A fire severely damaged the Kerk van de Nazarener Breda building in the Netherlands on January 13, destroying its entire interior. 

The extent of the damage and needs are still being assessed. The church members immediately turned to Jesus, gathering for prayer that evening while smoke still rose into the sky. They mourned, shared memories, and prayed for the other small businesses that called the building home. 

The following Sunday, worship continued. The church’s next-door neighbor, a rooftop bar, opened its doors. One of the building’s occupants—a Christian student organization—served a meal to the congregation. Hundreds of messages poured in online, lifting up prayers, with a church in Ukraine even offering to send workers to help rebuild. 

“It’s very overwhelming and very encouraging,” said Pastor Stephen Overduin. 

The church has requested prayer in three areas.

• Pray for wisdom for church leadership as they navigate immediate needs, including finding a place to meet each Sunday.
• Pray for the long-term vision and location of the congregation as they seek to remain in the neighborhood they feel called to serve. 
• Pray for the congregation as they are called to “go into deeper waters with him,” Overduin said.

“When you have a lot, it is sometimes easier, or you don’t realize that you don’t trust him a lot,” Overduin said. “But when things get stripped away, like with Job, what’s real comes to the surface.” 

Overduin added that the 23rd Psalm is the perfect prayer right now. 

“When you have everything you need, it’s an easy prayer,” Overduin said. “But when you don’t, it becomes more complicated—but also more true. Because with him, we have all that we want and need. That’s my prayer for the congregation.”

--Church of the Nazarene Eurasia Region