2015 Annual Meeting

It's time to start selecting delegates for the 2015 NWC Annual Meeting

We are putting the finishing touches on plans for the 2015 NWC Annual Meeting-which will take place April 16-18 at Salem Covenant Church, New Brighton, MN-and we've got great speakers and events lined up this year! Registration materials should have arrived at your church by mail. Here's a few highlights:

Theme

Our theme this year is about fostering a healthy missional church culture within our region. We are convinced that God desires for every church to be faithful and fruitful in its context.

Congregational Vitality is about God's Spirit renewing peoples' ability to notice and experience God in their midst, and partnering with God in achieving His purposes in the world. This is why it is a NWC priority and something we are looking forward to exploring deeper together as we gather for our 2015 Annual Meeting.

Speaker

John Wenrich serves as the Director of Congregational Vitality for the Evangelical Covenant Church. In that role he works with regional staff throughout North America to provide ministry resources, guidance, and support to established churches. John also speaks internationally on the topic of congregational vitality and leadership.

View, download and share a video invitation from John Wenrich 

Ministry Fair

The "Celebration of Mission" Ministry Fair will take place throughout Friday afternoon of the 2015 Annual Meeting. 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, Covenant Trust Company, CHET and more.

Northwest Conference Authors

We are fortunate to have many great authors in our Conference, and this year's Annual Meeting and Ministry Fair will feature opportunities to learn more about their books, shake their hands, and perhaps take home a few new good reads!

Retiring leaders honored; Cecilia Williams nominated for LMDJ during Midwinter

Two Executive Minister's retirements were announced during Midwinter in Denver last week, along with a nomination for one of the positions.

Curt Peterson concludes his ministry as Executive Minister of Serve Globally, which gives oversight to Covenant World Mission, Covenant World Relief, and Paul Carlson Partners. Peterson completes 12 years (3 terms) this summer. The nominating process for the next Executive Minister is underway.

Debbie Blue, founding Executive Minister for the ECC's newest mission priority, Love Mercy - Do Justice, will complete her second term (8 years) of service this summer. The ECC Executive Board nominating process has unanimously identified the nominee to be on the ballot for election at the ECC Annual Meeting.

Blue announced at Midwinter that it is Cecilia Williams, who currently serves as Director of Ministry Initiative for LMDJ. Blue expressed her excitement over her prospective successor by saying, "I'm overwhelmed with joy; it's a slam dunk."

"I want you to know I do love Jesus, and I love his church," Williams told the audience. "I am honored, and I am deeply, deeply humbled at this call to continue to serve him and to serve the Evangelical Covenant Church."

In her current position, Williams has worked closely with local Covenant congregations and regional conferences, as well as Covenant Initiatives of Care, to identify, initiate and develop a variety of sustainable projects.

She previously served as an Associate and Interim Senior Pastor at Sanctuary Covenant Church in Minneapolis. She also has served as a program coordinator and director for a number of nonprofit institutions as well as graduate teaching at Bethel Theological Seminary, where she also served as an Interim Director for multicultural affairs, and as Associate Dean for intercultural student programs and services at Bethel University's College of Arts and Sciences.

Read the full story online 

Obituary: Alyce Hawkinson

Alyce (Larson) Hawkinson, widow of Covenant minister and administrator Jim Hawkinson, died Wedesday, Jan. 28. She was 81. A memorial service will be held at Salem Covenant Church in New Brighton, MN, at 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6.

The Hawkinsons were married June 11, 1954. The couple ministered at a number of churches, including Bethel Covenant Church in Middletown, CT (internship); Bethany Covenant Church in Chicago (Interim); Redeemer Covenant Church in Chicago (Associate); Evangelical Covenant Church in Paxton, IL, initially as Interim Pastor and later as Senior Pastor; and the Evangelical Covenant Church in Hilmar, CA, as Senior Pastor.

Jim later joined the denominational offices in September 1966 as Executive Editor of publications, assuming the position as Executive Secretary of Covenant Publications in July 1970. In that position, Jim oversaw the creation of the current Covenant Hymnal. Alyce, an accomplished pianist who also amazed friends with her perfect pitch, worked through the sheet music for every hymn to make certain of each note.

The couple retired to White Bear Lake, MN, in 1995. The couple was married 57 years until Jim's death in 2011.

She is survived by two daughters and three sons: Judy (Bob) Stromberg, Hugo, MN; Eric (Patty) Hawkinson, Turlock, CA; Mary (Bob) Manning, Minneapolis; Peter (Bonnie) Hawkinson, Wilmette, IL; and Paul (Kristin) Hawkinson, Green Oaks, IL; 16 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.

Memorial gifts can be directed to the School of Music at North Park University in Chicago.

Read the full story online

Covenant Trust Company 

Covenant Village event to feature CTC President Ann Wiesbrock 

Covenant Trust Company (CTC) President, Ann Wiesbrock, will be at Covenant Village of Golden Valley on Friday, Feb. 13 at 10:30 a.m. for a presentation along with CTC's Director of Investments and Business Development, William Moucka.

They will give an update on CTC and provide their economic outlook for 2015. The event is open to anyone and will be held in Fellowship Center on the second floor of Covenant Village.

For any questions prior to the event, please contact Kevin Lawson at 1-877-222-3960 or kelawson@covenanttrust.com. 

Download a flyer for the event.  

Covenant Pines Ministries Executive Director search update 

The Covenant Pines search team has been meeting for a number of weeks preparing for the search process for the next Executive Director. As we are able, we want to provide our constituents with periodic updates on our progress.

The Search Team Members are: Bill Cranford (First Covenant, St. Paul), Chair; Annie Waterman (Plymouth Covenant), Secretary; Michelle Beilby (Salem Covenant); Mary Kate Fretheim (Edina Covenant & Covenant Pines Executive Board); Jon Kramka (Northwest Conference); Ben Pease (Salem Covenant); Val Pederson (Buffalo Covenant); Herman Saul (Crosstown Covenant); and LaToya Taris (Community Covenant, Minneapolis). We are also utilizing the services of Rick Heltne and LeaderFinders, a search firm, to assist us with our charge.

To date you should know that we have drafted an Opportunity Profile, which presents an overview of the ministry and the Executive Director role in a narrative format as an introduction to potential candidates. The Opportunity Profile is now being posted on the Adventurous Christians, Covenant Pines Bible Camp and NWC websites, and being distributed to interested parties. If you know of interested candidates please direct them to the Profile as well.

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