Peter Hawkinson, Senior Pastor
Peter is a lifelong Covenant member with a passion for helping people of all faith backgrounds and walks of life forge a closer relationship with God. He grew up on Chicago’s North Side, attending North Park Covenant church. His dad was a pastor and editor of The Covenant Companion. After earning degrees from Covenant Bible College, the University of North Dakota and North Park Theological Seminary, Peter joined Winnetka Covenant in 1989 as youth pastor, and went on to pastor Covenant churches in Seattle and Minneapolis. Peter rejoined Winnetka Covenant as associate pastor in 2001, and has served as lead pastor since 2005. An avid reader (especially historical fiction), Peter likes music, sports and coffee. He and his wife Bonnie—new empty-nesters—have three daughters who, he says, “fill our
Jen Christianson, Associate Pastor
Jen loves to connect with and nurture people in their walk with God, bringing her vibrant faith and intellectual curiosity to each encounter. She grew up in Attleboro, Mass., attending the local Covenant church. She earned her B.A. degree in history from Gordon College in Wenham, Mass., and her Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. Prior to coming to Winnetka Covenant in 2018, Jen was a three-year Pastoral Resident at Covenant Presbyterian Church In Charlotte, North Carolina. In her new post, she is focusing on pastoral care, adult Sunday school, Wednesday night group discussions and older adults at Covenant Village. “I fell in love with Winnetka Covenant,” Jen says. “You have a deep heart for the gospel, and a deep love for each other.”
Joel Brand, Youth Pastor
Joel lights up a room with his enthusiasm and sense of fun that’s grounded by his deep love for God and the journey they’ve been on together since his teens. He grew up in Minnesota, the fifth generation of his family to attend First Covenant Church in St. Paul. Joel gave his life to Christ at age 16, and earned his youth ministry degree at North Park in 2013. In 2017, he earned his Master of Divinity degree at North Park, where he also served as chaplain of the men’s basketball team. Joel came to Winnetka Covenant as youth pastor in 2017, and in his spare time, “I love sports, especially basketball—I could debate NBA stats all day.”
Winnetka Covenant Church Blog 