Dear CNC Leaders,
One of the blessings of being a part of the greater body of Christ is that we have loving support in times of need. As I’m writing this, I’m sitting in the family waiting room of the surgical wing of Mercy Hospital because my 17-year-old daughter is in the middle of a 5-hour vascular surgery. Hannah developed a blood clot three weeks ago and is having this surgery as a result. See the accompanying picture where my wife, Cassie, is braiding Hannah’s hair this morning ahead of surgery. Cassie’s wearing scrubs because she works at the hospital and was coming off her night shift to meet us in pre-op.
The past few weeks has been a stressful and sometimes worrying time. Yet, I have felt the incredible prayer support from the body of Christ. Earlier this month, I got a chance to speak with a group of 50 retired missionaries and pastors. We figure they have more than 1,000 years of collective ministry experience. It was sweet to hear the prayers around the table and know that there is a great cloud of witnesses who will pray for my oldest daughter as she faces such a scary moment in her young life.
All morning long, I’ve been getting text messages from leaders across our region who have committed to pray today for Hannah. We are trusting in the Lord’s protection and healing! I absolutely love being a part of Converge North Central because there is such a strong commitment to the spiritual work of praying for one another during times of need and times of plenty. Much of this work happens because of relationship. When we are relationally engaged with one another, then it makes us feel a desire to carry one another’s spiritual burdens.
As you are leading in the days and weeks following Easter and making the most of every opportunity, I’d love to encourage you that the relational work of our Converge fellowship is worth investing your time and attention. If our team can help you take another step toward relationship, please reach out. We love to help!
In Christ,
Andy Kumpel
Regional President
Camping
It’s spring cleaning at Trout Lake Camps!
Getting Ready for Camp
Every spring there’s a lot of work to get camp ready for another incredible summer.
Volunteers: It starts with Serve Team volunteers who will help out over the next two months. They do everything, from cleaning and painting to fixing and building. We’re so grateful for their help!
Staff: We’re hiring and training summer staff. If you know anyone looking for more than just a summer job, send them to Trout! “You get to grow in your faith,” said Jaret. “You get to help people grow in their faith and you get to see how the Lord moves in all these amazing campers. It’s probably the best experience you could ever get.” Watch the video
Family Bonding
Our spring retreats and family camps are coming up, which offer a vacation alternative and a chance for real family bonding away from devices and busy schedules.
- Mother & Daughter Retreat – April 24-26
- Father & Son Retreat – May 1-3
- July Family Camp – June 28-July 3 – FULL!
- Labor Day Family Camp – Sept. 4-7
Learn More: https://troutlakecamps.org/retreats/family-retreats
Starting
Why Church Planting — And Why You Might Need to Ask the Question (5 minute read)
There’s a reason church planting has always been part of Converge’s DNA, going back to its founding over 150 years ago. It’s not because it’s trendy. It’s not because it’s efficient. And it’s certainly not because it’s easy.
It’s because new churches reach new people.
Across decades of research and experience, one pattern continues to show up: newly planted churches are disproportionately effective at reaching people who are not currently connected to a church. They engage neighborhoods and demographics in fresh ways, fostering new spiritual conversations. They create fresh entry points for the gospel.
But here’s the deeper reason.
Church planting is not ultimately about strategy. It’s about obedience to the missionary nature of the Church. The Church does not merely gather. It goes. And sometimes going requires starting something that does not yet exist.
There are plenty of assumptions about what church planting is. Let’s clear a few up. Church planting is:
- Starting a new gospel-centered community in a specific context.
- Reaching people who are not currently part of a church.
- Gathering and developing leaders from the ground up.
- Building culture intentionally from day one.
- Deeply relational.
- Often slow.
- Almost always requires resilience.
Who tends to thrive in church planting? Not everyone is called to plant. And that’s healthy. But certain patterns tend to show up in those who are. Their calling often includes:
- Energized by building something from scratch.
- Noticing unreached pockets of people.
- Handling ambiguity reasonably well.
- Recovering from setbacks without quitting.
- Naturally gathering people around vision.
- Caring about reaching those not yet connected to the church.
- Sometimes a feeling of restlessness — not dissatisfaction with their current role, but a pull toward pioneering.
A clarifying question to ask is, “If you never explored church planting, would you regret it?” Not if you never planted. If you never explored it. There’s a difference.
Exploration does not equal commitment. It simply creates space to listen carefully.
Some explore and realize their calling is to strengthen and multiply from within an established church. That’s a win.
Some explore and realize the restlessness was not random. That’s a different kind of win. Discernment honors both outcomes.
Again, exploring church planting is not signing up for a pipeline. The first step is simply conversation. Watch a FAQ Video on church planting. Ask yourself honest questions. Complete a brief interest form. Have a one-on-one conversation with one of our leaders.
From there, if appropriate, we might suggest a light assessment conversation — not to eliminate, but to clarify. You are free at every stage to say, “Not now,” “Not for me,” or “Let’s keep going.”
As Converge North Central, we care deeply about healthy established churches. We also believe multiplication is part of our shared responsibility. If we stop starting new churches, we slowly drift toward preservation. If we steward both — strengthening and starting — we remain faithful to the missionary impulse that has shaped us for generations.
You don’t have to be certain. You don’t have to feel ready. You don’t have to announce anything. You simply have to be willing to ask: Is God inviting me to explore this?
We’d love to help you discern.
In 2025, Kevin and Amy Drehmel planted Harvest Church in Becker MN. Listen here to Kevin’s words of curiosity, exploration, and discernment…and resiliency…that was a part his journey.
If you want to explore a church planting conversation our FAQ Video is a great place to start at your convenience. Contact Joel Nelson at jnelson@convergenorthcentral.org for the link or if you have a question or two.
No pressure. Just clarity.
Joel Nelson
Strengthening
“Always choose Kingdom over castle. This is collaboration over isolation. Stop seeing yourself as the pastor of one church and begin choosing to work as pastors together for your community.” (3 minute read)
This quote captures a breakout session led by Jon Ferguson at the recent Exponential Conference in Orlando. It also reflects a value that has long been part of Converge’s ethos: we are “better together.”
As leaders, are we building something for ourselves—for recognition and admiration—or are we working toward building a Kingdom that benefits others and makes a lasting impact on communities and people? Too often, our default posture is rooted in individualism—the idea that “I can do this all myself.” A go-it-alone mentality sounds like, “Our church has it covered—we don’t need help.”
A kingdom mentality is shaped by praying John 17 prayers. When Jesus prays for all believers, He asks that they would be one—modeling His relationship with the Father and bearing witness to the world. John 17 adds a whole new layer to the importance—a great collaboration—of working together in our ministries.
A kingdom mentality is strengthened when we have friends who are on mission with us. Vision is sharpened. Resources are shared. Encouragement is offered. Accountability keeps us on task. Relationships turn into collaboration, connection, and friendship. Iron sharpens iron.
A kingdom mentality is reinforced by joining a network. Are you experiencing a smaller community of pastors and church leaders where you can support and build one another up? Where you can share the challenges of ministry, gain new ideas, and find fresh perspectives in a safe space?
A couple of years ago, CNC began revitalizing our regional pastor networks. Significant energy has been invested in developing our current Regional Teams. These teams, under the leadership of a CNC pastor, gather regularly to create a relational infrastructure for encouragement, equipping, communication, and advancement.
When your regional team leader reaches out, take the opportunity to connect. Learn what’s happening in your region.
While we’ve made great progress with our regional teams, some regions still need a leader to champion a network of CNC pastors. If you’re unsure who your regional leader is—or want to learn more about stepping into that role—contact CNC at info@convergenorthcentral.org.
“And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Hebrews 10:24-25
Events & Opportunities
May 3, 2026 Converge 170 Days of Prayer Simulcast Online
May 4, 2026 Seminary Preaching Showcase Bethel University – Anderson Center Community Room
May 14, 2026 Evangelism Cohort Preview Online
May 28, 2026 Evangelism Cohort Preview Online
June 4, 2026 Church Planting Assessment Center Berean Baptist Church
June 7, 2026 First Day of Summer Camp Trout Lake Camps
June 11, 2026 Evangelism Cohort Preview Online
June 23-25, 2026 Converge Together 2026 Washington, D.C.
Community of Nations Lead Pastor Roseville MN (job opening)
Prairie Lakes Church Campus Pastor Cedar Falls, IA (job opening)
Bethel Church Director of Kids Ministry Owatonna, MN (job opening)
Prayer
Heavenly Father, we come before you with overflowing gratitude for the hundreds who gave their lives to Jesus this Easter weekend. You alone draw hearts to yourself, and we celebrate each new birth. Amen! We pray for these people that they would be discipled in their local churches.
Lord, your church advances when workers answer the call. Stir the hearts of people across Minnesota and Iowa to step boldly into the church planting pipeline. We need more planters. Multiply CNC’s reach so that more communities may hear the gospel.
Lastly, we pray for the staff at Trout Lake Camps. Strengthen, unite, and sustain them as they prepare to welcome over 5,200 campers this summer. May every young camper be transformed by your truth. Amen.
