During worship on Sunday, September 7, we asked our new and continuing Christian education workers and teachers (a third of our whole church, practically) the following questions for their commissioning:

• Will you now commit yourselves to the spiritual nurture of your students, offering yourself and your time, your prayers and your love on their behalf, that they might catch from you a love and knowledge of the Scriptures? If so, please say, "I will."
• Will you also go the extra mile on behalf of your students and your fellow teachers, not only to prepare and deliver lessons in the Bible and the Christian life, but to go the extra mile whenever possible to share your faith and your life with God in all joy and honesty? If so, please say "I will."
• Will you also devote yourself to the continual renewal of your spiritual life, the broadening of your biblical knowledge and the maturing of your character so that you may share with your students out of a full spiritual well? If so, please say, "I will."

They all said, "I will." Bless them.

If you share our church's passion and commitment to Christian education (with thanks to our Christian Education Commission leaders Tammy Lundquist, Mary Harder and Nathan Zerbe), may you find challenge, encouragement and inspiration in the message that followed that day on Psalm 119: 33-40, "The Disciple's Prayer," at Download christian_education_08.doc.

Mathew Swora, pastor