NWC Calendar
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January 31-February 4
Covenant Midwinter Conference, Chicago, IL
February 12
Advocacy for Victims of Abuse (AVA) Informational Meeting, Faith Covenant Church in Burnsville, MN
February 20
Founder's Day Service, First Covenant Church in St. Paul, MN
March 25-26
NWC Women Ministries Spring Renewal Event, Minnehaha Academy
April 1-2
M.O.V.E. 2011 - First Covenant Church, Minneapolis, MN
April 28-30
NWC Annual Meeting - Crossview Covenant Church, North Mankato, MN
May 16-18
Youth Pastor's Retreat, Adventurous Christians, Grand Marais, MN
June 11-18
Adventures in Leadership - Adventurous Christians, Grand Marais, MN
June 25-28
The Feast - Estes Park, CO
June 28-30
Evangelical Covenant Church Annual Meeting - Estes Park, CO
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Pathways to Leadership that Lasts
By Paul E. Hopkins
 In her Pulitzer Prize-winning biography of the Rev. Henry Ward Beecher, historian Debby Applegate tells the story of how Beecher became, during the middle of the nineteenth century, deserving of Abraham Lincoln's claim that he was "the most influential man in America." His passionate preaching against slavery made him a champion of the abolition movement, and in the fight for racial justice, he was a forerunner to an even more famous clergyman of recent times, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Beecher, the son of a "fire-and-brimstone" preacher who early in life appeared unpromising compared to his more talented siblings, spent most of his career as a parish pastor preaching a gospel of unconditional love. His most enduring pastoral labors built Brooklyn's Plymouth Congregational Church into one of the country's most dynamic congregations. And although his later years were tainted by allegations of infidelity with a parishioner, his leadership was undeniably a powerful ecclesiastical and cultural force that changed people's lives and paved the way for modern American Christianity.
Pastoral leaders, whether saintly or even deeply flawed, have transformed the world in sometimes visible, and much more often quiet ways for two thousand years. Pastoral leadership can and should be nothing less than a fundamental resource in healing and saving the world. How to carry out that important leadership, however, is not so clear. Human diversity and the wide range of theological and ecclesiastical expressions of the ministry of Jesus Christ foster an incredibly rich spectrum of strategies and tactics for the exercise of pastoral leadership. Effective pastoral leaders today will likely draw upon a wealth of leadership theories and tools, but the fundamental focus of their work-their fruit-must be transforming the lives of people, churches, and the world. Continue reading online Adapted from Pursuing Pastoral Excellence: Pathways to Fruitful Leadership by Paul E. Hopkins, copyright © 2011 by the Alban Institute. All rights reserved. |
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2011 NWC Annual Meeting online registration launched
'Mission Friends: The Next Chapter' chosen as meeting theme
 It's that time of year again. Time to begin selecting delegates and making plans to attend the Northwest Conference Annual Meeting, which will take place at Crossview Covenant Church in North Mankato, April 28-30.
The meeting's events are open to all who wish to attend, and you won't want to miss the worship celebrations and leadership workshops being offered this year.
Mark your calendars now and be on the lookout for the 2011 NWC Annual Meeting brochure/poster in the coming weeks.
 
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2011 Founder's Day Service
Join us on Feb. 20 at First Covenant Church in St. Paul at 6 p.m. for the 2011 Founder's Day Service. Donn Engebretson, Executive Vice President and Secretary of the ECC, will be speaking. We will enjoy worship together, and coffee and refreshments will be served after the service. First Covenant Church is located at 1280 Arcade Street, St. Paul, 55106. Please let your congregations know they are invited, and we look forward to seeing many of you in a few weeks. |
Communications Corner
Questions to ask yourself about your church's website
By Bryan Malley If your church already has a site, here are a few things to think about: - Does the Domain Name make sense?
- Do I know where I am inside the site?
- Is there a clear path to answers or actions visitors are most likely seeking?
- Does the home page include images?
- Can I donate easily from the Home page?
- Are you capturing emails?
- Are you sharing stories of successes?
- Is the content up to date, and is it easy to contact you?
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The Northwest Conference on Facebook
Become a fan of the Northwest Conference on Facebook to receive important notifications and see photos from events.
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