Come hear about "The Next Chapter" for the Northwest Conference at our 2011 Annual Meeting, which will take place at Crossview Covenant Church in North Mankato, MN, April 28-30.

Join us as we celebrate the amazing work being done in and through our churches and discuss what the future holds for our collective ministry. We are excited to celebrate the faithful work of outgoing Superintendent Rev. Jim Fretheim and look to the future as we welcome nominee Rev. Mark Stromberg.

REMINDER: The deadlines for hotel room block reservations for the Northwest Conference 2011 Annual Meeting are approaching. Block reservations at area hotels will expire on either March 28 or April 1 (see Annual Meeting brochure for details).

Twenty eight pastors and church leaders from around the Northwest Conference met for a workshop on Saturday, March 12, at Prairieview Covenant Church in New Richmond, WI, to develop their leadership skills. The workshop, sponsored by the conference's Town and Country Commission, targeting the key elements of leadership in a shifting leadership landscape.

Dr. Mark McCloskey, Professor of Ministry Leadership at Bethel Seminary, led the workshop. McCloskey noted, "In the last 10 years there has been a fundamental shift in how leaders need to lead in order to be effective. This is as true for church leaders as it is for business leaders. We want to make sure leaders in smaller churches have the resources necessary to be effective."

The workshop was a follow-up to a seminar that the Town and Country Commission held last fall for pastors in conjunction with the Ministerium Retreat. That seminar, also conducted by McCloskey, focused on how pastors can be more effective leaders and how they can help their lay leaders develop their leadership skills.

"Next fall we will be having McCloskey back again to lead a seminar focusing on how Town and Country churches can develop effective goals and visions," noted Randy Young, chair of the commission. "This is a logical extension of our efforts to help local church leaders develop their leadership skills." 

Jan Hansen, a member of Community Covenant Church in Minneapolis, MN, and the Northwest Conference Executive Board, and former member of the Minnehaha Academy Board of Education, slipped and fell, sustaining a head injury last month. Jan is now recovering at home and getting stronger each day.  She is grateful for your prayers and concern.

Soudinh Penkay 

Soudinh Penkay, pastor of Laotian Covenant Church in Brooklyn Center, MN, recently underwent surgery to remove a growth from his chest that was pressing on his heart. A full recovery is expected. 

On Wednesday, April 6, at 2 p.m., new Covenant Trust Company President Ann Wiesbrock will be at Covenant Village in Golden Valley, MN, to discuss "What's new at Covenant Trust?"

Ann assumed the role of President of Covenant Trust following the retirement of Charles Walles last year. For more information about Ann, please see the article on the Covenant Trust Company website: http://www.covenanttrust.com/news/archive/news.aspx?nid=35

This event is open to everyone and would be a great opportunity to learn more about Covenant Trust and how the organization is able to partner with your specific ministry. For more information or directions please contact our local representative, Kevin Lawson at 1-877-222-3960 or kelawson@covenanttrust.com.

Spiritual direction is the focus of the next scheduled live webcast from the Media Center at Covenant offices, to take place at 10 a.m. (CDT) on Wednesday, March 23.

Mary Miller, who recently served as director of the Making Connections initiative at North Park Theological Seminary, will serve as moderator of a four-member panel that will explore what spiritual direction is, what it hopes to achieve, and ways in which it is being effectively used by pastors, parachurches and other ministry leaders.

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