For the past five years the Church of the Nazarene in Trinidad and Tobago has made an intentional decision to seek the face of God and refocus its priorities. The Vision is to bring forth a district church that is a more potent force in the community, to establish more local Nazarene churches, and to make more disciples for the kingdom of God. One of the things the Lord has placed on the heart of District Superintendent Rev Dr Victor George is the need to plant more churches. Within the past five years the District has planted 5 new churches and has committed to planting 7 new churches per year for the next 5 years.
To continue reaching new people, the Trinidad and Tobago District in October 2015 launched an initiative called Harvest Month. This was an intentional strategy to motivate all Nazarene churches in Trinidad and Tobago to evangelize their communities. Harvest Month had four main emphases: Prayer, Training, Teaching, and Inviting. Churches were given packages that included three prayer cards, a four part small group curriculum for training members in evangelism, and Pastors were asked to teach on evangelism during the Sunday Morning or Mid-Week Service. The final aspect of Harvest Month required that every church host at least one evangelistic event.
Several churches on the District took up the Harvest month challenge and saw fruit in their churches. The crowning moment of Harvest Month was the District Baptism on November 22, 2015, where 39 persons from Nazarene churches throughout the District were baptized together. One Pastor reported how one member wrote the name of her unsaved husband on the prayer cards. The church prayed for the names and during one of the special evangelistic events he gave his life to the Lord and was part of the group that got baptized!
The District intends to start 7 new churches in 2016 and invest more time and resources in reaching new persons within the established local churches. Already 15 persons have been identified and have received initial training for church planting. Following further training by USA church planter Dr Bill Wiesman in March 2016, they will be officially commissioned in April 2016.
The District’s church planting and evangelistic thrust is part of the District’s desire to refocus and fulfill the Haggai 2:9 promise given to DS Victor George about the Church of the Nazarene in Trinidad and Tobago that “The Glory of the Latter House will be greater than the Glory of the Former House.”
The District has claimed this promise and believes powerful change will come to the Church of the Nazarene in Trinidad and Tobago with the help of God.
Kwame Payne, District Communication Team.
