This first-person account was written by Rev. Hunter Steinmetz, High School Pastor at Hermitage Church of the Nazarene in Old Hickory, Tennessee. It was originally shared in NCM Magazine. Read the rest of the issue here.
--
Luke 15 is Jesus’ response to a quiet murmur:
“This man eats with the wrong people.”
Our Christian identity and how we live in the world are rooted in God through Jesus Christ. At our core, we are God’s beloved. God invites us to live in the way of Jesus, who brings hope and restoration to the world.
Tucked into the hills above Chile’s rugged coastline, a small Nazarene church is quietly making a big difference in their community.
“Sometimes all you need is one person to change the world,” says Pastor Lorena Noé.
Daily life in Haiti is deeply challenging. Recent stats show that ongoing insecurity and gang violence have forced hundreds of thousands of Haitians to flee their homes, pushing the number of internally displaced people inside the country to nearly 1.3 million, the highest ever recorded. Many end up in crowded, makeshift sites without easy access to enough food and water, health care, or functioning sanitation systems. Hunger is commonplace. Education for children and work for adults have been severely disrupted for much of the population.
Access to clean water and improved sanitation can mean the difference between health and disease, thriving and struggling, and children staying in school or falling behind. So, what options exist for communities where every resident is affected by the lack of clean water or sanitation facilities? Too often, the answer is: none.
In India, this is a reality in many villages, including those located near South India Biblical Seminary. “These communities [suffered with] water scarcity and lack of sanitation and waste management systems,” explained a church leader.
For children who have experienced displacement and hardship, a stable learning environment provides hope and opportunity. The Church of the Nazarene in Jordan partners with Nazarene Compassionate Ministries to develop schools that serve as a refuge for students seeking knowledge, stability, and a brighter future.
Through the safety and consistency found in these schools, students not only gain academic skills but also find encouragement, community, and a deeper understanding of God’s love.
In Ethiopia, economic hardship and social barriers have limited opportunities for women to achieve financial independence. Many women lack access to education, vocational training, and economic resources, making it difficult for them to support their families.
Lebanon has received more than 2.5 million Syrian refugees during the last 14 years. Currently, approximately one million remain in Lebanon, trying to navigate life in an unfamiliar country and culture. For these refugees, and other migrant workers from Africa and East Asia, finding appropriate medical care is a challenge. Additionally, due to the ongoing economic crisis and political instability, many of the Lebanese population also find themselves facing barriers to health care. For these people, there is no balm in Gilead.
When the devastating hurricanes Helene and Milton struck the southeastern United States in the fall of 2024, local churches became beacons of hope and stability, providing important community resources.
In 1967, the Church of the Nazarene opened a small clinic in the Waghi Valley in Papua New Guinea. Missionary nurses worked tirelessly to care for the sick and injured. Over time, this small clinic grew into Nazarene General Hospital, a 130-bed facility that serves the entire region. In 2016, it became a Provincial Referral Hospital—a significant achievement in its journey to provide better health care.