Warm Greetings to you from Sighișoara, Romania, at the beginning of this third week of Advent! Lately, I've been pondering a recent sermon in which the preacher reminds us that our primary focus during the Advent season should be on the Second Coming of Jesus and that we learn to wait now for his second coming by journeying with those who waited for his first coming. I found this to be a great reminder of the distinction between the Advent and Christmas seasons. It's so easy for us to skip forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus without having journeyed through the hard season of expectation and longing. During my devotions during this Advent season, my attention has been drawn over and over to the injustices and inequality in today's world, and I am reminded that the prayer during the Advent season, in anticipation of Christ's return, is: "Come, Lord Jesus, Come!"
As I look back on the past 3 months since my last newsletter, here are a few highlights I'd like to share with you.
September-October Highlights (and Lowlights)
At the beginning of September, I created a list of several incomplete projects that I wanted to finish by the end of October. I cleared my schedule so I could devote my time and energy to finishing these long-overdue tasks. As the days and weeks went by, however, I encountered roadblock after roadblock: bureaucratic delays, unanswered e-mails, complications, cancellations, and other unforeseen problems. In the end, I don't think that a single project on my list was advanced significantly, much less completed, during the fall months. It's been a long, long time since I've felt as frustrated and discouraged as I did throughout the months of September and October.
Although I was greatly disappointed that these 2 months were taking a very different shape from what I had originally envisioned, there were several encouraging interactions that shifted my focus away from the unchecked items on my to-do list. A few examples are worth noting. On one Sunday morning, while feeling a bit worn out, I was enthusiastically greeted by a man in the Sighișoara congregation who expressed how glad he is that I'm in Romania. "You've become a Romanian like us!" On another Sunday, when preaching in the Țigmandru church when the pastor was away, I challenged the congregation to do something for Clergy Appreciation Month. I found out later that the members had responded to my prompting by welcoming the pastor back the following Sunday with a celebration and homemade cake. And on many occasions throughout these 2 months, I was refreshed while spending time with friends: visiting a friend in a nearby city for his birthday (where I also purchased several houseplants for my apartment and some surprisingly inexpensive specialty teas), attending a respite retreat in the mountains with both friends and church members, and doing fun things around town with a family who returned to Sighișoara for a few months after living for more than a decade in the US.
 |
| Exploring the Făgăraș Fortress with a friend |
 |
| Reconnecting with friends at a retreat in October |
Serving with Compassion: I am grateful that I have Nazarene missionary colleagues with me here in Sighișoara. André and Brenda Berkhout serve as NCM coordinators in Romania. In October, the Eurasia Region published an article featuring them. Click here to read about their ministry. Please pray for the Berkhouts and for compassionate ministries in Romania.
 |
| André and Brenda Berkhout |
Ukrainians Return Home: Since the early days of the war in Ukraine, we have been hosting a Ukrainian family in Sighișoara. In October, they packed up the belongings they've accumulated here to return to the country that they left 3½ years ago. We were able to assist them and hundreds of other Ukrainian refugees with various needs through your generous giving to the NCM Refugee Fund. Please pray for this family as they face the difficulty of restarting their lives yet again. Click here to read a recent article from NCM Magazine about the Church of the Nazarene in Ukraine.
 |
| Returning to Ukraine (I am intentionally not posting a photo with their faces in order to protect their privacy and not objectify refugees.) |
Local Church Sustainability Project: A lot of my time in the past year has gone into setting up simple-yet-effective administrative processes and training local church leaders as they assume more leadership over financial matters in their local churches. This fall, with the start of a new church fiscal year, we have (slowly) begun to implement these new processes. This is all part of the Local Church Sustainability Project, which provides financial assistance to local churches during this time of transition and training. The final year of this 5-year initiative begins in January, and we're still in need of donations to the project. Click here to read more and to support this initiative. Pray for the local churches as they teach and practice Christian stewardship and as they seek long-term financial sustainability.
November Highlights:
Eurasia Regional Conference: At the beginning of November, nearly 800 Nazarenes from across the Eurasia Region gathered in Albania for our Regional Conference. I found the plenary worship sessions, workshops, breakout discussion groups, and fellowship to be inspiring and refreshing. A large group of 19 participants from Romania attended the conference. Please pray that the seeds planted during this conference will grow in the coming months, both in Romania and across the region. Click here to read more about the Eurasia Regional Conference.
 |
| Conference attendees from Romania |
Following the conference, the Everyday Eurasia Podcast featured Monica Boseff (from the Open Door Shelter in Bucharest) and Relu Cristurean (from the Sighișoara Church of the Nazarene). Click on their names to listen to their inspiring messages.
Romania District Assembly: Less than a week after returning from the regional conference, delegates and members from the 3 churches on the Romania District gathered for our annual district assembly. I presented my 4th report as district superintendent. I began by highlighting 8 milestones from the past year that are making us a healthier district, and then I identified our emphasis for the coming year is to be on intentional discipleship. I was also reappointed to serve an additional 2-year term as district superintendent. Click here to read District Assembly Highlights and view photos from the day. Pray for us as we grow in Christlikeness and make Christlike disciples in Romania.
 |
| Preaching at District Assembly |
 |
| District Leaders |
 |
| Phillips Family - November 2025 |
 |
| National Cathedral |
December: Partnership Opportunities
As the year comes to a close, I want to draw your attention to a few ways that you can partner with me in ministry.
Praying for Romania: Each month, I post a list of updated prayer requests for the Church of the Nazarene in Romania. Click here to view this month's list.
End-of-the-year Giving Opportunities: There are several opportunities for you to partner with the Church of the Nazarene in Romania (local churches, compassionate ministries, and missionaries). Click here for more information.
Home Assignment 2026: In the spring, I will be in the US for 7 weeks of home assignment -- speaking in churches on the Mid-Atlantic, Kansas City, and Florida Districts. My Sunday mornings are filled, but I still have limited availability for Sunday evenings, weekdays, and Saturdays. Please let me know if you'd like me to share with your church or small group. Click here to view my schedule.
Thank you for joining me on this journey. May you have a blessed and joy-filled Advent and Christmas.
Jonathan
No comments:
Post a Comment