Phelan will meet with pastors and lay leaders in several churches with different demographics in each conference. He will travel to four churches in three Canadian cities in several weeks.
Phelan says he wants to hear from churches about what ministry is going well in the congregations and what are the challenges they face. Most importantly, he adds, “We want to know, ‘How can the seminary help you fulfill your mission?’ ”
No one has fully grasped the changes in the church and culture over the past 20 or 30 years, Phelan says. “We’re all having to listen.”
The trips are being funded in part by the $2 million grant the Lilly Foundation awarded the school for its Making Connections Initiative. The initiative is designed to strengthen the ties between the seminary and denomination.
Phelan discusses the plan in a new ministry update video, which is part of a new video-based ministry update feature that has been added to the ECC website. The updates provide local Covenant churches and individuals with regular reports on new ministry initiatives and other ministry activities.
