Covenant News

Oakdale, North Park Pursuing Cross-Cultural Partnership

CHICAGO, IL (January 26, 2004) - Oakdale Covenant and North Park Covenant churches are partners in a racial reconciliation and relationship building effort that began with both congregations sending parishioners to each other's worship services last Sunday.

Called "Kingdom Connection," the partnership is designed to provide meaningful interaction over the course of one year between two sister churches - one African American and the other European American. The name was chosen to reflect life in the new kingdom where there are no barriers that divide.

The idea originated with Brenda Salter-McNeil, president of Chicago-based Overflow Ministries, and Ruth Hill, executive minister of Covenant Women Ministries (CWM) of the Evangelical Covenant Church.

The vision was presented to Oakdale Covenant pastor Darrell Griffin and North Park Covenant pastor Doug Johnson on October 22. They suggested several events to connect the churches throughout the year, including helping each other with Vacation Bible School programs in the summer and joining together in a fall retreat. The two churches hope to have representatives for a CWM-sponsored women's Sankofa journey next month.

On Sunday, North Park Covenant sent a musical ensemble to Oakdale Covenant, while a liturgical dance team from Oakdale Covenant participated in a North Park Covenant worship service. "We're trying to do our Christian responsibility and we'll hope we can help break down barriers," said Griffin, who has been pastor at Oakdale Covenant for three years.

Jeanne Marie Olson traveled to Chicago's south side to attend the Oakdale Covenant Church Sunday morning service and says she is appreciative of the experience. "It was an amazingly inspirational community of worship," Olson said. "They are so gifted and so willing to share their gifts with visitors - through the talents of their choir, the preaching and with the congregation itself. I felt so welcomed and moved by their welcome. I was privileged to share the worship experience with them."

To learn more about the partnership of the Oakdale and North Park congregations, call Griffin at 773-779-9440 or Johnson at 773-463-0055.

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