Covenant News

Leadership Tour Connects Conference and Local Churches

CHICAGO, IL (August 14, 2001) - The Evangelical Covenant Church Central Conference staff decided a more personal touch was needed in their communication with conference churches. One result of that decision was a series of face-to-face dialogues with local church members and their leadership.

During recent months, staff members traveled throughout the Central Conference on a District Leadership Tour that included nine meetings in five states. Superintendent Herbert Freedholm, Associate Supt. Craig Anderson and others talked about specific ministries and shared ideas with the various congregations. Attendance ranged from 30 to 80 participants per site.

In February and March, sessions were held on the north and south sides of Chicago and in Indiana. In April, the tour continued in Chicago's western suburbs and the Fox Valley area. In June, visits included congregations in the St. Louis, Missouri, area and western Illinois. In September, the tour heads to northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Kirsten Nelson, director of leadership development for the Central Conference, believes training is secondary to the building of relationships. She says the tours have added the personal touch administrators desired.

"Last August, the staff at the Central Conference got together," Nelson said. "One of the things we were concerned about was to have contact with churches and answer questions churches had for us. This gives a good cross-section of ministries and it gives the church a chance to see the face of the Central Conference.

"The people have been wonderful," she said. "Everyone has a story and we (the conference) intersect with what they're doing. Either we know of other churches that are doing the same thing that can provide insight, or we know of things that are already going on. We can also access them to funds or access them with people."

Most Central Conference leadership tour stops last at least one full day. Freedholm and Anderson generally lead a seminar entitled Mutual Ministry: How to Care for Pastors. It focuses on the relationship between pastors and the church and discusses topics such as pastoral relationship committees, compensation for pastors and ways to resolve conflict in the church.

Nelson focuses on education and outreach elements, including the process of mentoring and leadership development. Jerome Nelson (no relation), director of church and society ministries, leads seminars on church partnerships and neighborhood ministries. Missions facilitator Brad Hill leads seminars focusing on mission around the world, helping congregations explore ways to involve their churches in sending people to various mission sites.

Each district requested seminar leadership on various topics and the conference attempted to find leaders within that district to speak to the issues. Consultants Paul Allen of Hinsdale, David Brown of Glen Ellyn, David Lundberg of Princeton and Rick Hampton of Crystal Lake (all in Illinois) also led seminars when needed, providing different perspectives as church ministers and staff members of Covenant entities.

"District supervisors have been working closely with the conference office and are key people in finding out what pastors are interested in or what churches are struggling with," said Kirsten Nelson. "We've sent each church a publicity packet that helps get the church excited. We want it to be easy for churches to participate.

"It's time intensive, but that's what we do - we connect with churches," Nelson continued. "It either established rapport or it gave another introduction or event in our relationship. I think it's been great. You don't just meet the same leaders as with other seminars. Some of them I met were new people, people that had no prior connection with the conference."

Two Leadership Tour sessions will be held in the Central Conference next month. The Great Lakes District meets September 8-9 at First Covenant Church in Iron Mountain, Michigan, and the Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin District meets at Bethesda Covenant Church in Rockford, Illinois, September 15-16.

For more information on the tours or other ministries of the Central Conference, call Nelson at 773-267-3060.

Printable version of this page.