WE CELEBRATE 95 YEARS AS A CHURCH TODAY! Exodus 12:14-15 "This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord — a lasting ordinance. Ex 12:24-28 "Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants. When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. And when your children ask you, 'What does this ceremony mean to you?' then tell them, 'It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.'" Then the people bowed down and worshiped. The Israelites did just what the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron.WHAT IS THE CHURCH?
To most, a building
To some, denomination or organization
To some, their group at the church building
It is all this and more
WHO WERE THOSE WHO STARTED OUR BUNCH?
A group of people who loved God and chose to become Nazarenes
They agreed to the Nazarene doctrines and polity
They chose to accept the Nazarene code of ethics
They accepted the mission and purposes to walk with God and reach new people to do the same
They committed to support the church financially, participated in its mission to spread the “Good News” to the community, and endeavored to grow in their faithful walk with God every day
We are still accepting the same challenges today and committing to faithfully serving God daily
THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT COME TO MIND ABOUT OUR CHURCHSOME THINGS SHOULD NEVER CHANGE; SOME THINGS WILL ALWAYS CHANGE; WE NEED TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE
SOME THINGS ARE TO NEVER CHANGE!
God is Almighty and it is HIS church and we are HIS people
God loves and cares desperately about ALL His people
God wants to be our life’s traveling Partner
God has a plan for our life and He is the center of it
God’s Word never changes
God will honor and fulfill his promises
We are ALWAYS powerless to meet our every need
God wants his people to WANT to serve him because they love him and trust him
The message and mission of our church to faithfully serve God; obey his commands; and love people must never change
SOME THINGS WILL ALWAYS CHANGE
Our journey will ALWAYS be a challenge; sometimes up, sometimes down
There will always be changes in the people make up of a church
The commitment level of a church is constantly in flux
Yesterday’s blessing is a great memory but it will not be adequate for today’s challenges
Our programs, methods, art forms, will constantly change (not the mission nor the message)
Music will change; it always has
Our facilities will need to change
The way we dress will change;
Our communication devises will change (technology)