By Bob De Young, NWC Ministerial Association Chair

All pastors agree that when it comes to the offering in our churches, planned, thoughtful giving is the way to go. Spur of the moment giving leaves people unprepared and unable to give as much as they would like to at times.

With this in mind let me encourage you to be thinking ahead to our annual October Pastor's Retreat in Grand Rapids and the offering that we will receive for the Ministerial Crisis Fund. Every year the Crisis Fund helps Pastors and their families with all kinds of emergency needs and it is an honor to be able to respond in the affirmative when these needs appear.

Thanks for all your generosity in the past. The opportunity to share in each other's needs is one way that we can live out our solidarity with each other in the work of the Gospel.

Buffalo Covenant Church will host a Faith@Home Weekend, Oct. 5-6  

On Saturday, Oct. 5, Buffalo Covenant Church will host the Faith@Home focused church seminar from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. This seminar is for pastors, church leaders and volunteers, providing guidance in weaving the Faith@Home focus across every ministry of the church. The cost of registration is $25 per person, but senior pastors attend for free. Churches are encouraged to bring a team of leaders who can work together to effectively implement Faith@Home in their congregation.

Sunday is the Extreme Family Makeover Parenting Seminar from 3 to 6 p.m. Pastor Mark Holmen will inspire parents with the importance of establishing their home as a discipleship center for their family. Childcare will be available for the Parenting Seminar.

Mark the dates now and be sure to bring a team of church leaders, including your senior pastor to the Saturday seminar and a bunch of parents to the Sunday seminar. Download the flyer for details, or register online now.  

Covenant Kids Congo update   

Fall is upon us and the Covenant Kids Congo powered by World Vision movement is continuing through Covenant churches across America. We continue to be encouraged by the progress unfolding in this miraculous ministry both in our development efforts here and on the ground in Congo!

As you are reading this, the construction of three schools is underway, with parents and community members at the helm of the collaborative process with World Vision! Additionally, mothers are attending nutrition classes on how to prepare meals in ways that preserve nutrients vital to the health and quality of life of their children and families. Current processes are also underway to drill and rehabilitate existing water sources in an effort to provide water for 300,000 people in the Equateur Province!

Your generous support of CKC this past year was an instrumental catalyst to our successful partnership with Covenant churches and World Vision. To date, we have nearly 350 church participants and close to 6,000 children sponsored.

We are astounded by the progress we've enjoyed in less than a year, and we know it has only been because of the grace and love God continues to bestow upon us and our brothers and sisters of Congo daily.

While we are excited about the churches who have already vowed to stand alongside our brothers and sisters in Congo, we know that there are still more churches yet to participate and many more Covenanters yet to be inspired. Won't you consider signing your church up for a Hope event this Fall? It's as easy as going to this website and signing up. Covenant Kids Congo will resource you and coach you through the process: www.covchurch.org/covenantkidscongo

Covenant Orientation Class to be offered at Bethel University 

History of the Evangelical Covenant Church will be offered at Bethel University (St Paul, MN) Nov. 4-8.  

Download the registration form