Fall 2019
Mountain Village Celebrates First 100 Years by Pastor Marc Murchison, Mountain Village Covenant Church
The 100-year anniversary celebration of Mountain Village Covenant Church, held in September, was a meaningful and encouraging event. The weekend in Mountain Village began with a welcome fellowship in the old sanctuary (which is now the fellowship hall). Guests enjoyed snacks and desserts. Pastor Chip Swanson, former Mountain Village pastor, led a sinspiration service that evening. Many new church members heard the amazing story of Wilson and Minnie Gonongnan’s faith and the history of Mountain Village Covenant Church. Many people stayed well into the night to share and hear one another's wonderful testimonies of how God had worked in their lives through the ministry
of Mountain Village Covenant Church. Saturday evening began with a celebration banquet with many traditional Yup'ik foods being shared, followed by another time of celebration and testimonies. Former Mountain Village pastors Don Cross and Chip Swanson, as well as myself, all shared our perspectives as did many participants. Sunday morning began with another time of coffee fellowship as we warmed up to worship God during the 11:00 a.m. worship celebration. The worship team “pulled out the stops,” and we sang as many of the old favorites as we could. Conference Superintendent Curtis Ivanoff preached a wonderful sermon telling of how the founding of Mountain Village
Covenant Church had inspired establishing the new Alaska Conference Village Pastor Fund, as well as the naming of the newest Covenant Church in Alaska— Mountain View Hope Covenant Church. This celebration concluded with a special prayer service. There were significant takeaways from our gatherings together. We, as the congregation at Mountain Village, were made more aware of our place in the history of the Covenant in Alaska. We feel more connected to a God who is at work in the villages as well as on the road system. We have an increased participation in church activities, new volunteers, and even new ministries as a result. We look forward to what God will do in the next 100 years of ministry.
First Annual Wilson & Minnie Gonongnan Offering Update
Top to bottom: A men’s ensemble sings during one of the celebration worship services. Beverly and Lloyd Alexie smile with the new church building in the background. Former Mountain Village pastor, Chip Swanson, reconnects with Steve and Barb Alexie. Jaxon Hatfield helps serve desserts at one of the many fellowship potlucks. Pastor Marc and Elise Murchison relish the community time after much planning and prayer for the celebration. Don Cross, former Mountain Village pastor, joined the celebration. Superintendent Curtis Ivanoff enjoyed visiting with Mabel Hess. Photo credit: Hazel Walters
A conferencewide offering of $5,990 was the generous response for the September offering in memory of the first Alaska Native church planters Wilson & Minnie Gonongnan, who planted the Mountain Village Covenant Church in 1919. Thank you to the following churches and ministries who participated: Chugach Covenant Church, Anchorage First Covenant Church, Eagle River Community Covenant Church, C3 Fairbanks, Golovin Covenant Church, Unalakleet Covenant Church, Covenant Women, and Covenant Friends of the Kenai. When combined with the Mountain Village annual meeting offering, subsequent gifts from churches and other individual donors, more than $11,000 has been given for the newly established Village Pastor Fund since April.
From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Ephesians 4:16
I have always admired those who could build—whether something as complicated as a home or boat, or as basic as a dog house. I often find myself wishing that I had that natural propensity to build and build well. However, I’ve come to grips that I am not a recipient of the genetic DNA code for “master builder.” Although I’ve had some success repairing quite a few broken or damaged things, building from “ground zero” is a different story. I take comfort though, that when it comes to kingdom work--the work of the gospel of Jesus--we are all commissioned builders. Recently I was at an event where one of our ministries was sharing about the long, rich history of their work and mission. An elder was there also, who had served in the very early days and who has continued with significant contributions since. He said to me, “I’m just one of the old guys,” as if to say that what he had to offer was not that much now. My response was to thank by Curtis Ivanoff, Superintendent him and affirm, “We are simply building upon the work you have done in the past. Thank you for being faithful!” I am deeply grateful and honor the many women and men whose work we are still building upon all across the conference. Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” This is our reality, we are building upon those who have labored before us, and as Paul exhorted the church then, it is a word for us today: we should build with care. As a church, I want to encourage us to stay true to building our foundation on Jesus Christ--our firm foundation. It is his gospel that we proclaim and that compels us to do this work of constructing. So, the question that follows is, what does it look like to build with care? In my spirit, I understand that if we are to build with care, we need to care about what Jesus is building. “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” is one of our big clues about what Jesus’ mission and ministry was all about. In healing the lame, giving sight to the blind, touching lepers, eating with tax collectors, and forgiving adulterers, he built his kingdom by giving himself to those who were voiceless, marginalized and condemned. To build with care will mean that we look for and reach out to those who are silenced. ignored, oppressed, and suffering in our midst. Church, will you pray and seek God’s heart, that we will care about the things Jesus cares about. Who is God helping you to see? Who in your community would Jesus be moving toward? Whose home would he go visit today? Where can your church express this care and build on Jesus’ foundation in service? The specific needs in your church and community will vary, and what you see may be different than your neighbor. That is a good thing, and reflects the many facets of God’s work. We all see things differently, and our hearts are broken for different things. Sometimes it is born out of something we have experienced or a reality that someone we love has faced. As Micah 6:8 exhorts us “to love mercy, to live justly, and to walk humbly with God” give broad parameters in this building blueprint. As Jesus followers, we are all part of the construction crew. Let’s continue to build with care.
Building With Care
2 // the Sinew
Youth Pastor Selected for Ministry Leadership Cohort Unalakleet youth pastor Charis Erhardt, was selected to participate in a national leadership cohort. The “30 for 30” initiative comes out of Covenant President John Wenrich’s office. President Wenrich says he has been dreaming for years of gathering a group of young leaders in the denomination who can immerse themselves in leadership growth. The goal is for their development to manifest in their local church contexts and to serve as a potential pipeline to future leadership positions in the denomination. Charis was selected to represent the Alaska Conference for this year’s cohort, who come from all 11 regional conferences. Charis answered the call to serve as a full–time youth pastor in Unalakleet in 2016. She was recommended for the cohort by Superintendent Curtis Ivanoff, and Charis followed with an extensive application process. “I am deeply grateful for Charis and thankful for the opportunity she has been given to grow as a leader,” Curtis expressed. “Charis has such a servant heart and is an example of someone who desires to see the full gospel of Jesus lived out by the church, in order that people's lives will be transformed.” In the Covenant Companion (July/August issue), the leadership cohort was featured, and each person was invited to share about themselves and their ministry context. Charis shared, “My first year serving at Covenant Bible Camp, up the river from Unalakleet, was when I felt the Lord was calling me into ministry. From there, I stepped into internships with a local church and a nonprofit organization that allowed me to work with youth and young adults in Alaska.” Charis said that she appreciates the intentionality and care from President John Wenrich and the ECC for creating this leadership development program. “I have gleaned so much from other covenant pastors and leaders from across the country,” Charis expressed. “The time we all gather is full of joy, care and spiritual growth. Each retreat is unique and wonderful.” To read the Covenant Companion article Charis was featured in, check out https://covenantcompanion.com/2019/07/03/looking-ahead-with-30-30-vision.
Top: As seen here, Charis finds great joy serving at Covenant Bible Camp each summer. Right: Charis preached at the 2019 annual meeting in Mountain Village, sharing her insight and testimony. Bottom: Charis enjoyed some time out with fellow “30 for 30” participants during their cohort retreat gathering.
S E R V I N G G L B A L LY Eagle River Community Covenant Serves in Germany
Eagle River Community Covenant Church sent a team of five for an outreach trip to Germany in July. This was the second time a group from Community Covenant has partnered with German ministries. The group included Tyler Shaw, Chris Rutz, Kae Benton, Madelyn Bistodeau, and Issac Hopkins. The team partnered with three churches. In addition, the team taught some “English through Baseball'“ activities over several days with kids living in refugee camps. Additionally, they spent time teaching bicycle riding for women, mostly from the middle East, who had never learned in their home countries. The team engaged in intercessory prayer walks through Pankow and Berlin. The group assisted with neighborhood barbeques, as well as hosted a movie night for kids in the refugee camp. Planning is already underway with Greg and Kristi Fauss for another trip in 2020.
First Covenant Sends Ten for Third Madagascar Trip by Mandy Cassurella, Anchorage First Covenant Church
In early June a team of five adults and five children from First Covenant Church traveled to Mahajanga, Madagascar to spend a week in the life of Mahabibokely Church. This is the third trip to Madagascar by a team from First Covenant over the past six years. Although the participants have varied each year, the purpose of the trip is unwavering: to come alongside the strengths and needs of this vibrant body of Christ. The team seeks to sustain friendships for the sake of gospel and to further each other’s witness in their communities to the love and truth of Christ. They do this through collaborative cross-cultural teamwork and by sharing encouragement, love and service. Eeris Wellborn travelled with her husband and two young children and shares a snapshot of the team’s activities: “Our team had many opportunities to connect and grow in relationship with the Mahabibokely Church in Madagascar. We had full days and evenings spent with the church family in many different ways. We played with Legos, bubbles, parachutes and books with the kids at the Blessing School, a school for children with disabilities that meets in the pastor’s home. We shared a devotion on meditation and finding quiet space with God with the teens. We shared our personal testimonies with the women’s group. Through church and community collaboration we offered a health clinic. We played and shared in the fun with the local English club (and got to learn many Malagasy sayings as well!) and joined a daylong celebration of a church members wedding. Where Mahabibokely has planted new churches, we met and made new friends. On our last Sunday we shared a children’s message, a sermon and took purposeful time to connect and share in fellowship during a church-wide beach day. We ate together. We played together. We worked together and loved together.”
Fall 2019/ 3
Family Photos
Alaska Christian
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Covenant Bible Camp—Unalakleet May 24-June 28 24 communities represented
n College students and
ACC President Keith
erved at Bible Camp.
Summer 2019
Conference pastors, leaders and spouses joined together in October for a three-day retreat at Camp Maranatha in Big Lake. Pastor Dan Jarrell, of ChagePoint, led the group in teaching around “The Shape of Pastoral Integrity.” Carina Menaker and Heather Smith (pictured top right) ministered through one-on-one appointments for spiritual direction and healing prayer, respectively. As seen in the bottom photo, Jack Brown, of Golovin, made a new friend of Talakai Finau, Alaska Christian College’s campus pastor intern. Jack announced at the retreat that he will be answering a call to minister in Elim for a three months, beginning in October.
Summer Intern Reflects on Ministry of Hospitality by Ben Wickstrom, Bethel Evangelical Covenant Church, pastoral intern
Emily and I looked at each other with astonishment as we sat down But the hospitality was not limited to us interns. We learned very for dinner. Not only was this family giving us, complete strangers, a quickly that Bethel Covenant Church offers hospitality of many kinds to place to stay for the night, but also they were feeding us an exquisite people throughout the village. This ranges from serving weekly meals to meal. It seemed like they made no exceptions for us, even though we the community, distributing lunches to children, housing the homeless, had just arrived to Alaska, brought hosting a coffee house for teens, and running a nothing in return, and did not know the food truck. The church is certainly seeking to next time we would met. Still, they treated be a welcome place for all. us in such a way that we felt welcome far I witnessed this first hand as people would away from where we called home. come to the church each day, whether to talk That evening was a common occurrence with church staff or because they knew they for my wife and I as we spent the first few could get a cup of coffee, a sandwich, and use days of our summer in Alaska visiting the bathroom. God used this hospitality to not different ministries on the Kenai only touch my life, but also those in the Peninsula. Nor did it only happen during community. our first week in that beautiful state. Bethel Evangelical Covenant Church also Throughout the summer, as Emily and I reminded me that hospitality is not just a nice completed our final seminary internship at thing to offer friends, but to offer all people. Bethel Evangelical Covenant Church, we Jesus reminds us in Matthew 25:38-40, that became the recipients of hospitality in whenever we welcome a stranger into our many ways. This says less about us, and midst, we are welcoming Jesus. more about God, the church, and the Whether with food, shelter, a conversation, people of Alaska. or a warm smile, hospitality can break down Before arriving in Bethel, a hub village barriers and can communicate God’s love in in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Emily ways that are tangible and traverse cultural and I had previously heard some about life lines. Hospitality asks for nothing in return. It in Western Alaska, but we were so new to demands no compliments or favors or that place. Despite this, we were made to Bethel Evangelical Covenant Church hosted four summer allegiance. It stands in opposition to feel welcome by many people, which interns to assist with a busy few months of ministry. Pictured selfishness and pride. It is a joyful sharing of made the transition much easier. For the blessings of God, one with another. But Left to Right: Emily Wickstrom, Jessica Murran, Pastor Adam example, a family from church let us stay London, Ben Wickstrom and Freeman Grandsbury. hospitality looks different in different places. in their home over the summer. People By experiencing hospitality the “Alaskan” gave us salmon to eat—already cleaned and filleted, We were invited to way, Emily and I were able to get a glimpse God’s love in a new, more many homes for dinner, and we were even taken out on the river, where profound way. In doing so, we were able to more easily adjust to life in we saw the beauty and wildlife of the delta. This helped us feel Alaska and offer our own time and resources to others. For me, this immediately welcome in the community, allowing us to live and serve hospitality continually reminds me that all I have comes from God, our there from the get-go. This was such a contrast from the structured, creator and provider, and challenges me to share generously. planned hospitality from where we had come.
6 // the Sinew
Annual Meeting Planning Bethel Evangelical Covenant Church will be the host site for the 2020 annual meeting. Pray for the conference staff, church staff and congregation in the planning process. • • • • • • • •
Churches seeking pastors Golovin Covenant Church Elim Covenant Church White Mountain Covenant Church Mekoryuk Covenant Church Community Covenant, Fairbanks Nome Covenant Church Koyuk Covenant Church Hooper Bay Covenant Church
Grieving Communities & Individuals Many of our communities have experienced recent tragic losses. The holidays can also be especially difficult for people grieving and suffering loss. Please pray for the God of mercy to comfort our people through our churches and ministries.
PRAYER MATTERS Take Hold, Lift Strong, Raise High
Love Mercy Do Justice (LMDJ) Ministry • LMDJ leadership visited Anchorage in October to attend a “Priceless” training in Anchorage as they pursue an ECC initiative called “Free” as a response to sex trafficking realities. Pray for this new initiative. • Advocacy for Victims of Abuse (AVA) is now housed under LMDJ initiatives, Pray for Laura Eben and Kristi Ivanoff as they minister and serve as point persons for our Alaska churches related to care and support for people in abusive situations or in recovery. • •
Pray without ceasing. 1 Thes. 5:17 A bi-weekly listing of individual churches can be found on the website. Email prayer requests for Prayer Matters to kristi@alaskacovenant.org.
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Executive Board Remember the women and men who serve on the Executive Board. For wisdom and discernment as they seek to lead the conference through oversight and visioning. For Curtis Ivanoff and the board in the search process for the associate superintendent
Tr a n s i t i o n s James (Evelyn) Barefoot, Associate Superintendent, will be concluding Kristi (Curtis) Ivanoff, of Mountain View Covenant Church, is serving his service with the Alaska Conference at the end of March. James will be as a volunteer teaching pastor, with preaching responsibilities one to two seeking to continue serving in ministry in Alaska on a parttimes a month. Kristi also began serving the Alaska time basis as opportunities arise. He will continue to reside Conference office as Special Events Coordinator in in Wasilla. September. Jack Brown, of Golovin Covenant Church, will be serving as interim pastor for Elim Covenant Church from October through December. Justus and Tia Eben, began serving Bethel Evangelical Covenant Church in September as co-associate pastors. Tia previously served Covenant Youth of Alaska in office administration.
Criss (Alyssa) Mitchell, of Anchorage First Covenant Church, accepted the call to lead pastor beginning in September. Criss formerly served as associate pastor at the church. Jack Brown, interim pastor, Elim Covenant Church
Vince (Laura) Eben, of First Covenant Church, is serving as interim pastor at Golovin Covenant Church until January.
Ron (Jean) Paull, of Port Lyons, will be serving as interim pastor at White Mountain Covenant Church from December to March, 2020. Ron and Jean are currently fulltime staff with Arctic Barnabas Ministries.
CONFERENCE-WIDE UPCOMING EVENTS & DATES November 15-17 January 24-27 January 24-27 January 27-31 February April 29-May 2 April 19 April 25-26 June 25-27
CYAK High School Road System Retreat (Camp Maranatha) Youth Worker’s Connection (Chicago, IL) Legacy Children’s Worker Connections (Chicago, IL) Midwinter Conference (Chicago, IL) CYAK Young Adult Retreat Annual Meeting (Bethel Evangelical Covenant Church) KICY 60th Anniversary Celebration (Nome) Alaska Christian College Commencement Weekend (Soldotna) Gather ‘20 (Phoenix, AZ) Fall 2019/ 7
NONPROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID ANCHORAGE, AK PERMIT NO. 537
Covenant Women’s Retreat September 20-22, 2019 Save the Date September 18-20, 2020
Alaska Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church
Ministry Priorities Start & strengthen churches Make & deepen disciples Develop leaders Love mercy, do justice Serve globally Superintendent: Curtis Ivanoff curtis@alaskacovenant.org Associate Superintendent James Barefoot james@alaskacovenant.org Office Administrator Andrea Wilson info@alaskacovenant.org Communications & Event Coordinator Kristi Ivanoff kristi@alaskacovenant.org Financial Clerk Rebecca Gramm
Time to Join Team 49? Proverbs 13:11 reminds us that growth happens as we gather little by little. Team 49 partners give to the work of the conference monthly and are significant supporters in our work of the gospel in Alaska. Join the team with a recurring, monthly gift. Here’s how: Visit the “Give” page and set up an automatic monthly recurring gift www.alaskacovenant.org/Give Email info@alaskacovenant.org a request for 12 “Team 49” giving envelopes for mailing monthly checks to the conference. Set up a monthly automatic funds transfer through your bank
If you are currently giving through the CovGiving portal, please contact the office for our new giving platform information.
Take Hold Lift Strong Raise High
P.O. Box 200446 Anchorage, AK 99520 Office: 907-222-6348 Fax: 907-222-6390 e-mail info@alaskacovenant.org website www.alaskacovenant.org Donations to the Alaska Conference are tax-deductible and may be made online or mailed to the office directly.