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NORTHWEST NEWS
NORTHWEST COVENANT CHURCH
MOUNT
Special Events
in
Wednesday, April 1
MOPS
Thursday, April 2
Maundy Thursday Service
Sunday, April 5
Easter Sunday
Breakfast
Wednesday, April 11
K.I.C.K.
Women’s Study
Sunday, April 19
CHIC Auction/Dinner
Wednesday, April 22
K.I.C.K.
Women’s Study
P R O S P E C T,
April 2015
ILLINOIS
Celebrating the Resurrection Life
We begin April celebrating Easter. The promise of the resurrection
gives hope like nothing else in all creation. The resurrection of Jesus
Christ is the central part of Christianity. The despair and devastation of
Good Friday quickly turned into the triumphal celebration of Easter.
Death had been conquered by the risen Lord – Jesus. On that first day
of the week (Sunday) after the crucifixion, Jesus went to proclaim His
victory to His disciples. They were hiding in a room with the doors
locked for fear of the religious leaders. The locked door was no obstacle for the Risen Lord, and Jesus stood in their midst and proclaimed to
them “Peace.” Because of the victory over sin, death, and the devil, Jesus offers us His
Peace.
Jesus wants us to have that same Peace in our lives. A peace that can guard our hearts and
minds when we are going through dark and difficult times. I recently spoke with a person
who was struggling with not having peace in his life. In speaking with him, I asked what
was his view of God? He said that he was raised to see God as an angry, punishing God.
Although he had memorized John 3:16 that says, “For God so loved the world …” he did
not see God as loving. He said God was always seen as waiting to punish us for misdeeds.
The person told me how growing up, the church was not a place of peace and love but
rather judgment and condemnation. The emphasis was on how bad we are, how we always fail God, and how far we are from God. As we discussed certain passages of scripture that challenged this view of God, he said to me, “It is very hard to hear that God loves
you and wants you to have peace and joy, when you have been told your whole life how
angry God is at you.”
He had mentioned that he knew John 3:16, so I asked him if he had read the verses directly after it. We read together John 3:17:
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but to save the world through Him.
We then read Romans 8 together which begins with the great promise that “there is now
no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Sunday, April 26
Chapel Choir Musical
“Journey of Praise”
Resurrection life is completely different life. Jesus Christ inaugurated the new life and
invites us into this life with Him. Jesus defeated sin, death, and the devil, and wants us to
live without fear and condemnation. Living in this Resurrection life changes the way we
look at God, look at ourselves, and look at each other. We are called from death to life,
from darkness to light, from sin to holiness.
See inside for details.
I invite you to celebrate Easter this year by living in this Resurrection Life, experiencing
the Peace that only Jesus can give.
~ Pastor Paul
Northwest Covenant Church, as disciples of Jesus Christ,
seeks to be an authentic Christian community
where lost people are found and hurting people are helped.
NORTHWEST NEWS
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WEEKLY
CALENDAR
Sundays
Contemporary Worship
8:30 am
Chapel Choir Rehearsal
9:00 am
Christian Formation
9:45 am
(Includes Praise Time and Sunday
School)
Traditional Worship
11:00 am
Prayer Meeting
6:00 pm
High School Youth Group 6:30 pm
Communion 4/12
Mondays
AA, Youth House
Al-Anon
Men’s Study
7:00 am
8:00 pm
7:30 pm
Tuesdays
Community Bible Study
7:00 pm
Wednesdays
AA, Youth House
7:00 am
Middle School Youth Group6:30 pm
K.I.C.K. 4/8, 4/22
6:30 pm
MOPS 4/1, 4/15
9:30 am
Women’s Study 4/8, 4/22 7:00 pm
Choir Rehearsal
6:30 pm
Worship Band
8:15 pm
Thursdays
Men’s Breakfast at Eros
Rip ‘n Roll
6:00 am
9:30 am
Fridays
AA, Youth House
7:00 am
Business Meetings
CE Board 4/6
Council 4/14
Mission/O&E 4/7
MOPS SC 4/8
7:00 pm
7:00 pm
9:30 am
NEWSLETTER DEADLINE for
the May issue is Sunday, April
19. Please leave your news items
in the church office in the mailbox marked Newsletter or email
the church office —
[email protected]
MAUNDY THURSDAY, April 2 at 7:00 pm
This is an intergenerational worship service with communion.
EASTER SUNDAY
Worship at 8:30 and 11:00 am
The Mission/Outreach/Evangelism Board will host a fellowship time
during the Christian Formation hour (9:45—10:45) with refreshments in
Fellowship Hall. No Sunday Classes will meet this Sunday, and
communion will not be celebrated, but will be celebrated April 12.
NWCC Financial Status: February 28, 2015
*Contributions to the General Fund were $41,595
*YTD the General Fund is $72,530 compared to $75,823 in 2014
Thank you all for your contributions financially, and
especially for your prayers and your involvement in our church community.
CHIC 2015 Auction/Dinner Fundraiser
Sunday, April 19, 2015
5:00PM —Fellowship Hall
CHIC (Covenant High in Christ) is a once-in-a-lifetime youth conference that
happens every three (3) years for our high school students. It is the only event
that brings together all the high school student across the denomination for a
time of worship, great speakers, Christian bands and a time of fun as students
are challenged in their faith and dive deep into what it means to follow Christ.
We are excited to be sending a group of 13 students and leaders to the University of Tennessee in July to take part in CHIC 2015.
We need your support as a church so we are hoping that
you will come to our auction/dinner on April 19th…that
evening you will enjoy a pasta bar served by the CHIC students, have the opportunity to support them financially as
well as get to know the students and leaders that will be
attending CHIC so you know how best to support them
through prayer.
We look forward to seeing you on the 19th!!!
Praise Time meets at 9:45 each Sunday. Everyone
is invited to come and kick off the Christian Formation hour, as well as to celebrate your birthday
with us. Our Praise Time birthday bank, as well as
our Sunday School class offerings, have been
designated this year for Cornerstone Community
Outreach in Chicago. Specifically, this money will
be used to help purchase milk to serve with meals
at the shelter.
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On Wednesday, April 1st, professional
speaker Jody Antrim will be speaking
about the personalities of your
child. Mrs. Antrim is a mother of a
MOPS member of Northwest Covenant
and a speaker for Hearts of Home.
On Wednesday, April 15, we will be decorating cupcakes. We will learn how to present our homemade
treasures to look as good as a bakeries.
Northwest MOPS is a group of moms who believe better moms make a better world. MOPS is open to ANY
mother of children through the age of 6. We meet the
first and third Wednesday of the month from 9:30
AM to 11:00. Meetings are held at Northwest Covenant Church. Come and enjoy a hot breakfast while
your children are supervised. After breakfast, enjoy a
speaker or a craft, and have fellowship with other
moms. Each meeting includes childcare with activities
and a snack for the children. The first meeting you
attend is free. After that the cost per meeting is $7
with children or $5 without a child. If finances are a
problem, that can be worked out confidentially. For
more information, check out nwcmops.blogspot.com or
contact Judy Johnson 847-496-7571/ judita41@
gmail.com
Vacation Bible School
June 15 –20 – Everest: Conquering Challenges
with God’s Mighty Power
Embark on an icy expedition where
kids overcome obstacles with God’s
awesome power. Our goal for this
year is to anchor kids in rock-solid
Bible truths that will guide them
through life’s challenges. The fun
runs from June 15-19, 6:15-8:35 p.m. We’re praying that this exciting VBS program will touch children’s hearts and lives with God’s love.
As we plan and prepare for Everest VBS, we would
appreciate your prayers. Pray that God would give
us wisdom in planning. Pray for the right staff
members to join our team. And pray that God would
begin working in the hearts of the children who will
come to Everest VBS.
Watch for more information about this exciting ministry event! Contact Daun Geissler with any questions or if you want to be a member of the team.
K.I.C.K. - Kids in Christ’s Kingdom
April 8 - Faith Like a Mustard Seed
April 22 - Animal Friends
The K.I.C.K. program is for children in 1st through 5th
grades and meets at the church on
the second and fourth Wednesdays
of each month, from 6:30 to 8:00
pm, during the school year. We’ll
have fun with games, crafts and
snacks while learning God’s promises
through Bible stories and Bible memory!
Our goal is to help lay a spiritual foundation, in God’s
timing, that will lead a child into a relationship with
God through Jesus Christ, and to provide a place
where the can grow in their knowledge and love for
God.
If you are available to help with this program, please
contact Daun Geissler or Ginger Harris.
Join the Chapel Choir on
Sunday, April 26th at 6:00 pm
for JOURNEY OF PRAISE!
In this musical, the singable hymns,
praise choruses and scripture passages
are interwoven into a fun musical that
teaches the meaning and importance of
praise in a way kids can understand. Help
us worship God together!
Women’s Study
Wednesdays, April 8 and 22
Come and join us as we study the book, Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. We
meet on the second and fourth Wednesdays
of the month at 7 p.m. at Carol Nelson's
home. Call for directions - 847-392-8260
All women are welcome.
Men’s Study Group
The Men’s Study Group meets on Mondays at 7:30 p.m.
at church. We usually meet in the library or the choir
room.
All men are welcome. Questions? Contact Steve Jackson.
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NORTHWEST NEWS
The Delp Details
March was an extremely busy month for us and we are hoping that April might give us a little time to take a breath.
There were multiple teams from the States that came down and we had the privilege of working with each of them, all
in different capacities. A highlight for Kim was that she was able to go into the jungle and help a medical/dental team.
It was quite the experience!!! That team has been going with a different organization for many years and they are now
thinking of partnering with the Covenant ministries in the future! This is very exciting!!!
The last days of March, we were able to go up into the mountains and help children who have little to no access to
medical and dental care with the assistance of Northwest’s own, Kristi and Jeff Lundblad. Two weeks before, Kim
helped draw blood samples to check there basic health status. It was great to be able to help in this way. Joel was very
busy with the many different teams that came down, helping with construction, translating, etc. We are happy that the
roof of the home for at-risk children is done! A team from the Canadian Covenant Conference came down and helped
finish it. What a tremendous blessing in helping advance the construction!!!
We also thought we would officially announce that we are expecting our third
child in early September! We are excited and safe to say, overwhelmed, but we
are so thankful for this new life!
Blessings,
Joel, Kim, Simeon, and Esther
As always, you can keep up with us and our daily lives though our blog:
http://blogs.covchurch.org/delp/ Want to know more about our project for a
center for at-risk children and a medical clinic? Check out our website at:
https://www.santiagopartnership.org/ or if you would like to donate you can
go to our website or send a check to The Santiago Partnership 23891 Airport
Rd., Coshocton, OH 43812
Note from Pastor Mark:
As we have been moving through lent, I have been very encouraged by the way that the students have been diving into preparing their hearts for Easter. Throughout lent we have been encouraging students to do daily devotions that hit on the different aspects of lent and many are doing them. We have been incorporating the devotions into youth group and many weeks it has not been uncommon for the group to chat for 40 minutes or more
where most of the conversation is brought up by them and the questions they have about following Jesus. Students are growing deeper in their faith, and I am very excited to have the opportunity to see this happening.
As we look toward the future, we are being purposeful in everything we do, making sure we aren’t just trying to
stay busy but we are being intentional about everything gathering that happens among the students. As we look
toward the future, we want to continue the momentum of spiritual growth that is taking place, we want to continue to dig into serving our community, reaching out to those that don’t know Christ and looking towards how we
might be able to integrate the youth into the whole church.
Thank you for your support of the youth ministry and if you are looking for a way to get involved in the youth
ministry, I’d love to chat with you.
Pastor Mark
Covenant Harbor Workday
Mark your calendars for Friday, May 8th and Saturday, May 9th….the youth group will be heading up to Covenant Harbor to help serve as they prepare the camp for the summer. Get ready to roll up your sleeves and get
your hands dirty. We will need a firm count of the number of students going by Sunday, April 26th.
(Continued on page 5)
NORTHWEST NEWS
Youth News
Page 5
— continued from page 4
Feed My Starving Children
Over the next couple months we will be heading down to Feed My Starving Children in
Schaumburg to pack food for those in need around the world. This is open to all high school
and middle school students and their families. Please sign up if you are planning on going…
we will be meeting at the church at 5:15PM and returning to the church around 8:00PM!
The dates we will be heading down there are:
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
To Save A Life Movie Night
The “To Save A Life” movie is a Christian movie that hits on many many topics that teenagers are struggling
through. It is a movie that speaks about depression, cutting, suicide, loneliness and the hope that is found in
Christ. This movie is rated PG-13. We will be watching this movie on Sunday, April 12th during the high school
youth group (6:30PM-8:30PM) and will be discussing some of the topics during the following weeks. We strongly
encourage parents to check it out and to send their son/daughter to watch it with us. Middle schoolers are also
invited to join us, but parents; we encourage you to use your judgment on if your son/daughter is ready to discuss some of these topics.
Middle School Laser Quest
Middle schoolers, we encourage you to invite your middle school friends to our outreach event to Laser Quest
(644 East Rand Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60004) on Wednesday, April 15th from 6:30PM until 8:30PM.
Please sign up in the Youth House if you are planning on attending. Bring $15.00 and please get dropped off and
picked up from Laser Quest.
Confirmation
We are excited to celebrate with Emma Hillbo and Mason Robbins as they get confirmed on Sunday, May
17th….please mark your calendars now to celebrate with them!!
CHIC 2015
For all those going to CHIC, your final payment is due on Sunday, May 3rd….please contact Pastor Mark for your
final balance after the April 19th fundraiser. Thank you!
Middle School Youth Group Schedule
April 1st – Feed My Starving Children (5:15PM-8:00PM)
April 8th – Middle School Youth Group
April 15th – Laser Quest (6:30PM-8:30PM)
April 22nd – Middle School Youth Group
April 29th – Middle School Youth Group
May 6th – Feed My Starving Children (5:15PM-8:00PM)
High School Youth Group Schedule
April 5th – Easter (No Youth Group)
April 12th – To Save a Life Movie Night (6:30PM-8:30PM)
April 19th – Youth Auction/Dinner Fundraiser Night (5:00PM)
April 26th – High School Youth Group
May 3rd – High School Youth Group
NORTHWEST NEWS
N ORTHWEST C OVENANT
C HURCH
300 N. Elmhurst Avenue
Mount Prospect, IL 60056
Phone: (847) 255-4671
FAX: (847) 255-4712
Prayer Line: (847) 255-4698
Office Hours: 9:00 am- 4:00 pm M-F
e-mail: [email protected]
www.northwestcovenant.com
and
511 W. Rand Road
Arlington Heights, IL 60004
Our Mission Statement
Northwest Covenant Church,
as disciples of Jesus Christ,
seeks to be an authentic
Christian community
where lost people are found
and hurting people are helped.
PASTORAL STAFF:
Rev. Paul Thompson, Pastor
Mark Peterson, Associate Pastor of
Youth
CHURCH STAFF:
Dru McLeland, Interim Worship Arts
Director
Daun Geissler, Director of
Children and Family Ministries
Beth Petersen, Administrative Assistant
Karen Lindquist, Organist
Jennifer Swanson Hillbo, Director of
Children’s Choirs
April Hoke, Buildings and Grounds
CHURCH COUNCIL:
Bill Brimm, Chair
George Leonard, Vice-Chair
Darrick Robbins, Secretary
Ted Ecker, Finance
John Tiessen, Diaconate
Ginger Harris, Education
Mary Scudder, Mission/O&E
Julie Ake, Worship
NEWSLETTER EDITOR:
Mary Nellis
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OUR CHURCH FAMILY
Our Sympathy
—to the family of Ann Lio, Tony’s mother, who went to be with
the Lord on March 9.
Thank You Notes
Have been received from Sandy Bland, Louise Jaeschke,
and Patti and Oscar Murga & family.
Please check the church bulletin board.
NORTHWEST NEWS
Northwest Covenant Church
300 N. Elmhurst Avenue
Mt. Prospect, IL 60056