SAN DIEGO, CA (August 27, 2010) – Construction has begun on a new roofed basketball court in San Juan Laguna, Guatemala, thanks in part to Covenanters who helped Richard Paff raise $26,000 on his record-setting trek during which he shot a basket in each of the 48 states earlier this year.

Paff, a member of College Center Covenant Church, and two friends made the 7,716-mile journey in April. He and 14 other members of the congregation and Grace Covenant Church in Spring Valley, California, just completed a trip to the school where the court and a stage were among several projects.

The roof on the basketball court will enable to school to hold numerous events without being interrupted by rain, which is a daily occurrence, Paff says. Rocks currently are being broken up to be used in a retaining wall that will prevent mudslide from entering the court.

Paff says Covenanters donated funds after reading a news story about the undertaking on the denomination website. He received donations from 177 people in 30 states.

One of Paff’s favorite stops was at Pilgrim Pines Conference Center in Swanzey, New Hampshire. Dave Cairns, executive director, invited the men to shoot a basket at the camp after he read the original story.

Rah to Release Book on Multicultural Ministry

CHICAGO, IL (August 27, 2010) – Soong-Chan Rah, Milton B. Engebretson associate professor of church growth and evangelism, will launch his new book, Many Colors: Cultural Intelligence for a Changing Church, on September 8, coinciding with the Chicago 2010 National Conference of the Christian Community Development Association (CCDA).

North Park University will sponsor and host a roundtable dialogue with Rah from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. in room 600 at the Gleacher Center, as part of the event. After a brief introduction of the book, church leaders will discuss their various approaches to developing multicultural congregations. Rah will be available following the dialogue to sign copies of the book.

Space is limited, and attendance requires an invitation, which may be requested by email. For more information, contact the Center for Youth Ministry Studies at 773-244-5207.

Merge Ministries to Guide Taiwan Summer Program

MCALLEN, TX (August 27, 2010) – The Taiwan Summer Program, which has brought volunteers to teach English on the island, will operate under the guidance of Merge Ministries.

Dave and Judy Dolan, former regional coordinators for the Evangelical Covenant Church Department of World Mission, had overseen the seven-year-old program in cooperation with the Taiwan Covenant Church.

The Dolans are working part-time to write a brief history of the Covenant’s mission work in Taiwan. They have recorded oral histories from Covenant missionaries Ann Carlson, Norm and Martha Dwight, as well as Vernon Wu, national church chairman from Taiwan.

Dave says he was especially thrilled to meet Carlson. She was serving in China when she made the first exploratory trip to Taiwan in 1951 to determine whether the Covenant could work there.