Nazarenes in the News: 11.06.2009

Global Ministry Center

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Nazarenes in the News is a compilation of online news articles featuring Nazarene churches or church members.   

Africa Region

Missionary plays football against Rwanda's First Lady
Kigali, Rwanda

(Engage magazine)

On October 10, missionary April Baggott found herself playing a fierce game of football (called soccer in the United States) in front of several thousand people in the Rwanda National Stadium in Kigali. Along with women from seven different nations, Baggott represented international non-government organizations against a team of Rwandan women who work for the nation's Parliament.

The competition was organized by the National Women Council as a fundraiser for the One Dollar Campaign, which supports orphans of the 1994 genocide. The council set a goal for the event to raise $10 million in Rwanda Francs ($17,605 U.S. dollars).

"The president's wife was on the Rwandan team and she played the whole game," Baggott said. "I actually gave her a high five at the end of the game."

For the rest of the story and a photo, click here.
--Engage magazine, NCN News submissions

Eurasia Region

London crew launches breakfast church
London, England

With a sideboard spread with coffee, croissants, and cereal, the Thomas Memorial Church of the Nazarene in Battersea, London, England, kicked off its latest venture on October 11 - Breakfast Church. In an attempt to live as a "church with a difference," the weekly interactive worship service includes free food and discussion oriented fellowship, plus games and activities for children - an appealing offer for the middle-class community in which the church is located.

"With Breakfast Church we are aiming to provide time and space for people to explore and discuss issues of life and faith," the promotional flyer explains. "We are a Christian community looking at ways in which we can better serve and interact with local people."
--Eurasia Region Communications

USA/Canada Region

Worshiping God, representing African culture
(First anniversary for Iowa City African Church)
Iowa City, Iowa

(The Daily Iowan)

The smoky aroma of grilling goat meat seeped through the open door of the Church of the Nazarene in Iowa City on Oct. 31. Inside, 50 Christians praised their savior.

Since they received formal approval last fall to legally practice Christianity at their 1035 Wade St. address, membership has more than doubled. Now, the 70-member group can focus on service projects and spreading diversity throughout the community.

Lenvo Mabikulu, who gives the opening prayer for every service, said Oct. 12, 2008, was a crucial day for the organization.

"It was very important because now we're recognized by the state as a church," he said. "It was imperative for us to acquire a license to practice for our membership to increase."

For the rest of the story from the Daily Iowan, click here.

Note: Another story was written on the church by the Iowa City Press-Citizen and can be found here: A year of worship in their own culture and language


Building on
Jacksonville, North Carolina

(jdnews.com)

Pastor Bill Crane believes that even in the toughest circumstances, God always has a way of turning a bad situation into a good one. It has been five years since the Faith Church of the Nazarene of Jacksonville, North Carolina, was destroyed by a fire one early morning in March. Despite the loss, the church has forged a closer bond with the community over the years and is on a new path toward restoration.

"We're looking forward to putting a sign up that says, 'future home of Faith Church of the Nazarene,'" said Crane at his temporary office building. Crane was out of town visiting family that somber morning back in 2004 and immediately came back to Jacksonville to see what was left of the building. Crane said that board members had previously discussed a need to expand their property as the church began to grow. "It was a shock and you didn't expect it ... It's a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach," Crane said. "Several years before the fire we had discussed plans that there would be a need for expansion at some point and we had been working toward that."

For the rest of the story, click here.
--jdnews.com


Marriage savers getting to work
Charlevoix, Michigan

(Charlevoix Courier)

With the Lake Charlevoix Area Marriage Covenant signed, and local church leaders armed with a plan, pastors are ready to get to work on saving marriages. Pastors Dan Gilmore of the Charlevoix Church of the Nazarene, and Chip Sauer of the Community Reformed Church are working together with the Charlevoix Ministerial Association to help reduce Charlevoix's higher than national divorce rate of nearly 60 percent. ...

A minimum of four months of premarital counseling will be required to get married at any of the eight churches which signed the marriage covenant.

"We need to make it harder to get married - not as an obstacle, but so we do not have people doing this as a whim," Gilmore said. "We want them to understand what they are doing."

Sauer added, "Right now, it's easy to get married and it's easy to get divorced."

For the rest of the story, click here.
--Charlevoix Courier


Nazarene authors featured at Community Christian Fair
St. Paul, Minnesota

Christian family counselors and Nazarene authors Dr. David and Lisa Frisbie will be featured authors at the Community Christian Fair in St. Paul, Minnesota, an annual event which draws ten to twenty thousand attendees during the weekend. The Frisbies will be greeting guests and signing their books from 11 A.M. to 3 P.M. on Saturday, November 14. The author appearance and signing area is on the main floor of the event arena.
 
This year's venue is RiverCenter in St. Paul, part of the Xcel Energy Center and host to large conventions from around the world. The event offers FREE ADMISSION TO ALL. Coupons for discounted parking are available at the event website here: christianfair.com.

Dr. and Mrs. Frisbie serve as executive directors of The Center for Marriage and Family Studies in southern California. They are the authors of 10 books and dozens of articles on topics in marriage and family life. David Frisbie teaches family studies and gerontology in the Graduate and Professional Studies program at Southern Nazarene University. Since March 2009, the Frisbies have served as coordinators of Marriage and Family Ministries for the Nazarene denomination, under a consulting contract with Sunday School and Discipleship Ministries International.

For more information, click here.
--NCN News submissions








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