A Glimpse Into the Dynamic Tapestry of Covenant Life
For brief stories that we want to share with our Covenant family, we’re bringing back a familiar format from the blogging age: the roundup post. What follows is a brief compilation of activities, happenings, and events from various points around the Covenant.
Camps Engaging in Ability Ministry and Peacemaking
The Companion was recently informed of some great work our Covenant camps are doing to minister to differently-abled guests and invest in global peacemaking initiatives. According to Stefanie Wessel, guest services director at Covenant Harbor in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, groups from Jill’s House and the Covenant Ability Network of Illinois could join the fun at Harbor.
Jill’s House is a Christian nonprofit that serves families raising children, adolescents, and young adults with intellectual disabilities by providing respite care and other wraparound support. Their “Weekend Adventure” overnight camp was held at Harbor, where the kids were able to experience activities tailored to their specific needs. “This is one of the only places we truly feel like we belong,” said one parent about Jill’s House.“And we are so grateful for that.”
Similarly, Covenant Harbor also hosted residents and staff from Covenant Ability Network of Illinois, which is a living community in Oak Forest dedicated to “extending dignity to every individual by optimizing independence and encouraging health and hope.” At the same time, the camp hosted Serve Globally staff and personnel for their Making Connections event, which enabled some of the children to attend day camp while still having family time together in the evenings. “It was an incredible synergy of Covenant entities coming together in mission and ministry,” said Wessel.
Speaking of Serve Globally, peacemaking was the theme for this year’s annual fundraising partnership between the Association of Covenant Camps & Conference Centers (informally known as “The A4Cs”) in what is being called the “Camp2Camp” project. Camps across the Covenant have been using funds raised through camper offerings and donations from snack shop revenue to benefit peacemaking initiatives in Colombia, Israel and Palestine, South Sudan, and Ethiopia.
Covenanters Engaged in Literal Bridge-Building
Because of the Covenant’s commitment to the six-fold test of diversity in urban and ethnic ministry, bridge-building is often a reliable metaphor for the work of crossing cultural and ethnic barriers in the pursuit of living out the gospel of Jesus Christ. Indeed, multiple Covenant churches have been named with this very metaphor.
But thanks to Executive Minister of Serve Globally, Grace Shim, The Companion was alerted to this story of literal bridge building by global personnel Gary and Mary Lou Sander. They recently partnered with the men’s ministry at River City Christian Church (formerly First Covenant of Sacramento), to help build an actual bridge over the small canal that encircles the building of El Shaddai Church in Galapa, Colombia. Along with putting a roof on the building and several related construction projects, the visit from River City was, “a visual reminder of Christ’s love expressed through the mutual partnership of prayer, service, and walking together,” according to Gary and Mary Lou. You can read more about their missional partnership in their recent blog post.
Noah and Preston’s Pastoral Podcasts
Thanks to Great Lakes Conference superintendent, Garth McGrath, for tipping off The Companion to the authorial and podcasting exploits of Noah Filipiak, founding pastor of Mosaic Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
In addition to being a church-planting pastor, Filipiak is an author; his latest book is Needed Navigation: A Teen’s Guide to His or Her Identity in Christ in a Sex & Porn-Filled World. Earlier this spring, Filipiak was a featured guest on the Preston Sprinkle podcast, Theology in the Raw, to discuss the impact of pornography on teen sexuality.
Apparently, they enjoyed the discussion enough to trade places and try again. This time, Preston was a guest on Noah’s podcast, The Flip Side, where they discussed a biblical approach to American politics. In the episode, Sprinkle compares the United States to the biblical kingdom of Babylon, where God’s people lived in exile, and also to the city of Rome, where the first-century church was established.
Wheelchair Partnership in the Pacific Northwest
Thanks to Jill Riley from the Pacific Northwest Conference (PacNWC) for her informative interview with Ron Johnson, an ambassador for the Free Wheelchair Mission, a California nonprofit that exists to transform lives through the gift of mobility. Johnson has been a longtime active member of Encounter Church (formerly known as Mercer Island Covenant) in Mercer Island, Washington, and spoke with Riley to highlight recent partnerships with other area churches to help provide wheelchairs to people in need, particularly overseas. According to Johnson, people born with disabilities or developmental abnormalities who come into different faith traditions in other countries are particularly susceptible to mistreatment. “You’re labeled as cursed,” says Johnson. “Not only are you disabled, but you’re forgotten… but with Free Wheelchair Mission, you can get on their list and get your mobility back.” Bravo to Johnson and his partners at Free Wheelchair Mission for doing their best to restore a sense of dignity and resilience to all in need.
And speaking of spreading dignity and community…
Minnehaha Students Get Crafty
A delegation of students and staff from Minnehaha Academy were highlighted for their multi-day goodwill trip to visit Friendship Place at Rice Creek Covenant in Lino Lakes, Minnesota. Students from Minnehaha participated in making crafts, singing worship songs, and connecting socially with residents of Friendship Place, which cares for people with developmental disabilities. You can see more photos in this Facebook post by the Covenant Ability Network of Minnesota.
And finally…
Bob Crosses the Century Mark
The Companion wishes a happy 100th birthday to Bob Larson, who became a centenarian on May 29, 2024, and celebrated with friends and family at Covenant Living at the Holmstad in Batavia, Illinois. Larson was the subject of an in-depth profile in the local Kane County Chronicle, which included stories about his military service in the U.S. Navy during World War II.
“We believe if you choose to have Christ in your life, you’ll have a better life. Your life will be full of love and not warfare,” Larson said.
Amen, Bob. Amen.
You can read more about Bob’s story here.
