Nepal: Six days after the earthquake
Nepal, Eurasia Region
When a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal on April 25, it was a Saturday. In Nepal, that’s the day when Christians gather to worship. That meant that most churches were full when the ground began to violently shake beneath their feet.
Prakash, the pastor of the Nazarene church outside Kathmandu, said that because everyone in his family was at the church with him, there were no casualties in his family.
“I was preaching when the earth started to shake,” Prakash said. “I told the congregation to stay still and remain where they are, as we were meeting on the third floor. I told them not to go outside because to do that they would have had to go through the lower floors and on the top they were safer."
Hermann Gschwandtner, retiring South Asia field strategy coordinator, was in a Nepal church service during the quake.
”Right in the midst, the building shook, and we were reminded of Matthew 24,” Gschwandtner said. “We wondered whether this is the rapture.”
Prakash said his building did not collapse, "but it has huge cracks, so in the near future we will have to hold church services outside. We can't have fellowship there anymore. But most of our people live in solid buildings that only have minor cracks.”
Not everyone in Nepal was so fortunate.
More than 5,500 people have been reported dead so far, and there are at least 11,000 injured, according to the BBC on April 29, numbers that no doubt will keep climbing.
The country has a critical lack of clean water, which has already resulted in more than 1,200 recorded hospital visits due to water-related disease from drinking contaminated water. The next big fear in the country is a cholera outbreak.
Addressing the critical need for clean water is among the strategies that the Church of the Nazarene in Nepal has decided on as part of its immediate relief efforts. Nazarene Compassionate Ministries is partnering with churches in these efforts. NCM Nepal leaders met with Rev. Dilli*, who serves as both the Nepal district superintendent and NCM coordinator, and Eurasia Regional NCM Coordinator Jörg Eich to develop a relief and recovery plan.
They decided to first concentrate on the most critical short-term needs: shelter, water, and food.
To address the serious lack of food in affected areas, NCM leaders in Nepal would like to combine short-term food aid distribution with long-term seed and garden projects — a successful strategy NCM has used in some rural areas of the country to create food security.
The Nazarene Disaster Response team, made of church leaders and NCM staff, traveled to a community called Dharmasthali where NCM Nepal owns a small piece of land, and where a small Nazarene church meets. Seventy percent of the houses there were destroyed by the earthquake, so people are taking shelter in makeshift tents made out of tarp and plastic. The visit was one example of the critical need for providing tents and blankets.
On May 1, the disaster response team began serving in the Sindhupalchock district, one of the hardest hit areas, about 30 kilometers east of the capital city, Kathmandu. The team is providing aid to a community of about 1,000 people where the United Nations estimates 64 percent of homes were destroyed in the quake.
The Church of the Nazarene has more than 300 churches and church plants and 8,000 members in Nepal. Their focus following the earthquake will be to meet the needs of their neighbors, both through short-term emergency aid and longer-term community development efforts — all in the name of Christ.
How to help
Pray
Pray for grieving families, pray for vulnerable children and families, pray for those responding to the disaster, and pray for our church leaders and members in Nepal.
To send a prayer or message of encouragement, visit ncm.org/nepal.
NCM has also created a bulletin insert and presentation slides for use in church services.
Give
Churches and individuals around the world can support disaster response efforts by giving to the Nepal Earthquake Fund. Donations will be used to meet immediate needs, such as water, food, and shelter, as well as long-term recovery and rebuilding efforts.
To send donations by mail, find your country below.
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, MO 64184-3116
Be sure to put ACM1549 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
Be sure to put ACM1549 in the Memo area.
In Germany, send your donation to Helping Hands Germany:
Helping Hands e.V. - Gelnhausen, Germany
IBAN DE56 5075 0094 0000 022394
SWIFT-BIC HELADEF1GEL
For any other country, give through your local church or district, designating your gift to the NCM Nepal Earthquake Relief.
Share
General Superintendent David W. Graves called upon Nazarenes around the world to pray and give toward efforts in Nepal.
Posted in:
EURASIA
Nepal in need: Coming together as a church family
Virtual seminary offers courses in Spanish, Portuguese
Spanish classes include Spiritual Formation (78 students) and New Testament II (62 students). The Administration of the Church of the Nazarene course in Portuguese has 56 students from across Brazil. Nearly 200 students from 16 Latin American countries are enrolled in the seminary.
The seminary strives to offer educational excellence in ordination courses through virtual modules. Through an agreement with Northwest Nazarene University, the seminary uses the professional educational platform CANVAS.
Enrollment is currently open for the next classes. For Spanish, visit nazarenovirtual.net. For Portuguese, visit seminarionazareno.com.br.[Church of the Nazarene South America Region]Philippines pastor dies Salcedo, Philippines
The Ofilandas barely escaped as both the parsonage and the church were completely destroyed during the landfall of Super Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) in November 2013. A stronger structure is now in place thanks to Work & Witness.
Continued prayer is requested for the Ofilanda and Salcedo church families.
Free webinar explores Affordable Care Act Lenexa, Kansas
Stewardship Ministries and Pensions and Benefits USA are sponsoring a free webinar May 19 at 2 p.m. (CDT) on the impact of the act on clergy and churches. Among topics discussed will be changes in health care reimbursement and health care exchanges. Ministers and church treasurers are encouraged to participate.Continuing Education Unit credit is available for this event.
The webinar will feature Allison Gardner and Danny Miller, attorneys and healthcare experts with the Washington, D.C.-based law firm of Conner & Winters, LLP. They will address how churches can comply with the ACA and avoid costly penalties. A time will also be provided for questions. To register, visit this link.[P&B USA, Stewardship Ministries]Know before you go: Medication Work & Witness leaders on the Asia-Pacific Region prepared the following information about traveling with prescription and over-the-counter medication:
Are you preparing to go on a short-term missions trip or other international travel? Do you have some prescription or over-the-counter medications that you like to take along?
Beware. Most prescription drugs, particularly narcotics and drugs that are habit-forming, require additional consideration. Some countries, for example, the United Arab Emirates, will only allow narcotic items to be brought in with prior permission from the country's director of medicine and pharmacy control. Having as little as three grams of morphine in Singapore is sufficient for a death sentence.
Careful consideration should be taken for groups of travelers (such as Work & Witness teams) that maintain a collective first aid kit that includes an EpiPen® not prescribed to one individual, particularly if an administrator has not been trained to use the device. Ideally, only those to whom the device has been prescribed should self-administer in case of an emergency; otherwise local laws may interpret the use as unlawful.
The bottom line is that medication commonly prescribed in the U.S. could be an unlicensed or controlled substances in other countries. Failing to follow specific guidance may result in confiscation and stiff penalties — including imprisonment on drug trafficking charges — with no available recourse from the U.S. government.
Some guidelines:
Check with your doctor regarding your medications at least two months before departing to another country. Obtain a list of comparable generic names, including their dosage and composition, in case there is a need for a refill if the medication is licensed.
Travel with requisite medical documentation, which includes a letter (translated into the host language and certified if appropriate) from the prescribing doctor with his/her contact information, credentials, the diagnosis, treatment, and the medication regimen, including need for needles or syringes. The name on the prescription, container, and traveler’s passport must match!
If the medication contains narcotics, some countries will require an application to the local narcotics control division for permission prior to entry. Some countries consider amphetamines illegal; if the traveler’s U.S. doctor cannot make a switch before departure, the traveler will need to request permission in advance from the local country’s food and drug administration.
Medications should be packed in original containers with the traveler’s name on it (different medications cannot be combined in one container to save space), in a clear plastic bag, inside a carry-on since checked baggage is occasionally lost or delayed.
Third parties should not carry prescription medication designated for another person, particularly if the medication contains controlled substances (i.e. a parent re-supplying medication during an abroad program). Medications should not be mailed. The U.S. Postal Services restricts mailing medications, and the local customs authorities may stop the package. Both means of acquiring medication refills can be considered drug trafficking.
Travelers should not travel with more than personal-use quantities. Generally, this means no more than a 90-day supply (in some countries 30 days), provided the U.S. doctor can prescribe the whole amount and the insurance carrier will approve the quantity.
Some medicines need to be kept at room temperature (below 25ºC) or refrigerated. If traveling to a warm, humid country, the traveler should get advice from a pharmacist or doctor about storing the medicine.
The Department of State Consular Affairs maintains the Your Health Abroad website with various guidance and considerations for medical emergencies.
Travelers may call TSA Cares, a helpline to assist travelers with medical conditions, toll-free at 1-855-787-2227. TSA Cares hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 11 p.m. Eastern Time and weekends and holidays 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time. Calls should be placed at least 72 hours before travel.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also offers guidance for traveling with medication.[Church of the Nazarene Asia-Pacific Region]
Information sources: U.S. Department of State, DOS Consular Affairs, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Transportation Safety Administration, Center for Disease Control.
Additional Nazarene News Stories This Week
Flags of the Nations: Sierra Leone
The Church of the Nazarene officially entered Sierra Leone in 2004.
Sierra Leone had a population of 5,743,725 in 2014. That same year, Sierra Leone reported 44 Churches of the Nazarene, two of which had been officially organized. Sierra Leone has 435 total members.
Sierra Leone is a Phase 1 district on the Africa Region. For more information about the Africa Region, visit africanazarene.org.
The Sierra Leone flag is a horizontal tricolour of green, white, and blue. The green is symbolic of the agricultural and natural resources of the country, while the white represents justice and the blue is symbolic of Freetown's harbor.
* = 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.
Asia-Pacific
Mango Tree Respite Centre reaches out to visually impaired children
Asia-Pacific Communications recently received the following update from In-Kwon Kim, a missionary serving at Mango Tree Respite Centre in Tonga:
In the first week of January, Jeong-Seok and I attended a forum in Melbourne, Australia, regarding children with visual impairment. Representatives from Australia, Tonga, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Kiribati came together to discuss and set up an action plan for 2015 – 2017.
Many children with impaired vision who live in Tonga are neglected by their parents and teachers at school and eventually leave the school entirely due to bad grades. Saddened by this, we recently began helping visually impaired children.
William is a 6-year-old visually impaired boy. Due to genetics, his father and most of his siblings are already losing their eyesight. Hino, William’s older sister, is learning Braille at our centre.
We decided to enroll William into an English speaking primary school. This is because it is difficult to learn Braille without knowing English. Thankfully, with the active help from the principal, William was able to enroll into an English-speaking Christian primary school, and he was also greeted by a warm-hearted and helpful teacher at his assigned class.
William’s school fee is funded by the students from a college in New Zealand. We have made a tilted desk for William at our centre and a reading desk that helps him read books at a closer distance by changing its height. We have also been providing him with transportation so he can safely go to school.
Every morning in our van, William happily says, “Good morning. Thank you.” When he arrives at school, his friends from his class come running out to welcome him.
Our vision is that through this assistance, William will grow up to become a warm-hearted young man who knows how to love and take care of others, but most of all, knows and accepts the love of our Lord and Savior.[Church of the Nazarene Asia-Pacific Region
USA/Canada]
Nazarenes in the News
Linda Cable and Linda Ellis paint the kitchen area of Hope Pregnancy & Health Center Saturday as part of First Church of the Nazarene's 100 Acts of Service to honor the church's 100th anniversary.
Nazarenes in the News is a compilation of online news articles featuring Nazarene churches or church members.
Washington pastor heads to Nepal
Normandy Park, Washington
(The News Tribune, April 25) A King County pastor who had planned to spend the next two weeks teaching in Nepal instead is packing a suitcase full of emergency supplies and hoping to lend a hand to people harmed by Saturday’s devastating earthquake.
“It seems to me that we had one agenda and God had another. I don’t want to miss God’s agenda,” said the Rev. Jon Scott, 68, of Burien.
Scott left Sunday for Kathmandu. He spent Saturday with his wife, Margaret, collecting medicine and solar-powered equipment that may prove useful in a city recovering from a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that killed more than 5,500 people.
For the rest of the story, click here.
Indiana church celebrates 100 years with 100 acts of kindness
Anderson, Indiana
(The Herald Bulletin, April 25) It starts with helping those within the church — maybe a widow who needs a few home repairs — and then it branches out to helping neighbors, acquaintances and organizations.
Those acts seem so small in the grand scheme of things, but in reality, they’re a critical piece in something much larger.
Members of the First Church of the Nazarene, 2300 Jackson St., know how various acts can add up and make an impact.
For the last 100 years, the church has contributed to the community and honored tradition, faith and compassion. So when it came to celebrating its 100th anniversary, church leaders knew they had to do something big.
For the rest of the story, click here.
Ohio church selected as best place of worship
Kenton, Ohio
(Kenton Business Recognition, April 24) Kenton Church of Nazarene has been selected for the 2015 Best of Kenton Award in the Places of Worship category by the Kenton Award Program.
Each year, the Kenton Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Kenton area a great place to live, work and play.
For the rest of the story, click here.
Stories to share? Send them to news@nazarene.org.[Compiled by NCN News]
The following is a weekly listing of Nazarene ministers and leaders who recently went home to be with the Lord. Notices were received April 27 - May 1, 2015.
Roger Brown, 83, of Indianapolis, Indiana, passed away April 26. He was a retired song evangelist, serving in Illinois, Florida, and Indiana. He is survived by his wife, Elsie Brown.
Elouise Durham, 81, of Palm City, Florida, passed away April 26. She was the widow of retired minister Harold Durham, who served in Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Arkansas. Harold Durham passed away in 2012.
John Euton Jr., 87, of McDermott, Ohio, passed away April 24. He was a retired minister, serving in Ohio and Kentucky. He was preceded in death by his wife, Vivian (Crabtree) Euton, in 2009.
Wilda Holland, 85, of San Diego, California, passed away March 5. She was the widow of retired minister Zane Holland, who served in Missouri, Arkansas, and California. Zane Holland passed away in 2009.
Frances (Duncan) Hoskins, 85, of Mitchell, Indiana, passed away April 21. She was the widow of retired minister Paul Hoskins, who served in Indiana. Paul Hoskins passed away in 2012.
Laura Mangum, 93, of Nampa, Idaho, passed away April 27. She was the wife of retired minister and district superintendent Paul Mangum Sr., who served in Oregon, Idaho, Texas, California, and lead the Philadelphia District. Laura Mangum was preceded in death by her first husband, retired minister, evangelist, and educator Marvin Sporleder, who served in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Marvin Sporleder passed away in 1989.
Salvador Ofilanda of the Philippines passed away last week. He was the pastor of Salcedo Church of the Nazarene. He is survived by his wife, Rylin Ofilanda.
Donald Oneal, 85, of Hetland, South Dakota, passed away April 10. He was a retired minister, serving in Illinois, Texas, and South Dakota. He is survived by his wife, Jean (Rottum) Oneal.
Michael Prince, 75, of Kerrville, Texas, passed away April 26. He was a retired minister, serving in Virginia, New Mexico, California, Colorado, Alaska, and Texas. He is survived by his wife, Darlene Prince.
Delois Taylor, 87, of Canon City, Colorado, passed away April 23. She was the wife of retired minister John Taylor, who served in Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Colorado, and Georgia.
Letitia (Millerman) Thomas, 94, of Nampa, Idaho, passed away April 25. She was the wife of retired minister and evangelist J. Melton Thomas, who served in Texas, Oklahoma, Alaska, Ohio, Washington, California, New Mexico, and Idaho.
Carol (Tooley) Wilkinson, 92, of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, passed away April 17. She was a retired minister and missionary, serving in Indiana, Argentina, and Uruguay. She was preceded in death by her husband, retired minister, missionary, and evangelist Melvin Wilkinson, who served in Indiana, Kentucky, Argentina, and Uruguay. Melvin Wilkinson passed away in 2011.
For previous editions of In Memoriam, see the "Passings" section 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 news@nazarene.org.[Compiled by NCN News]
GMC employment opportunities
The following positions are available at the Church of the Nazarene's Global Ministry Center:
Business Center — Front Desk Receptionist
The receptionist will answer phones, greet guests, and handle other front desk tasks and clerical work as assigned.
Financial Services — Administrative Assistant
This position works under the direction of the general treasurer, primarily providing administrative and clerical support.
General Secretary’s Office — Administrative Assistant
This position will provide programming for an online registration program called C-Vent. The person in this position will fulfill a wide variety of duties and is crucial to the success of event planning for the GMC. This position will also serve as part of the General Assembly event staff. Exact duties will be assigned depending on candidates strengths, skills, and experience.
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.
Stewardship Ministries — Copywriting Intern (Summer temporary)
This position supplements fulfillment of the constant writing needs of Stewardship Ministries for Web, social media, and print publications in pursuit of developing holistic, generous disciples. This position works with all members of the Stewardship Ministries team to create and edit copy that accurately depicts and complements the purpose of each project. In addition to copywriting, duties include customer service, social media engagement, and minimum data entry.
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 or email bsikes@nazarene.org.
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 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 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.
The Church of the Nazarene Foundation recently presented $500,000 to Mount Vernon Nazarene University President Henry Spaulding for the establishment of the Harlan S. and M. Marie Ault Endowment.
“The Ault Endowment will be a source of support for generations of those preparing for ministry at MVNU," Spaulding said. "The stewardship and faith of the Aults will become incarnate in the lives of those preparing for ministry."
The gift was presented by Donald Lain, the foundation’s vice president of gift planning.
“As Nazarenes, our great treasures are our colleges and universities," Lain said. "As far back as 1993, Mr. and Mrs. Ault understood the value of these and set in motion the establishment of this endowment that will bless ministerial students for years to come.
“I often sit with donors trying to determine where their generous gift might be best used. Many give consideration to remembering their college or university — either the college or university they attended or the one in their region.”
This endowment will be used to provide tuition scholarships to MVNU ministerial students. Applicants for the scholarship will be required to submit a written commitment to serve full time as a pastor, missionary, or evangelist in the Church of the Nazarene for a minimum of four years.[Mount Vernon Nazarene UniversityNNU honors alumna with education award ]Nampa, Idaho
Northwest Nazarene University honored alumna Marilyn Olson with the 2014 L. E. Wesche Outstanding Educator of the Year award last week. The award is given each year to an alumnus who has provided distinguished service in the field of education.
Olson is currently a research associate at the Center for Advanced Technology in Education at the University of Oregon. A member of NNU's class of 1962, she first obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Language and Literature, then a master’s degree from University of Missouri, Kansas City in 1968, and finally earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction from University of Oregon in 1984.
For more than 50 years Olson has been involved with education at nearly every level. She taught junior high students at Huntington Junior High in Kelso, Washington, and Palmer Junior High in Independence, Missouri, and senior high students at Rantoul, Illinois, High School. Olson spent two years as an assistant professor at Olivet Nazarene University as well as an associate professor of graduate education at Point Loma Nazarene University. She has also served as an education consultant with the Register-Guard in Eugene, Oregon, as a continuing education instructor at University of Oregon, as a special projects coordinator at Lane Education Service District in Eugene, Oregon, for over a decade, and as a curriculum development specialist for the same district.
More recently, she served as an administrator in the University of Oregon, Eugene's College of Education from 1997 to 2009, co-director of the OCTeach Project from 2004 to 2010, and is currently a research associate, a position she has actively held since 2009.
Olson has received and provided oversight for nine major funded educational research studies, has written or co-authored 20 professional papers and publications, and has served as a presenter, guest lecturer, and educational consultant.
The Wesche Award is named in honor of Lilburn Wesche, NNU faculty emeritus, who graduated from Northwest Nazarene College in 1951. During his 30-year career at NNU, he was a professor, head of the education department, director of teacher education, director of graduate studies, interim academic dean, and chair of the division of professional studies. Award recipients are current professionals who make a positive impact in the field of education that extends beyond the classroom.[Northwest Nazarene UniversityPLNU receives National Science Foundation grant to support STEM majors]San Diego, California
Maloney is joined by Maria Zack, professor and chair of Mathematical, Information and Computer Sciences; Dawne Page, professor and chair of Biology; Lorinda J. Carter, professor of Computer Science; and Paul Schmelzenbach, professor and chair of Physics and Engineering.
PLNU has been the recipient of previous NSF awards, however, this award is unique. The proposal was the first application by PLNU to the Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM), in the Division of Undergraduate Education at the NSF.
“This is part of what makes it surprising that we got the funding,” Zack said. “As a new applicant, we were told to expect multiple attempts before qualifying for a funding award.”
Although surprising, Zack admits PLNU was well positioned for the award.
“PLNU’s size allows for excellent faculty/student mentoring and faculty collaboration," she said. "Our STEM departments have been working together in the areas of research, curriculum development, and student development for more than 40 years."
The university's application proposed to build on the existing pattern of collaboration in PLNU’s STEM community by providing scholarships to academically talented and financially needy STEM students interested in careers and graduate education that combine a STEM discipline with computational science (STEM-CS).
The NSF grant will provide significant scholarships to talented STEM majors who have high financial need and would not otherwise be able to pursue STEM education at PLNU. According to Dawne Page, the hope is that, “by meeting most or all of these students’ financial need and giving them academic and career service support, we hope to graduate them into the STEM workforce or into STEM graduate education.”
Key features of this proposal build on the student experience in PLNU’s STEM disciplines. All students will participate in undergraduate research, conference presentations and/or publications on the research, and a senior capstone interdisciplinary project in computational science.
Established in 2011, PLNU’s computational science minor allows mathematics or computer science students to gain limited knowledge in biology, chemistry, or physics to be able to help scientists with their computational needs; and to expose biology, chemistry, or physics majors to computational techniques they can collaborate with mathematicians and computer scientists to solve complex problems in science and engineering. This popular minor provides a natural cohort of academically talented STEM students that take classes together and share a common interest — a key element to the objectives of PLNU’s S-STEM project proposal.
Computational science is the use of computational techniques (e.g. statistics, computer programming, modeling, and data management) to help solve problems in the natural sciences, and it is one of the fastest growing areas of employment. The premise of computational science is that much of the current scientific research (particularly in industrial settings involving biotechnology, nuclear power, and national security) is conducted by interdisciplinary teams. Each member of the team is an expert in their field of study but is sufficiently conversant with the other disciplines of their team members to be able to function effectively in a team.
The NSF grant follows steady STEM growth at PLNU, and continued growth is anticipated. To meet the needs of current and future students, PLNU launched the largest capital campaign in the institution’s history with the Campaign for the Sciences. The capstone of the campaign, PLNU’s new science building, is on schedule for completion in the summer and will be set to serve students in the coming fall semester. [Point Loma Nazarene University]
Our mailing address is:
NCN News
17001 Prairie Star Parkway
The bottom line is that medication commonly prescribed in the U.S. could be an unlicensed or controlled substances in other countries. Failing to follow specific guidance may result in confiscation and stiff penalties — including imprisonment on drug trafficking charges — with no available recourse from the U.S. government.
Some guidelines:
Check with your doctor regarding your medications at least two months before departing to another country. Obtain a list of comparable generic names, including their dosage and composition, in case there is a need for a refill if the medication is licensed.
Travel with requisite medical documentation, which includes a letter (translated into the host language and certified if appropriate) from the prescribing doctor with his/her contact information, credentials, the diagnosis, treatment, and the medication regimen, including need for needles or syringes. The name on the prescription, container, and traveler’s passport must match!
If the medication contains narcotics, some countries will require an application to the local narcotics control division for permission prior to entry. Some countries consider amphetamines illegal; if the traveler’s U.S. doctor cannot make a switch before departure, the traveler will need to request permission in advance from the local country’s food and drug administration.
Medications should be packed in original containers with the traveler’s name on it (different medications cannot be combined in one container to save space), in a clear plastic bag, inside a carry-on since checked baggage is occasionally lost or delayed.
Third parties should not carry prescription medication designated for another person, particularly if the medication contains controlled substances (i.e. a parent re-supplying medication during an abroad program). Medications should not be mailed. The U.S. Postal Services restricts mailing medications, and the local customs authorities may stop the package. Both means of acquiring medication refills can be considered drug trafficking.
Travelers should not travel with more than personal-use quantities. Generally, this means no more than a 90-day supply (in some countries 30 days), provided the U.S. doctor can prescribe the whole amount and the insurance carrier will approve the quantity.
Some medicines need to be kept at room temperature (below 25ºC) or refrigerated. If traveling to a warm, humid country, the traveler should get advice from a pharmacist or doctor about storing the medicine.
The Department of State Consular Affairs maintains the Your Health Abroad website with various guidance and considerations for medical emergencies.
Travelers may call TSA Cares, a helpline to assist travelers with medical conditions, toll-free at 1-855-787-2227. TSA Cares hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 11 p.m. Eastern Time and weekends and holidays 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time. Calls should be placed at least 72 hours before travel.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also offers guidance for traveling with medication.[Church of the Nazarene Asia-Pacific Region]
Information sources: U.S. Department of State, DOS Consular Affairs, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Transportation Safety Administration, Center for Disease Control.
Additional Nazarene News Stories This Week
Regional News
AfricaFlags of the Nations: Sierra Leone
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: Sierra LeoneThe Church of the Nazarene officially entered Sierra Leone in 2004.
Sierra Leone had a population of 5,743,725 in 2014. That same year, Sierra Leone reported 44 Churches of the Nazarene, two of which had been officially organized. Sierra Leone has 435 total members.
Sierra Leone is a Phase 1 district on the Africa Region. For more information about the Africa Region, visit africanazarene.org.
The Sierra Leone flag is a horizontal tricolour of green, white, and blue. The green is symbolic of the agricultural and natural resources of the country, while the white represents justice and the blue is symbolic of Freetown's harbor.
* = 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.
Asia-Pacific
Mango Tree Respite Centre reaches out to visually impaired children
In the first week of January, Jeong-Seok and I attended a forum in Melbourne, Australia, regarding children with visual impairment. Representatives from Australia, Tonga, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Kiribati came together to discuss and set up an action plan for 2015 – 2017.
Many children with impaired vision who live in Tonga are neglected by their parents and teachers at school and eventually leave the school entirely due to bad grades. Saddened by this, we recently began helping visually impaired children.
William is a 6-year-old visually impaired boy. Due to genetics, his father and most of his siblings are already losing their eyesight. Hino, William’s older sister, is learning Braille at our centre.
We decided to enroll William into an English speaking primary school. This is because it is difficult to learn Braille without knowing English. Thankfully, with the active help from the principal, William was able to enroll into an English-speaking Christian primary school, and he was also greeted by a warm-hearted and helpful teacher at his assigned class.
William’s school fee is funded by the students from a college in New Zealand. We have made a tilted desk for William at our centre and a reading desk that helps him read books at a closer distance by changing its height. We have also been providing him with transportation so he can safely go to school.
Every morning in our van, William happily says, “Good morning. Thank you.” When he arrives at school, his friends from his class come running out to welcome him.
Our vision is that through this assistance, William will grow up to become a warm-hearted young man who knows how to love and take care of others, but most of all, knows and accepts the love of our Lord and Savior.[Church of the Nazarene Asia-Pacific Region
USA/Canada]
Nazarenes in the News
Nazarenes in the News is a compilation of online news articles featuring Nazarene churches or church members.
Washington pastor heads to Nepal
Normandy Park, Washington
(The News Tribune, April 25) A King County pastor who had planned to spend the next two weeks teaching in Nepal instead is packing a suitcase full of emergency supplies and hoping to lend a hand to people harmed by Saturday’s devastating earthquake.
“It seems to me that we had one agenda and God had another. I don’t want to miss God’s agenda,” said the Rev. Jon Scott, 68, of Burien.
Scott left Sunday for Kathmandu. He spent Saturday with his wife, Margaret, collecting medicine and solar-powered equipment that may prove useful in a city recovering from a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that killed more than 5,500 people.
For the rest of the story, click here.
Indiana church celebrates 100 years with 100 acts of kindness
Anderson, Indiana
(The Herald Bulletin, April 25) It starts with helping those within the church — maybe a widow who needs a few home repairs — and then it branches out to helping neighbors, acquaintances and organizations.
Those acts seem so small in the grand scheme of things, but in reality, they’re a critical piece in something much larger.
Members of the First Church of the Nazarene, 2300 Jackson St., know how various acts can add up and make an impact.
For the last 100 years, the church has contributed to the community and honored tradition, faith and compassion. So when it came to celebrating its 100th anniversary, church leaders knew they had to do something big.
For the rest of the story, click here.
Ohio church selected as best place of worship
Kenton, Ohio
(Kenton Business Recognition, April 24) Kenton Church of Nazarene has been selected for the 2015 Best of Kenton Award in the Places of Worship category by the Kenton Award Program.
Each year, the Kenton Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Kenton area a great place to live, work and play.
For the rest of the story, click here.
Stories to share? Send them to news@nazarene.org.[Compiled by NCN News]
Global Ministry Center News
In MemoriamRoger Brown, 83, of Indianapolis, Indiana, passed away April 26. He was a retired song evangelist, serving in Illinois, Florida, and Indiana. He is survived by his wife, Elsie Brown.
Elouise Durham, 81, of Palm City, Florida, passed away April 26. She was the widow of retired minister Harold Durham, who served in Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Arkansas. Harold Durham passed away in 2012.
John Euton Jr., 87, of McDermott, Ohio, passed away April 24. He was a retired minister, serving in Ohio and Kentucky. He was preceded in death by his wife, Vivian (Crabtree) Euton, in 2009.
Wilda Holland, 85, of San Diego, California, passed away March 5. She was the widow of retired minister Zane Holland, who served in Missouri, Arkansas, and California. Zane Holland passed away in 2009.
Frances (Duncan) Hoskins, 85, of Mitchell, Indiana, passed away April 21. She was the widow of retired minister Paul Hoskins, who served in Indiana. Paul Hoskins passed away in 2012.
Laura Mangum, 93, of Nampa, Idaho, passed away April 27. She was the wife of retired minister and district superintendent Paul Mangum Sr., who served in Oregon, Idaho, Texas, California, and lead the Philadelphia District. Laura Mangum was preceded in death by her first husband, retired minister, evangelist, and educator Marvin Sporleder, who served in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. Marvin Sporleder passed away in 1989.
Salvador Ofilanda of the Philippines passed away last week. He was the pastor of Salcedo Church of the Nazarene. He is survived by his wife, Rylin Ofilanda.
Donald Oneal, 85, of Hetland, South Dakota, passed away April 10. He was a retired minister, serving in Illinois, Texas, and South Dakota. He is survived by his wife, Jean (Rottum) Oneal.
Michael Prince, 75, of Kerrville, Texas, passed away April 26. He was a retired minister, serving in Virginia, New Mexico, California, Colorado, Alaska, and Texas. He is survived by his wife, Darlene Prince.
Delois Taylor, 87, of Canon City, Colorado, passed away April 23. She was the wife of retired minister John Taylor, who served in Oklahoma, Missouri, Arkansas, Colorado, and Georgia.
Letitia (Millerman) Thomas, 94, of Nampa, Idaho, passed away April 25. She was the wife of retired minister and evangelist J. Melton Thomas, who served in Texas, Oklahoma, Alaska, Ohio, Washington, California, New Mexico, and Idaho.
Carol (Tooley) Wilkinson, 92, of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, passed away April 17. She was a retired minister and missionary, serving in Indiana, Argentina, and Uruguay. She was preceded in death by her husband, retired minister, missionary, and evangelist Melvin Wilkinson, who served in Indiana, Kentucky, Argentina, and Uruguay. Melvin Wilkinson passed away in 2011.
For previous editions of In Memoriam, see the "Passings" section 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 news@nazarene.org.[Compiled by NCN News]
GMC employment opportunities
Business Center — Front Desk Receptionist
The receptionist will answer phones, greet guests, and handle other front desk tasks and clerical work as assigned.
Financial Services — Administrative Assistant
This position works under the direction of the general treasurer, primarily providing administrative and clerical support.
General Secretary’s Office — Administrative Assistant
This position will provide programming for an online registration program called C-Vent. The person in this position will fulfill a wide variety of duties and is crucial to the success of event planning for the GMC. This position will also serve as part of the General Assembly event staff. Exact duties will be assigned depending on candidates strengths, skills, and experience.
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.
Stewardship Ministries — Copywriting Intern (Summer temporary)
This position supplements fulfillment of the constant writing needs of Stewardship Ministries for Web, social media, and print publications in pursuit of developing holistic, generous disciples. This position works with all members of the Stewardship Ministries team to create and edit copy that accurately depicts and complements the purpose of each project. In addition to copywriting, duties include customer service, social media engagement, and minimum data entry.
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 or email bsikes@nazarene.org.
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 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 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.
Collegiate News
MVNU receives $500,000 for scholarship endowmentMount Vernon, Ohio“The Ault Endowment will be a source of support for generations of those preparing for ministry at MVNU," Spaulding said. "The stewardship and faith of the Aults will become incarnate in the lives of those preparing for ministry."
The gift was presented by Donald Lain, the foundation’s vice president of gift planning.
“As Nazarenes, our great treasures are our colleges and universities," Lain said. "As far back as 1993, Mr. and Mrs. Ault understood the value of these and set in motion the establishment of this endowment that will bless ministerial students for years to come.
“I often sit with donors trying to determine where their generous gift might be best used. Many give consideration to remembering their college or university — either the college or university they attended or the one in their region.”
This endowment will be used to provide tuition scholarships to MVNU ministerial students. Applicants for the scholarship will be required to submit a written commitment to serve full time as a pastor, missionary, or evangelist in the Church of the Nazarene for a minimum of four years.[Mount Vernon Nazarene UniversityNNU honors alumna with education award ]Nampa, Idaho
Olson is currently a research associate at the Center for Advanced Technology in Education at the University of Oregon. A member of NNU's class of 1962, she first obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Language and Literature, then a master’s degree from University of Missouri, Kansas City in 1968, and finally earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction from University of Oregon in 1984.
For more than 50 years Olson has been involved with education at nearly every level. She taught junior high students at Huntington Junior High in Kelso, Washington, and Palmer Junior High in Independence, Missouri, and senior high students at Rantoul, Illinois, High School. Olson spent two years as an assistant professor at Olivet Nazarene University as well as an associate professor of graduate education at Point Loma Nazarene University. She has also served as an education consultant with the Register-Guard in Eugene, Oregon, as a continuing education instructor at University of Oregon, as a special projects coordinator at Lane Education Service District in Eugene, Oregon, for over a decade, and as a curriculum development specialist for the same district.
More recently, she served as an administrator in the University of Oregon, Eugene's College of Education from 1997 to 2009, co-director of the OCTeach Project from 2004 to 2010, and is currently a research associate, a position she has actively held since 2009.
Olson has received and provided oversight for nine major funded educational research studies, has written or co-authored 20 professional papers and publications, and has served as a presenter, guest lecturer, and educational consultant.
The Wesche Award is named in honor of Lilburn Wesche, NNU faculty emeritus, who graduated from Northwest Nazarene College in 1951. During his 30-year career at NNU, he was a professor, head of the education department, director of teacher education, director of graduate studies, interim academic dean, and chair of the division of professional studies. Award recipients are current professionals who make a positive impact in the field of education that extends beyond the classroom.[Northwest Nazarene UniversityPLNU receives National Science Foundation grant to support STEM majors]San Diego, California
Point Loma Nazarene University announced it received a $576,750 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support undergraduate scholarships for PLNU students in the STEM disciplines — science, technology, engineering, and mathematics — who also minor in Computational Science while undergraduates at PLNU.
The project, entitled "Scholarships to Support STEM majors Computational Sciences Minors," is under the direction of PLNU faculty from the various STEM departments. Associate Professor of Chemistry Katherine Maloney will serve as principal investigator for the project, which was officially awarded in April 2015 and expected to conclude in 2020.Maloney is joined by Maria Zack, professor and chair of Mathematical, Information and Computer Sciences; Dawne Page, professor and chair of Biology; Lorinda J. Carter, professor of Computer Science; and Paul Schmelzenbach, professor and chair of Physics and Engineering.
PLNU has been the recipient of previous NSF awards, however, this award is unique. The proposal was the first application by PLNU to the Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM), in the Division of Undergraduate Education at the NSF.
“This is part of what makes it surprising that we got the funding,” Zack said. “As a new applicant, we were told to expect multiple attempts before qualifying for a funding award.”
Although surprising, Zack admits PLNU was well positioned for the award.
“PLNU’s size allows for excellent faculty/student mentoring and faculty collaboration," she said. "Our STEM departments have been working together in the areas of research, curriculum development, and student development for more than 40 years."
The university's application proposed to build on the existing pattern of collaboration in PLNU’s STEM community by providing scholarships to academically talented and financially needy STEM students interested in careers and graduate education that combine a STEM discipline with computational science (STEM-CS).
The NSF grant will provide significant scholarships to talented STEM majors who have high financial need and would not otherwise be able to pursue STEM education at PLNU. According to Dawne Page, the hope is that, “by meeting most or all of these students’ financial need and giving them academic and career service support, we hope to graduate them into the STEM workforce or into STEM graduate education.”
Key features of this proposal build on the student experience in PLNU’s STEM disciplines. All students will participate in undergraduate research, conference presentations and/or publications on the research, and a senior capstone interdisciplinary project in computational science.
Established in 2011, PLNU’s computational science minor allows mathematics or computer science students to gain limited knowledge in biology, chemistry, or physics to be able to help scientists with their computational needs; and to expose biology, chemistry, or physics majors to computational techniques they can collaborate with mathematicians and computer scientists to solve complex problems in science and engineering. This popular minor provides a natural cohort of academically talented STEM students that take classes together and share a common interest — a key element to the objectives of PLNU’s S-STEM project proposal.
Computational science is the use of computational techniques (e.g. statistics, computer programming, modeling, and data management) to help solve problems in the natural sciences, and it is one of the fastest growing areas of employment. The premise of computational science is that much of the current scientific research (particularly in industrial settings involving biotechnology, nuclear power, and national security) is conducted by interdisciplinary teams. Each member of the team is an expert in their field of study but is sufficiently conversant with the other disciplines of their team members to be able to function effectively in a team.
The NSF grant follows steady STEM growth at PLNU, and continued growth is anticipated. To meet the needs of current and future students, PLNU launched the largest capital campaign in the institution’s history with the Campaign for the Sciences. The capstone of the campaign, PLNU’s new science building, is on schedule for completion in the summer and will be set to serve students in the coming fall semester. [Point Loma Nazarene University]
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