Monday, May 4, 2015

The Asia Pacific Region of the Global Church of the Nazarene Around The Region News for Friday, 1 May 2015 Volume 3 / Issue Number 18 "...Nepal Earthquake NCM Video, PNG Doctor's Daughter in Car Accident, Age No Limit for Work and Witness, Prayer Requests, Praises, and much more!"


The Asia Pacific Region of the Global Church of the Nazarene Around The Region News for Friday, 1 May 2015 Volume 3 / Issue Number 18 "...Nepal Earthquake NCM Video, PNG Doctor's Daughter in Car Accident, Age No Limit for Work and Witness, Prayer Requests, Praises, and much more!"
Continuing to Celebrate our Risen Savior
In This Issue
NMI Highlight - Expect the Unexpected.
The Single Most Important Thing your Team Needs
Regional Praise Reports and Prayer Requests!
Worst Earthquake in 80 years hits Nepal
Daughter and Sister of Missionary Doctor from Papua New Guinea involved in serious car accident
Rural Nazarene Health Ministries... so much more than medicine
Age is No Limit for Work and Witness!
Missions in the 21st Century: Congregational Partnerships.
Nazarene Theological College Intensives Promotion.
Nazarene News from Around the Globe
NYI opens 2 youth ministry academies in Mexico
Nazarene Essentials leads to revival in Myanmar
Virtual seminary offers courses in Spanish, Portuguese
PLNU receives National Science Foundation grant to support STEM majors
Worst earthquake in 60 years hits Nepal
WEF-funded scholarships provide education for pastors
MVNU offers M.Min + MBA Dual Degree program
Peace march calls for end to violence against foreigners
Jamaica center restores sight through medical procedures
Florida church helps provide shelter for unaccompanied minors
Global praise reports and prayer requests
Nazarenes In The News
GMC employment opportunities.
In Memoriam
NMI Highlight
NMI Emphasis for May is Missionary Health Care
NMI helps subsidize the missionary health care plan so that more of the WEF can be used specifically for evangelism. This is done through Memorial Roll, Distinguished Service Award, Gifts from the Heart, and Missionary Health Care plate offerings.
Read the testimony from Natalie Ward on Missionary Health Care Here
This month we also want to focus on the Global Day of Prayer which is coming up on May 24th. Following the example of the first believers who "joined together constantly" in prayer (Acts 1:14) until the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the Global Day of Prayer is calling Christians from all nations to unite in prayer.
To call Christians from all Nations to:
1. Unite in repentance and prayer, and
2. Work together as God's servants for the blessing and healing of the Nations
"Developing Leaders" by Stan Toler
THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOUR TEAM NEEDS
How to Bust the Culture of Consumption and Create an Atmosphere of Respect
The greatest temptation any leader faces is to treat people like things and things like people. That happens easier than you think, and it isn't always obvious to the leader or even their team. If you are a results-oriented leader, you know the temptation to push people (including yourself) to the limit. Without realizing it, you may create a culture of consumption, using up the precious human capital entrusted to your care.
Unsure if this is happening? Examine the interactions between team members. They'll treat one another the same way they believe they are treated by you.
Every good leader understands that his or her employees are not mere robots. They have feelings, emotions, and personal needs. They should be listened to, affirmed, and treated with respect. Here's how to bust the culture of consumption and create an atmosphere of R-E-S-P-E-C-T.
Relate
Authenticity is one of our culture's highest values. Don't hide behind a desk or title. Own your weaknesses as well as your strengths.
Engage
As the leader, you have the responsibility for involving others in what you are doing. Seek advice and input from the team. Bring them into the huddle. Listen.
Spend
Relational culture has a cost. You'll need to spend time, energy, and perhaps some money to show employees they are valued.
Protect
Be the fiercest defender of your staff, both within the organization and without. They'll return the favor.
Encourage
Don't allow a team member to languish after a setback or failure. And never play the blame game. Help pick them up and move forward.
Communicate
Nobody wants a boss who expects them to become a mind reader. Make expectations clear, and give people the respect of sharing information.
Teach.
Younger team members especially hunger for a mentor. Be a teacher as well as a leader.
Human beings are complex, but creating a positive culture isn't. Show respect, and you'll receive it in return.[Stan Toler]
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Asia-Pacific Region
Worst Earthquake in 60 Years Hits Nepal
Daughter of Missionary Doctor from Papua New Guinea Involved in Car Accident. Please Pray!
Prayer Requested for Emerging Leaders in the Philippines and across Asia-Pacific.
Pastor Salvador Ofilanda of the Salcedo Church of the Nazarene, Passes.
Regional Advisory Council Member's Wife passes in tragic accident- Update.
Halbrooks Praising God In The Midst of the Storm, "He Has Answered Prayer" Please Keep Praying!
The Holy Spirit... Not constrained by Borders or Barriers.
Most Up-to-Date Prayer Requests & Praise Reports for the Global Church - Prayer Mobilization Line.
Worst Earthquake in 80 years hits Nepal.
Just before noon Saturday, April 25, one week ago, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal. The epicenter was between the capital, Kathmandu, and the city of Pokhara. The earthquake was felt in Delhi and Kolkata in India and even Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.
As of this publication, well more than 4,300 people have been confirmed killed, with more than 8,000 injured. The Church of the Nazarene has thousands of members in this region.
Your prayers and support are needed now more than ever. Please see the below short video from Nazarene Compassionate Ministries and General Superintendent Dr. David Graves.
NCM Nepal Update
Find out how you can help. Click here.
BLOG, CURRENT, FEATURE, NAZARENE COMPASSIONATE MINISTRIES, NAZARENE DISASTER RESPONSE, NEWS, REGIONAL ANNOUNCEMENTS, URGENT PRAYER REQUESTS
WORST EARTHQUAKE IN 60 YEARS HITS NEPAL
Just before noon Saturday, April 25, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal. The epicenter was between the capital, Kathmandu, and the city of Pokhara. The earthquake was felt in Delhi and Kolkata in India and even Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.
More than 1,500 people have already been reported dead in Kathmandu alone, and many more are trapped and feared dead. The government has declared a state of emergency.
The new roads just recently built are torn open; the airport is closed and entry to Nepal is through India, a one-day ride by car if the roads are open. Thousands are terribly frightened because of constant smaller and bigger aftershocks.
The Church of the Nazarene has several hundred churches with more than 8,000 members in Nepal. In Kathmandu and close by, more than 10 churches and church plants have been affected.
Field Strategy Coordinator Nathan Biswas and church leaders in Nepal are requesting prayer and support.
Joerg (George) Eich, the new Eurasia regional NCM coordinator, is on his way to Nepal. He is traveling together with a team of doctors and nurses from Humedica, a partner organization that has helped Nazarene Compassionate Ministries in various disaster response efforts around the world.
How to help
Your prayers and support are needed as churches work to respond to the immediate needs around them and as families and communities begin the hard work of recovery.
Pray for the families of those who have been killed, and pray for strength for church leaders and members as they minister to their neighbors.
To support the disaster response efforts, give 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, 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.
For more information, visit ncm.org/nepal.

Daughter and Sister of Missionary Doctor from Papua New Guinea Involved in Serious Car Accident - Please Pray.
Kingdom of Tonga

Longtime Medical Missionaries from PNG, Dr. Andy and Judy Bennett
The daughter and sister of Dr. Andy and Judy Bennett, longtime medical missionaries in Papua New Guinea, were involved in a car accident in the Boise, Idaho area on Wednesday, April 30th.
Dr. Bennett sends the following prayer request:
Our daughter Amy was in a car accident yesterday afternoon, along with my sister, Cammi. While Cammi was able to get out of the vehicle, our daughter Amy was trapped in the vehicle for nearly an hour, as rescuers used the "jaws of life" to cut her free.
Their injuries are significant, but NOT life-threatening. They are both admitted at the Saint Alphonsus hospital in Boise. They expect to release Amy tomorrow, (Fri, May 1). We have been speaking in Michigan, but Judy flew home this morning to be with her. She will need some "Mom-care" when she gets out of the hospital. Sam, Cheyenne and Andrea have been with her. We appreciate your prayers for both Amy and Cammi.
Thank you for lifting this missionary family in your prayers!
Click here for updates on this prayer request...
BLOG, FEATURE, MEDICAL MINISTRY, MELANESIA SOUTH PACIFIC, NEWS, URGENT PRAYER REQUESTS
DAUGHTER OF MISSIONARY DOCTOR FROM PAPUA NEW GUINEA INVOLVED IN CAR ACCIDENT. PLEASE PRAY!

Boise, Idaho: The daughter and sister of Dr. Andy and Judy Bennett, longtime medical missionaries in Papua New Guinea, were involved in a car accident in the Boise, Idaho area on Wednesday, April 30th. Dr. Bennett sends the following prayer request:
Our daughter Amy was in a car accident yesterday afternoon, along with my sister, Cammi. While Cammi was able to get out of the vehicle, our daughter Amy was trapped for nearly and hour as rescuers used the “jaws of life” to cut her free.
While their injuries are significant (both of them sustained multiple fractures), the injuries are NOT considered life-threatening.
They are both admitted at the Saint Alphonsus hospital in Boise. They expect to release Amy tomorrow, (Fri, May 1). We have been speaking in Michigan, but Judy flew home this morning to be with her. She will need some “Mom-care” when she gets out of the hospital. Sam, Cheyenne and Andrea have been with her. We appreciate your prayers for both Amy and Cammi.
Thank you for lifting this missionary family in your prayers!
Click on the Facebook link for updates from Dr. Bennett.

Rural Nazarene Health Ministries... so much more than medicine... it's Kingdom impact!
Papua New Guinea

Many people think of Rural Nazarene Health Ministries (NHM) as simply impacting lives through Rural Health Centers, patient care, and community and church involvement. This is, of course, the primary area of ministry, but it often surprises us how God expands this to so much more!
Find out how NHM was able to serve its purpose and do its part in making Christ-like disciples!
Read more of this amazing story here!
BLOG, FEATURE, MEDICAL MINISTRY, MELANESIA SOUTH PACIFIC, NEWS
RURAL NAZARENE HEALTH MINISTRIES…SO MUCH MORE THAN MEDICINE…IT’S KINGDOM IMPACT!


Papua New Guinea: Many people think of Rural Nazarene Health Ministries (NHM) as simply impacting lives through Rural Health Centers,patient care, and community and church involvement. This is, of course, the primary area of ministry, but it often surprises us how God expands this to so much more!

Peter and Gabriel flying to the celebration at the Imane Health Center.
One such example is the story of Peter Bill. Peter was associated with a politician who was supposed to come to the 2010 opening of an extension to the remote Imane Health Center. The politician was unable to come, so sent Peter as his representative. Peter traveled to the event by airplane with our Rural Health Director, Gabriel Mahisu and a team from NHM.
During the celebrations for the opening of the new extension, Peter was impressed by the work of the church in the community, the baptism of new believers during the ceremony, and the preaching of holiness.
Baptism of new believers during the ceremony at the Imane Health Center.
Peter and Gabriel continued to stay in touch and soon became friends. Even though the Imane Health Center was not in Peter’s immediate area, he began to help Gabriel with logistics in this region. He even asked Gabriel for a Manual for the Church of the Nazarene as he was interested in the Articles of Faith and the structure and accountability of the church.
Eventually, Peter asked Gabriel about how Peter and his family could join the church. Since there wasn’t a Church of the Nazarene in Peter’s area, he and his family decided to start one and asked for Gabriel’s help.
This is the mission of the Church of the Nazarene – to make Christlike disciples in the nations.
You won’t want to miss next week’s continuation of this story, to see the great things that God has done!
See more at this link: http://nazpng.org[Submission: Dr. Scott Dooley.]

Age is No Limit for Work and Witness...Just Ask Pasadena First Church!
Auckland, New Zealand

During the month of April, nineteen people between 65 and 80 years of age, and a thirty year old youngster, journeyed all the way from Pasadena First Church of the Nazarene in California, U.S., to help the Seabrook Nazarene Church in Auckland, NZ.
The Seabrook church is in the process of transforming a former factory cafeteria into a church sanctuary. 
This is a lot of work as NZ has very stringent building laws. The team members worked long hours for 12 days painting, and putting new cladding on the outside of the building, putting in doors and decorating. The results were impressive. They also took time to visit other Nazarene churches and enjoy some NZ scenery.
Read more about the team and how you can be part of the Seabrook project... 

AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND, BLOG, FEATURE, NEWS, PARTNERSHIPS, WORK & WITNESS OPPORTUNITIES, WORK AND WITNESS
AGE IS NO LIMIT TO WORK AND WITNESS…JUST ASK PASADENA!

New Zealand: During the month of April, nineteen people between 65 and 80 years of age, and a thirty year old youngster, journeyed all the way from Pasadena First Church of the Nazarene in California, U.S., to help the Seabrook Church of the Nazarene in Auckland, NZ.
New siding, windows, and various other updates.
The Seabrook church is in the process of transforming a former factory cafeteria into a church sanctuary. This is a lot of work as NZ has very stringent building laws. The team members worked long hours for 12 days painting, and putting new cladding on the outside of the building, putting in doors and decorating. The results were impressive. They also took time to visit other Nazarene churches and enjoy some NZ scenery.
Their visit was a huge encouragement to the Seabrook Church members who are looking forward to having the project completed so that they can enjoy their new sanctuary.
More teams are needed on this project. If you would like details, follow this link. [Submitted: Neville Bartle]

Missions in the 21st Century: Congregational partnerships
Engage Magazine

Since the time of William Carey and the "Great Century" in missions at the end of the eighteenth century, missions as an enterprise of the Church has primarily been initiated by mission societies and denominational boards. This continues to be the prevalent form of missions today.
We now find ourselves, however, in a noticeable shift towards a "congregational" paradigm of missions in which local congregations are no longer passive supporters but are active participants in the initiation, organization and implementation of local and global missions. In this paradigm the roles are increasingly interchangeable as the mission agency is just as likely to support the active participation of the local congregation in missions.
What does this look like? How can congregational partnerships lead to success and not just new forms of sponsorship?
Check out this interesting and challenging article about effective congregational partnerships in mission.
Click here for the full article!
Missions in the 21st Century: Congregational partnerships by Grant Christy
In 1994 my wife spent her high school summer vacation serving with Nazarenes In Volunteer Service (now known as Mission Corps) in Mexico. During that summer she fell in love with the people of the small house church that she attended in Guadalajara.
Before returning home to Portland, Oregon, she approached her father, who was the pastor of a small Nazarene congregation there, and suggested that they become a “sister church” with her new church family in Mexico. No particular agenda was set, no time tables established, no formal agreements put into place. Just a simple prayer card that had the picture of the two congregations and an understanding that they would pray and support each other through ministry in whatever ways they were able.

In 1998, after four years of praying for each other, my wife and her father traveled back to Guadalajara and -- with the Mexican congregation -- explored the idea of a building project. The congregation in Guadalajara was blessed with a number of medical professionals who desired to minister to their local community through compassionate ministries. In the 13 years that have passed since that initial discussion regarding a building project, nine teams have travelled to Guadalajara to help with the construction of a new church building and compassionate ministries center.
The relationships built over the years, however, have moved far beyond just the “project.” The partnership became a friendship. Friends have travelled back and forth to attend each other’s weddings. Students have lived with and were supported by their American “families” while they attended university in the United States. Members of the Guadalajara church joined their American friends and worked side-by-side at One Heart Many Hands at General Assembly in 2005.
When my wife suggested her home church in the United States become a sister congregation with her new church family in Mexico in the mid-1990s, the idea of developing direct connections between individual churches across different geographical regions was not widely practiced. In the last 15 years, however, the model of congregational partnerships has become a significant characteristic of missions in the 21st century across many denominations and theological traditions.
Why congregational partnerships and why now?
Since the time of William Carey and the “Great Century” in missions at the end of the eighteenth century, missions as an enterprise of the Church has primarily been initiated by mission societies and denominational boards. This continues to be the prevalent form of missions today.
Evangelical missions was organized and implemented using primarily a top-down approach where leadership at the highest levels set the agenda and determined the priorities for the church’s missions efforts. This “institutional” paradigm of missions emphasized the mission agency as the primary initiator, organizer and participant in global missions. The local congregation’s role has often been to passively support the mission agency.
We now find ourselves, however, in a noticeable shift towards a “congregational” paradigm of missions in which local congregations are no longer passive supporters but are active participants in the initiation, organization and implementation of local and global missions. In this paradigm the roles are increasingly interchangeable as the mission agency is just as likely to support the active participation of the local congregation in missions.
Even before this approach to missions was commonly recognized, the partnership between my wife’s home church in the United States and the church in Guadalajara fit this new “congregational” paradigm well. The local congregation, through my wife’s contacts, initiated this effort while both local congregations took responsibility for organizing the construction teams and providing the volunteers. The construction teams utilized the Work & Witness program provided by the denominational structure to help facilitate the work of the partnership.
In addition to the movement from an institutional paradigm to a congregational paradigm of missions, the development of congregational partnerships is the result of several factors which have emerged in recent decades.
First is the rise of Christianity in the post-colonial global south, which brings into focus the need to move away from the sending-receiving model of missions that has been the standard for the past two centuries. Second is globalization and a world that is more connected through technology, and travel that is faster and cheaper, bringing persons of different cultures into contact with each other more frequently. Third is the renewed sense of need for community through relationships and networks—particularly in the United States—leading to an increased willingness of Christians to give of their time, talent and resources.

The final factor is the emergence of the short-term missions phenomenon as the primary outlet for many local congregations’ desire to be more directly engaged in missions on a global level. In many respects, congregational partnerships are emerging as a corrective to short-term missions, which has not always adequately addressed the changing global context.
Congregational partnerships do not replace short-term missions, however, but provide a guiding framework that may help to limit some of the negative aspects of short-term missions that many have become aware of in recent years.
Recent research related to congregational partnerships(1) studied partnerships on an institutional level across various denominations and theological traditions as well as parachurch organizations. While each institution maintains its own unique perspective of what characterizes a congregational partnership, the research identified four elements commonly understood as central to congregational partnerships: foster long-lasting and mutually-respectful cross-cultural relationships; promote contextualized and culturally-sensitive ministry; address social problems with a collaborative, long-range view; and respect the integrity of local Christian communities.
What is an appropriate motivation: Relationships or projects?
The research noted above included a study of 12 churches in the Washington, D.C., area involved in active international congregational partnerships. The churches included in the study represented a wide range of theological traditions and varied in size and socioeconomic status. According to the study, despite all of the differences between these congregations, the most important variable that distinguished one congregational partnership from the next was whether the partnership was focused on relationships or projects.
The study concluded that the more intentional and vibrant congregational partnerships tended to focus on friendship-building and solidarity among the international congregations. Those congregational partnerships which were more focused on projects tended to function mostly as “vehicles for philanthropic or evangelistic transactions.”(2) As a result, project-focused partnerships were more likely to fall back on colonialist tendencies inherent in the sending-receiving model of mission.
It is no secret that money has the potential to complicate relationships, especially relationships between two individuals or groups with unequal monetary resources. One of the critiques of congregational partnerships between churches in developed countries and those in developing or under-developed countries is that a majority of the monetary resources are held by the church in the developed country. These relationships often resemble a sponsorship more than a true partnership where both sides share an equal level of influence and responsibility.
Some denominations that understand the primary purpose of congregational partnerships as relational attempt to lessen the influence of unequal monetary resources. They do so by discouraging any discussion of monetary support for at least the first two years of a new partnership. The intention is to provide an atmosphere in which relationships may be formed on the basis of a mutual commitment to the mission of God as sisters and brothers in Christ and not on the basis of being able to provide or receive material support.

That is not to say that the sharing of resources does not occur—and that is all resources, including spiritual and relational, as well as material. But when the sharing does occur, it is in response to and motivated by relationships as sisters and brothers in Christ that have formed over time.
Congregational partnerships and the Church of the Nazarene.
Within the Church of the Nazarene, international partnerships between individual churches, districts and regions are becoming more common (see Compassion Creates Change Guatemala helps the hurting; Church partnership helps build village for widows, orphans in Bangladesh; International partnership supports pastors ministering in AIDS crisis).
In the fall of 2011, Dr. David Wesley, associate professor of intercultural studies atNazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City, conducted a survey of churches in the U.S. with worship attendance or membership of 500 or more.(3) Dr. Wesley asked the question, “Does your congregation participate in an international partnership with a specific world area outside of the United States?” The survey defined “partnership” as, “An ongoing relationship which is development-oriented in which your congregation and people in the host location are working together toward a common and ongoing goal. These types of initiatives could include, although are not limited to, development of water well systems, orphanages, schools, medical facilities, etc. This is more than sending Work & Witness teams, but includes an ongoing partnership between your congregation and people in another country.”
In response to the survey, 47 percent of the churches stated “Yes,” they participate in an international partnership. Another 12 percent stated they intend to begin such a partnership within the next five years.
This shift in the local church has also had an impact on the focus of Nazarene Global Mission. As part of its Mission Structure Revision, Global Mission stated, “A fresh focus on partnership and collaboration will also help equip Nazarene churches to support mission at community, district, regional and international levels” (seeMission Structure Revision). The Church of the Nazarene is unique in its commitment to maintain a truly global church and not merely a loose federation of autonomous regional structures throughout the world.
Because of this commitment and self-understanding, it is important that we, perhaps more than any other denomination, seek to foster congregational partnerships whenever possible. Establishing more direct connections between local congregations will serve to strengthen our understanding as a global church.
We must be cautious, however, to not view congregational partnerships as simply a new program to be promoted in order to gain more support for missions or compassionate ministries. Congregational partnerships must first be understood as relational in focus as a way in which we are able to more significantly connect with our sisters and brothers around the world. Through these relationships we will we best be able to fulfill our common mission of making Christlike disciples in the nations.
[

Grant Christy is a student at Nazarene Theological Seminary (NTS) in Kansas City in the Master of Divinity and Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies programs. He has served the past two years as Faculty Assistant to Dr. David Wesley, associate professor of intercultural studies at NTS.
Bakker, Janel Kragt. 2010. Encountering the Church in the Global South: Sister Congregation Relationships and Their Impact on Parishioners in Select Washington, D.C. Area Churches. PhD diss., The Catholic University of America.
Ibid, p. 368.
The electronic survey prepared by Dr. David Wesley was distributed by Nazarene Research Services to 184 Nazarene congregations. 91 responses were received for a response rate of 49%.]

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This newsletter is a ministry of your Asia-Pacific Regional Communications Office. Please submit questions or comments to: Regional Communications Coordinator
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