Want to change the Church of the Nazarene? Start in your own backyard
As far as I remember the General Church of the Nazarene baptizes no one. Maybe there has been a baptism at a General Assembly, but I’ve never seen it. No infant baptisms either. Or baby dedications. Nothing like that. Those are local church happenings.
There’s been a few baptisms on our district campgrounds, but it’s still a local church thing. The district didn’t do much in their discipleship. Yes, there are camps but the day to day discipleship happens in the local church. Again, no infant baptisms or baby dedications happen on the district level. There is no marriage counselling. No food programs. No ongoing mission efforts. That is all a local church thing too.
Ministry happens at the local church. We all know this to be true. So if one is starting to get bent out of shape or ruffled feathers because of decisions made on the general (global) or district level take a breath, calm down, practice self-control (a fruit of the spirit, remember) look around and see all the good things (God things) that are happening at your local church.
There are a lot of good proceedings.
At my local church just in the next week or two these things are happening: a mission team of 35 people (mostly teens, but our District Superintendent too) was supposed to be in Panama this week (unfortunately, weekend storms and a day in the Buffalo airport ruined that and sent the team back to Michigan). Another team is going in September (no storms please). We partner with the closest elementary school to the church. Partnering means providing all the school supplies; sponsoring extracurricular activities and field trips; buying the entire school matching T-Shirts to inspire school spirit and unity; providing mentors and aids; and delivering bags of weekend groceries so the 60+ children identified as at risk kids won’t go hungry without the free school breakfast and lunch. Our Vacation Bible Camp children raised money to buy 65 backpacks for the kids around the Flint Eastside mission. The Boys and Girls Club of Flint that meets in our building is supplying a free lunch to anybody and everybody this summer. Folks from the community are playing pickleball (free of charge) two nights a week in the Community Center. Central Park, the play area we built for our neighbors, is constantly in use. Our neighborhood block party, Summerfest, happens in a couple of weeks. Besides trying to be the best neighbor, baptisms are happening this Sunday– infants in the morning service and new believers at night at a public beach area (I love public baptisms); and our worship services have been Spirit filled and God led!
When I get worried about doctrinal brouhahas in the general church or bug-a-booed about thing-a-ma-bob at another Nazarene church or pastor 30 miles away, I start to lose my focus. God has called us to bloom where we are planted. So let’s bloom. Don’t get so (in our Nazarene world) “Lenexa focused” that we miss what’s happening under our noses.
Would I change a few things if I were the Super Czar of the Nazarene-dom… probably, but no one voted me into that role (there isn’t a Super Czar of Nazarene-dom). Instead of filling the complaint box in Lenexa with wonderful ideas about how the GSs should do their jobs (I don’t think there is a complain box), why not take a neighbor a plate of cookies or babysit a single mom’s kids, mentor a child at your elementary school or visit a widow. Do something that truly matters.
Jesus calls us to love our neighbor. That’s a local thing. James says the religion that matters is that which takes care of widows and orphans. That’s a local thing too. When Jesus told the parable of the King separating folks at Judgement Day like a shepherd separates sheep and goats, the difference was in how people cared for the sick and needy. In each incidence, it’s a local matter. Not once does Jesus tell us to worry about what others are doing. In fact, he says let the sin-free folks have the first stone toss at the sinner. Nobody chucked a rock. Maybe we shouldn’t either.
Don’t like what’s happening in Lenexa? Instead of spinning your wheels (or banging your fingers on a keyboard) trying to clean up the world around you. The ministry that matters is local ministry. Start tossing rocks at others once your own glass house is perfect. Want to change the Church of the Nazarene? Start in your own backyard!
