Discipleship and Thanksgiving
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Sam Barber, Global NDI Director
The apostle Paul begins nearly all of his letters with thanksgiving. More than just his writing style, Paul developed a thankful spirit. I think gratitude for his dramatic conversion never waned even in the face of intense persecution.
How is your spirit of gratitude today? Could it use a little improvement? Mine, too.
What if we went back to Paul’s letters to pick up a key contextual element? A careful reading reveals that Paul’s gratitude emerged from the place of prayer.
“I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel…” (Philippians 1:3-4, NIV)
It appears that Paul’s regular interaction with the God who saved him on the road to Damascus reminded him that God knows how to redeem, and God’s redemption can change a persecutor into a preacher, a murderer into a missionary, and a pharisee into a follower. Paul was a recipient of God’s amazing grace, and so are we.
NDI recognizes fervent prayer as one of five essential values for discipleship. We believe that regular prayer exposes the believer to the “Soul-Surgeon,” the Holy Spirit. When the Spirit has regular access to us, one of the extraordinary results is renewed gratitude for God and God’s work in us and the people around us.
As you read this newsletter, people in the United States are celebrating Thanksgiving, a season that reminds us to give thanks for the bounty of God’s blessing. Better than a holiday, however, is a life patterned after Paul and his passionate pursuit of God in prayer. A life so formed practices gratitude every day of the year.
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Reflections on LC2024
Jeff Spangler, NDI Administrative Director
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NDI’s quadrennial leadership conference, LC2024: Journey to the Core, is now in the rear-view mirror. What an amazing gathering of Nazarenes who are passionate about the discipleship mandate of the church!
On November 5-7, more than 250 Nazarenes met in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to focus on and celebrate the discipleship mission of the Church of the Nazarene. We were inspired, encouraged, and informed as we gathered for worship, workshops, and fellowship.
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Unique Thanksgiving Traditions
Jeff Spangler, Administrative Director NDI
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Consider how frequently Jesus gave thanks to the Father during his earthly ministry. He certainly had the right object of his thanksgiving! As should we. So this year my prayer for us is that our Thanksgiving celebrations would be about so much more than a nice meal.
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If you experienced the Vacation Bible School River Rafting Adventure, then you know that the 2024 summer's adventure was one of the best!
And there's more good news! This curriculum is free for you to download and can be used for any gathering, not just Vacation Bible School.
Check it out at nazarene.org/vbs
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| Disability Ministry
Rev. Ryan Nelson, Disability Ministry Coordinator
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Did you know that Nazarene Disability Ministry will be offering online small groups for families with disabilities? We are excited to say we launched our pilot group in October 2024 (Thank you, Northwest District, for hosting this group!). More groups will be coming across more districts as we enter into 2025!
If you would like to learn more about these online small groups, or if you would like to express interest in participating in or leading a small group on your district, you can scan this code or click here.
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| Who Is a Witness?
Dr. Charles "Chic" Shaver
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I thought a lot about Janet. She was a gracious and helpful presence in our home-away-from-home. I knew she had previously worked for other missionaries. Their lives and words no doubt prepared her to hear about Jesus. One day as I crossed the campus, the Holy Spirit said, “You have given her a job. Will you tell her about Jesus too?”
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The Discipleship Place Releases More New Bible Studies
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The Discipleship Place library of Bible studies continues to grow monthly. You can now access Bible studies for the following books of the Bible: General Epistles, Hebrews, Pastoral Epistles, Psalms, Wisdom Books (Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon).
Go to the Library
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| Lessons Learned as a New Teacher
Wes Eby, Global Representative
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I always knew I would be a teacher. The only career I ever considered was education. I dreamed of it, talked about it, planned for it. In high school, my heroes taught the social studies and English classes. When I enrolled in college, I declared history as my major with double minors in English and education. Even when a freshman counselor attempted to guide me into four different career choices, I rejected his advice and pursued my goal. After graduation, with diplomas in hand, my fiancée and I married on a gorgeous August evening. Three weeks later, we migrated to a tiny fishing village in the Southeast to begin teaching careers.
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| Video Series on Mental Health in Discipling Communities
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Are you prepared for the ups and downs of the holidays? The Discipleship Place has a video series that discusses mental health in discipling communities. Featuring psychologist and ordained elder Dr. Janet Dean, the series offers encouraging, instructive, and practical help in providing pastoral care.
You can access the videos through The Discipleship Place website or the mobile app.
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How will We Celebrate Christmas This Year?
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We usually focus on the coming of Christ during our Christmas celebrations. Have you also thought about celebrating Christmas by focusing on being and making Christlike disciples? As I reflected on this, I wondered what would this mean in terms of living out our NDI discipleship values.
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Nazarene Discipleship International at M25 - Evangelization Conference in Kansas City
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Are you seeking new ideas, resources, and strategies for your discipleship ministries? From February 10 to 12, NDI will share the latest evangelization materials and present workshops that equip both adult and kids’ ministries. We will share the resources and helpful strategies that you can use in your church and your area of influence.
Join us at the event to learn and network together!
P.S.: There are also some pleasant surprises along the way
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Changed in the Waiting 2024 Advent Resources
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Journey through this Advent season with your faith community to discover that waiting does not mean empty time. Waiting involves experiencing God’s presence and opportunities to be changed. Changed in the Waiting provides resources for pastoral, small group, youth, and children’s ministries, encouraging participants to lean into the transformational opportunity of the season. Both the Advent devotional and pastor’s resource download are also available in Spanish!
Check them out at the Foundry Publishing.
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