Ministry in Romania

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything about what I’m actually doing in Romania. That’s because I’ve been trying to figure that out.

It’s easy to say on paper that I am here “to train Romanian lay leaders and work alongside them to develop discipleship ministries for children, youth, and adults in the Churches of the Nazarene on the Romania district,” but what exactly does that look like?

While I’ve created a long-term discipleship plan for the district, I’m starting with getting to know the existing ministries and trying to plug into where the needs are greatest. Two of the most immediate needs are here in Sighișoara. At the beginning of February, we changed the children’s ministry from being “children’s church” (meeting during the worship service) to “Sunday school” (meeting before the service. This allows more adults to be involved in ministry to children without missing the worship service. Each week over 40 children attend (in 3 age-divided classes). More children want to attend, but there simply isn’t space for all of them! I’m helping the children’s workers facilitate the new ministry possibilities. The second immediate need is that during Lent, we have restarted the adult small group Bible study in Sighisoara. I’m working with the leader of the group to provide lessons for the group to study each week.

There are other locations in which I will be getting involved in the coming weeks and months, like developing an entry-level discipleship course in Țigmandru and helping youth leaders in Sighișoara. Just as important (possibly more so at this point) I have also been able to spend time with some Romanian friends outside the context of church or work to get to know one another better as friends. After all, what would a program be if it weren't based upon relationships?

Photo: Combined children's worship in Sighișoara before the kids split into 3 age-divided classes.