CHICAGO, IL (December 28, 2001) – Considerable activity is reflected in a review of more than 200 newsletters from local Evangelical Covenant churches regularly sent to the Department of Communication of the Evangelical Covenant Church.
Churches are requested to add the department to newsletter mailing lists so that news from their congregational ministries and member contributions can be included in these periodic reviews. Send newsletters to Newsdesk, Department of Communication, 5101 N. Francisco Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60625. Electronic newsletters can be sent to newsdesk@covchurch.org.
Following is the current review, listed by conference:
Central Conference
- Church of the Good Shepherd Evangelical Covenant Church in Crest Hill, Illinois – Senior Connie Barnard has made the most of her time at Plainfield High School, earning National Honor Society honors while contributing actively to her youth group. Barnard is involved in symphonic band, marching band and color guard at her high school. She plans to attend Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. Barnard has attended mission trips, CHIC 2K, and was the Lucia queen at her church’s recent celebration of Santa Lucia.
- Evangelical Covenant Church of Princeton, Illinois – Clara Alberts has used her knitting skills for the past 11 years to aid the church’s Happy Hands Preschool. This year, she gave knitted gifts to all 80 children in the school.
- Evangelical Covenant Church of Paxton, Illinois – Alaina Eckerty and Tracey Plackett made local news for being crowned Ford County Queen and Homecoming Queen at Buckley-Loda High School. Eckerty has been a part of the Girls State Government in Illinois and is active in other local groups as well.
- Grace Covenant Church in Stambaugh, Michigan – Matt Sammond was honored as the All-Peninsula center by area sportswriters and sportscasters and was selected as Great Western Conference offensive lineman of the year. He also received state notice in the Class D division. Another parishioner, Don Sarder, was featured in a local newspaper for his award-winning woodcarvings at a show in Iron Mountain.
- Quad Cities, Iowa – A Western Illinois District Church Planting Initiative will meet in January to discuss planting a church in the Quad Cities in Iowa, according to chair Gene Wildermuth. The church is requesting help from the Central Conference and the Department of Church Growth and Evangelism. Pastor John Jacobi of Elim Covenant Church in Moline, Illinois, will be the committee secretary. A new committee was formed three years ago, hoping to start a church in Bloomington, Illinois. The Quad Cities area includes a population of about 300,000.
East Coast Conference
- Hemlock Farms in Lords Valley, Pennsylvania – Pastor Robert Duncan Sr. recently earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Drew University’s Theological School in New Jersey. Duncan has been the senior pastor at the church for five years.
- Community Covenant Church in East Bridgewater, Massachusetts – Laura Keith won first place for the sixth grade at her school in a local Lions Club Peace Poster contest. Chris Frye was a member of a local Special Olympics soccer team that earned a gold medal in a regional meet in Massachusetts.
- Covenant Congregational Church in Waltham, Massachusetts – Thirty visitors were welcomed during a November Friendship Sunday service.
- Christ Church of East Greenwich, Rhode Island – Teens recently finished their third annual Youth Musical with more than 30 participating. The musical, “Truthslayers,” is taken from a mini-novel written by Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler. Proceeds from the event went to the Providence, Rhode Island, Rescue Mission. Noah Bryant starred in football and track and field and his brother, Josh, made national headlines in power lifting. Noah was named an All-Southern Section pick during the fall as an offensive lineman with Carpenteria High. The senior earned Junior All-America honors for USA Track and Field last summer after finishing in the top eight in the shot put at the U.S. Junior National Track and Field Championships in Richmond, Virginia.
North Pacific Conference
- Grace Covenant Church in Olympia, Washington – Youth group members staffed the Maytown rest area, providing coffee service for 60 consecutive hours one November weekend. Churches in that area supply coffee and cookies, among other things, for travelers on the highways in Washington. More than 30 families took part in the effort, which raised $935.82 for registration fees and scholarships for children to attend Cascades Camp next summer. The church plans to provide refreshments at another rest area next August. Two brothers, Joe and Jesse Stevick, have been recognized for their track and field and cross-country prowess while running for Westmont College in California and Whitworth College in Washington. Joe participated in the 2000 National Athletic Intercollegiate Association track and field meet as part of the 4 x 800 meter relay team. Jesse, a sophomore at Whitworth, recently finished 27th in the Northwest Conference cross-country meet as his squad placed fifth of nine teams. Both runners raced at Olympia High during their prep careers. Their father, Drew, a doctor, coaches a local track club and competes in Masters track and field events as a javelin thrower. He is ranked 11th in the world in his age category, according to www.MastersTrack.com.
- First Covenant Church in Spokane, Washington – Groups and individuals were recently honored (along with two other organizations) for community work. The church was honored for its work with The Spokane Farmers Market and given recognition by its director, Jill Boyd. The market is known for its innovative work in Washington. Another parishioner, Mable Rydholm, was interviewed on a local television news broadcast for her work knitting caps for children while another member, Ray Marsh, was interviewed for his work remodeling buildings for a local organization. Meanwhile, Nina Peterson is playing the cello at the Gonzaga Symphony Orchestra in Spokane. Her sister-in-law, Rachel Peterson, was presented a Washington State Promise Scholarship for being in the top five percent in her class academically.
- First Covenant Church in Seattle, Washington – Shannon Seidel, a sophomore at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, recently placed fifth in the 55-meter high hurdles at the Northeastern University Husky Indoor Carnival in Boston. Seidel is a multi-event performer in track and field for her school. Two years ago, she placed second in the inaugural decathlon at the Washington State High School Girls Decathlon while competing for Nathan Hale High School.
Northwest Conference
- Dawson Covenant Church in Dawson, Minnesota – Ellie Fredlund and Jenna Thompson represented their high school at the 44th annual Augustana College Concert Band Festival in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The top musicians from a five-state region are invited to the festival.
- Bethlehem Covenant Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota – Laura Dahl and Bethany Isaacs were recently inducted into the National Honor Society for academic and extracurricular excellence during their high school careers.
- Salem Covenant Church in New Brighton, Minnesota – Mary Vining Radomski recently published her third textbook, Occupational Therapy for Physical Dysfunction (1,100 pages), along with Sister Kenny Institute and Catherine A. Trombly of Boston University. For more information about the book, check www.lww.com/promo/trombly.
Pacific Southwest Conference
- Alpine Covenant Conference Center in Blue Jay, California – About 100 supporters and volunteers attended a 20th anniversary celebration for Alpine Angels, a major contributor to camper scholarships at Alpine Covenant Conference Center. Alpine Angels has operated two thrift shops in the area and has funded 263 projects, raising more than $800,000. Marilyn Porter, founder and director of the organization, was presented with a Waterford crystal bowl from Alpine Covenant Conference Center’s director Stan White at the November event.
- Montecito Covenant Church in Santa Barbara, California – Josh Bryant set two new American records in the 20-to-23-year-old age group in the 308-pound weight class in California. He lifted 744 pounds in the Squat event and lifted 1,928 pounds in a combination of the squat, bench press and deadlift events. He had won all three individual events and the combined title at the USA Power lifting (USAPL) Teenage and Junior Men’s National Championships in June 2000 in the 18-to-19-year-old age group and 307.5-pound division.
- Crossroads Covenant Church in Clayton, California – John and Matt Gillespie helped two relay teams set county records in the Contra Costa County swim meet. Individually, John set another county record in various events ranging from the 100-yard breast stroke and missed the county record by about one second while winning his division’s 100-yard Individual Medley.
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