About us
Who we are:
At Lavelle Church of the Nazarene we are Christians, we are Nazarenes, and we are a family. We believe that we have been blessed by God, but for a purpose - blessed to be a blessing. Our worship service aims to glorify Jesus Christ, tell the story of scripture, and help us understand life in light of His truth. Our worship is filled with symbols and practices that inspire us with the truth of Jesus. The worship service is scripture-centered, using songs and prayers, and paying close attention to telling the story of Christ and the Church in time, using the Christian Calendar. Most of all we are family, and our hearts are open to everyone who wants to take part.
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We are part of the Philadelphia District Church of the Nazarene.
what we believe
The Church of the Nazarene believes in the Triune God, and historic Christian faith. We also believe in the power of personal transformation and Holy Living. Nazarenes are passionate about Jesus Christ and God's saving work in the world. God invites us to participate in redeeming the world for Christ using scripture as our guide.
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What is a nazarene?
The Church of the Nazarene is a denomination of Christians around the world committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our core values are simple - We are Christian, we are holiness, and we are missional. You'll find Nazarene congregations in every continent, and nearly every country in the world. We have approximately 2.5 million members, and we are growing every day.
For more info, see http://nazarene.org/nazarene-glance.
our pastors:
Rev. Jeremy Smallwood
Lead Pastor
As lead-pastor, Jeremy is responsible for all of the day-to-day operations of the church, but his main passions are preaching and teaching. Bringing scripture to life within the congregation is one of his greatest passions. It is both a deep challenge, and extraordinarily rewarding privilege. He believes that worship services are full of symbols and practices that point to the eternal Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Jeremy holds a Music Education Degree from Eastern Nazarene College as well as a Master's Degree in Christian Education from Nazarene Theological Seminary.
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Jeremy's family is his love and passion. Jeremy and Chrystal have been married since 1998, and their two daughters Anna and Kaitlyn are awesome, gifted, brilliant young ladies. Their family loves being together outdoors, going to concerts, travelling, and having fun.
Besides ministry and family, Jeremy is a Firefighter and EMT; through those he is able to make connections with the community, and with people in need. He loves to talk about music, life, hiking, coffee and Jesus.
Rev. Don Allison
Associate Pastor
Don and his wife, Iris, met at Eastern Nazarene College and were married in 1962. Don is an ordained minister and served as a pastor for forty years. He holds a Master's of Divinity Degree from Nazarene Theological Seminary. He was also founder and CEO of a Christian child care ministry for eight years. Don directs a ministry for bereaved parents.
Iris majored in psychology and has worked as a social worker and director of a Christian child care ministry.
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Don and Iris have two wonderful children and four terrific grandchildren. Their son, Clay, and his wife, Andrea, live in Baltimore, MD with Justin and Kelly. Daughter, Crystal, lives in heaven since she died from leukemia in 2005. Her husband, Dave, is remarried to Sarah and they live in Gallway, NY. Crystal’s daughter, Robin is married and is an art teacher. Son, Jeffrey is a college student