Easter Monday Update

Christ is Risen! – He is risen, indeed!

Hristos a înviat! – Adevărat a înviat!

Orthodox icon depicting Christ's resurrection,
raising Adam & Eve from their graves

Today is Easter Monday, better known in Romania as the second day of Easter. Here in Transylvania, a fun tradition on this day is for boys to visit girls at their homes and spray them with perfume (or water, depending on local tradition).

During Holy Week, I had the privilege of visiting all 3 churches on the Romania District. On Palm Sunday, I worshipped with the Blessing Church of the Nazarene in Bucharest. On Maundy Thursday, I attended the seder meal at the Sighisoara Church of the Nazarene before a special service of scriptures and songs reflecting on the events leading up to the crucifixion. On Good Friday, I attended the Communion service at the Tigmandru Church of the Nazarene. On Easter Sunday morning, I was again with the church in Sighisoara to celebrate the resurrection of Christ.

For the first time since 2017, Easter was celebrated this year on the same date by Eastern (Orthodox) and Western (Catholic/Protestant) Christians. (Click here to read my 2013 blog post about the how the dates of Easter are determined.)

Easter Sunday in Sighișoara

Recent Highlights

DS Meetings in Serbia: At the beginning of March, I joined the district superintendents and leaders of pioneer areas on the Central Europe Field in Belgrade, Serbia, for our annual in-person meetings. Our field strategy coordinator reminded us of the highlights from the past year and outlined our priorities for the coming year. Our regional director led the leadership development sessions that focused on church health. It wasn’t all business, though. We spent one afternoon on a walking tour around Belgrade. It’s always nice to spend time with the leaders from across our field. Join me in praying for the work on the Church of the Nazarene across the Central Europe Field. 

 

Central Europe Field Strategy Coordinator Cezi Glendenning
presents a gift to Eurasia Regional Director
Mark Louw and his wife Linda

Visiting the Orthodox Church of St. Sava in Belgrade

More Meetings: In the weeks since returning from Serbia, I've had many more meetings. I had meetings on Zoom with field leaders, with new missionaries who will be arriving in Romania next month, with the district treasurer, with 2 different district boards, and with the Veritas board. I met with the accountant and took multiple trips to the notary to deal with documents relating to our properties, taxes, and other financial matters. I’ve met individually with each of the pastors, praying with them and introducing new resources. Join me in praying for the spiritual and practical needs on the Romania District.

A Living Faith: One of the new resources that we recently finished was the new edition of A Living Faith. This is an introduction to the Church of the Nazarene for all church members and anyone interested in becoming a member. It contains parts of the Nazarene Manual that talk about how we Nazarenes live out our faith (hence the title), along with the Core Values, Eurasia Regional Priorities, and a special introduction to the Church of the Nazarene in Romania that I recently wrote. Join me in praying that this resource will prepare members in our local churches. 

A Living Faith (left) and Stewardship
Discussion Guide (right)

Stewardship Project: Another new resource is designed for pastors and local church boards. We are now in Year 4 of the Local Church Sustainability Project, which is intended to help the local churches on the Romania District develop sustainable financial practices. Part of this project includes educating and empowering local church leadership around healthy principles and practices of Christian stewardship. Over the past few months, I have been putting together a local church assessment with discussion questions for the pastors and local church boards to complete together. Join me in praying that this will be a useful tool for the development of each of the local churches.

Home Assignment

In just a few days, I will be flying to the US for 6 weeks of home assignment. I will be based in Pennsylvania but will also have a 2-week trip to New England in May. I still have a few openings in my schedule (including Sunday evenings and weekdays). If you’re in Pennsylvania, on the Mid-Atlantic District, or in the greater Boston area, let me know if you’d like to schedule a deputation service, small-group meeting, or just catch up over a meal. (Click here to view my schedule.)

Prayer for home assignment: Pray that the message I share with supporters will be both informative about what God is doing in Romania and also inspire them to be involved in mission in their local contexts and globally. Pray for safety as I travel, for time spent with family and friends, for (re-)connecting with supporters, for raising financial support, and for keeping up with things in Romania while I am away.

Blessings to you during this Easter season!
Jonathan