Our Postcards from the Midwest Conference are short and encouraging looks at what God is doing in churches across the Midwest Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church – Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, western Missouri, Nebraska, and Wyoming. We’re celebrating faithfulness, fresh vision, and the beauty of ministry in all shapes and sizes.
‘Many Nations’ Gather as One
Four languages. Multiple congregations. One shared prayer.
On February 15, Centennial Covenant Church in Littleton, Colorado hosted its fourth Many Nations gathering – an evening where churches and ministries came together to worship and pray across cultures and languages.
Partnering with Centennial this year were Oasis de Salvación, Imani Restoration Center Church, and North Littleton Promise, a ministry serving the Latino community. Just over 100 people gathered.
Many Nations began in 2021 when Centennial’s Global Team sought ways to grow in global awareness and recognized that meaningful cross-cultural relationships were already present in their own city.
The first gathering, held outdoors in August 2021, had a festival feel with shared ethnic food and joint worship. Since then, the format has varied – shared meals, worship nights, and services around Thanksgiving and Good Friday – but the heart has remained the same.
“The focus has always been on the simple ongoing goal of relationship and connection,” said David Dillon, pastor of Worship & Communications.
This year’s gathering reflected the changing makeup of the city and the Covenant family. Worship and prayer were offered in Spanish, Swahili, English, and Mongolian.
Pastor Carla Cortez of Oasis de Salvación, participating for the first time, shared, “What stood out most was the beautiful expression of unity through different cultures, languages, and churches worshiping and praying together.”
Pastor Samuel Ndegwa, of Imani Restoration Center Church, described the evening as “a beautiful moment for the body of believers being together,” adding, “Hearing prayers and worship in multiple languages was deeply moving. It felt like a glimpse of heaven.”
During corporate prayer, Ndegwa said, “There was a tangible sense of unity and shared purpose in the room. It didn’t feel like an event but it felt like a movement of the Spirit bringing people together across cultural lines.”
Dillon and Centennial Lead Pastor Karl Helvig summarized Many Nations as, “God’s multi-ethnic body gathering together to worship, pray with, and pray for one another in our shared Kingdom mission.” – “a delightful foretaste of what we read in Revelation 7:9-10.”
Reflecting on the broader impact, Pastor Ndegwa shared, “My hope, and I trust is the hope of all of us, is that this unity continues to extend into everyday life – into our neighborhoods, our partnerships, and our shared mission.” He added, “In a world often divided by culture, language, and background, coming together in worship demonstrates the reconciling power of Christ. It is a foretaste of heaven and a reminder that unity in diversity is not just possible – it is God’s design.”
Many Nations offers a simple, faithful witness: the church worshiping as one.
