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April 2025, CNC newsletter

Dear CNC Family,
We are so thankful for your amazing leadership in your church. Each week during our staff meeting, the CNC staff gives God the glory for what He is accomplishing
in your churches. Know that we will be praying for you during the weekend and our hope is that many will come to know Jesus for the 1st time. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your ministries.
Every once and a while it is good to remind ourselves the value of being a part of the CNC family. It is good to know what we do, how we do it, and what are the
core values of CNC that bind us together. Remember, Converge North Central partners with influential leaders to help churches move forward. The reality is we can go farther and be better when we work together. So we partner to build healthy leaders and congregations
so they can more effectively share the gospel.
CNC’s organizational values that help churches become healthier are:
Gospel centered:
Scripture is foundational, churches are instrumental, and the gospel is central. All of our work is focused on expanding God’s kingdom by encouraging people to have an active, growing relationship with Jesus.
Cooperative engagement:
We want to come together with churches in a spirit of cooperation. We work side by side, arm in arm, tackling the toughest challenges. That means we focus on relationships, build trust, and communicate in a personal, casual style. We’re ready to dive
in with you. Let’s work together.
Wise counsel:
We help people make good decisions. We’ve been in the trenches and faced complex, overwhelming situations—and we’ve found a way through. We take the time to listen and understand, helping leaders process complex issues before offering helpful direction.
We value practical experience, clear processes, and tested advice.
Humble servanthood:
We’re ready to step in and help no matter what. We listen, care, and engage, offering our advice, counsel, and help graciously. We’re not here to take over—we’re here to serve. That means building relationships, respecting expertise, and working for
your success.
Bold generosity:
We offer incredible value and make the most of what we have. We’ve all been helped by tremendous blessings in our lives, so we go above and beyond in giving back. Whether it’s our time, energy, or budget, we want to be abundantly generous.
These five values are the bedrock that form the foundation of the CNC organization. We will hold onto these values even as we look for our next CNC regional president.
Let’s continue to pray for the search team as they begin their process. Thanks!
In Christ,
Wick
Interim Regional President

We love partnering with churches and we rely on you to send campers and staff to support camp.

 

  • Summer job: College-aged students can join our summer staff for an amazing summer
    of ministry experience. “You come here to spread the Word, and it is so rewarding.” said Brother Bear, who came all the way from Scotland to work at Trout. “If you’re second guessing it, just do it, you won’t regret it.” Watch
    the video

 

  • More summer jobs: Middle and high school students can also work at Trout as part
    of the Disciple Team (DTeam). A youth pastor just told us some of his students are DTeamers and they have a resilient faith: “Trout is a big part of that! Thank you for investing in them.” Tell your students about this one-of-a-kind experience where they can
    deepen their relationship with Jesus in a unique camp community. Share
    the video

 

  • DIY Trout: We have organized retreat weekends at Trout, but you can also plan your
    own event. Rent Trout for your church and get full access to all of our activities and facilities. Reach out to Lydia Stoll for
    details. Learn
    more

Where Do You Find a Church Planter?

It’s a no-brainer that planting a new church is Step 2 in a larger
pathway. Step 1 is finding someone who is called, qualified, and capable of planting that church!

Historically, church planters were often found coming out of Bible college or
seminary, or from within existing church staff—typically youth pastors or others in pastoral roles.

While those avenues have evolved as the ministry landscape has changed, they remain
valuable streams and continue to serve as pipelines into church planting.

But they’re not the only pathways. There are other places where called, qualified,
and capable church planters can be found.

Let’s revisit a conversation between Joel Nelson and Marlan Mincks about where
potential church planters might emerge—you might even know one and not realize it!

Watch
the video.

Church planting is alive and well in CNC. Six new churches are set to launch this
fall. Another five church planting candidates are expected to attend a Converge National Church Planting Assessment Center before the end of the year. And in June 2026, CNC will host an assessment center in the Twin Cities.

If you’d like help identifying a potential church planter, are interested
in having your church parent a new church, or if you sense that church planting might be something God is calling you to, reach out to

Joel Nelson at ​CNC.

strengthening pic

Trends in Church Staffing

Within Converge North Central about ten percent of our churches at any given time are either considering or actively
engaged in a lead pastor search process. Nationally, the American clergy population is aging—the average age has increased from 50 in 2000 to 57 in 2020.

The result is a growing number of churches seeking new pastoral leadership. And that statistic only includes lead
pastors. When you add searches for youth pastors and other associate positions, it’s likely that a majority of CNC churches will be involved in some form of staffing decision over the next few years.

One of our ministry partners,
Chemistry
Staffing
, offers a wide range of resources on their website, including webinars and podcasts focused on church staffing and hiring. One of their co-founders recently hosted a webinar titled Top
Ten Changes in Church Staffing in 2025
. You can watch the webinar below:

Watch
the Webinar

If your church is preparing to enter a search process, CNC is here to help. Feel free to reach out to our office—we’d
love to walk alongside you and explore the best options for your situation.

Save the date! Global Leadership Summit 2025 at
Bethel
University

Be equipped by ministry experts, build community,
and be encouraged in your own leadership journey at the 2025
Global
Leadership Summit
(GLS), August 7-8.

This year, Bethel University is excited to host you and other
ministry leaders in the Twin Cities area. Come solo or bring your team—together, we’ll experience the GLS simulcast. 

You’ll gain actionable leadership insights and collaborate with
others who want to make an impact in their communities. You’ll also receive seven days of video-on-demand following the summit to rewatch the talks and be empowered to lead wherever you’re serving! 

Don’t miss out on early-bird pricing through May 7, 2025. And
you can register as a group! 

Register
now

Events and opportunities
May 14-15, 2025

EBA Training
Bridge Cities Church Bettendorf, IA. Training is free. Travel and lodging scholarships available, contact

Joel Nelson

June 19, 2025

CNC-Under The Hood webinar
9:00am-9:45am

October 23-24, 2025 Fix The Finances 2.0 St. Paul, MN (Save the date)

Lake Sarah Baptist Church Director
of Family Life Ministries
 Slayton, MN (job opening)

Westbrook Community Church

Lead Pastor
Chanhassen
, MN (job opening)

City Church

Pastor of Worship Arts & Formation
Mpls
, MN (job opening)

Dear Jesus,
It is our prayer that we would not be ashamed of the gospel. May we always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope
that you have. Lord, prompt us to be bold in sharing our faith and to do this with gentleness and respect. For those who make a 1st time decision to follow you this weekend, we ask you would raise up disciple makers to help come alongside these new followers
of you. Move in a powerful way this weekend. We pray all of this in your name Jesus. Amen.
10173 Trout Lake Drive, Pine River, MN 56474

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Call: 651-633-0560