Covenant News

Software Training Begins Northwest Conference Session

ROSEAU, MN (April 25, 2002) - More than 40 individuals from churches in the Northwest Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church participated today in a training session for the new Covenant WorshipStudio worship planning software.

The training session was the first of numerous activities planned during the 2002 Northwest Conference Annual Meeting that is under way at the Evangelical Covenant Church in Roseau.

Covenant WorshipStudio is a comprehensive worship planning software program that is being offered free to all Evangelical Covenant churches. It combines various worship resources, including the Covenant Book of Worship and The Covenant Hymnal: A Worshipbook. Users can custom design worship services, produce finished worship bulletins and prepare other useful worship tools, including staff cue sheets for churches that involve a number of worship leaders and participants and technical staff.

Leading the Roseau training session is Dan Shelton, intern pastor at Edgebrook Covenant Church in Chicago and one of the WorshipStudio consultants (see accompanying photo).

The conference ministerium begins its business sessions later today, concluding with a worship service. Ruth Hill, executive minister of Covenant Women Ministries, will bring the evening message.

Covenant Women Ministries will conduct its annual meeting Friday, with the ministerium concluding its business Friday morning. Annual meeting delegates will register Friday noon with annual meeting sessions continuing Friday afternoon and Saturday morning.

"We consider it a great privilege to be the host church for this meeting," said Joe Elick, pastor of the Roseau church. "Actually, we were a bit scared and nervous when first asked, but with some fear and trembling we accepted the invitation as being from the Lord.

"I have been so moved by the way our people have responded and joined in to help make this happen," he continued. "There is a sense of joy and excitement in helping. We see our responsibility as not only hosting a conference, but also in ministering to the people who come. That's the way we do ministry, whether it's a concert or a program. We try to minister to those who come."

The Northwest Conference includes more than 130 churches. Paul Erickson is the superintendent.

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