Kairos Defining Moments

Have you ever noticed that in an instant everything seems to change? What makes that momentary but long lasting difference? God shows up to participate in our lives and performs miracle, speaks words of peace, gives new direction, or whatever else the creator of the universe chooses to do. But in those defining moments virtually everything changes–the impossible becomes possible. Why? Because God is God and He still rules His universe. The God who created all things can accomplish more in His defining moment than you and I can accomplish in a lifetime. After all according to Genesis, He created the heavens and earth, including man in just six days and rested on the seventh. From that truth one would draw an obvious conclusion that what we do is not going to impress God; but when He acts in our behalf, it will always astound us. We serve an awesome God! Those times are karios moments. Karios in the Greek means defining moment. The objective of this book is to share some of those karios moments from this writer’s experience, but also to quicken your recollection of past karios or an awareness in your next karios that God is present, involved in your life, and making a difference only He can make.

For twenty-five years, Pastor BW Hambrick has pastored the people of the Ephrata Church of the Nazarene, Ephrata, PA (1986-2011). Changed lives, culture change, renovations, new buildings, even relocation have all been part of the ongoing movement of the church. There have been many events that have defined the church and Pastor Hambrick’s ministry, but nothing has defined it quite like those unique moments, those karios moments, when everything changed for the better. This books tells of some of those karios, defining moments. Nothing, absolutely nothing, can explain the stories shared here, except the immediate intervention of God.

Many of the details in the stories in this volume are unknown except to Pastor Hambrick. It is his intent that by sharing the stories that they may be preserved for this and for future worshipers to remember and enjoy. Hopefully telling the stories will inspire the church and you to take a closer look at what God has been doing in lives, in churches, and in our world. May your time reading these narratives help you to identify those karios moments in your life when everything changed–without fanfare and without explanation except God.