The church began sheltering people on December 3, when the temperatures fell below 20 degrees, says Pastor Steve Bilynskyj. Roughly a dozen people came in from the cold that night.

The numbers continued to grow each night, reaching a peak of 90 people at one point as temperatures plunged to 10 degrees. The people slept in the sanctuary, which normally seats between 70 and 80 people during Sunday worship, Bilynskyj says.

The church kept the doors open until December 11, when the temperatures began to rise. Members of the community joined church members to serve the guests, Bilynskyj says.

The center provided a sandwich in the evening, a cot and blankets, a place to watch television – including a key playoff game for the Oregon Ducks – and coffee and a donut in the morning. On the last night, some shelter guests joined the Valley Covenant youth group in decorating the sanctuary’s Christmas tree.

The church had to face several challenges in addition to finding space for the guests, Bilynskyj says. A pipe froze on December 8 and broke in the ceiling of the congregation’s second building, which is three years old and contains youth gathering rooms and offices.

The water damage did not affect the shelter in the sanctuary building, but has severely hampered congregational life during the shelter time and the Christmas holiday, Bilynskyj adds.

The most difficult day was December 11 when shelter volunteers and the congregation removed and stored all the cots, cleaned out the heavily used kitchen, and set up 200 chairs so that a memorial service could take place in the afternoon for a member of the congregation.

Immediately following the service, volunteers took down the chairs so that tables could be set up for a long-planned holiday craft fair the next day. On Saturday evening after the craft fair, the tables came down and the chairs went back up for Sunday worship.

“Through it all a core of dedicated church members smiled, pitched in to help, and praised God for their opportunities to serve the community and each other through a challenging time,” Bilynskyj says.

Valley Covenant’s commitment to the Warming Center continues through March 15, so they are ready to bring the cots back in whenever the thermometer drops to 28 or below, Bilynskyj adds. “Their simple goal is that no one will ever again freeze to death on the streets of their community.”

The Egan Warming Center Coalition is named after Major Thomas Egan, a homeless veteran who died of exposure in cold weather in 2008.

Daniel Booker – from Rockford, Illinois. Dan joined the Department of Communication in June, serving as an assistant in Covenant Bookstore. He attended North Park Theological Seminary prior to joining Covenant Communications. One of his vivid memories is being partially on fire after his car exploded. He and his wife, Annie, have been married four years.

Amy Daigle – from Londonderry, New Hampshire. Amy joined the Department of Church Growth and Evangelism in May, serving as coordinator for congregational vitality. She also provides administrative support for the Covenant Commission on Town and Country Ministries. Amy previously worked for Covenant Trust Company. In fourth grade, Amy started an after-school club for horse enthusiasts called “The Horsing around Club.” Thankfully, she says, her friend Suzie helped her because she knew nothing about horses. She and her husband, Andrew, have been married three years.

Ben Eash – from Owego, New York. Ben joined the Department of Communication in May, serving as director of Interactive Services and webmaster responsible for the ECC website. Previously, Ben served as director of creative/innovative solutions and resources for Urban Youth Workers Institute (UYWI) in Los Angeles, California. His family traveled to churches and sang gospel music when he was growing up, recording two albums. Ben is a fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Buffalo Bills, and the New York Yankees. He and his wife, Carey, have been married eight years and have two children, Madi (Madison), four, and Luke, three.

Rachel Einfeldt – born and raised in Congo, she spent three years in Cameroon during high school. Rachel joined National Covenant Properties in November as an investment coordinator. Prior to joining Covenant Offices, she served as a manager and account analyst for AGT Tax and Insurance Services in Skokie, Illinois. She and her husband, Ryan, have been married two and a half years.

Liz Finch – a native of Texas, she joined National Covenant Properties in March as part of a project to convert files from paper to digital format. Liz now serves as administrative assistant in the department. Previously she worked for the Chicago Symphony. She is an avid bike rider, loves to paint (water colors are her main medium), is a certified scuba diver (but hasn’t been diving in seven years), and loves Google maps, especially “street view.”

Ann-Marie Frisk – a native of Chicago. Ann-Marie joined National Covenant Properties in October, serving as administrative assistant for real estate services. A few years earlier, Ann-Marie worked at the Covenant Offices reception desk and then in the Department of Communication. Prior to rejoining the Covenant Offices staff, Ann-Marie worked in the editorial field as well as five years in the Alumni Office at North Park University. When Ann-Marie was in grade school, she did voiceovers for Golden Books videos. She and her husband, David, have been married two years.

Joe Geary – originally from St. Joseph, Michigan, and now residing in Northwest Indiana. Joe joined Covenant Offices in October, serving as director of information technology. Prior to working at Covenant Offices, Joe was part owner in a firm that designed competitive intelligence solutions for the hospitality industry. He has worked in information technology for 25 years in areas of manufacturing, insurance, energy trading, utilities, and hospitality. “It is an exciting opportunity for me to be able to transform my day job into serving my king, Lord and Savior,” he says. He and his wife, April, have four children: Mackenna, 17; Megan, 14; Joey, three, and Mikey, one.

David Husby – he and his wife, Ronna, served as Asia regional coordinators for the Department of World Mission prior to his acceptance of a call as director of Covenant World Relief and relocation to Chicago in May. Ronna is continuing in the role as Asia regional coordinator. The couple served as Covenant missionaries for more than 20 years. Married 27 years, they have three daughters: Kristina, 24; Jennifer, 22; and Erika, 18.

Karen Kelly – originally from Mexico City, Mexico, the daughter of Covenant Missionaries Tom and Janice Kelly. Karen joined the Department of Ordered Ministry in September as a clerical assistant. She is a sophomore at North Park University and is currently learning how to speak Arabic.

Kevin Kempe – born in Chicago, but raised in Cary, North Carolina. Kevin joined the Department of Communication in March as manager of the online Covenant Bookstore. Previously, he spent four years working at Portage Lake Bible Camp, three years working at Faith Covenant Church, and attended North Park Theological Seminary. Kevin says he was very proud of his hair a few years ago when he had dreadlocks, but he sold them in an auction for more than $2,000 to help bring his youth group to CHIC in 2006 – the story made the front page of his small town newspaper. Kevin and his wife, Christina, have been married nearly two years and welcomed their first child, Adelaide, this past September. Christina works in the office of Bethany Benefit.

Carmen Bensink Lewis – originally from Salem, Oregon, before moving to Chicago. Carmen joined the Department of Church Growth and Evangelism in January, serving as assistant to church planting where she organizes and hosts the Church Planter Assessment Center and the Church Planters Training Centers. Carmen says she loves adventure and travel – one of her favorite countries is Colombia. She and her husband, Scott, have been married two years. Scott is completing training at North Park Theological Seminary.

Kerry Staurseth – originally from the state of Washington and having lived in several states over the years, as well as Canada and Africa. Kerry joined the executive vice president’s office in June, serving as stewardship and strategic giving coordinator. In that role, she assists with development strategies, helps develop stewardship resources for use in local churches, and works with the Christian Action Commission on in developing appropriate draft resolutions. She and her husband, Philip, have been married 19 years and have three children: Colleen, 18; Caleb, 15; and Erin, 13. (Photo not available.)

Peter Sung – formerly of Bayside, New York. This summer, Peter joined the Department of Church Growth and  Evangelism as director of church planting and relocated to Chicago. Previously, Peter served as associate superintendent of the East Coast Conference, also serving as director of church planting and revitalization. He helped plant six churches over a 12-year period. He and his wife, Susie, have been married 13 years and have four children: Emelyn, 7; Madelyn, 5; Sophia, 3; and Amelia, 5 months.

The programming includes weather, news, and worship music. She frequently preaches between songs. Kinok also plays programs that are sent to the station.

A woman of strong faith, even she is amazed by where God has brought her. “I never even dreamt it,” she says. “It’s very exciting.”

The station is owned by the Arctic Broadcasting Association, which is a 501(c)3 non-profit affiliated corporation of the Evangelical Covenant Church. It is the only commercial radio station licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to broadcast into another country in that nation’s own language.

Kinok says her life is a testimony to the influence of KICY, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2010.

As a child, Kinok says, “I knew nothing of the gospel or the Bible. No one else ever spoke of prayer, Jesus, or the Bible.”

When Kinok was a teenager, she came across a Christian television broadcast and gave her life to Christ. Although she still was unfamiliar with the theological language, Kinok says the words were powerful.

Still, no one else in Sireniki spoke of Jesus. Kinok regularly prayed, “If there is a God at all, I’d like to find someone in my village who knows about Jesus.”

One day, her friend brought to school a comic book that told the story of Christ’s life and death. Kinok asked to borrow the book, but was told the girl’s mother would have to give her permission.

With trepidation, Kinok knocked on the door to her friend’s house and asked the mother if she could borrow the book. “My hunger was more than my fear.”

“I really thought she would go to punch me for saying Jesus Christ in her house, but she held me and started crying,” Kinok recalls. “It was weird.”

The two studied together, and soon as many as 100 people would join them. Later, a missionary brought Bibles to them – Kinok about wore hers out in two weeks.

She suffered persecution from some villagers. Her parents wanted nothing to do with her faith and another relative tried to kill her twice.

Alcoholic: “I understand I could be different. There is a different kind of life. I don’t want to drink myself to death.”

Kinok was 19 when she moved to another village to help a missionary evangelize among people who had never heard the gospel. She was excited that the principal of the local school gave them a room in which to meet, but he doubted anyone would show up.

Thirty-two people attended the first service, Kinok recalls. Later she met another person whose life was being changed by KICY.

An alcoholic man attended one of the services and told Kinok afterward that he had been searching his radio for a station that would come in clearly and came across KICY. The station was playing gospel music at the time, and the man had never heard anything like it.

The man told Kinok, “I understand I could be different. There is a different kind of life. I don’t want to drink myself to death.”

Kinok lived in the village of 200 people for five years. In 2006, her pastor received a call from KICY’s general manager, Dennis Weidler, who was asking if he knew someone who would volunteer to broadcast programming in Russian. (Weidler had met the pastor during a visit by the Russian minister to Alaska).

The pastor immediately thought of Kinok, but she first rejected the idea. She explained that she did not know English, never worked a computer, and certainly had no experience with radio station equipment.

Kinok relented, however, and moved to Nome in August 2004. She planned to spend only six months at the station. Those plans changed when she had little trouble learning English and quickly became comfortable working at the station.

The station’s 50,000-watt directional signal enables her to evangelize Russians across thousands of miles of tundra. A missionary told Kinok he came across reindeer herders in a remote area who listened to the station on a solar-powered radio.

She makes her phone number public and frequently receives calls from listeners in Russia. They also email her to say how the broadcast has impacted their lives or to share their struggles.

“Most of the people are calling from places where there are no churches,” she says.

Kinok is surprised at how her show has influenced people. When she returned to Russia to renew her visa, people recognized her and they shared how her program had touched their lives.

Kinok will be giving up the microphone next year, however. She wants to work in the local church again and will move back to Russia in September.

Who knows? Thanks to her work, maybe the person who replaces her will be a reindeer herder.

“Rosing from the Dead is about resurrection – the times it seems possible, and the times it does not,” says Willis, a professor of English at Westmont College. “Each poem investigates the emergence or denial of hope that we may feel in each small turn of our lives. Along the way, the poems visit forgotten corners of family history, college classrooms, and mountain meadows. Once in a while, a dog or two come sniffing along.”

The book is divided into three sections: “Faith of our Fathers,” “Higher Learning,” and “Signs and Wonders.” Some of the poems were previously in publications that include Books & Culture, Christian Century, Cider Press Review, and the Mars Hill Review. Rosing from the Dead is his second book of poems. His first book, Visiting Home, was published in 2008.

Reproduced from Rosing from the Dead is “Bifocals”:

Now I live in divided and distinguished
worlds, joined by an equatorial smudge,

the common murk of middle earth.
Now I learn to bring my book under

my nose, to bow my head in reverence
to observe my footing on the stairs.

Now the drawing down of blinds,
the narrowing of near and far,

the clarifying closure of these unhinged
doors of perception, cleansed by cloistered.

Sample pages from the book can be read here. The Covenant Companion will publish a review in a future issue.

Although the last of the money was spent in 2007, the emphasis CWR puts on development through partnerships with local organizations has helped many people to regain control of their lives and set the foundation for a sustainable future.

A significant portion of the funds were directed to the Andaman Islands, located between India and Burma. CWR began working with the Hindustani Covenant Church (HCC), with which it has since developed a close relationship and is partnering on many non-tsunami related projects.

HCC used tsunami relief funds from CWR and others to provide immediate relief supplies, medical care, trauma counseling, and temporary shelters. Hundreds of organizations assisted with relief work, but five years later, HCC is one of only a few who are still working in the Andaman Islands. The accompanying photo shows some of the permanent housing that has been created.

That emphasis on economic development has helped to restart the fishing industry and begin new micro-enterprise businesses. Additionally, 152 permanent shelters have been built and the HCC has planted new churches, according to David Husby, CWR director.

The continued work has been made possible, in part, because the HCC multiplied CWR funds by using them to obtain matching grants and other financial resources.

Still, much work remains. “Last year, I visited the Andamans and saw with my own eyes the terrible devastation nearly four years after the tsunami,” says Husby. “However, far worse than the physical devastation was the emotional pain and suffering of those who had lost many loved ones. I sat with people who wept as they shared their stories of those horrific few moments when parents, spouses, and children were swept away.”

There are some things that can never be forgotten, but Husby says the development work is opening opportunities to share the gospel in new ways.

“Everyone who comes gets treated with grace-filled service that includes being greeted at the door, ushered to their seats, waited on, and friendly conversation for those who enjoy interaction,” says Swanson-Draheim. Centerpieces decorated the tables covered with linens and guests were treated to live piano music.

Churches take turns hosting the Community Christmas Dinner – volunteers from other congregations helped the many members of First Covenant who donated their time.

Nearly 80 volunteers helped put on this year’s dinner. “We had so many people volunteer that we had to put some volunteers on waiting lists,” says Swanson-Draheim. “I think it is a wonderful witness when individual churches can lay aside differences and enjoy working together to meet community needs.”

The pastor adds, “The presence of such a warm spirit of generosity makes it difficult to distinguish who is having a more enjoyable time – the servers or the served.”

Volunteers spent several days preparing the food. The menu consisted of ham, green beans, scalloped potatoes, Jello salad, dinner rolls and a choice of apple or pumpkin pie.

Some volunteers provided transportation, driving people who had no vehicles or were afraid to drive on the slushy roads.

This is the second time the church has hosted since 2006 because the congregation loves the opportunity, Swason-Draheim says. “The experience has been such a meaningful way to show God’s love to residents from all walks of life that two years ago First Covenant began an annual Thanksgiving Dinner for the community.”

Skill and the desire to serve combine to make the dinners a wonderful outreach. “First Covenant is blessed with a variety of individuals who can produce meals for large events with professionalism and grace,” Swanson-Draheim says. “The people love to use their gifts to generously serve the community, so we are never short of volunteers.”

Swanson-Draheim adds, “My dream for First Covenant is that should we cease to exist, the people of this community would miss us terribly.”

The scholarships assist up to 20 new students each year who otherwise might not be able to attend seminary due to cost, or who would have to choose post-graduate work based on salary rather than fit. They are awarded to students with a proven commitment to academic excellence and aspirations to serve the Covenant.

Stultz (accompanying photo) is a current student who also serves as youth pastor at Agape Community Covenant Church, which also includes pastor and director of the congregation’s youth center and programs, Teen-Town Ministries. She is grateful for the opportunities the scholarship has provided her.

“It is well known that not many pastors have large salaries, especially pastors in urban communities – especially pastors of children and youth,” Stultz says. “Yet, due to the faith and generosity of many saints, some whom I know, but many whom I do not know, I am blessed to pursue God’s call, free of the worries that often accompany debt.”

Strom, the youth pastor at Winnetka Covenant Church in Wilmette, Illinois, says the support of the denomination has done far more than relieve him of a financial burden. “The Presidential Scholarship also provided for me a deep sense of the denomination’s belief in my call and gifts to serve the church,” he explains. “It was, and continues to be, a gift and inspiration to know of the ECC’s commitment to me.”

Covenant President Gary Walter says that is one of the primary goals for the scholarship. “In an ideal world, I would love to see everyone be able to graduate from seminary without incurring educational debt. In the meantime, growing the leaders that we do through Presidential Scholarships is an important aspect of investing in those investing in the kingdom of God.”

The impact of the scholarship program has exceeded everyone’s expectations, Palmberg says. “The church, and especially those who care deeply about the future of the denomination, have been eager to step up and support the people who are committing themselves to prepare for ministry,” he explains. Seventeen new recipients enrolled at the seminary this past fall, joining 32 returning Presidential Scholars.

“Presidential Scholarships have brought a number of gifted and godly women and men to the seminary to prepare to be pastors, chaplains, missionaries, and scholars,” notes Dr. Jay Phelan, president of North Park Theological Seminary. “They are serving in your congregations: preaching, teaching, working with youth, advocating for justice, leading worship, and managing the work of the congregation.”

Recipients are expected to work at the school or help at ECC offices in any number of capacities. Greg Applequist, a former insurance broker who is now pastor at Bethany Covenant Church in Lyndhurst, Ohio, prepared class notes and made photocopies for faculty, transported speakers to and from the airport, and assisted students in the computer lab.

“In my second year, I was able to work as the chaplain for the North Park basketball team,” he adds. “This was especially meaningful because I played basketball at North Park as an undergraduate.”

Increasingly, students such as Stultz are also participating in the seminary’s dual degree program with the university’s School of Business and Nonprofit Management. Already the education is making a difference.

“Last year alone, we ministered to over 2,000 youth and many of their families throughout Chicago’s west side neighborhoods,” Stultz says. “I have been able to take what I have been learning in the classroom and apply it to our ministry here.”

CHICAGO, IL (December 25, 2009) – “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:10-12 TNIV).

It was a children’s sermon at our home church – North Park Covenant in Chicago – that caught my attention as Interim Pastor Judith McCullough suggested a different way of thinking about that manger in Bethlehem.

A manger, she reminded us, was a feeding trough of sorts – a place where hay was put to feed the cattle. Interesting that God would choose such a strange place to hold his son, his precious gift to the world.

Not so, Pastor Judith observed. She used John 6:35 to connect the dots, where Jesus declares: “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry …”

The manger, then, becomes a place not only for feeding hungry animals of that day, but symbolic of the place where we, too, can be fed with the “Bread of Life” and never experience spiritual hunger again.

May the manger and all that it represents speak anew to our hearts this day as we once again celebrate the birth of Christ – the Word become flesh and dwelling among us, the Bread of Life.

Merry Christmas!

‘Twas the night of first Christmas, when all through the land
People were travelling ‘cross rocks, hills and sand;
A man and young woman walked in through a gate
To Bethlehem city, for now it was late.

Joseph and Mary had traveled so far,
And above them burned brightly the large Christmas Star;
Crowds they were scurrying this way and that,
Looking for shelter to lay down their mats.

Poor Mary was tired, about to give birth,
So the inn is where Joseph was headed to first;
Jostled, bumped into as they went to the door,
Mary was hurting, exhausted and sore.

“No room,” said the innkeeper, then noticed their plight,
“You may sleep with the animals, but just for this night;”
Outside the city, the shepherds watched sheep,
As they slept on the hillside, fast asleep.

Swirling through sheep-laden hills rushed night breeze,
As shepherds, save watchmen, quenched fires, took their ease;
When what to their wondering eyes should appear,
Dazzling light come from heaven and an angel draw near.

Shepherds filled with confusion and fear at the sight,
Could not hide in the shadows, because of the light;
Fear not said the angel, for good news do I bring,
Of a glorious Savior and newly born king.

He lies in a manger, in Bethlehem town,
In the hay among animals is where he is found;
A great company of angels appeared in the sky,
Singing glory from heaven to the Savior most high.

Peace on earth was the chorus the angels did sing,
To God be the Glory through the heavens did ring;
More rapid than eagles the angels had come,
And then in a twinkling, their singing was done.

“Let’s go,” said the shepherds, “for the night gets too old,
See this thing that has happened of which we were told;”
So they hurried to Bethlehem seeking the Lord,
In a manger they found him, through darkness light poured.

Pure love, grace, forgiveness, in skin now was birthed,
God’s promise fulfilled in coming to earth;
He was wrapped up in cloth from his head to his toes
And all they could see were his eyes and his nose.

The shepherd then said, “Angels guided us here
To worship the Savior, so please do not fear;”
Having praised their new king, shepherds bowed, did depart,
And Mary she treasured their words in her heart.

‘Twas the night of first Christmas and the shepherds all ran,
To tell of the Savior throughout all the land;
There was Mary and Joseph, and animals too,
More than baby was Jesus, he is Savior for you!

They also listened intently to Boaz Johnson, professor of biblical and theological studies at North Park University, as he told his story of growing up in the slums of New Dehli, India, and of his friends being sold into slavery.

On a recent Sunday evening, Johnson spoke during an outreach event organized by the students, who wanted to educate and motivate their friends to action. Most of the students attend New Trier High School, one of the most prestigious public high schools in the country.

Youth Pastor Erik Strom showed the film “At the End of Slavery,” which was produced by International Justice Mission. Several tables of information and opportunities for taking action were set up around the room.

Tables included information about Free2Play, an outreach of the Not For Sale Campaign that gives athletes a chance to contribute financially to sports programs for rescued children; a computer where students could post Facebook status updates about human trafficking; a place for writing letters to elected officials (lower photo); and stories from the Evangelical Covenant Church anti-trafficking website and daily online news report. The top photo shows one participant signing up for the Break the Chains initiative sponsored by the Department of Women Ministries.

“The students were given an opportunity to write down a way in which they’re challenging themselves to think or act differently in light of all they had learned about slavery as it exists today,” says Strom. Those actions ranged from writing letters to government officials to developing a school project and purchasing fair trade products. Click here to see additional photos.

The youth group already had started working with Trade As One, an organization that encourages people to intentionally purchase goods not made by slaves and for which workers receive a fair wage. The teenagers sell fair trade coffee, tea and oil at the church on Sunday and Wednesday evenings.

The group used money from their weekly offerings to purchase the first products for sale, Strom says. He noted that it was the students who initiated the idea for the outreach event and the fair trade table.

The teenagers were inspired by Johnson, but he says he was inspired by them as well. “I’m quite impressed with the work the students are doing,” he said after his evening with the group.