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    Faithfulness Through Generations...Claiming God's Future: Avon Park Church of the Nazarene
    Faithfulness Through Generations...Claiming God's Future: Avon Park Church of the Nazarene
    Faithfulness Through Generations...Claiming God's Future: Avon Park Church of the Nazarene
    Ebook101 pages1 hour

    Faithfulness Through Generations...Claiming God's Future: Avon Park Church of the Nazarene

    By Patricia Bridewell

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    About this ebook

    Avon Park Church of the Nazarene in Avon Park, Florida, celebrates its 90th Anniversary in October 2015. This book is a brief historical and overview of the past ninety years. This is the text from the print book for easier reading. Pictures are not included.
    This compilation is from official church records as well as from collections and recollections of current members. As such, the author is Avon Park Church of the Nazarene, and the compiler, Patricia Althoff Bridewell, is a mere servant of God and His people.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPatricia Bridewell
    Release dateMar 11, 2016
    ISBN9781311296818
    Faithfulness Through Generations...Claiming God's Future: Avon Park Church of the Nazarene
    Author

    Patricia Bridewell

    Patricia Althoff Bridewell is a graduate of Kentucky Wesleyan College (BA), Western Kentucky University (MA), and Newburgh Theological Seminary (PhD).Bridewell is married, has a son, daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren. She is a long-time member of Avon Park Camp in Florida, and is otherwise semi-retired.

    Read more from Patricia Bridewell

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      Book preview

      Faithfulness Through Generations...Claiming God's Future - Patricia Bridewell

      FAITHFULNESS THROUGH GENERATIONS...

      ...CLAIMING GOD'S FUTURE

      AVON PARK CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE

      UPON THE OCCASION OF

      ITS 90TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

      October 25, 2015

      gathered and edited by

      DR. PATRICIA ALTHOFF BRIDEWELL

      AVON PARK CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE

      STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

      The Avon Park Church of the Nazarene purposely endeavors to fulfill the Great Commission and the Mandate of Christ to make Christ-like disciples and minister to all persons.

      We preach and teach the Holy Scriptures by proclaiming Jesus Christ as Savior, Sanctifier, Healer, and coming King. We proclaim unabashedly that He is the only hope for this sinful world. We emphasize the mission and work of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life, in His infilling, empowering for service, guiding, and blessing for victorious Christian living.

      With divine direction and empowerment as a church, we prepare our people through continual nurturing, and seek to focus our ministries in areas where God gives the needed gifts and talents. We seek to lead our people so they may become mature and knowledgeable in the fullness of Christ and in the power of the Holy Spirit.

      We will purposely ...prepare God’s people for works of service, so the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the knowledge Of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Ephesians 4:12-13 NIV

      We strive to be a warm, friendly, loving, and caring Body of Believers who will minister to the needs of the saved and the unsaved.

      We endeavor to be good stewards of our time, talents, and resources to provide programs and activities to accomplish these holy purposes.

      Copyright © 2015 AVON PARK CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE

      All rights reserved.

      ISBN: 9781311296818

      Title: Faithfulness Through Generations...Claiming God's Future: Avon Park Church of the Nazarene

      Author: Patricia Althoff Bridewell

      Publisher: Smashwords, Inc.

      (Version Note: Pictures are included in the Print version, but omitted in this e-version due to formatting and picture sizes.)

      DEDICATION

      This book is dedicated to our Lord Jesus and the Body of Christ,

      particularly the saints who have passed through the doors of

      Avon Park Church of the Nazarene.

      We thank you for your

      FAITHFULNESS THROUGH GENERATIONS

      and pledge to pass this on as we are

      CLAIMING GOD'S FUTURE.

      CONTENTS

      ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

      PREFACE

      FOREWORD FROM OUR PASTORAL TEAM

      1. AVON PARK, THE CITY IS BORN

      2. THE VERY BEGINNING

      3. MOVING TIME

      4. THROUGH THE YEARS

      5. 1993-2007 ~ THE SLUYTER YEARS

      6. RECENT YEARS

      7. PASTORAL NARRATIVES

      PICTURES AND MORE PICTURES (included in print version only)

      FACILITIES

      CHILDREN

      YOUTH

      ACTIVITIES

      PEOPLE

      AFTERNOTES

      APPENDICES (* indicates tables included in print version only)

      OUR PASTORS

      * DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENTS AND PASTORS

      * LEADERSHIP

      * NMI AWARDS

      * MEMBERSHIP STATISTICS

      * FINANCIAL STATISTICS

      ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION

      ABOUT THE CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE (COTN)

      COTN: STATEMENT OF BELIEF

      COTN: A BRIEF HISTORY

      COTN: CORE VALUES

      COTN: ARTICLES OF FAITH

      ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

      Thank you to the many who contributed pictures and information for this publication,

      including but not limited to:

      Pastor James and Lynda Boardman

      Bill & Sharon Avedisian

      Kathy Crofton

      Keith and Hazel Scott

      Ken and Miriam Filppula

      Lois Yardumian

      Nancy Scott

      Russell and Jackie Scott

      and to

      Avon Park Depot Museum

      Doris Hopper

      Marsha Taylor, Southern Florida District Office

      Sebring Historical Society

      Stan Ingersol, author and Nazarene historian

      PREFACE

      During the first planning session for the 90th Anniversary of the Avon Park Church of the Nazarene, God laid on my heart a desire to prepare a written and visual history of our church. There are many missing years and much missing information that may be lost forever, yet there is not room or time enough even to cover all that has been gathered.

      I republish on this page the entirety of the history as it existed when the project began to emphasize the enormity of the task that lay before us as we began. I pray that this compilation blesses you as you learn and relive the history of the people of the Church on Main Street, Avon Park, Florida. I also pray that this beginning will inspire some to fill in the missing blanks (perhaps a visit to the COTN Archives?) wherever possible and continue to gather history as it is made.

      Looking forward to our 100th,

      -- Dr. Patricia Althoff Bridewell, editor

      AVON PARK FIRST CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE - 2001 HISTORY NARRATIVE

      The First Church of the Nazarene was organized in the city of Avon Park on May 10, 1925 with five charter members. Services were held in homes of members until January of 1926. The first pastor was Rev. John Tompkins and the District Superintendent was Rev. Fred Norcross. The services were held in the Odd Fellows Hall.

      Three lots were bought by members and given to the church for building purposes in January 1926. The location was near the corner of South Lake Avenue and Canfield Street. The church building was completed in March of 1926 and the parsonage was built and completed in August of 1926. By July of 1926, attendance had increased to fifty. In 1927, the church entertained the District Assembly with Dr. H. F. Reynolds, General Superintendent.

      In October of 1944, the present church property on Main Street was purchased and in 1945 the church building and parsonage were moved to this site. In 1953 the present church building was constructed, and in 1962 the old parsonage was sold and moved and the new parsonage constructed. In 1966 the Fellowship Hall was built, and in 1989 the Sunday School Educational Building was erected.

      Since then the church has purchased two lots on Desoto Avenue with a second parsonage on one of the lots, and four lots on Summit Avenue. In 1997 the church bought an additional two lots on Summit Avenue for future expansion of the church.

      FOREWORD FROM OUR PASTORAL TEAM

      Dear Friends and fellow Sojourners,

      Some of the looks I have received when I invited people to our 90th Anniversary Celebration have been interesting. It was like, I didn’t know you were that old. Really! And other like-minded thinking. So I would hasten to confirm it was the church’s anniversary and NOT Lynda and I celebrating 90 years.

      As with any journey, there have been unmet expectations, hills and valleys. However, as the late Andre Crouch put it, "I’ve had

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