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Oakdale, North Park Pursuing Cross-Cultural Partnership
CHICAGO, IL (January 26, 2004) - Oakdale Covenant and North Park Covenant
churches are partners in a racial reconciliation and relationship
building effort that began with both congregations sending parishioners
to each other's worship services last Sunday.
Called "Kingdom Connection," the partnership is designed to provide
meaningful interaction over the course of one year between two sister
churches - one African American and the other European American. The
name was chosen to reflect life in the new kingdom where there are no
barriers that divide.
The idea originated with Brenda Salter-McNeil, president of
Chicago-based Overflow Ministries, and Ruth Hill, executive minister of
Covenant Women Ministries (CWM) of the Evangelical Covenant Church.
The vision was presented to Oakdale Covenant pastor Darrell Griffin and
North Park Covenant pastor Doug Johnson on October 22. They suggested
several events to connect the churches throughout the year, including
helping each other with Vacation Bible School programs in the summer and
joining together in a fall retreat. The two churches hope to have
representatives for a CWM-sponsored women's Sankofa journey next month.
On Sunday, North Park Covenant sent a musical ensemble to Oakdale
Covenant, while a liturgical dance team from Oakdale Covenant
participated in a North Park Covenant worship service. "We're trying to
do our Christian responsibility and we'll hope we can help break down
barriers," said Griffin, who has been pastor at Oakdale Covenant for
three years.
Jeanne Marie Olson traveled to Chicago's south side to attend the
Oakdale Covenant Church Sunday morning service and says she is
appreciative of the experience. "It was an amazingly inspirational
community of worship," Olson said. "They are so gifted and so willing to
share their gifts with visitors - through the talents of their choir,
the preaching and with the congregation itself. I felt so welcomed and
moved by their welcome. I was privileged to share the worship experience
with them."
To learn more about the partnership of the Oakdale and North Park
congregations, call Griffin at 773-779-9440 or Johnson at 773-463-0055.
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