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Where Worlds Meet - August 2015
Inside this month's edition of Where Worlds Meet, you will:
find out how Armenian Nazarenes are helping struggling families through livestock projects;
learn how Nazarenes have been successfully evacuated from a Middle East country;
hear from the regional director about the importance of indigenous holiness theology and practice;
and more.
Download the August edition of Where Worlds Meet.
Developing indigenous holiness theology and practice by Arthur Snijders, Eurasia Regional Director
In the fourth of four columns by the Eurasia Regional Director Arthur Snijders on the region’s four priorities, he explains how important it is for holiness theology and its practical expressions
to be rooted in indigenous culture and understanding.
During the first M+Power training, I watched participants do a role-play on cross-cultural misunderstanding. One group portrayed missionaries in a tribe. The missionaries used hand-sanitizer before every meal. But when the people saw this, they assumed this was a cleansing ritual because the missionaries considered the tribal people filthy. A clear breakdown of trust was communicated in the role-play. I caught myself thinking: I use hand-sanitizer, and I never think about it, but I can see how easy it is to mistake its meaning.
How difficult cross-cultural communication is. How do we find words to explain the Gospel and to speak to the hearts and lives? What does it mean in this culture to become holy and Christlike? Many mission books about successful cultural entry I have read seem to contain an example of finding a concept or a ritual in the host culture which really could be used to explain the heart of the Gospel. Do you remember the book Peace Child by Don Richardson?
Our fourth regional priority is“to develop indigenous holiness
theology and practice.” Holiness becomes a life-transforming message when it uses homemade words, concepts, examples, illustrations and stories. During the last Global Theology Conference (GTC), I listened with awe to African Nazarenes speaking about healing, prosperity Gospel and the deliverance from evil spirits. Why? Because they wanted to address the hot issues of their continent: diseases and suffering; deep poverty and the ever present spiritual world and ancestors. It was clear holiness theology and practice because it was touching both the church and the society exactly where it was hurting and damaged by sin. How very different from four years earlier when one South African presenter admitted great sadness that the holiness tradition did not speak to the evil of
apartheid. Africa is finding its holiness voice for Jesus.
During the 2014 GTC conference someone from our own Eurasia Region
stood up and asked our group, “When are we going to address the militant fundamentalism in my area of the region?” Six weeks later there was a massive eruption of terrible violence and war in one of these countries. The holiness testimony of several churches was shown in counter-cultural acts of mercy and care. A very powerful example of indigenous holiness practice.
The Holy Spirit wants to speak to the church about the strongholds of unholiness and the powers of evil in its culture. He does this in order that we as the church in turn can speak to people in their own language. Indigenous means as much as “from the native soil.” My
experience is that true holiness requires that native element in order to acquire that radical dimension that we see in Christ. How piercing were His words, “You have heard that...But I tell you...”
He knew exactly what to address, but also knew how to address the key issues.
Entire sanctification can become a very dogmatic word and concept,
which can take a very long time to explain. But once we have heard it in our own language, it comes alive. I still remember a South African who had lived and worked in the Netherlands for several years. I asked him how he looked at Dutch culture. He shared, “You are a very tolerant people, but you lack strong convictions. Too easily you become lukewarm in your principles.” How it wounded my heart to hear these words in my own language, revealing the
unholiness in my own culture. But there is no “entire” sanctification without it.
So, how can we develop an indigenous holiness theology and practice?
• By pushing ourselves to speak clearly and plainly about Christ changing our hearts and lives. Let us practice to speak out! We can teach one another to talk unencumbered and freely about our life in Christ. Ask for clarification when words amass. Affirm one another when the sharing of the Christ-life has been easy to understand.
• Theology and practice go together. Good sermons can be ruined by lack of hospitality in the congregation. A culture of reconciliation and genuine forgiveness easily makes up for limited doctrinal vocabulary. Words alone are never enough for holiness.
• Let us be eager and good learners. In this ever-changing world, there is not room for know-it-alls. Listen fresh to the Bible and one another; how does it speak about practical holy living? Sit again at the feet of Jesus. Being radical and humble go together.
• The Church of the Nazarene requires a course of study for its
ministers; it has invested 100 years in higher education. Let us support these ways of being shaped.
• For those of us who have a chance: join the theology day and the
theology workshops at the Regional Conference in November 2015. Found in the museum ‘On the seam’ in Israel: “True wisdom is calling things by their right name”- very true, very holy.
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Local churches in Armenia, in partnership with Nazarene ompassionate Ministries, are providing sheep and poultry to families who have struggled with unemployment since an earthquake devastated areas
of the economy in 1988. The projects will last four years.
ARMENIA: CHURCHES BRING HOPE TO STRUGGLING FAMILIES by Melissa Dalton
A sheep and poultry ministry that has been operating in Armenia for the last three years is making great strides to improve the lives of families and the surrounding communities of Maralik and Akhuryan. These four-year projects, which were created in response to a growing need that stemmed from a major earthquake in Armenia in 1988, have helped over 60 families since their implementation and
have also helped to grow the church through this process.
“[After the earthquake] most lost everything they had and were left
homeless,” program director Anna Jara said. “This has created a huge rate of unemployment, and the result of which finds that people have [had] to leave their homes and country.”
Local churches and the Nazarene Compassionate Ministries committee
then decided to create these outreach programs to help people in these areas who were simply trying to make ends meet. Families involved in these programs were selected by local church and
community leaders with the help of the NCM committee. Non-church
families and individuals were paired with people already involved in the churches, and they raised the sheep and chickens together.
Some areas noticed immediate changes and improvements as a result
of these programs.
“The families were more empowered and encouraged to look to the future and to make their projects successful,” Jara said.
These ministries have also had longterm effects on the communities. As the projects grow, people are able to gain more income, and produce and sell eggs, wool, cheese and milk. They have even begun using manure as a source for heating and cooking. Although the areas where these programs are active are very sensitive and discourage any types of direct evangelism, the families who are involved with these ministries are being drawn to the church. About 70 percent of the program beneficiaries have been non-churched families, and local congregations are growing as a result.
“The projects themselves are showing the love and compassion of our Lord Jesus Christ; that is making people come to church,” Jara
explained.
Anna Hakobyan is one of the sheep project beneficiaries. There are seven people in her family, including three children. Her family is unemployed, and her husband often travels to Russia for seasonal work. The family has been given eight sheep through this ministry and have also received wool and manure. They have already seen six
lambs born from their sheep and are hoping to start getting milk from the sheep for family consumption soon. They are very happy with and grateful for these projects.
Anna’s youngest child, her only son, is 5 years old. During her pregnancy, Anna had health problems and was required to have surgery with full anesthesia. It was a miracle that her boy was born healthy. This incident helped her come to believe in God and that He can work all kinds of miracles. Anna’s family is planning to increase the number of the sheep they have and improve their living conditions for the future.
Gevorg Serobyan is another beneficiary of the sheep project. He is a war veteran, and there are nine people in his family—three of them
children. One of Gevorg’s children is only three months old. Gevorg’s mother, Lusine, has recently undergone surgery to resolve some problems with her back. The members of this family are also unemployed, so they don’t have a stable source of income to satisfy their daily needs or receive governmental support. The family has
a small plot of land in front of their house, and they grow potatoes, greens, and beans. They also have experience in raising cattle and pigs. They take credit from the bank against their land
that they are cultivating.
Gevorg’s family has been given eight sheep through this ministry and
have already seen four lambs born. They are very grateful for the project and are planning to continue it. They also have plans to develop their own small business to improve their living conditions by increasing the number of the sheep they raise. The project is
a hope for a better future. Their only concern is their lack of grass and the price to buy more: it is expensive and hard to find in Maralik. They have also received wool and manure.
Anna Jara and her team are now working to design the second phase of this project, which will involve different components of planting
churches. The new churches will select and begin projects in two new
communities to help support local families in need.
“One positive aspect is that some of the families in actual churches have relatives in those possible communities that can be contacts for us,” Jara said.
She also encouraged anyone interested in becoming involved with or supporting these ministries to contact Nazarene Compassionate
Ministries International (www.ncm.org) and ask them about supporting
the economic development projects in Armenia. Anna Hakobyan’s seven-member family received eight sheep from a compassionate ministries program run by local churches in Armenia. “After the earthquake, most lost everything they had and were left homeless.”[Anna Jara]
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NAZARENES EVACUATE FROM MIDDLE EAST
More than 150 persecuted Christians from the Middle East have found
safety, thanks in part to the generosity of Nazarenes around the world.
Numerous Christian families, including Nazarenes and others
associated with the Nazarene church from the Middle East were stranded after fleeing their homes for fear of being killed.
A European country agreed to accept them, but they were stuck in transit due to complications with obtaining their visas. During this time, the local Nazarene church reached out to care for them, and the global Church of the Nazarene, through Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, raised money to provide for their lodging, meals and
other immediate needs.
Of the individuals who were in transit, all but seven have made it safely to their destination country. Another organization has arranged to provide support for the families for a year, and various churches from different denominations, including the Church of the Nazarene, are receiving the families into their congregations. The remaining seven individuals will travel to the destination country as soon as their visas are processed.
How to Help
Pray
Pray for the families who are in transit, that they would make it safely to their destination. Pray for the families still living in places of violence. Pray for the churches in the Middle East as they seek to meet the needs of children and families who are living as refugees in their communities.
Give
Churches and individuals around the world can help persecuted families in the Middle East by giving to the Help for Persecuted Christians fund. Donations will be used to get families to safety and to meet other urgent needs.
To send donations by mail, use these instructions:
In Germany, send your donation to Helping Hands Germany:
Helping Hands e.V. - Gelnhausen, Germany
IBAN DE56 5075 0094 0000 022394
SWIFT-BIC HELADEF1GEL
MEMO: MID-EAST REFUGEES
For any other country in Eurasia, give through your local church or district, designating your gift to the Help for Persecuted Christians fund.
In the U.S., make checks payable to “General Treasurer” and send them to:
Global Treasury Services
Church of the Nazarene
P.O. Box 843116
Kansas City, Missouri 64184-3116 United States
Be sure to put ACM1832 in the Memo area.
In Canada, make checks payable to “Church of the Nazarene Canada” and send them to:
Church of the Nazarene Canada
20 Regan Road, Unit 9
Brampton, Ontario L7A 1C3, Canada
Be sure to put ACM1832 in the Memo area
Flooding hits South Asia
Widespread flooding from intense monsoon rains in August have swept across Pakistan, India and Myanmar, reportedly killing more than
100 people and displacing more than a million, according to The Guardian.
In India, West Bengal was particularly hard hit. Relief camps have been set up for hundreds of thousands of people who have lost homes in the deluge.
In Pakistan, 73 have been reported killed, more than 1,000 homes damaged, and an additional 437 homes totally destroyed, according to www.geo.tv.
Heavy rains also triggered landslides in Nepal, which buried two villages and washed away two bridges, has so far killed 15 people.
The hardest hit country is Myanmar, which lies within the Church of the Nazarene’s Asia-Pacific Region.
Conditions are expected to worsen as the flooding continues. As with other disasters, children, pregnant women, and senior adults are most vulnerable.
Rural communities that depend on agriculture for survival are especially devastated as hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland have been inundated by flood waters.
In a village in Myanmar where many Nazarenes live, more than 100 homes were swept away and at least 750 acres of rice were completely destroyed. A local Nazarene pastor and congregation members rescued a widow who attends the church after her home was swept away. As rains subside, local leaders will work to establish contact with isolated areas.
A church leader in Myanmar sent a report stating, “Schools are closed, prisons are evacuated, hospitals are flooded. … Many of the bridges have been destroyed. Thousands from the flooding areas are homeless and have moved … for shelter. Some villages were completely
submerged and destroyed in the flood. Many lives have been lost. According to the latest weather forecasts, the heavy rains are expected to continue.”
The leader continued, “Please pray for our local, field, and regional leadership as they look at the needs and assess how the church can best respond to this monumental crisis.”
To contribute to the relief efforts, give to Nazarene Compassionate Ministries’ Asia Flooding project: http://ps.ncm.org/project-page.php?project=125296
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Ambassadors for Christ Eurasia Regional Conference 2015
31 October - 4 November
Profound preaching.
Invigorating workshops.
Renewing worship.
Revitalizing fellowship.
Speakers:
Rev V.K. Daniel, District Superintendent: Sri Lanka
Khalil Halaseh, Field Strategy Coordinator: Eastern Mediterranean
Sukamal Biswas, Field Strategy Coordinator: South Asia
Verne Ward, Nazarene Global Mission Director
Annemarie Snijders, M+Power Coordinator
Arthur Snijders, Eurasia Region Director
Sukamal Biswas, Field Strategy Coordinator: South Asia
Khalil Halaseh, Field Strategy Coordinator: Eastern Mediterranean
Daniel Fink, District Superintendent: Italy
J.K. Warrick, General Superintendent
Register soon to reserve your place. Contact your district superintendent or field strategy coordinator for more details.
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MISSION PRAYER REQUESTS NOW IN PORTUGUESE
Portuguese-speaking Nazarenes will have a new prayer resource from
Nazarene Missions International (NMI), as a Portuguese version of NMI’s Prayer Mobilization Line (PML) is scheduled to release this month. To subscribe, those who are interested should send an e-mail
to nmi@nazarene.org, providing the name, country, and e-mail address of the recipient.
The weekly publication focuses on the prayer needs and praise reports for the global ministries and missionaries of the Church of the Nazarene. Anyone may subscribe to the e-mail prayer newsletter
and view it online; however, until now, it has only been available to those who speak English or Spanish.
NMI Director Lola Brickey says, “We are grateful to hear reports of how the Prayer Mobilization Line has been used to connect mission needs and a praying church. NMI is pleased to be able to facilitate this resource for our Portuguese speaking brothers and sisters.”
Prayer Mobilization Line was introduced in 1981. At that time, a
designated telephone line to the Global NMI Office served as a link between the missionaries on the field and local church constituents. Although the phone line is no longer available, PML has since expanded to include a page on the NMI website (nazarenemissions.org), as well as the weekly e-mail newsletter. In 2012, a Spanish translation of the intercessory tool began, and NMI is excited about providing the Portuguese version for Nazarenes in
virtually every region of the denomination.
O público que fala português terá um novo recurso de oração da MNI Missões
Nazarenas Internacionais, com a versão em português da Linha de Mobilização de Oração (LMO) que está prevista para ser publicada este mês. Para se cadastrar e receber o boletim, é necessário enviar um e-mail para nmi@nazarene.org, contendo o nome, país e e-mail de quem receberá.
A publicação semanal terá como foco as necessidades de oração e testemunhos de ministros globais e missionários da Igreja do Nazareno. Qualquer pessoa poderá efetuar o cadastro para receber por e-mail o boletim de oração e visualiza-lo online; lembrando que as versões anteriores só estão disponíveis em Inglês e Espanhol.
O Diretor de MNI, Lola Brickey disse, “Somos gratos em saber que a Linha de Mobilização de Oração tem servido como um canal de comunicação conectando as necessidades de nossos missionários à
igreja. MNI tem o prazer de disponibilizar este recurso para os irmãos e irmãs que falam o português”.
Linha de Mobilização de Oração surgiu em 1981. Naquele tempo, havia uma linha telefônica do Escritório Global de Missões servindo como um canal de comunicação entre os missionários em campo e a igreja
local. Embora a linha telefônica não esteja mais disponível, LMO, desde então, expandiu-se e foi incluída na página da MNI (nazarenemissions.org) e no boletim semanal que é enviado por e-mail. Em 2012, iniciaram as traduções para o espanhol como uma ferramenta de intercessão e agora a MNI está entusiasmada com o
fornecimento da versão em português para os Nazarenos, atingindo praticamente todas as regiões da denominação.
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Do you have a story from your church or district or other
ministry in the Eurasia Region? Contact us at: communications@
eurasiaregion.org. We would love to feature your pictures and
stories in a newsletter of Snapshot.
“And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”[Mark 11:25 (NIV)]
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Prayer Requests:
•Please pray for churches in Armenia who are reaching out to struggling families through a compassionate ministry program. Pray that God would bring many people to relationship with Him through this practical demonstration of love.
•Please pray for the church in the Eurasia Region to find ways to implement indigenous holiness theology and practice.
•Please pray for the families who have been evacuated from the Middle East, to save their lives. Ask God to help them as they try to assimilate into new cultures and new languages. Pray that all their needs will be provided.
•Please pray the thousands who have been displaced or affected by the flooding in South Asia. Ask God to help our Nazarenes to find ways to assist their communities during this difficult time.
•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.
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Where Worlds Meet is the monthly newsletter for the Eurasia Region of the Church of the Nazarene. To subscribe, e-mail whereworldsmeet@eurasiaregion.org or visit
www.eurasiaregion.org.
We welcome stories, photos and prayer requests. E-mail submissions to whereworldsmeet@eurasiaregion.org
Gina Pottenger, Communications, Coordinator gpottenger@eurasiaregion.org
Zarah Miller, Videographer zmiller@eurasiaregion.org
Randolf Wolst, Website manager rwolst@eurasiaregion.org
Arthur Snijders Regional Director awsnijders@eurasiaregion.org
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Transforming Our World: In Christ • Like Christ • For Christ
Eurasia Regional Office • Postfach 1217 • 8207 Schaffhausen, Switzerland
Phone (+49) 7734 93050 • Fax (+49) 7734 930550 • E-mail wherewor ldsmeet@eur asiaregion.or g
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