The Ernest Chronicler

Again, CHIC was amazing.  The Holy Spirit is alive and thriving in the Covenant Church.  I just can't imagine not being in the Covenant.

The last speaker of the week was Efrem Smith, the senior (Covenant) pastor at the Sanctuary Covenant Church.  He summed up some of the things that I like about the Covenant.  Efrem Smith told us that the church leaders are encouraged by my generation:  they think the church will grow as we grow up, they call us the "Justice Generation" because they think we will solve problems like human trafficking.  He also spoke about the diversity of the ECC.  We are no longer just a bunch of Swedes, well I am...  Anyway, the ECC is filled with all different cultures and colors.  The Covenant Church in the Congo is bigger than it is in the States!  And finally, he spoke about the role of women in the church.  In the Covenant, a woman can be ordained to Word and Sacrament.  We acknowledge the gifts that God gives to both genders.  This view comes from reading the Bible in context, which could fill a blog in itself.  I cheered loudly after that one because my mum is a pastor, so its personal.

To the call!  The week led up to Wednesday, I believe it was, when we shared communion and had an "alter call".  Instead of everyone going to the front, the floor was cleared and a large cross erected.  If you felt ready to accept Christ, you went to the cross.  A friend of mine went down with another guy from my church.  After everyone was leaving I went down to be with them and share in the tears.  After that, we had small group time in which another friend accepted Christ.  Another accepted the day we left thinking he would regret it if he didn't do it at CHIC.

In regards to my call, I've been praying for discernment.  Recall the Youth Nexus violin story (middle paragraph or so).  After that week of prayer I felt God put the ideas of ministry and music into my head.  At CHIC these thoughts were reinforced.  Through this past year, justice has also been a field where I feel called to.  Ministry, music, and justice I think can be combined and I'll be praying for further direction.

Ross, guy in my grade, loves kids and has a Downsyndromic younger brother.  This week he felt called to Children's ministry, especially to handicapped kids.  Another friend of mine felt called to be a missionary.

Finally is the story of Katie, a girl who just graduated high school.  She already had her career planned out coming into CHIC, which turned out to be not wise.  During the week God tugged at her to be a pastor.  When she first felt it she told Him that she wasn't ready.  Then came speaker Efrem Smith, who if you will remember spoke about women in the ministry.  Katie took this as another poke from God.  But, she felt that she doesn't have what it takes to be a pastor.  At the last night of CHIC, after mainstage when we all were walking back to our dorms, bags were given to us.  Inside was a pen, lollipop, flyer about justice, other stuff, and a small booklet about the story of a young woman who was called to ministry.  Katie was beginning to see that God is persistent.  So she told God to send her a sign, one more.  As she was walking back to her dorm, someone walked straight into a street sign.

After CHIC, at our weekend stay at a white water place, Ross and Katie and I spoke.  They both had the idea that we should start a church with Katie as pastor, Ross as Minister to Youth, and me as Worship Leader.

I am wondering how to combine ministry with music and justice, but God wouldn't give me a call I couldn't fulfill.  I hope to not lose sight of them.