Over 200 Nazarene Discipleship International (NDI) leaders from across the USA/Canada Region gathered in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for LC 2024. Those in attendance participated in moving worship music, listened to powerful sermons in plenary sessions, and attended workshops to equip them for the discipleship journey.
“When we gather around the thing that Jesus called us to do — to make disciples in the nations — and then we give our whole selves in it, I think God comes in an unusual way,” said Global NDI Director Sam Barber. “That’s what’s happened here. He’s blessed us for being obedient to what he’s asked us to do.”
Jonathan Hall, the pastor of Lighthouse Church of the Nazarene in Moravia, Iowa, said he felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in a powerful way.
“The presence of God and the power of the Holy Spirit falling upon this place and upon a group of people has been an amazing experience.”
The event theme, “Journey to the Core,” brought together the concepts from the Journey of Grace discipleship framework and the USA/Canada’s Cycle of Resurgence.
The conference opened on Tuesday night with worship led by Nick Robertson, pastor of worship and missions at Bethany First Church of the Nazarene in Oklahoma. Robertson’s team led each plenary session in worship.
General Superintendent David Busic opened the conference with a message based on Ephesians 1:9-10: God’s plan to reunite his people in Christ. He used the analogy of the children’s nursery rhyme “Humpty Dumpty” to help illustrate the fall of man and man’s attempt at putting itself back together again. The only way we can be put back together is through the Father.
On Wednesday morning, Barber spoke about how the Journey of Grace is how God helps put his people back together again, emphasizing prevenient grace, saving grace, and sanctifying grace. Barber challenged those in attendance to have a more complete view of God’s grace through discipleship.
On Wednesday night, USA/Canada Regional Director Stan Reeder preached a powerful message titled “Out of Ezekiel 37.” He introduced the USA/Canada’s Cycle of Resurgence and shared his vision for the region in the coming years. He emphasized the church’s need for the Holy Spirit to wake it from its “dry bones.”
“I hear a rattling sound in the church,” Reeder said.
He explained how NDI’s Journey of Grace discipleship framework walks hand in hand with the Cycle of Resurgence.
“It’s two sides of the same coin,” Reeder said. “The Journey of Grace is God’s part, and the Cycle of Resurgence is our part.”
Hall felt the way Barber and Reeder put the Cycle of Resurgence and Journey of Grace together was powerful.
“Having the opportunity to bring them together cohesively was powerful, moving, and motivating for us as we return to our ministry contexts,” Hall said.
Between the two Wednesday plenary sessions, attendees could choose between multiple workshops divided into four sessions. Some workshops focused on sharing the gospel and your testimony, disability ministry in the church, cultivating relationships through a posture of care, digital discipleship, and discipling married couples, among many others.
Cricket Albertson, the executive director of Titus Women, a ministry of the Francis Asbury Society, closed the conference with a message on Thursday morning, emphasizing the disciple's witness. She closed by pulling from 2 Peter 3:11-18.
During the conference, five people were presented with NDI’s Second Mile Award, recognizing people who have gone the second mile to impact lives for Christ. The recipients were Scott Rainey, David Middendorf, Darlene Franks, Dean Blevins, and Larry Morris.
