IRELAND

COPELAND FAMILY

Ministry Focus (Chris, Joi, Garrison, Gage & Gavin): Currently, I work at Galway City Baptist Church which was planted by WorldVenture missionaries in the late 1990s. GCBC has become a healthy hub that has planted a church in Sligo and will soon be planting churches in Oranmore and Roscommon. I (Chris) currently lead worship at GCBC and coordinate the music and the singers/musicians each week. I preach at GCBC about once a month or so and also preached when needed at a sister church (Furbo Baptist Church) that is without a pastor. In addition to that, we lead Bible studies, and discipleship programs, provide pastoral counseling, help with youth ministry, and set up the church each week (we meet in the gymnasium of a school and have to set up and tear down each week). Joi is an author of Christian Women’s Fiction. She writes romance stories of hope, redemption, and forgiveness. She has begun writing stories set in Ireland that she hopes to use as evangelistic tools to reach the women of Ireland.

Contact Info:

Website – World Venture
Email – [email protected]
Social – Facebook, Instagram & Twitter

Key Verse:

Proverbs 3:5-6

Please pray for:
  • Our sons graduate from secondary school this June and will be taking the leaving certification (LC) in July. Pray that they do well in the LC and that we can figure out how to pay for their university career at Galway Technical Institute and Atlantic Technical University. Gage will go to GTI to study strength and conditioning to become a personal trainer. Gavin will go to ATU to study culinary arts and gastronomical sciences to become a chef. Neither of these schools accepts Stafford Loans from the U.S., which means that we will need to find student loans here in Ireland to pay for their tuition.
  • Also, once our sons graduate from secondary school and start attending University, they will need to secure their own visas and will no longer be eligible to stay in Ireland under our Minister of Religion visa. Pray that they get their own visa without issue.
  • Pray that we can raise our support back to 100%.
  • Pray for Chris as he writes the discipleship program and that the “What’s the Story” initiative is effective at bringing people to church who have a longing to know Christ.
  • Pray for redeeming relationships to be formed with the people in our community and our neighbors.
  • Pray that Galway City Baptist Church returns to their pre-covid attendance numbers and continues to grow and that the two church plants in Oranmore and Roscommon get off launched this year.
  • Pray for Joi as she continues to write her Christian women’s fiction books. She is commissioned to write about 20 books over the next 24 months. Pray that the books do well and that people are brought closer to Jesus through her writing, including the people in Ireland with which she shares her books.
  • Pray for our oldest son, Garrison. He transferred from Front Range Community College to Metropolitan State University in Denver after earning his AA. Unfortunately, he is having issues with Metro not recognizing all of his credits from Front Range so that he can graduate in the winter of 2023. Please pray that he gets this all figured out and that Metro accepts his credits.