Today marks exactly four years since the start of the full-scale war in Ukraine in 2022. Throughout this conflict, the role of local institutions has shifted dramatically, with communities often looking to spiritual leaders for more than just guidance.

In this interview, Crystal Gibbons speaks with two leaders within the Church of the Nazarene in Ukraine: Pastor Svetlana, the District Superintendent, and Pastor Sergei, who began his ministry at the onset of the war.

They discuss the evolving nature of the church as it transforms into a "warm place"—a literal and spiritual shelter that offers food, warmth, and hope to believers and non-believers alike. From the logistical hurdles posed by power outages to the deeply personal struggle of maintaining faith amid tragedy, Svetlana and Sergei offer an unfiltered look at leadership during a prolonged crisis.

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This podcast episode features Julie O’Hara, director of the Preaching Collaborative. She details how the Collaborative fosters "effective evangelistic preachers" through peer cohorts and feedback, emphasizing that preaching should invite people to their "next yes" to Jesus.

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In this episode, Nate Gilmore talks with Cheryl Crouch about recent developments at Nazarene Missions International.

Nazarene Missions International Impact Awards

Purpose: Showcase and celebrate each individual church’s creative involvement in NMI, specifically through implementation of the Five Areas of Impact: Praying, Engaging Children & Youth, Care & Connection, Giving to Alabaster, Giving to WEF.

Goal: To receive video entries from many of our 30,000 Nazarene churches around the world. Submitted videos will be used on social media to encourage creativity and participation in NMI. Winning videos from each region will be featured at the 2027 Global NMI Convention.

How to Enter: Submit a one-minute vertical video showing how your church creatively participated in ONE of the Five Areas of Impact; Keep the emphasis on strong VISUALS; Words can be present but they will not be translated for our global audience.

Process: Local churches will submit videos in their region’s Nubo folder:

Africa: https://nubo.nazarene.org/index.php/s/wdP2zpESFZcMj5W

Asia-Pacific: https://nubo.nazarene.org/index.php/s/QTtArm6WJ3rRxSL

Eurasia: https://nubo.nazarene.org/index.php/s/asdBZ8mpPGgw9DW

Mesoamerica: https://nubo.nazarene.org/index.php/s/TCFj6GStQFx9sKc

South America: https://nubo.nazarene.org/index.php/s/ajzbMEwd3HcK8y5

USA/Canada: https://nubo.nazarene.org/index.php/s/fCryCp4XCGLSEN6

Videos must be entered under the correct region and labeled in this way: District – town and local church name (without Church of the Nazarene) – area of impact featured with NO dashes, slashes, or punctuation. (Ex: The Willowwood Church of the Nazarene in Denton, Texas, on the West Texas District would enter their video featuring WEF this way: WestTexasDentonWillowwoodWEF).

District Presidents will choose a committee (which could be the district council) to judge their district’s videos and select one winning video for each of the Five Areas of Impact. Winning videos will receive the District NMI Impact Award certificate. DPs will celebrate the five winning videos and submit them to their regional NMI coordinator via Nubo.

Regional Coordinators will work with Regional Global Council reps to choose a committee to judge the videos and select one winning video for each of the Five Areas of Impact. Winning videos will receive the Regional NMI Impact Award certificate. RCs will celebrate the five winning videos and submit them to Global NMI via Nubo.

Global NMI will work with Communications to format the winning videos for viewing at the 2027 Global Convention, where Global Convention delegates will vote for the top video in each category. The winning videos will receive the Global NMI Impact Award certificate and trophy and the local church, district, and region of each winning video will be recognized and celebrated during the Global Convention.

Timeline:

Promotion & Local churches create videos – January – May 2026

Local churches submit to their districts - June 2026

Districts submit winning videos (1 for each category – 5 videos) to their regions - July 2026

Regions submit winning videos (1 for each category – 5 videos) to Global NMI - August 2026 to be formatted for Global Convention  

Global Judging: by convention delegates during 2027 Global Convention

promotional video click here

promotional graphics for the creativity contest click here

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In this episode, Nate Gilmore connects with Bailey Friberg, Communications Partner Coordinator for the USA/Canada Region. Bailey serves as a vital bridge, connecting local churches to regional resources through strategic partnerships. In this conversation, we discuss the impact of these partnerships, the encouraging revival currently taking place among Gen Z, and the unique challenges of navigating discipleship in the digital age.

To connect with these partnerships, click here

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On today's episode, you'll hear Carl Bangs discuss the hymns of Charles Wesley.

Carl Bangs was a professor of historical theology at Olivet Nazarene College and at St. Paul School of Theology. He served as president of the American Theological Society and the American Society of Church History.

His work, Arminius - A Study in the Dutch Reformation, is a seminal contribution to Dutch church history and Wesleyan Arminian studies.

Bangs graduated from Pasadena College and Nazarene Theological Seminary and received a PHD from the University of Chicago.

This recording was featured on the Layman’s Tape Club in September of 1981.

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In this Holiness Today podcast episode, host Nate Gilmore and regional director Stan Reeder interview Dave Anderson, lead pastor at Kankakee First Church. Anderson shares his testimony of transitioning from a high-powered law career to ministry after wrestling with a divine call for five years. He discusses his experience revitalizing churches in crisis, emphasizing prayer-first leadership and the "power of the text" in preaching. The conversation highlights his commitment to discipling young leaders and his belief in surrendering outcomes to God’s "resurrection power".

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Eugene Stowe explores why specific prayers often go unanswered and refutes "prosperity" theology. He argues that effective prayer must align with God's sovereign will, which humans cannot fully grasp. By linking Philippians, 1 John, and Romans, Stowe posits that the Holy Spirit acts as both an "Intercessor" and "Interceptor." When believers offer "improper" prayers outside God’s plan, the Spirit intercepts and corrects them, substituting human desires with divine necessities. This process ensures God always supplies a believer’s true needs, allowing them to trust the outcome even when it differs from their original request.

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On this episode, Nate, Jordan, and Dani discuss the Holiness Today podcast and where it's been and where it's going. 

Please connect with us on social media or email us at [email protected] 

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Former evangelism professor Chick Shaver compares the local church to a hospital nursery, where new converts are "spiritual infants" requiring specialized care and warmth. He warns that without this intentional care, many converts perish spiritually within weeks. Shaver illustrates this through Dan and Judy, a couple who faced indifference at two churches before finding a welcoming community. The intentional outreach by laypeople and the pastor ultimately led to the couple’s conversion and to their own ministry to others, demonstrating that a warm congregational climate is vital for spiritual growth.

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In this episode, Nate Gilmore and Stan Reeder interview Wendell Brown, District Superintendent of North Central Ohio. Brown shares his journey from military service and addiction to a miraculous call to ministry. He discusses "Tragedy into Triumph," a sixteen-year ministry sharing powerful stories of transformation regarding loss, crime, and addiction. Brown also details significant evangelistic growth in his district, emphasizing intentional accountability and a renewed focus on holiness and entire sanctification to raise up future missional leaders. 

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