After the death and resurrection of Jesus, he met his disciples on a mountain. He had a mission for them. It started at creation, had been pursued throughout all of history, and was now being passed on to this group of eleven: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:18-20).

Two thousand years later, this is still our mission, individually and together. Why are we here? To tell the story of Jesus and join in God's mission of reconciliation for all people: with God, with each other, with creation. Our mission is to make Christlike disciples -- people who choose to love and follow Jesus -- throughout all nations. It's not just what we do; it's who we are!

The Nazarene denomination celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. In 1908, representatives from a number of churches met together in Pilot Point, Texas, to continue and act on bold conversation about their purpose. They determined together that the differences between them were small while the similarities were tremendous. They united in purpose with God and with each other. It was out of that meeting that the Church of the Nazarene formed.

The core values of the Church of the Nazarene have been emphasized since its beginning. First, we are a Christian people. We celebrate our unity with all who trust and choose to follow Jesus Christ. Second, we are a holiness people. God is powerful and good, and empowers us to be transformed to love God and love others with the kind of love God has for us. Third, we are a missional people. We are committed to and joyful about taking the hope of Christ throughout the entire world. (Click here for more on our core values.)

As a congregation, we are devoted to our mission to make Christlike disciples in the nations.