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Halloween Provides Creative Theme for Outreach Ministry
DETROIT, MI (November 14, 2004) - An urban church plant found a creative way
to celebrate Halloween as Destiny Covenant Church, under pastor James
Gibson, hosted a show at the Colin Powell Academy last month.
Well over 500 attended shows sponsored by Destiny Covenant on Halloween
as the church used its "Elmo in the Hood" event to provide a safe
gathering in the neighborhood. According to Larry Sherman, associate
superintendent for the Great Lakes Conference and director of Church
Planting for that region, The Halloween show began with Spongbob
Squarepants, continued with Dora the Explorer, and then Elmo People were
later invited to go to the basement of the Academy (the church's worship
site) where two large "Bouncy Castles" were set up along with games like
ring-toss and snacks.
Volunteers from Daystar Church and Kensington Community Church, two area
congregations, helped with the event. Kensington (a non-Covenant church)
has partnered with the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) in the launch
of Destiny Covenant and has aided other church plants in and around
Detroit. Additional funding for "Elmo in the Hood" came from the ECC,
the Great Lakes Conference and Citadel of Faith Covenant
Church in Detroit, another new church plant under pastor Harvey Carey.
Destiny Church uses hip-hop and contemporary gospel music in worship
with a message focused on non-churched adults and a strong vision for
children's and youth ministry on Detroit's east side. The church's grand
opening is Sunday (November 14). More about Destiny Covenant can be
found by emailing Gibson at gibbydestiny@sbcglobal.net.
Other good things are happening for children, youth and young adults
throughout the ECC. Here is a sampling from more than 250 church
newsletters and email reports from around North America.
CENTRAL
- Galesburg, Illinois: The Covenant Church of Galesburg's Sarah Holman
was first runner-up in the 2004 Warren County Prime Beef Festival
Princess contest in nearby Monmouth recently.
EAST COAST
- Waltham, Massachusetts: Colin Holmes of the Covenant Congregational
Church is performing in this year's Boston Ballet performance of The
Nutcracker during the Christmas season.
ECCAK
- Soldotna, Alaska: Alaska Christian College has its largest class
yet, said president Keith Hamilton in a recent email report, and the
contingent of 34 used their talents to lead a fundraiser event for more
than 200 people. Students also led an October retreat in White
Mountain that attracted more than 60 high school students from around
the Norton Sound region. "We saw many changed lives and our students
were changed as well," said Hamilton of the event. "Pray for our
students as the days are shorter and for the semester as midterms are
coming. Pray also for their student leadership team led by Rae Fancher
and their commitment to ministry at ACC." The school is in the midst of
finishing accrediting application materials and is seeking a summer
relief food services person to help work teams and on-site staff. It is
also finishing a dining hall and getting approval from the local fire
marshal. It is hoped the $415,000 project can be completed by next fall
so that as many as 50 students can attend the school. More about ACC can
be found by
checking the school's web site at www.alaskachristiancollege.org or by
calling 907-260-7422.
GREAT LAKES
- Muskegon, Michigan: Forest Park Covenant Church youth pastor Tim
Ciccone had the privilege of giving the invocation at a September rally
for President George W. Bush. His son Caleb had an even bigger treat,
getting his picture taken with the president.
MIDWEST
- Windsor, Colorado: Covenant Bible College-Midwest students traveled
to Mexico from October 2-9 for a mission trip co-sponsored by Amor
Ministries.
- Mason City, Iowa: First Covenant Church's Molly and Katie
FitzPatrick, Nathan and Seth Johnson, and Rachel Bowen were among those
involved in the North Central
District Choral Festival held at Waldorf College November 8. The
students sang in various age-group honors choral groups after being
selected from the region's public schools.
NORTH PACIFIC
- Bellingham, Washington: Bellingham Covenant Church, under Boy Scout
Troop 6 students Troy Carter, Josh Burdick, Brian Nulle and David
Dentinger, helped the city by creating a trail behind the church for
public use. The work was done as part of the foursome's final Eagle
Scout project. It is being done in four stages, including the
construction of benches along the path and a picnic table, among other
things.
NORTHWEST
- Mankato, Minnesota: A mission team from the Evangelical Covenant
Church of Mankato traveled to Reynoso, Mexico, to work with
Covenant-sponsored Merge
Ministries on a service trip. They included adult leaders Carlos
DeVitis, Karen Gilbert and Summer Wenger and students Lexi and Naomi
Anderson, Christa Ballard, Meredith Darge, Lindsey DeCock, Tom
Dierenfeld, Kayla Donahue, Jenny Esau, Shateen Gens,
Matt Gullickson, Luke Hackbarth, Andrew Kind, Jennifer Kottke, Katie
Lundquist, Lisa Rivers, Ian Roberts, Matthew and Melissa Ruyter, Ellen
Travis, Samantha Walden and Eric Wilzbacher.
PACIFIC SOUTHEST
- Compton, California: At Sunago Grace Covenant, 230 youth are
enrolled this fall in the educational programs including a newly launched
Pregnant Teen/Single Mom program, at Fragment House School. A building
has been acquired just three blocks from the church to house the Teen
Mom Learning Center (TLC), according to information provided via pastor
Brad Boydston of Cornerstone Covenant Church in Turlock.
- Sacramento, California: Sanctuary Covenant Church's elementary
after-school program "The Greenhouse" is going strong on Mondays,
Wednesdays, and Fridays this
fall. On Fridays, the kids are taught art lessons before going to their
workshops (soccer or sewing). For junior high and high school students
there is a
Thursday night youth and one-on-one tutoring is available for those
requesting a tutor.
ELSEWHERE
- Mexico City, Mexico: A total of 20 youth and young adults, ages 12
to 26, attended the Kokoten Youth Retreat, which was planned by Covenant
missionaries
Karl and Sue Peterson. Several of them participated in leadership
training at the event.
To keep abreast of activities involving Covenant's youth and young
adults, regularly visit this online Covenant news report at
www.covchurch.org. To submit information for consideration in this
online news report, email newsdesk@covchurch.org.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
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