The Covenant Companion
News
Youth Gather at Unite 2024
Finding rest, belonging, and purpose in Jesus through worship and meaningful connections.
Covenant Doings
Short stories, activities, and events from various points around the Covenant.
Honoring Nine Personnel for Service to the Global Church
When the Covenant was founded in 1885, we were known as “Mission Friends,” with mission outreach as one of our core identities. This year nine
Dr. Jeffry Caballero Named New President of CHET
The Board of Directors and Presidential Nominating Committee of Centro Hispano de Estudios Teológicos announced that Dr. Jeffry H. Caballero will become the fifth president of CHET.
Gather 2024: Covenanters Move Faithfully Forward
Delegates and leaders of the Evangelical Covenant Church met for their 138th Annual Meeting, June 27-29, themed “Faithfully Forward.”
Scott Peterson Honored for Outstanding Lay Ministry
On Friday, June 28, 2024, Scott A. Peterson received the Theodore W. Anderson award for outstanding lay ministry.
Featured story
Puertas Abiertas / Open Doors
Features
Puertas Abiertas / Open Doors
Fue a través del CHET que descubrí mi llamado para el ministerio. / How CHET helped me find my path to ministry.
Youth Group Unites and Grows Stronger after Unite Conference
Fresno’s On Ramps youth group shares how Unite West deepened their community bonds and faith journey.
Consuming Worship
Examining the influence of consumer capitalism on worship music and strategies for preserving meaningful songs.
Transforming Sounds
Matt Lundgren and Sharon Irving Cochran share their experiences and insights on the evolution of worship music.
God Moves Mountains
How rural churches in Alaska found a surprising solution to an ongoing need.
The Intangible Work of Shalom
Discover how Covenant World Relief & Development partners with local experts to foster peace in conflict zones.
Featured story
Commentary
Do What You Can
Preach the gospel by doing what you can and trust God to make it sufficient and maybe even extraordinary.
Olympic Controversy: Exploring Art, Faith, and Reaction
The 2024 Olympics sparked controversy with a scene resembling Da Vinci’s Last Supper. Cheryl Lynn Cain and Jelani Greenidge discuss its impact on faith and culture.
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.
The Nutritional Value of Beef: Lessons from a Hip-Hop Feud
A hip-hop feud and a Netflix drama illustrate the value of working through conflict to win a greater sense of peace.
Download That New Pentecost When It Drops
How the Holy Spirit is the firmware that gives me a “plug-and-play” kind of faith.
Changing the Culture of Abuse Starts at Home
I thought I was pretty good at advocating for the rights of women—until I wasn’t.
Arts & Culture
Engaging the Seat Fillers
Find practical strategies to engage churchgoers and improve volunteer recruitment in Angela Yee’s newest book.
Meme Your Faith
Christian memes have reshaped faith communication, mixing humor and theology, but risk misinterpretation and oversimplification.
Not the Same Old Song
Ordained Covenant pastor Jules Glanzer invites readers to view leadership through a new lens in his book, The Sound of Leadership: Kingdom Notes to Fine Tune Your Life and Influence.
A Life-Giving Invitation
With the beginning of AANHPI month in May, the Companion shares this review of Our Unforming: De-Westernizing Spiritual Formation.
A Holistic Approach to Healing
In her forthcoming book, Does God See Me?, Dieula Previlon says, “Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can step forth and create a more just world where all God’s created beings can flourish.” In honor of Black History Month, we share this excerpt.
Who’s Missing?
A review of Church for Everyone: Building a Multi-Inclusive Community for Emerging Generations written by Dan Kreiss and Efrem Smith.
Announcements
Devyn Chambers Johnson to Join Serve Clergy
Devyn Chambers Johnson will join Serve Clergy as the new director of compelling preaching.
Covenant Living Appoints New President and CEO
Covenant Living Communities and Services announced that David Erickson has been appointed as the new president and CEO.
Alex Rahill Announces He Will Step Down from Start and Strengthen Churches
Rev. Alex Rahill has announced he will resign from his position as director of church planting for the Covenant, effective August 31, 2024.
Jin Lee to Join Serve Clergy
Serve Clergy and Ordered Ministry are happy to announce the addition of Jin Lee as director of pastoral support and practice.
Magallanes-Tsang to Join North Park Theological Seminary Faculty
North Park Theological Seminary is delighted to announce that this August we will welcome to our faculty Dr. Sophia Magallanes-Tsang (PhD, University of Edinburgh) as Assistant Professor of Old Testament.
Cyndi Hoffman Named VP of Finance
The Covenant Executive Board has approved the appointment of Cynthia “Cyndi” Hoffman to serve as vice president of finance and corporate treasurer of the Evangelical Covenant Church.
Weekly Devotions
Home Altar
In Memoriam
Ann Maleski
Retired Covenant minister Ann Maleski passed on July 10, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois. She was 77 years old.
Ruth Honnette Winstedt
Ruth Honnette Winstedt, widow of Rev. Robert Honnette and Rev. Clarence Winstedt, passed on July 4, 2024, in Hilmar, California. She was 102.
David A. Potts
Retired Covenant minister David A. Potts passed away on July 25, 2024, in Jamestown, New York. He was 68.
Irene Johnson
Irene Johnson, widow of Rev. Edward Johnson, died on Tuesday, July 9, 2024.
Diana Day
Diana Lynn Day died on September 3, 2023, in Portland, Maine, following a long struggle with dementia concurrently with bulbar-onset ALS. She was 70.
Thomas Kelly
Retired Covenant global personnel Thomas Kelly passed away in Northbrook, Illinois, on June 24, 2024. He was 73.
Jea Tae Kim
Retired Covenant pastor Rev. Jea Tae Kim passed away on December 31, 2022. He was 87.
Thorstein Burtness
Retired Covenant pastor Thorstein Burtness passed away on September 24, 2021, in Aurora, Colorado. He was 96.
Love the Cov
Podcast
Sankofa: Join Us on the Bus
Hear from leaders and participants, as well as Sankofa veteran Nilwona Nowlin, who walks us through the journey—and shares her reflections after years of getting on the bus. For more information visit covchurch.org/sankofa
We Are a Multiethnic Mosaic
Mary Chung March outlines our history of becoming a multiethnic mosaic, growing from our roots as a Swedish immigrant church. And Steve Wong, pastor of the first Asian American church plant in the Covenant, reflects on his journey into the Covenant, how he has seen the denomination change, and our
We Seek Racial Righteousness
Covenant historian Hauna Ondrey and Dominique Gilliard join us to talk about the end of the 1960s, the Black Manifesto, the Covenant’s unique response to this call to white churches and synagogues—and where we witness similar themes in our culture today.
We Make Affirmations
In the Covenant we identify as non-creedal, meaning we do not adhere to a specific creed. But non-creedal does not mean we are without theology. The six Covenant affirmations address the question, “What does the Covenant believe?” Retired North Park Theological Seminary professor Klyne Snodgrass joins us.
Do What You Can