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Musical Tribute Highlights Newsletters' Updates
TULSA, OK (May 23, 2003) - Kelly Ford, minister of music and worship for Redeemer
Covenant Church in Tulsa, made national news by submitting a musical
tribute to soldiers fighting in Iraq.
His CD submission, "The Last Full Measure of Devotion," (a song he recorded
after hearing it on the Internet), was played on the Fox News television
show "The O'Reilly Factor" on April 14. Television host Bill O'Reilly
played the song in his "Back of the Book" segment as the television station
showed pictures of those who had died in the war in Iraq.
"I got hired by a local company called Parker Drilling - they host a
corporate event each year," Ford said in recalling how O'Reilly discovered
the song. "Last summer, I had finished an album (a 10-song CD called
"American Dream"), and they had me perform some of the music from the album
for about 20 minutes. I sang that song as part of the set.
"Bill O'Reilly was the guest speaker at the corporate event and he told me
that he wanted to play my song when the war was over," Ford continued.
"Nine days later I was in a staff meeting (at Redeemer Covenant) when I got
called and told O'Reilly would play my song that day. He (O'Reilly) plugged
the song big-time . . . in the first 24 hours after the song aired we got
9,450 visitors to my web site. We've sold close to 1,000 CDs since then."
Ford, who has been minister of music and worship at Redeemer for seven
years, enlisted with the Navy after high school and was stationed primarily
in San Diego until his unit was sent to the coast of Iran in 1980. He
recalled his experience as he recorded the song as a tribute to soldiers
who had fought in previous wars. "When I recorded the song last
summer there wasn't even a war on the horizon," Ford said.
After leaving the military in 1981, Ford studied voice at Oklahoma City
University before eventually graduating from Oral Roberts University.
Ford's vocal talents first became noticed nationally when he appeared on
Star Search in 1992. He later performed with The Voices of Liberty at Walt
Disney World's EPCOT Center and now entertains at numerous corporate
conventions, opening for such luminaries as George Bush, Lee
Iacocca and Paul Harvey. You can find out more about Kelly Ford's patriotic
music at www.kellyford.us
Ford is one of many Covenanters making the news. Here is a brief account of
what others are doing throughout the world, compiled primarily from more
than 220 church newsletters received each month by the Department of
Communication. The information is grouped by conference and region.
CENTRAL
- Chicago, Illinois: Grace Evangelical Covenant Church parishioner and
North Park Theological Seminary Prof. Jerry Reed has had his evangelism
resource, The Discipleship Encounters, translated into 18 languages.
The Discipleship Encounters is a collection of flexible outlines
designed for spiritual conversations and encouragement in the Christian
life. Though designed for new Christians, they can be used for mature
Christians as well. Written first in Spanish and used in the early 1980's
while Reed was a missionary in Mexico, the encounters were translated first
into English, then Japanese and Korean. Other languages now include
Burmese, Bulgarian, Chinese (Mandarin), Finnish, French (Congo), French
(Parisian), Kikuyu (Kenya), Lingala (Congo), Paite (India), Russian,
Swahili (Kenya), Swedish, Tagalog (Philippines),
Tenyidie (Angami Naga-India), and Finnish. The English encounters can be
found on www.discipleship.info and the Spanish on www.discipulado.info.
Both are available from the Covenant Resource Center, 1-800-338-IDEA. Reed
was a church-planting missionary in Ecuador for 10 years and in Mexico for
12. He was then called to the Engebretson Chair of Evangelism and Church
Growth at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago where he has taught
for the last 15 years.
- South Bend, Indiana: Scott Nelson of the Evangelical Covenant Church of
South Bend recently participated as a cast member in the South Bend Civic
Theatre's production of "Of Mice and Men."
MIDWEST
- Omaha, Nebraska: First Covenant Church's Dick and Pam Nystrom area
headed to Losotho, South Africa, to begin a two-year Peace Corps assignment
in June.
NORTHWEST
- Brooklyn Center, Minnesota: Sandy Layman, daughter of Brookdale
Covenant
Church parishioner Evie Bloom, was named to Minnesota State Governor Tim
Pawlenty's cabinet as the commissioner to the Iron Range agency in the
state.
- Minneapolis, Minnesota: Bethlehem Covenant Church parishioner Ralph
Anderson was celebrated as Lake Area Administrator of the Year for his work
as Dean of Student Affairs at Normandale Community College in Bloomington.
Meanwhile, Nancy Lindquist is traveling to Ireland and Wales for an
ecumenical singing group, Good Samaritan Singers, that is performing for
two weeks in various castles and cathedrals throughout both countries.
PACIFIC SOUTHWEST
- Tucson, Arizona: Evangelical Covenant Church co-youth director Jai
Atkielski and fellow parishioner Donna LaPorta helped coach the Henry
Elementary School track and field team to first place in regional
competition.
- Kingsburg, California: The Evangelical Covenant Church of Kingsburg
participated in the Kingsburg Chamber of Commerce car show on April 26,
sponsoring a free lemonade booth through its evangelism ministry. The team
gave away 80 gallons of
strawberry lemonade, along with outreach cards. A banner reading "Quench
Your Thirst - FREE and Forever" was posted on the lemonade stand, said A.
Dennis Rosales, evangelism ministry member with the church.
- Los Angeles, California: Newsong Community Covenant Church's new
congregation in the Crenshaw area hosted its first weekly worship service
May 4 under pastor Adam Edgerly. David Gibbons, senior pastor of Newsong
Community Covenant's main campus in Irvine said, "It's been wonderful to
see God unleash His glory in our church. We've had a season of incredible
growth and commitment. Part of this expansion that we've seen at Newsong is
the new Newsong Los Angeles site. Our grand opening
service is probably several months away, but we've seen a consistent core
of around 120 people these past two Sundays. These percolations of the
ministry of Newsong in Los Angeles have been prayed about for almost two
years. I'm delightfully encouraged how God has brought us so many people to
lead this revolutionary movement of transformation! I know the best is yet
to come."
- Redwood City, California: Peninsula Covenant Church has made the most
of
its expanded sports ministry with a basketball program coordinated with its
Peninsula Covenant Community Center and director Tim Sandquist. Upward
Basketball, under Slim Wilton, Tim Lawson and Paul Phelan, had 33 teams
play in leagues that included games on Fridays and Saturdays. The league
(which drew Christians and non-Christians) had a strong spiritual
dimension. Coaches led team devotionals at practice and volunteers from
Peninsula Covenant shared stories of God's love during halftime of each
game. At the league awards night, speaker Sid Newcomb presented the gospel
message and 15 students committed their lives to Jesus Christ.
SOUTHEAST
- Apex, North Carolina: Redeemer Covenant Church is the proud owner of
7.85 acres of land after signing the necessary paperwork on May 1, said
Southeast Conference Supt. Kurt Miericke. "There was some last minute
drama, but God prevailed and the land was signed over to the church,"
Miericke reported in a recent email update to his conference churches.
"This ends a six year search for property and now begins the drive to build
a church facility."
ELSEWHERE
- Odawara, Japan: The first floor of the Odawara Christian Center has
been completely remodeled in order to open a small coffee shop. One of the
purposes of the coffee shop is to provide training and preparation for
people undergoing treatment for mental illness to re-enter society. The
coffee shop will also provide a place to build deeper relationships with
people involved with other OCC ministries and with
people in the community, said David Husby, Asia regional coordinator for
the Department of World Mission of the Evangelical Covenant Church. The
coffee shop is now open only two days a week for a few hours, but the long
term plan is open the coffee shop four days a week for about six hours a
day. This still leaves plenty of time for other ministries to take place in
the beautiful new room. The ministry to provide temporary shelter to women
who need a place to stay has also begun at OCC. One of
the rooms on the second floor of OCC has been outfitted to provide
comfortable temporary living quarters. There is a Covenant World Mission
project to raise $7,500 to help pay for the remodeling and the operational
expenses of this mini shelter. At present about $2,000 has been raised.
- Puebla, Mexico: Covenant missionaries Jerry and Vicky Love were
encouraged by the presence of many kids for a recent Children's Day
outreach event. They also received some needed help as they celebrated
Easter in the community. Five members of a Sunday school class from Rolling
Hills Covenant Church (Rolling Hills Estates, California), along with three
other family members, helped the Loves coordinate Holy Week events in
Puebla. They watched seven people get baptized on Easter Sunday. The
Rolling Hills Covenant Church "Voyagers" Sunday school class is raising
money to help buy land for the Puebla church, which will increase the
church's ministry potential in the region. The Loves ask for prayer for
continued building fund support and for indigenous pastoral leadership at
the local church.
To keep informed about what Covenanters are doing all over the world,
regularly visit www.covchurch.org and this news report. To send information
about Covenanters to Covenant Communications, call 773-907-8333 or email
the department at
newsdesk@covchurch.org.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
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