Monday, March 30, 2009

The Future Lies in the Past

Why evangelicals are connecting with the early church as they move into the 21st century.

Last spring, something was stirring under the white steeple of the Billy Graham Center at Wheaton College. Just what was going on in this veritable shrine to pragmatic evangelistic methods and no-nonsense, back-to the-Bible Protestant conservatism?

This was the 2007 Wheaton Theology Conference, whose theme was "The Ancient Faith for the Church's Future." Here, the words spoken 15 years ago by Drew University theologian and CT senior editor Thomas Oden rang true: "The sons and daughters of modernity are rediscovering the neglected beauty of classical Christian teaching. It is a moment of joy, of beholding anew what had been nearly forgotten..." The conference's Call for Papers likewise rejoiced: "One of the most promising developments among evangelical Protestants is the recent 'discovery' of the rich biblical, spiritual, and theological treasures to be found within the early church." In particular, it said, evangelicals are beginning to "reach back behind the European Enlightenment for patterns and models of how to faithfully read Scripture, worship, and engage a religiously diverse culture."

"Who would have thought, a decade ago, that one of the most vibrant and serious fields of Christian study at the beginning of the 21st century would be the ancient church fathers? There has been an opening of new avenues, especially among free-church Protestants, by the almost overnight popularity of bishops and monks, martyrs and apologists, philosophers and historians who first fashioned a Christian culture 1,500 years ago."

- for the full text see:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/february/22.22.html

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Next Barnabas Project class begins April 16


Are you interested in history?

Then this is the class for you! "Church History I" explores the development of Christianity from the time of the New Testament to the Reformation (i.e. from 100 to 1500 A.D.)

Good Friday

April 10, Edmonton and area Nazarene churches are joining together at our Southside Church.

Pastor Jerry will be bringing the message.

Tips from Lynn...

Bananas...

Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little 'stringy things' off of it. That's how the primates do it.

Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store. If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.


Store Cheese....

Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. They will stay fresh much longer and not mold!


Love and prayers,
Lynn

Friday, March 20, 2009

File Recovery Tip:

When Windows crashes, booting an Ubuntu Linux Live CD may allow you to recover most or all of what you would have otherwise lost.

Get your free copy from www.ubuntu.com and file it away against disaster.

Ask Pastor Steve if you need help.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Daily dinners feed bodies, souls in Ukraine

Each day after school, children and youth in Zaporozhe, Ukraine, head over to the local Nazarene church to share a warm meal. Since the program began in October 2008, approximately 18 participants have begun to regularly join these meals. These mealtimes are promoted through the youth group, so those who attend are usually between 11 and 17 years old.

A partnership between the Church of the Nazarene in Zaporozhe and the Church of the Nazarene in Susanville, California, has enabled this consistent dinner to take place. During the mealtimes, participants have also been memorizing various verses and passages from the Bible. There are also computers available for the students to do homework or practice English.

"The meal is to provide much-needed nourishment for these young people, and memorizing Scripture is a way of saying 'thank you' to God for making this happen," said Cliff Wright, missionary to Ukraine. The church hopes that, through the partnership, meals will continue to provide a source of fellowship for everyone involved; that in the breaking of bread and in their joint efforts to memorize Scripture, these young people will find physical and spiritual nourishment.

"Most of these kids are from very poor and broken families," said Wright. "Not only are they experiencing a good hot meal, but they are seeing God's love in action. They are at the church, instead of out on the streets [each evening]. Ultimately, this church is a place where they can come and be loved." --Eurasia Communications

Friday, March 6, 2009

JOURNEY INTO HOLINESS

Dr. William Stewart has recently written a book entitled “Journey Into Holiness”. It is written as an allegory describing the process of receiving Christ and the journey afterwards through life. It is written in a very engaging, easy to understand style, making the theology of holiness accessible to all.

This book was written in response to a study conducted of Nazarenes across Canada where it was discovered that many were uncertain about what it meant to live a holy life. This book is not written using theological terminology but rather is written as a story of a man named Thomas, a traveler, as he journeys through life and all his encounters. It is the story of someone committed to learning and growing and sometimes stumbling his way through to the holy life to which we can all identify.

This book is designed to be read alone or to be studied with a small group, using the engaging discussion questions at the end of each chapter such as “When does our conscience fail us?” or “Comment: Holy people are not just nice people, they are effective.”

To order a copy of “Journey Into Holiness” for yourself or for your group, please contact the National Office by email (national@nazarene.ca) or call 1.888.808.7490. The cost is $10.00 per book, plus an additional $2.00 per book to cover shipping costs.

Tsunami Rehabilitation and Follow-Up Projects

Nazarene Compassionate Ministries Canada (NCMC) has just funded a seed and tool project for tsunami-affected families on the east coast of Sri Lanka.

Rehabilitation along the eastern coast has been very slow. It has taken months to clear the debris, rebuild roads and schools and begin to resettle the people – particularly those who had homes in the government declared "no-build" zone along the ocean. It also has taken many months for the salt from the tsunami waves to leach out of the soil so that planting can resume. However, many of the tsunami-affected families now have housing, are resettled and are beginning to use the land around their new homes for home gardens and to plant fruit trees. The vegetable seed, tools and fruit saplings are part of a “holistic home garden project” funded by NCMC through the Canadian Foodgrains Bank. The vegetables will help to supplement the rice in their diet and the beneficiaries will have excess vegetables to sell to purchase other necessities.

Thank you to the Canadian Nazarenes who contributed to the Tsunami fund.

Your generosity is helping these people to resume their lives with restored livelihoods and food security for years to come!

Sri Lankan Civilians Suffering in War Zone

Tens of thousands of innocent civilians have been displaced from their homes in Northern Sri Lanka as fighting intensifies between the government and the LTTE (The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam – better know as the Tamil Tigers). These civilians are without shelter, food or water. Reports say they are also in danger of losing their lives as fighting continues all around them. The area is still off limits to humanitarian aid. It is too dangerous and agencies cannot operate in this area without government permission. It is a very difficult situation for people to deal with, and that number includes the relatives here in Canada who are watching the situation unfold and waiting anxiously to hear of the fate of family and friends back home in Sri Lanka.

Please pray for this situation and for those who are suffering daily.