Midwest Conference Annual Meeting 2010
The Midwest Conference staff, executive board and m
embers of the Evangelical Covenant Church in Lindsborg, Kansas, are looking
forward to the upcoming MWC Annual Meeting, April 23-24, 2010. Various
opportunities are being planned for all conference attendees and members and
friends of neighboring Covenant congregations
to enjoy this weekend which offers activities for women beginning Thursday
evening, April 22 and ends with (for those who can stay over Saturday night)
worship together Sunday morning at our host church. Special this year at the Friday evening worship service is a presentation by Bob Stromberg, well-known performer throughout the Covenant and North America. Don't miss this event! Visit his website at: www.bobstromberg.com
Attached below is an invitation to all Covenanters in the Midwest Conference along with their families and friends. Be sure to select your delegates at your local church annual meeting. Registration materials have been sent to churches (registration form included with brochure attached below).
(NOTE: non-delegates are invited to the Friday evening dinner; however, you must register and prepay by April 15.)
flyer-for-2010-annual-meeting---website.pdf
March-mailing-2010-brochure.pdf
Additional-local-bed-and-breakfast-lodging-options.pdf
Publications
Midwest
Conference Testing New Communication Methods – Watch for Them
Many
of you are aware that the Midwest Conference has recently "retired" its
longstanding print newsletter. This has been a strategic decision guided by our
desire to create new, up-to-date, and more effective communication initiatives
than print media. The two things that we are testing are a video
magazine we are calling “MidWEst
Video-Connect,” and a new email format newsletter entitled “MidWEst E-Connect.” We are hoping to
make three or four DVD’s each year, which will each contain two video news
stories from across the conference. The first of these have already been mailed to your churches, and feature a story of a suburban church doing its first
satellite extension, and a very rural church that has closed its building in
the countryside and moved into town. These are both great, inspiring
stories, not only for prayer but for each church’s ‘'idea bank" as it considers
its own outreach, and the video is excellent quality, both in its technical
presentation and its storytelling. These videos can be used in board meetings,
membership classes to introduce shared conference ministry, even mission
moments at worship times. The e-newsletter has been e-mailed to our churches--download the October or December issue below. We will be
counting on you to forward this e-newsletter to your church people. It will not
embarrass you! It will be a good connecting point for Covenanters as we seek to
impact our six states together! That’s what the WE is all about! Please watch for
these new initiatives.
- You may download the current prayer calendar or past issues of the conference newsletter by clicking on any of the links below.
- New to our website is the latest issue of the "Hub 'Cap." This newsletter, a regular contact with Covenant pastors, ministry staff, and church leaders in the Colorado and Western Kansas region of the Midwest Conference, is written by Associate Superintendent and Western Hub Coordinator Rick Mylander.
PRAYER-CALENDAR-Nov-2009---Feb-2010-printable-3-page-version.pdf
PRAYER-CALENDAR-Mar---Jun-2010-printable-3-page-version.pdf
Midwest-Messenger-Summer-Issue-2009.pdf
midWEst-bi-monthly-e-connect-Feb-2010.pdf
PRAYER-CALENDAR-Mar---Jun-2010.pdf
midWEst-bi-monthly-e-connect-Dec-09.pdf
Hub-Cap-March-2010.pdf
PRAYER-CALENDAR-Nov-2009---Feb-2010.pdf
midWEst-bi-monthly-e-connect-Oct-09.pdf
Let's Get Acquainted!
New to our website! We will feature on a regular basis, various churches around our conference. If your church has a website not listed in the "CHURCHES" section of this site, please contact your conference office at midcovcon@qwestoffice.net Let's learn a bit more about our brothers and sisters at Urban Heights Covenant Church in Urbandale, Iowa; Heritage Community Bible Church in Arvada, Colorado; and Heartland Covenant in Springfield, Missouri!
Urban Heights Evangelical Covenant Church in Urbandale, Iowa, came to life in 1971 to be an outpost for
Christ's mission in the western suburbs of Des Moines. When the church
began, it literally sat on the edge of Urbandale with the city to it's
east and open fields to it's west.
The Urban Heights story is a story of God's Faithfulness.
Being built upon the strong foundations of prayer, teaching from God's
Word, and caring - God has directly impacted and changed the lives of
many through the people of this church.
As with our conception over 35 years ago, we look to build upon what
God has done among us, as well as with an eye toward new opportunities
and ministries that may take us into unchartered land in order to meet
the growing needs of the people of our community. We invite you to
step into the future with us, as we continue to faithfully look to join
God in the work He is doing. Check out our website: www.desmoineschurch.org
WELCOME TO HERITAGE --
A CHURCH FOR THE
GENERATIONS
Heritage Community Bible Church in Arvada, CO, is a community place...A place to belong -- to a part of a faith community as Children of God; A place to believe -- to discover the truth of God's word and become a follower of Christ; A place to become -- transformed over time to the image of Christ.
Join us for Sunday worship at 10:30 a.m. and visit the Heritage Cafe for coffee and fellowship Sunday mornings from 9 - 10:15 a.m. Visit our website to find out more about our church: www.heritagecommunity.net
Monty Newton -- Senior Pastor
Known as "a comfortably energetic, evangelical church," Heartland Covenant Church of Springfield, Missouri, invites you to come experience the difference for yourself. The Heartland congregation seeks to develop, enhance and encourage devotion to God. Their music is energetic, God-focused and specific for each Sunday's worship theme. Their mission is "Taking people at whatever heart-state they are in and moving them into being whole-hearted followers of Jesus Christ," and their purpose is to love God, love people, and make disciples through a commitment to Christ, growth, community, and stewardship. Visit their website: heartlandcovenant.com
Churches-recently-highlighted.pdf
Conference Students Selected to Travel to Thailand and Laos!
Photo: Kaitlin Choquette (no photo available of Jon Foley)
Kaitlin Choquette,
Sloan, Iowa, and Jon Foley, Lee’s Summit, Missouri, were two of 6 students
nationwide to be selected to travel to Thailand and Laos through a special
youth mission opportunity coordinated by the office of world Mission and as a
follow-up to CHIC2009’s mission emphasis. Download the article below to read about these student's recent mission trip.
Conference-Students-Selected-to-Travel-to-Thailand-and-Laos.pdf
Slow Aid Response in Outlying Areas 'Frustrating'
CHICAGO, IL (January 20, 2010) – Missionaries now in Haiti say 
they are
frustrated that aid is slow to arrive in areas outside Port-au-Prince,
and the need continues to grow.
Although there was little
physical damage in Pignon, 70 miles north of Port-au-Prince, the
situation is worsening as refugees begin to stream into the town, says
Marriane Murchison, the daughter of Marc Murchison who pastors Lanyon Covenant Church of in Lanyon, Iowa. (click here to read more)
Online Haiti Relief Donations Top $100,000
CHICAGO IL (January 20, 2010) -- Exactly one week after an earthquake leveled Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and other parts of the country, online donations to Covenant World Relief's Haiti Disaster Fund have surpassed the $100,000 mark. As of noon today, $103,542 had been contributed....(click to read more)
A SUPER-BOWL CHURCH
Many wonderful church newsletters are sent to the Midwest Conference office and we enjoy reading all your stories and hearing about your ministries and upcoming events. If your Covenant church publishes a newsletter, please make sure you send it to your conference office. Following is an article on TEAM spirit written by Pastor Matt Norlen, Evangelical Covenant Church in Wausa, Nebraska. Even though his Minnesota Vikings didn't win their game to qualify for the Super Bowl, his thoughts on "Have you ever contemplated what makes a champion?" is something we can all think about!
(Article taken from the Wausa, NE, Evangelical Covenant Church February newsletter, 2010, published with permission)
Pastor Matt and Immy Norlen, Wausa NE
I don't tend to get overly excited about the Super Bowl. It's not because I don't enjoy watching football. I do! However, I've discovered that rarely does the event live up to the pre-game hype. The games always seem to be fairly predictable with the same teams playing each year. Maybe that's why I found myself pulling forthe Minnesota Vikings this year. The Minnesota Vikings have never won the BIG GAME! I've also found myself rooting for the Vikings Quarterback Brett Favre who I have always been a fan of. Farve plays football with a childlike enthusiasm that is easy to admire. Have you ever contemplated what makes a champion? download attached file to read article
Wausa-article-for-website-1-29-10.pdf
Essex, Iowa, church receives community award
Faith Covenant Church in Essex, Iowa, received the
"Community Sponsor of the Year" award at the annual meeting of the
Essex Community Club. Cited for their
service to the community during the annual Labor Day festivities (the church
serves dinner on Labor Day Sunday and several members volunteer their time
during the weekend that sees Essex grow to at least twice its usual size of
about 800).
The church was also honored for their spiritual outreach to the community. Pastor Jim
Ressegieu accepted the award and thanked the church for its wonderful community
spirit. Several members of the
congregation were present at the Community Club meeting.
Bed Nets for Life - Congo
In Congo, many children die of a disease called malaria. They get this disease when they are bitten by an infected mosquito, often at night, while they are sleeping. Your offerings will help the Congo Covenant Church save lives by providing bed nets, which hang over the beds to keep the mosquitoes out and protect children from malaria.
Over the past eight years the "Children's Service Project" has enabled children in North America to help children in the most destitute places in the world. This year's project, "Congo - Bed Nets for Life," will provide children in Congo with bed nets to protect them from mosquito bites while they sleep.
Children can reflect Christ's love to others and CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE through their giving and their prayers. If the children in your Covenant church in the Midwest Conference are participating in this project, we would love to hear what you are doing!
Send us an e-mail and let us know how your kids are participating in this project, what their comments are, photos, etc. We hope to hear from you! We will share your comments on this site so others can be encouraged on how our children can make a difference in our world! Comments and photos can be sent to: midcovcon@qwestoffice.net
Community Covenant Church of Omaha, NE. Open document below to read their encouraging story on kids "making a difference in our world."
Bed-Nets-story---Omaha-NE-Community-Covenant.pdf
Covenant Conferences Partner With Alaskan Churches
Living conditions for pastors and church members in rural Alaska could significantly improve thanks to new partnerships with Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) conferences. The conferences in the lower 48 states are each partnering with at least one church and will offer financial support, prayer and encouragement.
Rodney Sawyer, field director for the ECC of Alaska says that villages often are geographically isolated and suffer unemployment rates that can reach 80 percent. Many villagers must live off the land, hunting and farming for their food. One village still doesn't have running water. Living conditions for pastors can be harsh; some live in poor, unhealthy conditions.
The process of connecting conferences with churches began when superintendents met at Alaska Christian College in Soldotna for their annual fall meeting. As they heard Alaskan natives discuss their living conditions, they committed to help.
The Midwest Conference will be partnering with Mountain Village Covenant Church, located on the north bank of the Yukon River, approximately 470 miles northwest of Anchorage. The church is served by Pastor Carl and Marcia Elwood who have lived in Alaska since 2002. 
This July 2009, two teams of six people from Midwest Conference churches, spent a week in Mountain Village constructing a 20x20 garage-type building for the church. This structure will be used for working on snow machines, ATV's and numerous other purposes. Following is a daily update with photos sent in by the two teams.
There is still a major need for financial support of this summer's
mission as the conference executive board committed the necessary funds
to order all building supplies in advance. Can we count on your
support? Contributions can be sent to the conference office,
designated for the Alaska Partnership. Mailing address is: Midwest Conference, 13304 W Center Rd #222, Omaha NE 68144.
DAILY UPDATES FROM MISSION TEAM (click on DAYS 1-10 below to see photos and daily updates along with photo of completed project, teams, and word of thanks!)
Click below to download the letters sent to Midwest Conference churches regarding our partnership opportunities with Mountain Village Covenant Church.
The following "Alaska Partnership Coordinator" may be contacted for information on how you or your church can be involved:
Bob Palmberg, Phone 402-618-4748, e-mail: r.palmberg@cox.net
DAYS-5-10.pdf
Team-photoscompleted-project-and-Thanks-be-to-God.pdf
Alaska-Ministry-Letter-to-churches-3-26-09.pdf
Letter-to-churches-5-6-09-on-letterhead-3.pdf
DAYS-1-4.pdf
Alaska-Ministry-Letter-to-churches-2-27-09.pdf
Sankofa Is Coming!
"Sankofa" is a West African word meaning "looking backward to move forward." A Sankofa journey is a cross-racial prayer experinece that takes participants on a four-day
bus trip to critical sites of past and present racial injustice in order to help disciples of Christ move toward a righteous response to the social ills related to racism. The Dept. of Compassion, Mercy and Justice is planning their next Sankofa for the spring, March 4-7, 2010. Sign up now to reserve your space for this life-changing experience!
Click here to link up to the Covenant website and learn more about Sankofa and to download a registration form.
triennial xiii
A four-day international spiritual adventure for women!
Plan now to attend this inspiring conference hosted by Women Ministries of the Evangelical Covenant Church!
Where will it be?
Quoting Women Ministries Executive Minister Ruth Hill's comment at the close of Triennial XII, "It will be East of the Mississippi River, South of the Canadian border, West of the Atlantic Ocean, and North of Cuba." This riddle now has an answer--Washington DC!
Mark your calendars for July 22-25, 2010, and watch for additional information. Visit the official Triennial XIII website now? http://www.triennialxiii.org/
Midwest Conference Annual Meeting 2009
The 2009 annual meeting of the Midwest Conference was held April 24-25 in Mason City, Iowa, hosted by First Covenant Church.
Highlights of the meeting can be downloaded below along with conference superintendents reports which were published in the annual meeting booklet.
Story from The Evangelical Covenant Website: Midwest Conference Considers the Changing Face of Christianity
MASON CITY, IA (May 1, 2009) -- Superintendent Ken Carlson told delegates to the Midwest Conference Annual Meeting that many of their churches are at a crossroads because people outside the...(click here to read more)
Highlights-of-2009-Ann-Mtg.pdf
SUPERINTENDENT-REPORTS-FROM-2009-ANNUAL-MEETING.pdf
Retiring-in-2008-2009.ppsx
Recognition-of-ordinands-4-09.ppsx
MINUTESOFTHE123RDANNUALMEETING.pdf
March-mailing-2009-brochure.pdf
2009-AM-PHOTOS.pdf
Midwest Conference Annual Meeting 2008
Please download attached items to read about the meetings of the 122nd Midwest Conference.
To view a movie of the worship service held at Community Covenant Church in Omaha, NE, on Friday evening,
click here. You will need QuickTime Player in order to view:
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/
122nd-Annual-Meeting-of-the-Midwest-Conference.pdf
MINUTESOFTHE122NDANNUALMEETING.pdf
