Please register by September 21st for the appropriate retreat(s) using the attached form, and mail to the address provided. (Please note that those retired from active ministry are not required to pay the $50 registration fee)

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During the week of July 6-13, 2011, a Midwest Conference team traveled to Mountain Village with Arctic Barnabas Ministries, with a plan to repair the church and parsonage (one building, with the church on the first floor and the parsonage on the second) in preparation for a new pastor and family. The team consisted of Bill Bowen, Mason City IA; Peggy Chalstrom, Fort Dodge IA; David House, Arvada Covenant, Arvada CO; Sally King, Oakland NE; and Doug Utley, Fort Dodge IA.

Tasks such as replacing carpet, installing laminate flooring, painting, window maintenance, block support work to the building, major repair to stop the movement of support beams beneath the facility, plumbing work in bathroom and kitchen, cleaning up around the property, were just several of the jobs performed by the team. They also spent time assisting and supporting the resident missionary in her ministry to the village youth at the Covenant Center (her work is currently sustaining the ministry).

Said team member, David House, “I thought I was just joining a group going to fix some stuff at a remote location in Alaska. What I did not understand was HOW IMPORTANT the work was.“ David earned the reputation as a scrounger, as he worked with those in the community obtaining tools from the local school, a burned out building and the local landfill. Villagers leave items outside the landfill if they think they can be used by others. David also stated, “I visited with villagers about their life and came away understanding how difficult their lives are but also how generous they are. The local store owner and a member of the church provided us with the best king salmon we’ve ever eaten.”

The team completed their work with a day to spare, allowing them to leave Mountain Village just before the weather turned bad, which allowed them to debrief and discuss future projects needed for Mountain Village Covenant Church and community. Information provided by Team Member David House of Arvada Covenant Church in Arvada, Colorado.

Along with experiencing the conditions of “bush” Alaska, the main intent of this partnership is building long-term relationships with the people of the village. The Midwest Conference will continue to partner with Mountain Village Covenant Church and would ask each Midwest Conference church to consider supporting this work by your prayers and financial support. We are deeply grateful for the team that traveled to Alaska this past summer and especially grateful for the coordination efforts of Team Coordinator Gary Carlson. May God continue to bless this partnership!

For a previous story on the Alaska Mission Trip, click here.

Once that’s completed, the AWCC family will look to expand our worship space. God has answered many prayers in this process. In October 2010, when the Capital Funds Campaign began, a goal was set to have an additional $75,000 in the Building Fund (which was at $263,000) by March 1 in order to break ground. God answered and that amount was raised by January 2011! With a unity of spirit and excitement to begin the process, all ages were involved in the ground breaking; from the very young to those who have experienced more years in life. It was a joyous day and one that was a memorial to the fact that we, the AWCC family, know that God will be faithful to lead us in this new adventure!

SLOAN, IA — After breaking 16 bones in his right leg and suffering internal injuries to his liver and spleen, Trent Baker seriously wondered if he’d ever wrestle again. Link to this story of a young man from the Evangelical Covenant Church of Sloan, Iowa.

Read more here…

Swanson-Draheim currently serves as lead pastor of First Covenant Church in Mason City, Iowa, and has been deeply involved in conference and denominational ministries over the years.

She will stand for election during the Midwest Conference Annual Meeting in April. If approved, she will be installed during the June ECC Annual Meeting in Estes Park, Colorado, assuming her new duties on July 1 or shortly thereafter.

Swanson-Draheim completed general education studies at Biola University and received a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from California State University. She completed pastoral ministry studies at Fuller Seminary and completed a master’s degree in management at North Park University. She received her Master of Divinity degree from North Park Theological Seminary and was ordained to Word and Sacrament in 2005.

Prior to beginning her ministry in Mason City in 2003, she served as director of small groups at Crossroads Covenant Church in Concord, California; as a teaching assistant in the Department of Spiritual Formation at North Park Theological Seminary; and as chaplain at Covenant Home in Chicago, Illinois. She and her husband, Kelly, have two children, Michael and David.

There are a number of factors that influenced the final selection, according to search committee chair Brent Thompson, who also serves as chair of the Conference Executive Board. “She has broad support within the conference constituency,” Thompson says, noting that the search committee sought recommendations from churches and individuals throughout the conference.

Pre-interview materials reflected a great deal of research and thought, Thompson said, especially the potential she sees for expanded vision and ministry within the conference. “She comes from the conference and understands the issues,” he says. “She presents herself well, and possesses strong conflict resolution skills.”

“There is an excellent team leading the conference and it will be a joy to work with them,” Swanson-Draheim said. “The conference has a lot of strength – a solid base from which to continue building. The two associate superintendents are much appreciated throughout the conference, with a gifted staff in place. We will need to work together to evaluate how best to move into the future and continue to gain ground – we are perfectly poised to do that.”

The potential to plant more healthy missional churches led by healthy pastors and laity is one opportunity that excites her. “We want to help people be fruitful in ministry. I also want to help advance the ministries of our denomination, especially in areas of compassion, mercy and justice.”

That commitment to serve was noted by ECC President Gary Walter, who said of her selection, “Tammy embodies what people hope for in a Christian leader: deeply devoted to Jesus, a champion of helping local congregations thrive, and passionate about making a difference in the world.”

The Midwest Conference encompasses a large geographical area with a variety of churches and leaders. “The challenge will be learning how to continue growing effective ministry in the midst of such breadth and diversity,” she observes. “I have developed a great love for the people of the Midwest and look forward to opportunities to travel and meet with our churches.”

The search process, guided by the nine-member search committee, formally began last June. Church leadership throughout the conference was surveyed during the summer with a series of committee meetings beginning last fall. The group of more than 40 recommended names were eventually narrowed to five finalists, with interviews completed early this month. “All of the candidates were great and any of them would have done well,” Thompson notes.

“We enjoyed a great process,” Thompson adds. “Our committee was impressed with the quality of leadership in the Covenant. It was a hard decision – but, we believe we ended up with an outstanding candidate for superintendent.”

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 is 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.

Plans for a 2011 summer mission trip are being planned. MWC churches will have opportunity to share information about this trip with their congregations during “Alaska Partnership Month” scheduled for February 20 to March 20 when some time during that period, churches may highlight the 2011 plan to send mission teams to Mountain Village, Alaska, to remodel the parsonage. More about this trip will soon be sent to churches and also announced at the annual meeting in April. In July 2009, two teams of six people from Midwest Conference churches, spent a week in Mountain Village constructing a 20×20 garage-type building for the church. This structure is being used for working on snow machines, ATV’s and numerous other purposes.

There is a major need for financial support of this mission and 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.

• celebrating the 125th Anniversary of the Midwest Conference
• bidding farewell to Superintendent Ken and Nancy Carlson for 24 years of ministry to the conference (16 as superintendent)
• electing a new conference superintendent

A complete schedule and registration form are available below.

• Registration Info (download pdf here)
• Invitation Save the Date (download pdf here)

A book written by Pastor John Peterson of Omaha, Nebraska, will be available by ordering at the 125th celebration, $18/copy which includes postage. This book shares the history of the Midwest Conference and sample copies will be at the meeting.

Download

• 125th Anniversary Poster (download pdf here)

LifeSpring Covenant Church in Loveland, CO

What kind of church is LifeSpring Covenant in Loveland, Colorado? We are a healthy, vibrant and growing Christ-centered church. We seek to be a church empowered by God’s Spirit and built on God’s Word. Everything we do and teach is based solely on the Bible and the person of Jesus Christ. On Sundays, you’ll enjoy an excellent inspirational, contemporary praise and worship experience. Our worship is dynamic, engaging and authentic! And you’ll receive solid, Bible-based teaching to help you grow in your faith journey.
Pastor: Scott Slayback
Website: www.lifespringchurch.org

Evangelical Covenant Church in Des Moines, IA

Welcome to the Evangelical Covenant Church of Des Moines, Iowa! Probably the most important thing in life is coming to the understanding that God loves you and has done everything that He can to have a relationship with you. This is so important to God and to our church that we place a high value on teaching, guiding, encouraging and challenging people to connect with God in a deep, life changing way. Whether it’s praising and worshiping God, working and playing during the week, or being with family and friends all of life flows out of our relational connection with God and his Son Jesus Christ!

As a church, we also believe that a life connected with God leads us to connect with other people in relationships that encourage, sustain, help, motivate, challenge, and forgive. We place a high value on developing and deepening relationships with groups of people who will become like a spiritual family, and we hope to provide environments that encourage these types of connections. If you are new to the Des Moines area or if you’ve been here all your life, we want to invite you to come and experience what Evangelical Covenant Church – Des Moines, IA is all about!
Pastor: Steve Jones
Website: www.eccdsm.org

Alfa y Omega Covenant Church in Carthage, MO

Alfa y Omega Covenant Church of Carthage, MO, is a dynamic and creative church, having been founded by Pastor Allan Serrano who currently serves a Covenant church in Texas. Alfa y Omega is very capably served by Pastor Wuifor Portillo. This congregation, characterized by strong and enthusiastic worship, is one of the faster growing churches in the Midwest Conference!

Other churches recently highlighted (download pdf here)