General Secretary releases 2006 stats

Kansas City--General Secretary and Headquarters Operations Officer Jack Stone recently released the Annual Church Statistical Reports for 2006. These detailed reports, documenting the missional activities of the Church of the Nazarene on a global scale, again show growth for the denomination over the statistical year, as well as continued growth over the past decade.

Reports show total membership for the church now stands at 1,622,669. There are currently 18,690 churches in the denomination, of which 14,567 are organized. The church also welcomed a total of 111,683 new Nazarenes in 2006, and 687 new churches were organized.

These figures break down as follows:

• Church membership has grown by more than 33 percent over the past decade, with a 3.6 percent increase this past year.

• While World Areas of the church grew at 5.68 percent, the growth rate in the U.S. stands at less than 1 percent.

• With the number of newly organized churches growing by nearly 23 percent over the past decade, the growth rate accelerated to 3.73 percent last year.

• Though USA/Canada worship attendance dipped slightly, Sunday School attendance increased by 1 percent.

• Nazarene Youth International and Nazarene Missions International both showed gains in membership with 11.7 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively.

--General Secretary's Office

WMC Asia-Pacific, APNTS sign agreement for media school

Manila--On December 16, World Mission Communications Asia-Pacific (WMC AP) and Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary (APNTS) sealed the pact of partnership by signing a five-year memorandum of agreement (MOA) establishing the Fairbanks School of Communications (FSC) in the campus of APNTS. The final agreement was signed by Hitoshi Fukue, president of APNTS, and Doug Flemming, regional communications coordinator for Asia-Pacific.

This agreement allows FSC to receive support from both partners in terms of funding and donated properties for production equipment, a media laboratory, media professional advice and supervision, and a yearly operational budget for the agreed-upon time frame.

WMC AP acted as a foundation in the partnership that gave a grant for operation, equipment, and supervising personnel to FSC. It has allotted a total of 2.1 million Philippine pesos (approximately $30,750 U.S. dollars) worth of finances and services for the first year operation under the partnership and would sustain approximately P250,000 (approximately $5,100 U.S.) of support each year for the next four years. For its part, FSC, under the leadership of Professor Kwon Dong Hwan, will submit an annual report of the goals met and milestones hurdled to the foundation at the end of each fiscal year determined by the partnership.

Pictured: Doug Flemming and Hitoshi Fukue shake hands after signing the agreement. For more photos, see this week's photo gallery on ncnnews.com.
--WMC Asia-Pacific

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Register now for LeaderSHOP 2007

Kansas City--Dan Copp, Clergy Services director, announced recently that LeaderSHOP 2007 has been moved to coincide with the mid-quadrennial Mission 2007 (M7) conference. M7 will take place February 19-21, 2007, in Kansas City and will be a special time of gathering and equipping.

According to David W. Bowser, event coordinator, "LeaderSHOP is an opportunity to explore leadership terrain, and more effectively to provide resources to strengthen small churches. It is a conversation among pastors and practitioners who long to be more productive with local churches and leadership teams." Over the years, the conference has proved to be an invaluable time to come together in support, encouragement, and growth.

LeaderSHOP will begin with a banquet on Monday evening, February 19, with Dennis Bickers, author of The Healthy Small Church. Bickers currently serves as a minister in the American Baptist churches of Indiana and Kentucky. He was a bi-vocational pastor of a small rural church for 20 years. Drawing from his experience, Bickers will challenge pastors to maintain congregational health and a healthy leadership style which fosters a healthy small church.

In addition, Bickers will share the keynote address focusing on bi-vocational ministry at the Tuesday morning breakfast on February 20. He will offer challenging remedies for the issues facing bi-vocational ministry in the 21st century Church.

Three specialized workshops for all LeaderSHOP participants will be held on February 20.

"Communicating the Story in the Context of the Congregation's Story" will be presented by Darrel Harvey, pastor of Michigan's Flushing Community Church of the Nazarene. This workshop will examine the congregational story in light of the challenge to be a missional church.

Also, Wayne H. Brown, superintendent of the Northern Michigan District, will present, "Evangelism and Outreach in the Healthy Small Church." Participants will learn of insights into effective strategies for missional congregations.

Finally, in "Handling Conflict in the Healthy Small Church," Kenneth Mills, superintendent of the Mid-Atlantic District, will examine strategies for identifying and dealing with mission-hindering conflicts within the local church.

On Wednesday, February 21, members will have the ability to select from the 120 other workshops at M7. The Mission 2007 conference gives participants the opportunity to focus on becoming missional in ministry and in the local church, including the healthy small church.

Registration for the LeaderSHOP event is $45 (U.S.) and can be completed via the registration web site. To indicate workshop choices for Wednesday, February 21, make hotel reservations, review the M7 schedule, and more, visit www.m7conference.org.
--M7 Staff

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MidAmerica men take over top spot in NAIA Div. II basketball

Olathe, Kansas--After two weeks in the top five, Mid-America Nazarene University (MNU) has taken over the top spot in this week's NAIA Division II Men's Basketball Top 25 poll.

MNU, who made NAIA Division II's Final Four last season, received seven first place votes while Huntington (Indiana), who is now in the No. 2 slot after spending the first two weeks atop the rating, got five first-place nods in this week's selections.

The 12-0 Pioneers, under the leadership of coach Rocky Lamar, have the top field goal percentage in Division II, hitting 56 percent of their shots. They stand at second in both blocks per game (6.2) and assists per game (21.8) - paced by junior guard Adam Hepker's 7.6 per game, second in the Division II. The team averages 89.6 points per game, which places them sixth in Division II.

The Pioneers are led statistically by senior guard Jacob Nellor, who is averaging just over 17 points per game.

Mount Vernon Nazarene University, 11-3, moved from No.22 to No.16 in the same poll. MVNU sophomore guard Ben Falkenberg is currently third in scoring for NAIA Division II, averaging 25.4 points per game.

MNU is experiencing success in both the men's and women's program in 2006-2007 as the women, 13-1, moved back into the Top 5 nationally for Division II at No.5.

Other national rankings for Nazarene schools:

Men:

11. Southern Nazarene University (10-2, NAIA Div. I)
23. Point Loma Nazarene University (9-3, NAIA Div. I)

Women:

15. Trevecca Nazarene University (9-1, NAIA Div. I)
16. Southern Nazarene University (9-2, NAIA Div. I)
17. Point Loma Nazarene University (8-3, NAIA Div. I)

Pictured: MNU senior forward Akuien Wour.
--NCN Sports, NAIA (Stats as of 1.3.07)

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NCN News Briefs for January 5, 2007

• Billy Koprince, a U.S. Marine and son of Oak Ridge, Tennessee (New Life Church) Nazarenes William and Bernice Koprince, was killed while on foot patrol near Al Habbaniyah in Iraq's Anbar Province last week. Prayer is requested for the Koprince family. (--Chaplaincy Services)

• Luella Wiggs, widow of former Southwest Indiana District Superintendent Dr. B. G. Wiggs and a well-known speaker and counselor in her life of ministry, passed away December 23 in Seymour, Indiana. She was 83. She is survived by a daughter, Carol Jeanette Wiggs, and a son, Ted W. Wiggs.

• World Mission Broadcast's new radio ministry on the North Uruguay District, El Faro (The Lighthouse), has experienced great success recently. This program airs on the most-listened-to secular station in northern Uruguay, prompting numerous contacts each time it airs. (--NMI Prayer Mobilization Line, SAM Communications)

• Paul Armstrong has been re-appointed as National Work & Witness co-ordinator for Church of the Nazarene Canada. (--Nazarene News Canada)

Washington D.C. WPXW/WWPX (formerly PAX-TV)
Friday 1/5: 1:30 P.M.
Friday 1/12: 1:30 P.M.
Friday 1/19: 1:30 P.M.
Friday 1/26: 1:30 P.M.
--NCN News

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