The Trio of Women in the Word From Debbie Wong

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2 Welcome to Transformed Under the Pepper Tree. In this monthly magazine, you will read stories of how God is changing people s lives at PazNaz, transforming them into the image of Jesus Christ by the power of his Spirit! You might be asking, Where can I find information about a specific PazNaz event? Some information about specific events on campus is found within these pages, but each month Transformed is focused on relating stories about what PazNaz is really all about. Rather than programs or events, there are stories about changed lives, stories about people coming in contact with the Savior, and people exploring what it means to become a follower of him. It is exciting to hear what God is doing in the lives of people! Years ago, Pastor Earl Lee and a group of staff members gathered around a pepper tree located on the northern-most point of what was to become the site for First Church of the Nazarene of Pasadena and dreamed and prayed that God would provide a place where more people could find power for living through Jesus. What began then has been going on for over thirty years as men and women, boys and girls have come into relationship with Christ in significant ways under the shade of that old pepper tree. The mission of the church hasn t changed. May it continue to flourish as people experience the transforming power of Christ. Blessings, B. Scott Anderson Executive Pastor The Trio of Women in the Word From Debbie Wong How An Intergenerational Community Changed My Life By Nikki Romani Greetings from Student Ministries From Pastors Mackenzie Smith & Heather Rickert Transformed is a magazine publication of First Church of the Nazarene of Pasadena (PazNaz). It is designed to highlight the Church s stories of personal transformation. For a complete overview of PazNaz, their beliefs, and ministries, please visit the website TRANSFORMED Issue #33 January 2014 The Magazine of PazNaz 3700 East Sierra Madre Boulevard Pasadena, California Fax: PazNaz

3 W om en in th e W ord (W ITW ) is an intergenerational m inis try for wom en in th e PazNaz com m unity. Each s em es ter on Tues day m ornings at 9:30 am,over one h undred and fifty wom en gath er at tables of eigh t to pray,dis cus s h om ework,and receive a teach ing from God's W ord. Th e ability to overs ee a m inis try of th is s cale is excellently executed by th ree incredible wom en of PazNaz:B onnie Jakeway,Ann W ooton,and Perla D reibus. B etween th es e th ree wom en,th ey h ave attended PazNaz for eigh ty five years and W ITW for forty-th ree years (th irty-five of th os e are Ann's ). I h ad th e pleas ure to learn m ore about th eir s ervice to W ITW. L et m e introduce you. Bonnie Jakeway has been married to Spence for forty -seven years. They oversee the Disciples Class at PazNaz and volunteer Wednesday afternoons in Helping Hands. Bonnie and Spence are immensely blessed with two sons, one daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren. Ann Wooton and her husband, Howard, have been married for fifty-three years. They have two married sons. Jeff and Anna have four children; two girls and twin sons. Doug and Julie have three sons. Balu is what they call their therapy dog. She was inherited from their son, Matthew, who passed away four years ago. Perla Driebus was born and raised in Hawaii. She has been married to Daniel for twenty-one years. They have three children, Kanani (eighteen), Kekoa (fifteen), and Mililani (thirteen). Perla works full time with USC Verdugo Hills Hospital. She also enjoys fishing. W hat does W ITW offer? WITW is a place to meet old friends and make new friends. Depth of friendships grow throughout the semester around the tables of eight. Encouragement abounds when women share their stories of renewed hope and trust in God. Attendees are also challenged by the Word of God and one another. Bonnie said, "I love joining with other women who also want to strengthen their walk with the Lord. I love the discipline developed by regular study of the Word and sharing in discussion with other Godly women." Prayer is a significant part of the gathering time as well. Connections are made as the women share one another's burdens. It's also a unique opportunity to 3

4 share in ministry (almost one third of the women who attend serve in some way) while connecting with one another. The Bible studies are excellent, whether it's by DVD or a live teacher. God's presence is in Gilmore Hall every Tuesday morning when the women gather. W hy did you say "yes"to W ITW leadership? I asked each leader why they said yes to this time consuming, yet rewarding role of overseeing WITW. Bonnie had been a table leader when she stepped into the role of co-leading with me last year. She said, "when Cindi went to work, and Debbie needed a new helper, she came to me with the proposal. God placed an excitement in my heart about WITW and all the possibilities yet to be realized in that group of women. Every time my humanity wanted to be afraid of taking on the this big task, God would replace it with excitement. I have believed for a long time that God doesn't ask you to do something that he does not equip you for, and he has been faithful to that promise." Bonnie is now the primary leader for WITW, and Perla and Ann are the co-leaders. Perla represents the working woman, wife, and the busy mom. Her plate is full. She took time to seek God through prayer and mediation. Her answer came after a season of silence. "On the last day of Bible study, I implored with God, does this mean no? Before class ended God gave me an answer. Then I told Bonnie my life is messy, not the best package for leadership. 'Saying yes to God is good enough for me,' Bonnie said smiling." Ann found herself in a season of grieving and taking a break from serving. She's an extremely capable woman, who co-led WITW when it was called Tuesday Morning Bible Study and has served in various ways in the PazNaz community. She returned because "I just felt it was time, and a little nudging from God, to get back into leadership." Being human, these women felt the same fears many feel when 4 PazNaz asked to step into a leadership role. Do I have enough wisdom to take on this huge task? Would I know who God was calling so I would include the right people on the team? Would I be able to handle the issues that inevitably arise in any group? Would I always hear God's voice over those of others or my own? Would I mess it up? Do I know enough? Yikes! Those who attend WITW are grateful these three overcame those fears. W hat is your h ope for W ITW? Ann's hope for WITW is that more ladies will attend. It is truly an intergenerational ministry. "I love to see younger women come! Since I started here, those many years ago as a young mom, the friendships that I have made over the years is a direct result of Tuesday Morning Bible Study." Perla's hope is that, "WITW will bring glory and honor to God. That it will be a place of equipping, warning, and encouraging women to nourish their faith and devotion to Jesus and that our lives will see evidence of Christ's light in us as we love and serve in faith in whatever season of life we are in." Bonnie hopes "every woman entering the room will sense the Spirit of God meeting them there. Also that they will intentionally seek transformation into a more Godly person in aspects of their lives through the study of God's Word and his Son, Jesus Christ." W hat does the W inter session at W ITW look like? Starting January 14, Tuesdays at 9:30 am in Gilmore Hall, WITW will have a "live" teacher, which always adds warmth. Dr. Carolyn Johnson is a fabulous teacher, vulnerable in her sharing, and approachable for questions. She is a published author and will present a new Bible Study based on her latest book. The study is titled: Critical Choices - Lasting Legacy: Being a Godly Influencer for Generations to Come. This is a study for women of all ages and stages of life, for those whose influence spans the multitudes as well as those who influence just a few. Every woman is living a life of influence. Join this amazing group of women on Tuesday mornings and allow the influence of WITW to touch your life. - Debbie Wong B eing h um an,th es e wom en felt th e s am e fears m any feel wh en as ked to s tep into a leaders h ip role. D o I h ave enough wis dom to take on th is h uge tas k? W ould I know wh o God was calling s o I would include th e righ t people on th e team? W ould I be able to h andle th e is s ues th at inevitably aris e in any group? Th os e wh o attend W ITW are grateful th es e th ree overcam e th os e fears.

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6 PazNaz is the church where I met Jesus. I started going to PazNaz with my mom when I was a baby! I accepted Jesus into my life at age 6 and was baptized at 10. I grew up very involved in the youth groups; going to church every week, going on outreach trips such as to Mexico in Jr. High and Ecuador in Sr. High. After graduating from high school, I attended Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU). I remember the day so clearly when I decided I would to go to PLNU. I was in the 7 th grade, and I saw a poster at PazNaz about PLNU where two people were walking up a hill with surfboards under their arms with the ocean in the background. Immediately I turned to my mom and pointed at the poster, I am going to that school! And I did. I graduated from PLNU in 2010 after four years with a Bachelors of Arts in Kinesiology/Athletic Training. After graduating I became a Certified Athletic Trainer and wanted to pursue Physical Therapy. I started working at a physical therapy clinic as an aide and was taking prerequisites for a Doctorate of Physical Therapy program. In the mean time, over the summer of 2012, I went on the Nicaragua mission trip with PazNaz. It caught my attention because I wanted to go on a medical mission trip since I was in the medical field. This trip consisted of a medical team, construction crew, and a child development group. It had it all! While attending the meetings during the months leading up to the trip, I knew it would be different from past mission trips. When I looked around the room, 6 PazNaz

7 there were people of all ages. At first I didn t think much of it, but later I realized how important it would be. Going on this trip stretched me. I was diving into the Bible more and interacting with people of all different backgrounds and knowledge of God, and I loved it! The group had members age 5 and under all the way up to 70! I had many people looking out for me and take me under their wing. I experienced God in new ways that year. In an intergenerational group, there are different perspectives of life and God. I learned child-like faith and what wisdom and compassion look like. No matter how old anyone is, God remains the same! When I returned from Nicaragua, I began pursuing God more and experienced the Holy Spirit in a way I never had before. I was filled with a deep joy that can only come from the Lord, and I have never been the same since. This is when I started to become serious about God and wanting only to please him and bring a smile to his face! I knew something needed to change in my life. God put a desire in my heart for missions, not graduate school. I prayed God would close doors and open others, and he did. I didn t get accepted to a single graduate school I applied for. I didn t know what to do next. Soon after this occurred, my best friend, Rachel, told me to look up the World Race. I had no idea what it was. After looking at the website I learned it was an 11-month mission trip visiting 11 countries through an organization called Adventures in Missions. They send 4-5 groups of about 50 out to different countries to be the hands, feet, and voice of Jesus. They work with other Christian organizations and churches in the countries helping with whatever is needed. World Racers carry everything on their backs and sleep in tents for the majority of the months! This became all I could think about. I didn t have a plan, yet God was putting something right in front of me. I prayed about it, and God continued to put this in the forefront of my mind. I applied, had a phone interview, and was accepted to go on the World Race in January of 2014! I will be leaving January 9, 2014 with a group of 48 other men and women of God spreading God s love to Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, South Africa, Mozambique, Swaziland, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, and the Philippines. After being accepted to the World Race in May of 2013, I left for Nicaragua for the second time with PazNaz in June. With God s deep joy in my heart, I knew this year would be different. I chose to go back because of the intergenerational team that had a huge impact on me the first year, and I wanted to return to the same locations we went to the year before. I had never gone on the same mission trip two years in a row. As soon as I stepped out of the airport in Nicaragua, our bus driver from the previous year, Victor, saw me. He had a huge smile on his face, gave me a great big hug, and kissed my cheek. He said he remembered me and asked how I was doing. In this moment I knew this was why I was back. It was a joyous moment and brought a smile to my face! This wasn t an isolated incident I knew something needed to change in my life. God put a desire in my heart for missions, not graduate school. I prayed God would close doors and open others and he did. I didn t get accepted to a single graduate school I applied for. I didn t know what to do next. either. Later during the trip, I was talking and playing with a little girl when she said I should meet her mom. The little girl took me by the hand and led me to her. Her mom and I made eye contact and smiled and hugged. We had remembered each other! It was a special, unforgettable moment. This is where God wanted me to be: Back with the people I had made relationships with the year before within the local Nicaraguans! And not only the locals, but also the people on my team! We were able to have deeper conversations about God and share much more with each other. It was a joyous trip! I would encourage everyone to reach out, to work together in all generations. It is special, impactful, and you can learn so much! God wants us to come together as believers and live in community. We cannot live this life alone. He did not put an age on it. He has called all followers of Christ! Let s spread his love together to the nations together. I want to invite you to partner with me and follow me on my adventures next year on the World Race. God has big plans and I am beyond excited! Please follow me on my blog: nikkiromani.theworldrace.org You are loved! - Nikki Romani 7

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10 Student Ministries planned retreats for late November for both the Jr. High and Sr. High students. The Sr. High students attended a Discipleship Retreat in Big Bear, while the Jr. High students went to Alpine Meadows, a retreat center in Angelus Oaks. Both of these weekends allowed the students time to get away from the stress of school and other commitments, focusing on time for the students to get to know each other and draw closer to God. On both retreats, the students were eager to engage in honest discussion and spent more time in small group discussion than what had originally been planned. While fun and games are always important, and while one of the focuses of both of these retreats was strengthening inter-student relationships, the opportunity for transparent dialogue by the students with each other was one the students obviously appreciated. The enthusiasm with which they discussed the topics showed their personal attachment to the things they were talking about. While the retreats took a lot of time to prepare and plan for, once the weekends began, the students dedication to the topics discussed made the retreats run smoothly. Every year Student Ministries has a discipleship retreat for its Sr. High students that focuses specifically on spiritual practices and disciplines. Twelve students and five adult volunteers joined Drew and I on this year s retreat. The theme of the weekend was Listen, and the focus was on listening to God and listening to others. The group started off Friday night with prayer stations. The students were asked to read over six biblical stories of people who had heard from God and then asked to participate in some sort of response to the stories. One of the stories was the calling of Abraham from Genesis, Chapter Twelve. The story begins by God asking Abraham to notice the number of stars in the sky and the sand on the ground. God then tells him that his ancestors will be as numerous as these. After the students read the story, they were asked to grab a handful of sand, to 10 PazNaz

11 Jr. High Ministries took 15 students to Angelus Oaks, and enjoyed a wonderful weekend in the cold weather and the snow. The weekend was an opportunity for the students to get away from the stress of school and spend time talking about who Jesus is. The weekend was evenly split between informational and relational sessions, with the teachings focused on Jesus. The students and leaders spent time together in the chilly mountain air, becoming closer through shared experiences and honest conversations in the small group settings. All of this was aided by the delicious and well-rounded meals provided by the staff at the retreat center. The vans arrived after dark to a snow-covered wonderland, and the students unpacked luggage and sleeping bags while whispering about how beautiful everything was. On the first evening, snowball throwing was kept to a minimum, while most of the students were shocked by the low temperatures and stuck to the warmth provided by the thermostatcontrolled cabins and meeting room. Icebreaker games were played the first night before the luggage was unpacked in the cabins, the beds were made, and then sleep set in for the Jr. High students and leaders alike. The first morning was a completely new sight for some of the group: snow-covered ground! A devotional was the first item on the agenda, followed by breakfast and a session in which I taught about Jesus. The night had produced an inch or two of snow, which was enough for an hourlook out at the stars, and to reflect on whether God might be calling them to something as well. The purpose was to allow space to pray and recognize where God might already be speaking. The next morning the group opened their time together with the Psalms of Lament. I talked about allowing ourselves to be completely honest with God, and then the students were asked to pick a Psalm that connected with them personally. The vulnerability in the room was palpable, and I was surprised by how honest some students were willing to be. Afterwards, I spoke about how the next part was going to be the hardest and transitioned them into a time of solitude. The leaders sent them off for an hour to practice listening to God. One of the eleventh grade girls commented that this was her favorite activity of the whole weekend. She said that getting to spend time alone was rare and that getting to focus on her relationship with God was refreshing. Students rarely get time away from their technological gadgets, but retreats like this prove over and over again that they still crave that one-on-one time with God. The final prayer practice was listening to others. Saturday evening the students were asked to pair off with someone with whom they weren t too comfortable and share. We had planned for this activity to take 30 minutes, but the students continued to talk for an hour and a half. During the debrief session students revealed how important this exercise was for them, that they were relieved to find out that they weren t alone in their struggles. They also were unintentionally developing their testimonies with one another. This weekend away was filled with activities to foster spiritual growth, but there was a lot of fun and relationship building as well. Drew and I walked away from the weekend with a sense that the students not only encountered God, but each other. Discipleship Retreat 2013 was a moment of true transformation in the spiritual lives of the students, and the life of PazNaz Student Ministries. - Pastor Heather Rickert long snowball fight after the postbreakfast teaching and small group time. Along with the snowball fight, there was plenty of exploring which took place around the camp. Following lunchtime, there were several competitions between the self -named teams, Pegasus Fire-Waffle and the Undead Brownies, that later transitioned into the last session of the day. Pastor Heather Rickert taught about Jesus, and we spent time discussing the way Jesus life impacts the lives of 21 st century American Jr. High students. In one small group setting, we were talking about what Jesus would be like if he attended Jr. High. After moving through some of the Sunday School answers, one student looked me in the eyes and asked, Do you think Jesus would have stood up to bullies? I found myself speechless, frozen by the authentic response and critical reflection of the seventh grader who asked the question. After a couple of moments of silence, I realized Jesus definitely stood up to bullies; the Pharisees who were preparing to stone a woman caught in adultery were using their religious power to bully a less powerful person. In the small group sessions, this seventh grade student s bold application of Jesus to a middle school world allowed all the students in that small group to begin to look past abstract statements about Jesus life to see how they are called to imitate Jesus action in their world. The final morning included another session, during which I taught. After the teaching, the students talked for an hour (again) about what Jesus means to them. The discussions this weekend were opportunities the students eagerly participated in, sharing ideas and thoughts about Jesus. The final session was followed by an intense competition in the Cerealympics, and the leaders judged the skits produced by the teams. While the Undead Brownies were victorious in the weekend s events, the weekend was beneficial for all parties involved. While fun and games are always important, and while one of the focuses of both of these retreats was strengthening the - Pastor Mackenzie Smith inter-student relationships, the opportunity for transparent dialogue by the students with each other was one the students obviously appreciated. The enthusiasm with which they discussed the topics showed their personal attachment to the things they were talking about. 11

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