Category: Support Pastors

On Saturday, June 11th, friends, colleagues, and family gathered in person and virtually to celebrate the life of Rev. Dick Lucco. Follow this link to see the recording of this memorial service.

Dick is well-known throughout the Covenant for a variety of pastoral calls and denominational service, including in the PacNWC.  Dick served as senior pastor at Trinity Covenant Church in Salem, OR from 1993 – 2002.  You are welcome to read The Covenant Companion’s In Memorial Piece here.

Dick was instrumental in forming the Salem Leadership Foundation (SLF), a faith-based, non-profit in Salem. A beautiful tribute was recently published by Sam Skillern, executive director of SLF, exemplifying the impact that Dick and Trinity Covenant Church had on the Salem community. 

He wasn’t born in Salem and he didn’t die here … but our community is eternally blessed because of Rev. Dick Lucco.

In the 1990s, in the midst of an all-out community response to youth gangs, Dick was the one who diagnosed a major gap. “When our city has a crisis, and civic leaders reach out to the churches for help, 1) they don’t know who we are, and 2) when they finally reach us, the answer is ‘no’ – something must change. We need a bridge.”
Dick convened leaders of faith and goodwill, paving the way to SLF’s birth in 1996. Dick was beloved at his church, Trinity Covenant, and built strong friendships with clergy across town.  He was part pastor, professor, wry-humorist, and a zealous St. Louis Cardinals fan.  He had vision for growth and change, and he knew how to build relationships that would bear fruit.
 
Among many influences on me and the work of SLF, two stand out.  In our early days, in concert with our mission to help ministries, nonprofits and schools, I was being asked to join various boards.  The easy ‘yes’ was to faith-based organizations.  When Sue Miller was putting together a new nonprofit to help kids and families, I asked Dick if that’d be a worthwhile engagement.  “Sam, we’re all about people-of-faith and people-of-goodwill.  If church folks only hang out with church folks, what’s the point.  Do it.”  Being on the team that launched Family Building Blocks taught me a ton and built methodologies and relationships that are still strong today.  
 
The second game-changer was the day Dick told me Trinity Covenant was pulling out of the Capitol Inn hotel, where the church had incredible ministry to the homeless folks living there.  Instead, they’d be focusing on the church’s neighborhood.  Are you kidding?  South Salem?  Gently, but firmly, he schooled me on the hidden high-poverty needs at Liberty School and the Section-8 apartments across the street.  Not to mention the ‘poverty of affluence’ that wreaks damage.  SLF switched from a creed of “everyone come to the inner city to help” to “look out your front door and back door and love neighbor as self.”  This applies to not only churches, but businesses, organizations and households.  Huge.  Especially now. 
 
With heavy but grateful hearts we remember Dick fondly.  We send our love to Val, Zach, Drew, Jeff, Chris and the grandkids.  We give thanks and praise that a guy from Webster Groves, Missouri, and North Park Seminary would commit a rich chapter of his life to Shalom, Oregon.

Sam Skillern – Salem Leadership Foundation

Jim Sundholm grew up at First Covenant Church in Seattle. As an adult, he became a major voice in the Evangelical Covenant Church as director of Covenant World Relief, and executive director of the Paul Carlson Partnership. You can read more about Jim’s life and ministry in his obituary featured in the Covenant Companion here and in the tribute featured in the Pietist here. His family has put together opportunities to remember Jim that are open to the public. Please read this note and invitation from his wife, Carol.

My dear husband Jim passed away two years ago of cancer, in March of 2020. We had two intimate family memorials, one with Jim’s siblings and our children, led by Glen Palmberg, where we spread ashes near Dockton Park on Vashon Island. The second was at the Peace Garden and Columbarium at North Park Covenant Church, Chicago, led by Paul Couleur, Rachel’s husband, where our daughters’ families and all the grandchildren could pray and say goodbye to Papa as Jim’s ashes were interned. Jim was also remembered at First Covenant Church, Seattle with others who had passed away during Covid, and on All Saint’s Day, both meaningful occasions. We are grateful for the love and support of so many of you in calling and sending e-mails, cards, letters, and tributes in Jim’s memory. Thank you as well for gifts sent in memory of Jim to Covenant World Relief, North Park University and Seminary, Community Covenant Church, Minneapolis, and First Covenant Church, Seattle.

It is now possible to meet in larger groups and we have chosen two occasions to remember Jim.

On the west coast, we have been welcomed by Cascades Camp and Conference Center, Yelm, WA, to have a casual time of remembrance on Sunday, July 3, just after the customary Salmon Barbeque that marks the end of Family Camp. The barbeque is available for persons coming just for the day, by registering with the camp before June 15th at 360-894-3838, asking for Anna. Refreshments will be served after the service.

In the Midwest, we have been welcomed to have a memorial service at Community Covenant Church, Minneapolis, where Jim served as pastor for 24 years and where we raised our three children. This service will take place on Saturday, September 10” at 2 pm and will be streamed on YouTube to persons not able to attend either service. The live stream and recording will be available at their website, cccminneapolis.org.

Our family will enjoy these times of remembering Jim with many of you.

Carol Sundholm and family

By Erik Cave, Director of NextGen Ministries, PacNWC

Enjoy this interview with Austin Bailey, the new Lead Pastor at Pine Lake Covenant Church

What is your personal and ministry background?

Over the last decade, God has called us to different churches that are no less than 1,500 miles away from each other. We have gone from Chicago, to Texas, to Connecticut, and finally Washington. Our family joke is that we can’t accept a call unless it is literally across the country. Living in such different regions of the country has really allowed us to appreciate how God has blessed our Covenant movement. So excited to be part of what God is doing in the PacNWC.

What three traits define you?
Friendly, hospitable, generous. If you do the math, you will figure out that I am a type 2 on the enneagram!

Where is your favorite place to be?
You can often find me at a coffee shop that pours a good medium roast. Most of the time you will find me there with a friend, but on rare days find me alone with a good book.

What is the weirdest job you’ve ever had?
It wasn’t that weird, but when I worked at a golf course, I was the guy who drove the ball picker at the range. Let me tell you, people don’t “practice” at the range, they try to hit the ball picker!

What would you do for a career if you weren’t doing this?
I don’t know if it would support or have the approval of my family, but I would be a bartender. It was one of my favorite jobs where I got to talk to people and allowed me to sleep in every day!

What is the one thing you cannot resist?
Ice cream! No matter how full I am or how cold it might be outside I will always take two scoops in a waffle cone!

Visit Pine Lake Covenant’s Web Page

Visit Austin’s Facebook Profile

By Dawn Taloyo, Associate Superintendent, PacNWC

What a gift to be at Midwinter this year. For those who are unaware, Midwinter is our annual gathering of Covenant ministers, most often occurring in Chicago, where we have the opportunity to share interests and ideas, encourage and be encouraged, reflect and be inspired, laugh, and relax. Last year’s in-person gathering was canceled, and many weren’t sure if this year’s conference would or should happen. Personally, it was a struggle deciding whether to go, but I’m glad I did.  While not the same (I’ve heard 50% of normal attendance), it was an incredible time of worship, inspiration, and challenge as we engaged the theme “Mission through the Mosaic.” I encourage you to check out the sessions that are available on the ECC YouTube channel. We ended up having approximately 70 colleagues from the PacNWC in attendance, and it was wonderful to connect with so many of them.

I particularly loved and commend to you the Wednesday morning session with Sandra Maria Van Opstal, who addressed Acts 15, a passage I’ve preached on many times. She invited us to use our theological imagination and consider some aspects of this text that I had not considered before. Very challenging.

You’ll definitely want to check out our own kahuna Pastor Jim Sequeira, pastor of Cascade View Covenant Church in Vancouver, WA, and his personal and engaging story-telling during the Thursday morning worship service. Thank you, Uncle Jim! So grateful for you!

Another highlight was the Spanish Worship Service sponsored by ALIPE, which I admittedly attended for the first time this year. We had a whole row of us from the PacNWC!  Since I do not speak or understand Spanish, I wore a headset for the English translation. It was difficult to hear given the joyous volume of the worship leader and participants, nevertheless a great experience. And, a hoot, as the translator couldn’t help but sing the translated lyrics.

Checking in with my conference team and a sample of pastors, I’ve only heard positive remarks. There was such a sense of “we needed this.” Admittedly, there was commiserating and lament as we shared losses and challenges, but there was also mutual encouragement and care; a resonant sense that we are ‘in it together.’

To our churches: Thank you for encouraging and supporting your pastors in their participation in this annual event. It is so important to our health as clergy and our connectedness as a denomination.

And pastors, I know many of you were unable to attend or felt this was not the year. We all hope and pray that circumstances will be different next year. And a little something to look forward to, if you didn’t catch the announcement –  

Midwinter will be in Jacksonville, FL in 2023!  

By Erik Cave, Director of NextGen Ministries, PacNWC

Enjoy this 8-minute video interview with Dan Johnson, the new Middle School Director at Countryside Community Church. You will learn about his background, passions, and how to pray for him along with interesting facts like where his nickname, Chalupa, comes from. Stay to the end to meet his friend the burrito.

Visit Dan’s Facebook Page

Visit Dan’s Instagram Page

Visit Countryside Community Church’s Web Page

By Erik Cave, Director of NextGen Ministries, PacNWC

Enjoy this interview with Britta and Paul Burger, the new Co-Lead Pastors at Newport Covenant Church

What is your personal and ministry background?

Britta grew up here in the Pacific Northwest and Paul grew up in various states in the Midwest. Britta has always been deeply invested in her church communities and felt a unique sense of call as she served on the pastoral search team at Pine Lake Covenant Church to call their youth pastor. Both Paul’s parents and sister serve in Covenant ministry, which instilled within him a deep desire to serve the church.

We met at North Park University in Chicago and were married between undergraduate studies and seminary. While we have both experienced individual calls, as we have shared in life and ministry together, God has developed that call into a shared ministry as we now serve as co-lead pastors at Newport Covenant Church.

What are you passionate about in ministry right now?

Attending to healing, shepherding people towards authentic perspectives of themselves and their communities, and bearing witness to the reality of the hope of Jesus in others. 

What three traits define you?

Enthusiastic, Collaborative, Connecting

What’s one thing you couldn’t live without?

While a bit of a cliche, family is incredibly important to both of us. We were both blessed to grow up in families that supported and encouraged us in life and in ministry and we now desire to do the same with our own kids, Bjorn & Sonja.

Where is your favorite place to be?

Britta grew up summering at Hagerman Lake in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and Paul and their son, Bjorn, got to experience a bit of the magic a few years ago. More recently, our family has enjoyed a winter retreat in Leavenworth swimming outside in the snow.

What does true leadership mean to you?

The more we serve in ministry, the more we’re learning how important it is for us to lead collaboratively as we seek to empower and equip others to use their gifts. We have also been so grateful for our church chair, Pastor Merrie Carson, modeling for us what it looks like to lead as a discerning community.

Which one would you want most – flying cars, robot housekeepers, or moon cities?

It’s a close race between flying cars and robot housekeepers.

Visit Britta’s Facebook Page

Visit Paul’s Facebook Page

Visit Newport Covenant Church’s Web Page

By Erik Cave, Director of NextGen Ministries, PacNWC

Tim Anderson is the new Associate Pastor of Worship & Youth at Creekside Covenant Church. Enjoy this 8 minute video interview where you will learn about his background, what he is passionate about and how we can be praying for him. You will also learn five interesting thing about Tim you never knew you needed to know.

Find out more about Tim on his Facebook Page and his Instagram Page

Find out more about Creekside Covenant Church at their Web Page

By Esaú & Erin Del Arca

Pictured above: Esaú, Erin, Riley, Maya, Lila & Lluvia in La Ceiba, Honduras 

La primera semana del mes de julio, nuestra familia viajó desde el estado de Washington con rumbo hacia San Pedro Sula, Honduras, lo cual fue el comienzo de una nueva jornada. 

Por los últimos nueve años nuestra familia ha tenido el privilegio de servir entre las comunidades de habla hispana en el oeste de Washington. Allí es donde Dios nos guió en el proceso de plantación de la Iglesia Esperanza Viva, una iglesia de habla hispana cuya visión ha sido alcanzar a las comunidades diversas de los alrededores del sur de Seattle y Tacoma.

Para muchos la iglesia Hispana no solo es una casa de adoración, sino también un lugar seguro para la comunidad y también una familia. Allí es donde los miembros de la comunidad son invitados a experimentar el amor de Jesús a través de la familia de Dios. Durante servimos en la Iglesia Esperanza Viva, Dios nos enseñó formas más profundas de cómo valorar a las comunidades marginadas y Su deseo de alcanzar a los más necesitados.

En años recientes, Dios permitió que la Iglesia Esperanza Viva comenzará a alcanzar no solo a la comunidad local, sino también a ministrar globalmente. La iglesia ha tenido el privilegio de participar en el envío de ayudas durante los desastres naturales y otros momentos de necesidad, para las comunidades donde los miembros de la iglesia tienen raíces, lugares como el sur de México, Guatemala y Honduras. Miembros de la iglesia quienes nos originamos de estos lugares hemos podido compartir el amor de Jesús, y participar en actos de justicia y misericordia desde lejos.

Sin embargo, el éxodo masivo de personas de países de Centroamérica, tal como mi país de origen, Honduras, ha pesado en nuestros corazones. Las personas están huyendo de amenazas de violencia, femicidio, y situaciones económicas extremadamente difíciles. La corrupción entre los líderes políticos y las autoridades dejan a las personas con falta de protección ante la violencia y muy pocas oportunidades para salir de los ciclos de pobreza severa.

Mientras muchos Centroamericanos se están yendo, hay necesidad de que otros estén dispuestos a regresar. Durante el último año, mi familia y yo sentimos el llamado de Dios sobre nuestras vidas de volver a Honduras para servir a tiempo completo.

En este momento, Honduras es considerado uno de los lugares más violentos del mundo, con la tasa de homicidio extremadamente alta y una pobreza severa. Es un país que desesperadamente necesita de Jesus, y también necesita que la iglesia sea un refugio, una comunidad donde todos son bienvenidos.

Aquí en Honduras, hemos comenzado a servir en áreas urbanas y rurales en la zona de la costa norte del país. El enfoque de nuestro ministerio es el discipulado, el desarrollo de líderes, y programas sociales. Nuestra familia está disfrutando de reencontrarnos con amistades Hondureñas, aprendiendo de ellos, y experimentando como amar a Jesus y amar a otros en maneras más profundas.

Dios está usando a nuestros hermanos Latinoamericanos para compartir el evangelio en los Estado Unidos, pero también está equipando y enviando a misioneros latinos de regreso a nuestros países para ser luz y compartir su amor en lugares con falta de esperanza y gran sufrimiento.

Agradecemos las oraciones por nuestra familia, en especial durante nuestro proceso de adaptarnos a la vida en Honduras, y también damos gracias por las oportunidades de mantener la conexión con nuestros hermanos de las iglesias del Pacto de Washington.

The first week of July, our family traveled from Seattle to San Pedro Sula, Honduras, diving into a new adventure.

For the past 9 years, we have had the privilege of serving among Spanish-language communities in western Washington. This is where God led us through the process of helping plant Iglesia Esperanza Viva, a Spanish language church, with a vision for reaching out to the diverse Spanish-speaking communities in the areas surrounding south Seattle and Tacoma.

For so many, the local, Spanish-speaking church is not only a place of worship, but also a safe space for community and family. It is where new community members are invited to experience the love of Jesus through this family. Serving through Esperanza Viva, God taught us, in deeper ways, the value He places on marginalized communities and His desire that we reach out to our neighbors who are most in need.

In recent years, God allowed Esperanza Viva to begin to not only reach out to the local community, but also to minister globally. The church has had the privilege of sending aid during natural disasters and other times of need, directly to the communities where its members have roots, in places such as Southern Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. Church members who originate from these regions (like myself) have been able to demonstrate God’s love through acts of mercy and justice, from a distance.

At the same time, the mass exodus of people from Central American countries, such as my home country of Honduras, has weighed heavy on our hearts. People are fleeing from the threats of violence, femicide, and extreme economic hardship. Corruption among political leaders and law enforcement leaves the people with few options for protection and limited opportunities for stepping out of cycles of extreme poverty.

As many Central Americans are leaving, there is a need for others who are willing to return. Over the past year, my family and I felt God’s call on our lives to move in a new direction. He has pressed on our hearts to return to Honduras to serve full-time.

Honduras is considered one of the most violent places on earth, with exceedingly high homicide rates and extreme poverty. This is a country that not only desperately needs Jesus, but also needs the church to be a safe-shelter and a community, where all are welcome.

In Honduras, we have begun serving in urban and rural communities on the country’s Northern Coast. Our ministry focus is on discipleship, developing leaders, and social programs. Our family is also enjoying reconnecting with our Honduran friends, learning from them, and experiencing how to love Jesus and love others in a deeper way.

God is using our Latin American sisters and brothers to share the gospel in the United States. But He is also sending aid and equipping Latin American missionaries to return to our countries, to be a light and share His love in places that are experiencing hopelessness and suffering.

We are thankful for your prayers for our family as we adapt to life in Honduras. We appreciate the continued connections with our Covenant church family in Washington.

Please Pray for the Del Arca Family Esaú, Erin, Riley, Maya, Lila & Lluvia. Contact them at es.delarca@yahoo.com with questions and encouragement

By Erik Cave, Director of NextGen Ministries, PacNWC

Enjoy this video interview with Salomia Thomas, the new Director of Youth Ministry at Alive Covenant Church in Poulsbo, WA.

As you meet Salomia you will learn about her growing up in Texas, her work at Cascades Camp, her passion for welcoming those who don’t feel comfortable in church, why her name has an extra letter and much more.

Don’t miss the bonus round where we ask Solomia five random questions about herself:

• What is your personal philosophy?
• One thing you can not resist?
• What does true leadership mean to you?
• What would you tell yourself at age 13?
• What is something that might surprise us about you?

Visit Solomia’s Facebook Page to learn more about her

Visit Alive Covenant Church’s Web Page to learn more about the church