REFLECTION
Rev. Rodrigo Quema, Filipino Ministries Facilitator USA/Canada
Ruth 1:16 (NLT) 16 But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.
This is a powerful statement of what faith in God can do to bridge that cultural divide between peoples. Today, our society is ever dividing over social and cultural issues. This is not new to the Filipino. We are a culture familiar with diversity. A nation of over 7000 islands, some of which are in dispute today, along with over 2000 different dialects, the only way we have survived as a nation was to bend like the bamboo to the different influences that visited us. We have learned to bend without assimilating. Our only cultural allegiance is to the family, the tribe, or the community that is our source of livelihood and nurture. We are “makasarili” a Filipino term which means self-preserving. No matter what country invaded us, we like bamboo, would bend but never break.
Filipino immigrants have displayed the same resilience and ability to bend as we came to live in other countries. We adapt and blend, but deep inside, we will always come back to the Filipino culture. The only force that can make a difference in our culture is the force of the Gospel. Like Ruth, when we are given a genuine witness of the love of God, we will willingly abandon our core, self-preserving culture to a culture that reaches out to others and is willing to be transformed into Christlikeness. It is a challenge to reach a people who appear to blend easily to their adopted country. We need to accept that challenge by being intentional in reaching out to our Filipino immigrants. They need the life-changing message of Christ so they can realize their full potential as citizens of heaven.
PRAYER REQUEST
That God would open doors of opportunity to reach out to the Filipino community through existing Nazarene churches in USA/Canada.
That God would bless our goal of planting six Filipino congregations by 2016.
That we would successfully organize and hold our first Filipino Leadership Conference in San Diego by July 2016. Statistics: Filipino Ministries
Congregations - 12 * Total Members - 1,144 * AVG Worship Attendence - 777
*These statistics are based on churches/districts that identify their congregations as Filipino
NEWS
Multicultural Ministries hosts first Portuguese Conference
Rev. Benedito Monteiro, Portuguese Facilitator reported that representatives from the seven Portuguese-speaking congregations in the USA — from Massachusetts to Rhode Island to New York — joyfully and expectantly gathered in the facilities of Nova Aliança church in Brockton, MA. on June 26 and 27. The inspiring theme, “United to better Serve in the Kingdom,” informed the prayers, guided the worship, stirred the conversations, warmed up the hearts of the delegates, and filled the minds of both the keynote speaker and the workshops presenters. Dr. Jorge Barros, shared encouraging powerful and practical messages urging the audience to be available to serve despite the size and circumstances. Upon the conclusion of the conference we were renewed, encouraged, and believed that united we could better serve the kingdom of God and make Christ like disciples among the nations.
Click here to view the full report.Multicultural Ministries hosts first Portuguese Conference
July 02, 2015
Brockton, Massachusetts
Multicultural Ministries recently received the following report from Benedito Monteiro about the Multicultural Portuguese Conference:
Behind the scenes and in preparation for the event, about 10 pastors and ministers from the Portuguese-speaking churches met four times during a period of six months to plan, pray, and promote the vision that was cast last year by the Multicultural Ministries director, Dr. [Roberto] Hodgson, while in a meeting with the facilitator and another member. The vision was recast the same way it was received. Faith, hope, intentionality, determination, and prayer underpinned the whole process of preparation and implementation.
It happened in Brockton, Massachusetts, June 26 and 27. Representatives from the seven Portuguese-speaking congregations in the USA — from Massachusetts to Rhode Island to New York — joyfully and expectantly gathered in the facilities of Nova Aliança church. The inspiring theme, “United to better Serve in the Kingdom,” informed the prayers, guided the worship, stirred the conversations, warmed up the hearts of the delegates, and filled the minds of both the keynote speaker and the workshops presenters.
As anticipated, the event began unfolding slowly before the eyes of the participants. Both nights were graciously amazing and heavenly blessed. The worship teams led the participants in exaltation and adoration of our awesome God before the speaker, Dr. Jorge Barros, shared encouraging powerful and practical messages urging the audience to be available to serve despite the size and circumstances. In the morning of the second day, pastors were blessed with a very illuminating workshop on church renewal, presented by Dr. Roberto Hodgson. In the afternoon, a team of pastors presented two keen workshops called Relational Evangelism and Evangelism through the Media to the participants.
I humbly but truly believe that the first Multicultural Portuguese Conference was a success. It was a success not because of the details of the logistics behind it, or the sharpness and relevancy of the messages communicated through it, or the level of communicators and participants in it, or the enthusiasm and expectancy of the people involved in it, or the practicality and importance of the workshops presented, though all of these things were necessary and valuable. Rather, it was a success because God was behind it and through it all. As a result, Jesus was glorified and magnified among and by His people, which, upon the conclusion of the conference, scattered renewed, encouraged, and believing that united we can do better for the expansion of God’s kingdom here on Earth.[Multicultural Ministries USA/Canada Region]
2015 National Haitian Nazarene Conference Highlights
Dr. Brian Wilson, South Florida District Superintendent: "In my first year as DS of the Southern Florida District, I was privileged to be invited to be part of the preaching team for the Conference, along with my predecessor Dr. David Nixon and Dr. Art Alexander, DS of Metro New York. It is amazing how God weaved together into a beautiful tapestry the messages and teachings prepared around the theme of "Equip to Proclaim". A highlight for me was the emphasis on holiness and the passing of the baton of church leadership to the next generation. The Haitian Nazarene church in the USA/Canada is being intentional in designing the life of the church in an inclusive fashion that allows for full participation by the younger generations, and this conference gave those generations tacit permission to lead the church into her future. Our worship this week in multiple languages, multiple music styles and worship elements, and platform presence by all age groups gave evidence of that commitment. The future of the church is bright among our Haitian congregations."
Full report by Rev. Pascal Permis, Haitian Facilitator Haitian Ministries
5 / 20
Welcome to Haitian Nazarene Ministries USA/Canada
Slideshow of the National Haitian Nazarene Convention 2015
New Jerusalem Church of the Nazarene, Brooklyn, New York
Report of the Conference by Rev. Pascal Permis
Click here to view the Haitian Ministries Strategic Readiness Team
Haitian Ministries Facilitator
Rev. Pascal Permis, Haitian Ministries Facilitator, is accountable to the Multicultural ministries USA/Canada regional office and his primary function is to implement the agreed-upon policies and strategies for evangelism and strengthening of existing structures on the various districts of the Church of the Nazarene. To read more Haitian Ministries Facilitator, Rev. Pascal Permis
Unique Mission
Haitian Ministries: “exists to support districts, pastors, local churches, and leaders in the task of making Christlike disciples among Haitian groups in the U.S. and Canada.” Click here to read the complete The Unique Mission.
Plan of Action
The Haitian Ministries Facilitator and Strategic Team have developed a strategy to meet their objective of making Christlike disciples among the USA/Canada groups. Click here to read the complete The Plan of Action.
Ministry Resources
Ministry Resources that will assist you in your ministry with Haitian ministries.
Dr. Larry Lott, KC Blue Hills Pastor and Black Ministries SRT Member Remembered
Larry Lott, pastor of the Blue Hills Community Church of the Nazarene in Kansas City, Missouri, passed away July 13 after serving as Blue Hills church pastor for 38 years. He was 75. Charles Tillman, Black Ministries facilitator for the USA/Canada Region, spoke highly of Lott’s work on the Black Strategic Readiness Committee.
“Dr. Lott was the chairman of our committee for a number of years before his health prevented him from continuing in that role, and he provided great leadership,” Tillman said. “He was a personal mentor to me and a godly man. He was a giant of a figure among black Nazarenes and a much sought after speaker on the evangelistic circuit. Dr. Lott could flat-foot deliver the Word in a way like none other. We've lost a true champion of the holiness message with his passing. He will be greatly missed." Proclamation for Dr. Lott.
Stay tuned for additional reports in the August 2015 E-Newsletter for highlights on the SE Region Black Conference, National Native American Conference and Samoan Conference!
Reminders
MPP Ethnic Student Scholarship
Multicultural Ministries of the Nazarene Global Ministries Center in Kansas City, Missouri, will provide scholarships for the Ministerial Preparation Program at Nazarene Bible College to any ethnic students preparing for ordination. The normal cost per ordination class is $125, but will be reduced to $90 per class with the scholarship. All classes are offered in English and are available either online or at our beautiful campus in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Ethnic students may contact Admissions at Nazarene Bible College by calling 719-884-5060 or by sending an inquiry to: info@nbc.edu.
Did you miss the webinar: Launching an Immigration Legal Services Ministry?
Kathleen Leslie, Director of the Immigrant Legal Services Tech Unit for World Relief sent the recording for you to listen to as well as some other helpful resources. You can also find these on the Multicultural Ministries website.
A recording of the webinar (please click the link and download the recording to your computer before listening)
A link to the Board of Immigration Appeals Roster (this will detail current BIA providers by state and city)
A link to demographic data: Migration and Policy Institute (MPI) (a great resource for general immigration data) Also, MPI provides county-specific information on undocumented populations as well; at this link, Excel spreadsheets are available on the right side of the screen for this research. Center for Migration Studies (CMS) (information regarding undocumented populations by state)
Don't forget to register for the NTS Preachers Conference if you haven't already!
Ambrose Nazarene University - Calgary, Alberta Canada
August 11 - 13, 2015
UPCOMING EVENTS 2015
August 28 - 30, 2015 - Black Ministries Zone 4 Labor Day Celebration
Location - Lexington, Kentucky
Everyone is invited to attend whether you are on or off the zone. It will be a blessed weekend!
For more contact information contact Rev. Robert Hunter at Roberth210@aol.com
September 17 - 19, 2015 - Ethnic Student Leadership Development Initiative
Global Ministry Center - Lenexa, KS
For more information contact Multicultural Ministries at multi@nazarene.org
September 22 - 24, 2015 - Chinese Consultation on Theological Education
Location - The Point, San Jose, CA
For more information contact Rev. Samuel Chung at samlschung@gmail.com
September 28 - October 1, 2015 - Korean Ministerial Conference USA/Canada, Chicago First Korean
For more information contact Rev. Stephen Lee at slee4j@sbcglobal.net
For the most update information on Multicultural Ministries Events visit our website
CALL FOR PRAYER
The Dr. Larry Lott family in the loss of Dr. Lott
Upcoming Multicultural Ministries Events USA/Canada
Those Churches and 501c3's that have applied for BIA status and it is currently in review
All Multicultural Churches and Pastors
Race Relations in the USA/Canada
For More Ethnic Leadership to be Called into Ministry and Leadership
PALCON Ambrose University
A NOTE FROM DR. ROBERTO HODGSON, MULTICULTURAL MINISTRIES DIRECTOR
I’ve been reading, “Mission Nexus Anthology” (Volume 3. NO.1). The introduction of the booklet states: “The Great Commission is too big for anyone to accomplish alone and too important not to try to do together. I would like to share from one of the articles “The Five Disciplines of Teams that Thrive”:
Multicultural Ministries vision is to encourage the development of strategy and initiative to reach the USA/Canada mission field through the visionary leadership of the ethnic facilitators, and their strategy committees.
____________________________
Multicultural Ministries recently received the following report from Benedito Monteiro about the Multicultural Portuguese Conference:
Behind the scenes and in preparation for the event, about 10 pastors and ministers from the Portuguese-speaking churches met four times during a period of six months to plan, pray, and promote the vision that was cast last year by the Multicultural Ministries director, Dr. [Roberto] Hodgson, while in a meeting with the facilitator and another member. The vision was recast the same way it was received. Faith, hope, intentionality, determination, and prayer underpinned the whole process of preparation and implementation.
It happened in Brockton, Massachusetts, June 26 and 27. Representatives from the seven Portuguese-speaking congregations in the USA — from Massachusetts to Rhode Island to New York — joyfully and expectantly gathered in the facilities of Nova Aliança church. The inspiring theme, “United to better Serve in the Kingdom,” informed the prayers, guided the worship, stirred the conversations, warmed up the hearts of the delegates, and filled the minds of both the keynote speaker and the workshops presenters.
As anticipated, the event began unfolding slowly before the eyes of the participants. Both nights were graciously amazing and heavenly blessed. The worship teams led the participants in exaltation and adoration of our awesome God before the speaker, Dr. Jorge Barros, shared encouraging powerful and practical messages urging the audience to be available to serve despite the size and circumstances. In the morning of the second day, pastors were blessed with a very illuminating workshop on church renewal, presented by Dr. Roberto Hodgson. In the afternoon, a team of pastors presented two keen workshops called Relational Evangelism and Evangelism through the Media to the participants.
I humbly but truly believe that the first Multicultural Portuguese Conference was a success. It was a success not because of the details of the logistics behind it, or the sharpness and relevancy of the messages communicated through it, or the level of communicators and participants in it, or the enthusiasm and expectancy of the people involved in it, or the practicality and importance of the workshops presented, though all of these things were necessary and valuable. Rather, it was a success because God was behind it and through it all. As a result, Jesus was glorified and magnified among and by His people, which, upon the conclusion of the conference, scattered renewed, encouraged, and believing that united we can do better for the expansion of God’s kingdom here on Earth.[Multicultural Ministries USA/Canada Region]
2015 National Haitian Nazarene Conference Highlights
Dr. Brian Wilson, South Florida District Superintendent: "In my first year as DS of the Southern Florida District, I was privileged to be invited to be part of the preaching team for the Conference, along with my predecessor Dr. David Nixon and Dr. Art Alexander, DS of Metro New York. It is amazing how God weaved together into a beautiful tapestry the messages and teachings prepared around the theme of "Equip to Proclaim". A highlight for me was the emphasis on holiness and the passing of the baton of church leadership to the next generation. The Haitian Nazarene church in the USA/Canada is being intentional in designing the life of the church in an inclusive fashion that allows for full participation by the younger generations, and this conference gave those generations tacit permission to lead the church into her future. Our worship this week in multiple languages, multiple music styles and worship elements, and platform presence by all age groups gave evidence of that commitment. The future of the church is bright among our Haitian congregations."
Full report by Rev. Pascal Permis, Haitian Facilitator Haitian Ministries
5 / 20
Welcome to Haitian Nazarene Ministries USA/Canada
Slideshow of the National Haitian Nazarene Convention 2015
New Jerusalem Church of the Nazarene, Brooklyn, New York
Report of the Conference by Rev. Pascal Permis
Click here to view the Haitian Ministries Strategic Readiness Team
Haitian Ministries Facilitator
Rev. Pascal Permis, Haitian Ministries Facilitator, is accountable to the Multicultural ministries USA/Canada regional office and his primary function is to implement the agreed-upon policies and strategies for evangelism and strengthening of existing structures on the various districts of the Church of the Nazarene. To read more Haitian Ministries Facilitator, Rev. Pascal Permis
Unique MissionHaitian Ministries: “exists to support districts, pastors, local churches, and leaders in the task of making Christlike disciples among Haitian groups in the U.S. and Canada.” Click here to read the complete The Unique Mission.
Plan of ActionThe Haitian Ministries Facilitator and Strategic Team have developed a strategy to meet their objective of making Christlike disciples among the USA/Canada groups. Click here to read the complete The Plan of Action.
Ministry ResourcesMinistry Resources that will assist you in your ministry with Haitian ministries.
Dr. Larry Lott, KC Blue Hills Pastor and Black Ministries SRT Member Remembered
Larry Lott, pastor of the Blue Hills Community Church of the Nazarene in Kansas City, Missouri, passed away July 13 after serving as Blue Hills church pastor for 38 years. He was 75. Charles Tillman, Black Ministries facilitator for the USA/Canada Region, spoke highly of Lott’s work on the Black Strategic Readiness Committee.
“Dr. Lott was the chairman of our committee for a number of years before his health prevented him from continuing in that role, and he provided great leadership,” Tillman said. “He was a personal mentor to me and a godly man. He was a giant of a figure among black Nazarenes and a much sought after speaker on the evangelistic circuit. Dr. Lott could flat-foot deliver the Word in a way like none other. We've lost a true champion of the holiness message with his passing. He will be greatly missed." Proclamation for Dr. Lott.
Stay tuned for additional reports in the August 2015 E-Newsletter for highlights on the SE Region Black Conference, National Native American Conference and Samoan Conference!
Reminders
MPP Ethnic Student Scholarship
Multicultural Ministries of the Nazarene Global Ministries Center in Kansas City, Missouri, will provide scholarships for the Ministerial Preparation Program at Nazarene Bible College to any ethnic students preparing for ordination. The normal cost per ordination class is $125, but will be reduced to $90 per class with the scholarship. All classes are offered in English and are available either online or at our beautiful campus in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Ethnic students may contact Admissions at Nazarene Bible College by calling 719-884-5060 or by sending an inquiry to: info@nbc.edu.
Did you miss the webinar: Launching an Immigration Legal Services Ministry?
Kathleen Leslie, Director of the Immigrant Legal Services Tech Unit for World Relief sent the recording for you to listen to as well as some other helpful resources. You can also find these on the Multicultural Ministries website.
A recording of the webinar (please click the link and download the recording to your computer before listening)
A link to the Board of Immigration Appeals Roster (this will detail current BIA providers by state and city)
A link to demographic data: Migration and Policy Institute (MPI) (a great resource for general immigration data) Also, MPI provides county-specific information on undocumented populations as well; at this link, Excel spreadsheets are available on the right side of the screen for this research. Center for Migration Studies (CMS) (information regarding undocumented populations by state)
Don't forget to register for the NTS Preachers Conference if you haven't already!
Ambrose Nazarene University - Calgary, Alberta Canada
August 11 - 13, 2015
UPCOMING EVENTS 2015
August 28 - 30, 2015 - Black Ministries Zone 4 Labor Day Celebration
Location - Lexington, Kentucky
Everyone is invited to attend whether you are on or off the zone. It will be a blessed weekend!
For more contact information contact Rev. Robert Hunter at Roberth210@aol.com
September 17 - 19, 2015 - Ethnic Student Leadership Development Initiative
Global Ministry Center - Lenexa, KS
For more information contact Multicultural Ministries at multi@nazarene.org
September 22 - 24, 2015 - Chinese Consultation on Theological Education
Location - The Point, San Jose, CA
For more information contact Rev. Samuel Chung at samlschung@gmail.com
September 28 - October 1, 2015 - Korean Ministerial Conference USA/Canada, Chicago First Korean
For more information contact Rev. Stephen Lee at slee4j@sbcglobal.net
For the most update information on Multicultural Ministries Events visit our website
CALL FOR PRAYER
The Dr. Larry Lott family in the loss of Dr. Lott
Upcoming Multicultural Ministries Events USA/Canada
Those Churches and 501c3's that have applied for BIA status and it is currently in review
All Multicultural Churches and Pastors
Race Relations in the USA/Canada
For More Ethnic Leadership to be Called into Ministry and Leadership
PALCON Ambrose University
A NOTE FROM DR. ROBERTO HODGSON, MULTICULTURAL MINISTRIES DIRECTOR
I’ve been reading, “Mission Nexus Anthology” (Volume 3. NO.1). The introduction of the booklet states: “The Great Commission is too big for anyone to accomplish alone and too important not to try to do together. I would like to share from one of the articles “The Five Disciplines of Teams that Thrive”:
- Focus on Purpose: Exceptional leadership teams work together to do the most important strategic work in the church-making critical decisions-regularly and continually.
- Leverage Differences in Team Membership: Great teams pursue diversity in personality, background and perspective rather than democracy or uniformity.
- Rely on Inspiration more than Control to Lead: Leaders of exceptional teams focus on transformational leadership and the building of trust that together inspire and free the leadership team to perform with excellence while maintaining solid relationships.
- Intentionally Structure your Decision making Process: Exceptional leadership teams utilize a careful, step-by-step process while seeking God for his perspective and leading when making decisions.
- Build a Culture of Continuous Collaboration: Exceptional teams meet with intentionality, utilize collaboratively developed agendas and work together continuously to make the most of meetings.
Multicultural Ministries vision is to encourage the development of strategy and initiative to reach the USA/Canada mission field through the visionary leadership of the ethnic facilitators, and their strategy committees.
____________________________
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