Family Church of the Nazarene

05/13/2026

Maldens 5K is
June 6

05/03/2026

Had a great group of young people from Pekin First Church of the Nazarene help us bake pies and work on the church this weekend. 35 forever Pam Smith and Cheryl Sherwood

04/29/2026

Church Work Day: Saturday, May 2, 9:00 a.m. - ?

04/03/2026

03/21/2026

Day 20 — PRAYING FOR THE LOST

Scripture: Romans 10:1 — “My heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.”
Today’s Devotional: Paul’s heart breaks for his people. He longs for their salvation. He prays with passion, urgency, and love. This is the heart of a disciple-maker. Evangelism begins with intercession. Before we speak to people about God, we speak to God about people. When we pray for the lost, our hearts soften and our compassion grows. A praying district becomes a reaching district. Today, let God break your heart for the lost in your community.

Response & Prayer Guide:

• For Your Heart: List 5 people you know who are far from God. Pray for them by name, asking the Spirit to "soften the soil" of their hearts.
• For Our District: Pray for an "Evangelistic Harvest" across Northwestern Illinois.

Church Prayer List:

• Rushville – Pastor Rick Burgard
• Saint David – Pastor Burt Clark

The Challenge & Next Steps:

1. Empty Chair: Place an empty chair in your room today. Pray for a lost friend as if they were sitting there.
2. Action: Write down the names of five people who need Jesus. Pray for each one by name throughout the day.
3. Worship: Listen to "Hosanna" by Hillsong UNITED.
4. Pray Boldly for our District Convention hosted by Galesburg tomorrow morning. May it be a “burning bush moment” where pastors and leaders receive clear and divine direction for the new Church year.

PRAYER: Lord, break our hearts for what breaks Yours, and give us a deep, agonizing desire for the salvation of the lost. We lift up the names of those we love who are far from You, asking that Your Spirit would soften the soil of their hearts even now. Make us a reaching district that intercedes with passion, believing that an evangelistic harvest is ready to be reaped in Northwestern Illinois.

03/20/2026

Day 19 — DISCIPLES WHO MAKE DISCIPLES

Scripture: 2 Timothy 2:2 — “Entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”

Today’s Devotional: Paul understood that for the mission to succeed, he had to invest in Timothy, who would invest in "reliable people," who would invest in "others." This is spiritual multiplication. We aren't just called to be disciples; we are called to multiply them. A church that multiplies disciples will always multiply leaders. Multiplication happens when we invest in people, train leaders, and empower others. Today, ask God to help you invest in someone who will invest in others.

Response & Prayer Guide:

• For Your Heart: Ask God: "Who is my Timothy?" Ask for the courage to invite them into a discipleship relationship.
• For Our District: Pray for our "Discipleship Pathways"—that we would be effective at moving people from "unbeliever" to "reproducing disciple."

Church Prayer List:

• Rockford Samuelson Road – Pastor Brandon Bowmar
• Roseville – Pastor Mark Johnson

The Challenge & Next Steps:

1. Identify: Who is your "Timothy"? Reach out to a newer believer today and offer a word of encouragement or mentorship.
2. Scripture: Read 2 Timothy 1 and 2. Look for the "Relay Race" imagery of passing the torch of faith.
3. Worship: Listen to "The Cause of Christ" by Kari Jobe.
4. Pray Boldly for every lay leader in your Church to catch a vision for making disciples. Pray for God to empower their hands for the work of discipleship.

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, teach us the power of spiritual multiplication, and help us to be conduits of grace rather than cul-de-sacs of information. Show us the "Timothys" in our lives—those newer believers who need our investment, our training, and our encouragement. May our district be a place where disciples make disciples until the light of Christ reaches every home and every heart.

03/19/2026

Day 18 — EMPOWERED WITNESS

Scripture: Acts 1:8 — “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you...”

Today’s Devotional: Jesus did not send His disciples into mission empty-handed. He did not send them with only passion or strategy; He sent them with power. This power is not human strength, talent, or charisma. It is the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit enabling ordinary people to do extraordinary things for the Kingdom. Without the Spirit, we can do nothing. With the Spirit, we can do anything God calls us to do. Today, ask the Spirit to fill you again—fresh wind, fresh fire, fresh power for the mission ahead.

Response & Prayer Guide:

• For Your Heart: Admit your own inadequacy. Pray: "Holy Spirit, I can't do this on my own. Fill me with Your power today."
• For Our District: Pray for "Signs and Wonders"—that the Spirit would confirm the Word with visible transformation in our communities.

Church Prayer List:

• Rockford First African – Pastor Silvestre Kaite
• Rock Island – Pastor Scott Casto

The Challenge & Next Steps:

1. Wait: Spend 5 minutes in "Active Waiting." Pray, “Holy Spirit, fill me today,” then wait in silence for two minutes.
2. Intercede: Pray for Pastor Silvestre and Pastor Scott to lead with Spirit-empowered boldness.
3. Worship: Listen to "Fresh Wind" by Hillsong Worship.
4. Pray Boldly for a spirit of radical generosity to sweep through our Churches and our District, providing every resource needed for the harvest,

PRAYER: Holy Spirit, we acknowledge that our own strength is insufficient for the mission You have given us; we need Your supernatural power. Fill us afresh with Your fire, granting us the boldness to witness and the compassion to love as You love. We pray for signs, wonders, and visible transformations in our communities that confirm the truth of the Word we proclaim.

03/18/2026

Day 17 — THE HARVEST IS READY
Scripture: Luke 10:2 — “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.”
Today’s Devotional: Jesus does not say the harvest is coming. He says the harvest is plentiful—right now. The problem is not the harvest. The problem is the workers. There are people in every community in our district who are ready for hope, ready for healing, and ready for Jesus. But they need someone to go to them, love them, and lead them. Prayer precedes mission. When a district prays for workers, God raises up new leaders and disciple makers. Today, pray for workers—and ask God to open your eyes to the ripe field around you.
Response & Prayer Guide:
• For Your Heart: Say, "Lord, I am a worker. Send me into my corner of the harvest today."
• For Our District: Pray for a "Call to Ministry" to fall upon our teenagers and young adults. Ask God to raise up workers in every church.
Church Prayer List:
• Rockford First – Pastor Zach Simmonds
• Rockford First Hispanic – Pastor Miguel Morante
• Summit – Pastor Gretta Nash
The Challenge & Next Steps:
1. 10:02 Prayer: Set an alarm for 10:02 (AM or PM). Pray Luke 10:2 and ask God to send workers into the harvest across NWIL.
2. Encourage a Worker: Write a note to a volunteer or Sunday School teacher in your church today, thanking them for working the harvest.
3. Worship: Listen to "Give Me Your Eyes" by Brandon Heath.
4. Pray Boldly for the empty seats in your sanctuary, calling out the names of people in your community who will fill them this upcoming Easter and beyond.
PRAYER: Lord of the Harvest, we look upon our communities with Your eyes and realize that the fields truly are white and ready for harvest. We pray specifically today for a "Call to Ministry" to fall upon our teenagers and young adults, raising up a new generation of laborers for Your Kingdom. Send us into our own corners of the field today, and may the empty seats in our sanctuaries soon be filled with those who find life in You.

03/17/2026

Day 16 — THE GREAT COMMISSION

Scripture: Matthew 28:19–20 — “Go and make disciples of all nations...”

Today’s Devotional: The Great Commission is the "Marching Orders" of the Church. It is not a call for the elite; it is the mandate of every believer. Jesus says, “Go and make disciples.” That means not just converts, disciples. A disciple follows Jesus, is being formed by Jesus, and joins the mission of Jesus. The Great Commission is not about filling buildings—it is about filling lives with the presence and power of Christ. We do not make disciples in our own strength; we go with His authority and His presence.

Response & Prayer Guide:

• For Your Heart: Are you "going" or are you "waiting"? Ask God for one opportunity today to mention His goodness.
• For Our District: Pray for our district's "Global Mission" efforts and for our churches to have a heart for "the nations."

Church Prayer List:

• Point of Change – Pastor Zac Alvis
• Princeton New Hope – Pastor Laura Tanner

The Challenge & Next Steps:

1. Invest: Write down the names of three people you can intentionally invest in spiritually this year.
2. Scripture: Read Matthew 28:16-20. Circle the word "All." All authority, all nations, all things, all days.
3. Worship: Listen to "Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)" by Hillsong UNITED.
4. Pray Boldly that NWIL would become a district known for “making Christlike disciples” until our communities are visibly different.

PRAYER: Lord of all nations, we accept Your Great Commission as our direct marching orders, and we refuse to stay "waiting" when You have told us to "go." Open our eyes to the opportunities around us today to mention Your goodness and share Your truth with those who are searching. Empower our district to be a community that fills lives with Your presence rather than just filling buildings with people.

03/16/2026

WEEK THREE: THE CALL TO JOIN THE MISSION OF JESUS

Day 15 — FISHERS OF MEN

Scripture: Matthew 4:19 — “...and I will send you out to fish for people.”

Today’s Devotional: Jesus did not call His disciples to safety, comfort, or religious activity; He called them to mission. To follow Jesus is to eventually end up where the "lost sheep" are. A disciple who is not a witness is a contradiction. Fishing requires patience, the right "bait" (the kindness and truth of the Gospel), and a willingness to get our hands messy. Our district is surrounded by people who are spiritually hungry and longing for hope. To be a disciple is to make disciples. Today, Jesus is still calling: “Follow Me into the harvest.”

Response & Prayer Guide:

• For Your Heart: Ask God: "Who is my 'fish'? Who in my life needs the hook of Your love?"
• For Our District: Pray for a "Holy Discomfort" to settle over our churches—that we would no longer be satisfied with just "doing church" for ourselves.

Church Prayer List:

• Pekin First – Pastor Lauren Smith
• Peoria Nazarene – Pastor Mark McCall
• Streator – Pastor Dave Van Houwe

The Challenge & Next Steps:

1. Vision: Take a walk in your neighborhood today. Pray for the houses you pass: "Lord, let someone here come to know You."
2. Action: Pray for one person in your life who needs Jesus. Ask God to open a door for a conversation this week.
3. Worship: Listen to "Build Your Kingdom Here" by Rend Collective. Ask the Lord to build His kingdom here – in you, in your Church, in your community.
4. Pray Boldly for the Church of the Nazarene, that we will be a disciple making denomination in every Church – MAKING CHRISTLIKE DISCIPLES IN THE NATIONS!

PRAYER: Master, You have called us out of our comfort zones and into the harvest fields where the lost sheep are wandering. Give us a "holy discomfort" with simply "doing church" for ourselves and ignite in us a passion for the souls in our own neighborhoods. Grant us the patience and the kindness to be effective fishers of men, willing to get our hands messy for the sake of the Gospel.

03/15/2026

Day 14 —THE BADGE OF LOVE

Scripture: John 13:35 — “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Today’s Devotional: Jesus did not say people would know we are His by our preaching, our buildings, or our programs. He said they would know by our love. Love is the badge of discipleship and the proof of transformation. This love is not sentimental; it is sacrificial, patient, and courageous. When a district loves like Jesus—when conflicts heal and when we out-serve each other—the lost are naturally drawn to Christ. Love is the ultimate evangelism and leadership strategy of Jesus. Today, let love be your witness.

Response & Prayer Guide:

• For Your Heart: Is there a "brother or sister" in Christ you are holding a grudge against? Ask for the power to forgive.
• For Our District: Pray for supernatural love to bind our 50 churches together during our upcoming district gatherings.

Church Prayer List:

• Adonai Evangelical (Moline) – Pastor Alexis Muhoza
• North Pekin – Pastor Ron Jansen

The Challenge & Next Steps:

1. Love Text: Send a message of appreciation to a leader or fellow member in your church today. Tell them why you value them.
2. Action: Show intentional love to someone "difficult" or overlooked today. Let Jesus love them through you.
3. Worship: Listen to “I’ve Witnessed it” by Melodie Malone and Passion. “Resurrecting then, Resurrecting now!”
4. Pray boldly for marriages within our Churches to be healed and strengthened, serving as a testimony of Christ’s love for His Church.

PRAYER: Lord Jesus, You gave us love as our primary badge of discipleship, and we ask today that You would make that love tangible through us. Grant us the power to forgive those we have held grudges against and the courage to serve those who are overlooked or difficult to love. May the supernatural unity of our churches be a convincing testimony that You are indeed the resurrected Lord.