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ECCAK Focusing on Staff Needs, Future Ministries
KOYUK, AK (April 9, 2003) - Staffing needs of local churches and future
ministries within the regional highlighted the recently concluded regional
annual meeting of the Evangelical Covenant Church of Alaska (ECCAK).
"It has been a blur, like riding in a car down the highway and looking out
the window at things as they whiz by," said Field Director Rodney Sawyer as
he described his first months as field director following Paul Wilson's
departure for pastoral ministry in California. "Somehow in the midst of the
hectic schedule, God has given both Nancy (wife) and I the health and
strength to just go."
When Sawyer, pastor of the Evangelical Covenant Church of Bethel, began
fulfilling the responsibilities of field director, there were half a dozen
pastoral vacancies in ECCAK churches. Sawyer states in his annual report
that "there is a possibility of having most of the six (churches) with
pastors within the next three to six months." He added that he would like
to help ECCAK start at least two church plants in the next one to three
years.
Another ECCAK need is the discipleship of youth and young adults in the
region. Sawyer says he is thankful for the expansion of Covenant Youth of
Alaska (CYAK) ministries, which has been led by Curtis Ivanoff, John Hege
and Byron Bruckner. Sawyer is working with CYAK staff to assign
responsibilities to ease the load on any one individual. "Although there is
still work to be done in our reorganization, we feel the new structure will
allow CYAK to continue its plan of expanding the Kingdom of God through the
young people in Alaska," Sawyer added.
Sawyer also had praise for the development of Alaska Christian College
(ACC) in Soldotna under Keith Hamilton (www.alaskachristiancollege.org).
Hamilton stated in a recent email that 20 students are expected to graduate
from the school's second class in early May and that 25 are expected to
begin classes in the fall. An ENCORE program to allow students to return to
ACC for a second year is also becoming a viable option.
Facility needs for ACC are also being addressed, thanks to the anticipated
arrival of 15 volunteer work teams involving approximately 200 people this
summer. It is hoped that Phase One of a dormitory/dining room/kitchen
complex will be completed in the fall. Another recent piece of good news
came when Hamilton and ACC were given a $200,000 grant to start New Hope
Counseling Center on campus
Sawyer envisions growth for ECCAK in one other specific area - the
development of a new ministry called Covenant Families of Alaska (CFAK). He
hopes that the Department of Christian Formation of the Evangelical
Covenant Church, along with Para-church organizations such as Child
Evangelism Fellowship, Youth For Christ and others will help provide
educational tools and resources to minister to families in the following
areas:
- How to have good or better marriages
- How to raise children
- How to minister to children in the church
- How to overcome abuses in the past
- How to reach out to those who are incarcerated (via chaplaincy)
Another Covenant ministry in Alaska, KICY AM/FM radio, has received much
financial help in recent months, raising $78,000 of a budget goal of
$100,000 for its work in Nome. The radio station has received news coverage
from Christianity Today and local publications concerning the
addition of Russian staff members Andrei and Ellen Sarazov to strengthen
Russian ministry opportunities, stated executive director Dennis Weidler in
his annual report. A Russian Internet option for the KICY web page will
help bring visibility as well. Radio ministry has also been aided by the
help of Dick Nelson, who helped with the FM/Production studio construction
at KICY.
Sawyer and others throughout the region were busy in the days following the
ECCAK annual meeting as fire at the Chickaloon Camp burned two buildings to
the ground - one of them the caretaker's cabin. The Mat-Su Covenant Church
in Wasilla and a local Baptist congregation collected love offerings to
help Joe and Sandy Hoover, the camp's caretakers, who lost most of their
belongings. The region asks for prayer for the Hoovers as they try to
regroup.
For more information on the specific needs of the camp and the Hoover
Family or other ministries within the region, call Ava Manolas at the ECCAK
office at 907-694-6348 or email her at eccak@gci.net.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
