Newsletters Share Active Life of Church

Post a Comment » Written on May 22nd, 2006     
Filed under: News
CHICAGO, IL (May 22, 2006) – Heather McMillan took up hockey as a personal evangelistic outreach.

“I felt like I was telling my kids to get out there and share their faith,” says McMillan, the youth leader at United Evangelical Covenant Church in Gladstone, Michigan. She wanted to set an example and decided that participating in the sport, which includes getting body checked and slammed into boards, was just the thing. She says that taking on a new sport frees her mind from getting in a rut.

It is that kind of attitude that has led the community to recognize McMillan for her contributions. The local newspaper and civic leaders have named McMillan one of the 40 people under 40 years of age who are making a difference in Delta County,

A sports and outdoor enthusiast, McMillan has coached soccer teams for the area youth league. She also has worked on projects for the Gladstone’s Parks’ and Recreation Department.

McMillan has been working with youth for nearly seven years at the church. She first became involved with the denomination when she started attending First Covenant Church in Mason City, Iowa, as a high school junior.

Now she is considering entering North Park Theological Seminary in the fall as well as pursuing a master’s degree in business administration.

McMillan says she still is discerning in what direction God is leading her, but says she would be interested in consulting for churches or leading spiritual development weekends. Consulting would not be new – area churches already have sought out her advice on starting new programs.

Following is information on various activities from throughout the Evangelical Covenant Church, culled from more than 250 local church newsletters reviewed each month by the Department of Communication. The activities are grouped by conference and region. To have your church’s information considered for publication, add the Communications department to your newsletter mailing list at 5101 N. Francisco Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60625.

CENTRAL

  • Chicago, Illinois: North Park University honored Christine Pokorny and Nancy Senatore for living “Local Lives of Significance.” The women attend Edgebrook Covenant Church.
  • Elgin, Illinois; Murna Hansemann, a former president of the local Evangelical Covenant Church Women, was given the D. Ray Wilson Volunteer Service Award during the community’s local prayer breakfast. Hansemann has been president of the scholarship-generating Fox Valley Beaux Arts Woman’s Club since 1999 and a member of the Altrusa International, which named her its Woman of the Year in 1996. Hansemann also has been president of the Elgin Area YWCA and has helped with fundraisers that included Easter Seals, Elgin Community College and the Salvation Army.
  • Mount Prospect, Illinois: Members of the men’s fellowship at Northwest Covenant Church participated in a ski jumping tournament. Members of the church also participated in a month of activities with Jesus People USA Covenant Church in Chicago.
  • Rockford, Illinois: Members of First Covenant Church, Broadway Covenant Church and Bethesda Covenant Church joined a Habitat for Humanity crew to begin a new home.
  • South Bend, Indiana: Seventeen members of the Evangelical Covenant Church participated in a two-day mission trip to Valparaiso, where they worked at the Spring Valley Shelter.

EAST COAST

  • Berlin, Connecticut: The SALT Band of Bethany Covenant Church led worship at the Trailblazer Retreat and the Junior High Retreat at Pilgrim Pines Conference Center.
  • Lord’s Valley, Pennsylvania: The Church at Hemlock Farms celebrated the work of members who were stepping down from board positions after many years of service. Don Kofstad stepped down as church chairman, having served 29 years in the position. On the same night, Duane Carlson completed 25 years as a trustee, 12 of them as church treasurer and the last several as chairman. Glen Johnson completed 15 years as trustee, including 12 as treasurer.

GREAT LAKES

  • Jamestown, New York: Lisa Waldrod of Zion Covenant Church left to work with Operation Mobilization for nine months in Pretoria, South Africa. Susan Grundstrom is now serving with the Peace Corps for 27 months in Bolivia. The specifics of her work still are to be determined.
  • Hudson, Ohio: Women of the Evangelical Covenant Church of Ohio treated residents of a homeless shelter for women to a luncheon and “spa” afternoon. Mayor Bill Currin kicked off the program. Sunny Fresh and Roxanne Leiter gave manicures, and massotherapist Paula Williams provided massages. Anais Webb, Andrea Brenner and Shannon Casey offered color analysis, and Mary Kay representative Kare Aker operated makeup stations. Stations also were available for facials and hand treatments.

MIDWEST

  • Clyde, Kansas: Erin Carlson was honored as a “Teacher of Promise” during an awards luncheon in Topeka, Kansas. She received the award from the Kansas Exemplary Educators Network for being one of the top two education students at Sterling College, where she is a student. Carlson also was inducted into the Alpha Chi Honor Society. The society honors students who have demonstrated academic excellence and exemplary character. Membership is limited to the top 10 percent of juniors and seniors.
  • Topeka, Kansas: Irene Robertson, who attends Brookwood Covenant Church, was chosen Outstanding Volunteer of the Year at McRite Plaza Center, where she is the longest-serving volunteer to residents.

NORTH PACIFIC

  • Mount Vernon, Washington: Eric DeJong was named the state’s middle school principal of the year. He attends Bethany Covenant Church.
  • Yakima, Washington: Two members of the Wiley Heights Covenant Church celebrated different milestones. Velma Rongrev celebrated her 100th birthday. Dena Elzie received two honorable mentions for her photo-based mixed media artworks exhibited at a local gallery. The gallery director said it was the first time in the show’s history that an artist received two honorable mentions in a single show.

PACIFIC SOUTHWEST

  • Concord, California: Pastor Eric and Karyn Sorenson traveled to Guam for a short-term mission trip in March.
  • Hilmar, California: Allyn Souza of Hillmar Covenant Church has arranged to travel with a mission team to the Dominican Republic in July. She is going with Students International through InterVarsity of Fresno. Members of the church also attended a Family RV and Tent Camp at Yosemite Lakes Thousand Trails Park. The theme was “Come to the Mountain.”
  • San Diego, California: Members of Clairemont Covenant Church helped build a house in Tijuana, Mexico.

Editor’s note: Don’t want to miss a single one of the stories published in this online Covenant news report each day? Sign up for Covenant Newswire, a FREE service that delivers the latest Covenant news directly to your email box. You will receive just one email message per day containing a short summary of stories published during the previous 24 hours, each article containing a link to the complete text of the story. Sign up today at Covenant Newswire.

Copyright © 2011 The Evangelical Covenant Church.

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