Contact: Jonathan Wicklund, 651.278.8077, jWicklund@TroutCamps.org Thursday, June 20, 2024 - Converge North Central has received a $1.25 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. The purpose of the grant is: (1) provide financial education for pastors (2) provide personal financial plans through a 3rd party firm (3) when needed, provide money for their individual retirement plans. This grant will be implemented in partnership with the financial stewardship department of CNC, the lead pastor, and their local church board.

All three of my kids and their spouses run. I mean, they do it for fun. No one’s making them do it. I have no idea where they got the idea that running outside year-round in Minnesota is enjoyable. They certainly didn’t get it from me. They all started after they moved out. But they’re into it. They do 5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons, and full marathons. They’ve done races in Fargo, Grandma’s, the Twin Cities, New York, and even Boston. Me? I don’t run. I walk.

I've been reflecting lately on the idea of legacy. We often think of legacy as passing down influence and resources to the next generation. But it's also about the qualities and values that define us. It's what we hope people will say about us at our memorial service or how they'd sum up our time on earth.

I’ve been friends with Bruce for 35 years beginning when we were roommates in college. I was in his wedding, and he was in mine. We still get together with our wives on a regular basis.

I was scrolling through my twitter feed, when I saw an article written by Ryan Burge. He first came on my radar a few years back when he spoke at a conference I was attending. He’s a university professor, pastor and author who does research and makes graphs on religion. Perhaps you’ve seen his book, The Nones: Who They are and Where They Are Going.