(Naplesnews.com, June 11) Facing 30 churchgoers inside a strip mall storefront, Roy Shuck asked the people sitting before him to bow their heads and join hands.

The Faith Community Church of the Nazarene pastor prayed Sunday as he always did to his eclectic flock — the founding members, a Hispanic family, a woman accompanied by her Chihuahua. Shuck praised them for their strength, for their Christian foundation, even as their empty church down the street crumbled.

"I'm glad you came today," Shuck said, his comforting Missouri accent echoing through the small room. "You're doing the right thing coming here. The best days of our church are ahead of us."

These are trying times for Faith Community Church's 70-plus members. The congregation's building, a 12-year-old structure off Immokalee Road near Oakes Boulevard, is falling apart. Cracks snake up the sanctuary's back walls. Tile floors are slanted and chipped. Doors no longer close with ease.

(DesMoinesRegister.com, June 8) Any state that’s suffered through the most brutal murder spree in its history wouldn’t be expected to show compassion for any of the crime’s perpetrators, but that’s what Nebraska did. It’s relevant to today because the U.S. Supreme Court this summer will be addressing the same question that Nebraska faced — whether juvenile murderers should die in prison from a state-imposed death sentence.

Many Iowans will remember the Nebraska horror.

On about Jan. 21, 1958, 18-year-old Charles Starkweather and his 14-year-old-girl friend, Caril Ann Fugate, were hiding out in the house where Fugate’s family lived in Lincoln. Three members of her family had already been murdered — Caril’s mother, her step-father, her baby half-sister, their bodies hidden away in outbuildings on the property

For the rest of this story, and to find out how the Church of the Nazarene played a role in Fugate's rehabilitation, click here.


SD's RAIN project gets global recognition
Swaziland

(The Swazi Observer, June 14) This year’s Energy Global World Award has been awarded to water generation, a project of the Replenish Africa Initiative (RAIN) in Swaziland.

This three-year project, funded by The Coca-Cola Africa Foundation (TCCAF) and implemented by Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, Inc (NCMI), aims to develop 50 solar and hand pump water systems in schools and health clinics across the country to improve health and access to water.

Coca-Cola Africa Foundation Communications Manager, Dorcas Onyango said backed by a E210 million ($30 million) commitment by the company, RAIN was a continent-wide initiative designed to provide more than two million Africans with access to clean water by 2015. 

For the rest of the story, click here.


Radiologists have telecommuting solution in East Africa
Nairobi, Kenya

(AfricanBusinessReview.co.za, June 12) Radiologists in East Africa are now able to read and report on x-rays and scans for many physicians with quicker turn around.  They can accomplish their readings and report from their offices, homes, or from anywhere in the world thanks to a new distance radiology application, Teleradiology, developed by Medisoft East Africa Ltd.

Teleradiology was developed by three, young Kenyans.  Two are medical doctors, Dr. Emmanuel Mukoya and Dr. Ndii Kanake who are also pursuing Masters of Medicine in radiology at The University of Nairobi. The third is Ruth Wangari a computer science graduate, who is in the midst of studying for her Masters in Business Administration at Africa Nazarene University.

For the rest of the story, click here.

Downtown flowers thrive with children's help
Grand Saline, Texas

(GrandSalineSun.com, June 14) The “Wednesday Kids” at Grand Saline’s First Church of the Nazarene are keeping downtown planters beautiful this summer because they accepted the challenge to “take care of God’s earth.”

With the encouragement of directors Tammy Weidman and Renee Miller, the 23 children, who regularly attend Wednesday evening classes, and their parents (the drivers!) committed to water each of the 15 planters at least twice a week. They even have their names on waterproof signs in the planters, showing they are responsible for the flowers there.

For the rest of the story, click here.


Mattapan, area students celebrate success in language classes
Boston, Massachusetts

(Boston.com, June 8) Living in a new country can be a challenge and not speaking the language can make it almost impossible. But the graduates of a Mattapan program will have a leg up with the skills they gained through the classes.

More than 70 residents of Dorchester, Mattapan, and Hyde Park celebrated the achievements they made over the past year at graduation ceremonies Wednesday for the Action for Boston Community Development. The program features classes in English for speakers of other languages, and also offers general equivalency degrees.

(LarryBrownSports.com, June 12) The NBA Finals start Tuesday night, and basketball fans couldn’t ask for a better matchup. The Thunder and Heat are arguably the two most athletic teams in the league, so if fast-paced basketball and high scoring affairs are your thing you’re in for a treat. As you can see from the photo above that Instagram user Bethany_Young shared with us, even the Oklahoma churches are fired up about it.

The Community Church of the Nazarene in Midwest City is using their marquee to get Thunder fans amped for the big series with a message that reads as follows: “The great men in the bible had beards too! Fear the beard.”

Everyone in Oklahoma City has Thunder fever right now, and rightfully so. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook might even get jealous. Between this church marquee and this building entrance, James Harden and the beard are getting all of the attention.

For Harden's response to the picture, click here.

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--Compiled by NCN News