Nazarene Communications Network Global News Summary | Volume 1443 | October 24, 2014 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Since 2005, the university's CJR has been committed to working against human trafficking in San Diego, which was identified by the FBI as one of the country's high intensity areas for child prostitution. Human trafficking — the use of fraud, force or coercion to get someone to act against their will for little or no pay — has become a major U.S. crisis involving scores of minors and teens in most U.S. cities and at many local high schools. The center's work to abolish human trafficking in San Diego includes conducting research, which led to its involvement in and collaboration with local and national law enforcement, child welfare services, educators, researchers, and victim service agencies. Through victim service agencies — organizations that help survivors of human trafficking — CJR Director Jamie Gates first learned that from L.A. to San Diego, approximately two dozen survivors are currently ready for a 4-year college education. That number continues to increase. "One of the top three requests consistently for people coming out of that level of oppression is to be able to rebuild their lives by obtaining an education," Gates said. "Unfortunately for most it is completely out of their reach to find funding and financial aid to attend a university. But what better education could someone coming out of such pain receive than to be surrounded by the compassionate Christian educational environment here at PLNU?" The October 30 spoken word event is to open to the public and marks the beginning of the crowdfunding campaign to raise enough money for the Beauty for Ashes Scholarship Fund to last in perpetuity. The initial goal is to raise $40,000, roughly the annual cost of fully funding a student through PLNU. "God's been opening doors, and I can only pray and hope that the financial doors will open as well," Gates said. "This fund was the obvious next step if we're going to be a university that gives ourselves fully to working against trafficking. We should be part of the solution in all things that we do, and our primary task is to educate and mentor students." The bulk of the scholarship will be for survivors of human trafficking to attend PLNU, while a smaller portion will be for students who are heading towards vocations in the abolition of human trafficking. Survivors' information will be kept confidential by PLNU leadership, and the recipients will remain anonymous among the student population. For more information or to support the scholarship, visit the Abolish Human Trafficking website. --Point Loma Nazarene University  Regional NewsEurasia Church provides food, school supplies to Syrian refugee families Syria, Eurasia Region  A Nazarene church on the Eastern Mediterranean Field recently provided powdered milk packages and school bags to 24 Syrian refugee families, with plans to distribute to up to 150 families.The refugees have fled the violence and political turmoil in Syria that began in 2011 and has killed almost 200,000 people and displaced about 6.5 million people, 3 million of whom fled to other countries. In the initial delivery, the local church gave out school bags filled with wool hats and gloves to 70 children, as well as two pairs of socks, stationery packs, and some sweets. "We have the names and numbers of more then 1,400 Syrian refugee families," said a Nazarene pastor who helped coordinate the distribution. "They came to our church asking for any kind of help. The church are already helping around 600 families every month with hygiene packages. Anyway, we looked into our files and found kids who go to school and chose them first." During the distribution visits, the church members shared the gospel with some of the families and prayed with many of them. In one home, a man who was a spiritual leader of another religion "was very open to welcome the church team and he did not mind praying in his house in the name of Christ," the pastor reported. In another home were three girls who often attend ministry programs at the church where they had been learning about God. Their mother asked them why they go to the church, so the girls replied that at the church they learn to pray and praise God. Their mother asked the pastor's wife what "praise" means. When the pastor's wife explained the answer, the girls' mother turned to her daughters and said, "Yes, you need to do this." The 600 families who receive regular contact and material items from this local church are divided into four groups, and each group comes to the church on a different Saturday once a month for a seminar that provides training and information in spiritual, medical, and social areas. They also receive prayer from the church members. "This month we are covering the topic of raising up children — the role of parents and how to punish a child," the pastor wrote. "It is a real breakthrough in their mindset and a big addition of values in their lives. We were happy to see a few men ready to sit and listen, too." To contribute to the education and care for children still living in war-torn Syria, visit Nazarene Compassionate Ministries and donate to the Acts of God project or the Education for Syrian students project. Syrian refugee children are also helped through the Middle East schools project.--Church of the Nazarene Eurasia RegionSouth America Flags of the Nations: Ecuador Global Ministry Center  Since September 1, 2009, the Church of the Nazarene's Global Ministry Center (GMC) proudly flies a flag each week of one of the many nations in which the denomination is present in ministry. Leaders were invited to send a national flag to be flown at the GMC alongside the flag of the United States*. The national flags rotate weekly, and photos of them raised are sent to the church leaders of that country.This week: Ecuador The Church of the Nazarene officially entered Ecuador in 1972. Ecuador had a population of 15,439,429 in 2013. That same year, Ecuador reported 217 Churches of the Nazarene, 189 of which had been officially organized. Ecuador has 14,665 total members. Ecuador has two Phase 1 districts, one Phase 2 district, and three Phase 3 districts. It is a part of the South America Region. For more information, visit samnaz.org. Previous flags featured: Argentina Aruba Belize Benin Bolivia Brazil Burkina Faso Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Chile Colombia Côte d'Ivoire Cuba Dominican Republic Ecuador Equatorial Guinea Ethiopia France Gabon Guatemala Germany Ghana Guam Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guinea-Conakry Guyana Haiti Ireland Israel Italy Liberia Madagascar Mali Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Paraguay Peru Senegal Sierra Leone South Africa South Sudan Suriname Swaziland Togo United Kingdom Uruguay Venezuela Additional World Areas NOTE: Some countries cannot be represented in this project in order to maintain security of those working there. * = The weekly highlighted flag is raised on the middle of three poles in compliance with U.S. government protocols. It flies to the left of the GMC host-nation United States flag, which flies above the host-state flag of Kansas. The Christian flag flies on the third pole. The Global Ministry Center is the mission and service hub of the Church of the Nazarene.USA/Canada Short-term missions and embarrassing grace Bakersfield, California By Shawna Songer Gaines for Engage magazine  "The Germans are coming!" This has been the joke around our church office at Bakersfield First Church for the last several months. All summer we have prepared to receive a mission team here in California from Germany. We prayed, borrowed air mattresses and learned to say, "Willkommen" ("Welcome"). These Germans would not catch us unprepared! Still, with all our preparations I was not ready for the disorientation of being on the receiving end of short-term missions.I'm no stranger to international missions. I was 10 when my family joined our church on my very first mission trip to Mexico. I officiated over my first funeral on a Mexico mission trip when I was 17. Hey, my first full-time job was for Nazarene Missions International, the network of leaders in every local Nazarene church which mobilizes people for mission. In all my experiences I must have heard fellow teammates say a million times, "I really got a lot more out of this than I gave." Always underlying these comments was an assumption of transaction. We go on a short-term mission trip assuming that "they" need something that "we" can give or do. We leave having arrived at some kind of a revelation that "they" gave us something "we" needed. Either way, we still assume we are there to transact, exchanging one thing for another. But my time on the receiving end of this "transaction" has turned my perspective of short-term missions on its head. For the rest of the story, see Engage magazine.Multicultural Ministries trains Haitian pastors, ethnic facilitators Olathe, Kansas  The Multicultural Ministries Office convened two training events this month. The first gathering was the French/Haitian Pastor/Teacher training, October 14 through 16. Haitian Facilitator Pascal Permis invited 11 Haitian pastors from the five districts with the largest number of Haitian congregations to help develop a system for ministerial preparation using modular curriculum. The training, given in collaboration with Global Clergy Development, featured Clergy Development Administrative Director Stan Rodes and Nazarene Theological Seminary Professor Dean Blevins. "We are envisioning that this group of pastors go back to their districts to present a plan for a French/Haitian language track at their respective district training centers," said Roberto Hodgson, Multicultural Ministries director. There are 86 Haitian churches and 13,646 members on the USA/Canada Region. The second event was the Annual Ethnic Facilitators meeting, October 18 through 20. USA/Canada Regional Director Bob Broadbooks brought greetings and encouragement to the leaders. He was followed by James Russom from Nazarene Bible College, who presented the Ministry Preparation Program offered by NBC in partnership with Multicultural Ministries. The vision is to provide this program in English to all ethnic groups on the USA/Canada Region. The next day, Nazarene Theological Seminary President Carla Sunberg brought the devotional and encouraged facilitators to promote various NTS programs. She indicated NTS will provide scholarships for ethnic students. Retired Global Mission Director Louie Bustle presented three sessions based on "Each One Win One" and "Each One Disciple One." The training equipped and challenged facilitators to share this multiplication system with their respective groups in order to make Christlike disciples in the nations. The meeting concluded with a seminar presented by Church of the Nazarene General Counsel Michael Thompson on the church incorporation process.--Multicultural MinistriesNazarenes in the News Global Ministry Center  Nazarenes in the News is a compilation of online news articles featuring Nazarene churches or church members. Texas church celebrates 100 years Sherman, Texas (Herald Democrat, October 16) The Sherman Church of the Nazarene celebrated their 100th anniversary Sunday. They will officially pass the 100-year mark on Tuesday. What started out as a tent revival in 1914 became a congregation looking for a home. The church understood early on, however, that the measure of a great church was not in its structures but in its people, church leaders said. "The people are loving each other, caring for all humanity, and being like Jesus to the world," church pastor Bob Lothenore said. "The building is a place for us to congregate, to worship the Lord. There's nothing sacred about the building." Lothenore said the idea comes from 1 Corinthians 12:27, "Now you are the Body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." For the rest of the story, click here. Ohio church holds 100th anniversary service Ironton, Ohio (WOWK-TV, October 12) It was a special anniversary for the First Church of the Nazarene in Ironton, Ohio, as it celebrated 100 years of service on Sunday. "How it happened today is exactly how I thought it would. It was just really great. I'm really happy with how it all worked out," said Pastor Robert Hale. It was a special day for those clergy members in attendance. "This church has been the foundation of my life," said Janice Heaberlin. For the rest of the story, click here. Michigan pastor wins awards at bodybuilding competition Adrian, Michigan (NCN News submissions) Terry Clees, senior pastor at the Adrian-Madison Church of the Nazarene on the Eastern Michigan District, competed in the October 18 Central States Bodybuilding Championships in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Clees came home with four trophies: third place in Masters Division, second place in True Novice, second place in Welterweight Open, and first place in Novice Class A. Stories to share? Send them to submitnews@ncnnews.com.--Compiled by NCN News  Global Ministry Center NewsIn Memoriam Global Ministry Center  The following is a weekly listing of Nazarene ministers and leaders who recently went home to be with the Lord. Notices were received October 20-24, 2014. Phyllis (Brown) Gookin, 96, of Pueblo, Colorado, passed away October 15. She was the widow of retired minister Ivan Gookin, who served in Colorado. Ivan Gookin passed away in 1997. Wilma Gwaltney, 87, of Dayton, Texas, passed away October 15. She was the widow of retired minister Orval Gwaltney, who served in Colorado and Texas. Orval Gwaltney passed away in 2002. Nancy Kelly, 78, of Long Beach, California, passed away August 17. She was a retired minister, serving in California. Noreen (Erickson) Quanstrom, 80, of Bend, Oregon, passed away October 17. She was the widow of retired minister Robert Quanstrom, who served in Ohio, Illinois, Texas, and Oregon. Robert Quanstrom passed away in 2009. She was also preceded in death by her first husband, Arne Mikkelborg. Robert Roden, 90, of Corry, Pennsylvania, passed away October 22. He was a minister, previously serving in Pennsylvania. He is survived by his wife, Anne Roden. Albert Sharp, 90, of Elwell, Michigan, passed away October 21. He was a retired song evangelist, serving in Michigan and Oklahoma. He is survived by his wife, Norma Sharp. Forrest Whitlatch, 90, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, passed away October 21. He was a retired minister and district superintendent, serving in Iowa. He is survived by his wife, Margaret Whitlatch. For previous editions of In Memoriam, see the "Passings" section on ncnnews.com by clicking here. Note: Please join with us in prayer for the families who have lost loved ones. Click on names for full stories, funeral information, local online obituaries, and/or guest books (if available). To submit an entry of a minister or church leader, send to submitnews@ncnnews.com.--Compiled by NCN NewsGMC employment opportunities Global Ministry Center By NCN News Staff  The following positions are available at the Church of the Nazarene's Global Ministry Center:Business Center — Senior Mail Technician This position is responsible for processing incoming/outgoing mail, deliveries, and providing customer service to GMC employees. Additional tasks include maintaining the Business Center, assisting with other Business Center work orders as requested, working with vendors and USPS (including attending training and vendor seminars), as well as handling billing and related paperwork. Information Technology — Senior Software Developer Members of the software development team are primarily responsible for facilitating the ministry of the Global Ministry Center through the analysis, design, implementation, and support of software solutions. For the full job description, click here. Nazarene Compassionate Ministries — Computer Programming Coordinator The person in this position will lead NCM's development team in developing and maintaining NCM's web applications, systems, and websites. Pensions & Benefits USA — Technology Specialist This position will assist the technology supervisor in coordinate the technology resources available to each department within the Pensions and Benefits USA office by making sure internal and external education/training efforts are meeting P&B requirements. This includes benefit plan system development, Web development, document storage/retrieval, and equipping staff with the necessary computer/phone equipment. USA/Canada Regional Office — Office Assistant This position provides assistance to the UCRO administrative coordinator with event planning, word processing, scheduling, website maintenance, and other tasks as needed. About Located in Lenexa, Kansas, the Global Ministry Center is the administrative, mission, and service hub for the denomination's ministries in 159 world areas. All GMC positions report to this location. To obtain additional information, please call (913) 577-0500 and ask for Human Resources. Our Non-Discrimination Policy The Church of the Nazarene Global Ministry Center offers equal employment opportunity to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, disability, race, religion, creed, sex, or veteran status. The Global Ministry Center is an "at will" employer. Our Faith-Based Organization We are a faith-based organization. Acceptance of our Christian Code of Conduct is required and membership in the Church of the Nazarene is required for certain positions. The GMC and applicable remote work sites are smoke, alcohol, and drug free Christian workplaces. Application Processing Our Human Resources Office receives and processes many employment applications annually for a limited number of positions. While we regret that we cannot respond to each applicant, we do contact those individuals possessing the skills, education/training, and experience that best match the requirements of the open position for which the application was submitted. An application must be completed by all applicants and an application must be completed for each position for which one wishes to be considered. Applications are retained for one year. Resumes are not necessary for entry-level positions, but they are preferred for professional level positions. Resumes may be submitted by mail. Applying for Employment with the GMC Application forms may be requested by calling (913) 577-0500, emailing bsikes@nazarene.org, or obtained in person from Human Resources at the Church of the Nazarene Global Ministry Center, 17001 Prairie Star Parkway, Lenexa, Kansas, 66220, Monday through Friday from 8:00 to 4:30 Central Time. Completed applications may be mailed or emailed to the attention of the Human Resources Office. For more information, see the GMC's Human Resources page by clicking here.  ResourcesMedia Library feature: WEF Thank Offering 2014 Global Ministry Center  The Nazarene Media Library provides access to online media resources for the local church, such as free video files to view or download. New to the Media Library this month is "WEF Thank Offering 2014," a promotional video for the 2014 Thanksgiving Offering for the World Evangelism Fund. In the Old Testament, people gave a thank offering as a way of saying "thank you" to God. Today, we give because we are thankful for what the Lord is doing in the lives of people around the globe. The video is available in the Church of the Nazarene's five official languages — English, French, Korean, Portuguese, and Spanish. http://medialibrary.nazarene.org/media/wef-thank-offering-2014 To download this video or view additional content, visit nazarene.org/medialibrary. For more information on the 2014 Thanksgiving Offering for the World Evangelism Fund, visit nazarene.org/generosity.JESUS Film announces Christmas promotion Olathe, Kansas  JESUS Film Harvest Partners® wants to make it easy for individuals, small groups, and churches to play a key role in giving a gift to people who speak English or one of 24 other languages. The Story of Jesus Through the Eyes of Children is a one-hour film that shares the life of Jesus through the eyes of one family and one group of children. It connects all age groups and cultures with the realization that salvation is found through knowing Jesus.Languages include Arabic, Cantonese, English, Farsi (Persian), French, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Nepali, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Punjabi, Russian, Somali, Spanish (Latin American), Tagalog, Tamil, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, and Vietnamese. Through a special offer from The JESUS Film Project®, 200 DVDs can be purchased for US$100 plus shipping until December 31. While the special offer only lasts through this Christmas season, consider ordering extra copies for other year-round activities, such as a giveaway at Vacation Bible School. Below is a plan churches have found effective in reaching to communities during the Christmas season: 1. Order DVDs early from ourfamilytoyourfamily.org or call toll free 1-800-432-1997 to get copies on time. 2. Make an announcement on the first Sunday of December. Show the whiteboard video clip during your worship service. This can be downloaded from the Our Family to Your Family website. Have DVDs available in a convenient location for pick-up. Encourage people to pick up a DVD to give to a neighbor, along with a Christmas card and plate of cookies or bag of microwave popcorn. 3. Make reminder announcements each Sunday until Christmas and have DVDs available. 4. Plan a meeting in early January to celebrate the outreach together. Have people share their experiences. Rejoice in what God did. Brainstorm ways to follow up with the DVD recipients. Consider future action points. Other options include giving the DVDs as gifts or planning events. Give stockings to families with the movie and candy inside. DVDs wrapped in Christmas paper and bows. You can give the DVDs solely or combine them with a Bible, toy, or popcorn bag. Learn how to say "Merry Christmas" in the languages of people you know or would like to get to know. Then write a nice card and take the movie to them greeting them with "Merry Christmas" in their language. Christmas Family Movie Night — Make invitations for families in your church to invite their neighbors to a family movie night. You can provide popcorn and drinks as well as give the movie to all the families in attendance. Christmas Cookie Decorating Party — A fun and festive way to reach out to your community. Invite families to come for a time of family fun for all ages. Provide a bulk of sugar cookies, frosting, and sprinkles. Play Christmas music or the movie and allow families to decorate a plate of cookies. You can have a cookie decorating contest and a sample table open for people to taste them as well. At the end of the night, give each family a movie and challenge them to take the movie and plate of cookies to a neighbor or friend and share Jesus with them. Share stories, videos, and written reports from your outreach with JESUS Film Harvest Partners® and The JESUS Film Project® by emailing drobbins@JFHP.org or sending mail to: JESUS Film Harvest Partners Attn: Diane Robbins 15055 W 116th Street Olathe, KS 66220--JESUS Film Harvest Partners  Collegiate NewsTrevecca Fall Celebration garners its largest audience Nashville, Tennessee  Five years ago, Moody and Nina Gunter presented to university administrators their idea for a Trevecca-sponsored event for senior adults. That idea became the Trevecca Legacy Partners (TLP) Fall Celebration, and the Gunters agreed to serve as volunteer ambassadors for Trevecca.The Fifth Annual Trevecca Legacy Partners Fall Celebration, held Friday, October 18, attracted its largest-ever audience: 575 people — almost 100 percent more than the attendance at the first TLP Fall Celebration. This year's participants came from 10 of the 11 Church of the Nazarene districts in the Southeast and from 16 states. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., participants enjoyed a continental breakfast, time for fellowship with old and new friends, Trevecca President Dan Boone's dialogue with current Trevecca students, a presentation by a Trevecca alumnus and a Trevecca faculty member, a three-course lunch, afternoon refreshments, and special music. The Collingsworth Family, the featured musicians, sang throughout the day and provided a full concert in the afternoon. Additionally, one of Trevecca's public relations groups provided music prior to the opening of the morning and afternoon segments. The Gunter explain their dream for this event. "Before we were given the 'Trevecca ambassador' title, we eagerly told high school students in the Southeast about Trevecca, encouraged them to consider Trevecca, and sent the names of those students to Trevecca's Office of Admissions. Supporting Trevecca is simply part of who we are. But we have also wanted to engage others in supporting Trevecca — through recruiting students, giving financial support, and sharing their estates with Trevecca. The Trevecca Legacy Partners is the result, and it is composed of persons who have joined us in this effort. This annual fall event enables us to share this dream with others through a one-day celebration for senior adults." The 2015 TLP Fall Celebration will take place October 16 with featured musicians Sue Dodge and the Isaacs.--Trevecca Nazarene UniversityOlivet honors former presidential speechwriter Bourbonnais, Illinois  Olivet Nazarene University recently honored Janice Shaw Crouse of Laurel, Maryland, with the Harold W. Reed Leadership Award for a lifetime of ethical leadership and her service in the areas of education, government, human rights, and religious freedom. She is the 14th recipient of the award. Her mother-in-law, the late Ailene (Gilbert) Crouse, graduated from Olivet in 1925."Dr. Crouse knows how to lead effectively and be a voice for change," said John C. Bowling, university president. "She is a strong public voice on many of society's most pressing issues. Her work has had an international impact." Crouse serves on the executive committee for the Howard Center and is chairman of the board for the Institute on Religion and Democracy. She writes a weekly column for townhall.com, American Thinker, The Washington Times, The American Spectator, and humanevents.com. Her opinion editorials and columns appear in major newspapers, journals, and magazines across the nation, including the Washington Post and USA Today. She appears on all the major television networks — ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX News, C-SPAN, MSNBC, and CNN — as a commentator on contemporary events and as an expert on domestic issues. She is a popular speaker at national and international events and on college campuses. Her career also includes serving as a presidential speechwriter during the George H. W. Bush administration, authoring major presidential policy addresses; heading up a Washington, D.C., think tank; leading the Beverly LaHaye Institute; directing the work of a 94-member faculty as associate vice president for Academic Affairs at Taylor University; serving as president of Crouse Communications; and teaching interpersonal communications and coaching debate at Asbury College and Ball State University. Crouse is the author of Children at Risk and Marriage Matters, released by Transaction Publishers, as well as Gaining Ground: A Profile of American Women in the Twentieth Century. She co-authored A Different Kind of Strength, which was a Conservative Book of the Month selection in 2000 and has been printed in four foreign language editions. Passionate about children's issues and ending human trafficking, she received two appointments (2002 and 2003) from the president of the U.S. as a delegate to the United Nations. In 2013, she was named Woman of the Year by the World Congress of Families. She continues to serve on national task forces and coalitions on national and international issues: against sexual trafficking, against abuse of women, promoting human rights, and promoting religious freedom. "This award honors the lasting legacy of both Janice Crouse and Dr. Harold W. Reed," Bowling said. The award and the Reed Institute for Advanced Study of Leadership were established by Reed, who was president of the university from 1949 to 1975. Crouse's husband of 53 years, Gil Crouse, also enjoyed a career in public service. Together, they are the parents of two adult children and grandparents to seven grandchildren.--Olivet Nazarene University SUBSCRIBE | UNSUBSCRIBE | MANAGE YOUR PROFILE | FORWARD TO A FRIEND | CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE Senior Editor: Frank M. Moore Managing Editor: Chad E. Schnarr Associate Editor: Sarah A. Glass  Contact us: Nazarene Communications Network 17001 Prairie Star Parkway Lenexa, Kansas 66220 United Ststes Voice: (913) 577-0562 Fax: (913) 577-0857 Email: ncnnews@ncnnews.com
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