Covenant News - New Young Couples Ministry Highlights Updates

Covenant News

New Young Couples Ministry Highlights Updates

TURLOCK, CA (February 12, 2004) - Turlock Covenant Church dedicated a new ministry last month as its congregation tries to help young couples get out of debt and better their living situation, among other things.

On January 29, the church held an open house and dedication for Operation Stable Start as businesses and individuals who contributed to the program were recognized for their philanthropy. Operation Stable Start helps provide inexpensive housing and other forms of assistance as part of imparting a base of life experience and knowledge to young people just beginning the rigors of family life. The church hopes the mentoring and counseling elements in the program can help participants as they gain independence and financial security.

"The program is a lot more than a cheap room for someone to live in," said Carin Walles in a recent Turlock Journal newspaper article. "We put them on a tight budget at the beginning and give them increasing responsibilities, starting with some utilities and gradually increasing rent. They have to take care of the house as well.

"There are several different components of the program and the residents have a different mentor in each part," added Walles, interim director of Up With Moms and a licensed social worker. "The program teaches people how to manage their lives on a daily basis."

Nine years ago, Apryl Neal started Up With Moms after the church identified teen moms as a possible ministry opportunity. The congregation hoped they could provide mentoring and help teen mothers with parenting skills while offering childcare during meetings.

Pastor Jeff Woods said that Operation Stable Start is "a next step" to the Up With Moms ministry (call Woods at 209-667-1191 for more about Operation Stable Start). It is currently helping two families and a single mother with housing in a refurbished pair of apartments. Before initiating the program, the church had helped another couple get out of debt a year ago and that family now owns a house in nearby Modesto.

The church subsidizes rent money for those in need and those living in the units pay a reduced rent, although they are required to donate volunteer time to the church or their community. Volunteers have donated their services in refurbishing the apartments or gave materials at no cost or low cost, said Woods.

Along with reducing housing costs, there is also a practical counseling element provided for Operation Stable Start participants. Woods provides marriage counseling. Bill and Peggy Bacca counsel about homeowner questions, Bill Vogt offers budget and financial counseling and others assist with vocational and educational issues.

Other churches and individuals are also making an impact on their communities, according to information gleaned from the more than 250 local church newsletters received each month by the Department of Communication. Information is grouped by conference and region.

CENTRAL

Calumet Park, Illinois: Community Covenant Church and its Covenant Men's group sponsored a Dr. Martin Luther King Day celebration dinner and panel discussion under the theme "Who Is Our Neighbor: How Far Have We Come?" Panelists included North Park Theological Seminary President John "Jay" Phelan, Central Conference Associate Supt. Jolene Bergstrom Carlson, and Covenant Ministries of Benevolence's executive vice president of outreach ministries, Harold Spooner, along with Sandra Carlson, Joan McPherson and Community Covenant high school student Walter Hampton Jr. For more information about the event, call pastor Dr. M. Randolph Thompson at 708-385-7477 or email him at DrMRT46@aol.com.
Elgin, Illinois: Pastor Henoch Fuentes and others from Grace Evangelical Covenant Church left for Chile in January to do short-term mission ministry at two orphanages.
Wilmette, Illinois: Winnetka Covenant Church's quilting club recently donated 11 quilts they made to Ravenswood Evangelical Covenant Church in Chicago for use in a daycare program.

EAST COAST

Manchester, Connecticut: Trinity Covenant Church recently published a feature article about Judy Tonzi, coordinator of Early Childhood Ministries. Tonzi is in her eighth year with the ministry, which oversees approximately 50 preschoolers ranging from newborns to age 5.
Attleboro, Massachusetts: Paul Smietana, who grew up in the Evangelical Covenant Church of Attleboro, was the 2004 recipient of the Andrukiewitz Sportsman of the Year award. Smietana rescued a stranded wind surfer from the cold waters of Lake Champlain during the divisional fishing competition in September. Local rescue officials said that if he hadn't picked up the woman, she was a likely candidate for death by hypothermia. He sacrificed his tournament time and standings in the divisionals to save the woman, said Roger Pray, president of the Rhode Island BASS Federation.
Springfield, Massachusetts: A recent newsletter for the Evangelical Covenant Church of Springfield mentioned that the seniors group logged more than 1,100 hours at the local drop-in center, as well as coordinating a health fair, during the months of September through December.

MIDSOUTH

Edmond, Oklahoma: Life Church is sponsoring two adult mission trips and two youth trips in March as it seeks to reach people for Christ. One adult group is headed to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, to construct homes, help with a feeding program and coordinate a Vacation Bible School. Another adult group is headed to New York City to distribute food and clothing to the homeless via the New York City Relief Bus. A high school group will travel to Monterrey, Mexico, and another youth group is headed to Acuna, Mexico.

NORTH PACIFIC

Wenatchee, Washington: After three well-supported preview services, the church is ready to begin weekly services. Sunday (February 15) marks the church's first week of regular weekly worship services, according to pastor Andrew Thompson.

NORTHWEST

Duluth, Minnesota: Lakeview Covenant Church's Lynn Ross, Bryan Koop and Andrea Koop were part of a mission trip in November through Wheels in Motion, an organization that helps collect, refurbish and send wheelchairs to the underserved in other countries. They traveled to Viet Nam along with Marion Bradley of Poplar Covenant Church in Wisconsin and 18 others. They helped distribute 252 wheelchairs and other devices to two sites. The Wheels in Motion group has combined services with Hope Haven International out of Rock Valley, Illinois, to better help minister to those who need it. They've been collecting wheelchairs in the region since 1994. Of the 13 committee members, Paul Harkness, Andrea Koop and Ross have been consistent volunteers.
Minneapolis, Minnesota: Gary and Mary Gardeen recently received the Distinguished Alumni Service Award from Northwest Conference-sponsored Minnehaha Academy and were honored in separate events in September. Gary serves as campus administrator for Covenant Village of Golden Valley, and Mary is the parish nurse at First Covenant in Minneapolis. Minnehaha Academy President John Engstrom said of the Gardeens in introducing the award winners, "Since graduating from Minnehaha in 1968, Gary and Mary Gardeen have been exemplary Christian servants, furthering God's mission on both global and local scales. Beginning in 1978, Gary and Mary spent 22 years as missionaries to Ecuador through HCJB World Radio. During their time in the mission field, the Gardeens focused their ministry on Hospital Vozandes in Quito, Ecuador's capital city. Gary served as the administrator of the hospital, while Mary pioneered a home health care program to bring medical care to the surrounding community. She also launched a Bible study program in Quito called Camino de la Luz, or in English, Way of the Light. Upon the Gardeens' return to the United States in 2000, Mary began a branch of this study for Spanish-speaking residents of the Twin Cities. Minnehaha Academy has 1,200 students and includes and upper and lower campuses and classes from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. Minnehaha's Distinguished Alumni Service Award is based on nominations given by members of the school community and finalized by the alumni board. The award honors those alumni that have contributed greatly in service, community or other meaningful ways, said Heidi Douglass, the school's alumni and events manager. More information can be obtained by calling the school at 612-729-8321.

SOUTHEAST

Orlando, Florida: A rebuilding and remodeling project is scheduled for April 2-4 at Audubon Park Covenant Church, said pastor Kevin Brintnall. The church is inviting churches from all over the Southeast Conference to join in the effort, which will include landscaping, painting and small construction projects. It is also providing housing and food during the weekend, which culminates in a celebration service on Palm Sunday. Audubon Park Covenant Church will celebrate 50 years of ministry later this year, said Brintnall. The church organized in May 1953, according to church records. For more information about the weekend, contact the Southeast Conference office at 407-977-8009 or contact Brintnall by telephone at 407-894-6351 or by email at: kevbrint@ix.netcom.com.

ELSEWHERE

Japan: Covenant missionaries Jay and Ellen Haworth have been busy at Kuki Grace Church, which is now called International Bible Fellowship. The church dedicated its new building on January 10 as it seeks to reach out to a growing number of foreigners. It also hosted Tokyo area Covenant churches in an annual joint worship service January 25. Jay is also preaching twice per month at a church in Nagareyama and that church recently had two people make a profession of faith.
Puebla, Mexico: A Covenant church celebrated the inauguration of a new facility on January 25 after nearly 10 years of searching for a viable option to house a growing congregation, said missionaries Jerry and Vicky Love. Three Saturday workdays drew a combined 89 people as the church readied the facility, which is located one block from two heavily traveled roads and sits near a historic landmark. The back patio roof was put on the building the evening before the dedication. "There were about 145 people and some 50 of them were visitors from two adjoining states," reported the Loves. "But we also had some new people from the neighborhood that saw a banner we put up. Amazing what happens when your church is visible. One of these families loaned us a beautiful pulpit and communion table he had made and had stored in his house for several years. He gave them to us and we dedicated them in a little ceremony. They are delighted to form part of our church. Another couple call ed just this morning, and in church told us they had just moved into the neighborhood and were looking for a body of believers to join." The church plans to build a sanctuary on the second story of the current building in the future. It also hopes to buy nearby land for a parsonage. For now, however, there is relief and celebration at the end of a long journey to find a place to house a growing congregation. "Vicky told someone the other day that it is like expecting a baby for nine and a half years, and finally it's coming visibly into the world," said Jerry Love in a recent support letter. For more about the Puebla Project, email the Loves at mexmish@covmail.net.
Taiwan: Two teams from the Taiwan Covenant Church will be leaving at the end of January to cooperate in mission with Covenant churches in Udon Thani, Thailand, and Bangalore, India. More about this cooperative movement in mission can be found by emailing Covenant World Mission Asia Regional Coordinator David Husby at davronna@yhb.att.ne.jp.

To keep abreast of what is happening in Evangelical Covenant churches throughout the world, regularly visit www.covchurch.org. To send information about your congregations, email Covenant Communications at newsdesk@covchurch.org or call 773-478-4631. Church newsletters can be sent by regular postal mail to Covenant Communications, 5101 N. Francisco Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60625.

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