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Astronaut Presents 'Space Quilt' to Redwood Church
REDWOOD CITY, CA (November 18, 2002) - A quilt commemorating the 50th anniversary
of Peninsula Covenant Church (PCC) has been to outer space and back, thanks
to the efforts of an astronaut who once participated in the church's high
school youth activities.
Rex Walheim, a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force and part
of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in Houston,
Texas, traveled to the International Space Station last spring on the
STS-110 space shuttle "Atlantis" to work on the orbiting space station from
April 8-19. He brought with him a quilt made by Catherine Delfs and Rita
Leung on the 4.5-million-mile journey. Walheim presented the church with
the quilt and an official NASA plaque when he returned from his trip.
Walheim was born in Redwood City and spent most of his childhood in nearby
San Carlos. He participated in a church youth group led by Doug Stevens
while at San Carlos High School. He praised the church for its effect on
his spiritual life as he grew in faith. Walheim earned his undergraduate
degree from the University of California in Berkeley in 1984, having taken
reserve officer's training for the Air Force there. He was commissioned as
a second lieutenant in the USAF after graduation and served in North Dakota
and at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, where he worked as a
mechanical systems flight controller and was lead operations engineer for
the Space Shuttle landing gear, brakes and emergency runway barrier. He
later served as a flight controller and operations engineer while earning a
Master of Science degree from the
University of Houston.
Walheim was selected for Air Force Test Pilot School and began astronaut
training in August 1996. An electrical engineer and NASA mission
specialist, Walheim helped install and connect a giant
metal-and-electronics structure to one platform of the space station during
his recent trip. He was in space twice for a total of 14 hours and five
minutes on his April journey - he has now spent 259 hours in space during
his NASA career.
In other Covenant news compiled from the research of more than 200 church
newsletters:
CENTRAL
- Chicago, Illinois: The recently opened Ravenswood Covenant Church
Childcare Center was one of 10 businesses honored by the Ravenswood
Community Council this year. The Council, founded in 1958, is a volunteer
organization working for the preservation and improvement of the
Ravenswood community, which covers about three square miles and serves
65,000 people.
- Galesburg, Illinois: The Covenant Church of Galesburg is conducting an
Encore confirmation class for adults who want a second (or first) chance at
learning the foundations of their faith. The Journey materials from the
Department of Christian Formation have been adapted for adult use in
several churches. Call pastor Tom Ek for details at 309-344-1711. The
church's email is covenant@gallatinriver.net.
- Indianapolis, Indiana: Dr. Tim Carlson of Hope Evangelical Covenant
Church has been inducted into the American College of Dentists in an event
held in New Orleans. Inductees are nominated by other members and the
criteria include "recognition of contributions, leadership and a fine
example of a professional person."
- South Bend, Indiana: The Evangelical Covenant Church of South Bend's
Janet Beckman had a painting accepted to the Midwest Regional Museum of Art
in Elkhart, Indiana.
- Iron River, Michigan: Grace Covenant Church celebrated the 60th wedding
anniversary of John and Nell Serena on October 31.
EAST COAST
- Wilton, Connecticut: United Covenant Church held a unique "Trunk or
Treat" pre-Halloween event October 27. People gathered during the afternoon
and sang Halloween songs adopted from Christmas carols. The church has a
costume parade and adults pass out treats from cars with decorated car
trunks. "It's like going trick-or-treating in a
neighborhood, except you go from car to car and ooh and aah over the
costumes," said pastor Eric Hillabrant, in a recent Religion News Service
article that featured evangelism techniques by various congregations around
the secular holiday.
- North Easton, Massachusetts: Alynne MacLean of Covenant Congregational
Church, North Easton, Massachusetts, continues to work on various
diagnostic tests to provide low-cost medical tests for underserved areas.
MacLean quit her job at Biogen in Cambridge, Massachusetts, nearly two
years ago and has been developing low-tech medical diagnostic tests under
Science With a Mission, a nonprofit organization she started and has funded
mostly with her own money. In recent months, MacLean has
been working on a diagnostic test for acute glomerulonephritis, a type of
kidney disease that doctors in the Dominican Republic believe has been
infecting and killing numerous individuals. She hopes to have the test
available in 2003 and is trying to raise money to fund the testing. In a
recent newsletter, she discussed researching a screening process to help
doctors screen several similar diseases simultaneously. She is continuing
to pursue grant money to pay for research. MacLean has a doctorate in
bio-analytical chemistry from the University of Kentucky and has 13 years
of experience working on immunoassays. For more information about MacLean's
work, read the May issue of The Covenant Companion.
- West Peabody, Massachusetts: Peter Sakelakos was nominated for
induction
to the Peabody High School athletic Hall of Fame recently and will be
honored at a dinner November 29.
GREAT LAKES
- Jamestown, New York: First Covenant Church and Zion Covenant Church are
combining forces to complete a Habitat for Humanity project in the city.
Teams have been working on the single-family home with three bedrooms every
Saturday since the summer. It involves the refurbishing and cleaning of a
house that would be readied for a family in the area, a job that costs
around $40,000. The team expects to finish the project
next summer, said Barb Hungerford, a Zion parishioner who is on the
Chautauqua Area Habitat for Humanity board and is helping coordinate the
multi-church project. A family living in Jamestown has been chosen to
occupy the home when it is finished - they must contribute 500 volunteer
hours on the job - and have had indirect connections to First Covenant
through youth ministry activities. There have been 13 different projects
done in Jamestown and the surrounding community. The current Habitat
project is being done in memory of the late Eric Haglund, who had been a
key volunteer to local Habitat efforts while a parishioner at First
Covenant. Two of Haglund daughters, Jan Shoup and Karen Timmons, have also
been heavily involved in the project, along with their families.
- Fairfield, Ohio: At Covenant Community Church, Richard B. Lucco,
superintendent of the Great Lakes Conference, was the keynote speaker at a
banquet on November 3 to celebrate the congregation's 25th anniversary.
Covenant Community is located in a suburb of Cincinnati in southern Ohio.
The church has an average worship attendance of 175 under pastor Thomas
Beckstrom. For more information about the church, call 513-942-5570.
MIDSOUTH
- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Grace Covenant Church worship pastor Chris
Blake has produced a music praise and worship CD entitled "To God Alone."
For more information about the CD, check Blake's web site at
www.gracepreacher.com.
MIDWEST
- Lincoln, Nebraska: First Evangelical Covenant Church celebrated its
110th anniversary with an all-church dinner last Sunday. The pastor at the
church is Don Ostrom.
- Omaha, Nebraska: First Covenant Church's Rachel Olson was given the
Volunteer Recognition "Faithful Servant Award" for 18 years of service to
Good News Jail and Prison Ministry at the organization's celebration
banquet on October 8. Meanwhile, Brad Royal placed first in his division
at a recent World Tae Kwon Do Association event in Omaha.
NORTHWEST
- Cottage Grove, Minnesota: CrossRoads Church associate pastor Brad
Kindall recently wrote two Acts of Faith: Dramas for God's People
books that were published by Augsburg Fortress Press, Minneapolis,
Minnesota. Acts of Faith I focuses on Advent to Easter and Acts
of Faith II focuses on Pentecost.
- Mankato, Minnesota: Edoy and Judy Anderson of the Evangelical Covenant
Church of North Mankato have been accepted as volunteers with SOWERS
(Servants on Wheels), an interdenominational Christian ministry for retired
or semi-retired Christians with Recreational Vans who provide talents and
services needed by various Christian organizations. The couple began work
in Rose of Sharon Campground near Memphis, Tennessee, in early October.
- Minneapolis, Minnesota: Bethlehem Covenant Church parishioners were
running ragged at Minnehaha Academy coaches this fall, including Ron
Monson (football), Alex Kauls (soccer) and Lance Johnson (boys and girls
cross country). While Monson and Kauls coached their teams to the sectional
playoffs, Johnson was guiding each of his teams to the Class A state
finals. Another parishioner at the church was also running around a lot
this fall, but this one literally ran mile after mile. In October,
Stan Bratt ran a complete 100 kilometer race (more than 62 miles) and also
competed in the Twin Cities Marathon with Sonia Lindquist, Sarah Lindquist,
Jon Hokanson and Nels Elde.
PACIFIC SOUTHWEST
- Downey, California: Redeemer Covenant Church and pastor Brad Reed have
helped El Encino Covenant Church, a Hispanic congregation, evolve as a
separate congregation. El Encino Covenant Church, whose pastor is Daniel
Anabalon, had 205 people in attendance for a grand opening service on
September 22. Twelve people made a decision to begin a relationship with
Christ, reported the Pacific Southwest Conference in a recent web site
article. Eight families came as a result of a connection the church made
with them through a community soccer program.
- El Cajon, California: Community Covenant Church parishioner Tic Long is
celebrating his 25th year as an employee of Youth Specialties (YS), a
parachurch organization in San Diego's East County that has been assisting
youth ministries throughout the world since the late 1960s. Long, who began
working at YS in 1977 as business manager, served as president of the
organization from 1988-2001. He now serves as president of Youth
Specialties Events, which incorporates four major events
including the renowned National Youthworkers Convention. YS is currently
serving more than 100,000 volunteers and career youth workers annually
through conventions, book sales and other print and Internet mediums. The
National Youthworkers Convention, which is run in three locations, has
10,000 participants annually. YS was founded by Mike Yaconelli and
Community Covenant parishioner Wayne Rice. Mike and Karla Yaconelli are
current owners of YS. Community Covenant parishioner Mike
Atkinson also works for YS as Internet Director. More about YS can be found
on the YS web page, www.youthspecialties.com.
- Los Altos, California: Foothills Covenant Church, whose pastor is Jim
Gaderlund, will celebrate its 40th anniversary November 30-December 1. John
Notehelfer, the church's founding pastor and the current acting executive
minister of the Department of World Mission, will speak at the Sunday
worship service. The church will also host a banquet at a local restaurant
during the weekend.
- Walnut Creek, California: Hope Center Covenant Church's Steve Woods
helped Young Life celebrate the national program's 50th anniversary in
Contra Costa County in October. The event was held at Walnut Creek
Presbyterian Church. Woods is area director for central Contra Cost County.
Young Life, though it is Christian-based, is about building and maintaining
friendships with teens, not forcing faith on them, said
Woods in a recent Contra Costa Times article. The parachurch organization
was founded in Texas in 1940, and one of the first young members, Bob
Mitchell, helped lead the program in Contra Costa County, where it started
in 1952. Young Life has 40 volunteers in Contra Costa County and 40,000
volunteers nationwide.
To learn more about what is going on throughout the denomination, regularly
visit the Covenant web page at www.covchurch.org where one can also
subscribe to the free news headline service, Covenant Newswire. To
send information to Covenant Communications, email the Department of
Communication at newsdesk@covchurch.org. or call 773-907-8333. Church
newsletters can be sent to Covenant Communications at 5101 N. Francisco
Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60625.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
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