Covenant News

'The Well' Begins Weekly Schedule Easter Sunday

ROBBINSDALE, MN (March 30, 2004) - "The Well," a Twin Cities suburban church plant of nearby Plymouth Covenant Church, recently hosted its fourth sneak peek service at the Robbinsdale Area Learning Center (RALC).

Weekly Sunday evening worship services will begin on Easter Sunday under pastor Paul Maki. An official launch service is set for September 12. The congregation held its initial sneak preview last month and had 220 in attendance. Over four services, the church has averaged 164 in worship. The church has about 60 people in its core group, twice the number of the original core group.

"The Well" is the second church plant that Plymouth Covenant has helped launch around the Twin Cities - Riverwood Covenant Church in Rockford was started in 2000. Visual arts and multimedia has been used extensively in worship as the congregation attempts to reach the Gen X adult segment. Maki describes worship as "a post-contemporary experience."

Maki grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and dedicated his life to Christ at age 8. At age 13, he heard about Jesus People USA (JPUSA) when the contingent came to the area. He and his two sisters eventually joined JPUSA, a multiethnic congregation that serves others out of Christian communal living on Chicago's north side. Maki lived at JPUSA for 19 years and helped with the Christian group's construction business, along with organizing group tours when outsiders wanted to visit the facility.

"We have a lot of friends that are still there," said Maki. "The aspect of communal living allows you to have the grace and flexibility to work with different kinds of individuals. And I like the concept of using ministry and businesses to partner together for the Kingdom. JPUSA was missional and used businesses as a major influence in the community. Because of my experience, I can talk to businesses in our community in a Kingdom way. And I'm more willing to think 'outside the box,' and be more creative in ministry."

Before planting the new church, Maki and his family served under Youth With a Mission (YWAM) in the Philippines, returning to the United States in 2003. Paul and his wife, Lashonne, have two daughters, Alora and Amber. Maki hopes to use arts as a way to reach others in the future and also to develop a community center and/or athletic center to help meet community needs.

"Evangelism is a heartbeat of mine," said Maki, who became a youth at the Evangelical Covenant Church of Mankato, Minnesota. "I envision planting a church that is God-breathed and commissioned by the authority that I'm under. I see a church with the desire to go after God together and along the journey meeting the spiritual needs of the people in the area. And I feel blessed to have a strong church behind me in planting a church."

More information about the new church plant can be found on the Internet at www.thewellcovenant.com or by calling Maki at Plymouth Covenant at 763-559-4300.

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