We’re in the chapel at Waynesburg First Church of the Nazarene and Pastor Brian is holding the colorful clay vessel he keeps in his office along with his extensive collection of religious writings and spiritual tokens. Its broken pieces have been glued back together, each crack a visible part of the design. This is Kimtsukuroi – the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer, traditionally mixed with powdered gold. As a practice in mindfulness, it becomes a metaphor for embracing flaws and imperfections, for recognizing personal potential after going through tough times. For Pastor Brian, this is the heart of his ministry — “coming in broken and being put back together” — to put the world back together with love, one person, one mindful action at a time.
We’ve spent more than an hour in his office with guitars on the wall and comfy chairs to relax in, talking about, among many other things, his own path to wholeness. “Ten years ago, it really hit me. I found God to put me together, but it was so clear that it was my mess to deal with. God says I love you anyway. Give me the pieces.”
After relocating his family — wife Kristen and four daughters, ages 11, 7 and 4 — from Dover, Delaware in July 2022, Pastor Brian was delighted to find his new church already out there mending some cracks in the community at large. Youth Pastor Tim Meeks, a board member of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate for children caught up in the court system), was using the church as a drop off point for CASA’s winter coat drive and the youth group had a team in the nonprofit’s annual dodge ball tournament fundraiser.
“CASA is ministering the way we can’t,” Pastor Brian tells me. “That doesn’t mean we can’t help. Churches need to be in the community, joining up with others and not worrying about taking credit. What if we stop caring about whose name is on it? We can always do more together. This is the spirit that’s now taking hold. God said to Abraham, “And you shall be a blessing.” How do we own that? To be a blessing to the community. We say God bless Greene County.”
Pastor Brian points out he’s been networking with other pastors and community leaders to build partnerships from now on. These open channels are there for outside groups like Neighbor 2 Neighbor when they come to Greene County to do Laundromat ministries and distribute goods and services. Growing a larger network of support for The Way is what is needed now, as the old IGA building in Waynesburg transforms into a state-of-the-art community center.
Pastor Brian flashes another high voltage smile. “That’s the spirit that will put the world back together.”
I’ve gotten a tour of the spacious interior of the church, a dream come true in 2007 when the congregation broke ground for a 22,000 square foot addition to the church on the hill above Deerfield Lane, Waynesburg. The high ceilinged Family Life Center auditorium has plenty of room for pick-up games, including pickle ball, one of the church’s fastest growing open-to-the community activities. The courts are open Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
There’s a pantry cupboard in the lobby for food donations and hallways and stairs lead to Sunday School classrooms and Here we Grow preschool that matches CGSD scheduling and is open to the public. Pastor Brian tells me he’s hoping to have enough sponsors to airdrop 50,000 treat filled Easter eggs from a low-flying helicopter at Greene County Airport on April 8 when SOAR hosts its spring pancake breakfast. And yes, Pastor Tim and his youth ministry will have their team ready to take on all comers at CASA’s third annual Dodge Ball Tournament at EQT Center on April 29.
“There’s always stuff going on. Last year, we hosted a community Christmas musical with kids from nine different churches. The Women’s Choir Jubilations practices on Monday evenings. Anyone can join. We have Special Olympics cheering. Just call if you have something you want to do here. We always default to yes!”
Services at Waynesburg First Nazarene Church start at 10:45 and the Coffee Café is open in the Family Life Center.
For more information on upcoming events or to register for Here We Grow, call the church office during office hours 724-997-4673.
