News from the Northwest Conference

2014 Annual Meeting

Join us in Rochester for a celebration of God's activity!

The 2014 NWC Annual Meeting will take place May 1-3 at Rochester Covenant Church, Rochester, MN. We're putting the final touches on the meetings and worship service details, and really looking forward to our time together.

Here are a few of the highlights:

A focus on Church Planting

The Northwest Conference is on the move! And part of that movement involves planting new churches as an expression of our desire to advance the Kingdom of God, as well as reflect our love for both God and those for whom Christ died and rose again.

It is also a reflection of our willingness to live in obedience to our Lord's admonition to share His love in both word and deed. More will be shared at the Annual Meeting on how we intend to do just that ...

Speaker

John Teter is the Church Planting Team Leader for the Evangelical Covenant Church. Teter also serves as Senior Pastor of Fountain of Life Covenant Church in Long Beach, CA, which he and his wife, Becky, planted in 2007.

A Bible expositor, Teter has written two books, "Get the Word Out" and "Jesus & the Hip Hop Prophets," co-authored with Alex Gee.

Ministry Fair

The Friday Business Session will conclude with the "Celebration of Mission" Ministry Fair. Delegates and attendees will have an opportunity to learn about and interact with a whole host of conference-related ministries including representatives from our camps, Women Ministries, Town & Country Ministries, Covenant Trust Company, CHET and many more.

CHET: Special Offering

The offering at the 2014 NWC Annual Meeting is for our local satellite campus of CHET (Centro Hispano de Educación Teológico), the Covenant Spanish-language theology school in the Northwest Conference. It is now entering its fourth year of classes; operating on Monday evenings at Minnehaha Academy.

For more details and to register online, visit our 2014 Annual Meeting page.

Youth Ministry

MOVE 2014 another great success!

We had an amazing MOVE weekend, April 4-5. Two hundred and sixty-eight high school students and leaders converged on First Covenant in Minneapolis for 22.5 hours of worship, learning and serving. Look for the full story on the NWC MOVE page. Visit the Children, Youth and Family media page to see photos from the event.

Many thanks to Todd Bratulich and his team at First Covenant and the rest of the MOVE team: Erick Abramson (Bloomington), Mary Kate Fretheim (Minnehaha Academy), Jason Hovis (Karmel), Zach Klein (Maywood), Kate Makosky (First Covenant, St. Paul), and LaToya Taris-James (Community, Minneapolis).

Covenant Trust Company

Retirement Planning

Do you have a retirement plan? It is a vital part of anyone's financial plan. In honor of National Financial Literacy Month, here are a few healthy financial practices as you plan for your retirement.

Create a retirement plan

Don't let uncertainties keep you from creating a retirement plan. Even if you're already retired, it's not too late to make a financial plan to cover your needs. Think about things like what your medical needs may be and when you'll receive social security. Consider alternatives in case your needs change.

Not all retirement accounts are the same

Retirement accounts have different contribution limits, tax obligations, and various restrictions or requirements. Review all your options to find the best retirement account(s) for your financial situation.

Understanding your retirement accounts is just as important during retirement. Does your retirement account have a Required Minimum Distribution? Will your withdrawals be taxed? Reviewing your retirement accounts can help you avoid tax penalties and develop a withdrawal strategy that will extend the life of your investments.

Review your portfolio

It's important to regularly review your portfolio. You may discover the need to rebalance your portfolio to maintain your original asset allocation, or you may need to alter your asset allocation to reduce your risk as you get closer to retirement.

Make sure your portfolio reflects your needs and desires; if it doesn't, adjust your investment strategy accordingly.

What are your retirement needs?

If you haven't started saving for retirement, if you're already retired, or if you're anywhere in-between, Covenant Trust Company can help you with your financial plan. Give one of our local Financial Service Representative a call to discuss your retirement needs.

Kevin Lawson, CFP®, 1-877-222-3960 or kelawson@CovenantTrust.com

Steve Allison, ChFC, 1-877-768-1766 or srallison@CovenantTrust.com

To read more, please visit http://www.covenanttrust.com/news/

To request information, please visit http://www.covenanttrust.com/info/

Alice (Kramer) Danielson

Alice (Kramer) Danielson, a former Parish Worker within the Northwest Conference and the Evangelical Covenant Church, passed away on Friday, April 11, in Minneapolis. She was 95 years old. During her tenure in the NWC, she served in positions in Duluth, Biwabik, and Richfield, MN. She was also a long-time member at First Covenant Church (Mpls). Peace be to her memory!

Ruth Barram

Ruth Barram, widow of Covenant pastor Norman Barram, died on Saturday, April 12. A funeral service was held at United Church of Christ in Parkston, SD on April 15. Read the Covenant Newswire story here.

Ask the Lord of the Harvest

Bring materials to 2014 NWC Annual Meeting

It is our annual tradition to celebrate our intentional evangelism efforts at the Northwest Conference and Evangelical Covenant Church annual meetings. "Ask the Lord of the Harvest" (formerly "Bringing My World To Christ" and "What's Your One Step?") encourages us to keep praying for those we know and love who need Jesus.

BRING the prayer cards with you to the Northwest Conference annual meeting (prayer cards can also be mailed to the Northwest Conference office).

NWC Website
Church Resource Bank

Our website features a great tool for churches requesting or giving away materials and resources. On the Church Resource Bank page, you can browse available requests or give-aways, and submit a new resource to share with churches in need.

April 17, 2014

IN THIS ISSUE

2014 Annual Meeting

Youth Ministry: MOVE 2014 follow-up

Retirement Planning

Recent Deaths

Ask the Lord of the Harvest

NWC cal icon tan

April 26, 2014

Go:Serve - Redeemer Covenant Church, Brooklyn Park, MN

May 1-2, 2014

Ministerial Association Annual Meeting - Rochester Covenant Church, Rochester, MN

May 2-3, 2014

NWC Annual Meeting - Rochester Covenant Church, Rochester, MN

June 21-28, 2014

Adventures in Leadership - Adventurous Christians, Grand Marais, MN

July 19, 2014

Covenant Softball Tournament - Fridley Community Park, Fridley, MN

August 7-9, 2014

MUUUCE - Crossroads Church, Woodbury, MN

September 3-5, 2014

CRIM (Covenanters Retired in Ministry) Retreat - Covenant Pines Bible Camp

October 6-8, 2014

Ministerial Association Retreat - Sugar Lake Lodge

November 8, 2014

IMAGINE - Salem Covenant Church, New Brighton, MN

November 8, 2014

VIVE - Location TBD

NWC Job Postings Page

Pastors and ministry leaders, if you have people in your congregation who are exploring ministry, on a part- or full-time basis, please refer them to our job postings page.