GRAND RAPIDS, MI (May 5, 2010) – The Grand Rapids Press published a lengthy feature story on the Slack family who are members of Thornapple Covenant Church and have produced four consecutive generations of Eagle Scouts.

Peter Slack became the latest to reach the rank. His great-grandfather, Arthur Slack, started the tradition in 1920, just 10 years after the organization was established in the United States.

Making the accomplishment even more noteworthy is that only two percent of Boy Scouts ever earn the Eagle rank due to the extensive requirements. For his Eagle project, Peter organized teams that built a footbridge – some 20 feet in length –  that stretches across a nature trail on his high school’s campus. He worked about 100 hours on the project.

“I’m proud to be carrying on the Scouting tradition,” 15-year-old Peter told the newspaper. “And I know I’ve made my dad proud and my grandfather proud and my great-grandfather looking down from heaven proud.”

Peter is the son of Paul and Barbara Slack.

Prudek Addresses Pain, Suffering On Remembrance Day

YEREVAN, ARMENIA – Evangelical Covenant Church Missionary Fred Prudek was one of nearly a million people who attended a somber April 24 Remembrance Day ceremony to recall the genocide of 1.5 million Armenians during World War One.

Prudek, who was teaching two courses in practical theology at the Armenian Theological Seminary, spoke to university students on the topic of pain and suffering.

His travel from Prague, Czech Republic, to Yerevan was delayed three days due to the volcanic ash that grounded flights in Europe.

Workshop Offers Non-Profit Development Tools

NAPERVILLE, IL – The Central Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church is sponsoring “Basic Tools and Processes to Guide Program Development for Non-Profits,” a workshop to be conducted May 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Naperville Covenant Church.

The workshop is presented by the conference’s Transforming Communities Outreach and facilitated by Morris Williamson. Participants will use basic assessment and organizational development tools that help drive organizational change and improvement. The tools include the basics of social marketing, planning programs to bring about social change, and reviewing a capacity building model for faith-based and community organizations partnership.

The cost is $25 per person or $75 for up to four members from the same church. To register online, click here. The registration form also can be downloaded here. Forms should be mailed to the conference office by May 10.

For more information, contact Debbie Griffith Samuels at 773-267-3060. The event will be rescheduled if there are not at least 10 participants or three churches registered.