After serving for nine years as Grace Church’s Director of Faith Formation and Director of Youth and Children, Nick Wallwork is following God’s direction for future ministry and leaving Grace Church on July 7. We all know that Nick mobilized the resources to keep Grace worshipping together in a virtual space after the pandemic forced us to close our physical buildings. Thanks to his leadership, beginning with the first tentative ventures into Zoom worship in March 2020, Grace’s services attracted and sustained worshipers from across the United States and from as far away as Spain.
In addition to preaching the gospel on many Sundays, Nick invited families to participate by creating their own videos for use in the Sunday School and in worship, treating the congregation to images of children singing and dancing in praise to the Lord. He delivered Sunday School lessons, by live video and even by personally delivering materials to families’ homes.
Before the pandemic, Nick took on various pastoral duties in response to the church’s needs. He never lost his focus on youth and children’s ministries, however. Over the years he was most visible to the congregation when he delivered children’s sermons and fostered children’s own worship. He also trained and mentored youth advisors and Sunday School teachers, supported Vacation Bible School and always encouraged the faith of children and their families. Who can forget the children’s processions on Palm Sunday, the live nativities, or the interactive Christmas pageant? This writer nearly lost it when a ninety-year-old congregant came forward to play the part of an animal in the stable at Bethlehem.
Nick encouraged youth and adults on missions and service trips. For example, in 2016 he led Grace high schoolers to the nationwide Youth Triennium gathering, and in 2018 he led an intergenerational trip to Philadelphia. In 2019, he helped lead a dozen Grace members and others from the Presbytery on a trip to Puerto Rico to repair Campamento el Guacio, a Presbyterian facility damaged by Hurricane Maria.
Nick has also been instrumental in establishing and maintaining Grace Church’s online presence through social media and a twice-redesigned website. In his spare time, Nick has also been instrumental in forming Grace Church’s stance on current social justice, racial justice, equality, and equity issues.
Grace upon Grace thanks Nick for the faithful, sacrificial service he has rendered to the church and to the Kingdom of God during his nine years at Grace. We join the Grace Church congregation in wishing Nick, Megan, Charlotte, and Alice all of the very best that God can bring their way as Nick begins a new adventure in ministry.