The Well Church of the Nazarene

Worship - Better Together, pt. 6

Our differences provide the greatest potential for our connection and effectiveness. We are better together, because the body thrives in diversity. Are you using the unique gifts and talents God's given you for God's purposes?

Series Discussion - Better Together, pt. 5

Koinonia sounds like a fancy word, but pastors Paul, Mara, and Josh break it down in this week's discussion using Acts 2:42-47's depiction of the early church. When it comes to our church and community, Koinonia is important. It's a shared purpose--loving God and loving others. 

But...what exactly does that look like at Marysville Nazarene? How can we as a church renew, redeem, and/or reestablish Koinonia in the midst of the culture of conflict we live in?

Worship - Better Together, pt. 5

As we've learned over the last several weeks, community is woven into the fabric of creation--and that includes the church.

Despite its problems, and the imperfections of its people, the church is intended to be a place of deepening connection, just as it was in the days of the apostles. The early church was together--in teaching, fellowship, communion, and prayer. 

Series Discussion - Better Together, pt.4

It's easy to say we want our community to be ever-expanding, but when you start talking about ever-deepening connections, things get hard. It takes perspective, intentionality, and as we discussed on Sunday, a level of vulnerability to build deeper, more authentic relationships.

Pastors Josh, Mara, and Paul discuss the many obstacles that keep us from vulnerability: maturity, self-worth/acceptance, past hurts, guilt and/or shame, etc. It's definitely a conversation worth hearing, and we hope you'll take what is shared around our table and continue the discussion around yours.

Worship - Better Together, pt. 4

Deepening community requires deepening vulnerability. Relationships are worth the risk! Vulnerability is a process that begins with authenticity--the courageous willingness to open ourselves up to others and to allow them to open up to us.

Could it be that our vulnerability results in not just true connections with others, but a deeper relationship with God, our mission...all of life?

Series Discussion - Better Together, pt. 3

In this series, we've been taking a closer look at what we want our identity to be as a church. We know that we want the ever-expanding, ever-deepening connection God calls us to, but sometimes there are barriers to that: time and vulnerability.

If you haven't yet heard/watched Sunday's sermon, we encourage you to do so (https://youtu.be/Z3zZkmcxH54), as Paul talks about Sabbath and how critical it is that we take time to rest and worship in community with others. In this week's discussion, Josh, Mara, and Paul further peel back the tradition of Sabbath, its relevance today, and what practical observance of Sabbath looks like for each one of us.

Series Discussion - Better Together, pt.2

Our series discussions are back! For the first time following a brief holiday hiatus, our pastoral staff--Josh, Mara, and Paul--gather to talk about the importance of worship, connection, and intimacy during a time when physical togetherness is a challenge. 

Topics include the role creation, specifically our having been created in the image of God, plays in the call on our life, as well as what it means to live in relationship with God, with others, and with creation itself. Connection looks different for everyone, but we are all called to a level of connection that's reflective of God. What does that look like? What are the challenges? And how can we grow beyond those challenges, and in so doing, model that growth to our families and the next generation of our church?

This conversation expands on our Sunday morning teachings from "Better Together." Catch up on the sermons you've missed on our website: marysvillenazarene.org/media

(NOTE: There was no series discussion for part one of this series.)

Worship - Better Together, pt. 1

God calls us to an ever-expanding, ever-deepening community. And intimacy and vulnerability in our relationships is a much deeper concept than just companionship alone.

The need for intimacy is not weakness--it is an essential part of our created identity. The church is intended to be a place where intimate relationships are formed and providential relationships are nurtured.

Will you be faithful to the relational opportunities in our church?

Better Together, pt. 1

In order to understand the importance of community, we need to understand the nature of our Creator and our created identity. Community, and the deep connections/relationships within, is ingrained in the fabric of creation. 

God calls us to an ever-expanding, ever-deepening community. He was intentional with creation, therefore we need to live intentionally in order to experience community as God intended.

Worship - Wait for It, pt.2

Our Advent/Christmas series this year centers around the idea of disruptive innovation--an innovation that impacts the lives of ordinary people. Christmas is a disruptive innovation--Jesus changed everything. Life will never be the same.

Last week (in part one), we learned that we experience the Kingdom by turning to God and trusting Him, not through perfect religious performance. This week's "disruptive innovation" is the idea that God doesn't just want our best--He wants our broken.