Dear Centenarians,
I
recently had the pleasant opportunity of meeting a young man from Nigeria.
Ironically
we met while I was traveling in another city, and he happens to live
in downtown
L.A., not far from Centenary. He moved into the area three months ago, due
to a new job
assignment that he was given by his company.
When I
mentioned that I was the pastor of this church, he shared with me that he grew
up
in his native
country attending a Methodist Church. He came to this country to study at
the University
of Nebraska, and while he lived in that community he also worshipped at a
United
Methodist Church.
He went on to
share with me that is fondest memories of going to church were from his
Sunday School
days, and how he remembered his parents making sure that he and his
siblings
attended the church Sunday School every week. This discipline has carried over
to his college
and young adult days, and he stated that he hopes to worship with us once
he gets settled
here in the downtown area.
This young man’s
experience is like my own and that of many people who I’ve met
throughout my
life in the church; their fondest experiences and memories of going to
church stem
from their Sunday School times. More often than not, they also include a
Sunday School
teacher or mentor who had a direct influence on them.
Meeting this
young man was coincidental to this month, as we will celebrate our Sunday
School teachers
and other Christian Education leaders in worship on Sept. 18th.
While
Sunday School
is the foundation of all Christian Education, we have a multitude of
ongoing
learning opportunities in the life of the church, and this year our Rally
Sunday
will
acknowledge all of them.
I hope this
young man will be with us on Rally Sunday to witness the Sunday School that
was
so formative in his life. I hope you will be here, too, to celebrate and thank
all of our
teachers
and leaders in Christian Education, who insure that all of our students both
younger
and older are taught the important lessons of Christian faith that keep the
church
alive
and important in this day and age.
Grace
and Peace,
Reverend
Mark M. Nakagawa
