New Wine Covenant Church in Mason, MI has launched!

The co-pastors, Rick and Terri McGarry, were encouraged by how well their launch team worked together to convene the gathering, meet people, and lead worship. And they are looking forward to their next preview service in November.

Rick and Terri McGarry connected with the Covenant a bit by accident! They were given the name of Alex Rahill (National Director of Church Planting for the ECC) and were told that he was a great coach for starting new churches. Little did they know that in order to start a church with Alex’s help, their church would have to be an Evangelical Covenant Church. They spent some time researching the Covenant and loved that the ECC shared the vision they had for starting new churches. Alex connected the McGarrys with Alan Tumpkin, the GLC Director of Church Planting, and the ball started to roll. The McGarrys went through the Covenant’s Church Planting Assessment Center (and were approved to plant a Covenant Church) and then the Church Planter’s Training program.

The pandemic impacted the process of finding a facility to use for worship, and the process of connecting with people to be part of the church. But the McGarrys were relentless in their efforts. They have generated a lot of community good will over the past several years, and their family events have attracted as many as 400 people! They are now well on their way, and they are meeting in downtown Mason, MI.

Rick graduated from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary in the spring of 2020. In his own words, he loves his wife of over 30 years, his son, and daughter-in-law. He likes science fiction, vegetable gardening, home brewing, classic country music, and a little too much Facebook. He tries to figure God out and help people experience Him. Sometimes it’s hard.

Terri is passionate about seeing families thrive in relationship with Jesus. She has been ministering to families for over 30 years. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Mason, specializing in children, teens, and marriages. Like Rick, she studied at Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, where she was the first woman to receive the highest honors for theological studies. She likes to read about science, ancient cultures, and theology. She spends most of her free time hanging out with kids, because she believes that’s where all the fun’s at. (It’s also where parents and families make deep, lasting connections within the local church which carries over as their children grow.)

Here is an excerpt from “What we believe” on their website. “God desires to be in relationship with all people. Because of the work of Jesus, particularly his death and resurrection, God stands ready to receive all people to himself as they connect themselves to Jesus. Everyone who follows Jesus, his person and teaching, must not (and ultimately, will not) resist the effects of his death and resurrection as the Holy Spirit freely and unreservedly applies it to their lives because of their belief commitment. Jesus gives true life forever, authentic meaningful purposeful life, to everyone who follows him into relationship with God.” – Rick McGarry