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2011 Assoc. Superintendent Report • Rev. Jason R. Condon • April 30, 2011 • pg. 1 of 4

A Family Adventure

Lisa, Jaron (13), & Bryn (10)

are thoroughly enjoying our move

to Connecticut. We’ve been

blessed with fast friendships

with Howard, Anne, & Terra

(12) (and Taylor when he’s

around), a wonderful new

church family and pastor (that’s

not me), and opportunities to

occasionally travel together.

Thank you for the

welcome, prayers, and

support we’ve received!

REPORTFinding a Rhythm

Family move, ministry

dynamics, making this “home”

Page 1

Planting a Movement

From “just” planting churches

to a church planting movement

Page 2

Vital Congregations

Purposefully pursuing God’s

Healthy Missional calling

Page 3

Closing Thoughts

Great challenges, greater

opportunities. God is at work!

Page 4

FINDING A RHYTHM, PUTTING DOWN ROOTSIt’s hard to believe my family moved to the East Coast Conference this past September.

What an incredible adventure so far!

It was barely one year ago when I stood before the congregation I loved,

pastored, and had planted over the previous six years and announced, “my

ministry at Artisan Church is coming to a close.” While they were sad to hear

the news (thankfully!), they knew God was calling us to a wonderful new work.

These brief months I’ve served as your Associate Superintendent have been

fast-paced, fruitful, and deeply rewarding. What other job can include everything

from hip-hop worship to hand-bells, “harvesting” chickens, hearing four

different languages, and collaborating with colleagues across the country?

Working with Howard has been a joy as well. I couldn’t ask for a better blend

of collaboration, mentoring, creative freedom and friendship from a

Superintendent. I’m grateful for the privilege to serve and lead in this ministry

role for the starting and strengthening of our churches across the ECConf.

Now that we’ve begun to settle into the rhythms of family life, friendships,

and the dynamics of a new ministry we’re looking forward to putting down

roots. Following our Annual Meeting we’ll close on a beautiful home in

Columbia, CT. We’re thrilled that this is where God has graciously brought us.

2 0 1 1 A s s o c . S u p e r i n t e n d e n t

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2011 Assoc. Superintendent Report • Rev. Jason R. Condon • April 30, 2011 • pg. 2 of 4

Regional Coaches & CohortsBecause of the blessings and

challenges of our anticipated growth,

we’re enlisting seasoned church

planters as Regional Coaches and

organizing our planting efforts into

Regional Cohorts:

• NY/NJ Metro: Peter Ahn will continue as our Sr. Regional

Coach here. Michael Carrion

joins Peter with this Regional Cohort, focusing on the Bronx

• Greater Boston/New England: Josh Throneburg will

serve in this Regional Cohort

• D.C./Baltimore: developing

We’ll meet in May for our first

strategy retreat outlining plans for our

monthly Regional Cohort gatherings where every

church planter is encouraged, equipped, and multiplied

for a sustaining church planting movement!

PLANTING A MOVEMENT

Equip, Encourage, MultiplyA Sustaining Church Planting Movement

We’re blessed to have incredibly gifted church planters

who take calculated risks at significant personal sacrifice

to see the Gospel break through in new contexts among

unreached people. I can confidently say that each church

plant has some level of growth in their reach and impact

over this past year. The struggles and joys are just as

present as with any established church, though sometimes

felt more intensely in these young congregations.

So far, I’ve been able to visit all our church plants still

in the 5-year coaching cycle and have nearly completed

the first round with those who’ve transitioned out of full

“church plant” status but are still in the 5-10 year range.

Building rapport and relationships, and early strategic

coaching have been the main focus thus far.

Along with the rewards of coaching individual church

planters, there’s a growing sense that God is birthing a

movement here on the East Coast Conference. Much is in

motion and taking shape. We’re entering an exciting

season of church planting throughout the ECConf !

Elements, a hip-hop church plant in the Bronx, will have a fall “Grand Opening” now that Pastor Efrain Alicea received a strong “Recommended” at our Regional Assessment Center!

Many Seeds, Good Soil, Great HarvestBlessed with an Abundance of High-Caliber Candidates

God continues to bring a huge influx of high caliber candidates for

potential church planting on the East Coast Conference. We just held a very successful regional Assessment Center where four candidates received a

“Recommended” or “Recommended with Conditions.” Another regional Assessment Center is coming in July where we’ll see four or five candidates.

As church planter agreements are signed and projects become official, we’ll share more details through the website and Covenanter. High-potential areas

include Providence RI, Bronx, Queens, So. Maine, Northern VA, D.C. and Greater Boston. I believe we’re on target to sign over a half-dozen church

planter agreements in 2011, with as many again on the radar for 2012.

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2011 Assoc. Superintendent Report • Rev. Jason R. Condon • April 30, 2011 • pg. 3 of 4

God’s Words of Vitality

One of the great privileges of this

part of the role are opportunities

to preach God’s Word. The

challenge and encouragement I’ve

shared with each “vitality” church

is to enter these new waters

together as pastors, leaders, and

congregations, following the

leading of God, “so that you

may know the way you

should go, for you have

not passed this way

before.” (Joshua 3:4)

V I T A L C O N G R E G A T I O N S

The largest Veritas & EPIC gatherings from any single Covenant congregation happened right here on the ECConf at Trinity Manchester with Rev. Phil Hakanson!

Our “Navigate” ChurchesPilot Program for Churches Intent on Healthy Missional Ministry

I get to share with Howard in the significant

work of Congregational Vitality. One of the

newest developments in the Covenant and

across the various Conferences is the launch

of “Navigate.” This 12-14 month framework

guides Critical Moment or Stable churches

toward Healthy Missional. Features include a

large national gathering, regional cohorts,

monthly pastor “triads,” and two retreats.

Our Three Pilot ChurchesI’ve enjoyed coming alongside our three pilot

churches and their pastors, with preaching,

consulting, and collaborating together. Pray

for much fruit and that other pastors and congregations would follow the great

example of these churches: 1) Haddam Neck Covenant Church, Rev. Shelly

Timber, 2) Hilltop Covenant Church, Rev. Scott Jones, 3) Orchard Covenant

Church, Rev. Nancy Ebner. Though still early in the process, the pastors and

vitality teams report great encouragement from being in it together!

Veritas & EPIC at Trinity ManchesterA “Stable” Church Pursuing the Vitality Pathway

Another encouraging development across the Covenant and here on the

East Coast Conference is the willingness of pastors and leaders of “Stable” congregations to boldly engage the Vitality Pathway. Rev. Phil Hakanson and

Trinity Church (Manchester, CT) are seeking to be more Healthy and Missional even though by some measures of success things may appear “fine.”

I believe that the earlier a church examines its own healthy missional markers, the greater its chances for even greater faithfulness and fruitfulness. If

you’re part of a Stable church, now is the time to address missional change. Please don’t wait until you’ve reached Critical Moment when the challenges

are far more daunting, or At-Risk when the issues are often insurmountable.

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2011 Assoc. Superintendent Report • Rev. Jason R. Condon • April 30, 2011 • pg. 4 of 4

A Panoramic ViewWhat God Sees (and We Get a Glimpse of)

Sudanese ECC (Manchester, NH) block party for friends & neighbors

Metro Hope ECC (Harlem, NY) worship gathering

St. Paul’s Wolf’s ECC (York, PA), oldest church in the Covenant, est. 1763

Worship Frontier ECC (Brookline, MA) Korean congregation

Twice-monthly community lunch at New Sweden ECC in Northern Maine

www.facebook.com/jasoncondon

Feel free to connect with me and follow along as

I post highlights from church visits and events.

www.flickr.com/photos/ecconf/

You can also find hi-res images from church visits

and events at our ECConf Flickr photo sets.

CLOSING THOUGHTSLiving Into Our Calling

Though these are often

turbulent times we find ourselves

in as pastors, leaders, and

congregations, we know who

Captains the ship. Ours is to

faithfully ride out the storms,

hold fast to Jesus and one

another, and offer rescue to all

we’re called to reach.

I bring with me a seed verse

that profoundly shaped my last

ministry; it continues to serve well:

“ For we are God’s

masterpiece, created in

Christ Jesus to do good

works, which God

prepared in advance to

be our way of life.” – The Apostle Paul (Eph. 2:10)

Let us live into that calling,

though we may never live up to it.

Much grace,Jason R. CondonAssociate Superintendent