Annual Meeting 2024: Friday Worship Service

The worship service started with a welcome and call to worship. We greeted one another and moved into worship with two songs led by Faith Covenant Church’s praise team – Praise and Holy Spirit Come. Garth spoke about our being “Together in Mission” and prompted us to bring forward white roses to commemorate the people that came to Christ in 2023 due to the mission and ministry of the GLC churches. He also asked us to bring forward an offering for the Pastor in Crisis fund ($2,699 was raised). Garth then spoke of the recent passing of Dave Dahlberg, former GLC superintendent and then prayed. The service continued with a scripture reading, Matthew 20:24-28, read by Peg Cichon from Harbert Covenant Church, Sawyer, MI.

Paul Robinson (the ECC Interim Director of Serve Locally) was introduced and gave a message titled The Power of “Must” in a “Me First” World. We must live a life of service as the Bible instructs. His insights into the origins of our church movement in Pietism and the Mission Friend tradition were a poignant reminder of the roots of the Evangelical Covenant Church.

Our forebears cared deeply about their local communities and the newcomers in their midst. They understood that true spiritual growth comes not from focusing inward, but from reaching out to love and serve our neighbors. It’s easy to forget those immigrant church roots in the bustle of modern life. But Robinson’s call to return to a missional Pietism is one we should heed. We need to rediscover what it means to be good neighbors and teach our children to see the humanity in those different from themselves. As the Bible instructs, we need to learn to DO good, not just want to do good.

It’s not easy, but if we recommit to that selfless, outward-looking spirit, we can become the community of hope and transformation our world so desperately needs. What an honor and responsibility that would be.

Together we responded to the message, by singing Great is Thy Faithfulness. Mike Rice (pastor of Faith Covenant Church, Farmington Hills, MI) and Georgia Hill (pastor of LifeChurch Riverside, Detroit, MI) led us beautifully through a thoughtful and moving Communion. The benediction was given by Garth.