{"id":7508,"date":"2006-07-31T14:01:52","date_gmt":"2006-07-31T19:01:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/newswire\/?p=7508"},"modified":"2011-07-06T08:33:54","modified_gmt":"2011-07-06T13:33:54","slug":"5061","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blogs.covchurch.org\/newswire\/2006\/07\/31\/5061\/","title":{"rendered":"Two Covenant Churches Among Top 20 in U.S."},"content":{"rendered":"

CHICAGO, IL (July 31, 2006) – Two Evangelical Covenant Church congregations are among the 20 most influential in the United States, according to a poll conducted by The Church Report<\/em> magazine. <\/p>\n

Life Covenant Church in Edmond, Oklahoma, was ranked number seven, and Bayside Covenant Church of Granite Bay, California, was listed as number 20. The magazine conducts an annual listing of the top 50 churches. It mailed surveys to 2,000 pastors in April and May and announced the results earlier this month.<\/p>\n

Both congregations are multi-site churches with congregations in different cities. Life has campuses in Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, and Tennessee, as well as an Internet campus with live Internet broadcasts of its worship services. The church has a combined membership of more than 14,000 people.<\/p>\n

Bayside has five daughter congregations with another scheduled to begin services soon. Bayside churches have a combined attendance of more than 9,000 individuals.<\/p>\n

The magazine did not share explanations or comments from pastors who picked the churches, but leaders of the two Covenant congregations speculated that their ministries to their respective communities and the wider body of Christ were important factors in the selections.<\/p>\n

Life\u2019s decision to offer all of its worship material (including multi-media) free to churches around the world may have been an important factor, says Kevin Penry, the chief operating officer for Life Covenant. Thousands of churches around the world have downloaded the material. For a previous story on the church\u2019s decision to offer the free downloads, please see Life Covenant Shares Worship Resources – Free!<\/a><\/p>\n

The church also has been innovative in its approach to multi-site ministry. Worship teams lead each individual congregation, but pastor Craig Groeschel\u2019s sermons are broadcast live to each of the churches. The Internet campus has drawn global visitors. Penry says the church hopes people watching the services will connect with others in their area and begin their own local congregations.<\/p>\n

Bayside has been recognized for its ministries to communities and the world, as well as its national leadership training. \u201cThe growth and worldwide impact that Bayside continues to experience just amazes us,\u201d says Ray Johnston, founding pastor.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you would have told me 11 short years ago that by 2006 we\u2019d be building a three-story medical clinic in Africa, an orphanage in Mexico, a women\u2019s renewal center in Applegate, serving our community with more than 70 outreach programs, launching six more Bayside churches in our region and hosting our nationwide conference featuring some of the most influential Christian leaders in the country, I wouldn\u2019t have believed it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a tremendous staff with a gift for enabling volunteers to get involved and serve,\u201d Johnston adds. Church members recently began a \u201cmakeover\u201d on an elementary school in a struggling area of North Sacramento. They will paint the entire school and construct new playground facilities.<\/p>\n

Johnston and Penry are quick to point out that the congregations do not deserve the credit themselves, but that they are being stewards of gifts and opportunities that God has given them.<\/p>\n

To see the complete list of churches as ranked by the magazine, visit The Church Report<\/a><\/p>\n

Copyright \u00a9 2011 The Evangelical Covenant Church.<\/p>\n

Report This Post<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

CHICAGO, IL (July 31, 2006) – Two Evangelical Covenant Church congregations are among the 20 most influential in the United States, according to a poll conducted by The Church Report magazine. 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