Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor. Galatians 6:6

In June, we held a conference at our church entitled, “Grounded in the Gospel.” Our presenter, Dr. Gary Parrett, is a professor at Gordon-Conwell Seminary and has recently published a book with friend and mentor, Dr. J.I Packer, on the subject of catechesis. The word, ‘catechesis’ scares away a lot of folks simply because it is either an unfamiliar  word or it conjures up memories of a bad experience you might have had as a child enrolled in a catechism course. The word simply means ‘instruction’ and it is the Greek word used twice in Galatians 6:6 (above). One of the definitions for  catechesis that was given during the seminar is “...the process by which persons are initiated into the Christian community and its faith, revelation and vocation; the process by which persons throughout their lifetimes are continually converted and nurtured, transformed and formed, by and in its living tradition.”

Dr. Parrett and his teaching companions, Brian and Marie, made a convincing case from Church history that catechesis has always been an important building block for the Church of Jesus Christ. It follows that we should continue to offer instruction in the foundational truths of our faith to those who are new and growing believers. We also must all be seeking ourselves to grow in our knowledge of the Lord and in the living out of our faith. The content of this instruction, down through the ages, has centered on the Apostle’s Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments, and the Sacraments (the Lord’s Supper and Baptism).

Why did we think this seminar should be offered? Dr. Parrett and Dr. Packer believe that the evangelical church has lost its way when it comes to solid, biblical training not only of our children and youth, but of all believers. If you spend just a few moments with Dr. Parrett, you will witness a passion for teaching and for helping people enter into worship through good, interactive catechesis. As a result of this seminar, some of the churches in attendance are making decisions about how we might recapture this vision for grounding our members in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I was so encouraged by the response of our Christian Education committee to explore ways to improve the instructional ministry of our church. Be on the lookout for good things to come in many areas beyond our Sunday school program (including special courses to be offered and even possible recommendations for changes in our worship service).

As we have been announcing the last few weeks, Dr. Parrett was in a very serious bus accident while ministering in South Korea a few weeks ago. He is in very serious condition, still unconscious and not yet breathing on his own: Please pray for this dear servant and brother in the Lord and his family — wife, Holly and daughter, Alisa. We are praying that someday, we will be able to share with our ‘instructor’ the good things that have come from his time spent with us.

In God's Grace,
Pastor Kevin

We were saddened to receive the resignation of Joharma Dickson as our music director. She has been in this position for sixteen years and it is hard to imagine her not serving us in this capacity. Johanna has given herself to this church and ministry — always going far beyond her job description, selflessly offering herself to the Lord for His glory. Though not an easy decision for her, Johanna has felt the Lord calling her away from this ministry and we know that He has great things for her in the future. She has expressed such a deep appreciation for those with and to whom she has ministered over these years.

I am so thankful for my sister in Christ and all she has taught me in my ten years at WNCC. It has been a privilege and a delight to serve with Johanna and my family has been blessed through her ministry in so many ways. I know that all of us can say the same.

Johanna’ s last Sunday will be July 18th. The music committee has decided to wait until September to recognize and honor Johanna for her years of service.

Pray for God to give Johanna rest and refreshment and to prepare her for whatever He calls her to next. 

Pastor Kevin