September 2021

Dear Friends,
I have two important items to share with you this month. Please read below.
 

Alabaster Offering: THIS Sunday, September 26

Alabaster 
     The word in the Church of the Nazarene always conjures up a little cardboard box into which we can place coins or bills to give in a semi-annual offering for missionary buildings around the world. But we also know the story of the alabaster jar in the New Testament. Here is the scripture in Matthew 26:6–13: While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. "Why this waste?" they asked.

The jar and the contents were expensive; the disciples thought they were being responsible in protesting such waste when the jar and contents could have been sold and the money used for the poor and needy.  But we know that the gift was a generous gift of love and a memorial for the coming death—and resurrection—of Christ. 

Our Alabaster box offering is meant to be the same: a gift of love in remembrance that Christ died for us—and for all our brothers and sisters in the world. You might want to consider your offering for this coming Sunday, September 26, as something more than just the few odd coins or bills. What would be expensive to you? Is that something that you could give in your box for the global ministry of the church? 

The offering will be taken in both the 9:00 and the 10:30 hours. I hope that you will prayerfully consider your offering to this important cause

Missionaries Roger and Nancy Bowers:  THIS Sunday, September 26  

The Bower's have found a place for worship (see our April Mission Moments) for a very multicultural group of people who live close to them in the Basque Region of France. Their ministry is growing and we want to be a part of helping that happen.

We will meet for a special one-hour service in Room 100 at 6 p.m. It will be the first "Wesley Cell"  meeting since the beginning of the pandemic, but you don’t need to be a regular attender of Wesley Cell to attend. Instead, the group, under the leadership of John Hanson, has been gracious enough to use their time and space for this missionary service, which is open to the whole church. 

I hope that you will plan to attend. Packaged snacks, coffee and water will be available at the beginning of the service. A love offering for the Bowers will be taken.

Hope to see you then!

Rebecca Belcher-Rankin
College Church
Nazarene Mission International President