MISSION OF THE CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE

Our Mission: To equip disciples of all generations to love God and love all people in Muncie as it is in heaven.

We are a Great Commission church (Matthew 28:19-20). As a global community of faith, we are commissioned to take the Good News of life in Jesus Christ to people everywhere and to spread the message of scriptural holiness (Christlike living) across the lands.

The Church of the Nazarene bonds together individuals who have made Jesus Christ Lord of their lives, sharing in Christian fellowship, and seeking to strengthen each other in faith development through worship, preaching, training, and service to others.

We strive to express the compassion of Jesus Christ to all persons along with our personal commitment to Christlike living.

While the primary motive of the church is to glorify God, we also are called to actively participate in His mission—reconciling the world to himself.

The statement of mission contains historical essentials of our mission: evangelism, sanctification, discipleship, compassion. The essence of holiness is Christlikeness.

Nazarenes are becoming a sent people—into homes, work places, communities, and villages as well as other cities and countries. Missionaries are now sent from all regions of the world. God continues calling ordinary people to do extraordinary things made possible by the person of the Holy Spirit.

What is a Nazarene?

Jesus grew up in a town called Nazareth. The Bible contains a story in the Gospel According to John about two friends – one named Philip and the other Nathanael. Philip had already decided to follow Jesus and was trying to convince Nathanael to follow him as well. In making his case Philip said, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law and the Prophets: Jesus, Joseph’s son, from Nazareth.” Nathanael responded, “Can anything from Nazareth be good?” (John 1:45-46 CEB)

In that day, Nazareth was “on the wrong side of the tracks.” It was a place where the poor lived, the impoverished, diseased, outcasts – the not-good-enoughs. This is why Nathanael responded the way he did, because what he knew of Nazareth was that there wasn’t a lot of good there.

However, Jesus had a way of turning the tables on our expectations — even down to his humble hometown. Christ spent much of his ministry helping others see the “upside down” kingdom he claimed to be ushering in — a kingdom in which the first shall be last and the last shall be first, a kingdom where leaders must become the servants of all.

This is where we get our name – Nazarene. The Church of the Nazarene began in inner city Los Angeles in 1908, reaching out to the poor, impoverished, diseased, and outcasts – the not-good-enoughs. We took seriously and continue to take seriously what Jesus the Nazarene taught when he said, “I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. I was naked and you gave me clothes to wear. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me. Then those who are righteous will reply to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and give you clothes to wear? When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ Then the king will reply to them, ‘I assure you that when you have done it for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you have done it for me.'” (Matthew 25:34-40 CEB)

Today, we are taking this call as seriously as ever. There is no one undeserving of the transforming love of Christ, and we believe the grace of God goes before us in our mission to share this love with the entire world. You should join us!

What we believe?

Agreed Statement of Belief
These are the beliefs Nazarenes hold to be true:

  • We believe in one God—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
  • We believe that the Old and New Testament Scriptures, given by plenary inspiration, contain all truth necessary to faith and Christian living.
  • We believe that man is born with a fallen nature, and is, therefore, inclined to evil, and that continually.
  • We believe that the finally impenitent are hopelessly and eternally lost.
  • We believe that the atonement through Jesus Christ is for the whole human race; and that whosoever repents and believes on the Lord Jesus Christ is justified and regenerated and saved from the dominion of sin.
  • We believe that believers are to be sanctified wholly, subsequent to regeneration, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
  • We believe that the Holy Spirit bears witness to the new birth, and also to the entire sanctification of believers.
  • We believe that our Lord will return, the dead will be raised, and the final judgment will take place.