Covenant News - Portland Church Helps Refurbish Local Schools

Covenant News

Portland Church Helps Refurbish Local Schools

PORTLAND, OR (September 7, 2004) - Two Evangelical Covenant Church congregations have partnered to improve their neighborhood as part of an ecumenical service project, one of many activities gleaned from a review of more than 250 local church newsletters received each month by Covenant Communications.

First Covenant Church and the church plant it is helping to start, Vibrant Covenant Church, participated in an event sponsored by the Luis Palau Association, helping refurbish local public schools on August 21, according to First Covenant pastor John Wenrich (see accompanying photo).

About 20 people helped at Laurelhurst Elementary School, which is one mile from the church. The group mowed, edged, weeded and trimmed bushes as part of a variety of landscaping jobs. About 10,000 people hours were donated by volunteers at 93 public schools on Community Care Day, most coming through the efforts of local congregations. Vibrant Covenant Church, under pastor C.V. Hartline, did its part by building a 60-foot wall for an area school for its Community Care Day project.

Community Group Following are updates from other churches, grouped by conference and region.

CENTRAL

Chicago, Illinois: North Park Covenant Church took a group of adults to Oaxaca, Mexico, from July 16-26 for a project with assistance from Covenant missionaries Tom Kelly and Jo Ellen Reaves and Carl and Karen Kelly. Project missionaries Nils and Erika Clauson also visited the area to assist the group, along with Adam Moore and Doug and Erik Hansen. Pastor Doug Johnson said that the group served at a Covenant church in La Canada, which is one hour south of Oaxaca in a mountain area. They also went to a church in Santa Inez. In a unique partnership effort, the Santa Inez church's children traveled by truck to La Canada for a five-day Bible school – the school revolved around the parable of The Good Samaritan. Other team members were Ralph Athey, Barbara Goode, Alice Hartley, Elizabeth Petersen and Karen Snow. Johnson remarked that 45 children and six goats were present at the Bible school. The team also built a latrine and poured a cement floor for the La Canada facility and donated a folding table and chairs. They ended their trip with sightseeing in Oaxaca and Mexico City and worshiped at the El Dorado Covenant Church in Mexico City.
Schaumburg, Illinois: Covenant pastor Nancy Gordon was featured in a July edition of the Chicago Tribune discussing ministry to Alzheimer's patients. The Bible story method she uses in working with Alzheimer's patients was developed by Sonja Stewart and Jerome Berryman. Several years ago, the Covenant's Department of Christian Formation facilitated training sessions for conference consultants using this approach.

EAST COAST

East Bridgewater, Massachusetts: A group of 11 people from Community Covenant Church were headed for Nome, Alaska, to do construction work for KICY radio, which reaches Alaska and Western Russia with the gospel. Team members are: Tom Wright, Tom Chiocca, Scott Dube, Jana Ballard, Dana Cheney, Lee Stewart, Rob MacNevin, Rachael Stewart, Michelle MacNevin, Ernest Anderson and Ellie Anderson.

ECCAK

Eagle River, Alaska: Community Covenant Church's Roy Daw was part of a mission experience in Russia for two weeks in June as part of an effort co-sponsored by SOAR International Ministries of Kenai, Alaska, and Russia Inland Missions, based in Moscow. His team of nine coordinated and led children's ministries for 77 children, many who had been orphaned, at a camp 40 miles from Moscow. Daw said that 35 children accepted Jesus as their savior and got a positive inspection from a government agency that visited the camp. He said in a newsletter report, "The team felt our visit brought many spiritual benefits as well as benefits to overall Russian-American relationships. I would gladly make the trip again..."
White Mountain, Alaska: Parishioners from Korean Hope Covenant Church in Anchorage helped a Covenant church in White Mountain by putting up a new roof on the church building. Pastor James Fryer also thanked those in the region for helping provide a new wood furnace for the parsonage. The Fryers have been in White Mountain for about one year after the congregation went without a full-time pastor for an extended period. The Shaktoolik Covenant congregation also benefited from a parishioner in the region, Dave Petersen, who refurbished the church's parsonage in anticipation of a new pastor. The congregation has been without a minister for three years. The recent ECCAK newsletter was dedicated to the memory of Matthew "Monty" Montzingo, a parishioner of New Song Covenant Church in Anchorage. On June 17, Montzingo died from fatal injuries suffered in a car accident – the 25-year-old was injured while trying to avoid a moose that had wandered onto the road.

GREAT LAKES

Rochester, New York: Pastor Brian Haak and Quest Covenant Church. The church has had four previews, the most recent on August 15, and average worship attendance has been 60. The church's final preview service is October 18 and weekly worship will begin in October 25. Haak hopes his congregation will be ready to host a grand opening in January. He said that the core group of 15 is extremely creative – a lot are coming from a drama ministry at another congregation – and has been dedicated in putting together quality worship. Haak has been an intern with a non-denominational church in Rochester and began considering church planting in January 2003 after graduating from Northeastern Seminary in Rochester. A classmate from seminary had known about the Evangelical Covenant Church and told Haak about the denomination. Haak contacted pastor Jim Widboom of nearby Trinity Covenant Church and eventually contacted Great Lakes Conference church planting administrator/associate superintendent Larry Sherman.

MIDWEST

Windsor, Colorado: Pomeroy Covenant Church in Iowa sent a contingent of people to Covenant Bible College-Midwest for one week in July to help with a building project. Jeff DeVore, a member of the church and a junior at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, said the trip was well received by CBC-Midwest staff. It was also a positive multigeneration experience for volunteers. One parent wrote, "We were blessed as a family and my kids also experienced more of what it means to be a church family. It was a wonderful way for my sons to learn that there is joy in serving others."

NORTH PACIFIC

Lakebay, Washington: Lakebay Community Church celebrated its 80th anniversary on August 15 as the congregation hosted a picnic at Heron Lake, an 80-acre piece of property owned by a family from the church. Olympia, Washington: Grace Community Covenant Church's Ronda Watson traveled to Mongolia on August for 12 days with Kidzana Ministries, an organization committed to training those who lead children's ministries in various regions.

NORTHWEST

New Richland, Minnesota: Vista Evangelical Covenant Church had a contingent head to Nome, Alaska, for a mission work in August. Team members included Denny and Ginny Roesler, Jim, John and Jared Knutson, Jessica Hendrickson, Greg Moe, Ron and Tyler Beckman and Ken Jackson.
Rochester, Minnesota: The Rochester Covenant Church men's softball team won their league's championship game on July 27 after taking the regular season division title with an 8-2 record. Roseville, Minnesota: Roseville Covenant Church sent a mission team to Unalakleet, Alaska, from July 31 through August 15 to build a house for camp director Chip Swanson, who has spent 40 years serving at Chickaloon Camp in Unalakleet. Those on the mission team included Joan and Roger Anderson, Alan Bergstrom, Cliff Bergren, Wayne Boyd, Duane Dawson, Jim Deline, Mark Englund, Arnold Johnson, Clark Liu, Kevin Nelson, Larry Persuitti, Paul Peterson, Larry Strandine, Paul and Peter Tavernier and Jim Werner.
Wyoming, Minnesota: Linwood Covenant Church sent more than a dozen volunteers to Covenant Bible College-Ecuador to help ready the new campus for students this fall. They also helped an area Covenant church with a project one day, according to a recent church newsletter report.
Brandon, South Dakota: Living Springs Covenant Church sent 33 volunteers to help refurbish a house that is used to assist recently paroled prisoners as they transitioned back into society. The June 19 project included painting, clearing brush, constructing a sidewalk for the house and building relationships with those that are part of New Life Coalition. Team leaders included Dean Sands, Frank and Lori Walker, Dennis Moritz and Julie Waltz. Said the Coalition's founder about the church's efforts, " This is too much to take in, it's incredible. Why don't more churches do this kind of thing?"

PACIFIC SOUTHWEST

Scotts Valley, California: Mission Springs Conference Center executive director Bryan Hayes reported recently about a successful Men's Conference with 140 in attendance. It was the first time the camp had coordinated such an event and Hayes stated that one camper called it "the most significant experience of his life." For more about the camp and the Men's conference, visit the Mission Springs web site at: http://missionsprings.com.
Torrance, California: Life Covenant Church celebrated its one-year anniversary in a more hectic manner than most congregations as pastor Tim Morey reported in a recent email that the congregation had to find a new location with only three weeks notice due to construction. Fortunately, he said, "God provided a new location and we're doing great in it. Two couples recently joined the church after coming to our open sharing night in celebration of our one-year anniversary."
Turlock, California: A Cornerstone Covenant Church mission team of 26 people left for Alaska July 31 to help clear land at Alaska Christian College, Soldotna, Alaska. They included: J.F. Clegg, Eric, Joe, Ken and Sue Bonander, Betsy Boydston, Caitlin Byrne, Bill, Cindy, Tom and Chelsea Gibbs, Dhyan and Mike Gilton, Paul Gorman, Blanche and Larry Krumm, Gordon McNulty, Karole, Kris and Kurt Palmberg, Ingrid and Jim Pearson, Jon-Erik Walker, Donald Weaver, Dan Whitmarsh and Tim Wilson.

SOUTHEAST

Greensboro, North Carolina: Trinity Covenant Church's Natalie George recently showed 40 of her paintings at the Tessera Gallery in Winston-Salem. The main set of pieces was entitled: (ITAL) Vignettes: Still Life Paintings on Paper. Another person affiliated with the church, Bill Stedman, recently rode his bike to raise funds for an organization called Gospel of Asia. The bikes will be used as transportation for native missionaries in the region.
Printable version of this page.