Dear CNC Pastors and Church Leaders,

Your central office team is thrilled when we send start-up funds to a new church plant, or when we help strengthen a church with new ministry tools like our board development program. And we are also excited when CNC church leaders teach their congregations about what it means to be sent to the ends of the earth by developing an international missions strategy they can actually achieve.

That’s why we exist at CNC. To serve you so that you can empower your congregation to make a worldwide impact. 

Help your church do the full extent of its God-given mission. Educate your congregation about what it means to reach the ends of the earth. Help them identify an international community to partner with. Coach them to develop an achievable international missions strategy. We want to help you leverage our partnerships to impact the least-reached around the world:

2:10 FOCUS: Discern a location outside the U.S. where God is leading your church to work.

Converge International Ministries: Support individual global workers and initiatives through Converge’s national church body.

The Timothy Initiative: Partner with local leaders around the world to train disciple-makers and plant churches.

Compassion International: Support children in poverty by sponsoring their education, medical care, and life-skills training.

Let’s be a movement of churches that maximizes our partnerships to reach the least-reached around the world.

Start a convers​ation today about broadening your church’s impact worldwide.

Jon Wicklund
Executive Director of Trout Lake Camps
Interim Regional President of Converge North Central

Camping

So much of what we share is for your families and students, but we also have a wonderful Pastors Study Break too.

1. Winter retreat for you: The Pastors Study Break is coming up January 6-9. It’s a moment for you to rest, connect with Christ, and meet other pastors. Hope to see you there.
2. Summer camp: Summer already? Yes, our summer registration opens December 2. Tell your families so they can get their preferred dates before they fill up. Yes, some camps fill within 3 days.
3. Fall update: “I rededicated my life to Christ this weekend,” said one camper. “The messages were so good and I will forever cherish them in my heart.” Praise the Lord because this fall, 15 youth have said YES to Jesus for the 1st time and 150 campers have rededicated their lives to Christ.
4. New cabin and cottage: We have built a new cabin at The Point which will be ready for summer time use AND the cottage at Trout Lake has the walls going up. This cottage is specifically designed for a pastor and their spouse to come to Trout and relax.

We’re gearing up for the coming seasons and praying for your churches as we approach Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Starting

Planters in the Pipeline

After the Converge Church Planting Assessment Center at Renovation Church in Blaine this past August, three church plants are gearing up for their big launch dates in 2025. Here’s a quick peek at what they’ve got on their “to-do” lists right now:

• Building a network of prayer support
• Raising financial support
• Recruiting and connecting with their launch teams
• Meeting regularly with their coaches
• Partnering with their parent/sending churches
• Leading Bible studies in their communities
• Spending a lot of time at coffee shops meeting people and working
• Networking
• Scouting out potential venues
• Taking prayer walks in their areas
• Working part-time jobs to pay the bills and build relationships
• Taking care of all the necessary legal and financial paperwork
• Figuring out equipment needs and creating a budget
• Asking other churches for equipment donations to ease budget stress
• Communicating regularly with their launch team, prayer partners, and financial supporters
• Developing a website and other marketing tools
• Connecting with community leaders
• Turning their ministry vision from an idea into a reality
• And a whole lot more!

For these three planters, this time of transition from their previous ministry roles to bringing their next calling to life is incredibly busy and often intense. It’s not just about long hours—it can be mentally exhausting, physically draining, and at times, discouraging. The journey leading up to the launch is often when a church planter’s faith is tested the most. 

Would you take a moment to pray for Neil (planting in Carver County), Kevin (planting in Big Lake), and Tom (planting in Zimmerman)? As they prepare for public launches in the fall of 2025, here’s how you can pray for them:

• For perseverance and a clear sense of their calling
• That they’d connect with a “person of peace” in their communities
• Strength to juggle family life, ministry work, and their jobs
• Support for their families, who are also on this journey with them
• Strong faith and encouraged hearts
• That their needs—financial, equipment, venue, and more—will be met
• Blessings on the churches supporting them
• Favor from God and people in their communities
• That these new churches would reach and impact many lives 

Thank you for taking the time to support and lift up these new church planters. It’s a way for you to impact the Kingdom!

Strengthening

Why “Better Together”?

“Better Together” is a phrase that’s been part of Converge for a while now. It’s familiar, it’s clear, and it represents a core value we care about deeply. But, like with any phrase or motto, over time it can start to lose its punch. That doesn’t make it any less true, though!

The idea of synergy—that we’re stronger and more effective when we come together—is powerful. When we collaborate, our combined impact is so much greater than what we could achieve alone.

But just because we know this doesn’t mean we always put it into action. We talk about being “better together” and value partnerships and collaboration, but sometimes those words don’t translate into doing. So what’s getting in the way?

Barriers to Collaboration
Here are some common obstacles that keep us from moving beyond the idea of “better together” to actually living it out:

• Castles vs. Kingdoms: Are you building something for yourself—for recognition and admiration—or are you working towards building a Kingdom that benefits others and makes a lasting impact in communities, ministries, and organizations?
• Pride: Pride can be sneaky, and we might not even notice it. It often shows up in thoughts like “I don’t need help,” “I’ve got this under control,” or “If I partner up, someone else might get the credit.” This mindset keeps collaboration at bay.
• Individualism: This is similar to pride but focuses more on a “go it alone” mentality. It’s the idea that “I can do it all myself” or “There’s nothing anyone else can add.” When we stick with this mindset, we miss out on so much potential.
• Scarcity Mentality: This one’s tough because we all have limits on our time, budget, and capacity. Scarcity can make us focus on what we don’t have. But while it might shape our reality, it’s not God’s reality. With faith and trust, we can focus on what we do have. Working together makes the most of whatever we’ve got.

Why Being “Better Together” Matters

• Vision: There’s something energizing about dreaming big, especially when we do it with others. Working together expands what we think is possible for the Kingdom.
• Relationships: Collaboration builds friendships, connections, and a network of people who share the same mission.
• Investment: When we partner up, we get access to more resources, different perspectives, and new opportunities. It spreads out the risks and increases the chances of success.
• Results: Working together holds us accountable and helps us achieve clear goals.

Not too long ago, I went to a conference where a speaker talked about combining the Great Commission and the Great Commandment with a third idea—the Great Collaboration.

A Fresh Take

This might not be a brand-new idea for you, but it was for me. I’d always connected the Great Commission and the Great Commandment but hadn’t really thought about how collaboration ties in, as seen in John 17. It added a whole new layer to the importance of working together in our ministries.

The “Jesus Mission” is all about the intersection of making disciples (the Great Commission), loving God and our neighbors (the Great Commandment), and doing it together (the Great Collaboration). When we come together with these goals, we make a bigger difference—together

Events & Opportunities

Jan 6-9, 2025 Pastor’s Study Break Trout Lake Camps

Feb 24-25, 2025 EBA Cohort Eagle Brook White Bear Lake campus, MN

Feb. 29-March 1 2025 CNC Biennial Eden Prairie, MN

April 3-4, 2025 EBA Cohort Eagle Brook Apple Valley campus, MN

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

City View Church Director of Operations Mpls, MN (job opening)

Livingwaters Church Director of Student/Youth Ministries Lakeville, MN (job opening)

Calvary Church Contemporary Worship Pastor/Campus Pastor Roseville & White Bear Township (job opening)

Strategic Partners

Bethel University fuses transformative academics with a vibrant, Christ-guided community, empowering students to propel their lives forward and become who God has called them to be.

Eric Puumala was called to be a scientist. At Bethel, his faith deepened as he discovered more about God through studying the smallest building blocks of life. And throughout his journey, he was mentored and challenged by professors who prepare students to be good at their professions but to also make a spiritual difference. Eric graduated with a B.S. in biology/pre-medicine and intends to become a physician, serving others with Christ-like care. Watch the video to learn more about Eric’s story.

Another BU update: wanting to make this transforming education more attainable for more students, Bethel recently announced a tuition repositioning for its College of Arts & Sciences. The revised tuition structure better aligns with Bethel’s values and drops tuition from $44,050 to $25,990 starting with the 2025-26 school year. It’s transparent, clear, and much-needed for families making college decisions. Learn more about Bethel’s tuition repositioning.

Prayer

Dear Jesus,

As we enter into this time of year which is filled with packed schedules, shopping lists, and numerous work and family get-to-gethers, may you calm our hearts and prompt us to daily focus on you. Help us to draw closer to your word. Remind us that you are our hope, our joy, our comfort. Help us to be church leaders who actively pursue you and encourage others to have a relationship with you. We want to be sisters and brothers in Christ who are committed to reaching the ends of the earth. We ask these things in your powerful name. The name above all else. Thank you Jesus.

Amen.