May 2012 E-News

Annual Celebration Highlights: April 20-21, 2012

Click here to see the Annual Celebration Slideshow

Thank You to the 2012 Annual Celebration Hosts

As a note of thanks to the 2012 hosts of the GLC Annual Celebration (First Evangelical Covenant Church, Grand Rapids, MI) from the GLC office- we couldn’t have done it without you and your wonderful team. Thank you so much for your warm hospitality, incredible organization, and your awesome flexibility.
 

Blessed to Be a Blessing: Sent into All the World

The GLC Annual Celebration was designed to incorporate the business of the GLC Annual Meeting with a celebration of the ministry of all that God has done in and through the churches of the Great Lakes Conference. The theme of the 2012 GLC Annual Celebration was a continuation of a 4 year emphasis on how we, the people of God, have been blessed and sent in order that we may be a blessing to others. We have been blessed to be taken into God’s family as his children and have been sent as Jesus was sent to help the hurting and find the lost. 

The theme for the 2012 GLC Annual Celebration was, “Blessed to Be a Blessing: Sent into All the World” and the theme verse was, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8 
 

Workshops

The GLC Annual Celebration was kicked off by the Friday, April 20 workshops. 110 people took part in the 6 afternoon workshops. The workshops were:
1. Covenant World Mission 101; led by Curt Peterson, Executive Minister of Covenant World Mission
2. Short-term Mission Trips - from Prep to Follow-up; led by Karen Hallberg, Director of Mission Mobilization and Connection for Covenant World Mission
3. A Closer Look at Human Trafficking Globally and Locally & How to be a Civilian First Responder; led by Julie Redmer, Women at Risk, International
4. Teaching the Word, Reaching the World, in Dearborn through ESL (English as a Second Language); led by Jeff and Deb Davis of Dearborn Covenant Church, Dearborn, MI
5. "I Will Not Leave You as Orphans....."  Global Orphan Care; led by Dawn Choate, Executive Director, Healing Orphans  and member of Four Rivers Church, Paducah, KY
6. Breaking the Chains: How You Can Free the Largest Group of Slaves on Planet Earth—and How It Will Change You and Your Community (A look at the caste system in India); led by Noel & Kyle Bechetti, Truth Seekers International.
 

Friday Banquet, Awards, Worship

The celebration continued with the Friday night banquet. 140 attendees dined on a sumptuous international buffet that featured foods from a variety of countries (Spain, France, Italy, China, Japan, Argetina, Russia, and more). Following the banquet, the Great Lakes Conference honored award recipients who were receiving awards named for the 4 core ministry priorities of the GLC. The awards and their recipients were:  
 
· Dave and Beth Chilcoat Award in Church Outreach- Marge Palmerlee from Grand Rapids, MI;
· David Dahlberg Award In Church Vitality- Russ Carlson from Muskegon, MI;
· Arv Anderson Award in Church Planting- Herb Kolbe from Pittsburgh, PA;
· Richard Lucco Award in Church Leadership- Richard Lucco from Chicago, IL
 
The Friday night Worship service featured worship songs led by First Covenant Church’s worship team and a choral piece by First Cov.’s Choir. One of the most beautiful moments of the service occurred as the attendees brought forward 144 white roses- each of which represented 10 people who came to Christ in 2011 as a result of the people of the Great Lakes Conference churches. Other highlights included Superintendent Nominee Garth McGrath’s sermon on “The Heart of Mission” and the offering totaling $1046.00 for the Minister Crisis Relief Fund.
 

Saturday Business Meeting

The business meeting portion of the Great Lakes Conference Annual Celebration took place on Saturday morning, April 21. Delegates from 38 churches, 2 camps, 1 institution (Covenant Manor) and the Great Lakes Conference Executive Board, for a total of 86 delegates, were in attendance. The Annual Meeting began with a devotional and a greeting from the ECC as brought to us by Curt Peterson, the Executive Minister of World Mission. The delegates voted to close two churches (Cedar Creek Evangelical Covenant Church, Twin Lake, MI and Estonian Evangelical Covenant Church, Ontario, Canada) and voted to adopt 1 church (Redeemer Church, Hamilton, OH). Taking these votes into account, the total number of member and fellowship churches in the GLC is 82 (on July 1 it will be 83 when the GLC adds a brand new church plant). The delegates also affirmed Garth McGrath as Superintendent of the GLC (he will begin his new job as superintendent on Sept. 10, 2012) and Mike Przybylsi as a trustee for the Great Lakes Conference Executive Board.
 

Good News Reports

Good News Reports were brought to the delegates that celebrate the 4 core ministry priorities of the GLC. These good news reports came from the following churches: Church Leadership- New Harvest Christian Church, Oregon, OH; Church Outreach- Citadel of Faith Covenant Church, Detroit, MI; Church Vitality- Gateway Community Church, Powell, OH; Church Planting- Lifechurch Southfield, Southfield, MI.

Retirees

Two pastors, who have retired, were recognized for their years of service to the Covenant Church. These are: Margie Moore from Thornapple Ev. Covenant Church, Grand Rapids, MI and Russ Carlson from Forest Park Covenant Church, Muskegon, MI. They received Pewabic tiles (Celtic cross on a green tile) in recognition and thanks.

Treasurer Report

The treasurer of the Great Lakes Conference Executive Board stated that 2011 had been a banner year for church giving. A record $552,974.00 was given to the GLC from the churches; $64,500.00 more than 2010- Thank you for your faithful support! A budget of $919,000.00 was proposed and accepted for 2012. Other items of note from the treasurer/budget report were the news of the impending sale of the old Trinity Church building in Rochester, NY to Artisan Church and the hoped for sale of Covenant Manor in Jamestown, NY.

Japanese Missionaries & Alaska

Old business points of interest included news of the Japanese Missionaries who were sent by the Japan Covenant Church to the Japanese Nationals in the Great Lakes Conference. Shunichi and Masako Miyamoto are well on their way to receiving their green card for continued stay and ministry in the US. At this point at least 80% of the funds needed to carry on their ministry have been raised. The old business also included a report of a partnership between the GLC churches and the Mekoryuk, Alaska church to send 5 Mekoryuk kids and 2 adults to CHIC. This effort has been spearheaded by Faith Covenant Church in Farmington Hills, MI. Thank you to all the GLC churches who have given to this venture. At press time almost $12,000 had been raised of the needed $17,500, with more coming in. Thank you, everyone.

Annual Meeting 2013

The business meeting ended after the announcement of next year’s GLC Annual Celebration dates and location: April 19-20, 2013; Camp Mission Meadows, Dewittville, NY.
 

Ministry Map

During the Annual Celebration all the churches were asked to put numbered push pins into a map showing where there churches have ministry ties. 40 churches placed 142 pins in places to indicate ministry sites both near and far. Which shows that we indeed have been sent into ALL the world.