The birth or adoption of a baby is an exciting time in the life of a family. Churches often do a wonderful job helping parents welcome their new child into the world with baby showers and hospital visits. Yet the need for support and encouragement continues beyond the first week of life. Here are some ways that you can help new parents stay connected with their church family:

Characteristics of Emerging Adults

Many years ago, the Church of the Nazarene had an advertising campaign titled, "Our church can be your home."

It was a catchy phrase and as a pastor during that time, I welcomed it as a useful tool with which to adorn Sunday worship bulletins, midweek newsletters, church stationery, and so on.

God is at work in our lives. But sometimes that is hard to believe, let alone understand. My husband and I found this to be true concerning our family.

"Our discouraged life turned into a life of hope," Rajkumar shared with the JESUS film team.

Rajkumar lives with his wife and three sons in a village in central India. Over 1.2 million people live in the district where their village is located. This is Rajkumar's story of finding lasting faith in Jesus Christ.

Many people like to joke that a pastor works only an hour a week. We all know that is not true. When a loved one is rushed to the hospital, whom do we call? We want our pastor to know, to pray, and to be by our sides. We also know that our pastor brings leadership to our congregation, spends time with us when we are in need, and prepares for those weekly sermons.

She had been made aware of a great need. She had responded to a plea. Church of the Nazarene leaders had made it known that missionaries would have to be brought home due to lack of funding. With the dramatic onset of the Great Depression in 1929, and the devastating economic effects in the ensuing months, Nazarenes from all over the world would have to answer the call of sacrificial giving to keep the missionaries in the harvest fields. One of those willing Nazarenes was living in a little village called Owens, West Virginia. She was my maternal grandmother, Christine Moore.

Q: What can you tell me about Nazarene pastors? I am especially interested in things like average tenure, experience, attrition, age, education, and whether we are adding enough new ministers to keep up with the opportunities God is giving us.

A: A recent study of the corps of pastors in the Church of the Nazarene (Canada and the U.S.) provides some answers to your question:

Q: Why is it so easy to believe and spread rumors we read on the Internet as fact?

A: Most people are now passable, if not proficient, Internet users and have discovered the benefits of this resource: shopping with free delivery, connecting with friends daily, viewing pictures of children and grandchildren, reading news, playing games—all at the speed of light.

Brad Moore, president of Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions, spoke with Holiness Today regarding various aspects of media and culture. He is a member of Kansas City First Church of the Nazarene.

HT: Can the Christian community engage in the world of secular media when, historically, many Christians have been somewhat fearful of what that represents?