.

Besides these ministry travels we attended various trainings we worked with our awesome team to lead three at headquarters for missionaries coming off from their Field of service to do home ministry assignment. This Renewal time gives us opportunity to love on them and walk with them and their children as they transition back to the States.

We stand in awe at how blessed we are to do this ministry that God has called us to and how grateful we are for you who stand with us through prayer and giving. Do you know we pray for you also? If there is ever anything that we can pray with you about, please feel free to let us know! In the meantime, have a blessed and enjoyable Christmas and New Year. May YOUR light shine brightly for others in the year to come.

If you would like to support our ministry with World Gospel Mission with a special end of the year gift, we welcome your participation with us in this important ministry. Your giving enables us to continue to spread the Good News of Jesus around the world.

Thank you for your gift and for your prayers.

If you wish to make a donation on line you can go to the following secure giving site:

www.wgm.org/mcgrady

OR

You can mail your check with McGrady Ministry in the memo line to:

WGM

Box 948

Marion, IN 46952

 

Blessings,

Ned and Marlene

 

 

Thankful for our Team! Thankful for you!

 

Dear Friends and family,

I was thinking about all the things that we are grateful for and this picture popped up in my mind. This is the Member Health Team that we help to lead at World Gospel Mission. This group of missionaries have a tremendous heart to care, to pray, to listen and to come alongside of our Global Workers. 

This team is absolutely incredible! Marlene and I are are so thankful for each person called to serve with us. From left to right, Amy Chittick, former missionary to Kenya, serves as both my Administrative Assistant and our Young MK/TCK worker (Missionary Kid, Third Culture Kid) Martha Ritchie, former missionary to Kenya, now working with our WGM Alumni and Retirees as well as logistics, Marlene and Ned, you may know us, Rick and Lori Lampen, former Bolivian Missionaries, serving the member care needs of missionaries serving in Europe and Asia, Jeff and Christine Stanfield, former missionaries to Uganda, serving the member care needs of global workers serving in Africa, Greg and Teresa Leeth, former missionaries to Mexico, serving our workers in the Americas and Oceania, and Mike Banks, former missionary to Bolivia, serving as our coordinator of our MK/TCK ministries.

We are thankful for this team as they unselfishly serve others through caring conversations, zoom calls, emails and in person visits. This year our team has touch lives and helped to spread the Gospel in Kenya, Native American Reservations, Paraguay, Albania, Czech Republic, Uganda, Egypt, Mexico, Honduras, Papua New Guinea, Hungary and all over the USA! What an opportunity to reach the world with the Good News through a team like we lead! Thank you so much for your support and for your prayers as you partner with us in this vital ministry. We are thankful for you. 

We also want to send a resource your way. As you enter into the holidays and prepare for the Advent Season here is a resource from WGM you may want to get. You can get a free subscription to this below. 

Have you started listening to Christmas music yet? In the Communications Department at WGM headquarters, we started listening to Christmas music in July, which is also when we started working on an Advent devotional! WGM global workers Justin Williams Tim Rickel, Andy Bowen, and Betsy Tejeda wrote engaging, practical pieces walking through Philippians 2:5-11. They’re centered around the idea that Jesus’ sacrificial arrival on earth demands that we respond in some way: how can we follow His example?  Each week, we’ll send an Advent devotional to all of WGM's constituents, and we’d like to invite you to share this resource with your partners. You can use this as a simple contact point during your busy holiday season, or maybe as a part of your end-of-year campaign. Each devotional will include an action step readers can take, a little snapshot of Christmas in that writer’s context, and a fun Christmas activity. All you have to do is to join the email list: Advent Devotional from WGM

We wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving and trust you will have a blessed time as you enter the Thanksgiving Season and on in to Advent. 

Sincerely,

Ned and Marlene McGrady

Missionaries World Gospel Mission

Box 948

Marion, IN 46952 765-671-7240

Serving Christ in Mission

 Dear Friends and Faithful Supporters,

We send heart-felt thanks to you for your friendship and partnership on this journey of mission that God has called us to. During the past few months we have reached dozens of missionaries and workers sharing the Gospel of Jesus to a world in need. From medical missions in Kenya to educational missions in Paraguay, the Word of the Lord has gone forth and you have been a part of this great outreach. Thank you. 

During the months of July and September we hosted global workers from the fields of Honduras, Kenya, Uganda, Papua New Guinea, Native American, Peru, Mexico and the Border Ministries. During this time we provided a time of debriefing and renewal for these families as they continue in the next stages of 

their home ministry assignment and prepare for their next season of ministry with WGM. God is working in and around the world as we hear testimonies of the faithfulness of Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit transforming lives with hope, and wholeness. 

Sometimes we are asked what exactly do we do, and we often are reminded of our early days in ministry as missionaries to the Texas-Mexican Border. We were so overwhelmed with work and busyness in ministry that we did not even know that sometimes it is good and healthy to take a pause and refresh the soul spiritually and emotionally. We knew what it was to work and work hard, but no one taught us the value of replenishing our our spirits and we reached a level of near burn-out in ministry. Over many years of ministry in the pastorate, chaplaincy, counseling and missionary service, we have learned the importance of renewal in the life and work of the minister, the missionary and leaders in ministry. We are thankful for the opportunity we have to provide this type of pastoral care through the gift of listening, giving empathy and encouraging people in the faith. We have often compared our ministry to that of the story in Exodus 17, as Moses was praying for Joshua and the battle with the Amalekites. As Moses prayed with arms held up, Joshua would be winning the battle, but as Moses' arms grew tired in prayer, he would lose. The Lord sent along two men, Aaron and Hur to hold Moses' arms up in prayer and Joshua won the battle. This story reminds us that we are Aaron and Hur to our missionaries and we are holding them up in prayer, counsel and encouragement. We are so thrilled to be a part of this tremendous work and we take just a minute to remind you that you to are in partnership with us. 

Pause with me for just a moment and consider how many people around the world are touched by a missionary or a global worker? I would not even know a number to put on it but lives are being restored and helped because of persons answering God's calling on their lives to serve. As you partner with Marlene and I in our ministry as member care givers to these servants, you are having a direct impact on helping be an Aaron and Hur! We praise God for you and thank you for your prayers and support for us. 

During the first week of September we had a Retreat for Retirees of WGM, here at the Marion Campus, in Indiana. Nearly 60 saints of God representing 100's of years of combined ministry through WGM around the world gathered for this event. We honored those currently retiring and those that have been retired. Devotional times, singing, sharing, with times of prayer and fellowship around meals was well received. It was a joy for our member care team to serve these retirees and share in honoring and thanking them for many faithful years of service to Jesus through WGM. 

WGM has been in existence since 1910 and continues, to this day, providing for the needs of people around the world. Our rich heritage is certainly a blessing. We are grateful to serve with WGM and so grateful to have you partnering with this great mission. 

We had the opportunity to attend the New Room Conference held in Murfreesboro, TN as over 2,500 leaders from churches, organizations, and mission agencies gathered to pray for a great awakening and move of God for our World.

The Holy Spirit led in each of the sessions as we were challenged and encouraged to lean into the heart of God and His desires for the next generation of leaders and the furtherance of the Gospel. 

The New Room Conference was born out of the move of God over 8 years ago with about 250 people who gathered to pray. This year it was a tremendous response as God moved in our midst. Nearly 60 persons from WGM attended from top leaders to missionaries to have our hearts ignited and to rekindle our hearts with the fire of the Holy Spirit. We believe the next generation of leaders are being raised up through movements such as this one and the next generation of missionaries will come forth to continue to help usher the the Kingdom of God to earth as Jesus taught us to pray. 

We also had some time this summer to enjoy our families. We had a 4th of July family gathering for Ned's family at our home in Marion, and we had a Post/Lane Family reunion for Marlene's family in the Smokey Mountains. Of course we love the time we have with our family and with our precious granddaughters. We are blessed beyond measure and so grateful for the blessings of the Lord in our family. We do ask an interest in your prayers as we have family currently displaced by the hurricane, as well as some family members facing physical challenges and in need of prayer. We will be traveling next week to North Carolina for a conference on pastoral care giving, and hope to continue to be encouraged and helped in our ministry. Pray for our travels. We also have had some deaths in our missionary families that we are responding to by providing pastoral care and a ministry of presence and support during times of grief and loss. 

Finally, we just want to give thanks to the Lord, Jesus Christ for each one of you. Thank you from our hearts for your prayers and support for us. We depend on you and whether you are part of a mission board at your church, a pastor, a friend, a co-worker, a prayer or financial supporter of our ministry, we love you and appreciate you!

In Jesus' Good Name, 

Ned and Marlene McGrady

Missionaries WGM

Box 948

Marion, IN 46952

727.459.2966

Click below

To be a part of the McGrady's Ministry

Summer Ministry Update

 

FROM OUR HOUSE TO YOURS!

Greetings to you our faithful friends, family and supporters of our ministry. We are in the busy time of ministry at World Gospel Mission as summer is a time when many of our missionaries come back for a time of ministry in the USA. We will gather with 10 of our Global Workers next week for a time of debriefing and renewal. We will work to listen well to their stories and come alongside of them in times of sharing both their joys and concerns of this last term. We also offer a special camping opportunity for our missionary kids at a state park here in Indiana. We have 9 Mk's coming to MK Camp this year. So we will be intentional about ministry these days ahead. 

In May we had a wonderful retreat with the staff at the Southwest Ministries Center. Missionaries from New Mexico and Arizona met with us in a week long retreat in Prescott, AZ back in May. God met with us in a very special way and we shared about the easy yoke that Jesus offers in exchange for our heavy burdens. It was a meaningful time of witness and experiencing the close presence of Jesus in our midst. Ned had a chance to hike up Thumb Butte with missionary Steve Cartwright and Pastor Felix from one of our Native American churches. It was a beautiful time during one of the afternoons during the retreat. Thank you for your prayers for us as we traveled there and ministered amongst this people. Our first five months of 2022 took us to Kenya, Paraguay and the Southwest. You were with us every trip! Thank you!

We went to our granddaughter's kindergarten class and read in Spanish at her Spanish Immersion School. Ama and Papa (as Rowen and Elliot calls us) did a little skit in Spanish and read a couple of books. The highlight for Papa was being corrected on my pronunciation by a kindergartener! Well it has been a while since the days in Mexico and Ecuador... :)  

In June we had a week to spend on Lake Michigan at the Howard House near Silver Lake. This cabin has been a blessing to our family for nearly 30 years and one that we so have enjoyed. We first came in contact with Howard and Penny Henry while pastoring in Jackson, MI. They would attend church and was always our guest speaker from the Gideon's International. Howard went to be with Jesus a few years ago, but his family still allows us the privilege of enjoying the Howard House as it is lovingly referred to. We were able to enjoy a week there with our kids and granddaughters. It was a great time for family. 

In July our local church Lakeview Wesleyan Church had a Vacation Bible School. We were able to raise almost $300 for the Least of These Children's Ministry in Nairobi, Kenya. The kids did a great job supporting missions all while learning that they were fearfully and wonderfully made by God. Rowen and Elliot attended VBS this year. Papa helped with Elliot's class of preschoolers, with about 20 kiddos. Marlene helped with Rowen's class of K - 1st grade and she too had about 20. We loved doing VBS and grateful to have our grandkids as part of this time. They loved it as did all the kiddos!

We just returned from an opportunity to visit the Augustine Monastery in Petoskey, MI where we did a spiritual retreat. The beauty of Petoskey along the Little Traverse Bay of Lake Michigan is a fresh water ocean of beauty. We were able to have some dedicated time to listen to the Lord and make preparation for many of the summer events we are leading. It is so good to refresh the soul as you prepare to be refreshment to others. 

July 18 - 22 will be our Renewal event at the WGM Marion Campus and then after that we will head to a family reunion in Tennessee before returning to campus for the next events including another Renewal, a Retiree/Alumni Event and a conference. The question we normally get center around do you have any trips planned and with so much going on in the summer we are looking at the fall as a possible time to plan another visit to a mission field. We will see what doors open and where God may be leading us to next! We will keep you posted. 

We trust that you are doing well. It is always a joy to remember you and to know that God has used you to bless us in so many ways. We can not say thank you enough from our hearts. It is the faithful gifts of God's people that makes the work we do possible, it is the faithful prayers of God's people that empowers us to do that work. Together we make a great team!

May Jesus bless you greatly! We pray you will have a good summer too. 

Sincerely,

Ned and Marlene McGrady 

Missionaries with WGM Box 948, Marion, IN 46953

https://www.wgm.org/missionary/mcgrady

Shepherding Servants at Southwest Ministry Center, Peoria, AZ

One of the greatest opportunities we have is helping to shepherd the hearts of our missionary servants. We are inviting you to pray with us as we fly out to WGM's  Southwest Ministry Center in Arizona, Sunday, May 22 to hold a spiritual retreat with our 19 Global Workers serving in various ministries among the Native American people in New Mexico and Arizona. 

We have so appreciated the concepts we have learned in recent spiritual formation classes in a Soul Shepherding course of study. We have been introduced to living life in Jesus easy yoke and what it means to trust the hard things of this life to our burden bearer. Jesus' invitation to abide in him has given us a renewed understanding of abundant life in Christ. We are excited to share the Journey of the Soul, a book by Bill and Kristi Gualtiere, who we had the privilege of training and studying under during the pandemic. 

This journey has really helped to shape our own personal spiritual formation through spiritual direction and emotionally healthy leadership. We will be sharing many of these concepts with our servants during this retreat and we prayerfully ask for you to remember us as we teach, share,

and spend quality time there. We will have time to meet together for teaching, Bible study, prayer, small group activities and fellowship and fun together. We are so thankful for this opportunity and are looking forward to the 6 session we will share together. 

It is a privilege to be able to travel again and return to this important ministry. Many of you receiving this update pray for us and support us financially, and we want to say , "thank you" so much for both. We are depending on your prayers, and for the Holy Spirit to be our retreat leader as we go. Your financial gifts to our ministry are making this week possible. We are so grateful for your partnership. 

May Jesus Bless you today, and may you find His easy yoke, 

Sincerely,

Ned and Marlene McGrady

World Gospel Mission                      

Box 948 

Marion, IN 46952

727-459-2966

TO SUPPORT OUR MINISTRY  www.wgm.org/mcgrady