3-minute read

As we start the new year, God is setting a clear direction for the church and for every elects in NCCkl. Our Theme for 2026 “Present Everyone Mature” is not merely a theme or a slogan—it is God’s call for the growth and maturity of His church. It speaks of God’s purpose for our lives and His desire for every believer to grow, mature, and be firmly established in Christ. This year is not about leaving behind what has been learned, but about continuing the worthy walk with a deeper emphasis on growth, maturity, and being presented complete in Christ.

This journey of maturity begins with the true foundation of faith—the Gospel of the Water and the Spirit. When a person is born again, it is not through human effort or religious works, but through believing that Jesus took all our sins upon Himself through His baptism, carried those sins to the Cross, and rose again from the dead. Through this complete gospel, we are truly born of God. At the moment of new birth, we are made spiritually complete in Christ, just as a newborn baby is born with all its organs intact.

Yet, just as a baby must grow, a believer must grow spiritually. When growth does not happen, something is wrong. A stagnant believer remains vulnerable, easily deceived, and repeatedly wounded by the same struggles. This grieves the heart of God. That is why the church exists—not merely as a place to gather, but as a spiritual home where elects are nurtured into maturity through the truth of the gospel of the water and Spirit.

When the Apostle Paul described his ministry in Colossians 1:28, he revealed a clear and consistent pattern that still guides the church today: proclaim, warn, and teach. This was never a random approach. Paul always began by proclaiming Christ—declaring who Jesus is, what He has accomplished, and God’s purpose revealed through the gospel. Proclamation lays the foundation of faith. Without hearing the truth clearly announced, no one can believe rightly or grow. This proclamation is not limited to the pulpit; it must echo in every setting where God’s people live, serve, and speak.

Yet proclamation alone is not enough. Paul always followed it with warning and teaching. Warning addresses the dangers that hinder spiritual growth—immaturity, false doctrine, sin, complacency, and spiritual laziness. Warning is not condemnation; it is an act of love meant to protect and awaken the believer. Teaching then completes the process. Teaching shows the way forward—how to live in obedience, how to grow in wisdom and discernment, and how to walk in Christ with stability and maturity. Together, proclaiming reveals the truth, warning confronts what destroys, and teaching builds believers up so that every person may be presented mature and complete in Christ. 

God’s heart for us in 2026 is clear: His vision is to see every one of us mature, fully trained, and perfect in Christ, and His mission is accomplished as we labor together in His power to inspire everyone to achieve spiritual completeness. As we submit ourselves to this process, remain united as one body, and allow God to work mightily within us, He will transform us into a discerning, resilient, Christlike church, presenting us mature and complete in Christ Jesus for His glory.