August 2018
(view this email update in browser to view pictures HERE)
Hello! It has been a busy summer of ministry with Global Training Network in the NY Metro area! We wanted to share a few highlights with you:
Church Plant Leadership Retreat: Church planting that transform Post-Christian places requires healthy, strong, well-equipped, and diverse leadership teams. Two weeks ago, we headed to Lake Harmony, PA for time away together to strengthen our relationships and to plan for the upcoming year. We are amazed at this team of professionals in finance, health care, law, education, and technology who have all sacrificed so much so that we can together bring about the Kingdom of God in the NY metro area! This year we focused on creating a plan to increase exposure of the gospel to our surrounding community by equipping God’s people to be used by Him wherever they are: at work, school, home, the ball field, etc. We discussed unique ways to do this in the skeptical, Post-Christian environment in which we live. We are excited for launching a strategy in the fall to train and mobilize believers to be on mission!
International Students: Universities in the New York area host tens of thousands of international students. It is a privilege for us to be involved in their lives while they are with us, and to love and serve them as we have opportunities. Many arrive with little or no knowledge of the gospel then return to their countries several years later as trained missionaries. A few weeks ago we hosted an outing to visit Sagamore Hill, the Long Island home of President Theodore Roosevelt (image right). We had a wonderful time with these young women and are grateful for the friendships we are building!
New Mending The Soul Facilitator: We are sobered as we become increasingly aware of the enormous prevalence of abuse in this area, especially among believers who grew up in immigrant churches. There is therefore a tremendous need for healing groups in this community. So, we are pleased to report that God has raised up another trained group facilitator! She is a second-generation immigrant who has undergone healing through one of Caryn’s groups. She lives in the city and is eager to lead a group this fall! We are grateful for the online facilitator training that is now available through Mending the Soul. This removes the geographical obstacle, enabling us to more quickly mobilize leaders. We now have four trained facilitators, greatly increasing our ability to multiply Mending the Soul groups here!
Redeemer Pres. Counseling Fellowship: NY is considered a desert when it comes to availability of Christian counseling. One oasis is Redeemer Counseling, out of Redeemer Presbyterian Church. They have just launched a Counseling Fellows Program designed to equip pastoral leaders in gospel-centered counseling skills. This competitive program will focus on training in practical counseling skills and integrating theology and psychology in various mental health issues. We are thrilled to report that Caryn has been accepted as a fellow! She will attend once a month for 9 months and complete many assignments in-between. This fellowship will greatly enhance her skills as she continues to work to train lay leaders to facilitate healing for God’s people!
Empty Nesters: Three years ago, the five of us crammed in a two-bedroom apartment (with one large dog), sharing only one bathroom, and lived life together in a crazy, but happy home. Now, we are only two weeks away from being empty nesters! Michael moved to Astoria, Queens last year, and works in the city. He manages beautiful, high-end renovations on the Upper East Side. Two weeks ago, Matthew moved out to start his Ph.D. program in Neuroscience at Stony Brook University. His research involves employing various methods of brain imaging, then analyzing that data to find connections that will hopefully lead to curing diseases such as Parkinson’s. In two weeks, our youngest, Mark, will move out to attend Stony Brook University as a junior, also to one day pursue his Ph.D. in Psychology. We are tremendously proud of all three of our boys, but we are not looking forward to having a quiet house for the first time in 27 years! They all promise to come home every weekend for Sunday Sauce!
We are so grateful to our team of ministry partners who share this journey with us! Your partnership results in releasing leaders to plant churches that reach Post-Christian places, in providing encouragement and training for immigrant pastoral leadership, and in facilitating healing for many people who have experienced abuse. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We ask for your prayers, because we know that we must depend on God’s empowerment!
In His Love,
John and Caryn
249 Wilson Ave. • Westbury, NY 11590 • (516) 424-7506
www.globaltrainingnetwork.org/who/john-and-caryn-amandola
August 2018
(view this email update in browser to view pictures HERE)
Hello! It has been a busy summer of ministry with Global Training Network in the NY Metro area! We wanted to share a few highlights with you:
Church Plant Leadership Retreat: Church planting that transform Post-Christian places requires healthy, strong, well-equipped, and diverse leadership teams. Two weeks ago, we headed to Lake Harmony, PA for time away together to strengthen our relationships and to plan for the upcoming year. We are amazed at this team of professionals in finance, health care, law, education, and technology who have all sacrificed so much so that we can together bring about the Kingdom of God in the NY metro area! This year we focused on creating a plan to increase exposure of the gospel to our surrounding community by equipping God’s people to be used by Him wherever they are: at work, school, home, the ball field, etc. We discussed unique ways to do this in the skeptical, Post-Christian environment in which we live. We are excited for launching a strategy in the fall to train and mobilize believers to be on mission!
International Students: Universities in the New York area host tens of thousands of international students. It is a privilege for us to be involved in their lives while they are with us, and to love and serve them as we have opportunities. Many arrive with little or no knowledge of the gospel then return to their countries several years later as trained missionaries. A few weeks ago we hosted an outing to visit Sagamore Hill, the Long Island home of President Theodore Roosevelt (image right). We had a wonderful time with these young women and are grateful for the friendships we are building!
New Mending The Soul Facilitator: We are sobered as we become increasingly aware of the enormous prevalence of abuse in this area, especially among believers who grew up in immigrant churches. There is therefore a tremendous need for healing groups in this community. So, we are pleased to report that God has raised up another trained group facilitator! She is a second-generation immigrant who has undergone healing through one of Caryn’s groups. She lives in the city and is eager to lead a group this fall! We are grateful for the online facilitator training that is now available through Mending the Soul. This removes the geographical obstacle, enabling us to more quickly mobilize leaders. We now have four trained facilitators, greatly increasing our ability to multiply Mending the Soul groups here!
Redeemer Pres. Counseling Fellowship: NY is considered a desert when it comes to availability of Christian counseling. One oasis is Redeemer Counseling, out of Redeemer Presbyterian Church. They have just launched a Counseling Fellows Program designed to equip pastoral leaders in gospel-centered counseling skills. This competitive program will focus on training in practical counseling skills and integrating theology and psychology in various mental health issues. We are thrilled to report that Caryn has been accepted as a fellow! She will attend once a month for 9 months and complete many assignments in-between. This fellowship will greatly enhance her skills as she continues to work to train lay leaders to facilitate healing for God’s people!
Empty Nesters: Three years ago, the five of us crammed in a two-bedroom apartment (with one large dog), sharing only one bathroom, and lived life together in a crazy, but happy home. Now, we are only two weeks away from being empty nesters! Michael moved to Astoria, Queens last year, and works in the city. He manages beautiful, high-end renovations on the Upper East Side. Two weeks ago, Matthew moved out to start his Ph.D. program in Neuroscience at Stony Brook University. His research involves employing various methods of brain imaging, then analyzing that data to find connections that will hopefully lead to curing diseases such as Parkinson’s. In two weeks, our youngest, Mark, will move out to attend Stony Brook University as a junior, also to one day pursue his Ph.D. in Psychology. We are tremendously proud of all three of our boys, but we are not looking forward to having a quiet house for the first time in 27 years! They all promise to come home every weekend for Sunday Sauce!
We are so grateful to our team of ministry partners who share this journey with us! Your partnership results in releasing leaders to plant churches that reach Post-Christian places, in providing encouragement and training for immigrant pastoral leadership, and in facilitating healing for many people who have experienced abuse. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We ask for your prayers, because we know that we must depend on God’s empowerment!
In His Love,
John and Caryn
249 Wilson Ave. • Westbury, NY 11590 • (516) 424-7506
www.globaltrainingnetwork.org/who/john-and-caryn-amandola
ABOUT JOHN AND CARYN AMANDOLA
Married since 1986, and having three great boys, John and Caryn have a long history with GTN’s founders, Paul and Lisa! Caryn and Lisa have been friends since Junior High school, and Lisa and her family played a great role in Caryn coming to faith in Christ as a high school student.
"As a newly married couple, we were challenged by Paul, who was the youth pastor at Northwest Community Church, to take on greater ministry responsibilities while youth leaders there. John later succeeded Paul in that same role, where he learned how to multiply spiritual leaders. John also succeeded Paul as a church planter, Paul planting NCC’s first church plant, John the second. It now seems so natural for us to join with Paul and Lisa on staff with GTN, having the same passion to raise up leaders!"
John is a native New Yorker and Caryn grew up in Arizona. John is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo, holds an M.Div. from Phoenix Seminary, and is ordained in the Missionary Church. Caryn is a graduate of Texas Christian University and is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Professional Counseling. They have much experience in overseas ministry, church planting, mentoring leaders and pastoral ministry.
Consistent with the mission of GTN, Caryn and John have a great passion to raise up Christian leaders all over the world, especially in an area of very great need which is very close to their hearts: The New York Metro area. Their ministry involves several facets:
Married since 1986, and having three great boys, John and Caryn have a long history with GTN’s founders, Paul and Lisa! Caryn and Lisa have been friends since Junior High school, and Lisa and her family played a great role in Caryn coming to faith in Christ as a high school student.
"As a newly married couple, we were challenged by Paul, who was the youth pastor at Northwest Community Church, to take on greater ministry responsibilities while youth leaders there. John later succeeded Paul in that same role, where he learned how to multiply spiritual leaders. John also succeeded Paul as a church planter, Paul planting NCC’s first church plant, John the second. It now seems so natural for us to join with Paul and Lisa on staff with GTN, having the same passion to raise up leaders!"
John is a native New Yorker and Caryn grew up in Arizona. John is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo, holds an M.Div. from Phoenix Seminary, and is ordained in the Missionary Church. Caryn is a graduate of Texas Christian University and is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Professional Counseling. They have much experience in overseas ministry, church planting, mentoring leaders and pastoral ministry.
Consistent with the mission of GTN, Caryn and John have a great passion to raise up Christian leaders all over the world, especially in an area of very great need which is very close to their hearts: The New York Metro area. Their ministry involves several facets:
- Planting innovative, missional churches in the least churched, least reached counties in the USA.
- Training Christian leaders who work and study in the world’s most influential city to be spiritual leaders who multiply.
- Reach international students to eventually return to their countries as missionaries.
- Travel overseas to train Christian Leaders who otherwise have few resources available to them.