Superintendent's Letter to Churches Gathered in Annual Meeting
Download a copy of the superintendent's letter to Midwest Conference churches gathered together for their annual meetings. Also, if you need a copy of the Covenant President's letter, click here.
Letter-to-Churches-gathered-in-annual-meeting-2009-2010.pdf
Grants Available to Conference Churches
Compassion, Mercy and Justice Grants
Available to Conference Churches
The
best kept secret in our conference is the availability of a two-year grant to
help local churches initiate ministries of compassion, mercy or justice. This
grant is given after a congregation has targeted a particular need in their
local community and developed a ministry plan to begin meeting this need. Our
grants provide “seed money” to help develop this type of ministry with half of
the grant funds coming from the Churches
Planting Ministries program of our denomination.
Some
of the ministries developed by local churches that we have supported with a
grant include: a county-wide food bank, a Celebrate
Recovery support group for people with addictions, a support group for
single parents, an urban community outreach ministry to children and youth that
includes partnerships with several organizations and support agencies, support
of a community-wide homeless ministry, and an after-school tutoring and
mentoring ministry for children in grades 1-3.
Can the Midwest Conference help support your church’s
vision for a ministry to meet a need in your community? Call the conference office at 402-334-3020
for more information.
For additional grant resource information, go to the Covenant website at: www.covchurch.org
Ministry-Grant-Application.doc
Ministry-Grant-Guidelines-Revised.pdf
Covenant Trust Company
Covenant Trust Company provides trustee and management services for most revocable living trusts and various types of irrevocable trusts arranged by Covenant Estate Planning Services. Covenant Trust Company also assists individuals, local churches, conferences, camps, etc. with additional management and investment services.
The Midwest Conference partners with Covenant Trust Company (CTC) to provide resources and assistance with financial and legacy planning. CTC's local Financial Services Representative, Lavern Holdeman, works with individuals, conference ministries and churches. Whether you need help with personal legacy or financial plans, arranging a workshop for your ministry, having CTC provide professional management for ministry funds, or just need some information to get started, Lavern is here to serve you.
The CTC website: http://www.covenanttrust.com has a wealth of information you can use. In addition to news items and a complete schedule of CTC workshops, there are sections on asset management, trustee services, legacy planning and life planning, plus services available through Covenant Trust. Here are some other helpful links:
Brochures and "use it now" planning information.....www.covenanttrust.com/resources
- Includes Records Retention Schedule; Personal Net Worth Statement; Cash Flow Analysis; Faith, Family & Finances: A Lifelong Journey; Your Stuff: What Do you Have; Revocable Living Trusts; Financial Planning Checklist: What is Your Ministry's Legacy and much more
Retirement Planning information and calculators.....www.CovenantTrust.com
- Click on "Retirement Central" from our home page. IRA questions and answers; Social Security and Medicare links and information; planning calculators; financial planning concerns for all ages and more
Charitable Gift Planning ideas and examples.....www.CovenantTrust.com
- Click on "Gift Legacy" from our home page. Includes "Savvy Living": "Washington Hotline": donor stories and examples for creative charitable deferred giving; plus updated information on taxes, legislation and other items of interest
If you're interested in naming the Midwest Conference, one of its churches, camps or other ministries in your legacy plan, contact Lavern Holdeman to take advantage of the resources CTC offers.
CTC Financial Services Representative for the Midwest Conference:
Are you drowning?
There are 1,000 things on your mind...
Are you one of them?
- Can you think of any relationships in your very public life where you can
share personal failure and know that it is totally safe?
- If you are in personal financial, moral or relational crises, where do you go to find needed supp
ort and resources?
- Are you reconsidering your 'call to ministry' or, perhaps just needing to hear a fresh word from God?
SANCTUARY MINISTRY
Sanctuary is a non-reporting ministry of care and support for pastors and their (spouses) families. Sanctuary ministers offer a confidential ear, are available to meet by phone or in person, provide a sounding board in the midst of crises
or challenging life circumstances, and are prepared to direct you to confidential resources for retreats, counseling, spiritual direction and personal study.
- Have you been so absorbed in the spiritual growth of others that your own spiritual life is bogged down and stagnant?
- Have you come to the place in life where you are unable to distinguish between 'who you are' and 'what you do'?
- What would it be like to have a spiritual companion along on your faith/ministry journey, Or...to have someone with a deep desire to listen prayerfully with you for the presence of God?
SPIRITUAL DIRECTION
Spiritual Direction is also an available resource for pastors/staff who have a desire to grow closer to God by recognizing God's presence and voice in every area of life. Spiritual Directors offer the gift of "holy listening" in a setting of prayer and confidentiality. Trained spiritual directors are available to pastors in the Midwest Conference at no cost.
- Do you ever feel alone in ministry?
- Do you wonder if ministry colleagues
experience the same ministry challenges? or have similar doubts about personal competency?
- Have you ever wished for a spiritual/ministry friend with whom you could share ideas and resources?
- When was the last time anyone offered to sit quietly to listen and then pray for you?
CLUSTER GROUPS
Local Peer Cluster Groups are being established in each region of the conference to provide a consistent listening
environment of discernment and prayer. Groups will meet on a regular basis to provide opportunities to know colleagues at a personal and professional level. Cluster groups are dynamic and may change from time to time depending on size, number and location of area pastors.
For information on these free resources, call:
Jim Persson 303-463-2401 or Tom Glossi 970-215-2451.
Sanctuary-Ministry-Brochure-6-08.pdf
Christian Ministry of Listening, Discernment and Prayer
Spiritual direction is a Christian ministry of listening, discernment,
and prayer. Rather than literally "directing," spiritual directors
welcome a person's stories of life and faith, helping to notice where
God is present and how His will may be revealed. All of life's
emotions and experiences -- spiritual highs and lows, affirmations and
doubts -- are rich sources of dialogue and prayer in spiritual
direction.
Experienced Covenant spiritual directors in the Midwest Conference are:
Western Hub:
- David Dillon
- Tom Glossi
- Katie Martinez
- Dana Mattson
- Tim Musslewhite
- Rick Mylander
- Monty Newton
- Mike Brown (in training)
- Meg Watson (in training)
- Rebecca Hinebaugh (in training)
Kansas and Missouri Hub:
- Patty Thompson
- Tim Holgerson
- Carol Roth
Iowa and Nebraska Hub:
These leaders have completed the two-year training program to become spiritual directors. The program was created as a component of the sustaining Pastoral Excellence initiative, seeking to enlarge the pool of spiritual directors that are available to Covenant pastors and their congregations.
Contact the Midwest Conference Office at 1-888-871-3020 or e-mail: midcovcon@qwestoffice.net if interested in contacting a spiritual director located in your region.
Pastoral Leadership Coaching
Pastoral Leadership Coaching Now Available through Covenant
www.covchurch.org/blogs/vitality/coaching-resources
Regular "Routine" Tasks for Midwest Conference Churches
The Midwest Conference Office has created a "partial" list of responsibilities required by our churches on a yearly basis. It is our hope that this list will assist church office staff and pastors as they submit reports etc. to both the Covenant denomination and conference offices. The list is attached below. Contact our office if you have suggestions or comments about this list
midcovcon@qwestoffice.net
Local-Church-Responsibility-List.pdf
Copyright License
Is Your Church at Risk?
No church leader deliberately sets out to break the law, but according to a national survey, literally thousands of churches potentially infringe upon the law each week in connection with their church music. Violations of the Federal Copyright Law can cost a church up to $150,000 per infringement.
To apply for the Church Copyright License: call 1-800-234-2446, visit www.ccli.com/whoweare
Want to show a movie at church, to the youth group, a Sunday School class, family movie night, etc? Yes, you do need a license. Go to this website to learn more about showing movies and the license fees involved: www.cvli.com
Covenant's Dept. of Stewardship
Here's a quick link to The Evangelical Covenant Church's department of stewardship. Find various resources for pastors and churches.
AVA (Advocacy for Victims of Abuse)
Partnering Ministries
Blowing the lid off
TDV (Teen Dating Violence)
Midwest Conference Women Ministries would like to extend an invitation to youth ministries in Covenant churches to partner with them in addressing teen dating violence. AVA (Advocacy for Victims of Abuse) began addressing domestic violence and teen dating violence in conference churches three years ago. Now they are asking Midwest Conference churches to partner with them in this vital ministry through prayer support and assisting with the financial aspects of providing information, materials and support to those in youth ministry. Read more by clicking on the document below.
AVA.pdf
New week of prayer resource!
NEW BIRTH - LIVING A LIFE OF PRAYER
…a guide for deepening our relationship with God through prayer
Developed
for the 2010 week of prayer, this resource is a seven-session guide for
individual, family, or small group study, reflection, and interaction.
From an initial understanding of our relationship with God to our
intercession on behalf of others, we are dependent on the Holy Spirit's
work. This resource reminds us that life with Jesus is new every
morning because of God's faithfulness.
Go to: prayer-week-2010
New Resources Designed to Encourage the Unemployed
CHICAGO, IL (November 10, 2009) – A new biblically based resource
designed for those who have become unemployed has been
unveiled by
Biblica, a faith-based organization operating in 46 countries...
Midwest Conference Covenanters in World Mission
Covenant World Mission currently has over 140 missionaries in 25 countries. Our missionaries serve in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America and in other locations working in Chinese ministries. You can go to www.covchurch.org and visit Covenant World Mission/Regions to read more on these ministries.
Of the 140 missionaries, the Midwest Conference is proud to have the following people currently serving in mission work--click on the document below:
Midwest-Conference-Covenanters-in-World-Mission.pdf
Tips for Churches to Minimize Chance of Burglary, Arson
MINNEAPOLIS, MN -- The office manager for Crosstown Covenant Church is
thankful that only money was stolen from the church offices during a
recent break-in. "They walked...(
learn more on how to keep your church safer)
