Dear Eurasia Region Friends,
Greetings this March from the Eurasia Region Communications team!
Inside this month's issue of Where Worlds Meet, you will read about the Nazarene Church in Lebanons MTV Lenten Progran; The commissioning of the Scotts as missionaries; The Easter Offering initiative; 100th Anniversary; and more.
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Consider forwarding this issue to interested friends, printing it out to share at your local church and praying for the many people and ministries you'll read about in these pages.
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In Christ,
Eurasia Region Communications
________________________________________
Church of the Nazarene - Eurasia Region
www.eurasiaregion.org
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Inside this issue:
Raju’s Story Pg. 2
Scotts Commissioned Pg. 3
Easter Offering Pg. 3
NMI Celebrates 100 Pg. 4
NCN and Engage Pg. 4
Prayer and Fasting Pg. 5
NazareNes produce leNteN program for mtv lebaNoN by Gina Pottenger
Beirut, Lebanon – For the second time, the Church of the Nazarene has produced and is airing a Lenten season television program on MTV Lebanon. Spearheaded by Bouchrieh Church of the Nazarene pastor Ayman Kafrouny, the 25-minute show is called Is2alouni 3an Yassou3 (“Ask Me About Jesus”). (The numbers represent Arabic-language sounds.) It will air twice a day from March 3 to April 17. One week after it starts on MTV, it will also begin airing on the Arabic-language Christian network called SAT-7. The program was 95-percent funded through Nazarenes’ offerings to World Mission Broadcast.
The first Arabic-language Nazarene Lenten TV program, called Kad Oukmel (“It is Finished”), aired in 2012 (and is now in reruns on a Catholic network). MTV liked it so much they asked Kafrouny to produce another show the following year. However, the costs were
more than the team had received from World Mission Broadcast to fund the high quality production, so Kafrouny decided to spread out the filming over two years.
Running in 32 episodes, Is2alouni 3an Yassou3 has a three-part format. In one part, a well-known Middle Eastern celebrity spends four to five minutes on camera, concluding with a theological
question for Kafrouny. In a second segment Kafrouny, who for years was a successful secular pop singer in the Middle East, leads a band in two songs that last for eight to nine minutes.
The third part is about 11 minutes of Kafrouny answering the celebrity’s question.
A closing graphic indicates that the Church of the Nazarene is
responsible for the show, elevating the denomination’s profile across the Middle East, and even other continents where Arabic-speaking people will access the show, such as North America
and Australia.
The featured celebrities include people like Mona Herawi, a former First Lady of Lebanon who continues to be well-respected in social and political circles; as well as famous journalists
who have interviewed kings and powerful politicians; and some of the top actors in Lebanon, according to Kafrouny.
Every celebrity originated his or her own question, such as, why is there a part of Jesus’ life we don’t know anything about, and where is God when He sees all these problems happening in the world, or is there really a hell?
“Really difficult questions,” Kafrouny said. “It took me a month and half preparing the answers, sitting with theologians and researching. It wasn’t spontaneous.”
The back and forth has set up the potential for ongoing relationships between Kafrouny and some of the famous people who participated: Not only did they propose theological questions on camera, but afterward several sought out Kafrouny for further
dialogue about Christianity.
Viewers of the show in Lebanon will see a phone number for a Nazarene pastor in Beirut and will be able to text or call him to request follow-up. Viewers from other countries will be able to
contact the Church of the Nazarene through the show’s Facebook page, and ministry leaders will find someone in their country to follow-up with them.
A Christian bookstore in Lebanon has fronted $15,000 to rent about 10 billboards in prominent locations around the country to advertise the show.
“For us it’s something unusual to see the cross and the name of Jesus on billboards on the street,” Kafrouny said.
Is2alouni 3an Yassou3 faced some challenges in being developed. The production team had planned to film on studios at MTV Lebanon, which are some of the best in the country. But a fire over the Christmas holidays burned down half of the studios, and those that were untouched were then overbooked for other programs. Kafrouny’s team was forced to find another studio which was unfinished, with only white walls and a white floor and no
electricity. They had to rent decorations and a generator.
These unexpected factors cut into the budget. Fortunately, believers in Lebanon who supported the show made up the difference with donations.
“What an amazing opportunity for the Church of the Nazarene to present this program during the season leading up to Easter,” said Lindell Browning, field strategy coordinator of the Easter Mediterranean Field, of which Lebanon is a part. ”Since most people in Lebanon and throughout other areas of the Middle East remember Ayman Kafrouny as a secular singer, his testimony and teaching will have a tremendous impact…. God is going to use this program to glorify and answer questions about the resurrected Lord Jesus.”
Your STORY
Our STORY
God's STORY
R
AJU
’S STORY b
y Gina Pottenger
As Raju* huddled in the small room he was sharing in his brother’s house in Kathmandu, he knew his life was rapidly
unraveling. He had gone from being a religious priest serving idols, to building bombs for an underground political party, to fleeing into hiding in the city.
When he was growing up, his father was a priest in a religion serving many gods. Raju was training to be a priest, too, but from his earliest years he was more interested in politics. He got involved at age 11 when a close relative was killed by the government.
“It affected me and I started to think about why he was killed.”
As a child, he started recruiting people to join the opposition party. As he grew older, he trained new party members. Eventually he began building bombs and teaching others how to make them. Although he never actually used one of his bombs, the people he
taught did use them in different places. He was involved in protests and once spent a month in jail.
His 35 years of involvement in opposition politics came to a halt when the military began looking for him. Although he had a wife and four children, he was forced to leave them behind for the anonymity of the capital city where he could hide in a room of
his brother’s house.
Stuck in the house day after day, afraid to go out for fear of being recognized and captured, he had lots of time to dwell on his situation and how much he missed his family. He couldn’t
see an end in sight.
The only place he felt safe was a small tea stall where he would drink spiced, milky Nepali tea. The woman who owned the shop noticed he looked pale and anxious. She handed him a New
Testament Bible and said, “Read this and you will get peace.”
He took the Bible home but he didn’t read it. He was not interested in exploring another religion.
One day, there was a knock on his door. When he opened it, soldiers from the army stood there. They were checking identity cards. He had gotten rid of his identity card, and so, afraid of
the men, he grabbed the Bible and said, “I am a Christian? See, here is my Bible.”
When the soldiers saw the Bible, they became friendly. They advised him to get an identity card through his local church, thanked him for his time and left.
“When I thought about that situation I thought [about] my previous work in making a bomb, [and] I was doing the priestly work and all my work could not save me when I’m in danger. But the Bible saved me in such a critical hour.
The Bible book itself saved my life, then what is inside the Bible? There must be a very, very good thing inside of it.”
Now Raju was curious about this religion, and on Saturday he took the Bible and marched boldly through the city. But he didn’t know where the church was. He saw another person and approached him, asking if the man knew a church in the area. The man turned out to be a pastor. Raju went with him to his church.
“I entered the church and the service started and I was sitting in the back and I was just looking at the things going on. That time the preacher was preaching on the sermon about [the] love of God. I came to realize only God can help me to live and I decided to accept Christ the same day.”
When his brother learned Raju had decided to follow Jesus, he kicked Raju out of his house. Now he was homeless – he had no job, no money and nowhere to stay. The woman from the tea stall and the pastor found him some clothes and another place to stay,
and they helped to integrate him into the life of the church.
For months, other people paid his rent, and brought him handfuls of their leftover rice to eat. Having his basic needs met, sometimes through miraculous means, built his fledgling faith.
He also spent several years pursuing theological education.
When the political situation eased, Raju wanted to plant a church in his home village. About this time, he became acquainted with Dilli Ijam, the district superintendent of the Church of the Nazarene in Nepal. When Ijam spent time with Raju and watched him in ministry, he realized Raju would be perfect for leading a compassionate ministry seed project in his home district because of his background in agriculture. Raju agreed to take on the
project and became more familiar with the denomination and its doctrines. He quickly decided to join the Church of the Nazarene.
While overseeing the seed project, Raju planted a Nazarene church in his home village.
But in reuniting with his family there were challenges. His wife, who was actively involved in Raju’s former religion, was upset that he had become a Christian minister. She would not even drink a cup of water that he handed to her.
While his wife resisted his new faith, one at a time their daughters came to know Jesus personally. Soon they were all praying for their mother. They also became involved in the church, one of them serving as the worship leader, another singing in the choir and teaching the children; and a third
daughter is active in Nazarene Youth International.
After five years, Raju’s wife finally fell in love with Jesus, herself, and became a follower. Today, when he is absent from the church, she leads the services in his place.
“I am so much thankful that my whole family became Christian. We all are coming to Christ and I’m thinking it is … a big gain in my life,” he said.
They have planted a second church that now has more than 50 members. On Saturdays, Raju works in the first church, and on Sundays he leads the second one.
“I personally can tell you this man has a very great strength to lead the ministry,” Ijam said. “He doesn’t hesitate telling Jesus Christ, just sitting by his neighbors, sitting on the bus or wherever. He has a capacity of preaching and he also has a capacity of teaching. His preaching, I tell you, it’s very much influencing people.” *Name changed for security reasons
Scotts are commissioned as missionaries by Gina Pottenger
Lenexa, Kansas, U.S. – On February 24, Dave and Betsy Scott, intern missionaries in Croatia, were recommended for appointment as missionaries by the General Board of the Church of the Nazarene denomination during a commissioning service.
For the past four years, the Scotts have served on the Eurasia Region, first in Montpellier, France, then moving to Zagreb, Croatia, in 2011.
They have two children: Jacob, 8, and Emma, 2.
During the commissioning service, General Superintendent David Graves welcomed the Scotts, and Global NMI Council Vice President Lola Brickey led prayer while the remaining five general
superintendents, the members of the General Board and the congregation gathered around them.
“What flooded over us was a sense of love, peace, encouragement and partnership from so many people, including elected representatives from the Church of the Nazarene all around the world, and an affirmation of our call once again. Plain and simple, this time of commissioning has meant the world
to us,” said Betsy.
The Scotts are church planters and developers, using creative methods to first build relationships and community in Croatia, with the intent that these efforts will eventually lead to new
churches.
In 2011, shortly after they arrived, they registered a nonprofit with the government, calling it Djela Ljubavi. That year continued a succession of short-term and long-term young adult
volunteers who supported the relaunch of the denomination in Croatia.
In 2013 the Scotts partnered with other believers in Croatia to establish a thrift shop in the capital city, Zagreb. Thrift stores are fairly uncommon in the country, and so the shop serves in an unfilled niche. They’ve used the shop as a platform to develop relational ministry and build community in the city.
The Scotts have participated in or organized other ministries as well, including English camp and a club for high school students; a women’s Bible study for young adults; and ministry to Roma villages such as clean-up projects and vacation Bible school activities.
More volunteers are planned to come in 2014.
Partnering with local believers has been vital to establishing the presence of the church in Croatia.
“Because of our desire and willingness to partner with others,
especially nationals, we have been able to honestly show how the Church of the Nazarene desires to be a unifying church that seeks to build bridges and wants to bring life to things that are dead or broken and to be active in the redemptive work God wants to do in the world,” Betsy said.
They see their role as missionaries two ways: first to present and represent the denomination in Croatia. Second, to identify nationals who envision the kind of church Betsy describes, and who will lead and grow the denomination, making disciples and caring for the poor and downtrodden.
“Since being here we have tried to be patient and not push our own agenda,” Betsy said. “We have come with open hearts and have allowed God’s Spirit to lead because God’s timing is perfect, not ours…. We don’t think God is interested in starting just another
denominational church in Croatia, but to start a proactive Body of Christ that can help meet needs not being met and excite Croatians about being Christ-followers.”
New Life
Plan now for global Easter offering Reprinted from NCNNews.com
A few Sundays from now, Christians worldwide will celebrate the glorious fact that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, suffered, died, and rose triumphantly so we might “have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10b). Hundreds of thousands of those who will join in this incredible celebration are Nazarenes, and these Nazarene worshipers will gather to praise our risen Lord in at least 159 world areas.
How is it possible that the Church of the Nazarene has such enormous outreach among the lost around the world? The answer is simple — our people are known for sacrificial giving to missions. From our earliest days, in obedience to God, Nazarenes have been committed to make Christlike disciples in the nations.
We share His life with others out of gratitude for what He has done for us! Yet, there are still countless people who are unaware of His grace for their lives. In fact, the Great Commission is a huge unfinished task that no one person, no individual church, not even one denomination can complete alone. But together, we can and are changing lives through Christ by our faithful giving.
The nazarene.org/generosity website provides a variety of free tools your church can download and use to promote this year’s global Easter Offering for the World Evangelism Fund on April 20.
Resources include videos, posters, bulletin inserts, bookmarks, logos, a children’s activity sheet, sermon, PowerPoint presentation, and leader’s guide to help use the elements to
their full potential. Languages include English, Español, Français, Português and Korean.
We invite you to join us now in praying that the Church of the
Nazarene will indeed share NEW LIFE with men, women and children
everywhere who are in need of His grace. May God use you to make a difference for His kingdom. - David W. Graves, chair Board of General Superintendents - Verne Ward, director Global Mission
- Daniel Ketchum, director Nazarene Missions International
Sponsor a Project to Mark NMI Turning 100
Dozens and dozens of ministry projects in the Eurasia Region are included in a list of 1,400 projects gathered for the purpose of celebrating Nazarene Missions International’s (NMI) upcoming 100th anniversary.
A 100th birthday or anniversary is a big milestone that cannot go by unnoticed, without reflection, or without a celebration and Nazarene Missions International (NMI) is doing just that. In 2015, NMI will have been encouraging, challenging and supporting the work of the Church of the Nazarene for 100 years. The fruits
of this activity can be seen with the Nazarene holiness message now in 159 world areas. God has led our church to join Him in His mission in and to all the nations.
To celebrate, each of the 461 districts worldwide are invited to
be directly involved in God’s work through the Church of the Nazarene in another world area. It is also an opportunity to learn more about ministry in one location, partner with them in prayer, develop a partner-relationship with another district in a different region or part of the world, and be encouraged by how God can use your local churches in his global mission.
A list of specific ministry needs from all regions were collected. These are needs to further the work of the Nazarene church in that area. Every district can choose one of the
needs as a project to complete by October 8, 2015.
For instance, one project in the Eurasia Region is to fund the Acts of God after-school program in Damascus, Syria. Meeting five days a week from 2 to 5 p.m., this program helps 130 refugee children from Iraq in grades kindergarten through 12 who are not able to attend regular school. The project goal is $24,000 USD and would fund counseling, discipleship, computer training, and
science instruction, as well as Arabic and English. The funding may also help to provide warm clothing to the students in the winter months.
Another Eurasia Region project, for $1,500, is to purchase
motorcycles for area leaders on the Eastern District of India. The district has 900 churches, and it is divided so that one pastor in an area serves anywhere from five to 60 churches. They use bicycles to visit their churches, which is not a very efficient way to get around. Motorcycles would allow them to more easily visit churches, pastors and local leaders, provide training, conduct meetings, prayer days and more.
If started now, your district has one and a half years to complete your selected project. Once your district has sent the funds, or sent a team of people to meet the ministry need, the
receiving district will apply the gift to the need, contact you, and share the outcome as to how the ministry need was met.
The goal of the celebration is that every district in the world will have completed one project by October 8, 2015.
Contact your District NMI President, Regional NMI Coordinator Heidi Bowes, or go to www.nazarenemissions.org/nmi100 for more information. To see the list of projects, visit http://nmi.nazarene.org/NMI100/nmi100Guidelines.html and click the round buttons that offer different ways to sort the project list.
Don’t delay: Accept the party invitation and start the celebration right away!
Know the Nazarene news
Want to know the latest breaking news
about Nazarenes around the world? Read
NCNNews.com, the news website of the
global Church of the Nazarene.
New stories are added weekly from all
seven world regions. You can also sign up for
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Follow NCN News on Facebook, https://
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ENGAGE
Engage mission!
Watch exciting video testimonies, read compelling personal mission stories and learn about fascinating mission strategies with Engage magazine. New mission features and stories are added weekly at the website, www.engagemagazine.com, which is the online mission magazine of the global Church of the Nazarene.
Many stories are in Spanish; articles often come with discussion questions so they can be used in a small group or Sunday school class.
Keep up to date on the latest mission stories across our denomination by signing up for Engage’s biweekly email newsletter, at http://nazarene.org/subscriber.html.
Follow us on Facebook, at https://www.facebook.com/engagemissions, or Twitter, at
https://www.twitter.com/engagemagazine, for links to the latest stories in your newfeed.
UNITED
Philippians 2:1If there is therefore any exhortation in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any tender mercies and compassion, 2 make my joy full, by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind; 3 doing nothing through rivalry or through conceit, but in humility, each counting others better than himself; 4 each of you not just looking to his own things, but each of you also to the things of others.
5 Have this in your mind, which was also in Christ Jesus,
Prayer & Fasting
Regional Director Arthur Snijders invites you to join the Eurasia Region in a united prayer and fasting initiative starting Friday, March 7.
Field strategy coordinators, district superintendents and local pastors have been asked to lead the monthly prayer and fasting effort on the first Friday of every month, through September 5.
The objective of this seven-month emphasis is to bring Nazarenes across the Eurasia Region together in a new spirit of interconnectedness and unity around God’s mission.
The theme for the initiative is drawn from Philippians 2: 1-5a (NIV):
“Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy
complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one
in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition
or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above
yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you
to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one
another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.”
Each month we will focus on one section of this scripture in our prayers, and also focus our prayers on requests from one field of the Eurasia Region.
A prayer coordinator has been appointed for each field and this person will help to distribute the month’s themed prayer and the list of prayer requests to all who wish to participate.
The Eurasia Region communications team will also post prayer requests, short themed prayers and prayer and fasting resources on our regional prayer web page, at www.eurasiaregion.org/prayer/
The following people will serve as prayer coordinators for each field. Write to them if you would like to receive the monthly prayer requests:
Central Europe Field:
Steve and Rachel Beiler, ceur-prayer@eurasiaregiion.org
Eastern Mediterranean:
Seta Green, emed-prayer@eurasiaregion.org
CIS: Alexander Zelensky,
cis-prayer@eurasiaregion.org
Northern Europe:
Rev Colin McConkey, neur-prayer@eurasiaregion.org
India: To be decided
South Asia:
Silvia Sinha, sasia-prayer@eurasiaregion.org
Western Mediterranean:
Shannon Herndon, wmed-prayer@eurasiaregion.org
We will pray for each field in the following order:
March: Central Europe
April: Eastern Mediterranean
May: CIS Field
June: Northern Europe
July: India
August: South Asia
September: Western Mediterranean
Join us for a new spirit of unity in prayer and fasting this year!
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”--Isaiah 41:10
All content in Where Worlds Meet is permissible to be republished within the Church of the Nazarene. Simply include this statement: “Reprinted with permission from Where Worlds Meet; March 2014 issue, available at eurasiaregion.org.”
Prayer Requests
- Please pray for God’s hand on the Nazarene TV show being broadcast on MTV in Lebanon through March and April. Ask God to use this program to inspire many people to accept Christ personally, and also to build the faith of those who are already believers.
- Please also pray for the Church of the Nazarene across the Middle East to effectively follow-up with viewers who contact them for help.
- Please pray for Pastor Raju in Nepal, that God would anoint him with the Holy Spirit for leadership and ministry through compassionate ministry and pastoring.
- Ask God to bless all the Nazarenes in Nepal and fuel their passion for sharing Christ with their family, friends and neighbors.
- Pray for Dave and Betsy Scott and their family as they continue church development ministry in Croatia. Ask God to give them the energy, wisdom, love and creativity they need, as well as more national believers to partner with them in growing a faith community.
- Pray for Nazarenes across the Eurasia Region to follow God’s leading in giving sacrificially to the Easter Offering for world missions.
Christ commands us to pray for more workers for the harvest in Luke 10:2:
“The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field” (NIV).
- Pray that God would raise up and equip new workers across the region.
Where Worlds Meet is the monthly newsletter for the Eurasia Region of the Church of the Nazarene. To subscribe, e-mail communications@eurasiaregion.org or visit
www.eurasiaregion.org.
We welcome stories, photos and prayer requests. E-mail submissions to communications@eurasiaregion.org
Gina Pottenger, Editor in Chief gpottenger@eurasiaregion.org
Matt Lee, Writer & Designer
mlee@eurasiaregion.org
Zarah Miller, Video Producer
zmiller@eurasiaregion.org
Arthur Snijders, Regional Director
awsnijders@eurasiaregion.org
Transforming our World:
In Christ • Like Christ • For Christ
E u r a s i a R e g i o n a l O f f i c e • P o s t f a c h 1 2 1 7 • 8 2 0 7 S c h a f f h a u s e n , S w i t z e r l a n d
Phone (+49) 7734 93050 • Fax (+49) 7734 930550 • E-mail whereworldsmeet@eurasiaregion.org
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