Dear CNC Leaders,

God’s faithfulness meets us in every season. Whether it’s false Spring or mud season, when I look out the window at God’s creation I’m always amazed at the Lord’s provision. Ministry has seasons too. You may be facing a season of plenty, where opportunities abound and the challenge is how to remain faithful to your calling among all of the good choices that you have before you. Or you may be facing a season of want, where the decisions feel tough and your faith is the only thing carrying you through.

At Converge North Central, one of our values is 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. As I’m spending time with pastors and key leaders, I’m so encouraged by the way that wise counsel is shared across our movement. Our pastors are so generous with the lessons that God has taught them and they are willing to share that counsel with other like-minded gospel-centered leaders.

The CNC staff team has a collective memory of thousands of real-life examples of churches and leaders who have led through tough times and who have innovated new methods of ministry to advance to gospel during great times for the sake of the gospel of Christ and the advancement of God’s Church. If our team can ever serve you with sharing some of the wise counsel that we’ve learned through the years, we’d love to hear from you.

Many of our pastors are meeting regularly with regional teams to share wise counsel as they lead in the trenches of daily ministry. If you’re not engaged with your regional team, I want to encourage you and challenge you to lean in. We don’t simply say that we are better together, but we really believe that God will do more through us when we are on mission together for His Kingdom.

In Christ,

Andy Kumpel
Regional President

Camping

Spring is a busy season of getting ready for summer camp. Want to help?

Volunteer at Trout

Serve Teams kick off in April to help spruce up Trout before the summer camp season. There’s plenty of work to do for all skills and abilities. Plus you get to hang out at Trout for the week.

Some weeks are already half full, so sign up now!

Here’s a look at one of our new projects—a new petting zoo. To maximize efficiency, we pre-built the structures in our bus garage, then took it apart so it can be quickly rebuilt later this spring. Watch the time-lapse video.

Serve at Trout: https://troutlakecamps.org/retreats/serve-team

Summer Opportunity

Know any students looking for more than just a summer job? Tell them about working at Trout. We’re recruiting everywhere we can—including TikTok. Someone felt called to camp ministry after seeing one of our videos and applied!

Spread the Word: https://jobs.troutlakecamps.org/summer-staff

Starting

“New Church” Goals

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.”

1 Corinthians 3:6

About five years ago, the church planting leadership of Converge set a Spirit-led goal: 312 new congregations in five years. These include church plants, multi-site campuses, and churches that formally affiliated with Converge.

With just a few months remaining in the five-year window, the national total stands at 297 new congregations.

Each region of Converge prayerfully discerned how many new congregations they believed God was calling them to pursue. Five years ago, Converge North Central set a goal of 50 new congregations.

CNC has reached 51 new congregations!

This truly is a shared victory.

Parent churches invested time, energy, and resources to help new congregations take root. Other churches partnered through generous financial support. Some churches developed church planting residencies and internships to raise up future leaders. Planters—and their spouses—stepped out in faith to pursue God’s call to start new churches.

Some congregations multiplied through campuses and multi-site expressions, courageously launching new gatherings to reach different communities with the gospel of Jesus Christ. In many cases, these churches sent a significant number of their own attenders to serve as missionary “hands and feet” in the new congregation.

Still others joined CNC through affiliation. These were churches that had existed for many years but saw the vitality of CNC, resonated with our mission and values, and desired to link arms with what God is doing through our movement. Through conversations with pastors, leaders, and the CNC team, those relationships eventually led to formal partnership.

Every one of these pathways contributed to the 51 new congregations God has added to CNC.

Soon, Converge National will gather regional church planting leaders to prayerfully consider what God may be asking of us in the next five years.

So here are two questions for our churches:

• If your church helped contribute to the 51 over the past five years, might God be inviting you to help add another congregation (or two!) in the next five years? What might that look like for your church?
• If your church was not part of the 51, would you prayerfully consider how you might participate in the next season of multiplication? The CNC team would love to talk with you about what that might look like and possible first steps.

So today, we celebrate.

Fifty-one new congregations now exist because churches of all sizes across CNC chose to invest in something bigger than themselves.

They prayed. They gave. They sent. They stepped out in faith.

And because of that, more people, in more places, are hearing the good news of Jesus.

That’s a Kingdom victory worth celebrating.

Now to him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think…to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”           

Ephesians 3:20–21

Strengthening

What’s Your Calendar Look Like?

As winter (hopefully) fades and we begin anticipating Easter, spring, and even summer, life tends to speed up. An already busy pace often shifts into a higher gear. It’s simply part of the rhythm of ministry, family, and life. 

As the pace of life increases, it’s worth noticing something surprising in the Gospels: Jesus never seems to be in a hurry.

Jesus occasionally traveled by boat, but walking was his primary mode of transportation. Most of his ministry took place within a region of about 100 miles.

Look at John 9: “As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth.”

Notice those first four words: “As he passed by.”

Many events in the life of Jesus happened as he passed by—along the road, in the marketplace, out in the countryside, near the city gate, along the shoreline, or at a dinner table in someone’s home. Very little of Jesus’ ministry happened “at church,” in the temple. Most of it happened while he walked, as he passed by. 

Speed is a prized commodity in our culture. We have a deep desire for efficiency. Life is often lived in a rush. We think, “I did a lot today, but what did I actually do?”

John 9:1 says, “As he passed by, Jesus saw a man blind from birth.” What if he had been running or hurrying? Instead, Jesus moved at a pace that allowed him to see. He saw the man. He saw his need. And he had compassion.

Looking for a healthy pace? Want to find an effective ministry tempo? Desiring the rhythm of life Jesus intends for you? Jesus says, look to me… learn from me.

Jesus was unhurried.

There’s a difference between busy and hurried.

We are going to be busy. Jesus certainly had full days. But he never allowed busyness to sever the life-giving relationship between himself and the Father. And he never allowed busyness to interrupt his ability to love when love was needed.

Hurry isn’t just a disordered schedule. Hurry comes from a disordered heart.

Lives are shaped by hurry lose capacity to love God and love others. Love takes time, and a hurried life rarely has time for love. Hurry prevents us from receiving love from God and giving love to others. That’s why Jesus never hurried.

When he walked the earth, he noticed people. He saw the hurting and those in need as he moved from place to place. In his unhurried life, he was able to stop, listen, and care.

And two thousand years later, Jesus’ pace hasn’t changed.

Following Jesus cannot be done as a sprint. If we want to accept his invitation to learn from him and find his rhythm—we cannot move faster than the one we are following.

The theologian Kosuke Koyama wrote a book titled Three Mile an Hour God. In it he writes: 

“Love has its speed. It is a different kind of speed from the technological speed to which we are accustomed. It goes on in the depth of life at three miles per hour. It is the speed we walk and therefore the speed the love of God walks.” 

In seeking the rhythm God wants for us, some of us may need to unlearn the frantic pace we’ve embraced. Not to avoid work or responsibility. Not to eliminate busyness altogether. But to refuse the kind of hurry that crowds out the unforced rhythms of grace.

If we cannot slow our pace, how will we see God at work? How will we truly see our neighbor? How will we join in the joy of a friend or the suffering of a sibling? If our minds are always racing to the next appointment, or overwhelmed by the endless list of things to do, how will we faithfully represent Jesus and participate in the coming of his Kingdom?

Jesus never seems to be in a hurry. He walked at the speed of love. 

If we move too fast to see people, we may also move too fast to see where God is working.

That kind of life—the unhurried life that notices people—can feel almost impossible in our world. But every once in a while you encounter a story that reminds you what it looks like.

I recently read Allen Levi’s novel Theo of Golden. The story is a picture of a life lived at the pace of attention—where asking questions, listening well, and noticing people becomes its own quiet ministry. 

Theo is not remarkable because of great speeches or dramatic moments. What makes him memorable is something far simpler.

Theo pays attention.

He asks questions. He listens. He learns people’s stories. While others rush past, Theo slows down long enough to see people the way Jesus did—as he passed by. And in those quiet moments of curiosity and kindness, lives begin to change.

If love really moves at three miles an hour, Theo of Golden imagines what a life lived at that speed might look like.

Maybe that’s the invitation for us as well. As our calendars fill and the pace of life speeds up, we don’t have to miss the ministry happening right in front of us. The Kingdom often appears in ordinary moments—in the extra question, the lingering conversation, the willingness to slow down long enough to notice the person God has placed in our path.

Because the love of God still moves at about three miles an hour.

Strategic Partners

Equipping with real-world experience

When Grace Johnson ’25 started wondering if she truly belonged in ministry, a Bethel professor challenged her perspective—and encouraged her to seek real-world experience. That conversation led her to Mill City Church in Minneapolis, where she turned a volunteer role into a part-time internship. There, Grace found a supportive team of mentors and a renewed sense of calling. She gained hands-on experience leading children’s ministry, developing curriculum, and guiding volunteers—and now plans to pursue her master of divinity.

At Bethel, stories like Grace’s aren’t the exception. Every student receives built-in support through the Bethel Career Commitment and The Studio for Vocation and Calling. From one-on-one coaching to hands-on learning and leadership opportunities like Grace had, students are equipped to explore their gifts and launch confidently into their futures.

You can be a key part of that journey! Post your church’s internship opportunities, participate in Bethel’s Church Connection Fair, and connect through Church Relations events, and seminars.

National Office

Dear Pastor and Leader, 

We are pleased to announce that the sale of the Orlando building was finalized on Thursday, February 26, for $8,000,000. Based on a Board of Overseer’s decision in November, net proceeds from the sale will be designated for future facility operations costs. As part of the agreement, we have secured a three-year, rent‑free lease to remain in the current space. 

Our team worked diligently throughout January and February to complete inspections and conduct a full FF&E inventory in preparation for closing. We are grateful for how smoothly the process has gone from start to finish. All three staff members directly affected by this transition have been cared for—two will join CRU, and one will continue with Converge.

With this significant milestone complete, Converge Leadership will now focus on assessing our future office needs, including how we office, workspace design, required square footage, and location.

We praise God for His grace and provision throughout this journey. Thank you for your faithful leadership and partnership in the mission to start and strengthen churches worldwide.

Grace and peace, 

Pastor John K. Jenkins, Sr.                          Pastor Darryn Scheske
President                                                   Chairman – Board of Overseers

Events & Opportunities

April 8, 2026 Retired Pastors and Missionaries luncheon Calvary church – Roseville

April 16-17, 2026 Eagle Brook Association Training Session Eagle Brook church – Apple Valley

May 3, 2026 Converge 170 Days of Prayer Simulcast Online

May 4, 2026 Seminary Preaching Showcase Bethel University – Anderson Center Community Room

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)

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we gather in joyful celebration of the risen Christ — the cornerstone of our faith and the hope for all. We thank you Jesus that you conquered sin and death, and that salvation comes through faith in you alone.

Lord, as we prepare for Easter Sunday, we boldly ask that many hearts would be opened. May those who walk into our CNC churches for the very first time put their trust in you for the very first time. Let this upcoming resurrection morning be full of lives transformed because they follow you.

We also lift up the new church plants recently launched in our region. For their very first Easter Sunday, provide them with faithful ministry leaders and congregations passionate about Matthew 28. May they be rooted in your Word and filled with your Spirit.

In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen.