Call To Ministry Comes With Quiet Decision
The new minister at the Sandpoint Church of the Nazarene found his calling not with the brick from heaven he was looking for but with a calm decision that brought an intense peace.
The Rev. Chad Wilks, a Deer Park native, began as senior pastor at the Sandpoint church at the end of August. This is his first position as a senior pastor.
He attended Northwest Nazarene College in Nampa, Idaho, and last May received a Master of Divinity degree from Nazarene Theological Seminary in Kansas City. While it sounds fairly straightforward, Wilks’ route to becoming a pastor was anything but.
“I originally went to college to be a business major and just didn’t feel right about it,” he said.
He dropped out of college for a while because he didn’t know what to do with his life. He was looking for a “brick from heaven” to tell him which way to go, he said.
Wilks worked in construction for a while, and one night at exactly 7:05 p.m., as he was standing on Highway 2 near Chattaroy, he decided he was going to change his major and go into the ministry.
“A tremendous peace came over me,” Wilks said.
He wants to help people in the church discover God’s love and share it with the community.
“I’m in the business of reconciling people to God and people to people,” he said.
He also wants his church to be more than just a place to go on Sundays. “I want our church to be a refuge where marriages and families are healed. I want us to make a difference in the community.”
The Sandpoint Church of the Nazarene, 5425 Highway 95 North, offers Sunday school each week at 9:45 a.m., with a worship service at 11. A praise service is at 6 p.m. each Sunday.
75th year to be celebrated
Grace Lutheran Church will celebrate its 75th anniversary with a special worship service on Sunday.
The 11 a.m. service will feature the 1922 Augustinian liturgy. A banquet will follow at 1 p.m. at Riverview Terrace, 1801 E. Upriver Drive.
Grace Lutheran was formed in 1922 with the merger of Zion and Trinity Lutheran churches. The church, at 1827 E. Pacific, is in the original building.
Coming Home
Three area Roman Catholic Churches are teaming up to bring a special speaker to Spokane Oct. 17-19.
Kenneth Howell is the associate director of the Coming Home Network International, a Catholic lay apostolate that informs and encourages non-Catholic Christians interested in the Catholic faith.
Howell, a former Presbyterian minister, will present several talks.
The series begins Oct. 17 at Mary Queen Roman Catholic Church, 3423 E. Carlisle, with “Conversion Through Eucharist” at 6 p.m. The next day’s message will be “Eucharist: The Indescribable Gift” at 10 a.m. Following a light lunch, “Eucharist: Food for the Soul” will begin at 1:15.
Mass will be celebrated at 5:30 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, 4521 N. Arden Road.
“Conversion Through Eucharist” will be presented again at 4 p.m., Oct. 19 at St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, 3520 E. 18th. It will be followed by a question-and-answer period. The series concludes with “Are We Saved?” at 7 p.m. Oct. 19 at St. Joseph’s.
All presentations are free and open to the public, and no advance registration is required.
For more information, call any of the churches listed above.
Oktoberfest at St. Charles
St. Charles Roman Catholic Church, 4515 N. Alberta, is throwing an Oktoberfest party from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. today and 8 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday.
The celebration will feature a kids’ carnival today, and a bazaar and bake sale on both days. Today’s festivities also includes a beer garden from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Dinner will be served at 6 tonight, followed by dancing and live entertainment. The Knight of Columbus will serve breakfast at 8 Sunday morning.