By Rev. Steven Larson, Senior Pastor of Redeemer Covenant Church in Brooklyn Park, MN 

Phillips Brooks wrote, "Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger. Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for power equal to your tasks."  

"The hopes and fears of all the years / Are met in thee tonight." (O Little Town of Bethlehem)

Hopes and fears are types of dreams that we all have. There are things that we hope will happen and things we fear might come true. What we fear can paralyze us in our tracks, while what we hope for can powerfully move us forward. God desires to fill our hearts with big dreams.

A God-sized dream ensures our spiritual growth. When God calls us to something, it can feel like an outfit that is the wrong size; gaping in places and pinching in others. We desire to send it back for a more reasonably-sized dream, one that doesn't cause so much discomfort. Tell that to Joseph, Abraham, Ruth, Esther, Daniel and the Apostle Paul!

A God-sized dream forces us to invite others into a bigger story. We must talk about it with each other, share it with other Christian churches in our community, and actually tell people in this community what God is calling us to be. This is the way our story will become their story, too. God will use this to inspire others as they see what is possible for an ordinary church with a God-sized dream when we put our trust in him.

A God-sized dream gives glory to God only, not us. God is up to something big when he plants his dreams in our hearts. If we were able to achieve our calling by our own strength, we would also take all the glory. But when we stand at the base of an impossible mountain, shaking in our boots, knowing full well our legs could never carry us to the summit, we are forced to rely on God and praise him for every step he enables us to take.

In the end, our calling will shine the light on an infinitely powerful God, who is enlarging his Kingdom through us day by day. We fully experience God's dream when we completely trust him, and when we graciously walk with our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Seek a God-sized dream for your church!

For over 20 years, high school students in the Northwest Conference have been challenged and formed by Adventures in Leadership (see below). Now, a new initiative is being piloted in the NWC to challenge students as leaders, in addition to AIL.

This August, the NWC will launch Emerge-a weekend leadership retreat designed for high school students to explore who they are as leaders.  

Emerge combines practical teaching, hands-on interactive learning experiences and time for individual reflection, peer-to-peer feedback and group worship.

This is a national Covenant initiative that is being piloted in the Northwest Conference. Emerge takes place Aug. 24-26 at Lake Beauty Bible Camp. The cost is $75 per person. More details and promotional materials coming soon.

Can high schoolers lead? Sure they can lead their peers, but can they lead the church? The Northwest Conference is banking on it.

Developing strong Christian leaders is a core value woven throughout our priorities. For over 20 years, we've fostered this value with high school student leaders via Adventures in Leadership, an experiential leadership challenge in the north woods of Minnesota.

This annual leadership development experience took place June 16-23. Twenty-one high school students and a group of youth pastors and wilderness guides joined together at Adventurous Christians in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) where they learned what it means to be a Christian leader.

Later this summer, the NWC will facilitate an AIL experience for youth leaders and students who are interested in bringing the program to their conferences. 

Visit our News page to read the full story, or click here to see a gallery of images from AIL 2012 on Flickr. 

Northwest Conference churches, members and attendees have an opportunity to stand alongside our Congolese friends in the remote area of Congo known as Equateur Province. Along with them, we are seeking to turn around the most overlooked province in the neediest country of the world.  

But it will take all of us, says ECC President Gary Walter. A partnership with World Vision is about to make sure our Congolese friends receive the help they need. Together we can make a difference!

Right now, we ask our NWC churches to schedule a "Hope Sunday" this coming fall 2012 in order to give members and attendees the opportunity to sponsor a child in Congo.  

For $40 per month, a Covenant household can make it possible to promote clean water, nutrition, education, health, and economic development; expressing God's love in tangible ways that provide opportunities for the recipients to experience new life in Jesus Christ.

An unprecedented need ... an unprecedented partnership!

Visit the Covenant Kids Congo blog to learn more and sign up to host a "Hope Sunday."  

Watch a video introduction to Covenant Kids Congo by ECC staff. 

You probably have a good idea of what your family needs to feel secure. With a Will, you can work toward that security by deciding how assets are distributed and determining legal guardianship of children after your death. Without a Will, these decisions are left to the probate court, and their decisions might not provide the type of care and resources for your family that you had intended.

A Revocable Living Trust gives more control over the distribution of assets and avoids the cost and delays associated with probate. You can establish for whom the trust will provide, to what extent, and for how long. As your situation changes, you can amend the trust as needed. When you name someone else as trustee, the trustee can manage your assets, even after your death.

Please visit  http://www.covenanttrust.com/news/ to read more.

© 2012, Covenant Trust Company. All Rights Reserved.

Communications Corner

Our 2012 Annual Meeting included the debut of three new videos highlighting the Ministry Priorities of the Northwest Conference. Each video features interview segments with church staff, lay leaders and pastors, intermixed with animations of statistics and key statements designed to help explain each priority.  

The videos are designed for use throughout the year in church new member classes, services and other adult education opportunities to help congregations better understand and engage the work of the NWC. The delegates from each church left with a DVD copy of the videos, and the series is available on the NWC web site's video page (www.nwc-cov.org/resources/videos) and Vimeo Channel (http://vimeo.com/channels/northwest).