The group includes 11 high school and college students who are involved both at Bellingham Covenant and in other local congregations. The group performs eight dramas in a series over the course of 90 minutes, according to part-time youth director Steve Hiller. Materials have been taken from DRIME, a parachurch drama organization that has been used successfully at Trinity Western University in Langley, British Columbia. A student who had worked with DRIME, Michelle Miller, helped bring the concept to the church.

A few adults are also part of the program. Some members participate directly in the dramas while other members converse with those who are watching, in some cases soliciting prayer requests from the audience and talking about Jesus Christ and the message the dramas present. The drama series - just one element in a youth program that includes 25-35 people - has been meaningful to those who have taken part thus far, Hiller says.

"This was a grass roots ministry that started because the youth wanted to do it," says Hiller. "I was the volunteer youth leader at the time and went along for the ride. The modeling of DRIME was key to making this fly and they have been super supportive of helping us grow our ministry. Several of the youth over the last three years were interested in drama, which is one of the draws. The fellowship amongst the group has been incredible and now the passion to share with people has really added a great element. It is the Lord that has drawn this group together and He continues to amaze us with how he can use people when they are available."

To learn more about SOL, call Hiller at 360-733-7364. To learn more about DRIME, visit the group's website at www.drime.com.

Many Covenant churches and their youth are making differences in their communities as well, as reflected in the more than 250 local church newsletters received each month by Covenant Communications. Following are highlights grouped by conference and region.

CANADA

• Winnipeg, Manitoba: A young adults retreat last fall drew about 60 people to Faith Covenant Church with pastor Art Greco of Marin Covenant Church in San Rafael, California, as the guest speaker.

CENTRAL

• Belvidere, Illinois: The Evangelical Covenant Church of Belvidere Awana Club recently completed a service project by marching in the Belvidere Hometown Christmas Parade and passing out 2,000 candy canes and 1,000 gospel tracts. A fellow parishioner, Beth Limones, designed the float used in the parade.
• Crest Hill, Illinois: Renee Glaum of the Church of the Good Shepherd Evangelical Covenant Church was her congregation's 2004 Lucia Queen. A junior at Plainfield South High School, she has been a participant on her school's swimming team for two years and has participated in the area's March of Dimes Marathon the past nine years. She is also active in her church's youth program, served at various Vacation Bible School programs for her church and traveled to Toronto last summer for a mission project. Another student in the congregation, Kristina Wilson, was a performer January 7-9 (she was Babette) in the Lincoln Way East High School's production of Beauty and the Beast.
• South Bend, Indiana: The Evangelical Covenant Church of South Bend's Kipchumba Kibet won the fifth grade level of a spelling bee at nearby First Christian Baptist School. Meanwhile, Cierra Strawder was among 222 St. Joseph County students honored by the Urban League of South Bend for earning at least a 3.0 grade-point average (on a 4.0 scale) while being involved in other school and community efforts.

EAST COAST

• West Peabody, Massachusetts: Two teens from Community Covenant Church are talented musicians as Tim Cushing plays trombone for the Wakefield High School band and Will Bowers is a drummer for the nearby Danvers High School band. Cushing's band won top honors at three competitions recently and will travel to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, for a spring 2005 event. Bowers and his band played in the 2005 Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California, on January 1.

NORTH PACIFIC

• Eugene, Oregon: Valley Covenant Church's Paul Meshink was honored by Boy Scouts of America with an Eagle Scout Award, which was given at his Eagle Court of Honor on January 2 at the church. The Eagle Scout Award is the highest honor given by Boy Scouts of America.
• Kent, Washington: Eight youth at Kent Covenant Church learned a little about homelessness recently as the youth program leaders simulated a refugee's journey in the streets of Seattle's International district and visited imitation United Nation interview stations. The United National officials, played by volunteers working with a local World Relief agency, helped with the project.
• Seattle, Washington: First Covenant Church was recently spotlighted in the North Pacific Conference's bi-monthly newsletter for assisting high school students with a Friday night "Free Food for Teens" project that a church family leads. A large group of street kids are fed by the church and the story by Rick Lund documents how people both inside and outside the church are impacted. The full article can be found on the conference website at www.covchurch-npc.org under the Conference News link.
• Concord, California: Crossroads Covenant Church parishioner Grace Farag recently returned from a short-term mission trip to the Middle East sponsored by the parachurch organization Youth With a Mission (YWAM). Her contingent served in Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Iraq, learning about how the arts (photography, writing, video) can be effectively used in mission projects. Farag also spent time in Israel and Palestine. Her group hopes to take notes, video clips and photographs from the trip and assemble a presentation that will enable speakers to better tell the story of YWAM in the Middle East and inspire people to become involved in mission work there.

ELSEWHERE

• Medellin, Colombia: High school student Skye Sander, son of Covenant missionaries Gary and Mary Lou Sander, recently competed in a bi-national soccer tournament and helped his squad win the championship.