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The Community
Covenant Calling
Pursing Christ and His priorities in the world
June 2015
www.communitycovenant.net
Wired for service
By Mary M. Rall
Community Covenant Church
Head usher Larry Weeks put
down the offering basket and picked
up a hammer as a member of a construction mission team from Community Covenant Church that served
the KICY radio ministry in Nome
May 14-17.
The three-man team also included fellow Eagle River residents
Brad Bistodeau and Rick Fagan, who
Weeks said aided in the construction
of a triplex owned by KICY.
“We got all the insulation in except the attic stuff, which was kind
of dangerous,” Weeks said, adding
the team also put up a significant
amount of plastic sheeting used for
waterproofing on the 4,000-squarefoot structure.
“For just the three of us, we did
quite a bit,” he said.
This was the second summer in a
row Weeks and Bistodeau have traveled to Nome in support of the construction project, which Weeks said
Photo courtesy of Brad Bistodeau
Larry Weeks installs insulation into a triplex owned by KICY during a mission trip
to Nome May 14-17.
has come a long way in a year.
“It was just a basic frame…and
part of the roof was done,” he said
of the state of the structure in 2014.
“We put on all the windows, a few of
the interior walls and the Fasia board
that goes around the outside.”
The building is now close to being finished, though, and Weeks estimates it’ll be well on its way to being
See Radio - Page 8
Airline employee provides creative aid
Alaska Airlines
Photo courtesy of Heidi Porter
Heidi Porter has been inspired to use excess pallets for a creative fundraising endeavor in support of Nana’s House.
Heidi Porter, a customer service
agent with Alaska Airlines, is putting her creativity and ingenuity to
great use.
Heidi and her husband, Tim Porter, have been repairing shipping
pallets, decorating them and reselling them to benefit Nana’s House, a
children’s home that provides a safe,
happy and healthy home for displaced children in Tepic, Mexico.
Heidi and Tim became involved
with Nana’s House when they visited
the children’s home on a mission trip
in February.
“Seeing and interacting with the
kids ignited a passion in us to find
ways of raising money for them,” Heidi said.
With the painted pallets, Heidi
and other members of Community
Covenant Church are helping Nana’s
House raise funds to purchase land to
build a better facility.
Heidi was able to get some of the
pallets from the Anchorage Cargo
warehouse. After Heidi explained the
See Pallet - Page 3
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The Covenant Calling
June 2015
Leadership Team demystified
Kym Van Arsdale
Kim Cannamore
Brian Heagy
Kevin Halvorsen
Megan Lang
By Mary M. Rall
Community Covenant Church
There’re eight people serving
among the congregation of Community Covenant Church whose activities may be mysterious to some.
They meet monthly during the
dark of night, unless it’s a summer of
evening, and discuss matters of significance for the church around long,
plastic tables.
Sometimes, there’re cookies.
They are the few, the humble,
the Leadership Team.
Comprised of team Chair Larry
Wood, Vice-chair Kym Van Arsdale,
Treasurer Curt Lindner, Secretary
Sarah Pace and members Kevin
Halvorsen, Kim Cannamore, Megan
Lang and Brian Heagy, the Leadership Team helps meet the spiritual
needs of the congregation and the
business affairs of the church.
“The most important observation about the church is that it’s not
a building. It’s a group of people who
have come together to share communion and love and devotion to
the Lord,” Wood said, noting there
are legal, business and operational
aspects of CCC’s building the team
often addresses as well.
Curt Lindner
Sarah Pace
“All those systems require
someone to be involved and to see
that we have not only this important spiritual aspect of being taken
care of, but we also have a facility that people feel comfortable in,
that’s welcoming, that the lights
are always on,” he said.
Lang said the Leadership Team
addresses matters as they apply to
the life of the church and what the
congregation’s needs may be at any
given time.
“As the landscape changes a
little bit, I think that’s one of the
benefits of the Leadership Team is
that it can be a little bit flexible,”
she said. “It’s just another group
of people besides the staff that are
taking care of the day-to-day stuff.”
The team works cooperatively with CCC’s pastors and staff to
meet a variety of different needs
Larry Wood
within the church, and Wood said
the team members have Nominating; Pastoral Relations; Human Relations; and Policies and Insurance
sub-committees they serve on as well
to help address more specific ministry needs.
“The Leadership Team concept
has evolved over the years through
a model the Covenant Church has
developed as a way we provide leadership without getting in the way of
the work that’s being done on the
ground,” he said. “The idea is to get
people to step up and get involved in
ministry, support them and encourage them. God’s going to provide the
leading, and we’re there to empower,
not to interfere.”
All team members also act as liaisons for areas of ministry as well,
Lang said, to help the team better
See Team - Page 7
Lead Pastor
Todd Michero
todd@communitycovenant.net
16123 Artillery Road
Eagle River, Alaska 99577
(907) 696-5229
Communications and
Connections Director
Mary M. Rall
mary@communitycovenant.net
@CCCEagleRiver
June 2015
The Covenant Calling Teens support Compassion
International, Bolivian child
By Nathaniel Swanberg
Community Covenant Church
The church high school and middle school youth groups have been
supporting a young girl named Brenda Choque from Bolivia for about a
year through Compassion International.
Brenda turned 11 in January and
is in the fifth grade. She lives with
her aunt in a community called Ki-
Photo courtesy of Nathaniel Swanberg
The middle and high school youth groups
donate $38 per month through Compassion International in support of Brenda, an
11-year-old Bolivian girl.
lometer 12 on the main road to Cochabamba. Santa Cruz is the closest
nearby city, about 7-and-a-half miles
to the west.
In her first letter to the youth
group, Brenda told us a little bit
about herself. She said her favorite
food is spicy chicken noodle soup, her
favorite fruits are apples and grapes
and her favorite color is red. She said
she enjoys playing basketball and
volleyball, and she likes math and
music.
Her latest letter let us know she
recently became a Christian. Brenda
also shared that she goes to school at
the Rios de Agua Viva Student Center near her house.
We recently sent her a letter telling her about ourselves and a little
about Alaska as well. Brenda’s letters are posted on the board behind
the counter in the Student Ministries
Room for anyone who wants to read
them.
So far, the youth group has completely funded Brenda every month
since we began sponsoring her. By
doing so, we help her attend school
and learn about God and his love for
her. Each month, the total we need to
raise is $38. This is one of the ways
the youth group is becoming more
healthy and missional alongside the
church.
Age: 36
Spouse’s name: Marshall
Pickens
Number of children: Two
City of residence: Eagle River
What brought you to Alaska?: A teaching job
What did you want to do
when you grew up? I grew up
going to SeaWorld, so I wanted
to be a marine biologist.
What song would be on the
soundtrack of your life?:
“Boondocks” by Little Big Town
Who would you choose to be
your mentor?: The apostle Peter–I admire his passion, and I
could see myself becoming a better teacher and leader through
his mentorship.
From Pallet - Page 1
cause to Anchorage Cargo General
Manager Jeff Olver, he let her look
through the excess pallet boards they
had stacked in the back of the warehouse.
This turned out to be beneficial
because “it raised money for a great
purpose and helps us with our pallet
recycling, which is a constant battle,”
Olver said.
Kudos to Heidi for doing this
great work for people in need.
For more information on the pallets and how to purchase one, email
porterco5@hotmail.com.
Name: Stacy Pickens
What would you change
your first name to?: Sam
What would you like to learn
to do?: Play the guitar
Photo courtesy of Heidi Porter
Heidi and Tim Porter recycle pallets by
painting them and selling them to raise
funds in support of Nana’s House, a children’s home for displaced youth in Tepic,
Mexico.
What’s something most people don’t know about you?:
I dislike trains. They creep me
out.
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The Covenant Calling
June 2015
Jason Sanders and the Schmitt family were just a few
enant who helped place flags at about 5,000 headsto
Richardson National Cemetery on Joint Base Elmend
Photo by Mary M. Rall/Community Covenant Church
Pastor Tyler Shaw, Nathaniel Swanberg, Tessa Heagy and Malia Barto share a laugh as
members of the congregation attempt to identify the high schoolers’ mothers from old
photographs May 10 during the Mother’s Day worship service.
Photos by Mary M. Rall/Community Covenant Church
(Left) Shelby Chandlar hugs former Middle School
Director Becca Loritz at Loritz’s farewell youth
group meeting May 31. (Above) Janell Heagy leads
students in prayer over Loritz, who has moved on
from Community Covenant to marry former CCC
Youth Pastor Jeff Keyser in August.
Photo courtesy of Tyler Foster
High schoolers Tyler Foster and Daniel Casey play
with children during a mission trip to Elim May 29.
June 2015
The Covenant Calling 5
Photo by Mary M. Rall/Community Covenant Church
Photo by Mary M. Rall/Community Covenant Church
Pastor Todd Michero with Community Covenant Church and Pastor Dan Krause with
Chugach Covenant Church lay a wreath to honor service members who died in service to
the nation at a Memorial Day ceremony May 25 at Fort Richardson National Cemetery on
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
w of more than 20 volunteers from Community Covones May 24 in preparation for Memorial Day at Fort
dorf-Richardson.
Photo by Mary M. Rall/Community Covenant Church
Josiah Alverts, David Ham and Jordan Porter
portray comically outraged craftsmen in the
readers theater portion of the May 31 worship
service, which focused on The Riot in Ephesus
from Acts 19.
Photo courtesy of Tony Simon/La Fuente Ministries
Rancho La Fuente church celebrated its first service in Las Varas, Mexico, May 17. Pastor
Todd and Lori Michero, Kristen and Tyler Akers, Tim and Heidi Porter, Janell Heagy, Mary
Rall and the father and daughter team of Brad and Madelyn Bistodeau helped with the
church’s construction Feb. 24 during a mission trip to the area.
Photo courtesy of Becca Loritz/Community Covenant Church
More than 75 middle schoolers swam, grogged, ate and eventually slept their way through an overnighter May 16.
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The Covenant Calling
June 2015
Not your average Sunday
By Mary M. Rall
Community Covenant Church
Community Covenant Church
celebrated its youth May 17 at Confirmation Sunday, when about 30 middle schoolers were recognized for their
progress through or graduation from
Confirmation.
The nine-month Confirmation
program was reintroduced this school
year following a several-year absence
of the curriculum from the youth
ministry program, said former Middle School Director Rebecca Loritz.
She said she expected a handful
of middle schoolers to attend Confirmation the first year, but was
amazed when more than 40 students
in sixth through eighth grade initially expressed interest in participating
in September.
“That just affirmed for us that’s
what God wanted,” she said.
The students were broken down
into two groups, with the sixth and
seventh graders focusing on the first
part of a two-year Confirmation program taught by Tamara Tanner and
the eighth graders completing a consolidated one-year program taught by
David Wille, Loritz said.
“The sixth and seventh grades
focused on the Old Testament, while
the eighth graders focused on the
New Testament, the new covenant
established by Jesus and the formation of the church,” Wille said.
Wille transitioned from working
with the high schoolers last school
year to teaching Confirmation Sunday evenings following middle school
youth group this year, an opportunity
he said he was grateful to take.
“There’s nothing more important than helping someone learn and
grow and then follow the way Jesus
taught,” Wille said. “He came so we
could have life, true life, and have it
to the fullest extent meant for us by
God. What could be better than helping someone get a sense of what God
has planned for them?”
He said that wasn’t a hard under-
Photos by Mary M. Rall/Community Covenant Church
David Wille congratulates 14-year-old Kiya Gates on graduating from Confirmation at
Confirmation Sunday May 17.
Former Middle School Director Becca Loritz baptizes Carlie Bowers May 17. Several
teens were baptized for the first time or
affirmed their baptism on Confirmation
Sunday.
taking, as there were plenty of opportunities to share the good news with
the students and to teach the foundations God laid through scripture.
“The main intent of confirmation
is for the students to get a solid understanding of where our faith comes
from, the foundational beliefs of our
church, how the church was formed
and begin practicing its ways, such as
devotional study, reflection, prayer
and acts of service in order to grow
one’s faith,” Wille said. “We want to
help them go from being spoon-fed to
learning how to feed themselves.”
Eighth grader Kiya
Gates
said she chose to attend Confirmation
to gain a stronger understanding of
her faith, which the study definitely
helped her achieve.
“The Apostles Creed and the
Nicene Creed, I had no idea what they
were,” Gates said, explaining they
dug deeper into everything from the
meaning of the creeds to understanding the significance of communion. “I
kind of get it now, and it makes more
sense.”
Participation in Confirmation required genuine effort on both the students’ and the teachers’ part, Wille
said, noting the middle schoolers had
daily homework assignments to complete, and there were challenges to
teaching the curriculum.
“There were some rough spots
See Confirm - Page 8
June 2015
From Team - Page 2
understand what’s happening within CCC’s many ministries and to
determine if there’re greater needs
that exist that the team may be able
to help meet.
“That way we can make better
decisions,” she said, explaining the
Leadership Team wants to help ministries to continue to move forward,
rather than attempt to micromanage
them.
“We’ll be involved with broader
policy discussions of what type of
ministries we are going to have and
what new ministry teams are going
to look like,” Wood affirmed. “The
ministry teams and the ministry
team leaders have to be empowered
under the senior pastor and his staff
to go out and do ministry. So, we
don’t want to get in the way of that.”
According to Lang, team members serve on the team for two years
and can serve up to two consecutive
terms, for a total of four years. Lang
is currently the Care Ministry liaison and on the Human Relations
Committee and has been serving on
the team for less than a year.
“I like organization,” Lang said
with a laugh when asked why she
joined the team. “I have a degree in
communications, and I like small
groups. I like small group processes.
I like to think on ideas and principles. I think that’s just one of the
ways that God’s created me, and
so when there’s an opportunity to
serve, I’m kind of drawn to those
types of opportunities.”
Wood said team members do
have to go through a nomination
process to be on the team, but any
member of CCC is encouraged to express their interest in participating.
“If there are people who’re feeling led to get involved in lay leadership, all they need to do is contact
myself or someone on our staff,” he
said. “The Nominating Committee
goes to work in the springtime, because we normally have vacancies
once a year.”
Wood serves on the Nominating
Committee and as the Children’s
Ministry liaison and is nearing the
end of his second term on the Lead-
The Covenant Calling ership Team. He said the experience
of being on the team has helped him
learn more about the Covenant denomination, as well as the many
ministries at Community Covenant.
“I would really encourage people
to get involved in lay leadership for
that reason too, because you get to
see the type of talent God’s brought
into one place, be they lay leaders or
pastoral leaders, and all the people
who make our church life happen,”
Wood said.
The semi-annual meeting will
be June 14 and will present an opportunity for people to remain informed on the decisions the Leadership Team is making as well, Wood
said, and will give church members
7
a chance to vote for new Leadership
Team members.
“These are other opportunities
to see and hear from the Leadership
Team and the pastors and find out
not only some of the business and
financial affairs of the church, but
more importantly, our ministries
and what God has been doing and
some of the stories about them,” he
said. “Even if they’re not members,
we strongly, strongly encourage
them to come to those meetings and
ask questions and find out how they
can get plugged in.”
For more information on how to
become involved with the Leadership Team, email Larry Wood at ldwood1225@gci.net.
Register with discount code “GLS15HOST”
at www.communitycovenant.net.
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The Covenant Calling June 2015
From Confirm - Page 6
“They asked
hard
questions
that came from
the heart that I
couldn’t
answer
very well,” he said,
“but with the help
of the Holy Spirit, some answers
came out beautifully and seemed
to actually make a
connection.”
Wille said he
Photo courtesy of Becca Loritz/Community Covenant Church
was thankful for Community Covenant high schoolers supported and encourmoments like the aged middle schoolers who will be moving up to the senior high
baptisms and af- school youth group next year by hiking and having devotional
time with them on Mount Baldy May 17 as part of the Confirmafirmations of bap- tion Sunday activities.
tism at CCC, as
well as the hike up Mount Baldy the was grateful to be present for the
eighth grade Confirmation students hike as well.
participated in with the high school“They talked about where they
ers the afternoon of Confirmation were in their faith, shared verses
Sunday.
that mean something to them and
“It was such a great reward to see why they were meaningful,” he said.
them confirmed, to see them choose “That whole day was beautiful. I felt
to be baptized and affirm their faith. joy watching them. It couldn’t have
They were shown the way, and they worked out any better, and I thank
took it,” Wille said, expressing he God for that.”
From Radio - Page 1
running may be vital to allowing
God’s message to reach more than 40
Native Alaskan villages throughout
Western Alaska, as well communities
in the Russian Far East.
“As long as we keep the radio
station on the air in today’s unsettled world, it’s a light,” Weeks said.
“That’s the way I feel. It’s a light in
the darkness.”
Mission teams from throughout
the country have assisted in the triplex project, and Weeks recognizes
he was just one of many people to
help keep the 50,000-watt outreach
the station has been providing from
Northwestern Alaska going since it
began in 1960.
“I feel like I’m part of God’s
work—just a little piece,” he said
with a laugh. “Just one of the many
ants in the anthill.”
The retired firefighter also chuckled at the notion of being handy, and
said making a difference on a shortterm mission project is more about
attitude than skill.
and some discouraging times when I
thought, ‘They don’t get it, or they’re
missing it.’ There were a bunch of
times I thought, ‘This lesson or this
activity is going to be great,’ and
then it didn’t work out,” Wille said.
“But I learned to keep at it, to not
quit, even when discouraged, and to
keep following the inspirations God
gives.”
Gates said she found the dedication the homework required rewarding, though, and it helped her maintain some long-term habits.
“The everyday Bible study was a
really good help,” she said, adding it
encouraged her to think more about
the content of what she was reading
and to continue studying the Bible.
“I’m using a devotional now and
am trying to use it every day to keep
up with devotions so I can stay strong
in Christ,” Gates said.
Wille added he could truly see
the Holy Spirit work in the class,
which was reflected in the students’
responses to the curriculum, as well
as how he was led to teach them.
rented by KICY to help offset the
costs of running the station in just a
couple of months.
“Their electricity bill is extremely high, so this triplex will help offset
that,” he said. “It will help keep the
radio station going.”
Keeping the Evangelical Covenant Church non-profit radio station
Photo courtesy of Larry Weeks
Larry Weeks, Brad Bistodeau and Rick Fagan traveled to Nome May 14-17 in support
of a construction mission trip. The team
worked on a triplex owned by KICY that’s
anticipated to be completed in the next
couple of months.
“I’m not a professional, but I
guess I’m an amateur at everything,”
he said. “You have to have the motivation to believe what you’re working
for is going to serve a good purpose.
If you have that, then you can get
things done.”
Likewise, Weeks said mission
team members have to accept they
may never see the long-term impacts
of their work, especially when there’s
often no way to know who’s receiving
the message the station is broadcasting.
“They have to realize what they’re
going up there for, what the mission
is,” he said. “You may not see results
right away, but God works differently. His ways aren’t our ways, but the
end result is to get the message out
and to help people.”
The ministry broadcasts 24 hours
a day at KICY AM-850 and ICY 100.3
FM. More information on the station’s
outreach and live audio streaming of
its broadcasts are also available online at www.kicy.org.