Greetings Faith family!

One week from now my family will be airborne, heading to Germany to spend three weeks with our German “daughter” Leonie (who lived with us for a year a few years back). While we certainly feel like she and her family are an extension of our own, and as we look forward to entering their world, their culture, for a while, we realize that even as we enjoy time “in their world,” we are not “of their world.” Because at the end of our time together, we return home. Home to our familiar place, our comfort, where the language is familiar, the food is familiar, the surroundings are familiar, and our regular “people” and routines are in place.

Which gets me thinking. this is how we are to live as Christians – actively and purposefully living in this world (enjoying our time!), but remembering that we are not ultimately “of this world.” Wow. That can be a hard place to live! We are here, but we are challenged (or privileged!) to walk with God even now, while in this world. They way we walk, the way we talk, the way we think – all these should reflect a tension between this world and the kingdom of God. Our true home - even now, and even more so then! I can’t wait for that day, when I get to go “home.” To my forever place of familiar, of comfort. In the meantime, though, I am thankful for the now – for the people and activities I get to walk alongside and enjoy! Here are a few upcoming examples to note and put on your calendar(s):

Cake reception for Jon Dack
We want to ask for your prayers and support as we say goodbye and well-done to our Children's Ministry Director, Jon Dack, and his family. Jon has accepted a Pastoral position with a church in Maple Grove and will be leaving our staff on July 31. Though this is a great opportunity for him and for the church he will serve, we will genuinely miss Jon as a team member and a leader at Faith. Please stop in the lobby this Sunday, July 28 to have a piece of cake and wish him well.

Bagels with the Bachelors
All are welcome to meet with the Bachelor family and get an update on the work going on in the Middle East. Stop by room 200 on Sunday, August 4 at 12:15pm.

Empowered: Awareness Concert
Faith4Freedom's free Awareness and Action Concert will be held on Saturday August 3, from 6–9pm at Nicollet Commons Park in Burnsville. Its goal is to raise awareness and thus help fight human trafficking in Minnesota.  In the case of rain, the concert will be held at Faith Covenant. For more information, contact Deb Devine at [email protected]

Agua Viva Water Project
Get in the trenches! Agua Viva is planning a Honduras Water Project November 1-10. If you’re interested in traveling to Honduras and helping to build a water system, as well as sharing the hope that Jesus Christ the Living Water offers, contact Jay Substad @ 952-412-7682 or email [email protected].

Family Weekend Camp Opportunity
Family Camp at Covenant Pines brings the best of summer programming, staff, and outdoor beauty together to provide an opportunity for families to grow closer to God and to one another. Camp begins after 4pm on Thursday, August 8th and ends after lunch on Sunday, August 11th. Speaker: Rob Jacobson from Restoration Covenant Church. For further details, and to register, visit CPBC’s website at http://covenantpines.org/summer-camps/.

Employment Opportunity: Interim Children’s Ministry Coordinator
Faith Covenant Church is seeking a part-time temporary Children’s Ministry Coordinator. This role will coordinate all Children’s Ministry programming in August and into September, with a possibility of extending beyond that as needed (until our full time position is hired). Position is 10-15 hours per week with semi-flexible office hours; Sunday mornings are necessary, as well as Wednesday nights starting mid-September. An excellent candidate will have: -Past experience in Children’s Ministry coordination -A personality that brings stability and warmth in the midst of transition -Attention to details; well-organized -Ability to teach children ages 4 years through grade 5 -Availability weekdays during the day for team meetings. Current Faith Covenant Church attendees, and specifically Children’s Ministry volunteers familiar with our program, are encouraged to apply. Please submit cover letter and resume to Lynn Nunn by July 26 or sooner: [email protected].

See you next month!

Pastor Char

Greetings Faith Covenant!

Pastor Mike here with your weekly Faith Update. Don't miss the great things coming up at Faith Covenant! From a Mega-Garage Sale that funds God's work globally to a great outdoor concert that supports FCC's role in the fight against human trafficking there is something for everyone. Below are the opportunities and updates in detail. As one of your pastors I want to thank you for the increasing financial generosity that we have seen in the past few weeks offerings. Summer is historically a time when many churches struggle to meet budget and to date, all of our bills our paid as we continue to fund missions, and save for over-due repairs to our facility and grounds. Your consistency and mine with tithes and offerings enables this church to be effective every month of the year. Lastly, I want to address something our staff has discussed recently - the need to continually create a culture of honor. Honoring each other across generations and across opinions of worship style, strategy, and individual preference is something that sets Christ-followers apart from the rest of humanity. Though respect is something that must be earned, honor, in Christian community, must be freely given. To that end I challenge us as a church to pray about how each one of us can create a more tangible culture of honoring one another at Faith Covenant Church. I'm excited to see how God might stir us as we consider this challenge and would love to hear from you regarding creating a culture of honor.

Thank you for sharing your journey with me and my family! It is a privilege to serve as one of your Co-Lead Pastors!

In Christ,
Mike Lotzer


FCC All-Church Garage Sale
Donate, volunteer, and/or shop to support our garage sale benefiting widows and orphans in Kosovo! Donation drop-off is Sunday July 21 from 2-7pm and Monday & Tuesday from 5-8pm. Sale is Thursday July 25 from 8am-7pm and Friday, July 26 from 8am - 1pm. To find out more or to see a list of donations accepted/not accepted, go to faithcovenant.org and click on the garage sale banner when it rotates.

Youth Colorado Trip Recap
Fusion students are currently on their mission/leadership trip to Colorado, returning Saturday, July 20. We would like to invite those interested to have lunch and hear about the trip. Please join us Sunday, July 28 at 12:30 in room 150 for a buffet lunch.

Empowered: Awareness Concert
Faith4Freedom's free Awareness and Action Concert will be held on Saturday August 3, from 6–9pm at Nicollet Commons Park in Burnsville. It's goal is to raise awareness and thus help fight human trafficking in Minnesota.  In the case of rain, the concert will be held at Faith Covenant. For more information, contact Deb Devine at [email protected]

Family Weekend Camp Opportunity
Family Camp at Covenant Pines brings the best of summer programming, staff, and outdoor beauty together to provide an opportunity for families to grow closer to God and to one another. August's 8th - 11th camp begins after 4pm on Thursday and ends after lunch on Sunday. Speaker: Rob Jacobson from Restoration Covenant Church. For further details, and to register, visit CPBC’s website at http://covenantpines.org/summer-camps/.

Employment Opportunity: Interim Children’s Ministry Coordinator
I want to ask for your prayers and support as we say goodbye and well-done to our Children's Ministry Director Jon Dack and his family. Jon has accepted a Pastoral position with a church in Maple Grove and will be leaving our staff on July 31. Though this is a great opportunity for him and for the church he will serve, we will genuinely miss Jon as a team member and a leader at Faith.  So in this time of transition, Faith Covenant Church is seeking a part-time temporary Children’s Ministry Coordinator. This role will coordinate all Children’s Ministry programming in August and into September, with a possibility of extending beyond that as needed (until our full time position is hired). Position is 10-15 hours per week with semi-flexible office hours; Sunday mornings are necessary, as well as Wednesday nights starting mid-September. An excellent candidate will have: -Past experience in Children’s Ministry coordination -A personality that brings stability and warmth in the midst of transition -Attention to details; well-organized -Ability to teach children ages 4 years through grade 5 -Availability weekdays during the day for team meetings. Current Faith Covenant Church attendees, and specifically Children’s Ministry volunteers familiar with our program, are encouraged to apply. Please submit cover letter and resume to Lynn Nunn by July 26 or sooner: [email protected].

By Jon Dack, Director of Children's Ministry

To my Faith Covenant Family,

This is the last Faith Update that I will have the privilege of writing and I want to take just a moment to let you know how much I will miss you. Being part of the Faith Covenant family over the past four years has been such a blessing to me and my family. I cannot begin to count the ways I have grown and learned from my experiences at Faith. In particular I want to thank all of the wonderful volunteers that have used their gifts and talents to reaching kids for Christ. Without you children's ministry at Faith Covenant would not be possible.

Once again, thank you all for your support and prayers. Thank you for the kind words you have given me since learning about my departure and please know that the decision to leave was one of the most difficult decisions I have ever had to make in my life. I love you Faith Covenant. My prayer has been and will always be that,

“The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”

God Bless,
Jon Dack (Signing Off)

Upcoming Events:

Colorado Team Blog Information
We would love it if you would join us in prayer as our team heads to Colorado July 13-20. You can get frequent updates and specific prayer requests by checking our blog entries. Just go to www.faithyouthmissions.weebly.com to keep up to date on our trip. Thank you!

All Church Garage Sale
Donate, volunteer, and/or shop to support our garage sale benefiting widows and orphans in Kosovo! Donation drop-off is Sunday July 21 from 2-7pm and Monday & Tuesday from 5-8pm. Sale is Thursday July 25 from 8am-7pm and Friday, July 26 from 8am - 1pm. To find out more or to see a list of donations accepted/not accepted, go to faithcovenant.org and click on the garage sale banner when it rotates.


Worship & Welcome Volunteer Sign Up
We need volunteers. Believe it or not, but what you see on Sunday mornings and other church events relies heavily on our volunteers. This is your church and many of you are involved already and for that we thank you. But we need more, so if you are interested in volunteering in the Cafe, being an usher, worship team, greeter or welcome desk attendent, please let us know. You can sign up in the lobby this Sunday, or by emailing [email protected]


Faith Steps Walking Club
Women of all ages, children (in strollers) and pets (friendly) are welcome to join our Women's Ministry weekly walking club! We walk at various locations around the south metro from 9 - 10am each Friday, with this week's walk being at Hidden Valley Park in Savage. Contact Natalie for more information: [email protected].

My family recently spent a few days in the home of a childhood friend of mine, a friend I met in kindergarten, roomed with in college, and has remained a part of my life ever since. Our lives are separated by several hours and six children (between the two of us), but the connection is deep. During our stay, three other families came to spend time with us, with at least one adult from each family dating back in friendship to grade school. What a joy it was for me to have the history, the stories, the shared experiences, and the trust in place as we visited and caught up. What a joy to see that our hearts still point in the same direction, even though our lives run in dozens of different directions. I’m thankful today for “old” friends, friends who knew me then and have watched the progression of life, friends who have a unique understanding of the forces and culture that shaped me. Nothing feels quite like that.

As I consider my “newer” friends (those who reach back 20 years) at most, I think of the richness of those conversations, those relationships, and of the “equal footing” all members of my family have when we get together. And again, I’m thankful for the common thread of God’s lens, God’s filter, that shape the directions of our lives. And so I praise God for His provision of friendship young and old, of the gift of people with a similar heartbeat to travel alongside on this journey of life, dear ones who God places in our paths, sometimes for a season, sometimes for a lifetime.

Here are a few things to note as summer rolls along quickly:

Women's Summer Book Study
Join us starting July 9 at 10am as we study and discuss the book The 7 Hardest Things God Asks a Woman to Do by mother-daughter authors Kathie Reimer and Lisa Whittle. They want women to come to a better understanding of knowing what is required of us as women and feel that by identifying and and dealing with these things, we gain the empowerment of the Lord who guides, strengthens, and enables us to do what he asks. Study is 7 weeks, and chapter 1 should be read before the first class. Books available at Faith for $10. Contact Jen to RSVP [email protected].

Infant Baptism/Dedication
If you would like to either baptize or dedicate your child, please register to attend our one-hour parent class scheduled for 11am on July 14. Class is followed on July 28 by a service of celebration and welcome for your little one during worship services. Parent application is due before class, on July 8, to [email protected].

July 14 Annual Business Meeting
If you consider Faith Covenant your church home, please mark your calendar and plan to attend the Annual Congregational Meeting on Sunday, July 14 at 12:15pm. As a result of the change to a new fiscal year-end of June 30, this is the 2nd annual meeting for 2013. Topics this meeting include: Presentation and Vote on the 2013-2014 budget; Ministry Highlights; Council Member term adjustment; and Facilities/Parking Lot Discussion. If you have any other business that you would like to share regarding this meeting, email [email protected]. Minutes for the last congregational meeting will be available in the lobby.

All Church Garage Sale Volunteers
Our All-Church Garage Sale needs many volunteers to help sort, price, and arrange items before the sale and also to work the sale on July 25 and 26. All procedes go to support widows and orphans in Kosovo. We would love your help. Please call Rick Drenk at 952.891.2997.