Mark Nilson, Senior PastorMark began his ministry as Senior Pastor at First Covenant in August of 2005 following his tenure as Senior Pastor of the Evangelical Covenant Church of Batavia, Illinois. Previous posts include churches in Illinois and New Jersey. While doing graduate work in Chicago he served as a chaplain with St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, Illinois. Mark has served the community and denomination in a variety of capacities having served as board member and officer of Kirkridge Retreat Center in Bangor, PA, chair of Covenant World Relief - the disaster and relief arm of the Evangelical Covenant Church, representative on the Management Advisory Committee for The Holmstad of Batavia, IL. Currently, Mark is a member of the Board of Directors for Covenant Retirement Communities serving also as Board Representative to the Diversity Task Force. Mark and his wife Robin, an Interior Designer with Baker, Knapp and Tubbs live in Seattle with their son Chase. Their oldest son Aaron is a junior at North Park University in Chicago. |
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Carolyn L. Poterek, Associate PastorCarolyn is a native of Northbrook, Illinois, and a graduate of North Park University in Chicago where she received her BA in Secondary Education. Carolyn was a middle school Spanish and Social Studies teacher in Long Grove, IL before she began serving in full-time ministry. While completing her graduate studies, Carolyn worked as a chaplain at Evanston Northwestern Hospital and as the Youth and Children's Director at the Covenant Church of Hinsdale. After receiving her M.Div Carolyn moved to Salem, OR, where she served as a Youth Pastor at Trinity Covenant Church. Carolyn joined the staff at First Covenant in March 2009. She currently serves on the Covenant World Relief Commission, the North Pacific Conference Youth Commission and assists as a facilitator for the ECC Invitation to Racial Righteousness. |
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Joel Ulrich, Choral DirectorChoral Director and Organist Joel Ulrich began playing organ at 1st Covenant in the fall of 2005. He received his BA in Music Education from Seattle Pacific University in 1969 and studied Choral Conducting at UW during his fifth year. He spent 39 years as Choral Director and Music Department Chair at Bellevue Christian High School and has served in a musical capacity at several different churches in the Pacific Northwest. He has been the State ACDA H.S. Repertoire & Standards Chair since 2005. He and his wife, Linda, have 5 grown children. It was said of Olaf Christiansen, conductor of the St. Olaf Choir and son of its founder: "Throughout the years, Olaf's main objective with the St. Olaf Choir was to present sacred music sung beautifully, without distraction, so the listeners would be sensitized to the Holy Spirit's message. This he saw as Kingdom work and his calling on earth."(2) "Song" is the Lord's gift to His people. 1st Covenant is a local community of His people. Our work in music at 1st Covenant is to enable His song to be sung so that His people will respond to Him with heart, mind and soul, i.e. "sensitized to the Holy Spirit's message". — soli Deo gloria! Ps. 40:3 (2) Joseph M. Shaw, "The St. Olaf Choir", 1997 |
Corbin Sheffels, Director of Student MinistryCorbin Sheffels has been a regular attendee at First Covenant Church, Seattle since September of 2007. He has recently accepted the positions of caretaker and interim co-coordinator of student ministry and will be holding it for the remainder of the summer of 2009. Born and raised in the small farming community of Wilbur, WA, Corbin moved to Seattle to be a student at Seattle Pacific University. He graduated from SPU in 2009 with a degree in English Literature and a secondary teaching certificate. His passion is for youth, particularly middle school students, to whom he plans to teach language arts in the up-coming school year. |
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Josh Rogers, Executive AssistantWelcome to our new executive assistant, Josh Rogers. Josh grew up just south of Seattle in Kent, where he attended Kent Covenant Church. Josh previously served for five years at Cascades Camp & Conference Center as the External Relations & Program Manager working with Cascades’ many year-round children, youth and family camps. He also has worked at the Covenant radio station; KICY in Nome Alaska and at Aki Kurose Middle School in the Rainier Valley. Josh has recently returned to school and is in the midst of getting his bachelors degree. Josh has been married to Lydia for 8 years and in March 2010 they welcomed their first son Jonas into the world. Lydia works part-time as a mental health therapist. Welcome, Josh! |
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Lucas Boyle, Caretaker
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Contacting the First Covenant Church CouncilThe First Covenant Council and Ministry Team Leaders would love to hear from you and to answer any questions you may have about getting plugged in to the First Covenant Community. Donna Larson, Chairchair@seattlefirstcovenant.org Ann Knutsen, Finance Team Leaderfinance@seattlefirstcovenant.org Arlie Swanson, Stewardship Team Leaderstewardship@seattlefirstcovenant.org Jean Mohrweis, Worship & Prayer Team Leaderworshipandprayer@seattlefirstcovenant.org Jen Norling, Hospitality Team Leaderhospitality@seattlefirstcovenant.org Jo Portinga, Compassion, Mercy & Justice Team LeaderSonja Whitaker, Congregational Care Team Leadercongregationalcare@seattlefirstcovenant.org Tom LaPaze, Christian Formation Team Leaderchristianformation@seattlefirstcovenant.org
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