Connection Point Church of the Nazarene

In 3 years a lot can happen. The Savior of the world can come among us, begin ministry in his hometown of Nazareth (and subsequently almost get thrown off a cliff for it). In 3 years, Jesus can call a group of unlikely disciples to come and follow Him. They can follow Him around into homes, conversations, and places that good Jews should and shouldn't be. In 3 years, truth can be both taught and demonstrated, and in turn lives can be changed. People can spread the word about this Jesus and wonder just exactly who he is. In 3 years, Jesus can forge deep relationships with some, yet others can draw deep battle lines against him. A lot can happen in 3 years. We all know the patterns of humanity that deep battle lines often culminate in violence and death. You may also know that at the end of approximately 3 years of Jesus walking among us in the Middle East that's precisely what happened. He was killed and placed in a tomb.  This brief stint of ministry is an unfortunat...

This week is book-ended by some of the best moments of the Church: the gathering and the sending of believers. The week began by gathering last Friday/Saturday at Kona Nazarene with students in the district Course of Study, pastors, and some family members for the second weekend of a class. The course was, "Practicing Wesleyan Holiness Spiritual Formation," and is part of the requirements to be ordained as a Nazarene pastor. We discussed some of the rhythms the Church, and Jesus Christ Himself, have used to meet with God and to be formed by His Spirit. It takes about a 2-hour drive to get to Kona Nazarene from our church to give you some perspective on how BIG the Big Island is...and no, that's not sitting in traffic like Oahu. It was certainly worth it though! This year, we've been piloting a new format for our district classes. We offer each of the 25 required classes in a part 1 and part 2 format over 2 weekends, on 3 of the Hawaiian Islands: Oahu, Maui, and th...