Fall 2015 East Coast Covenanter

FALL 2015

THE

EAST COAST COVENANTER A TRIANNUAL PUBLICATION OF THE EAST COAST CONFERENCE OF THE EVANGELICAL COVENANT CHURCH 

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www.issuu.com/eastcoastcovenanter

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www.eastcoastconf.org

on Baptism

HOWARD K. BURGOYNE

SUPERINTENDENT, EAST COAST CONFERENCE

One of the joys of Christian ministry and life

is experienced in the covenant of God entered into in Holy Baptism. As a Sacrament of grace, Baptism (along with the Lord’s Supper) involves a Word of God spoken and an Act of God demonstrated. The Voice and Hand of God is powerfully experienced when we baptize those Jesus is calling into discipleship. As a denomination, a theological and pastoral distinctive is revealed in how we unite two traditions of baptism into one theology and practice. While the traditions of paedobaptism and credo-baptism (infant and believers) are held in our two hands, our theology of baptism, understood as a sacramental means of grace, centered in the call to discipleship and the gift of new life in Jesus Christ brings heart and hands together in a common witness.

In His baptism by John the Baptist, Jesus demonstrated his determination to apply his calling as the Servant of the Lord to the desperate needs of sinners – all of us who are “ruined” by the fall. The Son of God came down from Heaven to assume humanity; down in incarnation, down to the Jordan, down to John, down to the muddy waters, and out into the wilderness.

Even from the day of his baptism, the trajectory of Jesus’ life and ministry was set. He would assume the life and pathos of sinners in need of repentance, and within his person, make the means of reconciliation possible and available through his own humble suffering and sacrifice. There is only one baptism – Christ’s baptism; we in our baptism are immersed into Him – his life, death, and resurrection become ours by grace through faith.

In this edition of the East Coast Covenanter we celebrate the many sisters and brothers that Jesus has been calling to himself through and among our congregations in recent months. In stories, photos and reflections we celebrate the marvelous gift we receive by faith when we are baptized into Christ: we hear that we are “beloved children”; the Heavens are parted and our ears are opened to hear the Father’s voice; the Spirit descends to baptize us into the fullness of power, purity, and peace in the fellowship of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

On the move,

Have a question for Howard? Email him at howard@eastcoastconf.org

IN THIS ISSUE: On Holy Baptism - Howard Burgoyne 1

From Vision 2020 - Vision 2015

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Welcome Aboard: Sandi Lee

Baptism Testimonies

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What’s New in Vitality?

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Transitions

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Paul Carlson Partnership Opportunity 7

Church Planting Update

EAST COAST CONFERENCE 52 Missionary Road Cromwell, CT 06416 860.635.2891 www.eastcoastconf.org

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 www.facebook.com/eastcoastconf www.issuu.com/eastcoastcovenanter

HOPE ROOSEVELT ISLAND, NEW YORK, NY

As Justine, a 40 year old atheist, was baptized into Christ's family, it immediately caused tension between her and her secular Muslim husband. The implications for our church community to really rally around her as a new family is paramount. When she made a decision to come to Christ, the stakes are not only immeasurably high for her, but also for our entire Hope community.

METRO COMMUNITY CHURCH, FORT LEE, NJ

Pastor David Hosang, Teaching Pastor, officiates at a baptism on a Sunday morning in one of Metro’s services in August 2015

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

- ROMANS 6:4

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As Julia, a 50 year old woman living with a physical disability, was baptized into the family, it becomes the responsibility for all our Manhattan young professionals who now need to think through how to ensure Julia is able to get to and from church on Sundays, especially as snow covers the ground. There is a stewarding of privilege that must be invoked when the Spirit moves like this.

As Lamar, a 25 year old African American man, came to Christ and was baptized into the family, it becomes pivotal for our Jewish believers, our white hipsters, and our Hope brothers and sisters from South Africa, Ghana, and Ivory Cost to learn Lamar’s cultural narrative. We have had to fight to make sure we are not okay with simply hosting diverse church gatherings, but intentionally moving toward becoming a diverse church family.

Hope Roosevelt Island's baptisms have quickly become a community-wide celebration, and though many non-Christians who come to see it happen cannot put into words why they find it so moving, we know it has more to do with the implications of what each individual baptism points towards—acceptance and belonging to the larger family.

Each individual decision to be baptized, has implications for the larger church family. But we know that this has always been the heart of the Father. Jesus left his family to create family for those that do not have family. With each covenant decision, the Holy Spirit gives us a new Kingdom responsibility that only He alone can fulfill.

Baptism Testimonies MOVEMENT CHURCH, STATEN ISLAND, NY

For MCC the sacrament of baptism has been crucial to our discipleship process. Seeing new believers celebrate their new life and the forgiveness of their sins through baptism has been a life-giving experience at MCC. It breathes the very life giving breath of God to our congregation and energizes us in Christ. To hear the testimonies of these that were baptized is hope for all. God has used the waters of the ocean that two years ago beat upon an island to be the instrument of healing to those same people that experienced its destructive forces. What was once a symbol of nature’s destructive force has now become a symbol of God’s love and forgiveness.

Here are just a few stories of lives changed by the Lord Jesus Christ….

George came to the Lord after almost ending his life one night in the woods due to depression and deep hurt brought on by the affair his wife had with his own brother. Coming out of

the woods he immediately called Pastor Steve Martino and reconciled himself to God. This football coach has now found a new life in Christ. God has changed his life as he continues to pray for the restoration of his family. God has removed hurt and pain and replaced it with joy and peace in Christ Jesus his Lord.

Nancy lost her home due to hurricane Sandy and is waiting on the City of New York to fund her rebuild. In the process she found everything--Jesus.

Now living in His strength she is able to stand and be encouraged while she is waiting on God to do the miraculous.

Free from fear, anxiety and depression, Nancy celebrates the provision of God as she waits to get back home.

Jenna was a talented athlete with a bright future ahead of her. Third alltime leading scorer for New Dorp High School girls basketball team, she gave up playing basketball in college due to using drugs. But what the enemy sought

to destroy God turned it around. This young woman is on fire for God, not ashamed of what He is doing in her life. Coming into Movement Church asking to be baptized, we walked across the street after service this past September and saw her become our last baptism of the year.

When we met Richie he was living in squalor, addicted to drugs, and suffering from oppression, depression, fear and anxiety. His testimony is one of cleansing from deep depravity and finding wholeness in Jesus. Richie was lost and broken by abandonment of family, an adulterous spouse, and the pains of failure. But after receiving Christ and being baptized as a new creation, he is a valuable member of MCC. He now has the peace of God in his life. He can now live life free from addiction and find his worth as a “son of God.”

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CHURCH PLANTING 2015 UPDATE

Baptism Testimonies

JASON CONDON DIRECTOR OF CHURCH PLANTING

As the past 12 months show, God continues to richly bless the East Coast Conference with gifted Church Planters and a rich diversity of new churches!

BETHANY COVENANT, BERLIN CT

As you take in these images and visit their websites, please pray for these pastors, their burgeoning congregations, and the neighborhoods God has called them to.

Twice during the summer of 2015, friends and family of Bethany Covenant Church from Berlin, CT loaded into cars to drive to Pilgrim Pines for baptisms in the lake. During the summer, worship ends at 10:30 and most of the church congregants are able to arrive at Pilgrim Pines in time for a picnic lunch. Following lunch, we gather near the benches for baptisms.

They and I are grateful for the vital support of all our Conference churches, as together we further the transforming work of Jesus through birthing new communities of faith.

This year we were proud to witness 10 baptisms among a diversity of ages, backgrounds and faith stories. The stories from this year were special. In one family, a mother and her two sons were both baptized on the same day. For another family, grandchildren watched from the beach as their grandmother was baptized after finding life in Jesus Christ. For another family, teenage children watched from the shore as their mother made her public profession of faith in Jesus Christ. For another family, I stood with a father, as we baptized his son together.

With every baptism there was the seriousness of the moment followed by a huge cheer from the church family on the shore. It is great to be part of such a day where all the glory goes to God, but where we get to be joyful participants.

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DA N S A D L I E R Roosevelt Island, New York

Hope Roosevelt Island: We are joining God in the spiritual, social, and cultural renewal of Roosevelt Island. (Dec 2014) www.hoperooseveltisland.org

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highrock

ACTON

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WI LL BA R N E T T

Acton, Massachusetts

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Highrock Acton: a multi-ethnic, multi-generational local church connecting people to God personally, God’s people, and God’s purposes in greater Acton.

(Dec 2014)

E ZR A S OH N

Queens, New York

Staten Island, New York

Movement Covenant Church is a church plant that chooses to be conscious of the least of theses and extends the love of Christ to the hurting and forgotten.

(Jan 2015)

www.highrockacton.org

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STE VE MARTINO

www.themovementsi.com

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Disciples NYC cultivates discipleship pathways for the religiously marginalized. (Mar 2015)

PHIL L IP BE ATTY Hartford City, Connecticut

We love all, serve all and welcome all in the power and presence of Jesus Christ at Hartford City Church.

(Jul 2015)

www.disciplesnyc.com

www.hartfordcitychurch.com

HOPE LONG ISLAND

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FINNEY VARUGHESE Long Island, New York

Hope Long Island: We want to create space for the unchurched, dechurched, skeptical, and forgotten to come in and have a growing relationship with Jesus. We exist to connect people to Jesus and this community of faith. (Sep 2015)

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MICHAE L HAN Fairfax, Virginia

Table Covenant Church’s mission is to be and make fully-committed followers of Jesus, inviting residents of Fairfax County to walk with Him and work with Him. (Oct 2015) www.tablecovchurch.org

www.hopelongisland.org

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From "2020 Vision" Towards "Vision 2025"

Our Expanding Mission Priorities

The East Coast Conference is a movement of God, organized in 1890 by an immigrant people with a spiritual heritage as Mission Friends. Now a multi-cultural communion of ECC congregations, we are gathered by God, united in Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to obey the Great Commandment and the Great Commission.

These words frame our identity and our destiny. They remind us of where we come from and where we are called to stretch forward.

Believing we are best described historically, theologically and organizationally as a movement of God, in 2007 we rearticulated the mission priorities of the Conference in this way: Multiply congregations Orchestrate ministries Vitalize congregations Empower leaders Looking now in 2015 towards 2025, in both expansion and refinement of our calling, we would articulate the expanding calling of the conference by outlining eight threads that we believe weave together into a strong cord of missional practice for our next ten years.

Mobilize Church Planting

We foresee starting and strengthening no less than 50 new churches in the next ten years (2015-2025). With our current 80 congregations we will plan towards being a flourishing body of 130+ growing congregations comprising 20,000+ followers of Jesus.

Organize Regional Networks

We will organize and resource an array of active leadership networks that function both in person and in virtual settings to enhance the ministry and maturing of church leaders across the conference, where relationships and resources intersect around common opportunities to multiply influence.

Vitalize Congregations

We will provide our churches with key opportunities and essential resources to journey on a vitality pathway, producing enhanced awareness, clarity, resolve, and capacity to become healthy and missional as benchmarked by the ECC’s “10 Healthy Missional Markers.”

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Equip Leaders

As we move towards 2025, we envision the formation of a mobile and virtual educational platform of basic and advanced leadership development resources, both practical and theological in nature, for clergy and laity.

By creating key partnerships with churches, seminaries, ministries, and leaders we will sponsor a broad array of resources to equip leaders for mission.

Make Disciples

The foundation of a spiritual movement is the quality and urgency of its discipleship. Some of our church planting projects will embrace an orienting strategy that builds from the start on a disciple-making model, while all our church plants have raised this as a value and key metric.

The vibrancy of these practices will expand our footprint of influence to embrace and equip 10,000 new disciples for an active lay vocation to the world by 2025.

Engage Justice for the Poor

The distinctives of justice, compassion and mercy towards the poor and oppressed is calling forth a stronger and more visible response from Jesus’ disciples and churches. By 2025 we envision an active network of justice-based ministries within and between our churches that focus on standing with people in need of advocacy and respect. This vision embraces congregational and agency level initiatives, including ministries with at risk children and youth, vulnerable seniors, immigrants, seafarers, prisoners, those with developmental challenges and autism spectrum disorders, and those who lack adequate access to food, shelter, and health care services.

Nurture Covenant Identity

As we grow larger in scope, broader in geography and more diverse culturally – and as we welcome new pastors and congregations into our fellowship, it becomes more important that we intentionally plant and nurture the ethos of the Covenant in those who join us. The core theological affirmations and practices of an ordered ministry are central to what makes us attractive to new pastors, while providing stability to the flourishing of congregations. The Conference will play an essential role in helping tomorrow’s Covenanters to know, celebrate and reimagine our pietistic roots and missionary aspirations, as we face new opportunities and challenges.

Tell the story of Jesus

The beginnings of our life as a movement were centered in telling the story of Jesus, inviting those who hear to come and follow Him. We never outgrow the work of telling Jesus’ story. The Conference will continue to have strategic opportunities to tell the story of Jesus through demonstration and proclamation, through church sponsored outreach initiatives, training in personal witness, Christian camping and conferences (Pilgrim Pines and Camp Squanto), and the witness of New England Seafarers Mission.

New conference wide or region specific initiatives will help focus and harness the faith of Covenanters to make the love of Christ visible and audible so that others may see, taste, and hear the goodness of the Lord.

WHAT'S NEW IN VITALITY?

BY KREIG GAMMELGARD DIRECTOR OF CONGREGATIONAL VITALITY

God is at work among our East Coast Conference churches!

New churches are being planted, established churches are parenting or partnering with these plants to be sure that our new missional outposts are getting the support they need, and several churches are purposefully pursuing missional health and vitality!

Four new churches are beginning the vitality pathway, an 18-month journey to evaluate, adjust, and pursue growing deeper in Christ and further in mission. By the time you read this article, these churches will have begun this intentional adventure: Church of the Redeemer in Bowie, MD; Covenant Congregational Church in West Hartford, CT; Douglas Memorial Community Church in Baltimore, MD; and ECC in Woodstock, CT. Beginning with a workshop focusing on what it means to be a healthy, missional church, and using 10 healthy missional markers as the benchmark characteristics of a church that is pursuing Christ and His priorities in the world, these churches will form a Vitality Team to gather helpful information about their church, its history, and their community in order to map out an eventual ministry plan that will be both fruitful and effective.

After a few months they will focus on another area important to the health and sustainability of any ministry- the need for change, and how to lead it in a way that will be beneficial to the church and its mission. Finally, these churches will focus on creating a Strategic Ministry Plan that will take into consideration who they are and what they believe God wants them to do as a congregation in order to influence their community with the love and purposes of Jesus.

In addition to these four new churches, we have launched five new vitality coaches in our conference to guide churches, vitality teams, and pastors through each step of the journey. Our current coaching staff consists of Paul Guiliano, Jeff Black, Peter Tullson, Joel Kruggel, and Bill Croasmun. We all met together recently in order to strategize about and pray for our vitality churches.

As the saying goes: “God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good!” We are experiencing that in our conference as God’s goodness is permeating both our new and established churches as His spirit is working on us, in us, and through us!

For more information on Vitality, visit: www.covchurch.org/vitality

MISSIONS NEWS YOU CAN USE!

Triple your impact with a matching grant The Paul Carlson Partnership has received a matching grant in order to assure the success of the Congo Clinic Initiative, where a church (or group of churches) can support sustainable health care to our brothers and sisters in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Covenant church on the Congo is larger than the Covenant in the United States, but their country is one of the poorest in the world. There is a shortage of medical care, refrigeration, and personnel, all essential elements to meeting the on-going health and welfare of our friend and family in Africa.

To address this pressing need, the Covenant has established hospitals and medical clinics throughout much of the DRC. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the martyrdom of Dr. Paul Carlson, one of our first missionaries to the region, Meritt Sawyer, Executive Director of the PCP has announced the first come-first served matching grant through the end of 2015, meant to encourage a Covenant church to partner with another Covenant church in their region, and each make a 33% commitment to sponsoring one of the 108 clinics in the Congo. The matching grant funds would match the final third of the funding for the first year. The goal of the Congo Clinic Initiative is for each medical clinic to receive funding for $10,000 a year for 5 years.

If your church is interested in participating in this wonderful expression of compassion, mercy, and justice, and can find a partner church in our conference, your investment over the next 5 years will bring medical care, personnel, solar power, security, and training to one of our medical clinics in Congo! What a gift to our Congolese sisters and brothers, and what a blessing to you and your church family.

For more information, go to www.paulcarlson.org or call the PCP office at 773.907.3302

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Sandra S.K. Lee has joined the East Coast Conference as Office Manager in September 2015, filling in the position as Alicia Sturdy transitioned with her family to Racine, WI. “I am look forward most to supporting, connecting and witnessing first hand the growth of Covenant churches and pastors,” Sandi notes. “Learning about people, their stories, and their walk with the Lord is the heart of ministry - and to see it on a regional scale is a great privilege. So exciting to see how the Lord is moving across our region!”

Sandi is a native New Yorker and New England transplant, living the last 14 years in Boston, MA. As a daughter and granddaughter to church planters, Sandi grew up in the Korean Evangelical Church, came to faith, and gave administrative denominational support since her early years. A graduate of SUNY Binghamton, Teachers College Columbia University, and GordonConwell Theological Seminary, Sandi

W E LC O M E & H E L LO TO :

sandi lee

S IGN UP FOR MIDWINTER 20 16!

January 25-29 | Chicago, IL www.covchurch.org/midwinter

Transitions

has a passion for studying African, Asian, and Latin American history, culture, diaspora, theology, and world mission.

She has served in Youth Ministry, Adult Christian Education, Worship, Children’s Ministry, and as Special Needs Aide in churches in New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

Sandi and her husband, James, have two young sons. They live in the West Hartford area. She enjoys her morning and mid-morning cup of coffee, a proper afternoon tea when available, journaling and exploring the world through travel, music, food, and of course, its people and their stories.

“What I hope most to bring is the Lord's passion to reach to all people from all cultures and walks of life in their respective contexts by effectively supporting those on the front lines of ministry in whichever way I am called to do each day--in prayer, in deeds, in spoken word and in written word,” she adds. Welcome to the East Coast Conference Sandi!

SAVE T HE DAT E : 2 0 16 ANN UAL ME E T I N G April 28-30 | Providence, RI

 COMINGS & GOINGS  WITHIN THE CONFERENCE

Austin Eisele from Worcester, MA (Salem) to Topeka, KS (January 2016) Matthew Stillman, to Trinity Christian Fellowship, Pinehurst, NC (January 7, 2016) Bradley Bergfalk from Omaha, NE to Litchfield, CT (UCC church) (December 15, 2015) Kris Heckard, Pastor, from Halifax, PA to retirement (December 31, 2015)

THE EAST COAST

Peter Tullson, Associate/Executive Pastor, from Manchester, CT (December 2015) Glen Halvorsen, Chaplain, from Covenant Village of Cromwell (CRC) to Retirement (October 31, 2015)

COVENANTER

Steven Anderson to Essex Junction, VT, Interim Pastor (September 2015)

Paul W. Kahn

EDITOR / GRAPHIC DESIGN & LAYOUT / WRITER

Mark Nilson to Salem/Worcester, MA, Transition Pastor (September 1, 2015)

Sandi Lee

Finney Varughese to Church Planter, New Hyde Park, NY (September 1, 2015)

EDITOR / WRITER

Howard Burgoyne

Michael Han from Springfield, VA (Staff) to Church Planter, Fairfax, VA (September 1, 2015)

PUBLISHER

Rick Jakubowski to Providence, RI (Church Planting Residency) (August 1, 2015) Thomas Cowger to E. Hampton, CT (September 20, 2015) www.issuu.com/eastcoastcovenanter

Benjamin Kim to Sacramento, CA (Lifehouse) (August 2015)

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EAST COAST CONFERENCE

52 Missionary Road, Cromwell, CT 06416  (860) 635-2691 FAX: (860) 398-5071  www.eastcoastconf.org

SUPERINTENDENT:

Howard K. Burgoyne

DIR. OF CHURCH PLANTING:

Jason Condon

DIR. OF CONGREGATIONAL VITALITY:

Kreig Gammelgard

OFFICE MANAGER:

Sandi Lee

FINANCE MANAGER:

Robin Jones