Covenant News - Astronaut Presents 'Space Quilt' to Redwood Church

Covenant News

Astronaut Presents 'Space Quilt' to Redwood Church

REDWOOD CITY, CA (November 18, 2002) - A quilt commemorating the 50th anniversary of Peninsula Covenant Church (PCC) has been to outer space and back, thanks to the efforts of an astronaut who once participated in the church's high school youth activities.

Rex Walheim, a lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force and part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in Houston, Texas, traveled to the International Space Station last spring on the STS-110 space shuttle "Atlantis" to work on the orbiting space station from April 8-19. He brought with him a quilt made by Catherine Delfs and Rita Leung on the 4.5-million-mile journey. Walheim presented the church with the quilt and an official NASA plaque when he returned from his trip.

Walheim was born in Redwood City and spent most of his childhood in nearby San Carlos. He participated in a church youth group led by Doug Stevens while at San Carlos High School. He praised the church for its effect on his spiritual life as he grew in faith. Walheim earned his undergraduate degree from the University of California in Berkeley in 1984, having taken reserve officer's training for the Air Force there. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the USAF after graduation and served in North Dakota and at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, where he worked as a mechanical systems flight controller and was lead operations engineer for the Space Shuttle landing gear, brakes and emergency runway barrier. He later served as a flight controller and operations engineer while earning a Master of Science degree from the University of Houston.

Walheim was selected for Air Force Test Pilot School and began astronaut training in August 1996. An electrical engineer and NASA mission specialist, Walheim helped install and connect a giant metal-and-electronics structure to one platform of the space station during his recent trip. He was in space twice for a total of 14 hours and five minutes on his April journey - he has now spent 259 hours in space during his NASA career.

In other Covenant news compiled from the research of more than 200 church newsletters:

CENTRAL

Chicago, Illinois: The recently opened Ravenswood Covenant Church Childcare Center was one of 10 businesses honored by the Ravenswood Community Council this year. The Council, founded in 1958, is a volunteer organization working for the preservation and improvement of the Ravenswood community, which covers about three square miles and serves 65,000 people.
Galesburg, Illinois: The Covenant Church of Galesburg is conducting an Encore confirmation class for adults who want a second (or first) chance at learning the foundations of their faith. The Journey materials from the Department of Christian Formation have been adapted for adult use in several churches. Call pastor Tom Ek for details at 309-344-1711. The church's email is covenant@gallatinriver.net.
Indianapolis, Indiana: Dr. Tim Carlson of Hope Evangelical Covenant Church has been inducted into the American College of Dentists in an event held in New Orleans. Inductees are nominated by other members and the criteria include "recognition of contributions, leadership and a fine example of a professional person."
South Bend, Indiana: The Evangelical Covenant Church of South Bend's Janet Beckman had a painting accepted to the Midwest Regional Museum of Art in Elkhart, Indiana.
Iron River, Michigan: Grace Covenant Church celebrated the 60th wedding anniversary of John and Nell Serena on October 31.

EAST COAST

Wilton, Connecticut: United Covenant Church held a unique "Trunk or Treat" pre-Halloween event October 27. People gathered during the afternoon and sang Halloween songs adopted from Christmas carols. The church has a costume parade and adults pass out treats from cars with decorated car trunks. "It's like going trick-or-treating in a neighborhood, except you go from car to car and ooh and aah over the costumes," said pastor Eric Hillabrant, in a recent Religion News Service article that featured evangelism techniques by various congregations around the secular holiday.
North Easton, Massachusetts: Alynne MacLean of Covenant Congregational Church, North Easton, Massachusetts, continues to work on various diagnostic tests to provide low-cost medical tests for underserved areas. MacLean quit her job at Biogen in Cambridge, Massachusetts, nearly two years ago and has been developing low-tech medical diagnostic tests under Science With a Mission, a nonprofit organization she started and has funded mostly with her own money. In recent months, MacLean has been working on a diagnostic test for acute glomerulonephritis, a type of kidney disease that doctors in the Dominican Republic believe has been infecting and killing numerous individuals. She hopes to have the test available in 2003 and is trying to raise money to fund the testing. In a recent newsletter, she discussed researching a screening process to help doctors screen several similar diseases simultaneously. She is continuing to pursue grant money to pay for research. MacLean has a doctorate in bio-analytical chemistry from the University of Kentucky and has 13 years of experience working on immunoassays. For more information about MacLean's work, read the May issue of The Covenant Companion.
West Peabody, Massachusetts: Peter Sakelakos was nominated for induction to the Peabody High School athletic Hall of Fame recently and will be honored at a dinner November 29.

GREAT LAKES

Jamestown, New York: First Covenant Church and Zion Covenant Church are combining forces to complete a Habitat for Humanity project in the city. Teams have been working on the single-family home with three bedrooms every Saturday since the summer. It involves the refurbishing and cleaning of a house that would be readied for a family in the area, a job that costs around $40,000. The team expects to finish the project next summer, said Barb Hungerford, a Zion parishioner who is on the Chautauqua Area Habitat for Humanity board and is helping coordinate the multi-church project. A family living in Jamestown has been chosen to occupy the home when it is finished - they must contribute 500 volunteer hours on the job - and have had indirect connections to First Covenant through youth ministry activities. There have been 13 different projects done in Jamestown and the surrounding community. The current Habitat project is being done in memory of the late Eric Haglund, who had been a key volunteer to local Habitat efforts while a parishioner at First Covenant. Two of Haglund daughters, Jan Shoup and Karen Timmons, have also been heavily involved in the project, along with their families.
Fairfield, Ohio: At Covenant Community Church, Richard B. Lucco, superintendent of the Great Lakes Conference, was the keynote speaker at a banquet on November 3 to celebrate the congregation's 25th anniversary. Covenant Community is located in a suburb of Cincinnati in southern Ohio. The church has an average worship attendance of 175 under pastor Thomas Beckstrom. For more information about the church, call 513-942-5570.

MIDSOUTH

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: Grace Covenant Church worship pastor Chris Blake has produced a music praise and worship CD entitled "To God Alone." For more information about the CD, check Blake's web site at www.gracepreacher.com.

MIDWEST

Lincoln, Nebraska: First Evangelical Covenant Church celebrated its 110th anniversary with an all-church dinner last Sunday. The pastor at the church is Don Ostrom.
Omaha, Nebraska: First Covenant Church's Rachel Olson was given the Volunteer Recognition "Faithful Servant Award" for 18 years of service to Good News Jail and Prison Ministry at the organization's celebration banquet on October 8. Meanwhile, Brad Royal placed first in his division at a recent World Tae Kwon Do Association event in Omaha.

NORTHWEST

Cottage Grove, Minnesota: CrossRoads Church associate pastor Brad Kindall recently wrote two Acts of Faith: Dramas for God's People books that were published by Augsburg Fortress Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Acts of Faith I focuses on Advent to Easter and Acts of Faith II focuses on Pentecost.
Mankato, Minnesota: Edoy and Judy Anderson of the Evangelical Covenant Church of North Mankato have been accepted as volunteers with SOWERS (Servants on Wheels), an interdenominational Christian ministry for retired or semi-retired Christians with Recreational Vans who provide talents and services needed by various Christian organizations. The couple began work in Rose of Sharon Campground near Memphis, Tennessee, in early October.
Minneapolis, Minnesota: Bethlehem Covenant Church parishioners were running ragged at Minnehaha Academy coaches this fall, including Ron Monson (football), Alex Kauls (soccer) and Lance Johnson (boys and girls cross country). While Monson and Kauls coached their teams to the sectional playoffs, Johnson was guiding each of his teams to the Class A state finals. Another parishioner at the church was also running around a lot this fall, but this one literally ran mile after mile. In October, Stan Bratt ran a complete 100 kilometer race (more than 62 miles) and also competed in the Twin Cities Marathon with Sonia Lindquist, Sarah Lindquist, Jon Hokanson and Nels Elde.

PACIFIC SOUTHWEST

Downey, California: Redeemer Covenant Church and pastor Brad Reed have helped El Encino Covenant Church, a Hispanic congregation, evolve as a separate congregation. El Encino Covenant Church, whose pastor is Daniel Anabalon, had 205 people in attendance for a grand opening service on September 22. Twelve people made a decision to begin a relationship with Christ, reported the Pacific Southwest Conference in a recent web site article. Eight families came as a result of a connection the church made with them through a community soccer program.
El Cajon, California: Community Covenant Church parishioner Tic Long is celebrating his 25th year as an employee of Youth Specialties (YS), a parachurch organization in San Diego's East County that has been assisting youth ministries throughout the world since the late 1960s. Long, who began working at YS in 1977 as business manager, served as president of the organization from 1988-2001. He now serves as president of Youth Specialties Events, which incorporates four major events including the renowned National Youthworkers Convention. YS is currently serving more than 100,000 volunteers and career youth workers annually through conventions, book sales and other print and Internet mediums. The National Youthworkers Convention, which is run in three locations, has 10,000 participants annually. YS was founded by Mike Yaconelli and Community Covenant parishioner Wayne Rice. Mike and Karla Yaconelli are current owners of YS. Community Covenant parishioner Mike Atkinson also works for YS as Internet Director. More about YS can be found on the YS web page, www.youthspecialties.com.
Los Altos, California: Foothills Covenant Church, whose pastor is Jim Gaderlund, will celebrate its 40th anniversary November 30-December 1. John Notehelfer, the church's founding pastor and the current acting executive minister of the Department of World Mission, will speak at the Sunday worship service. The church will also host a banquet at a local restaurant during the weekend.
Walnut Creek, California: Hope Center Covenant Church's Steve Woods helped Young Life celebrate the national program's 50th anniversary in Contra Costa County in October. The event was held at Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church. Woods is area director for central Contra Cost County. Young Life, though it is Christian-based, is about building and maintaining friendships with teens, not forcing faith on them, said Woods in a recent Contra Costa Times article. The parachurch organization was founded in Texas in 1940, and one of the first young members, Bob Mitchell, helped lead the program in Contra Costa County, where it started in 1952. Young Life has 40 volunteers in Contra Costa County and 40,000 volunteers nationwide.

To learn more about what is going on throughout the denomination, regularly visit the Covenant web page at www.covchurch.org where one can also subscribe to the free news headline service, Covenant Newswire. To send information to Covenant Communications, email the Department of Communication at newsdesk@covchurch.org. or call 773-907-8333. Church newsletters can be sent to Covenant Communications at 5101 N. Francisco Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60625.

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