Church ministry and outreach

   My ministry is to find out more ‘The more I find out, the more I realise there is still much to know.’ Nick Wilson Education in its many forms…

 

 My ministry is to find out more

‘The more I find out, the more I realise there is still much to know.’

Nick Wilson

Education in its many forms is a key part to anyone’s life. We are all on a constant journey of discovery. Humanity has progressed on its new learnings and understandings to advance to a next level.

In a sense, we strive to understand better the world around us so we can be more comfortable, faster, more competitive and so on.
Working for TCI is much like this. I see this organisation as providing an education ministry to our Catholic population.

I don’t know people’s hearts and whole histories and I’m certainly not judging anyone; but over the years I have often wondered how much people know about our faith? How has faith experience changed from the ‘penny catechism’ days to the digital era and para-modern times?

The rumblings and questions around the New Mass is an example of this. Why is Jesus not worthy to enter under my roof now? Why is there this new, approved music list? What were the ramifications for us as Church at the end of the Second Vatican Council? What happened in the Reformation that still affects Church now?

How can I understand the Sunday readings at Church? Feminine aspects of God? Mercy? Grace? Spirituality?

Have you ever met someone who tells you they are Catholic but don’t belong to a Catholic community or never attend Mass? What an injustice! What a sadness!

What a lack of understanding and relationship! When was the last time WE invited a ‘resting’ Catholic to come back home? It would appear there is much work to be done in showing the joy of living a Gospel-centric life.

There is so much to know and so much to find out. We are invited every moment in everyday life to experience the Living God; to deepen our relationship and come to know we are infinitely loved and infinitely lovable.

I am grateful for the formation and education I have had. My ministry is to keep learning myself, and to help facilitate your learning – so as the Church, we journey into a new awareness, a deeper understanding and an informed appreciation of what is it to be a follower of Jesus.

In John 1:39, Jesus invites the disciples to come and see. By verse 41, they ‘clicked’ that Jesus was the Messiah!

Once we come to this realistation, we can only be compelled by powerful desire to learn more because, without such learning, we don’t know what we don’t know ‒ right?

Nick Wilson is The Catholic Institute and Adult Education Coordinator for Palmerston North Dicocese.