June 9, 2023
Stewardship: Of First Covenant Church’s Heritage
By Bryce Nelson and Bonnie Nelson
“Stewardship: Of First Covenant Church’s Heritage” means identifying those few attributes from the past that positively define our present identity. What are those attributes, how did they come to be, and how might we be good stewards of (and use) this heritage?
One Church In Two Buildings
The cornerstone reads 1910, but equally important are congregational decisions to:
stay and remodel (1968-71), and
buy and sell real estate (1960, 1967, 1979) that led in 1993 to becoming “one church in two buildings.”
To be a church today we need both buildings. Together they provide parking, income, space, and equity, making us a unique urban church. How did this happen? The answer is that wise and forward-thinking leaders, with support of the congregation, bought, improved, and sold properties over the decades, leading to our current configuration.
Gather
Many members make the effort to gather at First Covenant Church because what happens when we gather here is worthwhile. We value a certain kind of worship that is centered around the church year and the lectionary texts: we hear scripture read; we sing and hear music connected to these texts; and we listen to the texts preached. We also value Christian Formation for children and adults. From the time of the Children’s Place (started 1979), to today’s anticipation of a new pastor for children and families, we share the priority of being a multi-generational church. Examples are the nursery, children’s programs, Confirmation, Cascades Camp, adult education, and Bible-reading groups. We also like that our worship space is a place of architectural and design art (curated by a “visual team”).
Covenant
We are a Covenant church, holding to the historic ideals of the denomination as outlined in “Covenant Affirmations.” We are part of Covenant institutional life: Cascades Camp and Conference Center; Covenant Shores; North Park University; Serve Globally; Covenant World Relief and Development; National Covenant Properties; and Covenant Trust. We have members who have been or are in leadership roles in the Conference and denomination. We can disagree theologically or politically among ourselves, or with other Covenanters, but remain united on the central tenets of the Christian faith (“Covenant Affirmations”). We may not use the term “Pietists” to describe ourselves, but we act like modern-day Pietists. They talked about “head, heart, and hands.” We value learning what Scripture says and means (head); how conversion changes our daily lives for the better (heart); and the resulting desire to serve others in the name of Jesus Christ (hands). We do not claim to have all the answers to all the questions. At our best, we share a sense of humility about things we cannot understand or control. And as Covenanters, we like to share food, have coffee, and be sociable. Our church kitchens, places to gather and eat, classrooms, and sanctuary together define us at First Covenant.
Stewardship/Archives
The attributes noted above have been and remain important for the identity of First Covenant Church. We:
remember whose we are,
recall what got us as a congregation to this moment, and
know how to live out our Covenant distinctives.
What we do today becomes tomorrow’s history. Maybe you have stories, photos, or memorabilia about your life at First Covenant Church. If so, we encourage you to donate such to First Covenant’s “Lorraine Nyquist Archives.” One part of stewardship is remembering who we are, and that usually requires saving memories and documents (Archives). Doing that is how we will continue to identify those few essential attributes from the past (“Stewardship of Our Heritage”) that positively define the present.
> Contact Bryce and Bonnie Nelson for archives donations here