News from the Northwest Conference

Jessa Anderson joins NWC staff

We are pleased to welcome Jessa Anderson to the Northwest Conference staff. Jessa is our new Administrative Coordinator and will be answering the phone, welcoming guests to the office, coordinating Children, Youth & Family events and offering administrative support to the staff. She will be in the office on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Jessa is married to Erik Anderson who serves as the High School Pastor at Crossroads Church in Woodbury, MN. They have a 7-year-old daughter, Noi, who is in 1st grade at Minnehaha Academy.

Toward the Goal of Justice

Join Community Covenant, Sanctuary Covenant and other churches in the Northwest Conference for a special Martin Luther King worship service with special Guest Speaker, Pastor Edrin Williams of Sanctuary Covenant Church.

Sunday, Jan. 18 @ Community Covenant Church, 901 Humbolt Ave. N, Minneapolis, MN 55411

4 p.m. Worship Service / 5 p.m. Soul Food Potluck

Download the flyer for the event to promote in your church

Youth Ministry

Did you go to CHIC?

As a CHIC alumni, you know how God works in high school students' lives at this triennial Covenant event. Would you help a teenager get to CHIC? It's expensive. $649 for registration + $205 for transportation makes it a challenge for a number of our kids.

We want to raise enough money to fund 100 $100 scholarships to invest in students who desperately want to go but can't quite afford it. This CHIC, we're planning on over 1,500 people from the Northwest Conference alone. Please partner with us to get each kid who wants to go to CHIC to CHIC. Every dollar helps us reach our goal.

http://www.youcaring.com/other/get-northwest-conference-kids-to-chic/265502

Finance

Churches, employees should consider ACA tax ramifications

Churches may no longer reimburse employees for, or directly pay, the cost of individual health insurance policy premiums with either pre-tax or after-tax dollars due to provisions of the Affordable Care Act, says Christina Kempe, Bethany Benefits Service Coordinator.

As a result, employees must pay taxes on whatever funds they receive from the church to pay for those plans. "Paying employees for individual health premiums or requiring proof of insurance could trigger enormous penalties under IRS law," Kempe said.

Employers and Employees are only allowed to use "pre-tax" dollars to pay for health insurance premiums if the employer offers a group health insurance plan such as Bethany Benefits, Kempe said.

If the church wants to assist a pastor or staff member in paying for their individual health insurance policy costs, the church may raise the person's salary above the premium costs but cannot ask for or receive documentation about those costs, and the church must include the employee's additional compensation in the employee's gross income, Kempe said.

For more information, visit the Bethany Benefits website or email or phone Kempe at 773-907-3376.

Open enrollment in plans through the Market Exchange or in Bethany Benefits is available until February 15, 2015.

The Bethany program provides coverage for pastors, employees of local Covenant churches and regional conferences, conference centers and camps, Covenant pastors who work for voluntary employers of the Covenant Pension Plan, and denominational offices. Medical/dental coverage is available for employees who work a minimum of 20 hours a week.

This article originally appeared on the Covenant Newswire.

Upcoming tax reporting deadlines:

January 15, 2015

Estimated tax payment due from clergy who do not elect voluntary withholding.

January 31, 2015

Donation receipts due to members. This easy to read publication will answer many questions: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1771.pdf

Quarterly 941 (reporting 4th quarter 2014 payroll and employer taxes) due. State reports are generally due the same day.

Issue W2 forms to all employees

Issue 1099-MISC to any non-employees to whom you paid $600 or more in 2014

February 29 (paper) and March 31 (electronically)

File paper copies of W2s and 1099s with Social Security Administration and State. To enable electronic filing, register here: http://www.ssa.gov/employer/

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.

January 13, 2015

IN THIS ISSUE

Jessa Anderson joins NWC staff

MLK Jr. Worship Service

Did you go to CHIC?

Churches, employees should consider ACA tax ramifications

NWC cal icon tan

January 24, 2015

Recharge - Fargo, ND

February 7, 2015

Recharge - Cedar Falls, IA

March 1-3, 2015

Children & Family Ministry Sabbath Retreat - Covenant Pines Bible Camp

March 27-28, 2015

WMNWC Renewal Conference - Hope Covenant Church, St. Cloud, MN

April 10-11, 2015

MOVE - Minnehaha Academy, Minneapolis, MN

April 16-18, 2015

NWC Annual Meeting - Salem Covenant Church, New Brighton, MN

May 2, 2015

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

June 20-27, 2015

Adventures in Leadership - Adventurous Christians, Grand Marais, MN

July 12-17, 2015

CHIC - University of Tennessee

August 6-8, 2015

MUUUCE - Crossroads Church, Woodbury, MN

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.