It was nearing the end of 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, when the staff and members of Clearwater First Church of the Nazarene (CFN) decided they had to do something to reintroduce themselves to the neighborhood. Months of careful gathering required the congregation to focus primarily on the needs of those closely connected to the church. Now, they wanted to look beyond the church walls to the community. Health and safety measures required that whatever they planned had to be outside—but what would resonate?
“My family and I have faced very difficult times during the long crisis.”
Magalie, a mother of five, had just received a food parcel to help stave off the hunger that was growing in her home, after her crops and animals were lost in a flood—just one of many difficulties her family has faced in recent years. Though she was describing her own experience, Magalie’s words could have easily been uttered by many of her neighbors in this Haitian community.
In Vancouver, Washington, four tiny house villages—called Safe Stay communities—provide a safe place for people experiencing homelessness to find shelter and transitional housing. When Pastor Kevin Campbell-White and his wife Jeni drove by one of these villages several months ago, they had the passing idea to try to connect their church (Hillcrest Church of the Nazarene) with the city to support Safe Stay residents.
Across the world, food insecurity is an ongoing struggle that has been exacerbate
Across the world, food insecurity is an ongoing struggle that has been exacerbate
Across the world, food insecurity is an ongoing struggle that has been exacerbate
Across the world, food insecurity is an ongoing struggle that has been exacerbate
Across the world, food insecurity is an ongoing struggle that has been exacerbate
This summer’s rainy season in Nepal brought heavy rainfall, causing severe landslides in several districts. Villagers in the small town of Mehele were especially impacted from rains and slides at the beginning of July. More than 50 families were displaced from their homes and most crops were damaged or destroyed. Nazarene Compassionate Ministries in Nepal distributed food relief packs to almost all the families impacted in the area. Contents included essentials like rice, lentils, oil, and salt. Other distributions included tarps for shelter and soap.
“My kids were sick, always sick,” says Sylvane.
Sylvane lives in Kagazi, Burundi. A mother of several children, Sylvane recently spoke about the past health condition of her family and compared it to their health now. She and her children have been changed by an integrated project designed to their community thrive through economic and agricultural development.