Covenant News

Palmberg to Speak at Rockford's 50th Anniversary

ROCKFORD, IL (April 4, 2002) - Glenn R. Palmberg, president of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC), will be the guest preacher as Broadway Covenant Church in Rockford celebrates its 50th anniversary May 18-19 with a number of events.

The celebration will begin during the afternoon of May 18 with a slide show in the Broadway Covenant Church sanctuary. Later that evening, a free program entitled "Remembering Our Past" will be presented at nearby First Covenant Church. The event will include musical numbers from past choirs that will be directed by Broadway Covenant's previous choir director, Maxine Haney.

After Palmberg brings the morning message May 19, the church will host a brunch in the church's dining hall. The cost for brunch is $7 per person.

Broadway Covenant was organized with the help of First Covenant Church in Rockford. First Covenant developed a significant Sunday school ministry in the neighborhood around Broadway Covenant, which began with 52 founding members in 1952. Under Pastor J. Robert Hjelm, the church embarked on a building project two years later and, after completing the first phase in 1955, expanded the facility twice in the next dozen years that followed.

Throughout the history of Broadway Covenant, there have been sons and daughters of the church whose spiritual roots thrived in various confirmation, Sunday school and youth programs. Several former youth members of the church who have been guest preachers during the past few months include Thomas Anderson of Community Covenant Church in Shawnee, Kansas; Kendall Dahlstrom of the Evangelical Covenant Church in South Bend, Indiana; and Mark Pearson of Christ Evangelical Covenant Church in Portland, Maine. Two others who will preach in upcoming weeks include Don Holmertz of Valley Evangelical Covenant Church in Stillman Valley, Illinois, and Mary C. Miller, ECC vice president of administration.

In recent years, a Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) program and a preschool have been positive aspects of community ministry for Broadway Covenant. A summer sports camp and a neighborhood Fun Fair have also been successful and a summer reading program is another ministry being considered. Currently, Dick Rasanen is the senior pastor of the church, which averages more than 150 in worship attendance.

For more information about the Broadway Covenant events, call Judy Sowl at the church, 815-399-9296, or email her at Judy@bwaycov.org.

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