The Covenant Companion
Features
Free to Live
In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we share a reflection from survivor leader Sunita on Isaiah 61:4. From the Covenant’s Week of Prayer resource and FREE, the anti-sex trafficking initiative, it invites prayer for survivors and those who accompany them toward healing.
Love, Mercy, and Justice in Uncertain Times
Dunamis Life Covenant Church launched September 27 in the Bronx, led by Pastor Jessica Flores. Rooted in Luke 4:18, the church equips neighbors to confront injustice, pursue healing, and embody Christ’s liberating love so communities can flourish.
Healing and Shalom
Drawing from Mark 5, Bronwyn Murphy reflects on Jairus and the bleeding woman to show that Jesus meets us in suffering with shalom, a healing that restores body and soul, and invites trust even when a cure does not come.
Pulling Together for One Mission
New vice president of mission priorities Rev. Michael White shares early priorities: supporting Serve Clergy, Serve Locally, and Serve Globally to align initiatives, reduce silos, and better resource conferences and local churches for ministry with clarity and shared purpose.
Be a Voice at the Gate
This month we celebrate Latino Heritage Month—honoring the history, resilience, and creativity of Latin voices. Today we share a bibliodrama by Eneida Reyes that brings Scripture alive by giving voice to its silent characters.
The Paradox of Immeasurably More
In a candid reflection on wilderness seasons, Grace “Suri” Wong traces trauma work, small daily mercies, and the quiet ways God restores hope—revealing treasures beneath the surface and helping us find them in the in-between.
Featured story
Pulling Together for One Mission
News
Gather 2025: Following Jesus into a New Chapter
Last week, delegates and global leaders gathered to celebrate 140 years of the Evangelical Covenant Church. Together we shared powerful worship, heard stories of God’s faithfulness, welcomed new churches, and celebrated the commissioning, ordination, and consecration of new ministers and global personnel.
Moving from Echo Chambers to Empathy
Nearly 70 students from the Pacific Northwest Conference joined the first Youth Journey to Mosaic recently where they heard immigrant and refugee stories and visited a detention center. Their reflections reveal how proximity increases empathy, inviting us to listen, remember our roots, and love our neighbors.
Swedish Hospital Celebrates Legacy of Compassionate Care
Swedish Hospital recently unveiled a new display, tracing its history of compassionate care from its origins as the Home of Mercy, founded by the Covenant in 1886. The celebration confirmed the hospital’s ongoing commitment to its original mission to serve all patients in need.
Covenant Doings: Community in Action
Short stories, activities, and events from various points around the Covenant.
Covenant Partner Leading Flood Response in Texas
In the wake of devastating floods in Texas, Covenant partner, Ark of Highland Lakes, is walking alongside survivors with compassion and commitment—learn how we can help sustain this long-term recovery together.
2025 Women in Leadership Awards
At Gather 2025, three pastors—Ruby Varghese, Tamara Fore Ravelo, and Marti Burger—were honored for authentic leadership, preaching from personal story, and inviting others to the table.
Announcements
Josef Rasheed Is New Interim Superintendent of the Midsouth Conference
The Midsouth Conference board announced that Rev. Josef Rasheed has been selected to serve as interim superintendent.
Tools for Ministering in a Digital World
Through a new partnership between the Covenant and YouVersion, churches can create a free Church Page and invite people to “The Global Gospel,” a 30-day devotional for all app users in November. Join our Digital Community of Practice to share best practices.
Seminary Searching for New Director of Weborg Center
North Park Theological Seminary seeks a full-time faculty member to lead spiritual formation across degree programs and direct the C. John Weborg Center’s certificate in spiritual direction, beginning in January 2026.
Jessica Springer Joins Serve Locally as Children and Family Director
Jessica Springer will join the denominational team of the Evangelical Covenant Church as the new director of children and family.
Pete Sutton Joins Serve Locally as Youth and Young Adult Director
Pete Sutton has joined the denominational team of the Evangelical Covenant Church as the new director of youth and young adults.
New Certificate in Missional Leadership
The Missional Vitality team and North Park Theological Seminary announce the new Certificate in Missional Leadership to help equip leaders for church health, revitalization, and culturally engaged ministry.
Commentary
Handshakes and Shovels
A brief exchange in 118°F Yuma highlights the value of labor. Mike Guerrero, retired Covenant pastor, reminds us that dignity can begin when we learn someone’s name.
Confession as Formation and Proclamation
Could authentic confession be the key to effective evangelism? Discover how embracing vulnerability and truth-telling can transform the church’s witness to the world.
This Little Light of Mine
A small act of kindness, like greeting a stranger, can shine Christ’s light and transform ordinary encounters into moments of grace.
I’m Pretty Sure the Church Isn’t Allergic to Turkey
A childhood belief about being allergic to turkey leads to a deeper reflection on healing within the church.
Do What You Can
Preach the gospel by doing what you can and trust God to make it sufficient and maybe even extraordinary.
Is It the Church’s Job to Teach History?
Considering how the past shapes the structures of our society can be an act of spiritual formation.
Featured story
Free to Live
Arts & Culture
Film as Formation
Winnetka Covenant church hosted a screening of All We Carry, sparking conversation and action. After a Q&A with director Cady Voge, attendees supported Exodus World Service and IPE Albany Park, walking alongside neighbors seeking asylum.
The State of Christian Music: Where Do We Go from Here?
In this final installment, Jelani Greenidge names the tensions in Christian music and offers practical steps for listeners, worship leaders, artists, pastors, and students to engage with curiosity, widen their musical diet, and worship beyond Sunday.
What Makes a Church Safe for Women?
Eliza Stiles reviews Safe Church, by Dr. Andrew J. Bauman, a research-driven guide that centers women’s voices, calls men to responsibility, and offers practical steps for churches pursuing safety, accountability, and healing.
The State of Christian Music: Are We Asking Too Much of Our Musicians?
Music has always shaped church culture. Jelani Greenidge considers how music shapes our faith communities and how we might move toward worship that is Spirit-led and life-giving.
Sad Dad Music
This reflection on Psalm 13 and Bon Iver’s latest album explores how sorrow, cried out to God, can become one of faith’s most honest forms—and the ground where hope begins to grow.
The State of Christian Music: Is It a Real Thing?
What makes any music “Christian”? This piece questions the label itself, exploring how faith, culture, and commerce shape what we hear—and why it may be time to rethink our understanding of the genre.
In Memoriam
Lowell Drotts
Retired Covenant pastor Lowell Drotts passed away on July 14, 2025, in Deer Park, Illinois. He was 90.
Donald Bowers
Retired Covenant pastor Donald Bowers passed away in Rancho Cucamonga, California, on June 5, 2025. He was 87.
Marjorie Scruggs
Marjorie Scruggs, wife of Covenant Pastor Rev. Joe Scruggs passed away on May 10, 2025. She was 75.
Joe B. Scruggs
Retired Covenant pastor Joe Scruggs passed away on July 26, 2025, in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was 78.
Steve Hickey
Retired Covenant pastor Steve Hickey passed away on June 27, 2025, in Soldotna, Alaska. He was 58.
Paul Hedberg
Retired Covenant pastor Paul Hedberg died May 24, 2025, in Tucson, Arizona. He was 73.
William Watts
Retired Covenant pastor William Watts passed away on May 24, 2025, in Chicago, Illinois. He was 84.
Amos Shakya
Covenant Pastor Amos Shakya passed away on May 15, 2025, in Geneva, Illinois. He was 40.
Love the Cov
Podcast
Sitting Down with Dany Flores and Metzli Doles
In this episode of Love the Cov, Dany Flores and her daughter Metzli share their intergenerational partnership in ministry, reflecting on how their shared commitment to faith, family, and justice shapes their lives and work.
Sitting Down with Harold Spooner and Peter Sjoblom
In episode 4, Harold Spooner and Peter Sjoblom share their journeys in urban ministry and racial reconciliation within the Covenant, reflecting on leadership, justice, and the legacy they hope to leave for future generations.
Sitting Down with Henry and Jelani Greenidge
In episode 3, Jim Sequeira speaks with Henry and Jelani Greenidge about Henry’s pioneering work in planting a truly multiethnic church back in 1988, Jelani’s experiences growing up in that diverse congregation, and their reflections on the state of the multiethnic church today.
Sitting Down with Lenore Three Stars and Jim Sequiera
In episode two of Love the Cov season two, Lenore Three Stars and Jim Sequeira share their journeys within the Covenant, leaning into their Indigenous wisdom and identity. Their work includes repudiating the Doctrine of Discovery and guiding the Covenant toward deeper understanding and healing.
