Our Beliefs | Walnut Hill Bible Church

Spring Adult Sunday School Classes

Classes meet March 3rd – May 26^th 9:45-10:45 AM

*N0 CLASSES ON MARCH 31ST

How to Understand and Interpret the Bible: 2 Timothy

This is a hands-on, interactive class where we will learn inductive Bible study skills through the book of 2 Timothy. Be prepared to mine the depths of God’s word and to be encouraged through a deeper understanding of the Bible. You will be taught study skills that help you correctly interpret the text and share that truth with others. You will be equipped with the tools to prepare a short Bible study from the text, and opportunities will be provided for some of those studies to be shared with the group.

Teacher: Pastor Kelly Bryant

Room: Fellowship Hall (Lower Level)

Intentional Parenting

This interactive class aims to encourage parents to cultivate an intentional and nurturing environment rooted in Christian faith, helping them to raise resilient and spiritually grounded children. This class will seek to equip parents through the use of videos, scripture, discussion, and practical tools.

Teacher: Steve & Mary Hackbarth

Room: Sanctuary (Main Level)

Isaiah III

This inductive study of the third major section of the book of Isaiah (chapters 56-66) will lead us to the New Heavens and the New Earth. The gospel is present in this Old Testament text as all who believe are accepted into the glorious kingdom of God.

Teacher: Gail Mitchell

Room: Conference Room (Main Level)

Touchy Subjects II:

Engaging the tricky topics of our day with the clarity of the Bible

This class will explore the many dramatic shifts in culture and how they are challenging Christian thinking, ministry, and social engagement. The church must respond with wisdom, compassion, and courage. We will interact with various social agendas, including “cancel culture,” the LGBTQ revolution, critical race theory, social justice, Christian nationalism, and more. Be ready to engage the tensions of the day with pastoral guidance and timeless biblical principles.

Teacher: Pastor Dan Gunderson

Room: 180 Worship Center (Lower Level)

Kelly began serving as Associate Pastor at Walnut Hill in January of 2024. Kelly and his wife Sarah have attended and served Walnut Hill for many years and previously served on staff at Christian adventure camp Expeditions Unlimited. Before that, they served as church-planting missionaries in Papua New Guinea.

Kelly put his faith in Christ for salvation at the early age of 4, and through all the challenges of growing up, the Lord stayed close. In high school, Kelly came to a deeper understanding of the joy that can only come from the Lord. It was out of this joy that the Lord sparked a call to ministry, which at that point meant discipling young men and doing short-term mission trips. This led to a life path of helping more people catch the joy of walking closely with the Lord, whether in the jungles of Papua New Guinea or our hometown of Baraboo, WI!

Kelly and Sarah have two kids, Jemimah and Sawyer. We love to do just about anything adventurous outdoors, including biking, hiking, paddling, trail running and camping.

“For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.” Psalm 62:1-2

I grew up in a large family with 8 siblings and parents who loved the Lord and were diligent in teaching and living out the truth of the Gospel. God completely convinced me he was real and the sovereign ruler of the universe when I was 13. I started my journey of ministry when I was 18 by moving to Mississippi for disaster relief work. While I was there I also interned under the youth pastor at Lemoyne Blvd Baptist church and Youth For Christ. I was blessed with Godly and patient men who helped me learn preaching and discipleship.

After a couple years I moved back to Wisconsin and volunteered as a youth leader and eventually youth director at a Presbyterian church in the Dells for 3 years while Guiding at Expeditions Unlimited during the summers.

I got married to my beautiful wife (Johanna) and partner in ministry in 2013. We ran two discipleship programs at Expeditions Unlimited and volunteered in Walnut Hill’s youth group. In 2020 we left Expeditions Unlimited and started a small business but had accepted the position of High school ministry deacon and loved serving under Jesse Wells. After Jesse left to pursue a new ministry we felt the Lord leading us to offer to fill in during the search for a youth pastor.

We love being a part of what the Lord is doing in the youth of our church.

We have 5 wonderful additional members to our family
Sabrina, Ariel, Jedidiah, Malachi and Sophie

Becoming a Member at WHBC

People attend Walnut Hill for a variety of reasons. For some, it’s the music. For others, it’s the preaching, the children’s programming, or a sense of the Spirit’s presence in His people. We are grateful that so many feel led to worship with us. We also recognize that the variety of people attending our services represent a great diversity of commitment to the church. In general, there are three types of people that attend Walnut Hill—visitors, regular attenders, and members.

Visitors may be weekend vacationers, or they may be people who attend infrequently throughout the year. It is important to us that visitors feel welcome to come! We feel privileged to minister to them even though they are not a part of the regular ebb and flow of the life of the church. It’s our hope that visitors are connected with a home church or will eventually become regular attendees of a local church (perhaps even Walnut Hill!).

Regular attendees understand the importance of weekly church attendance and make it a point to attend with great frequency. Even when they cannot attend on a Sunday morning, they are involved in the various ministries of the church and continue to seek regular fellowship (for instance, through a small group). Some may only attend Sunday morning worship services, but many become involved in one or more of the various programs of the church.

And finally, Walnut Hill has members. What’s the difference between regular attenders and members? In a word, commitment. It’s a bit like the difference between dating and marriage. Both may have a great sense of allegiance and intimacy, and yet marriage carries with it a simple but profound declaration of commitment to build and grow that relationship. In becoming a Christian, people declare their commitment to Jesus Christ. In becoming a church member, people declare their commitment to other Christians (His body). Together we can accomplish the mission He’s given us!

What Kind of Commitment am I Making?

At Walnut Hill, membership refers to a “covenantal” joining with other Christians for the sake of His mission and honor. There are a number of commitments that are declared through becoming a member…

1). Members formally declare their personal commitment to follow Jesus Christ, by faith, as their Lord and Savior.

2). Members make (or give testimony of having made) a public declaration of their faith in Christ through believer’s baptism.

3). Members declare their foundational doctrinal union with Walnut Hill through affirmation of the Church’s Statement of Faith.

4). Members declare their commitment to sincerely living out their faith through affirmation of the Church’s Covenant Statement.

5). Members thus covenanting with the Church are committing to be an active part of His body, participating fully in the life of the Church and using their God-given gifts for the betterment of others.

Download WHBC Covenant Statement

What’s the Process for Becoming a Member?

1). Regular Attendance: First of all, it’s a good idea to start by attending regularly to get a feel for Walnut Hill’s services and sense of community. Six months of regular attendance might be a nice benchmark to get a good sense of compatibility and unity of mission.

2). Membership-Information Meeting: Once you have sensed the Lord’s direction in moving toward membership, schedule an appointment to meet a pastor. During this interactive time, he will listen to your testimony of faith and ensure that you are familiar with the foundations of who we are as a church. This is a great time to ask questions about the church as well. Please ask!

3). Membership Interview: If after this meeting you feel confirmed in your decision to become a member, contact the church office and request a member interview. This meeting with a pastor and two elders is designed to give you an opportunity to share your testimony of faith and to ensure your understanding of, and commitment to, the church.

4). Congregational Affirmation: Based upon the Elder Board’s recommendation for your membership, the congregation will formally vote you into membership at the next quarterly business meeting.

Next step – Schedule a Membership Appointment

Walnut Hill Bible Church Statement of Faith

God

• We believe in one God, Creator of heaven and earth: Spirit, Light; Love and Truth; eternal, Almighty, infallible, and unchangeable. Infinitely wise, just and holy.
• We believe that God eternally exists and manifests Himself to us in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ

• We believe in Jesus Christ, the only Begotten Son of God, the eternal Word manifested in the flesh.
• We believe that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, true God and true Man.
• We believe in His vicarious, substitutionary, and redeeming death; Christ receiving in Himself the penalty of man’s sin.
• We believe in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension, and in His personal and visible return and in the final consummation of God’s purpose in grace toward all mankind.

The Holy Spirit

• We believe in the Holy Spirit, in His personality, that He is God;
• God’s work is to convict of sin, regenerate, indwell, and set apart the believer to a holy walk.
• He is the Teacher of God’s Word and the Guide for our daily life.

The Bible

• We believe in the Holy Bible, consisting of 66 Books of the Old and New Testament; its verbal inspiration of God and in the original writings inerrant, and in the supreme and final authority in life and faith.

Mankind

• We believe that man was created in the image of God, after His likeness, but the whole human race fell in the fall of Adam.
• We believe that all men are lost until they accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior – that they are darkened in their understanding,
alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, hardened in heart, and morally and spiritually dead through their trespass and sin.
• They must be born again.

Salvation

• We believe that we are saved solely by grace through faith; that we are quickened by the renewing and cleansing work of the Holy Spirit through the instrumentality of the Word of God.

Eternal Security and Eternal Punishment

• We believe in the eternal security and everlasting blessedness of the saved and the eternal punishment through the judgment of all who reject the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.

The Devil

• We believe that Satan is a person; the author of The Fall; and that he shall be eternally punished.

Final Resurrection and Judgment

• We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life; the lost to eternal punishment.

The Church

• We believe that the Church of Jesus Christ consists of those who in this dispensation truly believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
• It is the body and bride of Christ which He loves and for which He gave Himself.
• That all the members of the Church should seek to win others to Christ even “to the uttermost parts of the earth.”
• And that the members must live holy, separated lives, forsaking all that might bring reproach or dishonor to God and a weakened testimony.

Key Definitions

Vicarious
Communicates that Christ’s death had value on behalf of others outside of Himself. His vicarious death was a sacrificial act with results accruing to the benefit or advantage of others. His substitutionary death was for the sake of others.

Sin
Any act, attitude, or disposition that is contrary to goodness. God’s truth is the standard for righteousness.

Quickened
Made spiritually alive in and through Christ.

The Fall
Adam and Eve’s initial sin of disobedience resulted in guilt, shame, and the corruption of human nature.

Testimony
Authenticated evidence of a state of being.

Doctrine and Covenant

Services

8:00 am Worship Service
9:45 Sunday School – All Ages
11:00 am Worship Service