Nazarenes in the News is a compilation of news stories featuring Nazarene churches or church members working to solve some issues that have arisen from COVID-19

Tennessee church food ministry partners with drive-in as need grows amid COVID-19

(Herald-Chronicle, 15 April 2020) The Westside Church of the Nazarene’s Tullahoma Family Food Ministry recently partnered with the Montana Drive-In to distribute food to help solve hunger issues in the local community.

The food-distribution events will continue to be held during the pandemic each Wednesday from 2-4 p.m. at the Montana Drive-In, located at 10251 Tullahoma Hwy. in Estill Springs.

“We’ve been giving food away at my church for a little more than a year,” coordinator David Statum said, “We outgrew our parking lots, so we asked Beth Rhoton, who owns the drive-in, if we could move there.”

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Michigan family sews masks for community

A family from Cross Community Church of the Nazarene in Portage, Michigan has been sewing masks for first responders, hospital workers, friends, and family.

(WWMT, 15 April 2020) When the Hernandez family began making homemade masks, they were meant for just a few people, but the operation soon grew quickly.

Portage Northern senior Adriana Hernandez, her brother Aidan and father Ramon began making them for family and friends.

After others heard about what the Hernandez family was doing, they asked the family to make masks for those on the frontlines.

“We started off by making a few for our friends and family, and then it just got bigger and bigger, and we started making them for hospitals and the police station and stuff like that,” Adriana said.

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West Virgina church teams up with neighboring congregations for “Holy Week Walk”

(Herald-Dispatch, 8 April 2020)

While churches are prevented from having large gatherings because of fears of spreading the novel coronavirus, the Highlawn Alliance Faith Communities and FaithHealth Appalachia have worked together to help the Highlawn community experience Holy Week in a new way.

Scripture and prayer signs have been placed at church locations throughout Highlawn. The first station starts at Huntington First Church of the Nazarene.

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Indiana Church partners with school to provide community with essentials

(Herald-Bulletin, 2 April 2020)

The Anderson Preparatory Academy and the First Church of the Nazarene are working together to provide food items and other necessary household essentials.

Senior Pastor Joseph Dagostino said the church passed out food the first two weeks of the stay-at-home directives. On Wednesday, church staff switched to giving essentials like toilet paper, paper towels and toothpaste.

“APA is passing out meals and they’re doing a great job of it,” he said. “People were asking us if we had these type of things, so we decided to switch.”

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Nazarene Army Chaplain provides spiritual support to base

Fort Greely Garrison Chaplain, Lt. Col Paul Fritts, and 49th Missile Defense Battalion Chaplain, Capt. Sean Crow, are displaying their worth to the community by using creative ways to provide encouraging and heartfelt messages of hope to patrons. Both Chaplains are maintaining a strong presence on social media by broadcasting Sunday services as well as publishing daily and weekly messages to the workforce. This includes publications of Chaplain Crow’s “Word of the Day” and Chaplain Fritt’s “Children’s Message.”

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Massachusetts church delivers meals to frontline workers

(Dorchester Banner, 14 April 2020) Health care workers, police officers, firefighters and emergency services crews in Cambridge had meals delivered by volunteers from the Church of the Nazarene early this month. The meals were donated by the city’s Chik-fil-A restaurant.

The Reverend Richard Prahl, pastor of the Church of the Nazarene said, “We want to show our appreciation, plant a seed of hope in our community during this COVID-19 pandemic, and say, ‘Thank You’ to our local hospital medical professionals and staff, as well as those who protect and serve us through the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, the Cambridge Police Department, the Cambridge Rescue Fire Company, and Dorchester Emergency Medical Technicians.”

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California church sews masks for first responders

Volunteers from Watsonville Church of the Nazarene are busy sewing cloth masks for first responders, healthcare workers, and seniors.
Dozens of these multilayered masks, which are also available to residents in Santa Cruz County during the coronavirus pandemic, were donated to the local police department.

For a link to the video, click here.

 

Oklahoma church keeps focus on community amid pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has not changed the focus of Guymon Church of the Nazarene in Oklahoma. 

On 22 March, the church shifted its worship service to a drive-in format. In cooperation with KKBS 92.7 FM, a local radio station, they broadcasted the service live from the church parking lot while simultaneously live-streaming it on Facebook. The pastor and worship team led from under the carport.

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--Compiled by Nazarene News