The ECC teaches us that as disciples of Jesus, we’re on a continuing journey of being transformed by the Holy Spirit into Christ’s likeness, experiencing and expressing love for God and others.

We’ve developed FREE planning resources for the adult spiritual journey designed to…

• Equip God’s people for works of service
• Build up the body of Christ
• Foster unity in the community of faith
• Grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ
• Become rooted and grounded in love; and
• Attain to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ

Check out this FREE “Make and Deepen Disciples” resource and explore topics of intentional discipleship on:

• Small Groups
• Mentoring and Coaching
• Teaching and Learning
• Prayer

To view and download resources, click here!

Developed by Dusty Gulleson (Bellingham Covenant Church in WA), this free app allows you to leverage existing social networks and mobile devices to connect individuals through intercessory prayer. It’s a great way to keep track of prayer requests – both as a reminder to pray, as well as keep track of answers to prayer.  In fact, ORA collects, organizes, tracks, reminds, connects and securely shares prayer requests and answers with anyone you choose.

Dan Boehlje, associate pastor at Bellingham Covenant, describes the app as: “It’s like Twitter meets church prayer chain.” We believe it has great potential for individuals and churches alike to simplify the process of communicating and updating prayer requests. Check it out here and let us know what you think!

Register for the discussion here at 11:00 am, Central Daylight Time or Call-in toll-free number (US/Canada): 1-877-668-4493 Access code: 622 935 280

Many churches today seek to bring Christ to specific Ministry and Mission opportunities in their communities, as well as on the other side of the world. For the April Call-in Cafe we invited some local church leaders to share their experience with this call to action in Jesus’ name. If you are exploring Mission and Ministry opportunities for your church or have experiences to share, we encourage you to join us for this Call-in Cafe.

Something to consider:

As you read the following quotation from the Covenant Resource Paper on Compassion, Mercy and Justice (June, 2011) ask yourself, “How is this concern incorporated into the life of your church?”

As a community of faith centered on and actively engaged with the Bible, the Evangelical Covenant Church has a long and significant history of ministries of compassion, mercy, and justice. In recent years our engagement in these ministries has increased, deepened, and broadened. This focus reflects our deepening conviction that to be faithful to the Bible, the Covenant Church must work to live out the great commandment in all its ramifications. When asked by a teacher of the law, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” Jesus answered, “The most important one…is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:28-31). Along with Luke 4:18-19, this text provides clarity about the foundation for ministries of compassion, mercy, and justice and intimately links love for God with love for neighbor. This perspective, reflecting the historic foundations and character of the Covenant, is inscribed succinctly in stone at the base of the first building erected at North Park University: “For God and Humanity.”

Schedule a 30 Hour Famine event with your church’s youth group and stand alongside our Congolese sisters and brothers as they work to end the cycle of extreme poverty in the Equateur province. By partnering with World Vision and Covenant Kids Congo, you’ll not only be able to raise awareness on how the Covenant church in Congo is working towards clean water, to end senseless malaria deaths, as well as beat back hunger, further grow education efforts and bolster the economy through micro-enterprise, you’ll also have the opportunity to designate your funds toward this unprecedented project.

We’ve made great strides in the last 6 months – over 5,000 kids have been sponsored by Covenant churches across the US and Canada. But there remains much to do, in a country where 3 out of 4 of our Congolese friends do not have access to clean water.

In order to learn more about how your church and youth group can be part of this incredible movement, join Aune Carlson and Adam Phillips online for an exclusive WebEx conversation on April 2^nd at 2pm Central. We’ll share what other churches are doing, field questions, and help walk-through your very own 30 Hour Famine effort this year with Covenant Kids Congo.

Register Now to join the conversation on April 2^nd at 2pm CDT.

Become a child sponsor and you’ll provide a child and others in his or her community with access to life-saving basics.

for the next Call-in Cafe – Adult Ministry

Mentoring/Coaching, A Friend for the Christian Journey

Judy Peterson, Campus Pastor at North Park University will be the guest presenter this month.

Mentoring is an important part of University Ministries at North Park University. Judy helps students learn about mentoring and then supports them as they put their training into practice. She feels strongly about the importance and effectiveness of mentoring in the spiritual formation of Christians. Because the university setting is quite different from the church, we will intentionally include time to discuss possible adaptations for your setting.

Register for the discussion here.*To connect to the audio portion with a landline or cell phone: (US/Canada): (877) 668-4493 (Call-in toll number (US/Canada)) Access code: 624 400 743  

Encouraging and equipping your church’s parents in discipling their own children

Presenter: Samantha Morey

Discover how to lead your church’s parents into leading their children to Christ and fostering an environment of discipleship that carry them into adulthood.  Learn about ways to support parents in the process and offer tools to enrich their journeys.

Register for the discussion here.*To connect to the audio portion with a landline or cell phone: (US/Canada): 1-877-668-4493 (Call-in toll free number (US/Canada) Access code:  622 383 941

for the next Call-in Cafe – Adult Ministry

Mentoring/Coaching, A Friend for the Christian Journey

Judy Peterson, Campus Pastor at North Park University will be the guest presenter this month.

Mentoring is an important part of University Ministries at North Park University. Judy helps students learn about mentoring and then supports them as they put their training into practice. She feels strongly about the importance and effectiveness of mentoring in the spiritual formation of Christians. Because the university setting is quite different from the church, we will intentionally include time to discuss possible adaptations for your setting.  

Register for the discussion here.*To connect to the audio portion with a landline or cell phone: (US/Canada): (877) 668-4493 (Call-in toll number (US/Canada)) Access code: 624 400 743  

Encouraging and equipping your church’s parents in discipling their own children

Presenter: Samantha Morey

Discover how to lead your church’s parents into leading their children to Christ and fostering an environment of discipleship that carry them into adulthood.  Learn about ways to support parents in the process and offer tools to enrich their journeys.

Register for the discussion here.*To connect to the audio portion with a landline or cell phone: (US/Canada): 1-877-668-4493 (Call-in toll free number (US/Canada) Access code:  622 383 941

Though the Verge 2013 Conference looks amazing, its SOLD OUT. But there are so many others like you who would want to participate. And here’s some good news! Bring Verge to your home, group or church with the Verge Webcast by hosting or attending a FREE Live Webcast. The event will be broadcast over the internet, so if you would like to show the event in your group, house or church free of charge, Verge Network would like to help you make that a reality.
So let’s spread the word about the FREE live Webcast of Verge 2013 so that no one misses out. Think about all the groups or churches you know who would benefit from being challenged and inspired on the topic of Disciple Making by Dave Gibbons, Francis Chan, Jo Saxton, Dr. John Perkins, and many, many others!

Just sign up HERE to get on the Verge 2013 Live Webcast email list to stay updated and get info on next steps!

Here is all the information and details you need to host a Verge Webcast!

Dates & Times – March 1-2

• Check the full schedule of Verge 2013 Conference in the “Schedule & Topics” tab.
• Verge 2013 Conference will be webcast worldwide. All you need is a computer and an internet connection. You can register for free at the bottom of this page.

The Link

• The link to the webcast will be sent the week of the conference after you register for the webcast at the bottom of this page.

Perhaps you’d like to join us too. We’re reading through Richard Rohr’s book Wondrous Encounters: Scripture for Lent. It can be accessed quickly in e-format on Amazon. But don’t let a late start stop you. Join us whenever you can. All along the way post your wondrous encounters, either as a response to this blog or on Facebook or Twitter (#wondrousencounters).

As a season of the Christian church year, Lent begins this week with Ash Wednesday.  Its observation serves as preparation for Holy Week – during which we encounter the realities of Christ’s dying and rising. I’m regularly challenged by Franciscan friar Richard Rohr and look forward to his guidance on a journey of knowing God more fully.

From the book’s introduction: “During these forty days of Lent, let’s allow ourselves to be known! All the way through. Nothing to hide from, in ourselves, from ourselves, or from God.”

With you on the journey,

Doreen Olson