Dear Pastors and Influential Leaders,

We look forward to seeing you soon at our Biennial. If you haven’t register yet, please do so now!

There are many programs and offerings CNC provides the local church which are a huge benefit. Most of these initiatives help pastors become healthier which fosters healthier congregations. One of these offerings is our regional team network. Did you know we have a built-in ministry support network for our church leaders.

Who are your people? At Converge North Central, we believe we are better with others by our side.

Your Converge North Central regional leader is available 24-7 for wisdom, support, and practical help. When you connect with your leader, join a cohort of 5–12 others for peer support, your church gets a third-party mentor who can help with a variety of needs. Many of our regions have leaders and we are still looking for several more. Contact Joel Ne​lson if you are interested in serving as a regional team leader.

Energizing pastors
As a pastor, you meet with a cohort at least four times per year for refreshment, education, and support. Your regional leader facilitates connections and helps you reflect on ministry and personal health. Most cohorts are geographically based.

Hone your church and board leadership
Your regional leader can help you set the course for healthy ministry, course-correct when issues arise, and find vetted resources. Leaders help with conflict resolution, pastoral searches, board and leadership training, and more.

I highly recommend engaging in this network as I have seen first-hand how pastors are encouraged, connected and equipped for ministry.

Thanks for your partnership.

In Christ,

Jonathan Wicklund
Interim Regional President

Camping

We’ve got a winter update, plus opportunities for families, summer jobs, and volunteers.

1. Family Camp: Registration for family camp is now open. There are two options, June 29-July 4 and Labor Day weekend. These fill up fast, so tell your families now.
2. Summer staff: Are your students looking for summer jobs? Tell them about working at Trout for an adventure that’s so much more than just another summer job.
3. Serve Team: Teams of volunteers help us get ready for summer camp starting in April. If your church has volunteers looking for opportunities, point them to Serve Team.

Making the Most of Winter
Here’s what people had to say about our winter retreats:

• “I loved chapel, the food was awesome! And I can’t wait until next time!” -Camper
• “This was my first time bringing a youth group on a retreat that I wasn’t in charge of coordinating and leading, and it was absolutely incredible and exceeded even my highest expectations!” -Youth Pastor

See more pics and video of all the winter fun!

Thanks
We love teaming up with local churches. Thanks for your ongoing partnership.

Starting

What happens at a Church Planting Assessment Center

I’m writing this while attending the Converge Church Planters Assessment Center as an assessor. We’ve got 11 candidate couples and about 20 assessors from all over the country. One of the couples is even from CNC! It’s a packed three days—starting early, ending late, and full of incredible conversations and experiences.

So, what actually happens at an assessment center?
The candidates go through a whirlwind of activities designed to help them—and us—figure out if church planting is the right path for them. Here’s a quick rundown of what they do:

• Micro Interviews (short, focused Q&A sessions)
• Ministry Presentations, where they share a mini-sermon, their call to church planting, and their philosophy of ministry (with more Q&A)
• Personality and Leadership Testing (because knowing yourself matters!)
• Case Studies, covering team-building, momentum, agenda harmony, and—most importantly—the calling from God
• Bible Knowledge Survey (no pressure, right?)
• Evangelism Exercise
• Ministry Interview
• Counselor Interview
• Church Planting Strategy Project and Presentation

And in between all of that, we have discussions and presentations about what it really takes to plant a church. Honestly, at times, it feels like a church service. Candidates are challenged to understand who God made them to be, how He’s calling them, and what it truly costs to step into church planting.

Now, the assessors aren’t just watching and taking notes during all this—we’re deeply involved. But our real work kicks in after the candidates finish their assessments. That’s when we gather to review everything we’ve heard, observed, and discussed.

We go through notes, compare insights, discern, and pray—a lot. We’re looking at how each couple aligns with the core building blocks of church planting. And after much discussion (and even more prayer and discernment), we put together a personalized report for each couple.

The report gives one of three recommendations:

1. Recommend
2. Recommend with Conditions
3. Not Recommend

It also highlights specific growth areas and provides guidance on where they might be best suited for ministry.

This whole process has been refined over the years with wisdom, best practices, and, most importantly, prayer. The goal? To speak truth into the candidates’ lives and help them discern their next steps.

If you’re curious to learn more about the Church Planters Assessment Center, reach out to Joel Nelson at jnelson@converg​enorthcentral.o​rg.

Strengthening

One of my social media follows is Dave Adamson (@aussiedave). After spending seven years as the Social Media Pastor at North Point Ministries in Atlanta, he returned to his native Australia, where he continues leading and serving in various ministries. He wrote a book called 52 Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know and has been posting threads on different Hebrew words on his Instagram feed. These posts have become a daily devotion for me.

Lately, I’ve been working on a project about sabbaticals. (A little teaser here—it’s not ready yet, but coming soon!) So, the ideas of sabbaticals and rest have been floating in and out of my mind for the past few weeks. That’s why I was especially interested when I saw @aussiedave post a thread on Instagram last week about the surprising truth of biblical rest.

Here’s a summary:

We often think of “rest” as doing nothing. But an ancient Hebrew word for rest reveals something deeper.

The Hebrew word we translate as “rest” in the Bible is nuach, which comes from the same root as the name Noah.

Adamson explains that the story of Noah teaches us something unexpected: true rest isn’t about escaping work—it’s about finding peace in faithful purpose. Rest isn’t just relaxation or comfort; it’s sacred alignment and purposeful peace.

In our fast-paced world, we chase rest in many ways. We download apps to help us be more mindful and contemplative. We book vacations to unplug. We schedule “me” days for self-care and a slower pace.

But Adamson poses an important question: “What if we’re looking for rest in the wrong places?”

Real rest isn’t about stopping everything. It comes when our actions align with God’s purpose, when our steps follow His lead, and when our work flows from faith rather than pressure.

Consider Noah. The ark came to rest in the seventh month—echoing God’s rest on the seventh day.

What if real rest isn’t about doing nothing, but about doing what truly matters?

Check out @aussiedave. Be looking on the sabbatical resource coming soon. Do what truly matters. Find rest.

My presence will go with you and I will give you rest. Exodus 33:14

Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Events & Opportunities

Feb 24-26, 2025 Pastor’s Prayer Retreat Trout Lake Camps Pine River, MN

Feb 24-25, 2025 EBA Cohort Eagle Brook White Bear Lake campus, MN *Scholarships available, contact Joel Nelson*

Feb. 28-March 1 2025 CNC Biennial Eden Prairie, MN

April 3-4, 2025 EBA Cohort Eagle Brook Apple Valley campus, MN *Scholarships available, contact Joel Nelson*

April 7-9, 2025 Everyday Pastor’s Gathering Gary, SD

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)

Calvary Church High School Director White Bear Township, MN (job opening)

Strategic Partners

Strategic Team-Makers has been a longtime ministry partner of Converge North Central. Over the years, they have worked with the CNC staff, Trout Lake Camps staff, and more than 15 individual CNC churches.

In addition, they have provided the testing and counseling component for the Converge National Church Planters Assessment Center for more than 30 years. They have also served other Converge regions and districts.

Their contributions to CNC ministries and churches are numerous, including individual coaching, guidance in staff hiring and development, board chemistry, team development, conflict resolution, change management, and more. They collaborate with churches and teams to customize tools and resources that best meet their needs.

Ultimately, Strategic Team-Makers exists to help people and organizations thrive by building strong, healthy relationships.

For more information, visit their webpage at www.stmi.biz or contact Steve Dahl at steved@stmi.biz​. Tell him CNC told you to call!

Prayer

Dear Jesus,

As we continue our journey as a movement of churches within Converge North Central, we pray you would guide and direct our listening sessions and the search process for our next regional president. We pray for the search team, that they would remain close to you and seek your wisdom during this transition time. Also, we pray our CNC Saturday and Sunday worship services would be a time when we as communicators of the gospel, boldly proclaim the transformational message of you. May many come to know you for the very first time. Praying Romans 1:16-17. In your holy name…Amen