Covenant News

Michigan Church Plant Attracts 175 to Opening Service

WIXOM, MI (September 24, 2002) - Christ Covenant Church, a church plant helped by Faith Covenant Church in nearby Farmington Hills, had approximately 175 in attendance at a grand opening service and other activities Sunday, said pastor Nathan Pawl.

"It was a really good day," said Pawl, who previously served four years as pastor at Harbert Community Church in Harbert, Michigan. "We really hope to significantly raise attendance and we did a 10,000-piece mailing of invitations to the community and a lot of personal inviting. We're following it up with an outreach at Joe Louis Arena (home of the National Hockey League Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings) Sunday. We'll have rental of the ice for a few hours and we hope to attract people who would normally not step inside a church."

Representatives of the Evangelical Covenant Church asked more than a year ago if he was interested in planting a church. A core group of more than 60 people helped with the beginning stages of the church plant. Pawl hopes that community groups of 30-50 people can operate as mini-churches in various geographic areas. Currently, the church meets at a local middle school.

According to Great Lakes Conference Associate Supt. Larry Sherman, Christ Covenant began launching its work in a community of 50,000 located near many suburbs around Detroit. The church had 140 in attendance at its first preview service January 13. The church has had about 100 at services during the spring and summer as the church geared up for the grand opening and other outreach services this fall.

"The core group has been incredible - people have made significant commitments to the church - and we had a very helpful church to work from," Pawl said. "We've had a partnership with Kensington Community Church, which averages about 5,500, to help us plant this church. It's (Kensington) not a Covenant church, so it's a pretty unique relationship. They've supported us with training and the church and pastor Steve Andrews have committed money to us for next year to help us bring another staff person on. The Detroit metro area is a neat area to be in right now."

For more information about the church, call Pawl at 248-866-4117 or email him at npawl@sprynet.com.

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