By Erik Cave, Director of NextGen Ministries, PacNWC
Enjoy this ten-minute interview with Rick Newell who shares his new teaching tool created to help children and youth learn about Jesus’ teaching on the Kingdom of God. Churches, parents, and grandparents will find this resource very useful. Rick serves as the Interim Youth Ministry Director at Evergreen Covenant Church. Watch the interview to learn about Rick’s background, what lead to creating this poster, and how you can use the poster in your context. Following the interview is a brief introduction to the poster as well as links to get one of your own.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
Isaiah 9:6-7
As we step into this year’s Advent season we’re not just anticipating Christmas, but anticipating Christ himself. Advent is the time for Christ-followers to reflect on how we can prepare our hearts and homes for Christ’s birth in the world as it is today. What does it mean for you to have God with you?
As we begin our annual pilgrimage to the starry fields and Bethlehem manger, how might we be captured again by this amazing reality – Jesus is God with us? When I stop to think about this, the idea of the human and divine coming together to live with us blows me away. “The Chosen” helps us envision how this looks a bit, but how does this look for us in almost 2023?
Isaiah emphasizes two main thrusts for us. The prophet first speaks to his contemporaries that were distressed and low on hope. Isaiah wants them to know that God sees them, has not forgotten them, and will come. They desperately needed to change the prevailing despair. Such a timely word for us today as well. I pray that you are not allowing despair to prevail. God is with us, Wonderful Counselor Mighty God, come and be with us who are suffering: our painful losses, disabling diseases, challenging situations, our ever-present brokenness, and sin. Holy Spirit, comfort the broken-hearted and bring your healing balm. You are here with us. We know that Emmanuel is a daily promise that you move to our broken hearts.
The prophet also vividly paints that, with zeal, God will begin a reality where His righteousness and justice will never end. It is a call to treat people rightly with fairness, generosity, and equity. He repeatedly and extensively declared that God’s people should care for the poor and needy, the alien, and foreigners (like baby Jesus fleeing to Egypt). He calls us to not just convenient charity or easy discipleship, but a whole-life commitment to radical generosity both relationally and materially. Isaiah declares that God with us is by nature a movement outward. It’s a movement into our broken world and into people’s lives. How are you moving out with zeal and generously sharing Christ?
I pray God’s peace this Advent as He meets you in your challenges and pain and as you share the Peace of your life with others. I pray God’s hope as you move into your communities and, with zeal, live out God’s righteousness and justice. I pray God’s joy over you as you celebrate the coming of our Messiah. And I pray you would know God’s lavish love as Emmanuel. Advent and Christmas blessings!
By Erik Cave, Director of NextGen Ministries, PacNWC
Enjoy this 10-minute interview with Co-Pastors Michelle Huskamp and Rachel Gough from Monroe Covenant Church. Michelle and Rachel were recently featured in the Christ and Cascadia Journal with an article they wrote about their co-pastoring relationship called, “All We Share: The Benefits of Co-Pastoring. In this interview, they share their ministry context, how their relationship came about, additional benefits to shared leadership not in the article, and encouragement for church leaders interested in shared leadership. For their article, contact info for Michelle and Rachel, and more information about Monroe Covenant Church follow the links below the video.
By Kristi Smith, Pastor of Family Ministries, Milwaukie Covenant Church| Chair, PacNWC Youth Commission
Last weekend saw the PacNWC’s first-ever fall Mud Retreat for high school students. Hosting it earlier in the school year, we didn’t know quite what to expect. Would youth workers register their groups for a retreat, having just been to camp with their middle school group a few weeks earlier? Would student’s busy fall schedules allow them to attend? To both questions, the answer appears to be a resounding, “Yes!”
225 high school students and adult chaperones gathered with the theme “Food Fight: What’s Your Flavor?” to play wacky, food-themed games and to explore what it means to be the salt of the earth. Speaker Alicia Vela talked about the unique flavor that each person offers through the image of God they bear. Students were challenged to reflect on what things distract from God’s purpose for us and dilute our saltiness in the world. With arms raised high, students responded to God in energetic, heartfelt worship led by the “Food Fighters,” a band of North Park students who also staffed a booth to talk to students about post-highschool plans. Saturday night, students engaged with God through various prayer stations: looking into mirrors while listening to Spirit’s voice speak to them about who they are, and prayerfully planting white flags of surrender representing areas of surrender to God. They created a wall of prayer and offered their anxieties to the Lord by snapping craft sticks with stressors written on them. Youth workers and volunteers engaged students in group discussions and prayed with them, encouraging them to take steps closer to the Lord.
These serious moments were interspersed with unforgettable memories: plunging into icy lake waters, hiking through forested hills, flying across a ravine on a zip line, competing in basketball with donut holes and tongs, and playing archery tag, paintball, gaga ball and a real-life version of hungry, hungry hippos.
After a year off and a smaller retreat last winter due to Covid-19, it felt good to gather together again and feel the current of the Spirit at work in the hearts and lives of our students. Please be praying for them as they return from the mountaintop experiences of the retreat to plateaus and valleys that make up their daily lives. Pray that God’s Spirit would cause the seeds that were planted and watered to grow and bear fruit in their lives, families, churches, schools, and neighborhoods.
By Erik Cave, Director of NextGen Ministries, PacNWC
Enjoy this 9-minute interview with Bob Do, the Lead Pastor of our new church plant, The Table Covenant Church. Listen to hear about the new church, Bob’s passion for ministry, and the weirdest job he has ever had. Follow the links below to contact Bob and learn more about The Table.
I’m feeling the extremes of our human experience as I gather myself for this entry. Yesterday, Mary and I joined a unity march in Tacoma put on by the Chinese Reconciliation Project Foundation. The weather was incredible and there was light shining on the city as people came together to seek peace and solidarity. Yet within the day, I also was shocked by the overwhelmingly tragic news from Seoul. It felt especially close as I was just there on holiday in August. Deep, deep sadness.
It was also so good to be together today with my neighbors for our annual HOA Halloween gathering. There were many good connections: new neighbors, telling stories, and sharing pictures. I hadn’t met two of my neighbors’ new babies yet. They were absolutely perfect. I’m also sitting with news in the last two weeks about the diagnosis of degenerative brain diseases from two colleagues. I had never heard of these cruel diseases before. The news is so unexpected and devastating.
I’ve spoken to pastors and Leadership Teams this past month about encouraging growth, many newcomers/members, strong finances, and new opportunities. One church just restarted their men’s Bible study and there has been one person who has given their life to Christ in 3 of the last 4 weeks! One of our immigrant churches is also working with a global partner to host a revival conference next year! But we also have three churches that have concluded their ministries this past year (Bridge Salem, Grace Bremerton, and Disciple Bellevue). We received the notification from the Covenant Executive Board about Quest and there are other churches that are discussing if the ECC is the right denominational home (with varying reasons). Most attendance and budget numbers are down. The conference is projecting a 15% reduction in shared mission giving and our attendance report has our aggregate number down by about 30%.
Many transitions are happening among our clergy. Clear Lake has called Rev. Jeannette Conver! Arlington United has called Rev. Ieisha Hawley! Milwaukie has called Bruce Bruns! Other searches and discernment processes continue at Bethany, Evergreen, Wiley Heights, and Valley. Emerald City Bible just got word that Rev Harvey Drake is retiring next year. There are other pastors that are considering transitions; some that make sense and others that discourage me.
The extremes of the human experience can be emotionally stretching. And we know that our emotions affect us physically and spiritually.
Whatever you are carrying these days personally or as a church, God invites us this month to focus on thankfulness. It’s something we should be working on every day, all year, really, but we highlight it this month. It is ironic that November’s decreasing physical light (the “big dark”) is also a month that invites us into increasing spiritual light through gratitude.
And let us remember that there are forces/beings that are literally, constantly looking to snuff this/us out. It tries to reach out of the pit of darkness and lasso us to drag us in. But this power is powerless in the presence of Christ.
My son and his two roommates kept a large “thanksgiving jar” on their counter. They practiced this gratitude thing by attempting to put something they were grateful for on a slip of paper every day and contribute it to the jar. For you contemplatives, it was a type of Examen of sorts. Recently when they moved out and parted ways, it was a moving experience for them to read all of these slips to each other. This part of their journey together will stand out as a life highlight despite some profoundly challenging chapters they each walked through. The floodlight of thankfulness from this jar will stay on in their cores.
Giving thanks in the extremes and everything in between is what God wants for us. It’s actually His will and desire for us. It’s good for our souls. It’s the light that stays on.
Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Friends, I want to encourage you to hang onto light. Lately, I have been lighting a candle every time I sit down with my laptop. It reminds me of Christ’s presence and the light he brings into our dark world around me. May the light of Christ fill this day as you practice gratitude.
By Tim Anderson, Associate Pastor of Youth and Worship, Creekside Covenant Church
Speaker Sarah Fisher
The weekend started out with smoke-clearing rain on Friday. Groups fought the traffic and arrived for the epic Thunder opener followed by upbeat worship led by Brenden Smith & the Harbor Covenant worship team. Mark Neely and I then welcomed students into the long-standing tradition of students coming to know Jesus, building friendships, and exploring further their own lives of faith.
JD Tuell led our group games and we had a blast with lots of food-themed challenges. Our work crew, volunteers from around the PacNWC, helped set up and clean up so much, including for all of our sessions. They had double duty after JD finished up with games.
Our speaker, Sara Fisher, from University Covenant Church in Davis, CA, invited our students to search for their flavor, their identity and gifting, in light of who Jesus has called them to be: the salt of the Earth (Mt. 5:13). Throughout the weekend she invited students to take one step closer to Jesus. We saw a great response in students wanting to recommit to Christ or to share God’s love and the Gospel with those around them.
We sang contemporary worship songs as well as songs of tradition as Brenden invited students to sing in the near-ancient (written in 1225) hymn, “All Creatures of Our God and King.” Students were linked to the past while invited to see Jesus in the present – the fingerprint of God’s Image imprinted on their hearts in the form of the Holy Spirit – all with a future of life with Jesus and pointing others to Him ahead as a goal.
On Saturday our students were active all day with big games led by Brianne Fenton, free time options with paintball, zip line, bumper balls, and even a matinee showing of Ratatouille. It was all capped off Saturday night with another Brianne-led evening of food fight activities! The last game, Dodgebun, was a bit of a mess, but was likely the only activity that resembled a true ‘food fight.’
Ultimately, students and leaders alike spent time in the Word, time in worship, and time in fellowship in a beautiful setting with hardly ANY rain. The Lord cleared the skies and invited students into sacred time with the Spirit.
Thunder is just one aspect of youth ministry that students are invited in here in the PacNWC. Thunder, Mud (HS retreat), Unite, and local partnerships with other youth ministries come together to accomplish one goal: to point students to Jesus. There are few greater rewards than hearing a young person talk about their lives, their faith, and seeing God at work at whatever step of faith they might be on. Would you please thank your local youth pastor or leader and encourage them onward as they walk with our students?
We had many to thank as we planned and prepared for this weekend. Kristi Smith, John Olson, Katie Keck, Caytlyn McAdam, Matt Knapp, Jessica Bauml, and many more helped create a special weekend. Ultimately we close this reflection thanking our Heavenly Father, the One who knows us all by name, for working in the lives of each of these students and in each of these ministries, as we seek to follow Jesus together. So, if we are the salt of the Earth, what is our flavor? Our gift? Our identity as a part of the people of God? Here is one more challenge: ask a student in your church, if they attended Thunder, to answer that question.
By Erik Cave, Director of NextGen Ministries, PacNWC
Enjoy this 9-minute interview with Pastor George Bedlion, Pastor Mark Knight, and Superintendent Greg Yee as they share about their experience supporting the Tacoma Moon Festival. Both Garden City Church and Praise Covenant Church were involved in service, support, and prayer for this event. In this interview, you will learn about the Moon Festival and hear about the impact this opportunity had on their city and their churches.
As I carefully packed my manual Espresso press into my camp bag, I smiled in anticipation of the early mornings with women I love, inhaling the steaming nutty roast filling our empty mugs, the smell of the wilderness drifting through the windows, the oh-so-familiar scent of the log cabin walls…the smell of Cascades Camp embracing us. So with my car packed full of women and sleeping bags (and coffee paraphernalia!) we headed out to the 2022 Women’s Retreat at Cascades, our hearts eager to experience this year’s theme “Together” from Ephesians 4:2-6.
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:2-6
Eugene Peterson’s The Message starts this way: “You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together…”
Together.
This word is powerful, it stirs my spirit, and it speaks to the longings of our hearts and what we are created for. To be one. To be united. To stay together in Christ.
“Together” was a beautiful offering of love to 180 women who attended.
Together: we experienced the delight of camp food, sunny weather, the serenity of Elbow Lake, and the majesty of the Rainier foothills.
Together: we canoed, paddle boarded, displayed our mad archery skills, hiked, ran 3k for Alaska, and crafted fabulous yarn pumpkins.
Together we had “Conversations”: we were taught how to lament, created a vision board for our life, studied the spiritual disciplines, learned how to journal the bible, learned how to be wise financial stewards with Covenant Trust, absorbed the transforming power of “Mending the Soul,” and engaged a good old fashioned hymn sing!
Together we sat in the prayer room and prayed and prayed and prayed.
Together we raised $1,483 Alaska conference relief funding,
Together we learned from Anneweinita Miller about Mending Wings and were invited to participate in the restorative work God is doing on Yakama Reservation
Together we purchased beautiful bags to support the Abundant Life Center.
Together we worshipped with the gifted and remarkable musical and pastoral leadership of Andrea Drake and Pat Renfro from Emerald City Bible Fellowship.
Together we absorbed wise preaching from three called and gifted Covenant Pastors.
Reverend Leslie McCauley, Associate Pastor at Immanuel Church of Spokane opened us with a powerful word from God. Drawing on decades of experience in reconciliation ministries, she asks us: how can we walk this world together, truly united, truly walking together in one faith, one Lord, one baptism, when we are divided by the sin of racism? How does Jesus lead us out of these spaces where we’ve been “taken captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ?” (Col 2:8). Leslie asks us, “Are we our brother’s keeper?” YES! Yes, we are. She called us back to the gospel, back to the grace that unites us as unique yet communal Image Bearers, and back to repentance. Together.
Saturday evening Reverend Abigail Sandrigo of Iglesia Latinoamericana in Bellevue, WA, invited us into a deeper understanding of what it looks like to walk with one another. Pastor Sandrigo preached in Spanish with an English translation and drew us into the beautiful story of Ruth and Naomi. Ruth left her country, her traditions, her religion, and her family to covenant herself to Naomi and walk with her. How is God asking us to covenant with one another? What does it look like break out beyond the walls of our natural boundaries to walk with one another through grief and heartache? Abigail stretched us to reach out to one new person that night, to share stories with one another, and become friends. It was a beautiful evening of community. Together.
Sunday morning Reverend Sally Carlson of Shoreline Covenant Church brought it all home, preaching solid and foundational truths over us. She carefully walked us verse by verse through Ephesians 3, reminding us to begin with the cornerstone source: “be rooted and established in love…” She asks us to examine, what does the bond of peace look like, why do we have the hope we have, and how does that unite us when we disagree with each other? She spoke openly from her heart about her own journey with emptiness and finding the power of community and togetherness in her sisters that came alongside her. She called us back to the unity we have in Christ. Together.
Then our three pastors led us to the sacred communion table of Christ. Together we remembered the body that was broken and the blood that was poured out for us so we can be united.
Together we went to Cascades, truly a “Place of Wonder and Discovery in Christ.”
Together we applauded and thanked the most excellent well-oiled machine of a Women’s Retreat Team there ever was.
We came with empty cups and left with overflowing ones.
We may have come alone, but we truly left together.
It was a definite highlight last month, and it will be added to my top list for sure. It was not like a miraculous feeding or major revival, but I saw God so clearly. I saw him sovereignly working over the last 15 years inspiring people to his mission leading up to this year’s Moon Festival at Tacoma’s Chinese Reconciliation Park. Let me start there.
Similar to many Asian cultures, the Chinese follow the lunar calendar. As part of this, many holidays and festivals are connected to the movement of the seasons. For the Chinese, the second most important celebration behind Lunar New Year is the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival. It dates back over 3,000 years. The celebration is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar calendar corresponding with the full moon (mid-September to early October). This is when the Chinese recognize the moon at its brightest and fullest size.
OK, God sightings – let’s go back to 2005. Our conference sent representatives to California to join the Pacific Southwest Conference’s pilot Journey to Mosaic (J2M). PacNWC exploratory efforts were led by Rev. Krisann Jarvis Foss who was on conference staff. God inspired her to bring this mobile discipleship workshop engaging racial righteousness to our conference. We successfully piloted ours in 2007. Since the beginning, J2M has stopped at Tacoma’s Chinese Reconciliation Park. You can familiarize yourself with the park and Tacoma’s specific contribution here and to the Chinese Exclusion Act here.
But this is not an article about racial righteousness. It’s about seeing God at work over 15 years.
My family and I moved into our Renton Highlands neighborhood after I was called by you in 2013. After a few years, the conference sponsored our first evangelism cohort with pastors which I participated in as well. We were encouraged to join something; get out into the world and mix and mingle. I really wanted to join a park district softball league, but with my schedule, I settled on our HOA board! Mary and I also were already attempting to know our neighbors better including a young Chinese couple. We would go on to meet weekly with them, studying scripture and praying, and sharing meals and some holidays together. They became fast friends.
As we got to know them, we found out that the wife was a long-time friend of Larry and Theresa Pan Hosley who are the founders of Chinese Reconciliation Park. Larry has been the main docent of the park when J2M stops there. It was fun to connect our neighborhood world with our ministry world.
Do you see God yet?
Pastor Mark Knight and other Volunteers from Praise Covenant
Earlier this year, our neighbor asked me if I would be interested in joining the Chinese Reconciliation Park Foundation board. I didn’t realize that she was on the board herself. I didn’t even need to pray about it! I said “yes” immediately! It means a lot to me as a Chinese American to be connected to this amazing community treasure and its ongoing work to bring unity and peace to wider Tacoma. It is an incredible honor to serve on this board.
So the first project the board was focused on was the Moon Festival. After two years of doing it virtually, we were excited to go live again. I was asked to help recruit volunteers and immediately thought of two of our churches in Tacoma: Praise Cov and our new plant Garden City. Pastors Mark Knight and George Bedlion enthusiastically rallied their people to volunteer for set-up and clean-up. They were simply amazing! Their can-do spirits were a tour de force. It was an incredible gift to the festival leaving a lasting impression on the CRPF board. I was so proud of them.
George also got to bless the event. Several of the local clergy that normally participate in leading the beginning blessing were not available, so that left George to do it alone. Friends, it was surreal for me to see the streams of God’s call over 15 years and different people saying “yes” leading to this amazing scene of a Covenant pastor blessing the people of Tacoma. Here’s the blessing:
May the creator who fashioned a world of diversity and vibrancy be with us as we embrace life in all its fullness.
We are all created to love and be loved, to share our joys and our sorrows together, to co-create a more beautiful world together. We share gratitude for the astonishing variety of races and cultures in this world.
May our lives be enriched by ever-widening circles of friendship, kinship and solidarity.
May we be empowered to love each other and be good neighbors in our communities.
May we care for both friends and strangers.
May barriers of division be broken and may belonging be given generously.
May the creator of all things bless us and go with us as we find the courage to create a place of welcome and unity for all.
Jeremiah 29:7 comes to mind here:
But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare..
The birth of J2M in the PacNWC, evangelism cohorts, one of our four founding conference churches (originally First Cov Tacoma), and one of our newest church plants, and many other unseen and unspoken streams all coming together and pointing forward to God’s ongoing work in greater Tacoma. I can’t wait to see how these new relationships will develop as Mark and George and our Mission Friends at Praise and Garden City continue to say “yes” to what God invites them into, particularly through what was birthed out of the Moon Festival.
I must add one more connected thought. The day after the festival I traveled to Chicago to meet with the Council of Superintendents for a full week. A new leadership chapter officially began with the new president, two new supes and one interim, and a new executive minister of Develop Leaders. Amidst all of the transitions and uncertainties in the Covenant these days, I want to remember what God showed me in Tacoma. Since 1885 God has been inviting Covenanters to join him in different chapters and at different times, and in different ways. He continues to invite us to join him as he weaves our stories and his plans together.
Friends I returned from Chicago with a deepened sense of anticipation for what’s ahead. I was inspired by my colleagues who continue to eagerly say “yes” to Jesus. And it makes me more excited to think about what God has for us as a conference as we launch into this fall.
Note: Featured above is George Bedlion opening the Tacoma Moon Festival
