NWC Annual Meeting special offering to benefit compassion and justice grant funding

Childcare provided during Friday worship service 

 

The 2012 Northwest Conference Annual Meeting, which will feature the theme "Mission Friends: Love Mercy, Do Justice," will take place April 20-21 at Alexandria Covenant Church in Alexandria, MN. "Love Mercy, Do Justice" is one of the Five Smooth Stones (core ministries) of the Evangelical Covenant Church.   

 

Opportunity to Give

As we prepare to gather in Alexandria for our 2012 Annual Meeting, our theme will be "Love Mercy, Do Justice." The Covenant Church has always been characterized by its commitment to the whole mission of God. We have understood that the work of mission includes evangelism and Christian formation. However, it also includes benevolent ministries of compassion and justice in the face of suffering and oppression. After all, Covenanters, like all Christians, are called to proclaim this good news with their words and actions.

 

Through faithful witness, the lost are found in Christ. In acts of generosity and compassion, people are ministered to and justice is proclaimed. In the very work of evangelism and mission, we seek to embody the presence of Jesus Christ with head, hands, voice and heart.

 

In the incarnation of Jesus Christ, "God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross" (Colossians 1:19-20). This bears witness to God's boundless passion for both the souls and earthly lives of all people, and for all that God has made. When we address not only the consequences, but also the causes of suffering, we live out what it means to be the body of Christ in the world.

 

Therefore, when we gather in Alexandria for our Annual Meeting, we will have opportunity to invest directly into ministries of compassion and justice through our NWC churches. For years the NWC has sponsored specific initiatives that have provided seed grants to local churches launching or expanding ministries of compassion and justice within their communities. This year's Annual Meeting offering will provide designated support for this continued commitment by your conference. As we always have done, let us continue to give generously to our shared mission.

Speaker: Soong-Chan Rah 

In keeping with the theme of this year's meeting, Dr. Soong-Chan Rah will be the keynote speaker for both the NWC Annual Meeting, and the Ministerial Association Annual Meeting, which takes place April 19-20 at the same location.

Rah is Milton B. Engebretson Associate Professor of Church Growth and Evangelism at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago, IL, and the author of "The Next Evangelicalism: Freeing the Church from Western Cultural Captivity."

Brochures and registration materials for the 2012 NWC Annual Meeting are available at http://nwc-cov.org/2012-nwc-annual-meeting 

The Northwest Conference is a sponsor of Coming Together 2012, a 1-day multicultural leadership conference on "building a healthy multi-ethnic church." The conference is Friday, May 11.

The plenary speakers are Le Que Heidkamp (Mercy Vineyard Church) and Mark DeYmaz (Mosaic Church). Coming Together 2012 is designed to help pastors, ministry leaders and volunteers learn skills needed to create healthy, multi-ethnic communities, and to provide opportunities to bridge the divides that separate us.

Registration is $59 for individuals and $40 per person for groups of five or more. Conference registration includes lunch.  

REGISTER ONLINE at www.comingtogethertc.org 

DETAILS

Friday, May 11

8:50-4:30

Hosted at Grace Church Roseville (Co.Rd. B2 & Hamline)

North Park Theological Seminary on the campus of North Park University

Though our churches are home to many victims of abuse, congregations, pastors, leaders, youth workers, and lay persons often lack the knowledge, training and resources to help. This eight-hour training uses a research-based curriculum to educate, equip and train the faith-based community on the nature and effects of abuse and to empower and equip churches for ministry to those impacted by domestic violence and childhood sexual abuse.

Schedule:

Friday, May 4, 6:30 to 9 p.m. (check-in begins at 6 p.m.)

Saturday, May 5, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (check-in begins at 7:30 a.m.)

Cost: $89

Lunch included

Registration, Links and More Information available at http://mendingthesoultraining.eventbrite.com

On March 30-31, 250 students and youth workers from throughout the Northwest Conference converged on First Covenant Church in Minneapolis, MN, for M.O.V.E. 2012-a weekend of teaching, worship, service and experiential learning. This year's theme was "TRU: Faith. Justice. Love."

To read more about the Light Rail Tour, worship experiences, and reactions from students and leaders, read the full story online.