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National Association of Congregational Christian Churches,  P.O. Box 288, Oak Creek, WI  53154
414-764-1620 
Email: naccc@naccc.org   Web Site: http://www.naccc.org

ASH WEDNESDAY WAS MARKED IN AN UNUSUAL WAY IN FRANKLIN

by Mike Fales, Director of Church Relations and Campus Ministries at Olivet College in Michigan. If you would like to share something with your brothers and sisters in the NACCC call Mike at 269-749-7624 or email mfales@olivetcollege.edu.

Ash Wednesday held special meaning for the future of one of our newest NACCC churches. Faith Community Church in Franklin, Wisconsin, was chartered in June of 1998. Rev. Dr. Ardyth Kovacevich Johnson, who has an M. Div. and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Garrett Evangelical Seminary in Illinois, is the founding pastor and is leading the charge towards building a very impressive house of worship on a beautiful 11 acre site in Franklin, which is in the greater Milwaukee area, not far from the NA offices in Oak Creek. It takes a very special pastor and a special group of Christians to start a new church from scratch and everything seems to be in place to see a first phase building completion by Christmas of 2004.

While some congregations choose to begin Lent by remembering the life, death and resurrection of Christ with the marking of foreheads with ashes, Pastor Johnson instead choose to touch the hearts of the parishioners of this new church. She led a service that included prayer, hymn singing, and the Word of God. The highlight of the service was the serving of the first communion to the church's seventh graders and their families.

The service was held in their temporary church, a classroom building in another part of town. After the Ash Wednesday Service had concluded, Pastor Johnson invited everyone to brave the cold night air and snow and adjourn to the site of their new church building. After gathering in a circle around a candle on a folding tray table, and praying for peace and guidance in these troubled times, Pastor Ardie fell, not to her knees, but on her back and began making snow angels. Soon she was joined by her husband, the choir director, several children and an 83 year old male child at heart. Dr. Johnson was quoted as saying "one is never too old to declare with the angels in the past and the angels in our midst that Jesus is the Light of the world even on a cold winter night in a farmer's field." That night the present congregation left their mark of love and hope on the future site of our Lord's house in Franklin, Wisconsin.

We pray for the ministry and the continued success of Pastor Johnson and our Congregational brothers and sisters at Faith Community Church. You are an inspiration to all of us.
 

VOLUNTEER SCREENING FOR CHURCHES
Recent inquiries from several member Churches has prompted us to gather samples of policies and procedures regarding children and youth volunteers in our Churches. For samples please call Ruth Mahnke (262-764-1620) or email (rmahnke@naccc.org).
 

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