Napoleon Church of the Nazarene

This week, our ministry focus was on Community Outreach. We highlighted two key ministries that have helped us as a church spread the gospel through out our own community. The first being our NapNaz Community Preschool, led by teacher and director, Sarah Sonnenberg. NapNaz Preschool helps to prepare children spiritually and academically as they enter into kindergarten. Our second ministry outreach is LifeWise Academy, directed by our community outreach and worship pastor, Ben Hartford. LifeWise Academy is a Released Time Religious Instruction (RTRI) program which provides Bible-based character education to public school students. Under RTRI laws, students can be released from public school during the school day to attend religious classes, provided the program is off school property, privately funded and parent-permitted. If you are interested in finding or starting a Lifewise Academy in your school district, head to https://www.lifewiseacademy.org/about to get more information.

For the month of August, we are focusing on the different ministries of the church and how the body of Christ can use their gifts to help serve in these different ministries to advance the kingdom. Our focus this week is Missions. Pastor Chip interviews two of our church's missionaries who have served in the DR.

We end our Neighborhood Watch series with part 2 on "Knowing Your Roles". Pastor Chip takes us into Ephesians, Corinthians, and Romans, teaching on how we are to use our gifts and talents to advance the Kingdom. He encourages all believers to take a shape test to find their spiritual formation and God given gifts to be used to serve others.

This week, Pastor Chip teaches on knowing your role and how you can use your gifts and talents from the Holy Spirit to help edify and encourage others. He teaches from Romans and 1 Cor about the important functions of the church body.

"The church exists for the sake of the world… the ultimate goal of all ministry is to reach others for christ.”

- John macarthur

Pastor Justin teaches on investing in the lives of others. Investing in others is sowing beyond our own flesh. (Gal. 6)Investing time in others despite the messes but instead showing grace, we show our neighbors the love of Christ Jesus.

Pastor Chip shares an encouraging and challenging message on sharing the gospel with your neighbors and what that looks like.

Pastor Justin teaches on bitterness this week in our sermon series, "Neighborhood Watch". We read through Psalm 4 as Justin highlights the meaning of each verse. We learn that we can't truly love our neighbor if we are bitter. He goes through scripture to show how bitterness is defeated by putting God above all else.

This week's message is titled, "Scope and Sequence", because we need the parameters of what it looks like to love our neighbor. Pastor Chip continues through the Word of God to show us how we ought to love one another and understand how to be comfortable in our compassion and inconvenience. To love others is not a suggestion, but a command.

This week in our series, "Neighborhood Watch", Pastor Chip teaches out of Ephesians 4 and how we can encourage one another to grow in maturity as the body of Christ. He talks about friendships and what "core" friendships should look like according to scripture. Core friendships should be the result of the course our lives.

Pastor Justin teaches our second week of the series, "Neighborhood Watch". He goes through scripture found in Ephesians and Philippians and teaches about walking in the manner worthy to which we were called, together in unity with one another. To be obedient in loving one another just as Christ did.