Prayer and Praise WE ARE SO THANKFUL TO THE ... - gtc… Alone/gracealone-2012july.pdf · JULY 2012 is the newsletter of Grace Theological College, a non-denominational evangelical

JULY 2012

is the newsletter of GraceTheological College, a non-denominational evangelicaland reformed theologicalcollege in Auckland, NZ

GR CEa LONEa

Editors: Arthur Palmer& Peter Reynolds

All enquiries should beaddressed to:

PO Box 75-534Manurewa

Auckland 2243New Zealand

Ph: (09) 268 1469Fax: (09) 268 1474

Em: [email protected]

www.gtc.ac.nz

GR CEa LONEa

GRACE ALONE JULY 2012 VOLUME 50PAGE 8 GRACE ALONE JULY 2012 VOLUME 50

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For more infosee our websitewww.gtc.ac.nz

•The encouraging visits from Australia and America.•The 50 students who make up our student body in Auckland and Dunedin.•The Lord’s continuing provision for the work of the College.•The faithful labours of our dedicated teaching faculty.

ITEMS FORPrayer and Praise

WE ARE SO THANKFUL TO THE LORD FOR:

PLEASE PRAY FOR:

•For Ian and Christine Grant as they leave for post graduate study in the USA.•For Tadamitsu as he ministers in devastated Sendai, Japan.• The students who are studying with us in the second semester.• For the young men undergoing pastoral ministry training at GTC.

This article is an extract from a paper delivered at the IndependentChristian Schools Fellowship conference in April 2012. The fulltext of this address can be found on the GTC website www.gtc.ac.nz“A Christian Approach to Teaching and Learning”.

When studying any aspect of human endeavour we must beginwith presupposing the God of Christianity as revealed in theScriptures. All mankind is bound to such a starting point onaccount of their creaturliness, their image bearing, and theirfallenness. To adopt any other starting point is to deny at theoutset the distinction between us and the One whose image webear and whose air we breathe. So with this beginning we willconsider the three aspects of reality, knowledge and ethics asthey apply to education, and hence to GTC. (This three partdivision is to be found in Cornelius Van Til’s Defense of theFaith, 4th edition, Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing, 2008,45-89).

REALITY

The Bible makes clear the distinction between God as the self-sufficient Creator, and the creation (including man) as dependanton God’s creation, plan, and providence: In him we live andmove and have our being (Acts 17:28). The presence of sinobscures our understanding of this reality and blinds us to thetruth of our dependence on God.

So at GTC we must begin with faith and repentance. Only arepentent heart is able to grasp the reality of the human conditionand its remedy in Christ. As we interact with the ideas andconclusions of human thought we must do so as men and womenwho understand the limitations of fallen reason. As we look toChrist by faith we seek to be instructed in his wisdom by hisSpirit through his Word.

KNOWLEDGE

A Christian theory of knowledge follows from a Christian theoryof reality. Just as there are two levels of reality (God and hiscreation), so there are two levels of knowledge (God’s knowledgeabout himself and the universe, and mankind’s knowledge).Hence the task of a Christian educator is to ensure that his/herstudents are relating all that they are learning to God’s knowledge;to what God has revealed.

At GTC this means that our conclusions from the study ofdoctrine, history, culture, ethics, pastoral counselling, and churchpolity and practice must all be bought back again and again tothe Scriptures to ensure that we are indeed thinking God’sthoughts after him in all our knowing and learning. Such wisdomcomes when we are able to grasp the difference between thefallen views of reality, knowledge and ethics, and the redeemedviews, and live and minister accordingly.

ETHICS

Just as our being and knowledge are derived from God so alsoare our ethics. Just as Adam, before the fall into sin, neededspecial revelation (God’s spoken word) in order to know whatwas true and how to act (Genesis 1:28-30, 2:15-17), so fallenmankind continues to be reliant on special revelation for aknowledge of what is true to believe, and what is right to do.

So at GTC we want our students to exhibit a growing holinessof life as a result of their study of the Scriptures. Their growingknowledge and understanding will never remove them from thebiblical requirement to worship and love God, and to serve andlove others, while all the time growing in personal holiness.Hence the College motto “The knowledge of the truth that leadsto Godliness” (Titus 1:1).

FURTHER APPLICATION

We have noticed how the aspects of reality, knowledge andethics, apply to GTC, but let’s consider how they apply also tothe church of Jesus Christ. God wants children to be taught aboutreality, knowledge and ethics from his point of view. As we, inobedience to our Heavenly Father, so teach the children in thechurch/ home/school we should expect, look for, and pray forearly signs of belief and godly behaviour. With joy we take upthis task knowing that God will bring to completion what he hasbegun in the lives of the children he has given us.

Further, God wants the growing adults in our churches to betaught in all wisdom as they grow to understand their place inGod’s world, home and church. Such wisdom develops as theylearn to bring their understanding of who they are, what theyknow, and how they live into submission to God’s Word, andthen present such God-orientated aspects of life to an unbelievingculture. Their stand will be distinctive and certain while alsobeing humble and caring (1 Peter 3:15).

Again, the Lord of the church wants older learners to teach theyounger ones while continuing to role model Godly living. Thisteaching will be conducted in a formal way through the establishedteaching programmes of the church, and informally as oldermembers make the effort to engage with the younger membersof the congregation.

Finally, how should this understanding of reality, knowledgeand ethics inform our preaching? All moralism and legalismamounts to a futile attempt to erase, in some measure, thedistinction between God as self-sufficient Creator and ourselvesas dependent, fallen image bearers. The relationship between usand our heavenly Father is one that he establishes and bestows.There is no ability on our part to either attract or maintain byour own efforts our relationship with God. It is all of him. Soour obedience, which brings God much glory, is not the necessarycondition of maintaining a relationship with God, but the necessaryconsequence of being in that relationship. We obey because weknow that in Christ we are loved.

Hence our preaching must be grace filled, rather than filled withexhortations to greater self effort. Grace filled preaching willfill our listeners’ hearts with joy and gratitude, and will teachthem to say No! to ungodliness (Titus 2:11-12). The result willbe hearts and lives set free to love deeply and sincerely in waysthat fulfil the two great commandments, while remainingdependent upon God and his revelation. Toward this end GTCseeks to train preachers, and refresh current preachers, in thedivine art of preaching biblical truth full of the glories of grace.

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FROM THE PRINCIPAL... Peter Reynolds

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A Christian PhilosophyOF EDUCATION

Peter Reynolds, GTC Principal

IAN GRANTGTC Biblical Theology lecturer and board member,Ian Grant, is planning to join John van Rij atCovenant Seminary in St Louis, USA. Ian will bepursuing a ThM degree in Biblical Theology. Weextend to Ian and Christine God’s blessings ontheir study adventure.

JERRAM BARRSJerram Barrs, from Covenant TheologicalSeminary, USA recently visited the College andgave a public lecture on Challenges FacingChristians in Our Culture. Such visiting speakersare a genuine encouragement to the College intheir interest and collegial support.

TADAMITSUTadamitsu Nishimura graduated from GTC twoyears ago and returned to his home in Sendai,Japan. Since then he has been working withSamaritan’s Purse, ministering to families madehomeless by the earthquake and tsunami. HereTadamitsu is presenting the gospel to Japanesepeople who have been re-housed through hisministry.

PRESBYTERIAN THEOLOGICAL CENTRE, SYDNEYRecently the College was visited by a group ofstudents from PTC (NSW). They visited the Collegeand nearby counselling centre to gain anappreciation on the work of the College in trainingpreachers and pastoral care workers. While inAuckland they also ministered in a number oflocal churches.

GTC’S VIDEO LIBRARYFor those of you with VHS players, the Collegehas a number of video recordings of past lecturesavailable for loan. Please contact the College fordetails.

Sydney students visit Grace Theological College

College News

Tadamitsu preaching in Japan

Andrew Young and Jerram Barrs on his recent visit to NZ

Ian and Christine Grant

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Rev Zack Eswine is the pastor of the Riverside EPC church in St Louis,USA. Zack has visited New Zealand and retains a strong desire to encourageGTC and the church in whatever way he can. Currently he is pastor to Johnand Alex van Rij, and recently hosted Peter Boyd and his family on theirsabbatical to the USA. Zack also leads an “in-house” training school foryoung pastors and men in ministry looking for refreshment in their labours,The Pastor’s Abbey. Zack has published a number of books on preaching.He has provided this article for Grace Alone readers.

Insights from Genesis:By Stuart Johnson: Associate-Principal, South Island

In Genesis chapters 1 and 2 Moses revealed to God’s peoplethat Yahweh, their awesome deliverer from Egypt, was noneother than the creator of the heavens and the earth; the onlytrue and living God. Moses also described the origin andnature of humanity, and in chapter 3 human rebellion and itsconsequences. Later, Moses outlined the history, basis andnature of their covenant relationship with God, through thelives of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, whose family enteredEgypt (chapters 12-50). But before this, in chapters 4-11,Moses surveys the redemptive history of the world from thedeparture of mankind from the garden of Eden to the call ofAbraham.

Commenting on this period Mark Strom, Symphony ofScripture, describes a recurring pattern of sin, judgment andgrace. The initial rebellion at the fall was met by judgment(much increased pain in childbearing; painful toil; barredfrom tree of life; driven from the garden) and grace (life goeson; clothes are provided; the serpent-crusher is promised3:15). This pattern is repeated a further four times in chapters4-11.

Cain, the firstborn son of Adam and Eve, kills his brotherAbel. Judgment follows, as God drives Cain away, and graceis given, as Cain’s life is preserved (4:15-16), and Eve givesbirth to Seth (from whom came Noah, Abraham, and Jesus,the serpent-crusher).

Then we have a description of universal sin preceding theflood (6:1-6). Even the “sons of God” (most likely the lineof humanity descended from Seth and set apart in God’sredemptive plan) were largely corrupted, marrying thedaughters of the ungodly (6:1-2). And about 120 years latercame the judgment of the great flood, of which only eightpeople survived (6:3-8:14). Yet the flood narrative is also astory of grace and redemption to mankind through Noah andhis family, and a type of future gospel blessing (1 Peter 3:18-22). Moreover, the Lord graciously affirmed his relationshipto humanity, promising to never again flood the earth (8:15-9:17), and confirmed both God’s original mandate forhumanity (“Be fruitful and increase in number and fill theearth” 9:1) and that we remain, however tarnished, in the“image of God” (9:6).

Following this we see sin, judgment and grace when Ham,the father of Canaan, shames his father Noah and is cursed(9:18-23). God’s grace is seen in the ancient world beingnonetheless built from Noah’s offspring. Moreover, in theprophetic blessing and cursing of his sons by Noah we seea broad (if somewhat ambiguous or shadowy) shape to God’sredemptive plan (see 9:24-27). In this, Shem (from whomcame the Jews) is to build the tent and will know the Lord(Yahweh); Ham (the Canaanites) will be in servitude; andJapeth (the nations) will share in the blessings of Shem.

Genesis 10 and 11 follow with an account of the post-floodworld. Initially God’s command to fill the post-flood earthmade sound progress, such that from Noah’s descendants the“nations spread out over the earth” (10:32). However, thisstopped at Shinar in Mesopotamia, where the tower of Babel

was built. Here humanity banded together with the idea ofbuilding a city with a tower to reach to the heavens, in orderto “make a name for ourselves” (11:1-4). Although details inthe text are scant, this was very displeasing to the Lord whoknows all things. Calvin suggests the main problem was anarrogant quest for autonomy; a thirst for human societyindependent of God. Others emphasize the rejection of thecommand to scatter over the earth; most likely it was both.The text infers a culture of determined indifference towardGod, and proud reliance upon self. Dumbrell, Covenant andCreation, suggests that “Babel expressed a naive and totalconfidence in what human achievement could effect. It lookedfor one world, one common language family, one commonsocial and economic platform from which human associationcould proceed. In short, it was the beginning of the utopianhumanistic dream to which mankind has always subsequentlyaspired”. God’s judgment came and humanity was scatteredand language confused, as it remains to this day. Powerfulgrace was to follow in the call of Abraham and the promiseof world-wide blessing in Genesis 12:1-3. The speaking intongues (other languages) of the New Testament era was asign that God’s powerful work of creating a new and unitedhumanity around the risen Lord Jesus was irresistiblyunderway.

In all of this we see God relating both generally to humanity,as in the flood and at Babel, and also more particularly to thedescendants of Seth (Enoch, Noah and later Abraham). Andtoday the Lord remains both the master and judge of allmankind, and a Heavenly Father to his people, whom he ismarvellously bringing to himself. But in overall terms, Genesis4 - 11 paints a bleak picture of the post-fall condition ofhumanity. It demonstrates the enormity of sin and humanity’scomplete reliance on the grace of God for restoration. It formsthe essential context of God’s gracious and powerful call ofAbraham, which was like a light shining into a dark place.Very few people are described as being in (what we term)personal relationship with God, as were Enoch and Noah.Instead of seeing any strength in man, we see God steppingin and keeping alive his ultimate purposes for the createdorder. For indeed, “Salvation is of the LORD” (Exodus 15:2;Jonah 2:9).

Stuart Johnson

FROM THE GARDEN OF EDEN TO ABRAHAM

AND THE PASTOR’S ABBEYZac Eswine

Dr. Zack Eswine and the church he serves seek to provideencouragement for pastors. Zack and his family live in SaintLouis, Missouri where Zack serves as the Lead Pastor forRiverside Church, and administers The Pastor’s Abbey. ThePastor’s Abbey sits on four acres where Zack and his familyreside. Here, pastors can question, study, rest and receivepersonal tutoring in preaching and pastoral ministry in thecontext of the Riverside congregation. In conjunction withtaking classes at Covenant Seminary, or on its own, thePastor’s Abbey with its space, personal tutoring and preacher’smentor program can serve as one small part of bringingencouragement and empowerment for local pastors.

Rarely, do pastors have a place to turn in order to findknowledgeable and friendly advice regarding their sermonsor pastoral circumstances. Similarly, pastors often have noplace to go where they have space and time to ask questionsabout their ministry or family or their own doubts or regardingupcoming leadership decisions.

In 2010, Peter Boyd and his family took a sabbatical andstayed with the Eswines at their home for several weeks.While Peter audited classes at Covenant Seminary, Zacklistened to several of Peter’s sermons, gave instructiveencouragement and he and Peter met together each week totalk, pray and find mutual strengthening and friendship forlife and ministry. The Boyds were also welcomed by andparticipated in the Riverside Church community.

In 2011, John and Alex van Rij enrolled in CovenantSeminary. Soon after, John and Alex met with the elders ofRiverside Church and were admitted as ministry interns.John is being mentored as part of a ministry outreach teamfor engaging those who do not follow Jesus in the localcommunity. Alex is serving as part of a team that ministersto the many children of the Riverside Church community.For personal mentoring in ministry, each week, John andAlex participate in the ministry staff meeting and every otherweek, Zack and John spend one-on-one time together whileAlex and Jessica do the same.

Where did this interest in providing space and time toencourage pastors come from? In terms of experience, Zacktaught Homiletics and he directed the Doctor of MinistryProgram for six years as a Professor at Covenant TheologicalSeminary. It was there that he met Peter and MargaretReynolds and through them, Andrew Young. In addition,Zack is a long-time pastor. His most recent book on preachingreceived Preaching Today’s book of the year award and wasendorsed in the States by Tim Keller and Bryan Chapell.Regarding his forthcoming book on pastoral ministry,Professor Jerram Barrs remarks, “This is one of the finestbooks on being a pastor written in our generation. I plan touse it as a required read for our students here at CovenantSeminary.”

More importantly, Zack has known relational brokenness inhis own personal life as well as in those he has walked within ministry. Out of this gospel need in the deep and darkplaces, along with strong and practical ministry joy, Godhas given Zack a desire in Jesus’ grace to share hospitablespace with fellow pastors and to walk together out of lovefor Jesus and for His glory in our generation.

How is it that a particular interest in the pastors of NewZealand has formed in Zack and Riverside Church? PeterReynolds took one of Zack’s classes on Preaching while astudent at Covenant Seminary. He and Margaret also livedat Zack’s house for a season while Zack and his family wason sabbatical serving a church in crisis in another state. Outof that relationship with the Reynolds, Zack and his threechildren visited New Zealand in 2009 where Zack providedpreaching for the General Assembly, preached at CovenantChurch and gave a class at Grace Theological College. Zackalso spent time with fellow American and former CovenantSeminary contact, Travis Scott. Rusty Milton was also aformer student with Zack while at Covenant Seminary. Sincethen, with the arrival of the Boyds and the Van Rijs in SaintLouis, as well as a preaching visit from Peter Reynolds, theRiverside Church community has identified friendship andpartnership with pastors and their families in New Zealandas part of their stated hopes and prayers. Zack and Jessicahope to visit New Zealand again in the near future.

A passage of Scripture that captures the heart of the mentoringministry of The Pastor’s Abbey, for those in vocationalministry, would be 2 Corinthians 7:5-7.

For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had norest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting withoutand fear within. But God, who comforts the downcast,comforted us by the coming of Titus . . .

Pastors are human. Paul recovers a sense of our humanityby telling us plainly about his bodily fatigue along with theangst raging in his soul. If Paul felt this, how much more dowe in our local ministries? But God gave comfort and thisby bringing a friend and a partner in ministry to share timein a local place together. Hospitable presence with a trustedfriend was the means God used to strengthen Paul and hiscompanions for their work. I need that. I think we all do andGod is kind to give it.

You can learn more about Zack and this ministry atwww.preachingbarefoot.com or at www.riversidestl.org

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MARK, WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND YOURFAMILY TO OUR GRACE ALONE READERS?Certainly. Terri and I are in our 16th year of marriage anddespite our being born and raised in the SE suburbs ofMelbourne, Australia, all three of our children were born inNorth America (Boston, Vancouver, Saint Louis) and we havenow been living in Saint Louis, Missouri and serving the Lordhere since 2008.

CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE MORE OF THE MINISTRY ROLES YOUHAVE OCCUPIED?Since our marriage in 1997, Terri and I have lived in Australia,the U.S., and Canada. There have been other opportunities totravel to and teach in other countries, but after concludingseveral years as a Minister for Youth at an inner-suburbanPresbyterian church, in Melbourne, Terri and I undertookfurther studies at Covenant Theological Seminary in SaintLouis, then took up a position teaching and tutoring studentswith L’Abri Fellowship in Boston, MA, and then further servedL’Abri as Director of the then newest L’Abri branch inVancouver, Canada. While still involved with L’Abri, I havefor the past several years been serving as an Associate Pastorof a near-urban Presbyterian church in Saint Louis and also asadjunct faculty for Covenant Theological Seminary.

WHAT DO YOUR PRESENT ROLES REQUIRE OF YOU?

I am an Associate Pastor. This means that I am part of a teamof pastors (I am one of three teaching elders) and that I tendto serve in assigned roles. Right now, my primary roles relateto offering pastoral care to the congregation, reaching out tothe community, and preparing men and women for futureministry. We have 40+ seminarians in our midst that I workwith in order to help integrate theological studies with thegaining of ministry experience and personal growth.

My church, Crossroads Presbyterian Church in Maplewood,MO belongs to the Presbyterian Church in America. CovenantSeminary, where I teach classes in evangelism, apologetics,world religions, and culture studies, is connected to the PCAas their official training seminary and (less officially) toCrossroads where several faculty members attend and areactive in church life.

As to presbytery, I am an ordained teaching elder in theMissouri Presbytery, and am part of the Presbytery’s CredentialsCommittee (meaning that I examine pastors and missionarieswho are pursuing ordination in response to a particular call).I am also active on various ad hoc committees relating tocaring for churches, hearing complaints against ministers orofficers, and also studying and issuing statements on varioustheological disputes that arise within congregational anddenominational life.

HOW ABOUT YOUR ROLE AS GTC NORTH AMERICAREPRESENTATIVE? WHAT DO YOU FIND YOURSELF DOING IN THATREGARD?As the North American Representative for GTC, several thingsfall to me. First, my chief role has been to foster awareness ofGTC amongst local pastors, mission boards and theologicaleducators with whom I am in contact. In some ways, thiscomes in support of efforts in these areas that GTC PrincipalPeter Reynolds is himself engaged in. Second, a complimentaryrole has been to host and help connect GTC representativesor affiliates who have traveled to the U.S., including in recenttimes GTC Board members Peter Boyd and Ian Grant, andKiwi students John and Alex van Rij. And third, I have alsoattempted to see resources flow from the U.S. to GTC, bothin terms of books and resources for the GTC library and interms of possible visiting lecturers.

In essence, I am something of a ‘cheer-leader’ for GTC. Havingseen the excellent work being carried out by GTC Boardmembers and faculty, and believing in the importance ofestablishing and securing an evangelical and reformed witnessin New Zealand in the South Pacific generally, so it has beenand continues to be my privilege to make others aware of thevital ministry being undertaken in Auckland, Dunedin, andothers parts of the country by GTC. My prayer in engaging inthis work is simply that GTC would be further strengthenedand therefore further enabled to equip leaders and potentialleaders for ministry in churches belonging to the evangelicaland reformed tradition.

LASTLY, ARE YOU ABLE TO SHARE SOMETHING OF THE RECENTDEVELOPMENTS WITH COVENANT THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY?Yes. What you allude to is the recent opportunity that cameto me, together with Ian Grant, to meet with CovenantSeminary’s International Partnerships Committee. This midApril meeting was a wonderful opportunity to once again setGTC before various administrative leaders and active faculty.It was also an opportunity to introduce a GTC Board memberand lecturer (Ian Grant) to the International PartnershipsCommittee so that they could obtain direct answers to theirvarious questions about GTC’s vision for theological education,course structure and student body, etc.

Based upon a prepared proposal that I had crafted in connectionwith Peter Reynolds and Ian Grant, Covenant Seminary is nowlooking at adopting Grace Theological College as one of itsPartners. While there is now a process to play out before anyfinal word is received, even so, some aspects of the proposalwere immediately endorsed. For example, recognizing thatboth institutions are like-minded in their evangelical andreformed convictions, so there is a strong desire to build uponexisting relationships. There is also a willingness to exploresetting up a basic rotation of visiting lecturers in both directions.There is also the desire to work towards allowing entry (andpossibly advanced standing) to eligible GTC students whowish to complete a degree program at Covenant. Moving theother way, there is also a desire to recognize GTC’s status asa provider of ministry training so that Covenant students couldparticipate in short term missions to NZ for credit. And alsothere is now express permission for GTC faculty to utilizematerials from Covenant Seminary’s Worldwide Classroomwith students where that may be advantageous and anencouragement.

This meeting was a significant acknowledgment of GTC’swork in standing for the gospel and training men and womenfor ministry, and it offers every encouragement for thedevelopment of an ongoing partnership.

THANK YOU MARK FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO GTC AND THEGOOD WORK YOU ARE DOING ON OUR BEHALF. PLEASE PASS ONOUR LOVE AND BEST WISHES TO TERRI AND THE CHILDREN.

AN INTERVIEW WITH Mark Ryan

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JOHN:

Spring has well and truly sprung here in St Louis! Alex andI have made it through to the end of the Spring Semester andthe end of our first year at Seminary! This past semester Istudied Elementary Homiletics (which is a preaching practical),Greek in Exegesis, Evangelism, Covenant Theology II, andGod and Humanity. I am learning a lot about interpretation ofthe Bible, how to read Greek, how to preach, and more thananything I am learning just how much I still have to learn!This is a great opportunity, and we are thankful to God for thechance to sit under the teaching of our professors, as theyschool us in not just head knowledge, but heart knowledgewhich leads to praise and action.

I am being shaped in many different ways. God is using theclassroom, church and everyday life to teach me about myselfand about Him. Something I have been wrestling with is howto live out the Gospel as the Lord shows me just how much Itend toward practical legalism. I would never say that I couldsave myself, but I live each day trusting in my own abilitiesrather than the One who sustains and provides for me. This isthe thinking that says: “If I can do better today, and be a betterperson, I will be happy”. In class we have talked about howdependent we are on God for our continual spiritual growth.My hope for change comes from God. It is a simple conceptto grasp, but living it out is not easy. Daily I need to shift myfocus off myself and onto God.

Alex and I are now both Interns at Riverside PresbyterianChurch. We meet every Monday morning with the pastors,and every second week I spend time one-on-one with thePastor, Zac Eswine, and Alex spends time with his wife Jessica.It is great to just be able to bring all manner of questions andthoughts along on a Monday to stew over with wise and humblemen and women. We are starting up a ministry called “OnTap”, which I will move into leading. We will meet in a localpub, and having discussions about different topics. It is anopportunity to have interactions with non-believers, which isexciting if not a little daunting. It is meant as a kind of “firstcontact” for people with the church and will hopefully be abenefit to our new campus ministry. I am very encouragedhere at Riverside, particularly by the way that Pastor Zac hascared for us and seeks to teach us.

ALEX:

As John mentioned we are finishing up our first year atSeminary. I cannot believe how fast time has flown! I alsocannot believe how much I have learnt in this last year. I cameto America with a desire to know about God, but no real clueas to figure out how to go about doing that. I had a fear of theBible because it didn’t make sense to me and words like‘Theology’ sent a shudder of terror down my spine.

But! The Lord has been beyond gracious to me in my studiesand has drawn me closer in relationship with Him each day.He has placed dear sweet professors in my life who have givenme the tools to read Scripture well and who have helpeddevelop a love of theology in my heart. Yup I said it. I lovetheology!! My heart sings for joy at the thought of the gifts Ihave been given over the last year and the relationship that Inow have with our Saviour as a result. Oh what joy is to befound among the pages of the Bible!! Joy that I didn’t knowwas there because I had somehow convinced myself that Iwasn’t smart enough to understand what God has to tell usthrough His Word. Boy was I wrong! So this year I haveFINALLY read the Bible, front to back, as part of the readingrequirements for my Old Testament and New Testamentclasses.

I am currently on track, and half way through, my Masters ofTheological Studies. Which sounds very academic, but reallyit’s very practical. It’s all about learning to read and interpretthe Bible and understand more about who God is, what Hehas done through the course of our earthly history, what Heis doing now, what He will do in the future and how we all fitinto that mix as His children in the “already and not yet”. Ihave taken classes in Old Testament History and Theology,Biblical Interpretation and practical life, God and His Word,Gospel centred Marriage, Union with Christ, Disciplines ofGrace, New Testament History and Theology, Humanity Christand Redemption, Evangelism and Counselling Addictions!Phew. A lot of books and a lot of assignments!

As I have alluded to there have been many things that the Lordhas taught me through the course of this year, both inside andoutside the classroom. A lot of it has been about the topic ofidentity. Who are we and what defines us? The short answeris that I am the beloved daughter of God and He is the onethat defines me. The long answer might be an article for anothertime! If you wanted to see for yourself what the Bible saysabout who you are as a believer then I recommend you checkout John 1:12; 15:16; Romans 8:14,15; 8:31; 2 Cor 5:17,18;Eph 2:10; Col 3:12; 1 John 3:1,2. These are just a few amonga host of verses that serve to speak the truth of who we areamid the clanging din of who Satan tries to tells us we are.God has enabled me to grasp onto the solid TRUTH of theseverses this year.

This has been the hardest, most challenging, most delightful,most blessed, most defining year of my life so far. And I ambeyond grateful to God for bringing us here and for those backhome who seek to encourage, pray and support us on this crazyand exciting journey.

If you wish to contact John and Alex with a word ofencouragement: [email protected]

STUDYING IN ST. LOUISJohn & Alex van RijJOHN AND ALEX VAN RIJ ARE A YOUNG NEW ZEALAND COUPLE WHO BEGAN THEIR STUDIES AT GTCBUT HAVE NOW TRANSFERRED TO COVENANT SEMINARY IN ST LOUIS, USA. JOHN IS ENROLLED IN THEIRM.DIV PROGRAMME AND ALEX IN THE MA THEOLOGICAL STUDIES.

John & Alex van Rij

FOR SOME TIME NOW REV. MARK RYAN HAS BEEN SERVING IN A BOARD APPOINTED ROLE AS THE NORTHAMERICAN REPRESENTATIVE OF GRACE THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE.

Mark & Terri Ryan with (left to right)Christine, Michelle and Paul

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