Upstate New York District Church of the Nazarene

Thoughts from Olivia Different regions of the country are famous for different things. Idaho, where Dustin and I were before, is famous for potatoes. I’m not sure that is the most exciting thing to be known for! Here, we may best be known for our autumn colors. Prior to moving here we had experienced fall colors, but I have to say we hadn’t seen colors like these before. I get why people visit this time of year! Whether it’s the Giant Potato that travels Idaho (Yes, this is a real thing!) or the amazing foliage of Upstate, there is a call to “come and see.” This has me thinking about some of the invitations throughout the Bible to “come and see.”  For instance, Psalm 66:5 says, “Come and see God’s deeds; his works for human beings are awesome.” Or John 1:46 says, “Nathaniel responded, ‘Can anything from Nazareth be good?’ Philip said, ‘Come and see.’” These are two different passages in two different contexts, but they are both an invitation to us. I can imagine what God’s deeds might be. However, when I see what God does with my own eyes it is far more amazing. Nathaniel was skeptical about Nazareth. He knows what he knows about that place. But Philip wants to change his perspective. If he doesn’t come and see, he cannot experience the new thing God is doing. There are so many people around us who need to hear the invitation “come and see!” They’ve never experienced God’s good deeds, they don’t know how He has been working on their behalf, they have no sense of how awesome God is. There are others who are wary of Christ. Not because of who Christ is, but because of His followers. Maybe they have been wounded by the church, perhaps they have seen practice and preaching not aligning together, and they wonder if anything good could come from church. They need an opportunity to change their perspective, they need to see the new thing God is doing. It is good for us to be reminded that there are people in our communities who have yet to experience God--they need someone to say to them, “come and see.” And there are many around us who think they know what God is about and church is about and they’ve written both off. They need someone to be brave and loving enough to offer a new glimpse and a new invitation to “come and see.”   Autumn might be famous around here, but let’s make inviting others to “come and see” Jesus what our churches are known for. Given all the disruptions and difficulties of the last year it may be even more important for us to show our appreciation for our pastors! Don't forget it is not only the lead pastors we are appreciating. If you have associates include them in your appreciations this month. To help you with ideas on how to show love to your pastor(s) the Church of the Nazarene has partnered with the Bless Your Pastor organization. Click here to see the resources they are offering to you free of charge. In fact, if you follow their three step process they will reward your church with a $100 gift card! November 5-7, 2021, Greek Peak Resort   Pastors if you have not registered for our upcoming retreat do so now by clicking here, so we can plan our meals. Remember the District Advisory Board has decided to underwrite all the registration costs of this year's retreat as a gift to you! The only cost to you is for your room. To reserve this you will need to call the reservation desk at 1-800-955-2754 . Our Group Reservation Confirmation number is 249855 and the group name is Church of the Nazarene. If you need additional financial help to attend, reply to this email. Scholarships are available! If you don’t need this additional help with retreat costs because your church has it budgeted, consider sending the district a check for $70 for one registration or $140 for a couple to attend. Mark in the memo “Ministry Team Retreat.” This money will help us with scholarships.  Download Retreat Schedule Have you seen that our website's calendar has a weekly prayer emphasis? Check it out here. This month we have been praying for: Binghamton First Eastern Nazarene College Vermontville Community Bloomfield Roca de Salvacion All our pastors Special prayer: Pastor Ron Golden (retired minister on the Upstate district) recently went to be with the Lord. We are grateful for his ministry and thank God for his witness on our district. A memorial service is set for November 13 at Owego Church of the Nazarene. More details will be out soon. October 24 will be the final Sunday for Church Radiant in Rochester. We are thankful for God's good work done in this church and are praying for new ministries to come. Copyright © 2021 Upstate NY District Church of the Nazarene, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Upstate NY District Church of the Nazarene 5367 State Route 31 Clay, Ny 13041

Upstate NY District Church of the Nazarene · 5367 State Route 31 · Clay, Ny 13041 · USA