SANTA BARBARA AND WALNUT CREEK, CA (December, 1998) – Two California Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC) congregations have recently added church planting to their mix of outreach strategies by sending their long-term youth pastors to start neighboring congregations.
Church Planting
Montecito Covenant Church of Santa Barbara, pastored by Rev. Curt Peterson, recently commissioned Rev. Jon Ireland to lead a team of individuals in planting a new church targeting the downtown area. He is being joined by Chuck Wysong, former ECC Director of Youth Ministries.
Hillside Covenant Church of Walnut Creek, pastored by Rev. Joel Kruggel, is also sending out its youth pastor to lead a church-plant effort. Rev. Kurt Holm’s group will target “Generation-X” young people in the East Bay Area.
Both Ireland and Holm have served their churches in youth ministry for more than 10 years. Demonstrating their deep missional focus, each parent church has committed more than $100,000 to the respective projects.
No Retirement Here!
How will you spend your retirement? Alan Anderson, recently retired as an administrator from Covenant Ministries of Benevolence in Chicago, along with his wife Joyce, decided to spend the first segment of their retirement planting a church!
The Andersons have moved for at least one year to Santa Barbara (CA) for the express purpose of helping launch the Ocean Hills Covenant Church. Alan volunteers as the business manager and coordinator of various sub-ministries for this new church, reaching the “Gen-X” community in the downtown area.
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