Northwest Conference Church Planting

doesn’t have to be lonely! We had lots of fun with our fellow church planters in the northwest conference today!

Miss the one last week? Never fear, there is one tomorrow too! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-power-of-relaunching-your-church-preparing-for-fall-of-2022-tickets-340047971637

Save the date!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-power-of-relaunching-your-church-preparing-for-fall-of-2022-tickets-340047971637

Welcome Midcurrent Church and Lakeside Covenant Church as you officially become Covenant churches!

Director of Church Planting, Mike Brown sharing about the 2 new churches and 4 new fellowship groups we are welcoming into the conference this year!

Here is a recent podcast from a Covenant pastor that many of our planters found helpful. Which podcasts are helping you lead well in this season? https://www.life.church/leadershippodcast/6-keys-to-leading-out-of-crisis-part-2/

Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast - 6 Keys to Leading Out of Crisis, Part 2 Leading out of a crisis is more difficult than leading during one. Today, in part two of “Leading Out of Crisis,” Craig shares six key steps you need to take to lead your team and yourself out of the chaos of the last two years.

Here are some helpful thoughts as we come into ministry this summer: https://outreachmagazine.com/features/leadership/64551-5-critical-mistakes-to-avoid-in-the-post-covid-church.html

5 Critical Mistakes to Avoid in the Post-COVID Church Guidelines to help church leaders moving forward

---Church Planters---Don't forget to register for this!
https://www.northwestconference.org/event/nwc-annual-meeting-2022/

NWC Annual Meeting 2022 - Northwest Conference Our 2022 theme is Glimpses of Hope: Signs of Grace. Mark your calendars and register online for our annual gathering to celebrate the amazing work God is doing in our region.

Registration is open through March 16 for the Rural Impact Leadership Conference (https://ruralimpact.church), with in-person and online registration options! We will have drawings for some significant giveaways for in-person attenders (think: technology and vacations!).

Check out this fantastic lineup of workshops (https://ruralimpact.church/workshops) on everything from evaluating metrics for health in your church to children and youth ministry to outreach and discipleship to fostering a culture of pastoral health to leading change in stuck systems to equipping volunteers. This is for both pastors and lay leaders, and is a great opportunity to share in a learning and fellowship event together.

Register online: https://ruralimpact.church

We love our church planters and church planter gatherings!

Details are up now for our gathering for the NWC. Check them out! https://www.northwestconference.org/event/nwc-annual-meeting-2022/?fbclid=IwAR0-ppylBgBBz7wqbpwt4zgqOiI0hpOIJNIRdGMaOEZQZ3JBt-GVijAgTrc

NWC Annual Meeting 2022 - Northwest Conference Our 2022 theme is Glimpses of Hope: Signs of Grace. Mark your calendars and register online for our annual gathering to celebrate the amazing work God is doing in our region.

Its critical as a leader or pastor we maintain being healthy ourselves if we wish to help others. These early warning signs can be very helpful in highlighting a need to get additional help to keep you healthy. https://careynieuwhof.com/9-signs-youre-burning-out-in-leadership/

9 Signs You're Burning Out in Leadership - CareyNieuwhof.com Share via: 745 Shares Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Burnout. Been there? Seven years ago, I entered into the darkest period of my life. People had always warned me I would burn out. I thought I could prove them wrong. And usually I did. I would get tired – out of balance – but when I saw…

We are so thankful for the new churches and their pastors in our midst! We pray your Christmas was filled with joy from the Lord and we are already excited about the ways God will guide and direct your ministries in the year ahead! Whats one thing in the past year you and your church were thankful for?

Looking for a podcast on planting? Give this a listen this week and share your thoughts below:

https://karlvaters.com/church-planting-peyton-jones-ep-021/

Church Planting For Everyone, with Peyton Jones (Podcast Ep 021) - KarlVaters.com Karl Vaters interviews Peyton Jones about church planting, specifically how most of our common perceptions of church planting are built on a faulty foundation, and how to do better.

Thankful for all of our church planters in the conference! What a great group of people.

One of the interesting take aways is the "flip the classroom" analogy in this short article. How are you "flipping the classroom" in your church so your people can engage and process the texts/topics you are diving into as a church in deeper and more practical way?

https://stadiachurchplanting.org/3-things-every-church-planter-needs-to-learn-from-digital-church-planters/

3 Things Every Church Planter Needs to Learn from Digital Church Planters Every church planter has a digital strategy. But there are 3 major things we can learn from digital planters..

:Church Planters and Pastors: Early Bird Pricing for Midwinter (Our Winter Covenant Pastors gathering) Ends Friday!

https://covchurch.org/midwinter/

Midwinter 2022 - The Evangelical Covenant Church The Midwinter conference is an incredible opportunity to connect with friends and colleagues in Covenant ministry. A chance to share interests and ideas, encourage and be encouraged, reflect and be inspired, laugh and have fun! We invite you to be restored, re-energized, and to reaffirm God’s call...

Every church was a church plant at one point; a new community seeking to serve God and their neighbors. Take a moment to look at this map of churches that are spread across our conference and pray for that church and its community. https://www.northwestconference.org/church-directory/

Church Directory - Northwest Conference

Over the summer, North City Church prayerfully decided to try a new style of gathering their church family and community engagement called dinner church. Over the summer they had over 150 new people connect with them at the dinner churches!
What new strategies, projects or ministries have you found fruitful over the last few months?

Covenant Church pastors and planters, don't forget to register for Midwinter!
https://covchurch.org/midwinter/

Midwinter 2022 - The Evangelical Covenant Church The Midwinter conference is an incredible opportunity to connect with friends and colleagues in Covenant ministry. A chance to share interests and ideas, encourage and be encouraged, reflect and be inspired, laugh and have fun! We invite you to be restored, re-energized, and to reaffirm God’s call...

Many of our pastors and church planters are on retreat over the next several days. Please pray for this retreat and that it would be a space for renewal, rest and rejuvenation.

At our last gathering of church planters here in the Northwest Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church Donna Harris, president of Minnehaha academy shared with us deep wisdom on leading in challenging seasons. Amongst many helpful pieces of advice and application she shared this helpful chart.

What have been the most helpful pieces of wisdom you would impart to others about leading in challenging seasons?

Cant make the Northwest Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church fall pastors and clergy retreat? We got you covered. The main sessions will be live streamed. Email the conference office for more details and the link to digitally attend.

A good reminder for this season:
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (John 14:27 NIV)

Many students, teachers and parents are preparing or entering the the "back to school" season. What are some of the ways you have encouraged this group of people in this season? Do you have a prayer you shared publicly at church over the last few Sundays? A Blessing you sent out over email? A backpack drive you did for a local school? Share below ways your church has engaged in this season!

In case you missed this great story in our conference weekly email!!!!

https://www.northwestconference.org/nwc-welcomes-new-latino-church-plant-in-rochester-mn/

NWC welcomes new Latino church plant in Rochester, MN - Northwest Conference God is at work among us, and we can see more evidence of that. In…

Feel this way? Here is some simple, helpful wisdom:

https://careynieuwhof.com/how-to-lead-when-youre-facing-constant-loss-and-continual-bad-news/

How to Lead When You're Facing Constant Loss and Continual Bad News - CareyNieuwhof.com Share via: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Let me guess. You keep thinking it’s going to get better, only to discover…it hasn’t. As I’ve been catching up personally with leaders over the last while, I sense a deep exhaustion and fatigue heading in, as well as a growing recognition of that fact tha...

Many of us are weary. Here are some helpful thoughts for pastoring in this moment.

https://www.christiancentury.org/blog-post/guest-post/10-guidelines-pastoral-care-during-coronavirus-outbreak

10 guidelines for pastoral care during the coronavirus outbreak How can we accompany people through this valley of anxiety, fear, and death?

Church planters in the NWC please save these days as they will be the times we meet this up coming year for training, prayer and encouragement.

Sept 14th (12-1:30pm zoom)
Oct 4,5,6 (Fall Pastors retreat at Covenant Pines)
Nov 9th (12-1:30pm zoom)
Dec 14th In person details pending
Jan 11th (12-1:30pm zoom)
Midwinter Jan 24 – 28
Mar 8th (12-1:30pm zoom)
April 28,29,30 NWC annual meeting at Minnehaha Academy.
May 10th (12-1:30pm zoom)

Yesterday we welcomed two new church plants into our conference! En su presencia ministerios that will be meeting in Rochester, Minnesota and Catalyst Covenant - White Bear Lake. Welcome! We are so excited for your churches and praying they reach many with the hope and good news of Jesus!