|
Home
Portland Church Helps Refurbish Local Schools
PORTLAND, OR (September 7, 2004) - Two Evangelical Covenant Church
congregations have partnered to improve their neighborhood as part of an
ecumenical service project, one of many activities gleaned from a review
of more than 250 local church newsletters received each month by
Covenant Communications.
First Covenant Church and the church plant it is helping to start,
Vibrant Covenant Church, participated in an event sponsored by the Luis
Palau Association, helping refurbish local public schools on August 21,
according to First Covenant pastor John Wenrich (see accompanying photo).
About 20 people helped at Laurelhurst Elementary School, which is one
mile from the church. The group mowed, edged, weeded and trimmed bushes
as part of a variety of landscaping jobs. About 10,000 people hours were
donated by volunteers at 93 public schools on Community Care Day, most
coming through the efforts of local congregations. Vibrant Covenant
Church, under pastor C.V. Hartline, did its part by building a 60-foot
wall for an area school for its Community Care Day project.
Following are updates from other churches, grouped by conference and
region.
CENTRAL
- Chicago, Illinois: North Park Covenant Church took a group of adults
to Oaxaca, Mexico, from July 16-26 for a project with assistance from
Covenant missionaries Tom Kelly and Jo Ellen Reaves and Carl and Karen
Kelly. Project missionaries Nils and Erika Clauson also visited the area
to assist the group, along with Adam Moore and Doug and Erik Hansen.
Pastor Doug Johnson said that the group served at a Covenant church in
La Canada, which is one hour south of Oaxaca in a mountain area. They
also went to a church in Santa Inez. In a unique partnership effort, the
Santa Inez church's children traveled by truck to La Canada for a
five-day Bible school – the school revolved around the parable of The
Good Samaritan. Other team members were Ralph Athey, Barbara Goode,
Alice Hartley, Elizabeth Petersen and Karen Snow. Johnson remarked that
45 children and six goats were present at the Bible school. The team
also built a latrine and
poured a cement floor for the La Canada facility and donated a folding
table and chairs. They ended their trip with sightseeing in Oaxaca and
Mexico City and worshiped at the El Dorado Covenant Church in Mexico City.
- Schaumburg, Illinois: Covenant pastor Nancy Gordon was featured in a
July edition of the Chicago Tribune discussing ministry to
Alzheimer's patients. The Bible
story method she uses in working with Alzheimer's patients was developed
by Sonja Stewart and Jerome Berryman. Several years ago, the Covenant's
Department of Christian Formation facilitated training sessions for
conference consultants using this approach.
EAST COAST
- East Bridgewater, Massachusetts: A group of 11 people from Community
Covenant Church were headed for Nome, Alaska, to do construction work
for KICY radio, which
reaches Alaska and Western Russia with the gospel. Team members are: Tom
Wright, Tom Chiocca, Scott Dube, Jana Ballard, Dana Cheney, Lee Stewart,
Rob MacNevin,
Rachael Stewart, Michelle MacNevin, Ernest Anderson and Ellie Anderson.
ECCAK
- Eagle River, Alaska: Community Covenant Church's Roy Daw was part of
a mission experience in Russia for two weeks in June as part of an
effort co-sponsored by
SOAR International Ministries of Kenai, Alaska, and Russia Inland
Missions, based in Moscow. His team of nine coordinated and led
children's ministries for 77 children, many who had been orphaned, at a
camp 40 miles from Moscow. Daw said that 35 children accepted Jesus as
their savior and got a positive inspection from a government agency that
visited the camp. He said in a newsletter report, "The team felt our visit
brought many spiritual benefits as well as benefits to overall
Russian-American relationships. I would gladly make the trip again..."
- White Mountain, Alaska: Parishioners from Korean Hope Covenant
Church in Anchorage helped a Covenant church in White Mountain by
putting up a new roof on the
church building. Pastor James Fryer also thanked those in the region for
helping provide a new wood furnace for the parsonage. The Fryers have
been in White Mountain for about one year after the congregation went
without a full-time pastor for an extended
period. The Shaktoolik Covenant congregation also benefited from a
parishioner in the region, Dave Petersen, who refurbished the church's
parsonage in anticipation of a new pastor. The congregation has been
without a minister for three years. The recent
ECCAK newsletter was dedicated to the memory of Matthew "Monty"
Montzingo, a parishioner of New Song Covenant Church in Anchorage. On
June 17, Montzingo
died from fatal injuries suffered in a car accident – the 25-year-old
was injured while trying to avoid a moose that had wandered onto the road.
GREAT LAKES
- Rochester, New York: Pastor Brian Haak and Quest Covenant Church.
The church has had four previews, the most recent on August 15, and
average worship
attendance has been 60. The church's final preview service is October 18
and weekly worship will begin in October 25. Haak hopes his congregation
will be ready to host a grand opening in January. He said that the core
group of 15 is extremely creative – a lot are coming from a drama
ministry at another congregation – and has been dedicated in putting
together quality worship. Haak has been an intern with a
non-denominational church in Rochester and began considering church
planting in January 2003 after
graduating from Northeastern Seminary in Rochester. A classmate from
seminary had known about the Evangelical Covenant Church and told Haak
about the denomination. Haak contacted pastor Jim Widboom of nearby
Trinity Covenant Church and eventually
contacted Great Lakes Conference church planting administrator/associate
superintendent Larry Sherman.
MIDWEST
- Windsor, Colorado: Pomeroy Covenant Church in Iowa sent a contingent
of people to Covenant Bible College-Midwest for one week in July to help
with a building project. Jeff DeVore, a member of the church and a
junior at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, said the trip was
well received by CBC-Midwest staff. It was also a positive
multigeneration experience for volunteers. One parent wrote, "We were
blessed as a family and my kids also experienced more of what it means
to be a church family. It was a wonderful way for my sons to learn that
there is joy in serving others."
NORTH PACIFIC
- Lakebay, Washington: Lakebay Community Church celebrated its 80th
anniversary on August 15 as the congregation hosted a picnic at Heron
Lake, an 80-acre piece of property owned by a family from the church.
Olympia, Washington: Grace Community Covenant Church's Ronda Watson
traveled to Mongolia on August for 12 days with Kidzana Ministries, an
organization committed to training those who lead children's
ministries in various regions.
NORTHWEST
- New Richland, Minnesota: Vista Evangelical Covenant Church had a
contingent head to Nome, Alaska, for a mission work in August. Team
members included Denny
and Ginny Roesler, Jim, John and Jared Knutson, Jessica Hendrickson,
Greg Moe, Ron and Tyler Beckman and Ken Jackson.
- Rochester, Minnesota: The Rochester Covenant Church men's softball
team won their league's championship game on July 27 after taking the
regular season
division title with an 8-2 record. Roseville, Minnesota: Roseville
Covenant Church sent a mission team to Unalakleet, Alaska, from July 31
through August 15 to build a house for camp director Chip Swanson, who
has spent 40 years serving at Chickaloon Camp in Unalakleet. Those on
the mission team included Joan and Roger Anderson, Alan Bergstrom, Cliff
Bergren, Wayne Boyd, Duane Dawson, Jim Deline, Mark Englund, Arnold
Johnson, Clark Liu, Kevin Nelson, Larry Persuitti, Paul Peterson, Larry
Strandine, Paul and Peter Tavernier and Jim Werner.
- Wyoming, Minnesota: Linwood Covenant Church sent more than a dozen
volunteers to Covenant Bible College-Ecuador to help ready the new
campus for
students this fall. They also helped an area Covenant church with a
project one day, according to a recent church newsletter report.
- Brandon, South Dakota: Living Springs Covenant Church sent 33
volunteers to help refurbish a house that is used to assist recently
paroled prisoners as they
transitioned back into society. The June 19 project included painting,
clearing brush, constructing a sidewalk for the house and building
relationships with those that are part of New Life Coalition. Team
leaders included Dean Sands, Frank and Lori Walker,
Dennis Moritz and Julie Waltz. Said the Coalition's founder about the
church's efforts, " This is too much to take in, it's incredible. Why
don't more churches do this kind of thing?"
PACIFIC SOUTHWEST
- Scotts Valley, California: Mission Springs Conference Center
executive director Bryan Hayes reported recently about a successful
Men's Conference with 140 in attendance. It was the first time the camp
had coordinated such an event and Hayes stated that one camper called it
"the most significant experience of his life." For more about the camp
and the Men's conference, visit the Mission Springs web site at:
http://missionsprings.com.
- Torrance, California: Life Covenant Church celebrated its one-year
anniversary in a more hectic manner than most congregations as pastor
Tim Morey reported in a
recent email that the congregation had to find a new location with only
three weeks notice due to construction. Fortunately, he said, "God
provided a new location and we're doing great in it. Two couples
recently joined the church after coming to our open sharing night in
celebration of our one-year anniversary."
- Turlock, California: A Cornerstone Covenant Church mission team of
26 people left for Alaska July 31 to help clear land at Alaska Christian
College, Soldotna,
Alaska. They included: J.F. Clegg, Eric, Joe, Ken and Sue Bonander,
Betsy Boydston, Caitlin Byrne, Bill, Cindy, Tom and Chelsea Gibbs, Dhyan
and Mike Gilton, Paul Gorman, Blanche and Larry Krumm, Gordon McNulty,
Karole, Kris and Kurt Palmberg, Ingrid and Jim Pearson, Jon-Erik Walker,
Donald Weaver, Dan Whitmarsh and Tim Wilson.
SOUTHEAST
- Greensboro, North Carolina: Trinity Covenant Church's Natalie George
recently showed 40 of her paintings at the Tessera Gallery in
Winston-Salem. The main set of
pieces was entitled: (ITAL) Vignettes: Still Life Paintings on Paper.
Another person affiliated with the church, Bill Stedman, recently rode
his bike to raise funds for an organization called Gospel of Asia. The
bikes will be used as transportation for native missionaries in the region.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
|
|
|
