“My heartbeat is the worldwide mission of the Church,” writes Greg Nash, the Children’s Pastor at Gallatin First Church of the Nazarene in Tennessee, USA. “I am always trying to find ways to help my children love it just as much as I do!”
Greg Nash has been Gallatin Church of the Nazarene Children's Pastor since the summer of 2007. An ordained elder, Greg is responsible for the Christian education of children in the church from birth through sixth grade.
Over the years Greg has led the children in several missions projects, including a contest where 20 children raised $3,110.62 to purchase soccer balls for global distribution to reach children and youth.
These aren’t just any soccer balls as the Gallatin children can explain. The multicolor ball is used to share the gospel: black represents sin; red is the pure blood of Christ; gold represents the holiness of God; white is a pure heart before God; and green is growing in God’s way.
“The concept is so simple, explains Greg, “that even a child can share the message.”
Greg also led the children in mission projects for Papua New Guinea (PNG) including purchasing Christmas gifts and uniform shirts for the children of the Lee Eby School on the campus of Melanesia Nazarene Bible College and sending large plastic containers full of used 11-inch by 17-inch Bible story picture cards for teachers and pastors.
These pictures were a most welcome gift to PNG pastors and teachers who for the most part were still using stick figure charts created by early missionaries. However, Greg now has a new means of helping teachers and pastors who have
limited resources. He and the children are raising funds to purchase Bible story cloths that contain 50 Old Testament and 50 New Testament pictures. These will be more durable and more attractive in witnessing and teaching.
But the children in Gallatin are not alone.
Nazarene Missions International (NMI) leaders Fred Faith and Michele Melton of Alabama North District, USA, are presenting campus needs soon to their children’s leaders in their district convention. Jenny Wiseman of Georgia, USA, is also leading children on her district to assist in the ministry in PNG through building projects. Last year the Georgia teens worked on a project for the Philippines. All of these leaders have been outstanding promoters in Work & Witness projects and NMI objectives. Involving children and youth in missions is one of the objectives of NMI.
How are you keeping them involved cross-culturally in your church and community?
-- Geneva Silvernail, principal of Melanesia Nazarene Bible College in Papua New Guinea, and has been a global missionary since 1983.