Missions

Missions Congo Africa Chinese Ministries Mexico Alaska Japan

Missions

The Evangelical Covenant Church has long had a history of doing God’s work globally or locally. Spreading God’s word with an understanding of the Lord’s saving grace has always been first and foremost. The early Covenanters of ninetieth century Sweden called themselves "Mission Friends," reflecting a dedication to share faith to all close at hand and far and wide. Central to faith has been Christ’s calls of the Great Commission to send us out in His name to make disciples and for us to love the Lord and our neighbors as ourselves. We espouse a “global mission with a local vision” whether in foreign countries or in our own neighborhood. We teach of the Lords saving grace through His words and with the love of His holy spirit with ministries of compassion, mercy and justice.

The Evangelical Covenant Church of America "facilitates intercultural ministries around the world and partners with churches and international believers to glorify God’s name by bringing the whole gospel to the whole world.

Foreign and Domestic Ethnic Mission Commitments

First Covenant Church as a part of the Evangelical Covenant Church of America supports mission efforts financially and through hands on efforts in three foreign mission fields and a domestic ethnic mission field.

Congo Africa

The Evangelical Covenant Church of America is in partnerships with national Covenant churches in Congo. Covenant ministries in these places include: evangelism and church planting, discipleship, agriculture, health ministries, education of missionary children, church relations, and financial management.

In our giving we support the Evangelical Covenant Church commitment to the Paul Carlson Partnership - Congo Project. The Paul Carlson Partnership is an international aid and development organization committed to serving the poorest of the poor in three areas of urgent need: health, poverty, and education. Assistance programs currently are focused in Congo, helping the people to rebuild following the devastation of six years of civil war.

First Covenant Church is locally supporting Congo mission efforts by participating in the Bandages for Congo Project. Our local commitment through the Care Commission is “Rip and Roll”, which involves the making of bandages for Carlson medical facilities of the Congo by ripping old sheets into strips for use as bandages for sick or injured.

Chinese Ministries

The first foreign mission field of the Covenant Church was China, established in 1890.

The Chinese ethnic group is the world’s largest. For this reason Covenant World Mission is partnering with the Covenant Church of Taiwan in strategy for reaching the Chinese ethnic people group with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Great Open Door is a current commitment of the Covenant Church in North America to raise funds over the next five years to support outreach initiatives of ministries of evangelism and compassion in mainland China, working in partnership with the Taiwan Covenant Church.

Funding for mainland China outreach will allow this new shared ministry to:

Establish 10 to 20 churches for immigrant laborers each year
Start 10 factory churches
Assist economically deprived school children
Plant 5 urban student centers
Build urban churches
Operate house church worker training centers
Assist Chinese church workers receiving training abroad
Establish 25 mission sites in Muslim areas

"I believe that this is a God-provided opportunity that we must not let slip away."
- Regional Coordinator for Chinese Ministries

Mexico

Mexico, with a population over 105,000,000, is the world’s most populous Spanish-speaking nation, with 274 other languages spoken. Covenant mission work has led to the establishment of 57 Covenant congregations in three districts with 3,640 members. Missionaries focus on working together with the national church in evangelism and church planting, Christian formation and leadership training, transformational development, national church formation, and partnership in mission outreach.

The Peterson's are active in evangelism and leadership development.

Alaska

Covenant Youth of Alaska (CYAK). CYAK has been active for 13 years in the youth ministry department of the Evangelical Covenant Church of Alaska. The mission is to be a catalyst for the development of youth ministry in Alaska. Villages in rural Alaska are without youth leaders or workers do to lack of financing and most locations are beyond the reach of the Alaskan road systems. Fly-in is the only way to reach village locations. CYAK is filling the need to spread the good news of Christ through creative means to the outback of Alaska.
CYAK has two objectives. One is to develop a "Continuum of Care" for Alaskan youth concentrating on youth from ages 12 to 25. This continuum includes Winning students to Christ, building them in their faith, and sending them out to serve others. Part of the continuum includes developing Covenant Bible Camp in Unalakleet, AK, coordinating regional youth events in the fall, and getting students from rural Alaska involved in leadership development and supporting college ministries such as: Campus Christian Fellowship at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, University of Alaska, Anchorage, Job Corp in Palmer, Amundsen Educational Center, and Alaska Christian College.

Another objective for CYAK is to team build between the youth workers and volunteers
that can feel isolated and discouraged by the challenges they face while ministering to youth in a multicultural setting. Networking at camp, regional youth events, and times of training are critically important. Volunteers who are well equipped make a very real and significant difference in the lives of kids.
As Christ washed his disciples feet, he gave us a clear example of serving others. God has a thing for those who were poor and powerless. Many youth in Alaska fit this description. They don’t have much of a voice; yet many of them are crying out in the wilderness to be loved. If you look at the stats in Alaska, they are serious. You will see many of the youth are at risk for suicide as well as other harsh related behaviors. Many of the kids we are working with come from broken families that live in small villages where ministry options are limited.

Through Covenant Youth of Alaska we are finding creative ways to support youth and youth workers through a team network. We work in partnership with local churches creating a continuum of care for students… Whether you choose to serve in a small village or on the road system, one thing is sure - your work serving Christ will impact the lives of kids who are hurting.

Director of Youth Work for the Covenant in Alaska

Japan

From Anna Rosengren:

In 2013, by His grace, God plucked me out of my home town and sent me to live in Japan as an English teacher, where I worked for three years. In the time I spent there, I knew that God was causing me to fall in love with a country and its people. The Japanese had already been on His heart since the dawn of time and He has been shaping a place in mine for His glory and kingdom. I knew only the stereotypical things about Japan until I went there, but now I have seen and experienced the beauty and richness of the culture that the Lord longs to redeem for Himself.

When I return to Japan I will be in full-time language school for two years. I’m so excited to have the chance to really dive into Japanese on a deeper level and to share my faith in their heart language! Then I’m hoping to be involved with a camping ministry where I will have a chance to work with other staff who are coming alongside children and young people to grow and disciple them. Also, I’m looking forward to connecting with pastors and churches to be able to support and encourage them within the camp context. Thank you for your prayers and support!