Category: Strengthen Churches

By Erik Cave, Director of NextGen Ministries, PacNWC

Enjoy this 10-minute interview with Michelle T. Sanchez, author of Color-Courageous Discipleship, Color-Courageous Discipleship Student Edition, and the picture book, God’s Beloved Community. Michelle also serves as the Executive Minister for Make and Deepen Disciples. In this interview, you will learn about Michelle’s role in the ECC, what inspired her to write this book, how the Journey to Mosaic experience of the PacNWC is featured in the book and her hopes for individuals and groups who read it.

Coming soon: discover resources your entire church can use including sermon/teaching outlines (tailored for Covenant churches), Bible reading plans, PowerPoint slides, small group questions, handouts, a children’s activity kit, and more. Look below for links for more information, how to get your own copy of Color-Courageous Discipleship, and contact info for Michelle.

Website: colorcourageous.com

Text Updates: Send “courage” to 44144

Contact Michelle at Michelle.Sanchez@covchurch.org

By Dawn Taloyo, Associate Superintendent, PacNWC

I was introduced to a new (to me) song this past Sunday during Trinity Covenant Church’s 4^th Advent service: “Prepare Him Room” by Dave Fournier and Rebecca Elliott (2014). The title and chorus have remained with me through the week. I do a lot of preparing during this season. Two family members have birthdays this month in addition to THE Birthday celebration we are all preparing for. With all the shopping and planning and cooking and wrapping, I often feel like I’m barely catching my breath during the month of December. This year included the challenge of travel, a husband in school, and a daughter in wrestling practice until 6 pm every night. Many of our typical Advent traditions have gone missing.

But, in the quiet moments I found this morning, I meditated on these words from Mary: “I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants. May everything you have said come true.” (NLT)

My mind went to imagining what kind of presence Mary must have had that she could respond in this way. Granted, the text also says she was troubled and perplexed. That I understand. Yet, at the same time, she was able to hear the Angel’s reassurance and special message. There was room for both. There was room in her heart, mind, and soul to receive and respond to this amazing and life-changing announcement. Am I in such a place?

I particularly love the New Living Translation’s rendering of Mary’s response. There was room because first, Mary knew her identity: I am the Lord’s servant. She belonged to the Lord. She was devoted to the Lord. That was clear.

Second, Mary was willing. With a heart and posture already bent towards the Lord, she accepted this incredible and miraculous assignment. I wonder if, in those few seconds, she had a clue of the rough road ahead. Nonetheless, she had a heart open to trust and sacrifice:  I am willing to accept whatever he wants. May everything you have said come true. She was inclined to believe and trust in the Lord’s plan.

With family and school events now behind and Christmas just a couple of days away, I am beginning to feel the space to breathe. And to wonder: what does the room of my heart and mind look like? Cluttered and chaotic? Or, clinging to hope and awaiting God’s arrival? I long to trust and be present like Mary.

I invite you to join me and do a little check of your own heart and will in these remaining days of Advent. Can you say with Mary, “I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants. May everything you have said come true?” What is needed to prepare Him room?

If you’d like to take a look at the lyrics of this song, you can check them out here:

https://sovereigngracemusic.org/music/songs/prepare-him-room/

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 Tim Anderson, Associate Pastor of Youth and Worship, Creekside Covenant Church

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.

Greg Yee recently wrote about his experience supporting these pastors and the moon festival in his article, PacNWC Churches Serve the Tacoma Moon Festival – Pacific Northwest Conference.

George Bedlion is the Lead pastor of Garden City Church and is in the process of planting a new church in Tacoma.

Mark Knight is the Lead Pastor of Praise Covenant Church, one of our longest-standing PacNWC churches.

By Pastor Rebecca Worl

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.

We are our sister’s keepers.

By Erik Cave, Director of NextGen Ministries, PacNWC

Enjoy this 9-minute interview with Chris Haughee on the topic of Trauma-Informed Ministry. Chris brings his experience as a pastor and working with a residential program for children to help us raise our awareness of trauma in our communities. He shares how we can make a big impact through realization, recognition, response, and resisting re-traumatization. In this interview, you will find resources you can engage with right away personally and as a church. Chris is a Covenant pastor working for Intermountain Ministry in charge of Church Relations and serving as Pastor of Desert Springs Covenant Church. You can also find Chris’ written responses to my questions below.

Quick Links:

• Contact Chris at haughee@gmail.com or 406-465-9693
• Intermountain Ministries: http://www.intermountainministry.org
• What Does it Mean for a Ministry to be Trauma-Sensitive? http://www.intermountainministry.org/what-does-it-mean-for-a-ministry-to-be-trauma-informed/
• Bruised Reeds and Smoldering Wicks: An 8-week Bible study for small groups.  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1733812318/
• Hope for Healing: A 30-day devotional for individuals. https://www.amazon.com/Hope-Healing-Gods-Work-Places/dp/1733812326

Written Responses:

1. Who are you and what is your work/ministry setting?

My name is Chris Haughee (pronounced “Hoy”), and I am a part-time minister in two settings. First, I work for Intermountain in Church Relations. Intermountain is a family and mental health ministry that has served the children of Montana for 113 years. I served as chaplain to the residential program for 8 years, and since 2012 have served them exclusively in my current role that involves writing, advocacy, training, and friend/fundraising within faith-based settings. Thankfully, I can do most of that work remotely, because the pandemic brought a move for our family to Prosser, Washington. Since that move, I have also served part-time as a pastor for Desert Springs Covenant Church, where we are seeking God’s direction for a ministry post-pandemic, and revitalizing the church’s impact and growth through missional outreach and intentional evangelism. I find that both part-time ministries inform each other, and while there are certainly aspects of ministering in two different states and in two distinct roles that challenge my skills and capacity, it humbles me and keeps me dependent on the Holy Spirit for strength and guidance.

2. Why is trauma-sensitive ministry so important?

Jesus’ ministry was trauma-informed and trauma-sensitive. I am convinced of that! In fact, as part of my doctoral work, I wrote a series of articles under the title, “Was Jesus’ ministry trauma-informed.” That original article has been viewed over 4,000 times on the website pacesconnection.com and my definition for a trauma-informed ministry has been included in countless trainings across the country and world since I first suggested it in 2016. A trauma-informed ministry is one that:

1. Realizes the widespread impact of trauma–those deeply distressing and emotional experiences that leave lasting effects–and provides practical ministry interventions as well as support for ongoing mental health interventions.
2. Recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma in the children, youth, men, and women it ministers to as well as the effects that living with a traumatized individual has on all relationships–marriage, family, work, and social.
3. Responds to the need within its worshipping community and the needs of its neighbors by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into church and ministry policies, procedures, and ministry practices. And,
4. Seeks to actively resist re-traumatization that can occur when appropriate recognition and intervention is not wed with compassion and commitment to relationship and supportive structures that destigmatize mental health issues.

Trauma-informed or trauma-sensitive ministry does not demand that we all become mental health experts or therapists! It really isn’t much more complicated than making a commitment to understanding the challenges that have faced the people in your congregation and community and how traumas from their past may affect their receptivity to the gospel and the ministry of the church. I believe that being trauma-sensitive will help us be more effective in ministry and outreach!

My hope and dream is that EVERY ministry in the Covenant could embrace the concepts of a trauma-sensitive approach. I am happy to help any congregation, minister, youth group, or mission outreach that wants to walk through these concepts and see how they would apply to the unique calling God has for them.

3. What can churches and leaders do to grow in trauma-sensitive ministry?

First, exhibit a willingness to learn and grow. Humility is a key first step to leaning into trauma-sensitive ministry. Second, make use of the materials mentioned below and what can be found online. Third, reach out to me or other leaders who have experience in trauma-sensitive ministry. Finally, understand that trauma-sensitive ministry isn’t a program or extension of your ministry… it is a way of viewing your ministry through the lens of trauma and its very real impact on the hearts, minds, and souls of those in your church and community. You may even find healing and restoration for areas of deep hurt and pain in your own life!

4. What resources do you offer and how can our leaders engage with you?

I would encourage everyone to check out the curriculum I wrote called “Bruised Reeds and Smoldering Wicks.” It’s an 8-week Bible study for small groups in trauma-informed ministry and compassionate outreach to individuals with adversity in childhood, available through Amazon, and you can find it HERE: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1733812318/

For the impact of mental health on the individual who longs to be a part of the church, I can think of no better resource than Amy Simpson’s book, Troubled Minds: Mental Illness and the Church’s Mission.

A great “how-to” manual for getting started in mental health ministry is Mental Health and the Church: A Ministry Handbook for Including Children and Adults with ADHD, Anxiety, Mood Disorders, and Other Common Mental Health Conditions. Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Dr. Stephen Grcevich, is a trusted friend and colleague.

Those that would be interested in the work and ministry of Intermountain may be interested in the 30-day devotional I wrote called Hope for Healing. Our own Greg Yee endorsed the book, saying, “Chris does a great job standing at the intersection of the text and context; the timeless truths of Scripture and the realities of this time and space God places us. Intermountain provides a unique yet universal window into our human experience. Hope for Healing is engaging and practical, but most of all it invites us to walk closer to Jesus.” It can be found HERE: https://www.amazon.com/Hope-Healing-Gods-Work-Places/dp/1733812326

Finally, please reach out to me at haughee@gmail.com and 406-465-9693. On Facebook you can find me through the church @DesertSpringsCovenant or my personal account @chaplainchris.haughee. I would love to connect with others in the church that feel passionately about bringing healing and hope to those affected by trauma!

By Erik Cave, Director of NextGen Ministries, PacNWC

Unite West was important for many reasons. I am proud that it was the largest Unite event this summer with over 900 participants from over 80 churches representing 4 conferences, that we raised over $8,000 for the FREE Anti Sex Trafficking Initiative, and that over 100 students attended a seminar on discerning call to ministry. As great as these stats are I think the most important aspect of Unite West was our partnership with the Pacific Southwest and Alaska conferences. This is the first time a partnership like this took place and it was made possible through the trust that had been built up between our superintendents and youth ministry leaders. It was a joy to work alongside Matt Aalseth from PSWC and Marc Lanz from Alaska in a true partnership. In this way, we lived out the name of our event. 

Unite West was important to our individual churches as well. We had over 250 participants from the PacNWC from 25 of our churches. For most this was their first trip like this since the last CHIC. These types of events provide a unique opportunity for God to do fruitful work in students’ lives.  I call them ministry microwaves because we are able to accomplish so much movement toward Jesus, relational work, and healing in a short amount of time.

Thank you Pacific Northwest Conference for supporting this event so well. Your prayers made an impact as we prepared and during our week of ministry. Your financial support paved the way for an excellent experience. Your sending students, led by exceptional adults, made the event a success. I am so grateful for our local youth ministry leaders. They really made an impact. I have asked a few of them to share their reflections on Unite West below.

Amanda Moffat, Director of Youth Ministries, Newport Covenant Church

We were a small but mighty group who didn’t know what to expect at Unite West since this was the first big denominational event we had all gone to. The word I kept hearing prayed over our two youth before heading to the event was “healing”. To my surprise, on that first night God started in on that prayer of healing and I was able to see spiritual, emotional, and mental healing from the past couple of years in our students. Over the week, I saw God bring down barriers for our students who needed to be reminded that they were 100% truly loved by God no matter what. Unite West was able to provide a space for our youth to see that God loves them, that their leaders love them, and that they are not alone in their faith and journey with God.

Karen Olson, Associate Co-Pastor for Youth, McMinnville Covenant Church

Unite West gave us a chance to live out the theme of unity in Jesus. We had the joy of partnering with three Covenant churches from the Willamette Valley – McMinnville Covenant (McMinnville), Trinity Covenant (Salem), and The Well Covenant (Corvallis). It was a privilege to practice our shared faith together with 14 students and 4 leaders from across these communities. When we arrived at Unite, that impact was multiplied as we worshipped and had fun with students from across the entire West Coast. It was powerful to see students respond to God’s invitation to come home, grow in relationship with Jesus, and become Kingdom workers. As we return home, we are grateful for our deepened relationships with God, with one another, and with our Covenant family.

Christy Wilson, Youth Director, Lettered Streets Covenant Church

To best demonstrate the experience my youth had at Unite West, I will give you two snapshots:

Night 1: Our group showed up a bit late for the day, missing all the welcome wagon hype and festivities. We barely managed to get our rooms and a meal before joining the first session. Upon entering the gym, the sheer volume of sound, light, people, energy, and excitement hit my students in a single wave and turned them all into a pack of deer-in-the-headlights. I passed out earplugs, while my students looked at me as if I had betrayed them. That evening we processed how drastically different ‘rock church’ (as they called it) was from our normal folksy Sunday worship services.

Night 5: When the keyboardist hit the first chord for worship, my students sprinted for the gym floor, vying for the best places in the mosh pit!

Tim Anderson, Associate Pastor of Worship and Youth, Creekside Covenant Church

Unite West could be summed up as an, ‘answered prayer.’ The first night I remember the worship team going acapella singing, “Who the Son sets free/ oh us free indeed/ I’m a child of God, yes I am!” The whole gym was singing and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. Whether we had been explicitly praying for this kind of moment or not, our prayers were collectively answered as we could finally lift our voices together in the presence of the Spirit of God. The week flowed on that way – ultimate frisbee with other churches, basketball, soccer, and the water park. Kids hanging with kids from other churches, youth pastors, and leaders reunited after months or even years apart. God’s Word was powerfully proclaimed by our speakers and it felt like a blessing to have such a diverse yet unified team speaking God’s truth over our students. What a gift. We even had a student come home and get baptized after experiencing such a powerful time at Unite West.

Click Here for a YouTube Playlist of Unite West daily recap and sermon videos

Click Here for an album of pictures from Unite West taken and curated by Kristi Smith

Click Here for a list of worship songs sung at Unite West