About Sandwich
Church of the Nazarene
We are Christian
We center ourselves in Christ, and we witness Christ revealing the nature and reality of God. Out of our encounter with Christ, we are being restored and reconciled, and we seek to manifest the same kind of work in the world around us.
We are Holiness
Indeed, the reconciliation that we experience is one that leads to closeness with God, our fellow human beings, creation, and our true selves. And yet we notice that what comes naturally to us is not closeness, but distance and separation. As we come together in intentional relationship, we see God addressing that very problem, and we seem to be experiencing a radical change from the inside out. God is increasing our ability to love.
We Value:
Hospitality
We welcome our guests and our long-time friends in the same familial way. There is room for everyone in the family of God.
Gospel
This word has become our way of life. We are people of good news, period. We treat one another with respect and love, and when we mess up we seek reconciliation.
Participation
We need each other. In fact, we confess that at the beginning of each service, and we are actively incorporating more people in our activity.
We are Missional
This love, which we understand to be a divine love planted within us by God, is so strong and formative that is sets us in motion. We cannot merely say we love—It must take on flesh. So we find ourselves taking care of one another, and learning to let others take care of us. Here's the crazy part: we have even begun to love those we used to think of as our enemies. We know, it sounds too good to be true, but around here we just like to call that 'Gospel.'
Our Pastor
Rev. Matthew Jones
2016-Present
Matthew grew up in the Church of the Nazarene in Eureka, IL. From there, he went to Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, IL., where he earned a B.A. in Religious Studies ('14) and an M.A. in Pastoral Ministry ('17). Matthew was ordained in May of 2019. He currently works part time at the Sandwich Public Library and enjoys watching movies, hanging out with friends, and reading. In Spring of 2022 he self published his first book, entitled "Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone?: Essays for Holy Week", which can be purchased on Amazon.