More than 40 district representatives participated in workshops that strengthened the church’s compassionate vision and its commitment to children and youth.
The training event was organized by Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, with support from area and regional leaders, and delivered a strong call to live compassion as a lifestyle.
Equipping to Serve Better. From May 30 to 31, leaders from the Northern District of Costa Rica gathered at the district center to receive comprehensive training offered by Nazarene Compassionate Ministries (NCM). More than 40 participants, including pastors and ministry presidents from NCM, Nazarene Discipleship International (NDI), and Nazarene Youth International (NYI) joined the event. The focus was on strengthening knowledge in key areas such as child sponsorship, child care, and project development with a compassionate approach.
Key Lessons for Local Leadership. Workshops were led by Paquita Bido, Central Field NCM Coordinator; Marlen Soria, Regional Coordinator of Children’s Ministries; and David Campos, Regional NCM Coordinator. Marlen Soria emphasized the importance of being intentional about ministering to all generations within the church. “Pastors, if you’re not investing in children, you are not fully fulfilling God’s mission,” she stated. David Campos led sessions on accountability, child sponsorship, and special project development. Meanwhile, Paquita Bido provided an update on NCM’s core strategies and principles.
Worship, Word, and Spiritual Encouragement. The training event also offered moments of worship and spiritual connection. The worship group Sinergia from the Church of the Nazarene in Cañas Dulces led times of praise that set the spiritual tone of the event. In addition, District Superintendent Alexander Loria shared a devotional reflection from God’s Word encouraging leaders to respond to God’s call with purpose and compassion in their communities.
Inspiring Testimonies. Bruno Jiménez Sequeira, one of the participants, said: “This NCM training was a great blessing for my life. It reminded me of our call as a church to serve with love, compassion, and humility, following Jesus’ example.” He also expressed his motivation to develop generational leadership that better connects with children, teens, and young people. “I understood the importance of involving families in the spiritual formation of children and promoting Child Development plans in our church.”
An Intentional Church in Child Formation. Sara Martínez, NCM Coordinator for the Northern District and organizer of the event, explained that the training was designed to equip all district leaders with tools to help each local church become a safe and nurturing environment for children. “Our goal is to encourage the whole church community to live out compassion as a lifestyle, not just a ministry to develop,” she said. She also thanked the area and regional leaders for their support and commitment. Superintendent Alexander Loria added, “The NCM workshops addressed very relevant topics for the development and implementation of new projects in our churches. It was a refreshing of the church’s compassionate vision toward the needs of the surrounding communities. There is great interest in projects like the children’s feeding programs.”
Through this initiative, the Church of the Nazarene in Northern Costa Rica continues to affirm its commitment to the holistic development of children, generational leadership, and God’s call to live compassionately.
Source: Sara Martínez, NCM Coordinator for the Northern District of Costa Rica.
