By Don Meyer<\/p>\n
CHICAGO, IL (August 21, 2006) – Hardly a week goes by that we do not receive a few comments from readers on stories published as part of the Covenant online news report.
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\nWe will share from time to time some of those responses generated through the \u201ccomments\u201d link attached to each published story. This kind of feedback is very helpful to our Covenant News Service staff as we seek to identify and publish stories of great interest to a broad spectrum of online readers of this report.<\/p>\n
Following are comments relating to recently published stories, edited in some cases for length. To read a particular story of interest, click on the headline.<\/p>\n
Loyal Covenanter Gave One Final Gift to the Church<\/a><\/p>\n Margaret Nelson<\/em> of Golden Valley, MN, writes: Dorothy Nelson was the sister of Marjorie Nelson, who served as secretary for the Covenant hymnal commission for many years.<\/p>\n Covenanters Hope to Help Egyptian Prisoner<\/a><\/p>\n Gregory DuBois<\/em> of Glenburn, ME, writes: I hope and pray that this new fine did not arise specifically because of the Americans’ visit. Unfortunately, the cynical side of me worries that the prison officials may be corrupt enough to see easy money in the pockets of the “rich” compassionate Americans. It’s not unheard of, but I am praying.<\/p>\n Carolyn Pitezel Celebrates 40 Years of Service\u2014Then Gets Back to Work<\/a><\/p>\n Alan and Karen Hearl <\/em>of Lincoln, CA, write: Carolyn is one of God’s special treasures (II Cor. 4:7), selfless, always cheerful, so excellent in everything she does. She is never too busy to give a warm greeting, even as she scurries in her scooter to the next event. God bless you, Carolyn, and thank you for your service to the Lord and to us.<\/p>\n Fritz & Donna (Carlson) Schali<\/em> of Patterson, CA, write: And there she was! It was with great pleasure that I saw Carolyn Pitezel’s photo. It brought back memories of when she and Melsie stayed with my family in Patterson during the days of the Youth Caravaners!<\/p>\n Marilyn H. Green<\/em> of Hudson, OH, writes: Congratulations, Carolyn. Your devotion to the many, many details of your various positions in the Covenant has been acknowledged and recognized! I always very much appreciated your precise attention to all the details necessary when planning Covenant Annual Meetings when I worked at the Great Lakes Conference office in Hudson. Your memory was phenomenal!<\/p>\n Judy (Van Waes) Callahan<\/em> of Rock Island, IL, writes: I was happy to see the recognition given to Carolyn Pitezel for her many years of service. I knew Carolyn as a teenager growing up in the Kewanee Covenant Church. The traits ascribed to Carolyn in your story have been a part of her character for her whole life. Congratulations, Carolyn! Your love of God has always shone through your wonderful spirit.<\/p>\n David Jobe<\/em> of Seattle, WA, writes: Thank you for this piece on Carolyn. She surely has a servant\u2019s heart and does whatever she can to see that everyone wins.<\/p>\n David Noreen<\/em> of Westminster, CO, writes: Few persons have served our denomination with more loyalty and dedication than Carolyn Pitezel. Her ministry extended to the entire administrative staff during her years in the Covenant Secretary’s office. We remain in her debt.<\/p>\n Jim Fretheim<\/em> of Minneapolis, MN, writes: Congratulations to Carolyn for her faithful ministry. We all owe her a tremendous debt of gratitude.<\/p>\n Kenya Pastors to Receive Licenses on Sunday<\/a><\/p>\n Marc Murchison<\/em> of Florissant, MO, writes: I read with great joy about the licenses that were recently presented to the Kenyan pastors. As someone who assisted in the formation of the Evangelical Covenant Church of Kenya, I was pleased to see some of my friends, who I assisted in making the decision to pursue ministry in the ECCK, reach this milestone in their lives. It is truly amazing to see how a group of 50 Kenyan Christians gathered in a room – hungry for God’s Word and a better way of “doing church” while listening to this American pastor for hours – become the dynamic and growing group of churches that they are today. Thank God for His faithfulness! And thank you to the Evangelical Covenant Church in America for its continued support and encouragement of this new denomination in Kenya.<\/p>\n Cleanup Continues Following Hooper Bay Fire<\/a><\/p>\n John Rodkey<\/em> of Santa Barbara, CA, writes: Another factor that makes Hooper Bay a difficult place for the rebuild (as well as hard on individual, family and village life) is the isolation brought on by a combination of weather and distance. Storms and fog off the sea often sock in the village for weeks at a time, cutting off vital supply flights. The isolation, lack of employment opportunities, and cultural turmoil contribute to a sense of despair that is reflected in phenomenally high suicide rates. The ministry of Covenant Pastor Grant Funk is especially keenly felt here, and his and Lena’s work with the Eskimo population has had huge positive effects. However, the challenge was huge, even before the fire, and it can’t be any easier now. They all desperately need our prayer.<\/p>\n Agatha Napoleon<\/em> of Hooper Bay, AK, writes: Thank you so very much for printing or publicizing the story. It helps in getting the word out that we do need help. Just watching the fire ravage the hill area and all the structures on it was frightening and sad. My home was not affected at all, but we were evacuated in case the fuel tanks exploded and caused even more damage to the surrounding homes. However, my spirit – mentally and emotionally, as well as for many others – was devastated by the loss. It is a major loss not only for the folks that lost everything, but also for all the residents of Hooper Bay who had accepted the “material” comforts of having those structures present. Thank you for your prayers and all the support. God bless you.<\/p>\n New Website Allows Troubled Souls to Confess Online<\/a><\/p>\n Karen Stein<\/em> of Walnut Creek, CA, writes: I’m very concerned about what liability a church might incur if, for example, someone “confessed” to planning to commit a crime against a specific person, or to child abuse. In some states, the church would be considered a mandated reporter and subject to civil or criminal liability. Pastor\/penitent privilege would not apply due to the public posting. How is the church addressing this issue? Special Needs Children Need Spiritual Care, Too<\/a><\/p>\n Kathy O’Donoghue<\/em> of Harwich, MA, writes: Thanks for this wonderful article about our work with An Tearmann! I just wanted to clarify that I was privileged to work as a therapeutic foster parent for Boston Children’s Services, which merged with The Home for Little Wanderers in 1999. I did not, however, have the privilege of starting this agency! Actually they are the oldest child welfare agency in the country, founded in 1799, and are an incredible resource for the children of Massachusetts. Thanks again for this article!<\/p>\n Older Stories<\/strong><\/p>\n Occasionally we receive comments about stories published some time ago. Most often, readers come across them while topically perusing search engines or when visiting the online Covenant News Archive maintained by Covenant News Service. We appreciate reader comments at any time about any story that has appeared as part of our online Covenant news report.<\/p>\n Peterson to Serve as Interim Campus Pastor<\/a><\/p>\n Janice Swanson<\/em> of Batavia, IL, writes: I’m sure Judy Peterson will be a great addition to North Park University’s ministry to students.<\/p>\n Two Covenant Churches Among Top 20 in U.S.<\/a><\/p>\n Kurt Peterson<\/em> of Chicago, IL, writes: I have another nomination for a “Top-20” Church – the Covenant Church of South Bend, Indiana. It is where we lived when my oldest was born, where a congregation of about 75 love and serve the Lord, where the gospel is preached every week, where the sacraments are administered faithfully, where children come to know the Lord, where neighborhood families come for special events, and where caring people love one another tangibly. This is what a church is, isn’t it? Perhaps it is time we challenge words like “influential” when it comes to describing the “best” churches.<\/p>\n Church Celebrates 100 Years of Ministry<\/a><\/p>\n Joann Strand<\/em> of South Haven, MN, writes: As a member of the congregation and centennial committee, I was just checking the website. It was a lot of work in the preparation, but was worth it because a good time was had by those who attended.<\/p>\n CHIC: \u2018Jesus Wants to Enter Your Pain\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n Mary<\/em> of Kingsburg, CA, writes: That night and Wednesday night were the absolute awesomest nights during the whole week! Thank you for posting about it.<\/p>\n COVENANT NEWSWIRE:<\/strong> To make certain not to miss a single story, sign up for the free Covenant Newswire headline news report at Newswire<\/a>.<\/p>\n Copyright \u00a9 2011 The Evangelical Covenant Church.<\/p>\n
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\nKurt Peterson<\/em> of Chicago, IL, writes: Is there any biblical or theological justification for online, anonymous confession? Such a practice seems to miss the most important parts of personal confession – human connection, pastoral care and community. This idea seems patently absurd and one that should be stopped right away. Am I missing something?<\/p>\n