TRAINING WITH THE EVANGELICAL COVENANT CHURCH

From March 9–14, Pastor Fred and Peter Schwich, our Redeemer Portage Park church planter, attended the Evangelical Covenant Church’s Church Planter Training Intensive in Chaska, Minnesota. Peter and Fred were invited to attend as guests. This five-day training was a wonderful gift and a great benefit to both parts of Redeemer’s Vision 2020 efforts. Redeemer has decided to spend the next five years working towards two big goals. We are working to “plant a new tree,” gathering a third church campus, in the Portage/Jefferson Park neighborhoods of Chicago.

Participating in this Church Planter Training Intensive gave both Fred and Peter an opportunity to think through next steps in this process, with a particular focus on how church planting best practices and Redeemer’s own experience planting Redeemer Chicago can help to guide our new work in Portage Park. Redeemer is also committed to “growing the orchard,” working alongside our denomination, our local synod, and seminaries to train church planters to work in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. This summer, we will be helping to lead the first Lutheran Church Planter Boot Camp. The resources available from the ECC’s Church Planter Training Intensive are invaluable in designing a productive boot camp that will benefit church planters in our own denomination. Redeemer is grateful for the ECC’s hospitality and kingdom vision, and we look forward to finding continued ways to build partnerships across regions, congregations, and denominations.