From the Archives of

The Daily Inter Lake

Kalispell, Montana

 

 

"First Nations Monday a call for American Indian ministries"

By Heidi Gaiser

November 3, 2001

 

When Jeny Covill looks at the small percentage of born-again Christians on American Indian reservations, she believes it may be partly due to a lack of support for evangelism efforts.

 

In her work with Hungry Horse-based Warriors for Christ!, Covill found that a sense of isolation is prevalent among Christians working with American Indians.

 

In response, Covill has founded First Nations Monday, a ministry run primarily over the Internet that focuses on prayer and encouragement.

 

"For people involved in Native American ministries, there is a considerable lack of support and resources like buildings, fellowship, promotion," said Covill, who bases her ministry from her Columbia Falls home. "They feel like they are really alone."

 

Once a month, at least 200 people who have committed to pray are given the requests of more than 60 American Indian ministry workers from throughout the United States and Canada. Covill compiles the requests and sends them over the Internet.

 

On the first Monday of each month, the group prays for those concerns. Covill also sends out prayer requests to a daily prayer network via the Internet.

 

Covill has produced a weekly prayer guide for American Indians and people serving in American Indian ministries. The suggestions are also available as a weekly prayer alert for those on an e-mail list.

 

First Nations Monday reaches beyond the Internet to the airwaves. Local Christian radio station KALS has been running a 60-second public service announcement on Mondays at approximately 7:40 a.m. The spot features an attention-grabbing question, a scripture reading and a call to prayer.

 

"We’re using as many forms of media as we can," Covill said.

 

The prayer network is just one aspect of First Nations Monday. Covill also uses the Internet as a resource base, providing contact information for First Nations churches, organizations, ministries, tribes and reservations, gatherings and powwows, and outreach events.

 

Also listed are sources for Christian music, books, and other literature centered around American Indian ministries. Covill provides Web site design and creates Web networks for First Nations ministries.

 

Covill is part Cherokee, but had no ties to Native American people or a reservation while growing up in the Midwest. She said in 1997 when she was living in California: "The Lord just broke my heart for Native American people."

 

Shortly thereafter, she and her husband moved to Columbia Falls, and she began working as a secretary to Warriors for Christ! founder Art Begay.

 

"I became increasingly aware of the needs of other native churches," Covill said.

Part of her mission with First Nations Monday is to make the Christian church as a whole more aware of the work of those in American Indian ministries.

 

"Some of the denominations are just starting to recognize the needs, but if you look at Christian magazines or listen to the radio, they never have native cultures represented," Covill said. "There are white, Hispanic, black, but no Native Americans. There are a lot of strong native Christian people who can minister to the body of Christ."

 

Through First Nations Monday, Covill hopes to promote American Indian Christians who have gifts to share.

 

"There are a number of really talented native Christian worship teams," she said. "We’ve recently been starting to get connected with the state Indian Affairs department, to see if we can promote more natives in our state."

 

The First Nations Monday Web site is located at http://www.firstnationsmonday.com . Covill can be reached through e-mail .

The Daily Inter Lake

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First Nations Monday is a ministry of
Running Brook Ministries International