NWC Staff News  

Sandy Norris hired as new Director of Finance 

At the Northwest Conference Annual Meeting in May, we approved a budget for the 2014-15 fiscal year that provided funds to call a .75FTE Director of Finance to the NWC office. We believe that this position will prove to be invaluable in serving as a resource to our existing churches and their finance personnel, whether they be staff members or volunteers.

Rev. Sandra (Sandy) Norris has been selected and approved for this role by the Executive Board of the NWC at our recent meeting on July 21. She will begin in her new role on Sept. 1, 2014.

Currently, Sandy already works with many existing NWC churches, as well as our new church plants, through her own business called "Counting House." She will continue to service these churches, if it be their desire, as a staff person at the Conference office. Moreover, as a NWC staff member, she will also be available to connect with even more of our churches. While Sandy will be available to assist in a variety of ways without cost, other services will be on a fee-for-service basis.

Please join us in welcoming Sandy to the Northwest Conference staff. Like the rest of us, she is here to serve you.

Youth Ministry 

Emerge registration deadline extended to Aug. 15! 

Aug. 22-24, 2014 

Lake Beauty Bible Camp 

In addition to worship, teaching and hands-on learning experiences (including high and low ropes), students can choose from seminars on how to lead worship, lead as an athlete, lead a school club, lead a Bible study, lead from the stage/speaking, lead peers in crisis, and how to create and lead games.  

CHIC registration opens Aug. 15. Check www.chic2015.org for all the latest CHIC info

Children, Youth & Family Ministry 

'Sticky Faith: Practical & Tested Ideas to Build Family Faith,' with Dr. Kara Powell, a seminar for parents and grandparents

Friday, Sept. 12, 2014 at 7 p.m. 

Minnehaha Academy, upper campus chapel

3100 West River Parkway, Minneapolis, MN (Directions)  

Cost: FREE

Together with Minnehaha Academy, the Northwest Conference is excited to host Dr. Kara Powell from Fuller Youth Institute as she leads a seminar for parents and grandparents of Northwest Conferences churches and Minnehaha Academy.

Approximately 40-50% of graduating seniors pick up their diplomas and ditch their faith. Come and learn all sorts of new research-based, practical tips from the Fuller Youth Institute that your family can apply immediately to help kids of all ages develop a faith that sticks.

This event is free and open to parents and grandparents. No childcare will be provided. Questions? Contact Kara Stromberg, Director of Children & Family Ministry.

Download a Flyer to advertise the seminar at your church 

Interested in making a weekend of it?

There are two more training events happening this same weekend that may be of interest to you:

The Orange Tour

The Orange Tour is a shorter, simpler version of the Orange conference, held on Friday, Sept. 12, at Emmanuel Christian Center in Spring Lake Park, MN. This is for children, youth and family ministry teams. 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Registration information here: http://www.orangetour.org/dates-and-locations 

Refuel

The University of Northwestern, St. Paul, offers a training event on Saturday, Sept. 13, for youth workers. Information here:

 https://www.unwsp.edu/web/church-relations/refuel 

Church Planting   

New Covenant Church planted in Eau Claire, WI  

On Aug. 1, Pastor Jamie Staples began planting Renew Covenant Church in Eau Claire, WI. Key partner churches supporting this plant are First Covenant Church, Red Wing, MN, Cedarbrook Church, Menomonie, WI, Zion Covenant Church, Ellsworth, WI and Bethel Covenant Church, Ellsworth, WI. Jamie formerly served as the youth pastor at First Covenant Church in Red Wing, MN.

Please be praying for Jamie and his wife Emily as they relocate to Eau Claire and begin the planting process. We are excited to see what God will do with this new work. Looking at our current Northwest Conference churches in Wisconsin, this is the first Covenant Church plant in over 100 years. We are praying that this is just the first of many in the next few years.

Upcoming Event  

Fretheim Lecture at Luther Seminary to feature Brueggemann   

On Sept. 22, Luther Seminary will hold the inaugural Terence E. and Faith L. Fretheim Lecture in Biblical Theology. Dr. Walter Brueggemann, professor emeritus of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary, will present his lecture, titled, "Why the Old Testament Must Not Go Away." Brueggemann's lecture will focus on the ways in which the Church has neglected and rejected the Old Testament, as well as the reasons for continued interaction with it.

Following this event, on Sept. 23, Brueggemann will give a second presentation, titled, "Preaching the Old Testament." This lecture will invite pastors and church leaders to reflect on the theological and homiletical richness of the Old Testament. After this, a conversation between Brueggemann and Terry Fretheim, professor emeritus of Old Testament at Luther Seminary, will be held. A $10 lunch buffet will be available following these events.

The lecture will be held in the Chapel of the Incarnation in the Olson Campus Center on the Luther Seminary campus. For more information about this event, please visit www.luthersem.edu/lectures/fretheim.