Covenant News

Jamestown (NY) Team to Work on ACC Campus

JAMESTOWN, NY (August 6, 2004) - A 14-member group from Zion Covenant Church will leave next week for Soldotna, Alaska, where they will spend a week working on the campus of Alaska Christian College (ACC). The group is scheduled to return to Jamestown August 24.

Team members, ranging in age from high school through retirement, include Marcia Ryan, Barb Hungerford, Ralph and Carolyn Johnson, Steve and Becky Nystrom, Virgil and Marilyn Dey, Roger and Cindy Van Nostrand, Kent Landin, Phil Landin and John and Carol Kepler. The mission team has been meeting together since February to plan, pray and prepare themselves for the experience, according to John Kepler, associate pastor and team leader.

In addition to group travel expenses, $7,000 was raised in support of the ACC campus projects. Funds came from a grant from Zion Covenant's Mission and Evangelism Team and various fund-raising projects, including a potato dinner, a golf scramble and auction, the sale of Costa Rican coffee, a luncheon for the Chautauqua Area Retired Teachers group and donations from Zion members. A very special contribution came in the form of proceeds from candy sales generated by 10-year-old Will Pihl, who sold candy in his neighborhood, at his school and following Sunday morning worship services, Kepler noted.

"The people of Zion have been wonderful in their support," Kepler said, also praising members of the mission team for their "variety of gifts and abilities." The Zion team will be joined by members from the Covenant church in Walnut Creek, California, who are scheduled to do project work at the same time – "a bi-coastal effort" as Kepler puts it.

Another important aspect of this particular mission trip is the incorporation of prayer partners, Kepler observed. "We have sought prayer partners for each team member using a large poster in our entryway. People sign up for a particular team member and take a little reminder 'bookmark' that gives suggestions about what to be praying about."

The trip takes on more personal meaning as Kepler shares a story from his past. "The fact that we're going to ACC was simply at my initiative because I had heard of the school and felt it worthy of support," Kepler explains. "But there is also a very unique and special personal story. Twenty-five years ago I had the privilege of ministering to Glen Ivanoff, a native Alaskan (Unalakleet) who was being treated for cancer at the Veterans' Hospital in Seattle. At the time, Glen had a five-year-old son and infant daughter. He made several trips to Seattle (in and out of remission) and the Newport Covenant Church was very supportive of the family. He went through extremely difficult times in chemotherapy . . . I remember visits that were so difficult.

"Glen always said that he wanted his children to be raised with a Christian education," Kepler continued. "Shortly after I left Seattle to come to Chicago, Glen died. I remember writing his son, Curtis, a letter sharing about his dad and his faith. Several years ago I was in an elevator at a Covenant Midwinter Conference and found myself looking at a name badge on a young man that displayed "Curtis Ivanoff." I asked him if Glen was his father . . . and then told him who I was (I didn't have my name badge on at the time). He looked at me with teary eyes and hugged me saying, "I still have your letter." Indeed, it was Glen's son who is now ministering through ACC and the Alaska Covenant Church."

Members of the mission team will be consecrated this Sunday during both morning worship services at Zion Covenant and prayer partners will be assigned. For more information on the Zion team, its preparations and scheduled activities at ACC, call the Zion office staff at 716-488-9310.

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