New Web Site Resources: USA/Canada Mission/Evangelism

Ministry professionals in search of a sermon resource, videos on the missional church, or the first 60 years of Preacher’s Magazine can find all that and more by accessing the family of Web sites sponsored by the USA/Canada Mission/Evangelism Department (UCME).

UCME manages over 27 Web sites that provide ministry resources, news, and information for all types of Nazarene clergy, laity, and directors of faith-based organizations. These sites represent a broad range of resources including clergy education, evangelism, NewStart, revivalism, leadership development, compassion, urban, and multicultural ministry. In 2008, UCME sites averaged over 18,000 unique visits a month.

The home page, which is located online at www.USAmission.org, is divided into three major areas: Clergy Development, Evangelism Ministries, and Mission Strategy. Some of the most popular links on this site contain material with the best practices of growing churches and a list of online books.

Here are a few UCME Web sites that have been completely redesigned to serve Nazarene clergy and staff, as well as provide some of the latest ministry resources available.

NazarenePastor.org
Past users to this site are aware that it contains the Modular Course of Study, a curriculum plan designed to prepare men and women to enter full-time ministry, as well as facilitate life-long learning. Others may be pleased to learn that the site also contains several links to sermon resources by pastors of growing churches (containing full-length sermons, background notes, PowerPoint, and more).

In addition, Clergy Development has partnered with Northwest Nazarene University’s Wesley Center to provide each issue of the first 60 years of Preacher’s Magazine (1926 to 1984). This immense collection should be a benefit to ministers and students alike. Users will also find helpful links to the Nazarene Job Board, Chaplaincy Ministries and PALCON 2010.

NazEvangelism.org
The Evangelism Ministries of UCME provide a wide range of evangelism and discipleship resources for Nazarene churches and leaders. The site also provides helpful materials for all churches in “Breaking the 200 Barrier,” as well as free books on the best practices from some of the strongest and most healthy Nazarene congregations from across the USA and Canada. Readers of GROW Magazine can also find a complete archive containing every issue up to 2008.

NewStartUSA.org
A complete redesign has made this site easier to search and find a wide range of new church resources. District offices regularly access this site to update the NewStart Directory, a running listing of new churches in the USA and Canada. A range of new church ministry models has resources too, like Multisite Ministries and Multi-congregational ministries from some of the top church leaders in the country. Training events and NewStart Assessment schedules are updated regularly and available on this site.

NazareneCompassion.org
This newly designed site provides resources for compassionate ministries practitioners in the United States and Canada. Users interested in non-traditional church models will be interested in the Missio Dei study guide that focuses on the U.S.A. and Canada as mission fields. Ministry practitioners interested in building a compassionate, urban, and multicultural church will find these materials extremely helpful. The site also provides links to Courageous Conversations, a blog that focuses on compassionate ministry, as well as the “Living Witness Award,” which profiles faithbased non-profit compassionate ministry centers.

GROWmagazine.org
A free digital edition of GROW Magazine, a journal for the development of missional leaders and churches, is available online at www.GROWmagazine.org. Look at the latest issue or a helpful archive of past articles and updates to find out about missional growth inside and outside the local church.

Ideas for various community ministries, new church models and church size strategies are all available from these past feature stories in GROW Magazine. Printing out individual stories from past issues provides an excellent training tool for leadership groups and clergy preparation courses.

NazareneBlogs.org
Across the country various cutting-edge ministries are using various types of social media to reach new target groups and open up online discussion and participation. To this end, UCME has recently developed a free online blogging community for pastors, ministry practitioners, and church leaders affiliated with the Church of the Nazarene.

A blog is an online diary or journal that invites comments from readers. It is a great way for ministry leaders to start dynamic conversations centered on faith issues or ministry practice with those inside and outside their congregations. Several blogs have been started by Global Ministry Center departments, pastors, and other church leaders.

NazareneMediaLibrary.org
The use of digital media resources is becoming more and more prevalent in Nazarene ministries to teach, train, challenge, and inspire people. The Nazarene Media Library stores documents, images, audio files, and videos. It also allows users to search the system and download any of the files. First-time users will need to register, but registration is fast and free. An additional feature of the media library is the transcoder. Videos can be converted into five file types and three size options. Images can be downloaded into three different sizes. The system has been built to more effectively get resources into the hands of the people who need them.

E-Publication Resources
In addition to the above Web-based resources, ministry practitioners may be interested in the following e-publications offered through ministries of the UCME Department:
• One-on-One – A monthly e-newsletter on the best practices of evangelism.
• Iron Sharpens Iron – A twicea-month how-to resource for ministry practitioners.
• Mission Strategy – A periodic e-newsletter of news and information.
• New Every Morning – A daily devotional for ministry leaders.

Users may subscribe to these and other Nazarene e-publications online at http://www.Nazarene.org/subscriber.aspx.