Learning to Listen
…and after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “what are you doing here, Elijah? 1 Kings 19: 12b, 13 (ESV)
What is something that a Christian does every day?
Does that sound like a Sunday School question to you? It sure does to me. As a kid who grew up in Sunday School, I learned that there were a few faithful answers that always seemed to work with a question like this. Here they are:
Read the Bible and pray.
This answer would almost always guarantee an attaboy from the teacher.
I wanted to be faithful in prayer so I would pray. My prayers turned into shopping lists more times than not, but I was trying to learn to pray.
As I continued to mature prayer still seemed to be an exercise in oratory. I wanted to pray effective prayers but found myself running out of things to say. Yet, I felt obligated to fill up the silence with a continuous stream of words so God would understand that I was “praying”.
It wasn’t until reading Henri Nouwen’s book, Spiritual Direction that I began to understand the relational piece to prayer that God always desired for me to understand. Praying is about listening to God as much as it is talking to him. Praying is conversational and God through the voice of the Holy Spirit desires to speak to our hearts just as much as he desires to hear from us.
The discipline of prayer includes listening and that has been a game-changer for me. Getting quiet and allowing my heart to be open to the voice of the Holy Spirit has allowed my prayer life to become much more effective.
I encourage you to create some time in your prayers for stillness to allow for God to speak.
Prayer for today:
Speak, Lord for your servant is listening.
Blessings,
Pastor Wes
Newsletter – January 2026
SFNAZ UPCOMING EVENTS
WEDNESDAY NIGHT LEARNING & GROWTH KICKOFF
January 7th – 6:30p
Make Learning & Growth a new habit in 2026!
COFFEE W/ PASTORS
Tuesday, January 13th – 8:30a
Head on over to Little Garden Café on N. Waikiki Rd. to have coffee with the pastors of SFNAZ.
21 DAYS OF PRAYER
Beginning Sunday, January 25th
Join us in making prayer a priority as we spend 21 days in focused prayer for our city. Sunday-Thursday | 6-7p
Each evening will include worship music, guided prayer stations, communion, and intentional prayer for our neighbors and community. All are welcome, come for one night or for the entire 21 days as we seek God together.
CUSTODIAN POSITION AVAILABLE
Are you interested in becoming our primary custodian? The position consists of twenty-six to thirty hours per week. Lots of square footage to be kept clean and tidy, maintenance skills are helpful, good attitude and flexibility a must. If you’re interested, please submit a resume to the office.
WINTER HELP NEEDED
We need YOUR help keeping the pathways clear of snow. If you can do some shoveling before 8am and are willing to be put on the call list, please contact the office.
HIRE A TEEN!
Help them earn their way to NYC 2026. Call the church office to get their help today! 509-467-8986.
MONTHLY EVENTS
SENIOR LUNCHEON | Wednesday, January 14th – 12p
Join us at Old European. Call Roberta to RSVP 509-325-0711.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT DINNERS | 5:30 – 6:20p
Join us in the Holy Grounds to enjoy a meal before midweek activities. Dinner will be prepared by NYC teens and their parents. The cost is $5 per person or $25 for families of 6 or more.
SFNAZ FUTSAL | Thursdays 7:30p
Inviting teens and anyone older that wants to come play indoor soccer (futsal) in the gym. For more information, contact Mark Snyder.
MEN’S BREAKFAST | Saturday, January 31st – 8:30a
Shepherd’s Pie Potluck and Rodeo! Men 13 & older, are invited to come have breakfast and have some healthy competition. The main dish will be provided. Bring a side to share. Meet in Holy Grounds Café.
THE INTRODUCTION TO EVERYTHING
This class will resume March 4th.
DINNER 4 EIGHT
- What is Dinner for Eight?
Dinner for Eight is a great way to meet folks from church that you may not already know. It’s also a good way to get to know your church family better. Groups plan their own meals and get together once a month, for three consecutive months. You share meals at participants’ homes, at a local restaurant, the church or wherever the group decides. The emphasis is on fun and fellowship; you don’t have to be a gourmet cook to participate.
- How does a Dinner 4 Eight group work?
Simply fill out the registration form on Church Center. The Group Coordinator will contact members to arrange the details for the first gathering. Dinner groups are encouraged to be creative in the meals they enjoy together.
- What does a Group Coordinator do?
This is the point person for the Group. The Group Coordinator contacts group members to select the location, date, and food sign-ups for the first gathering.
- Who cooks the meals?
It’s a potluck! Usually, the host will make the main dish, and other participants will bring coordinating sides or desserts. Potluck dinners are also a good way to simplify meal planning and distribute costs equally among everyone in the group. Consider picking a dinner “theme night” (i.e. Italian night, backyard barbeque, soup night, etc.), and everyone can bring a dish that goes along with that theme. Some groups may also choose to meet at a local restaurant if that works better for your group.
- I don’t have room to host a dinner, or I really can’t cook!
Our desire is for you to spend time together getting to know each other and including everyone. Your group may choose to repeat a host home or eat out. If finding a host home is difficult, your group is welcome to schedule dinner at the church. We want everyone to feel that they can participate.
- How are Dinner 4 Eight groups formed?
As Dinner 4 Eight groups are formed, our goal will be to put people together so that each group has, at most, eight adults, taking into account the preferences that you list when you sign up. Groups may be comprised of a mix of couples and singles. It all depends on who signs up. The mystery is part of this ministry’s excitement!
- What about families with children?
Your group will determine the answer here, bearing in mind that your preference for the kind of group you are interested in will have been taken into account initially. Please be sure to indicate your group-type preference on the registration form.
- What happens after our last gathering?
Hopefully, you will have had a rewarding experience and look forward to similar experiences at SFNaz. After the last gathering, you may decide to sign up for another round of Dinner 4 Eight with a different group of folks, or your group may wish to stay intact and continue as a life group. If you choose to stay together as a life group, Rusty Roth can provide resources to help you add elements of study and service to your small group and to continue to deepen the fellowship you have already established.
Weekly Schedule:
SUNDAYS
- 9:30a
- Nursery for children 3 and under
- Learning and Growth – Nursery – 5th grade
- 10:45a
- Nursery for children 3 and under
- Children’s Church for Pre-K and K
- Grades 1st-5th will join parents in church for worship, then be dismissed before the sermon for Children’s Church
WEDNESDAYS
- 6:30p
- Nursery | 3 and under
- Pre-K – 6th grade | Small group lessons and games
Needs in Children’s Department:
- Teacher for 4/5’s class Wednesday nights 6:30p
- Kids’ check in desk help needed Sundays at 9:30a on a rotation (1 hour commitment per time)
- Small group leaders for Wednesday nights 1st-3rd grade
We look forward to having you join us. If you have any questions, please email me jordanr@sfnaz.org
NEEDS IN YOUTH DEPARTMENT:
- EXTRA-LARGE picture frames. The youth group is looking for picture frames that measure up to 24 inches on one side and up to 48 inches on the other side to use for framed corkboards for displaying pictures. The teens will be happy to take the old frames collecting dust in your basement, new frames, or thrifted frames. Frames can be brought any Sunday or Wednesday or talk to Pastor Justine to set up a time to drop them off.
WEEKLY SCHEDULE:
Sunday – 9:30a
- Sunday School | Deeper, more intentional conversations.
Sunday – 10:45a
- Worship Service.
Wednesday – 6:30p
- Youth Group 7th-12th grade | Games, Snacks, and Fun!
UPCOMING EVENTS:
- Pajama Day – Wednesday, 1/14 6:30p – Come to YG in your PJs, we will eat snacks and watch a movie.
- NYC Payment Due – Thursday, 1/15 – NYCers, check your emails for details.
- Meet Up Monday – Monday, 1/19 4:00p – A chill time to hang out with friends. Meet at Chick-fil-a (9304 N Newport Hwy).
- Winter Retreat – Friday-Sunday – A whole weekend to hangout, worship God, go tubing, and much more! Sign up on Church Center by January 15th.
- No Sunday School – Sunday, 1/25 – No Sunday School, still come to worship service at 10:45a though!
NOT THIS MONTH BUT SOON:
- Hangout at Snyder’s House – Friday, 2/6 6:00p
- Bake Sale Fundraiser – Sundays & Wednesdays
- Progressive Dinner – Saturday, 2/21 5:00p
NYC UPDATES:
Please be praying for the 21 teens and adults that will be heading to Salt Lake City in June for Nazarene Youth Conference. Ask God to be at work preparing each of our hearts for what God has to say to each of us at this incredible event.
NYCers, we have a big payment due on January 15th. Each person needs to have paid a total of $1,325. The district may cancel your registration if you do not meet the $1,325 mark. Be sure to help with fundraisers and deposit some money into your youth account so that you are ready when that payment is due. If you are concerned about being able to make that payment please talk to Pastor Justine, sooner rather than later so we can have time to work things out.
Questions, comments, concerns? Email justinew@sfnaz.org
YOUNG ADULT HANGOUT | Tuesdays – 6p
Calling all young adults (18-30) to come meet with Pastor Lake in the library for a weekly time to hang out and connect with other young adults.
ADULT BIBLE STUDY | Sundays – 9:30a
- A Study of Romans – Rev. Doug Jones
- Overcome: Living Beyond Your Circumstances By: Alex Himaya – Don & Lorraine Chambers
REFUGE MEN’S GROUP | Tuesdays 6:15p – 8:00p
ADULT BIBLE STUDY | Wednesdays – 6:30p
- The Book of Daniel – Ed Richardson
- Celebrate Recovery Step Study
- A step study is a smaller, gender-specific group, focused on a particular step of the Celebrate Recovery 12-Step program. Participants work through the Celebrate Recovery curriculum, meeting weekly. The group offers a place to openly share experiences, strengths, and hopes without fear of judgment, and to find a sponsor or accountability partner. This group will have open enrollment only through weeks 1-6.
Are you looking for a way to connect with SFNaz? Life groups are the perfect way to build community that matters. We would love to have you be part of our life group family. Check out Church Center or contact the office. We’ll do our best to find a group that will work for you. Would you like to lead a Life Group? Please let us know by contacting the office. We’ll host a training session as soon as possible.
New Life Group – Monday evenings with Jeff and Jana Shea | If you are interested, please contact the church office.
CELEBRATE RECOVERY | Thursdays 6p – led by Richard Flatt Are you curious about Celebrate Recovery? We’d love to have you there. Whether you are interested in how we address hurts, habits and hangups for you or someone you know, or want to help support the program. We hope to see you there. If you have any questions, please contact Richard Flatt 509-499-6118.
TITHES & OFFERING
Thank you so much for your faithful support of our church! Here are a few options available to continue with giving of tithes & offerings.
- Online giving is available. Visit https://sfnaz.org/giving
- You may mail your check directly to the church
Spokane First Church of the Nazarene
9004 N Country Homes Blvd.
Spokane, WA 99218
Faithfulness in Giving
Income Expense +/-
- General $ 514,087.44 $ 535,360.94 -$21,273.50
- Missions $ 42,514.03 $ 38,694.57 +$3,819.46
(Giving March through November 2025)
Thank you for giving generously to your church general fund. Your faithfulness in giving help to meet our budgeted expenses.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRAYER
Prayer Chain by Email
- Contact the church office to receive prayer requests by email (office@sfnaz.org).
Prayer for District Churches
- January 4 Nazarene Bible College and President John Bowling
- January 11 Spokane First Chin & Spokane Pasadena Park
- January 18 Spokane Valley & Spokane Westside
- January 25 Nazarene Theological Seminary and President Jeren Rowell
Missions Prayer Request
- January 4 Cambodia & Canada
- January 11 Cape Verde & Chile
- January 18 Netherlands & New Zealand
- January 25 Nicaragua & Nigeria
PRAYER REQUESTS
| · Baby Jax Hansen
· Bill Flatt · Diana Hanna · Dick & Vicki Sainsbury · Doug Wold & Family · Haxton Family |
· Janice Wilks
· Jim Engle · Josh Coffey · Lyn Miller · Rose March · Sheryl Valoff |
BEREAVEMENT
The Haxton Family is grieving the loss of their baby girl, Aria. Please pray for comfort for this family.
January NMI Emphasis: Volunteer
The Nazarene Missions International (NMI) emphasis for January is Volunteer Ministries, focusing on engaging members in short-term mission trips, local service, and specific community initiatives.
Areas of Emphasis
Special Initiatives
Special initiatives address a direct need within the church or the surrounding community. These may include building or rebuilding projects or responding to a specific spiritual need in the area.
Primary Focus (USA/Global Calendar)
Volunteer Ministries—encouraging participation in short-term mission opportunities and hands-on service projects.
Ongoing Emphasis
A continued focus on prayer, including participation in the Church of the Nazarene’s World Week of Prayer.
Local Examples at SFNAZ
21 Days of Prayer
A focused time of prayer for our city of Spokane.
Northwest Connect
Volunteers and the Church of the Nazarene are working together to meet food needs in our community. The food bank operates out of the former Crestline Church of the Nazarene.
Dinner Church at Crestline
The former Crestline Church of the Nazarene is also the location for Dinner Church, led by Pastor Victor Morrison.
Dinner Church begins Monday, January 19, and continues every Monday thereafter.
6:00p–7:30p
4520 North Crestline
Join us for a hot meal, live music, and God’s Word.
Everyone is welcome! 😊
Pastor Victor Morrison
- Kenya Mission Trip
- Dinner Church
📧 victor.morrisonx5@gmail.com
📞 (509) 999-9206
Missions Prayer Focus
Please remember the following missionaries and ministries in prayer:
- Tim & Michelle Eby — South Africa
- Yoan & Astrid Camacaro — Italy
- Bruce & Cinda McKellips — Portugal
- Monica Boseff & The Open-Door Foundation — Romania
- Michael & Kailyn Wheatley — Undisclosed Location
Stay updated on Nazarene missions:
news@nazarene.org
John 6:35 (NKJV)
“And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.’”
Your Missions Team