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NW Conference: Church Planting Among Key Themes
MINNEAPOLIS, MN (May 6, 2004) - A total of 190 delegates representing 79
churches attended the 120th annual meeting of Northwest Conference held
April 23 and 24 at the new Chapel/Fine Arts Center of Minnehaha Academy.
The conference's mission - and the meeting's theme - of "Vital Churches,
Planting Churches, Planting Ministries" was evident throughout the
weekend. Church health, the importance of church planting and the
effective ministries being conducted by churches throughout the
conference were consistently emphasized.
Friday's business included approval of two new Covenant churches: The
Sanctuary Covenant Church in Minneapolis and the Laotian Covenant Church
in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota. The Sanctuary has been holding weekly
praise and worship services since August 2003 and regularly has
attendance exceeding 500 people under pastor Efrem Smith.
Laotian Covenant is already reaching beyond its own walls and has begun
serving the Laotian community in St. Cloud as well. Soudinh Penkhay is
the pastor of the congregation, which has been supported by Brookdale
Covenant Church. The membership of the new churches would become
official by delegate vote at the Annual Meeting of the Evangelical
Covenant Church (ECC) in June.
Conference Supt. Jim Fretheim's keynote address Friday evening
emphasized the inevitability of change and the importance for individual
churches to create and manage purposeful change and transformation.
"These are critical and challenging times for the church of God as a
whole as well as for the Covenant and the conference," Fretheim
commented. "Churches must be actively engaged in change in order to
effectively engage their communities. The alternative is to be
overwhelmed by change."
Friday's inspiring worship featured a wide variety of music and worship
styles, including music from The Sanctuary Covenant's music team.
Saturday featured two breakout sessions, one led by Associate Supt. Mark
Stromberg and the other by director of ministry development Jon Kramka.
Stromberg's session emphasized the status of the conference's planted
churches and the strategic approach the conference will take in
addressing congregational issues. Kramka's session outlined a wide range
of ministries supported by the conference and its congregations,
including Adventurous Christians/ Covenant Wilderness Center, a camp
located in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. Kramka also discussed youth
ministry initiatives and activities, a food assistance program in Moose
Lake, Minnesota, and other ministries.
In other business, pastor Todd VanZee assumed the position as chair of
the Northwest Conference Executive Board, succeeding Brian Schanil.
VanZee is the pastor of the Evangelical Covenant Church in Moose Lake,
Minnesota.
The next Northwest Conference annual meeting will be April 22 and 23 at
Hope Covenant Church in Grand Forks, North Dakota. For more information
on the Northwest Conference meeting, contact conference staff by email
at info@nwc-cov.org.
(Editor's note: Mark Moffett provided information for this Northwest
Conference annual meeting story.)
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