"Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. He called out to them, 'Friends, haven't you any fish?'" (John 21:5).

The Sea of Galilee was calm that hazy, sunny afternoon in early January. Pebbles and broken shells lined the beach, scrunching beneath the feet of Carey Cook, his son, Sam Cook, and his father, R. Franklin Cook.

Their hearts burst with wonder.

Nine years ago a task force of 17 people met to establish the vision of West Chester Church of the Nazarene (WCCN). Our community (northern Cincinnati, Ohio) consists of growing suburbs that include every age group. Dominated by younger families, there are still many older people who have lived here for years. When we surveyed the congregation to find out what our people thought were the most important ministries of the church, we were not surprised to find the top two answers were ministry to families (72 percent), and ministry to children (69 percent).

All to Jesus, I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

(Judson W. Van De Venter, 1896)

A surprisingly common way Paul refers to the original Christians to whom his letters are addressed is “saints.” In Greek, the term is hagioi, literally, “holy ones.”

The surprising part for many is that Paul’s use of this word is not limited to a select few—not pastors or even longtime believers. All who are part of the Church of Jesus Christ, those who have joined together in the work of Jesus Christ, are called “saints.”

In 1988 the face of missions changed dramatically for church history students in Swaziland. As they heard about missionaries sent to fulfill the Great Commission, they asked, "Where are the stories of missionaries from Africa?" At the end of class, students prayed for committed Christians around the world to answer the call to be missionaries.

Do you remember being excited about a particular gift you received?

Looking through my parents’ storage room recently, I discovered not only photos and other items that evoked strong memories, but also gifts that my brother and I had been given through the years. Many of these gifts were covered with dust or were no longer fully functional. Others were in excellent condition. What makes a gift special is a complex array of characteristics.

The members of my adult Sunday School class always ask interesting questions that stretch me beyond my comfortable "churchy" knowledge—you have to love that! You wouldn't guess they are so interested in theology by looking at them.

The members of my adult Sunday School class always ask interesting questions that stretch me beyond my comfortable "churchy" knowledge—you have to love that! You wouldn't guess they are so interested in theology by looking at them.

When you hear the challenge from God to "be holy," do you think, "I absolutely will," or do you wonder, "Why would He ask so much of me? Doesn't He know I can't be perfect?"

Imagine you have been put in charge of a company, a hospital, a local school, or some other entity. What level of excellence would you expect and accept if you were responsible for the entity's success? Would an average C be enough? How about an above-average B? What about an outstanding A?

It didn't take long to feel the full impact of what it means to be in back in Tete Province, Mozambique. My wife, Arla, and I received a warm welcome from the 90-degree weather and a not so warm welcome from the customs official's stern look. He could not understand why we were bringing 500 pens with us. 'Surely this merchandise should be taxed,' he must have been thinking. However, after a brief explanation that we brought the pens to share, the puzzled official reluctantly waved us on through to the arrival area.