SnapShots

Sofia, Bulgaria -- For the first time since its inception in the early 1990s, the Sofia Church of the Nazarene is meeting in a space that is available to church activities 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The church has been meeting in various rented spaces for two decades, often with the space only available on Sunday afternoons. 

Standing at the bus stop in his neighborhood, Eduardo Arce struck up a conversation with Estela, the wife of Nazarene pastor Jorge Cabero. After this encounter, Jorge got in touch with Arce and they met for coffee. Jorge then invited Arce to church and he’s been attending for the past few years.  It’s these intentional, personal interactions with local Spanish people that are attracting them to the local Nazarene church in Seville.

Spread throughout several rooms in a hotel in Barcelona, Spain, numerous groups of Nazarenes from across Europe gathered around cups of coffee to discuss how they could more effectively integrate discipleship into the life of their local churches.

As the Syrian government’s military and the opposition forces have sliced and diced the country into areas they control, millions of civilians have been caught in the crossfire. It has been a time of severe hardship and turmoil for believers and nonbelievers alike.

Our bus leaves at a quarter to 7. It's so cold that the window panes are frosted over. Every time the door opens, a blast of cold air sweeps through the bus. We move through the dark hills, drop off teachers at local schools in the villages, pick up a few children: Their village schools have refused to take them in, because they are Roma kids, and nobody wants them. Some don't even wear a proper jacket.