Beloved,
After the evening service last week, the session approved the small book I wrote during this year’s study break to be distributed to the members of our church. Prepared to Partake: Discipling Our Children Toward the Table is a unique resource, and your elders pray it will be a great blessing to you.
You can access it digitally HERE, and we hope to have it printed in book form in the future. If published, it would likely be around 120 pages—so not large—and that is intentional. My goal in writing it was to be as brief and to the point as possible. Working through it will likely raise questions and spark a desire to dig deeper, and your elders are eager to discuss these matters further and recommend additional resources for study when such questions arise.
Even if you are not a parent, you are still encouraged to read Prepared to Partake, as it explores the biblical and theological logic of the covenant (ch. 1), the sacraments (ch. 2), paedobaptism (ch. 3), credocommunion (ch. 4), and public vows as the mechanism for becoming a member of the local church (ch. 5). Additionally, it explains the scriptural teaching underlying the five membership vows and includes a number of reflection questions for each. These questions are a great way for every member of Cornerstone to renew their commitments before the Lord, even though they are primarily written for parents to work through with their children (chs. 6–10).
I plan to teach a Confessing Christ class at the beginning of 2026 during the Sunday school hour. The nature of this class is outlined in the conclusion of Prepared to Partake and represents the next step for any child who is desirous and ready to move forward in publicly professing their faith. We have intentionally delayed the class until then to give parents time to work through the first part of the book on their own (chs. 1–5) and the second part with their children (chs. 6–10).
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me or your district elder if you have any questions about this.
Let us be seeking the face of God for the many children the Lord has blessed our church with, asking Him to graciously work in their minds and hearts so that they might walk as sincere followers of Jesus who confess Him with heart, lip, and life!
Yours in Christ,
Pastor Nick