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Four Churches Welcomed by Great Lakes Conference
FARMINGTON HILLS, MI (April 25, 2005) - Four new churches were welcomed during
last week's annual meeting of the Great Lakes Conference of the
Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC), reflecting an acceleration of new
church planting efforts by the conference in recent years.
The new churches are Keystone (Center of Life) Covenant Church in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Citadel of Faith Covenant Church in Detroit,
Michigan; Hope Community Covenant Church in Detroit; and Crossroads
Community Church (an Evangelical Covenant Church) in South Lyon,
Michigan. The churches will be formally presented for denominational
membership during June's ECC Annual Meeting in Keystone, Colorado.
The welcoming of new churches came during the conference meeting Friday
and Saturday held at Faith Covenant Church in Farmington Hills located
just outside of Detroit, which also included the first presentation of a
new annual award intended to honor outstanding service.
"I think this is a record year for the Great Lakes Conference," Larry
Sherman, associate superintendent, told the delegates. The conference
has moved from planting one church every other year to planting two
churches each year.
Church planting has been a significant factor in more than doubling the
number of conversions per 100 attendees over the last year, Sherman
observed. The number of conversions grew from 18 to 42 out of 100
attendees in the last year. Roses representing the 815 people who came
to faith in the conference were brought forward during the worship service.
Preaching from Isaiah, Supt. Dick Lucco noted that God said, "Let's go –
let us go together" to reach the lost. "It is God's hand, holding our
hand as we stretch out our hand to others." At times with tears, Lucco
told the gathering how churches of all sizes and in many different
settings had each met the call to go together with God.
During the opening banquet, the first annual Arv Anderson Award in
Church Planting was presented to the man for whom it was named. The
former conference chair received two standing ovations for his lifetime
of service.
Diagnosed several years ago with pulmonary fibrosis, a terminal lung
disease, Anderson accepted the award holding his portable oxygen
canister at his side. In an acceptance speech filled with humor,
Anderson quipped, "Oxygen has been very good to me." He went on to tell
of how friendships and ministries within the conference had been oxygen
to him.
Credited with laying the groundwork for the growth of church planting in
the conference by traveling and working with people throughout the
region, Anderson said, "If God gives you a vision, don't worry about the
resources."
The conference also honored Sally Chall for her years of service in
guiding Christian formation ministries on behalf of the conference. In
addition to having worked part-time for the conference, Chall is the
associate pastor for children and family ministries at Zion Covenant
Church in Jamestown, New York. She also is the author of Making God
Real to Your Children.
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