Krisann Jarvis Foss Receives Irving C. Lambert Award

Post a Comment » Written on June 22nd, 2007     
Filed under: News
PORTLAND, OR (June 22, 2007) – Krisann Jarvis Foss is this year’s recipient of the Irving C. Lambert Award, which recognizes excellence in support of urban and ethnic ministries.

The award is administered by the Urban Commission through the Department of Church Growth and Evangelism of the Evangelical Covenant Church. It was presented during today’s business session of the 122nd Annual Meeting in Portland.

FossFoss is the North Pacific Conference (NPC) director of conference ministries in the area of cross cultural ministry and mission. She also oversees NPC communications. She is a licensed Covenant pastor and is pursuing a Master of Arts in Christian Education degree at North Park Theological Seminary.

“I am overwhelmingly honored to receive this award,” Foss said in accepting the honor. “I also am very humbled to receive this award at this meeting and with this delegation where I have found so many heroes of the faith. They have been mentors to me and role models, people who have challenged me and encouraged me in what it means to be a follower of Jesus. They have encouraged me in what it means to share the whole gospel with all people, with compassion mercy and justice, even when it’s not comfortable and inconvenient or leads me to places I’m not comfortable with.

“I will pray daily that by God’s grace I will grow into this award and live up to what it stands for.”

Superintendent Mark Novak says the conference has benefited from her commitment and financial sacrifice. “Krisann came to our staff from an international business background where she made a whole lot more money than she makes working for us.”

Foss has been active in the churches she has attended, helping them welcome refugees and reach out to local at-risk children.

At Kent (Washington) Covenant Church (KCC), she was part of a team that welcomed and assimilated a family of Sudanese refugees. She and her husband, Dave, invited the family and other members of the Sudanese community to join them and other guests for holidays and special events.

Foss also advocated for one of the family’s children throughout her junior and senior high school years, providing tutoring, encouragement and intervention with school issues. A young woman and her child from the extended family lived with the Foss family for several months.

They were not the only family Foss has sheltered. While attending Cedarcreek Covenant Church in Maple Valley, Washington, she invited a family of refugees from Somalia into her home for several weeks as they began their transition to their new life. She also helped other refugees assimilate when they arrived in the city.

Foss also helped guide the development of outreach ministries at Cedarcreek, including tutoring at-risk students at a local elementary school.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Report This Post

Leave a Reply

Report This Blog