Northwest Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church

Pastors: In case you missed it in our weekly email Update, check out this upcoming opportunity!

Lunch with Dr. Klyne Snodgrass - Northwest Conference You are invited to a conversation and lunch with Dr. Klyne Snodgrass, who will be…

Registration is now available for the 2024 Rural Impact Leadership Conference!

The Rural Impact Leadership Conference (RILC) is a one-day training event designed to encourage and equip rural and small town pastors and leaders for ministry in their local contexts. The conference includes two main sessions as well as practical ministry workshops on a variety of topics led by experienced practitioners who understand the unique challenges and opportunities of rural ministry. The day also will include times of worship, space to engage with other rural ministry leaders, and opportunities to check out a variety of resources and exhibitors designed to strengthen your ministries.

RILC will take place on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at Alexandria Covenant Church in Alexandria, MN. We offer two options for participation: in person for $59 and online for $35.

To register go to ruralimpact.church. Once you register, recruit others from your church to join you and share this opportunity with others you know who can benefit as well. Our conference is intentionally ecumenical in its scope—all are welcome.

Our hope is that RILC will encourage, further equip, and refresh you to continue serving your communities and congregations with Kingdom impact!

Rural Impact Leadership Conference 2024 - Northwest Conference A one-day leadership training event for ministry leaders and pastors serving rural and small town churches

Welcome new Associate Superintendent, Scott Nelson! Watch this video to hear more from Scott and his heart for ministry in the Northwest Conference.

Meet new Associate Superintendent Scott Nelson - Northwest Conference Welcome new Associate Superintendent, Scott Nelson! Watch this video to hear more from Scott and…

Rev. Scott Nelson appointed as next NWC Associate Superintendent - Northwest Conference The Northwest Conference is pleased to announce the appointment of the Rev. Scott Nelson as…

MUUUCE 2023 was Extraordinary! The Most Ultimate, Unbelievable, Urban Camping Experience—celebrated its 37th anniversary Aug. 10-12, with 402 middle school students and leaders from 22 Northwest Conference churches. Read the full story, watch the highlight video and see photos online!

MUUUCE 2023: Extraordinary! - Northwest Conference MUUUCE—the Most Ultimate, Unbelievable, Urban Camping Experience—celebrated its 37th anniversary Aug. 10-12, with 402 middle…

We’re less than a month away from MUUUCE! The planning team has been busy planning an epic experience. The registration deadline is July 31.

MUUUCE 2023 - Northwest Conference MUUUCE stands for “The Most Unbelievable, Ultimate, Urban, Camping Experience.” This high-energy, fast-moving, multi-day event is designed to…

AIL 2023: Unleashing leadership potential on a high school canoe trip - Northwest Conference Embarking on Adventures in Leadership is not just about paddling through serene waters and exploring…

Check out this great feature story on Buffalo Covenant Church's continued ministry expansion to include those with special needs in today's CovChurch Now!

Gaining Access Buffalo (Minnesota) Covenant Church continues to expand their ministry to those with special needs and their families.

With a theme of “Rooted in Hope” the 2023 Northwest Conference Annual Meeting took place at Bemidji Covenant Church in Bemidji, MN, April 28-29. The Ministerial Annual Meeting also took place in Bemidji from April 27-28.

“This ministry that we are all part of, the ministry of your church, is so much bigger and broader than any of our individual ministries on its own. I hope you are encouraged as we celebrate the Lord’s work among us,” Superintendent Kara Stromberg shared. “This is a celebration of God’s work in our midst.”

See more highlights, photos and videos in the story on our site!

NWC 2023 Annual Meeting celebrates many ways churches and ministries are ‘Rooted in Hope’ - Northwest Conference With a theme of “Rooted in Hope” the 2023 Northwest Conference Annual Meeting took place…

The NWC Annual Meeting Celebration evening worship services will be streamed to YouTube and available online for public viewing.

Thursday evening Ministerial Association Worship Service
Time: 6:30 p.m.

Service of communion with worship led by the Bemidji Covenant Worship Team, and testimonies from ordination candidates John DePalma, Peter Frost, Christopher Kelly, John Lassen, Erico Ortega Romero and Phillip Tolbert.

Friday evening NWC Annual Meeting Worship Service
Time: 6:30 p.m.

BLESS Intentional Evangelism, Mission Moment featuring Bemidji Community Food Shelf, worship led by the Bemidji Covenant Worship Team and the Rev. Colleen Nelson, Pastor of Bethlehem Covenant Church in Minneapolis, will preach on “Rooted in God’s Presence.”

Find both livestreams on our YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/

While the winter winds and loose snow blew across the greater Minnesota landscape, 115 rural/small-town pastors, leaders and ministry students gathered for the second annual Rural Impact Leadership Conference (RILC) on March 18, 2023, at Alexandria Covenant Church in Alexandria, MN.

In addition, 35 virtual attendees from Minnesota, North Dakota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Florida, California, Washington, Saskatchewan and Alaska joined online.

Read the full story and see photos from the day at the link below!

Rural Impact Leadership Conference 2023 focused on nurturing thriving rural churches through building up pastors and leaders - Northwest Conference While the winter winds and loose snow blew across the greater Minnesota landscape, 115 rural/small-town…

The Northwest Conference has had a long relationship with Growing Hope Globally (formerly Foods Resource Bank), as a missional way to engage in supporting the work of Covenant World Relief and Development (CWRD) and other organizations that are responding to hunger through agricultural development.

This happens through Growing Projects, which are local community-based projects that work with farmers, churches and others in the community to raise financial resources, by leveraging a portion of a harvest or some other commodity. The financial resources then go to help farmers in the developing world grow their own food.

Check out the story linked below featuring Dassel Evangelical Covenant Church's experience with Growing Hope Globally.

Covenant farmers partner with Growing Hope Globally to combat hunger through agricultural development - Northwest Conference As a farmer, Peter Haugen from Dassel Covenant Church in Dassel, MN, knows farming and…

Adventures in Leadership 2023 applications are now available online!

Who are the emerging young leaders in your church? The high school student who has shown initiative with the children’s ministry, running the tech for Sunday morning, or inviting their friends to Bible Study?

Adventures in Leadership is a fantastic opportunity for 9th - 11th-grade students to learn and grow in leadership skills. AIL takes place June 12-19 at Adventurous Christians wilderness camp. Students spend several days at AC learning the fundamentals of Christian leadership and wilderness camping skills. They then put what they learned into action as they travel into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area with experienced guides.

AIL provides an unforgettable experience that helps students build the confidence and skills needed to be servant leaders in their local church.

Adventures in Leadership 2023 - Northwest Conference Adventures in Leadership (AIL) is a leadership camp for high school students facilitated by the Northwest Conference to develop and strengthen their leadership skills.

The full menu of Rural Impact Leadership Conference workshops was announced earlier this week. Learn more and register at the link below!

Rural Impact Leadership Conference Rural Impact Leadership Conference March 18, 2023, Alexandria Covenant Church – Alexandria, MN Who is This For?This one-day training event is designed to equip rural and small town pastors and leaders in the nurture of thriving rural congregations.   What to ExpectConference includes two plenary ...

Our Northwest Conference Annual Meeting Celebration, held each spring, remains a highlight of our shared ministry, as we celebrate what God has done through our churches and affiliated ministries. We hope representatives from each church can join us (either in person or online), as this will be an important time to remember God’s faithfulness as we cling to the hope we have in Christ.

2023 Theme: Rooted in Hope

“… like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither” (Psalm 1:3).

Roots matter. In times of drought, weather extremes or turbulence, the depth of our roots are a strong indicator of long-term health and sustainability. For the Christian, roots indicate a life of discipleship, lived in accordance with trust and faith in the Lord’s promises. With all that swirls around us and threatens to discourage, distract or disorient us, let us join together as people of faith to remember and celebrate that we are rooted in the hope of Christ.

Visit our Event page for more details and to register online.

NWC Annual Meeting Celebration 2023 - Northwest Conference Mark your calendars for our annual gathering to celebrate the amazing work God is doing in our region.

In case you missed it in yesterday's UPDATE email, we're excited to announce the launch of LunchBox!

LunchBox is an online community that seeks to resource, encourage and celebrate leaders who serve kids and families. It is the result of years of conversations among members of the Children & Family Ministry Commission of the Northwest Conference who longed to find a way to create and curate resources that would help people feel more balanced and confident as ministry leaders.

LunchBox offers connection, best practice sharing and seminary-level training to a group of ministry people who are often unseen and under-resourced. Based on the story of the boy who offered his lunch to feed the crowds that gathered to hear Jesus (Matt. 14:19-20), LunchBox brings together ministry ideas that can be multiplied to serve thousands!

Sign up is free, and you can visit lunchbox.group and click the join button. Check it out, and please share with any and all children and family ministry leaders in your church!

LunchBox Welcome to LunchBox! Take a look around for resources that will restore balance and make ministry easier. You will find: Conference groups that connect you with other children and family ministry champions located in your geographical region. Cohorts designed to bring people together for a short-ter...

https://www.northwestconference.org/unite-north-2022-encourages-students-to-engage-with-god-in-new-and-creative-ways/

UNITE North 2022 encourages students to engage with God in new and creative ways - Northwest Conference The UNITE North high school conference drew over 750 students and leaders from across the…

Day 2 of UNITE North was full of amazing experiences via learning labs, excursions and tournaments! Follow the page for the most up to date info.

UNITE North MainStage evening events will be livestreaming on our YouTube Channel throughout the weekend! Visit https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC02DuBnipvZg7U2Ndgme3kA to subscribe and tune it at 7:30 pm each night to follow along.

UNITE North 2022 has begun!

In case you missed the follow-up story about this year's Adventures In Leadership in our weekly email UPDATE, check out the link below!

AIL 2022: The wilderness is the classroom - Northwest Conference Once again, we are celebrating the completion of our Adventures In Leadership (AIL) Program by…

The May 20 edition of MPR News with Angela Davis featured an interview with Sanctuary Covenant Church Lead Pastor, the Rev. Edrin C. Williams, and Carl Nelson, President and CEO of Transform Minnesota, "about churches and racial justice, specifically how white evangelical Christians are responding to calls for racial equity."

How evangelical Christians in Minnesota are responding to calls for racial justice MPR News Host Angela Davis talks with two evangelical church leaders about how churches are responding to calls for racial equity.

MPR News recently published a great story on a partnership between First Covenant Church in Duluth, MN, and the Bob Tavani House for Medical Respite. The church has made its former parsonage available rent free to the Bob Tavani House, which provides a place for people experiencing homelessness who are too ill or frail to recover from an illness or injury on the street or in a shelter, but who no longer require care at a hospital.

“It is really about good relationships and a community working together to fill a need in Duluth. A local physician, involved with the Duluth Family Medicine Residency Program, took notice of patients being discharged from the hospital back into homelessness where continued care and healing could not effectively take place," Josh Rude, Pastor of First Covenant Church, shared with the NWC.

"At the same time a couple members of our church learned about the desire and need to create a home-style medical respite house and thought First Covenant would be a good fit as our parsonage had been sitting empty for a couple years. What makes this house work is two Catholic Workers who said they could live in the house and oversee the day to day care. We are grateful it is has gathered attention on a much broader scale."

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2022/03/04/medical-respite-provides-vital-care-to-people-experiencing-homelessness

Medical respite provides vital care to people experiencing homelessness The Bob Tavani Home for Respite Care in Duluth is part of a growing number of new facilities around the country designed to give people experiencing homelessness a place to recover after they’ve been discharged from the hospital. But many are grassroots efforts run on shoestring budgets.

The Companion had a virtual sit-down with newly elected Northwest Conference superintendent Kara Stromberg to talk about her ministry history and where she senses the church is headed.

https://covchurch.org/2022/05/11/getting-to-know-the-new-nwc-superintendent-a-qa-with-kara-stromberg/

In case you missed it, The NWC hosted a one-hour Zoom call on May 9, designed to allow you to “meet the nominee.” The Rev. Tammy Swanson-Draheim, the nominee for the 11th President of the Covenant, addressed questions and topics submitted from participants to help you and your church delegates prepare to discern and vote at Gather’ 22, to be held in hybrid format (in person and online) June 23-25, 2022 in Kansas City, MO.

https://www.northwestconference.org/a-conversation-with-ecc-presidential-nominee-rev-tammy-swanson-draheim/

A Conversation with ECC Presidential Nominee Rev. Tammy Swanson-Draheim - Northwest Conference The Presidential Nominating Committee (PNC) for the ECC has put forward a nomination for the 11th President…

What a wonderful weekend celebrating the glimpses of hope we see all around the NWC at the 2022 Annual Meeting. Check out our follow up story for highlights, photos, videos, presentation content and a delegate summary you can share with your church!

https://www.northwestconference.org/glimpses-of-hope-shared-kara-stromberg-elected-as-next-superintendent-during-nwc-2022-annual-meeting/

‘Glimpses of hope’ shared, Kara Stromberg elected as next Superintendent during NWC 2022 Annual Meeting - Northwest Conference With a theme of “Glimpses of Hope: Signs of Grace” the 2022 Northwest Conference Annual…

Delegates to the Annual Meeting elected the Rev. Kara Stromberg to serve as the next Superintendent of the Northwest Conference during yesterday’s Business Session. Congratulations to Kara, and look for more details in our follow-up story early next week!

The NWC Annual Meeting evening worship services will be streamed to YouTube and available online for public viewing this week.

Thursday evening Ministerial Association Worship Service
Link: https://youtu.be/jwb6U-aJKI8
Time: 6:30 p.m.

Service of communion with worship led by Covenant pastors, and testimonies from ordination candidates Chanda Winkels, Michael Baker and Evan Kolding.

Friday evening NWC Annual Meeting Worship Service
Link: https://youtu.be/eraXPTB3yrQ
Time: 6:30 p.m.

Superintendent-nominee Rev. Kara Stromberg preaching, recognition of new churches – Midcurrent Covenant and Lakeside Covenant, and worship led by Minnehaha Academy faculty and teachers.