Pastor Ryan Fasani, lead pastor of the Kona Coast, Hawaii Church of the Nazarene, where our own Eric and Joy Paul serve, wrote these words to the NFCN family last week: ...a big MAHALO NUI (thank  you very much) from the Big Island of Hawaii for helping support MISSION: KONA COAST and the Paul family!  Eric and Joy are doing a fantastic job as a team and have already made huge strides toward creatively connecting to the uncurched and unsaved in Kona!!  Your support has already made a tremendous impact on the coast here. Merry Christmas!

What you see here are 10 gift bags for some shut-ins at
Trevecca Health Care who have no family or close friends to make their Christmas momentous.  The items in these bags were all donated by people from First Church for this special occasion.  To God be the Glory!

WHAT IF JESUS HAD TO CANDIDATE FOR MESSIAH?
 
Enjoy these final days of respite as we celebrate Christmas and New Year's, because a familiar storm is about to break out upon American society.  It's called the Presidential Election season, and it officially begins the first week of January.  
 
Posturing and jockeying has already begun, and has been going on for months, even though the election itself is not for another 23 months or so.  Over these next few weeks announcements will be made as to who's running, who's not running, and the fundraising will begin to raise a billion dollars or so.   Commercials will start appearing in the early-primary states not long after, and then we are going to be inundated with coverage of yet another transition of power coming after a two-term Presidency. We will complain and groan and be so glad when it's all over in late 2016.
 
Did you ever ask yourself what it would have been like if Jesus had been a candidate for Messiah, seeking election?  What a distasteful, distorted thing to think about, right?  Who would have asked for the privilege of becoming a suffering servant?  How would you seek the people's support to save them not primarily from earthly oppression but eternal?  Why would someone even desire to stare down the devil himself for 40 days, let alone your whole time on earth?  What would the party platform say and how would it be received when it consisted of the Beatitudes and the rest of the Sermon on the Mount?  And where would he campaign?  In synagogues and public squares, or brothels and taverns? Palaces and Priestly chambers?  Or leper colonies and cemeteries?
 
None of this makes any sense, of course, because signing up for Messiah was signing up to die. Considering this candidacy meant embracing your own crucifixion.  Desiring this level of fame brought with it a lifestyle of absolute servitude, lower than slaves.  There was no monetary benefit, no fame payback, no long-term advantage from the media blitz.  It also meant a short-term life on this earth, surrendering every fiber of your being to the will of the Creator of the Universe.  
 
There was, of course, the eternal reward - but many are not much interested in such futurist talk.  They want it all now.  Becoming Messiah meant thinking and living for the eternal, not the temporary.  Not very popular then or now.
 
Good thing it wasn't an election.  I doubt anyone would have signed up.  
 
Oh wait - but Someone did. That's what this season is all about.  Praise the Lord.  Merry Christmas!
 
Pastor Ulmet
 
   
OFFICE HOLIDAY SCHEDULE
The church office will be closed December 24-26 and December 31-January 2 for the Christmas/New Year holidays.

JOIN "THE GATHERING" IN 2015
Make a New Year Resolution to study God's Word at "The Gathering" at 510 Woodland each Wednesday night.  New adult discipleship electives begin and age-level ministries/worship arts resume on January 7, with our popular Wednesday night meal beforehand and "coffee and conversation" afterward.  More details soon! 

NAZREC NEEDS COACHES!
Can you give a couple hours a week to make a difference in a child’s life?  If so, we NEED you!  We are looking for a few more coaches to fill some spots for our NAZREC basketball  and cheerleading leagues.  We need one more cheerleading coach, one 3rd-4th grade boys coach, and one 5th-6th grade girls coach.  NAZREC can help supply resources to help you.  This is a good problem to have in that we have more teams than ever before in our NAZREC league we just need to fill in these last few coaching spots.  Please contact Matthew Dunlap,  as soon as possible if you think you can fulfill one of these roles.  

FOLLOW US ON YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA!
You can find us on Facebook, see us on Instagram and follow us on Twitter!  Just click on any one of the names above to go directly to NFCN!

THE BRIDGE NEWSLETTER - SINGLE ADULT MINISTRIES
Read the December edition by clicking here.

HELP SUPPORT NASHVILLE FIRST CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE!
NFCN is now on Amazon Smile! It’s a simple automatic way to support your church every time you shop with Amazon, at no cost to you. To use Amazon Smile simply click here and log-in with your existing account or create a new account. Amazon will remember your selection, and then every eligible purchase you make at smile.amazon.com will result in a donation of .5% of the price of eligible purchases.

THANK YOU FROM CHERYL'S LIST - TURNING EMPTY ROOMS INTO HOMES
Since February, Cheryl’s List has helped turn empty rooms into homes for approximately 150 individuals/families.  Donations of furniture/household items from First Church families and other caring individuals made this possible.  Monetary donations, including the $10,000 provided by the 510 Foundation, purchased $30,000 worth of mattresses for people who had been sleeping on the floor. 
 
The Cheryl’s List Advisory Board says “THANK YOU” to every supporter! 
 
So that the ministry can continue in 2015, we need your continued support in three ways:

1. Pray for the recipients, that they will see Christ and want to know him and that the Holy Spirit through God’s people will provide the needs, including a small warehouse and work space;
2. Donate furniture and household items in good condition;
3. Contribute funds.  Place in the church offering checks made payable to the 510 Foundation with Cheryl’s List written on the For line OR use PayPal on the Cheryl’s List website.

  We pray that God will bless your generosity. 

URBAN MINISTRIES DONATIONS
Colder weather is coming.  Donations of winter coats, hats, gloves, and blankets can be left in the Emmaus barrels located in the foyer.

GIVE TO OUR YOUTH WHEN YOU SHOP AT KROGER!
If you live in Tennessee and shop at Kroger, you can donate to the NFCN Youth Group every time you shop, simply by scanning your Kroger Plus Card at check out! It doesn't cost you anything, and it won't take away from your fuel points, either. All you have to do is register your Kroger Plus Card and choose First Church of the Nazarene (NPO #35793) as your charity of choice! 
VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED

We are in need of volunteers to drive our small bus on Sunday mornings to pick up our senior adults who live at Trevecca Towers. You do not need a CDL license to drive.  Contact Pastor Jack Galloway for details.  

COUNSELING REFERRAL MINISTRY
Everyone struggles.  Sometimes it helps to talk about it.  Did you know that Nashville First Church of the Nazarene offers resources to connect you to caring Christian counselors?  All of the counselors are part of our church and ministry.  Did you know that the cost may be reduced or fully covered by our Life Ministries?  To request the list of counselors and how to contact them or for more information, click here.

"THE REAL LIFE" - NFCN's televised service on Cable Channel 19 in Davidson County (Public Access television - NECAT), times are:
Monday - 12:00pm
Tuesday - 6:30pm
Wednesday - 7:00pm
Friday - 10:30am
Saturday - 10:00am
Sunday - 4:30pm