Champions Corner - A New Season of MInistry

 A New Season of Ministry - God is opening doors for a new chapter. 

McGrady Homestead, Rockbridge, Ohio 

We are walking through a meaningful season of transion. As we look back at our time with WGM since 2010 and the over 37 countries we've been able to minister in during those years, we are deeply grateful that you have chosen to join us in ministry. 

Your prayers and support have provided missionaries the rest care, and support that they need to be effective and healthy as they share the Gospel around world. 

What's Next?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) 

God is opening doors for a new chapter of our minstry of member care. In this next season, we are preparing the McGrady Homestead in the Hocking Hills of Southeastern Ohio, as a place where pastors and missionaries can come to find sabbath, rest and reflection. 

Thank - you Tour 

Over the coming months, we also look forward to visting many of you personally as part of our "Thank You Tour." We would love the opportunity to reconnect, share what God has done, and express our gratitude face-to-face.

Thank you for your faithful Partnership. 

Because of you, countless missionaries have recevied care, encouragement, and support in seasons when they needed it most. Your role in this ministry has made an eternal impact. 

Partner with Us

As we step into this new season, we invite you to continue partnering with us:

* Pray for this new ministry opportuity

* Stay connected at straightpathsmcgrady.blogspot.com as the homestead develops

* Continue your financial support through WGM through wgm.org/mcgrady 

Together, we can continue strengthening pastors and missionaries as they carry the Gospel around the world. 

We are excited for what God has ahead and we are grateful to walk into it with you. 

More Steps Ahead for the ministry in 2027.

Springfield Church, Jamaica

During the upcoming spring and summer, we will have the honor of encouraging Christs' Church in Jamaica. Hurrican Melissa brought devestation to many churches and schools throughout the western part of the island. Since relocating to the Hocking Hills, we have begun worshiping at The Tree Church in Lancaster, Ohio. Last week I had the honor of accompanying the missions pastor on a site visit to Jamaica where we met up with WGM Missionary Deirdre Graham who has spearheaded much of the recovery and ministry efforts of WGM on the Island. We visited the remains of the Springfield Church and surveyed the damages and considered the scope of work and repair needed post hurricane. 

Missionaries and Pastors in Jamaica

We had the honor of meeting with numerous pastors and school leaders to encourage and pray with them in this difficult season of rebuilding. In addition, one of our long-time supporting church's, also in Lancaster, Ohio, Shining Light Community Church is also planning a work team to respond to the needs in Jamaica. Persons in both of these congregations are praying and considering how they may step into a deeper level of service and blessing to this Island nation.We will be providing logistical support and helping to promote this ministry in both churches. During this scouting trip we had many opportunities to hear of the needs, and expand our vision for what God would like to do as Jamaica's Churches rebuild. We ask an interest in your prayers as you join us we work in this area of support and care lean into these opportunities of service and blessing to the church and people of Jamaica.  Our next eight months will entail a lot of travel and we hope we can see many of you. We appreciate each one of you so very much. Our Contact Information is as follows:25940 Buena Vista Rd. Rockbridge, Ohio 43149 ned.mcgrady@wgm.org | marlene.mcgrady@wgm.org Ned 727.459.2966 | Marlene 517.395.0315To support our ministry you can give on line at click here to support Ned and Marlene You can mail a check to WGM Box 948 Marion, IN 46952  
 

Walking Through a Season of Transition

 

Our Member Health Team at WGM celebrating Marlene's birthday!

Ministry Update – Ned and Marlene McGrady

In this ministry update, we want to share a meaningful season of transition in our lives and where we see God leading us in the future. Certainly the Lord has graciously allowed us to serve Him in marvelous ways, with the prayers and support of folks like you.

Walking Through a Season of Transition

Change is outward. It is what happens around us and to us, and it can come quickly.

Transition, by contrast, is inward and is somewhat slower paced as it is the work God does in our minds and hearts as we walk through change. This journey shapes our trust, surrender, and understanding along the way.

Like many of you, we have walked through seasons of significant change. For us, this season means slowly stepping away from leading a department devoted to the care and well-being of global workers—cross-cultural missionaries serving around the world.

 

Over the next nine months, we will begin transferring leadership of the Member Health Department at World Gospel Mission to our colleagues and dear friends, Rev. Greg and Teresa Leeth. Beginning July 1, we will step into a support role as they take on the day-to-day leadership of the department. Marlene and I will continue to serve through consultation, crisis response, and ministry support as needed. After 16 years of walking closely with missionaries in this work, this transition is deeply significant to us, and we are trusting the Lord to guide each step.

 

What will this transition mean for us? Over the next nine months, we plan to visit churches and ministry partners whose faithful prayers, encouragement, and support have sustained us through the years. We want to thank you in person! Our missionary journey began in 2005 with the Wesleyan Church and took us first to Costa Rica in 2008 for language school and then on to Ecuador in 2009, where we were blessed to plant a Wesleyan church while providing pastoral care to missionaries serving south of the U.S. border. In 2010, we joined World Gospel Mission and helped build a member care team that has served ministry in 37 countries as the good news of Jesus has gone out around the world.

 

For us, the transition is learning to step away from the day-to-day leadership of the department while remaining available to serve where the Lord gives opportunity.

Change can feel like leaving one bank of a river and crossing to the other side. Everyone who walks through major changes in life or ministry experiences transition along the way. Yet these threshold seasons can become sacred places where God meets us, steadies us, and teaches us to trust Him more deeply.

 

As we trust the Lord in this season, we plan to visit churches and supporters in 14 states between now and March 2027. One of our deepest desires is simply to thank, encourage, and reconnect with those who have prayed for us and walked with us so faithfully over the years. If you are reading this update, please know how much your partnership has meant to us. We would truly love to hear from you and, if possible, see you when we are in your area.

 

Some have asked about our future plans.  We expect to retire from active service with WGM in March 2027, yet we sense the Lord is still leading us into what comes next, and we look forward to sharing more in the months ahead. For now, we would be grateful for your continued prayers as we walk through this transition. If you have supported our ministry over the years, please know how deeply thankful we are. Your prayers, encouragement, and financial partnership have sustained us and made this ministry possible. We also ask that you continue to give faithfully and if the Lord leads you, consider a special gift to support these travels over the next months. You can give through www.wgm.org/mcgrady or by check to WGM Box 948 Marion, IN 46952.

 

As we prepare for this special Home Ministry Assignment with World Gospel Mission, we would be so grateful for the opportunity to reconnect, visit, and share more about what God is doing in this next season of ministry. Thank you for standing with us through the years. Your partnership has been a gift from the Lord to us personally, and we carry deep gratitude in our hearts for each of you.

 

We pray we will see you soon!

 

Sincerely,

 

Ned and Marlene

Missionaries with WGM

Mexico, Jamaica and More

 Thank you to so many of you that helped send us to Jamaica. The aftermath of Hurricane Melissa a category five hurricane that made its way across the Caribbean in late October last year was certainly evident. The destruction left many people feeling devasted and in need of relief.The people of Jamaica are resilient and working together to help each other.

During the week of January 17th - 23rd, we traveled to Jamaica with our co-workers Rev. Greg and Teresa Leeth to meet up with our WGM Missionary Deirdre Graham. She has been on the ground ministering in disaster relief to the people of the Island. Relief supplies such as food stapples and fresh water have been provided and distributed by WGM tthrough the local churches as a result of the generosity of God's people. 

During our time in Jamaica we met with church leaders and were able to tour a few of the churches on the Island that were damaged or destroyed during this disaster. Some places of worship were completely rendered useless while many others were damaged and in need of repair. WGM is working closely with the church to assist with the recovery and restoration of churches across the island. A work team from WGM will be going this month to assist. There are many opportunities for future teams in the planning stages through WGM. You can view this video for more information Short Term Jamaica Teams

Our week of ministry included preaching opportunities to the local congreagation at the Annoto Bay Church, as well as some time to minister to church leaders and view the great needs on the Island. We were able to spend some extended time encouraging and debriefing with Deirdre to provide support and care for her as she has given so sacrificially in service to so many. We spent time in God's word, reflecting on the ministry and the opportunities for the Gospel to be lived out in practical and caring ways. God helped us in amazing ways during this week. 

If you or your church or group would like to be a part of this recovery effort for the Island of Jamaica, WGM offers you that opportuninty. Please view JAMAICA at the wgm.org website for relief and recovery information. 

Just prior to the visit to Jamaica we had a wonderful opportunity to share in a Soul Shepherding Retreat with Baja Christian Ministries (BCM) Team in Tijuana, Mexico. We gathered with missionary leaders Eric and Rebecca Prager (upper right) and their BCM team including over 50 pastors and minsitry leaders serving throughout Mexico. They gathered together for important leadership meetings, and ministry celebrations as they marked significant milestones of outreach and life transformation for people throughout Mexico. 

Many people partnered with us in prayer for this event and God was faithful to help encourage, restore and refresh ministry leaders as they continue to serve in significant discipleship and evangelism ministries. God helped us as we shared tools and practices to help lift up those working on the front lines in ministry. Thank you everyone that prayed with us and helped to stand with us in financial support. God was so fiathful to meet with us and give us great blessings as we shared the Word of God and found food for our souls. 

After returning from these travels, we gathered with our Member Health Team in the Orlando, Florida area for our annual team retreat. We are so thankful that God has given us the best team to do this work of ministry to missionaries. It is an honor for Marlene and I to lead this team. God has blessed us greatly and the work of reaching our world for Christ is met through this team that God has called. 

Dr. David and Angie Smith (retired Indiana Wesleyan University Professor) lead us in wonderful biblical teaching that encouraged our team in the work we do. They helped us look at transitions in life that we all expereince and how to face those in the strength that Christ gives us through the Holy Spirit. We were blessed and encouraged as we looked at several bible characters and how they navigated transition. Needless to say, this is a very popular topic for our work with missionaries who find themselves in transition quite often. 

January was a month of full-on ministry for us and we simply want to STOP! and say "Thank you" - Yes, thank you everyone reading this, you have given to our ministry, you have prayed for us and you have thought about us and we thank you! We are making plans to focus on connecting with you this summer and fall as we make plans to travel in Home Ministry Assignement later this year. WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU!

Blessings, 

Ned and Marlene McGrady

 WGM Missionaries. 

www.wgm.org/mcgrady

Merry Christmas and Lots of Travel in the New Year

 Merry Christmas and Lots of Travel in the New Year

December 2025

We have communicated with many of you by way of a written letter we sent out last week, wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and thanking you all for your continued support and prayers. Our ministry in 2025 accomplished much because of your involvement and partnership. Thank you so much!

In that communication we shared that we will be going to Jamaica January 17 - 24,to meet with our missionary, Deirdre Graham, who has been very involved in relief efforts since Hurricane Melissa hit the Island in October. WGM and many financial partners have made generous relief efforts possible by providing necessary life saving supplies to those in great need during this natural disaster. We will be traveling with our co-workers Rev. Greg and Teresa Leeth and will have opportunity to partner with Deirdre in ministry and provide some respite and renewal. We are thankful for the special financial gifts from many to help make this trip possible. 

Just a day after our Christmas letter dropped in the mail, we received a special invitation from Soul Shepherding, a ministry partner of WGM, inviting us to provide a retreat for over 50 missionaries and pastors serving in Baja California and in the mainland. We will be traveling to Tijuana Jan. 7 - 11 for this retreat.  We have the main reponsibility of presenting for this retreat and will be leading this missionaries and pastors in a time of spiritual renewal. 

We are calling on you reading this email today, to join with us in prayer for this Mexico retreat effort. We are keenly aware that we must have the anointing of God and a fresh move of the Holy Spirit on our hearts to meet this opportunity. The folks that are attending this retreat are involve in church leadership, discipleship, as well as educational ministries. Many of those that will be attending have been very involved in ministry efforts and are in need of rest and renewal for their own souls. 

Pray with us that we will have the heart and mind of God to deliever a message of encouragment that will bring unity, and renewal of hearts. 

Pray with us that we will have good conversations that will encourage and help to keep ministries thriving.

Pray that we will be able to listen with empathy and reflect the heart of God for His servants. 

Pray for our travels to Mexico and Jamaica that we will be responsive and sensitive to the leadership of the Holy Spirit. 

Thanks so much for standing with us in prayer. We know that it makes the difference, always. 

Perhaps you would like to make a special gift to support these ministries that God has placed before us. It is easy to make a safe and secure contribution to our ministry at www. wgm.org/mcgrady  or by mail to WGM, Box 948, Marion, IN 46952 with a note McGrady Ministry. 

Thank you so much! And our wish for you this Christmas is that the Peace of Christ will rule in your life this New Year. 

Blessings,

Ned and Marlene McGrady

Missionaries with World Gospel Mission

Season of Thanks

We are so very thankful as we approach this season of gratitude. With the holiday approaching we are reminded that "Gratitude turns what you have into enough!" We are blessed to have you in our lives and so very grateful for your prayers and support. 

Since we wrote to you this summer we have had ministry opportunities to host missionaries home on ministry assignment to provide a time of Renewal and spiritual refreshment to come alongside of them in care support. In September we had 75 Alumni and Retirees come to WGM Marion for a retreat.  They were honored and blessed, as this group of heros that have served our Lord so faithfully over the years joined us.  Our team prepared and served the meals for this event. (picture in the right corner)  

Marlene was able to get all her continuing education credits this year as we attended the American Association of Christian Counselors event in Nashville in September. Over 7000 servants of God conviened at the Opry Land for this inspirational learning event. Christian artist Chris Tomlin and many other renowed artists and speakers provided a fantastic week of learning.(picture in upper left corner) In October we were blessed to attend the Pastors to Missionaries Conference near Ashville, NC where we gathered with member care providers from all around the world in a time of sharing best practices and encouraging teaching. Most recently we went to Lake Michigan to provide a mini reteat for renewal for Aftica based missionaries. (picture lower left corner) and we are particularily thankful for the beautiful sunset the Lord blessed us with one of the evenings during the retreat. 

We had a chance to give an update to our home supporting church in Jackson, Michigan last Sunday. It was a blessing to share a snapshot of our ministry and connect with the mission committee at Encounter Church as well as visit and fellowship with great friends. We are so thankful for churches like Encounter that stand with us in regular financial support and prayer support. Partnerships such as these are what makes our ministry possible. 

One of the most common questions we are asked is where are you headed next. For nearly 20 years we have been traveling in ministry to 37 countries on 6 continents. In December we will be visiting our Southwest Ministry Center in Pheonix, Arizona. WGM has a rich history and presence amongst the native america population. We look forward to the visit and ministry God has for us there. 

We are all aware of the recent hurrican Melissa that hit Jamaica. While we have received word at this time that our missionary serving there is safe, we are also appealing for gifts that will be used for relief and sharing Christ's love. If you wish to donate to this appeal CLICK HERE. Our missionary Deirdre Graham will be assisting persons in Jamaica. Ineterestingly, we had made plans and purchesed tickets to visit Jamaica back in June. We are scheduled to be there in January just after the holidays. We will be intent on going as travel allows in order provide support and ministry there. Meanwhile, please join us in prayer for Jamaica and the ministry of WGM there. 

Finally, we want to take this chance to say thank you to you and thank you for your care and support. We are so grateful for each donation that comes in to our ministry and it helps us so much to continue to represent Christ to the nations. 

We wish you and your loved ones a very Happy Thanksgiving and many blesssing from above!

With gratitude, 

Ned and Marlene McGrady

Missionaries with World Gospel Mission

To support Ned and Marlene

Summer Ministries

 

This summer has had many opportunties for ministry that you have helped to make possible. In the month of June we joined our Member Health Team (pictured below Greg and Teresa Leeth, Ned and Marlene, Christine and Jeff Stanfield, Rick and Lori Lampen, Mike Banks) for a monumental event in Honduras. Nearly 200 adults and children gathered together for our IMPACT 2025 Rally. Global Workers and Missionaries from over a dozen different countries around the world came together for 10 days of seeking the Lord, through worship, prayer and impactful Biblical teaching. Each day provided time to gather for corporate times of worship and learning as well as small groups and regional meetings to help hear the direction of the Holy Spirit as He led us closer to himself. 

We began our time with a visit to the dump ministry, Brazos de Jesús (Arms of Jesus) which is a school and a meal program on the edge of the main landfill of San Pedro Sula, the second-largest city in Honduras. Founded by Honduran pastor Carlos and his wife, Mirna, in 2015, the school’s goal is to provide education to children of people who live and work in the dump. Nearly 300 children attend the school. 

A graduate of WGM's El Sembrador Bible Institute, Carlos pastors a church located near the dump. The teachers at Brazos de Jesús are all members of that congregation who work a second shift teaching at Brazos de Jesús, in addition to their regular jobs. Their goal is to continue to increase enrollment and provided educaton through high school with the vision to accompany their students until they reach a college degree so these children can change the future of their own families and the generations that will come after them.

This ministry is a vibrant, growing ministry and readily receives work teams, as well as financial support to continue to help change lives of children that would otherwise have no future. Arms of Jesus Ministry

We returned home to Indiana the end of June and had an opportunity to connect with supporters and friends at a camp meeting in Michigan. While pastoring and working in Michigan, we attended the Winding Creek Camp in Hastings, Michigan.

We had not had a chance to visit for a number of years, but we were blessed with the opportunity to go this year. Our granddaughter's went with us, and they had a chance to experience the camp that their mommy attended most of her life growing up in Michigan. Days were filled with swimming, bike riding, playing in the park and meeting lots of new friends. Ama and Papa, as we are known by them, enjoyed connecting with supporters of our ministry, as well as sitting under some encouraging teaching and wonderful worship opportunities during camp. The girls asked if we could plan to come again next year! So, I am pretty sure we will plan to return again next summer. Marlene and her sister, Janette used to teach the kid's program at this camp during the time I was pastoring the Wesleyan Church in Jackson, Michigan.

It was a great week for us as a family and so wonderful to be passing on the experience of camp meeting to our grands. (Marlene, Ned, Elliot and Rowen)

Our ministry with WGM reached a milestone in July of this year as we celebrated 15 years of missionary service with World Gospel Mission. The mission was founded in the camp meeting movement that spread across the USA, and WGM turned 115 years old in June, after sending their first missionaries to China in 1910. So camp meeting still has a primary importance in mission work around the world.

The end of July was the time to host missionaries on their Home Ministry Assignment. Three times a year we offer an event we call Renewal. During this week we assist missionaries by processing and debriefing their term of service in ministry. We give plenty of time to listen to the Holy Spirit, look to the joys and concerns they have encountered, and provide plenty of time to spiritually recharge and renewal their spirits. Processing well the last term helps prepare the way for a successful next term. An interesting fact during this Renewal was that it represented the changing face of missions. We had two Global Workers from Albania that have Argentine passports, a Global Worker from Hungary, one from Bolivia as well as those carrying a USA passport. Truly, the face of foreign missions is changing as more and more people from non-USA origins are being sent out to reach the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These are truly exciting days we are living! And it is so encouraging to see God sending folks from all over the world to the world! 

The question that we are most often asked is, "Where are you headed next?"  - well, we are not sure yet, but looking at possibilities in Asia and maybe the Carribean. We will see where God leads us next, and we will be sure to keep you informed as we listen to His voice and answer His call to go. Speaking of answering His Call, we thank you for partnering with us. Many of you reading this today, have supported us financially as well as through your prayers and we appreciate that so much! Thanks is hardly enough to convey our deep sense of gratitude to God for you! 

Please continue to pray and if you would like to support our ministry with a special financial gift, it would help so much as we make plans to continue our service in answer to Jesus Call! Thank you for your kindness and care. Support Ned and Marlene

May the Richest of Heaven's Blessings be yours,

Ned and Marlene McGrady, WGM Missionaries 

Kenya update on the way to Honduras

 Good June summer day to you all, our faithful friends and supporters. 

We can not thank you all enough for your prayer support for us as we shared in the Kenya Field Retreat back in April. Many of you reached out to us saying you were praying with us and standing with us in your love and care as we went to minister to our missionaries serving Jesus in Kenya as well as in other parts of Africa. 

Each day we gathered in worship and prayer as we shared encouraging messages from the Word of God to our people. Hearts were challenged to lean in to the goodness of God to meet every need. Missionaries have a unique situation being deployed to a different culture to work amongst a different people all with the goal of unifying one another under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. It was an amazing ministry and the prayers of God's people made it so worthwhile. Thank you. 

Whether we were speaking at the conference, fellowshipping with the missionaries, or hanging out with our African friends, God was so present and faithful to give us rich and fullfilling ministry all along the way. 

Our travels allowed us to explore more of Kenya, and the ministries that are flourishing there. 

A prop plane took us from the thriving city of Nairobi to the coast where we held our conference. Traveling along the way we dodged a few cattle, or perhaps a lot of cattle and got stuck in the mud, but we made it. Great times of prayer and sharing were a blessing and we know God's faithfulness shone through. 

Just two weeks after we returned from Kenya, Ned's mom's health began to take a turn. She celebrated her 100th birthday January 9 and we had a party to honor her and celebrate her long life. She enjoyed every minute as nearly 200 people came to celebrate her. She was thrilled to reach that milestone  and did so gracefully. Her mind remained so good, even as her body began to grow weary. 

On April 30, mom went on to her heavenly home. She had always said she just wanted to go to sleep and not wake up. During our time as a family at her bedside in those final hours, we were singing to her some of her favorite hymns. While we were singing, "I'll Fly Away" she mustered strength to raise her arms in praise to Jesus. Just a few short hours later, she drifted off to sleep and on to the arms of Jesus. We were able to celebrate her life well lived for Jesus on May 6 at our family home church in Rockbridge, Ohio. 

As we make this update from Kenya and mom's funeral we are now preparing to head to Honduras. We will travel this week for our World Gospel Mission IMPACT Rally. With the advent of several International Global Workers that are now commissioned by WGM to serve around the world, more than 200 of God's choice servants from all around the world will converge in Honduras for a a week of seeking God, planing for ministry, praying for an anointing and outpouring of the Holy Spirit on our work and the mission of WGM. In addition there will be over 50 kids that our team will be part of ministering to.

Would you continue to pray with us? We have dozens of people flying from everywhere to Honduras and we will have many opportunities to sit with Global Workers from around the world to hear their hearts, hear their stories, and lift them up in prayer. We covet your prayers for health, for safety, for insight to hear, hearts to empathize, and a spirit to connect with Jesus. This will be an amazing time for our people to be encouraged and help to spread their vision to reach their world with the Good New and Love of Christ. 

Your part in our ministry is vital and so appreciated, whether you are praying, giving, or just even pausing right now to lift us to heaven in prayer, we need it and we thank you for it. 

May God Bless you each one. We thank you for standing with us in mission. 

With Grateful Hearts, 

Ned and Marlene  

Giving and Praying Click Here

90 Days of Prayer - "A daily Prayer guide for our April 2025 Kenya Global Worker Retreat

90 Day Prayer Guide  (CLICK on it to print) 

We are well in to the New Year 2025. Happy New Year

As we enter this new year we want to invite you to pray with us for ministry as we prepare to return to Kenya in April. You may recall, we had the honor of joining with our co-workers, Jeff and Christine Stanfield last November 2024 for 10 days of ministry at Tenwek Hospital in Bomet, Kenya. Many of you followed us in prayer and support during that time. As a result of that visit the four of us have been invited to return to Kenya for the Global Workers Field Retreat as their main speakers. 

The Kenya field is one of flagship fields and we have several workers with WGM serving in various medical based and church based ministries. We are humbled and honored to respond to this invitation and we realize how much we need the prayers of God's people. As we approach this opportunity we are asking for your prayer support so that we may have the heart and mind of God as we plan to serve His people. 

Above is a 90 day prayer guide that you have a link to be part of our prayer team. It is possible for you to print this off and join us each day in prayer for this ministry opportunity. God has opened the door and is preparing the way for us to go. You can be a part of helping equip us spiritually for this ministry opportunity. 

We thank you for praying with us. Your support means everything to us!

Best wishes,  

Ned and Marlene

www.wgm.org/mcgrady

 

Christmas Time is Here…filling hearts with Cheer…AND “GOOD NEWS”   December 2024

One of our favorite Christmas stories is the “Charlie Brown Christmas.” It does so much to emphasize the true meaning of Christmas and how much love, hope, joy and peace abounds to all who seek Emmanuel, God with us.

What a wonderful year of service in helping proclaim the “Good News” that Jesus has come and is with us.

We appreciated your prayers and support for us as we helped to mobilize and send missionaries to the fields to spread the “Good News.” As we helped prepare missionaries, teach sessions, provide spiritual formation and send people out in answer to the Great Commission.

We appreciated your prayers and support for us as we helped over 20 missionaries return to their passport country to debrief and refresh their hearts for their home ministry assignment here in the USA. These times of Renewal are refreshing to our hearts and helps to strengthen the work and efforts to continue to share the “Good News.”

We appreciated your prayers and support for us as we traveled this year to Spain, Albania, Greece and Kenya, all in the effort to provide encouragement and minister support to the folks called to those areas of the world. Places where the “Good News” is impacting lives for eternity.

We appreciated your prayers and support as we served in the Vacation Bible School as well as teaching in children’s church once a month at our local church, Lakeview Wesleyan, in Marion, IN. It is always a joy to help the little people who are hearing the “Good News,” some for the first time.

We appreciated your prayers and support as we honored our WGM Retirees at our Indiana Office, again this year, by providing a retreat for over 60 heroes of the faith who have served faithfully in spreading the “Good News” across the globe.

We appreciated your prayers and support as we spoke in churches this year in Florida, Michigan and Ohio, as we helped to expand the vision for taking the “Good News” to others, everywhere.

We appreciate your prayers and support for our family extended as we have been able to be together with our granddaughters, their parents, as well as our sons and as our family joins together to celebrate Ned’s mother’s 100^th birthday. We are having a celebration on Dec. 28^th when most family and friends are available to honor her special day. She was born January 9, 1925, in Logan, OH. Mom has dedicated her life to sharing the “Good News” over the years and we are excited to honor her on her special day.

As we look ahead in the New Year, we continue to have grateful hearts for each one of you and for your faithful support for our ministry. We would not be able to travel as we do without you and each time we go, we take you in our hearts with us. Together we are impacting the World with the “Good News” of Emmanuel, God is with us.

Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for a Happy New Year,

Ned and Marlene McGrady

 

WGM Missionaries                                         Online giving go to www.wgm.org/mcgrady              

6964 Mary Court                                              Checks can be sent to WGM

Marion, IN 46953                                             Box 948 Marion, IN 46952

Ned@straightpaths.org

727-459-2966

 

The pictures below are from our recent trip to Kenya in November.  We visited the new Cardio Thoracic Center, a state-of-the-art health facility built and underwritten in partnership with Samaritans Purse and WGM. This facility will be a premier provider of heart related surgery in the country of Kenya.  The other pictures are of us visiting with and hanging out with several of our missionaries and our MK’s serving in Kenya, spreading the “Good News.”

Responding at a Moment's Notice!

 Recently we were sitting around a table with a group of missionary workers and discussing our ministry as member care givers, sharing a little understanding about what we do. We were asked at that time, where we would be traveling to next for our ministry. We responded that at this time and for the remainder of the year, we do not have any out of country visits planned. We continued our visit together and left the meeting, only to receive a phone call asking us if we can come to Kenya. 

Often our ministry is not unlike the Minutemen volunteers of the Civil War Era. They were ready to respond in a moments notice, and we like them too are ready to respond. We have been in this ministry of support and care to our missionaries for over twenty years now. It is a joy for us to go, to share, to listen, to care and it is time to respond again. 

We will be leaving for Kenya this weekend for two weeks of ministry with our team serving there. We anticipate many opportunities to support and care for our people there. We ask an interest in your prayers as we go that we may have ears to hear and hearts to empathize as we meet with folks during these days. 

Everytime we are called to go, we pause to think of you, the reader of this blog. We sort of think of you as our "Minutemen" persons that we can stop and say, thank you, Father God for giving us a support team that continues to stand with us in ministry. We thank you, Father God for people who pray for us as we go on ministry journeys like this, and for the many individuals and churches that give sacrificially to us through World Gospel Mission so we can go. While we say thank you, Father God, we say thank you to you. Without your faithfulness, we would not be able to go. 

Please pray for us as we prepare for this trip. Please pray for our flights, connections, and luggage as we will be carrying supplies with us for the ministry there. Please pray for our visits with our team mates and co-workers serving faithfully on the front lines of ministry. Please pray for the entire staff continuing to work throughout Kenya as they partner with the African Gospel Church and the various important ministries taking place through the mission. We will have significant time to share with workers at Tenwek Hospital and at the newly opened Cardiac Thoracic Center. This state of the art facility was a result of a partnership with World Gospel Mission, the African Gospel Church, and Samaritan's Purse. 

Finally, thanks for praying and supporting us in a minute's notice. If you would like to give a one-time gift to further support our work and help defray the extra costs of this ministry visit to Kenya, please make a contribution to WORLD GOSPEL MISSION . It will be a blessing to our work, as will your prayers. 

Thankyou for being our "Minutemen" in this important endeavor. 

Sincerely,

Ned and Marlene McGrady

Missionaries with World Gospel Mission

Box 948

Marion, IN 46952

727-459-2966

God is at work in Europe and What's Next?

 

God is at work throughout Europe.

Ministry Opportunties in Europe

Spain will be our first destination. 

Albania will be our second desitnation

Greece will be our third destination......

Hi  Everyone,

We are excited to share with you that our ministry opportunities are calling us to Europe this month. On May 17 we will be heading off to Spain, for a ministry visit to our partners serving in the Barcelona Area. World Gospel Mission has partnered with a ministry to refugees and we will be visiting the leaders as well as two of our WGM Global Workers. We will travel by high speed train to Malaga about 6 hours south on the Mediterranean Sea. There we will have an opportunity to visit a ministry for Global Workers who can benefit from a respite and retreat setting. Ned has been meeting with the leaders of Sent Well to learn more about this ministry. We will stay at their Sent Well facility to learn more about the ministry and services they offer. In addition we will visit a WGM Global Worker Family in that area during our stay. 

On May 21 we will fly from Malaga to Tirana, Albania where a WGM Team partners with an agency known as Planters. This international team of global workers are led by Nathan and Cydil Waggoner, long time WGM workers and area team leaders. The ministry in Albania includes a variety of ministries, including sports, special needs, church planting, and more. Marlene and I will be able to spend quality time with each person on the team. God is working in very unique and special ways in this country and we look foward to this visit. 

On May 25 we will fly from Tirana, to Athens, Greece. There we will connect with some long time supporters of our ministry that represent two churches in the southern Ohio area. Ned's brother Jack and wife, Naomi, will be meeting us there to join us in a pilgrimage of the footsteps of St. Paul. We anticipate this to be both a learning opportunity, as well as some time to enjoy family and Sabbath Rest. 

One of the biggest messages we share with our Global Workers concerns the importance of Sabbath rest and taking a pause to replenish and refresh their own souls. It is clear that we minister best out of the overflow we possess. We have an opporutnity to do this with some family and are grateful for this chance to conclude this ministry trip with a couple days to do just that. 

We ask an interest in your prayers as we expect to have some long flights, lots of connections, many conversations, and much listening to people and to the Holy Spirit as we share together. Pleaes pray for health and safety as well as good flights and connections with all we plan to see. God has certianly been faithful in preparing the way for us to go and we know that we never go on these trips alone. We go with a sense of your prayers, and your support and the prescious presence of Jesus. Thank you for your faithfulness. 

Sincerely,

Ned and Marlene McGrady

Directors of Member Health 

World Gospel Mission

Box 948

Marion, IN 46952

If you wish to send a special gift to help with ministry travel to Spain or Albania, please follow this link. SPAIN and ALBANIA 

 Merry Christmas to our supporters and friends in ministry. 

We were able to reach to many of you to wish you a very happy holiday season, but just in case we missed someone, MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

At the start of this year 2023, we both thought that this would be a year when we would not travel as much and focus on the work around WGM and support our team members as they travel out to our many mission fields. Boy, were we mistaken. I think we traveled as much, if not more in 2023.

We found ourselves with ministry opportunities in England, Albania, Czech Republic, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Scotland as well as a few trips out west to some of our US based mission ministry locations. Pictured here is a visit to a wonderful family we love so much, Billy and Joanna Coppedge and their kiddos. We sure loved our visit with them as well as all the missionaries we connected with throughout this year. 

We had no idea we would respond to a crisis as a result of tribal warfare, or to war being declared in the Middle East. It sure kept us on our toes as mental health counselors, pastors and support folks. We have often said, we are honored to walk alongside of these giants of the faith that are on the front lines serving Jesus and serving others in remarkable ways. 

Which brings us to you. We could not do this work with out you. We know for sure that your prayers and your financial support has made our ministry happen. We praise Jesus for YOU! 

Thank you so much for standing with us in prayerful support. You are helping us make THE difference in the world for good, for the Gospel and most of all in partnership with this ministry. 

May the Christ of Christmas fill your hearts to capacity. We will stay tuned to what Jesus has for us in 2024. I am sure it will be exciting to see how He leads. Will join with us and follow Him in 2024.

To Support Ned and Marlene

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,

Ned and Marlene McGrady 

Missionaries with World Gospel Mission Box 948, Marion, IN 46952

What does Papua New Guinea and Edinburg Scotland have in common?

 

We were called to respond to a Crisis Incident Stress Debriefing to Papua New Guinea on September 13 after our missionary team and a work team were caught in an ambush between two tribes fighting. Tribal warfare is fairly common but is generally confined to remote places. However, this time the tribal warfare had reached a main road leading down the mountainside. Our missionaries and their visitors were coming down a mountain from a dinner out when they were ambushed. There were several 

miracles that took

place that were gifts and graces from our Heavenly Father. We praise God that no one was physically harmed and all were able to safely return to their homes. 

Many of you prayed for us as we responded to debrief this team and offer spiritual and emotional support and care to our missionaries. We were able to secure our visas and get to PNG in record time, arriving on the ground in 56 hours.. Everything fell into place and we praise God that we were able to get there, support and debrief as we ministered and cared for these folks. Thank you for praying for us. 

We returned back to Indiana on September 24th, thankful to God for each of you that prayed for us. 

The question is posed in the title of this blog, "What does PNG and Edinburg have in common? Well, for us it is time for us to go there for a debriefing. All of us are saddened by the outbreak of War in between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. WGM has a missionary family of seven that had been in Israel for 3 months studying Hebrew. We began following them closely and as war was declared, it was prudent for our family to evacuate. They were able to get out on one of the last commercial flights before the State Department began evacuation of Americans. The family will arrive in Edinburg, Scotland on Saturday where they will safely shelter and we can go to meet with them. 

The war in Israel has created havoc in the lives of so many and the devastation and destruction of war is impacting so many lives. Our missionaries were sheltering in place but had to evacuate. Marlene and I will fly out to Scotland on Wednesday of this week. We will meet with this family of seven as we debrief, support, and pray with them. We ask a special interest in your prayers as we again respond to this crisis. 

We thank each and every person reading this blog. Your prayers are coveted. Your gifts  are worth so much to us, as it enables us to respond to crisis' like these. We are honored to serve of this way and to bring some comfort, hope, and peace to global workers that have been impacted by crisis such as war. 

We will be in Scotland on Thursday of this week, October 19th and will be there for a week as we minister there in this our 35th country to minister in. 

If you would like to help us with a special financial gift, please consider that possibility. We have had some unexpected and emergency airfare to purchase. Your gifts and support, coupled with your prayers, are what make our response possible. 

May God bless you greatly. We sincerely thank you for your love and support. 

Ned and Marlene McGrady

Missionaries with World Gospel Mission

Box 948

Marion, IN 46952

McGradys Headed to PNG

Dear friends,

We have had a very active summer of ministry and pressing in to some big things for the fall. 

We are leaving in just a few hours for a response to Papua New Guinea for a crisis incident stress debriefing. I have placed a link to a video here to help you to pray for us. This sudden event requires our immediate response, so we go in the strength of our Lord, knowing your prayers are with us. 

We will be sharing a summary of a very impactful summer of ministry. 

Papua New Guinea is a 30 + hour journey. So thank you for your prayers as we travel. Also, our team is covering our Renewal with 11 missionaries that have come in from Kenya, Spain, the Texas, Arizona and Ohio. Our capable team of member care givers will be caring this ministry forth as we are on assignment. 

Here is a link to a video that will give you more info. We will be working with a several families and missionary units during this time. 

PLEASE CLICK ON THE VIDEO BELOW "RESPONDING TO PNG" 

Responding to PNG

Thank you so much for holding us in prayer as we go forth in ministry. 

Sincerely,

Ned and Marlene McGrady

WGM Missionaries

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