ICan Reminder

Time to Remember - First Sunday in 2012 means ICAN Food Offering. Bring them in this Sunday. We heard they especially could use bars of soaps, peanut butter, jelly, toilet paper, paper towels, etc., but whatever you can bring, it will be used.

New Year Events

"O God, Our help in ages past, our hope for years to come." I can't say it any better than Isaac Watts, but here we stand ready to jump into a Brand New Year with Brand New Opportunities, knowing that the Lord has seen us through, and will walk with us through the future.

Get Fit for 2012
While this week between Christmas and New Years is kind of slow, still be thinking ahead.

This Thursday Evening our Zumba class will be meeting and once again on Monday January 2. What a way to end the year and start a new one, but being committed to getting active.

Weight Wise and Pilates will resume next week as well.

Start 2012 with the Lord in His Worship
This Coming Sunday,  January 1, 2012, we are back on our regular schedule with the First Worship Services of the year. We will participate in a time of Renewing Our Covenant with the LORD and with His Church. In my message we will look back at the history of Covenant, as we prepare to look forward to our building program. There is so much good news to report over the next few weeks.

Start 2012 with Study
Wednesday January 4th, our Wednesday Night Dinners will resume along with our Academy.
Class #1 - Financial Peace University, a 13 week class helping set priorities in your stewardship of God's resources, if you have not yet registered online, call the church office and Rev. Byron to get the information needed.
Class #2 - Dr. Ardith Sudduth and I will teach during January sessions on death, dying, aging issues, etc. Each week stands alone, but come hear about our spiritual understanding of the circle of life.

Starting 2012 by Serving  
Finally, but certainly not least, beginning in the New Year, Melissa Bowen will be helping me with our Children's Ministry. The Lord has convicted her of our need for serving as the Director of Children's Ministries for our church. She brings to this position, a love of the Lord, a love of the church, and her many gifts for planning, organizing, and serving. She has agreed to do this for a while, giving us the opportunity to take our time in seeking someone else.

The Children's Ministry is looking for a few good men, and women!  If you feel a calling to work with the future of Church of the Covenant, please contact Melissa Bowen to discover the ways you can make a Christian difference.  Melis811@aol.com or 254.1505.  Thank you!

Sincerely,

---

"O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come,
be thou our guide while life shall last, and our eternal home."  
O Lord, we know this has been a year that challenged many of us in many ways, with pain, doubt, anguish, and loss, but we have held on just because at times, that is the only thing we could do. So Lord, we pray for new life, new beginnings, healing for our pains, strength to go forward, as we pray in this new year, we may move from fear into hope as we eagerly await to discover the many blessings, both great and small that lie ahead of us. Amen!

From the Music Director - end of the year

I want to end 2011 with thanks. Thanks to and for all of the volunteers in all of the music ensembles. Thanks to and for the worship leaders. Thanks to and for the instrumentalists. Thanks to and for our wonderful pastoral leadership. Thanks to and for all the church members and attendees that have supported the music ministry. Thanks to and for all the wonderful friends and strangers that stepped up to support me during (what I hope is) the most difficult time of my life. Thanks to and for wonderful in-laws that give me family where I once had none. I want to give thanks for all of these things.

But, that doesn't change all of the other emotions that I'm experiencing at the same time. I also want to focus on all the others in our church and community that are going through the holiday season in grief. Like me, the grieving may be recent. Other have been dealing with their loss much longer. In the same breath that I lift up my thanks I also lift up all of us who are struggling this Christmas. I ask you to please do the same. God DOES answer prayers. Please, send them out and send them often.

And finally, I pray that God blesses all of our families with the best possible Christmas ever.

God Bless,

December 25, 2011 Sermon Download Available

Yesterday morning's sermon, The Real Story Behind the Story, is now available for free download from our website. http://tinyurl.com/5j6nl3.

Merry Christmas!

Do not forget, Christmas Eve - two candlelight Holy Communion Services. Special music by the Joyful Sounds (a women's group) and Auriel Campbell. Plus, celebrating the Presence of Christ in our World with Communion and Lights.  4:00pm and 5:30pm.

Tomorrow, Christmas Day, one service only - 10:00am. Parents let your children bring a small quiet gift to be a part of the Blessing of the Toys. You will still have plenty of time to get home and have your Christmas Dinner.

And may the Peace of Christ find a home in your heart this busy Christmas Season. After all, Christmas is about God coming to us in our greatest need. HE offered Himself for our Salvation and our Wholeness.

Merry Christmas and May We see Jesus is the Reason!

December Youth News

I would first like to welcome Becca Wharton to Hwy. 4:12, our youth program. She is a UL student that will be helping to build our Jr. High group. She is already hard at work with great ideas and lots of energy. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful young woman.

Hwy. 4:12 (Jr. and Sr. High youth group) and CYAG (Covenant Young Adults Group) have been really busy making wreaths to raise money for Acquire the Fire. We would like to thank everyone for buying wreaths and supporting our efforts. We have several activities planned for December and January. On Sunday, December 4th, we will be going to Build-A-Bear for our annual trip to make bears for the Lafayette Police Department.

We will also have our youth Christmas Party at Jennifer Blanchard's home that evening. (Remember to bring a wrapped white elephant!) On December 18th we will sort the Angel Tree gifts immediately following the 11:00 service. After the youth meeting, we will go grocery shopping for the Angel Tree. If you have never joined us, please try and do so, you don't know what you are missing.

On Monday, December 19th, the young adults will have their Christmas party and yes, you also need to bring a wrapped white elephant. We have not finalized the plans yet, but we will go out to eat at a local restaurant. In January, instead of the same old "lock in", we will do something new. We will have a "lock out". If you want to learn more about a "lock out", then come join us at youth on Sunday afternoons, 3:30-5:30, for a great afternoon of fellowship, study, and food. I hope to see you there.

Sheri Hester

Changing of the Year - Happenings & Hope

Mind boggling and life changing. Since our last newsletter went to print, we have had several happenings to deal with. We lost two staff persons here at Covenant, as well as say goodbye to another of our young moms (Jan Knight Begnaud) who also died. Gretchen Cheshire, our beloved director of youth and young adults died on October 16th. We still are mystified and will carry the hurt of this loss to us individually and to our congregation, and we need to continue to surround Ken and Gretchen's family with this loss.

The next happening to our staff, was the resignation of Kim Goodman, which I accepted effective Friday November 18. We are so happy that Kim and Don married, but I certainly didn't realize her life change would effect our congregation so much. She and Don feel she needs to be full time married, so I reluctantly accepted her resignation.

Happening number three—hopefully by the time this newsletter is delivered to your house, we will have a completed bid package for our planned multi-purpose building. We are so excited. It has taken way too long, but know that when we get bids, we will have few if any change orders. Mike DeHart and the committee did not know they were signing up for a multi-year commitment. Sometimes in January, we will get the final price and inform the congregation as we get a final approval. But let me tell you, we are so ready. We already have outstanding pledges toward the buildings from several of our key leaders of $285,000 plus have already received some $270,000 towards the building. PRAISE THE LORD! Each of our households shall soon be receiving a brochure that talks about the Master's Plan and it has information along with a commitment sheet for you to return. We hope many of you will be able to return those to the church office, hand them to me or Mike DeHart or to Jeanne Boniol during December. Wouldn't it be great to see how we could fund this building by extra mile giving and funds already in hand, and not have to borrow too much. This is my hope!

Christmas is a season of hope! Unlike the kinds of hope found in only the right circumstances and the “stars all lining up” found in the world, the Bible emphasizes a hope that is eternal. We have hope because of the possibility of our future resurrection along with Jesus, hope in the knowledge of the unconditional love of God as evidenced in Jesus Christ and His Grace. Even when we must face the death of a loved one, we had all hoped they would get better. Our Christian faith says they did get better, and now are forever healed by God's grace. We can hope that things can get better in this world, but even if they do not....we still will live our life in the fullness of God's Kingdom here in our lives and the Kingdom of God to come. Have Hope this Christmas season....

Speaking of Christmas, here is the list of Christmas activities:

• Choir Performance—December 11th, both services 
• Redeemed Performance—December 18th, both services 
• Handbells—December 18th, both services 
• Children's Christmas Musical—Sunday School Hour, December 18th 
• Christmas Eve Services—4 Pm and 5:30 PM, Candlelight Holy Communion 
• Christmas Day—December 25th, one service at 10:00am, no Sunday school that day, “Blessing of the Toys”, and other fun things

See You at your place of worship,

Friendly Christmas Reminders

Wednesday
9:30am - Explorers Bible Study
5:00pm - Handbell Practice
5:30pm - Wednesday Night Dinner - our Christmas Dinner.
6:15pm - Holy Communion and Prayer
6:30pm - IMPORTANT - Children's Christmas Pageant Rehearsal. We need all parents and children to come, make sure the costume fits, songs learned and how to look so darn cute in those bathrobes. I hear another rehearsal is set for Saturday morning also.
6:30pm - Last class for the year - Marriage Enrichement with Bowens and Guidrys, and my last class on The Journey to Bethlehem.

Thursday
6:30pm - Zumba

Normally, the Men would meet for breakfast this Saturday but we will not. That gives everyone another day to go pick the best gift for your family.

Sunday
Another powerful Sunday full of music. At 9:00am and 11:00am, Redeemed will present their Christmas Music along with the Bells Angels ringing Christmas Music. Then at around 10:15 our sanctuary will be filled with children and the Christmas Pageant with shepherds, angels, Wise Men, baby Jesus and Mary and Joseph. Come see the old old story only the way our children can do it.

Angel Tree Gifts due this Sunday. We need volunteers who would be willing to help grocery shop Sunday evening to meet at the Walmart on Pinhook at 6:00pm. See Kathy Lewis for more information on Sunday morning.

Our Staff Parish Relations committee is also receiving extra financial gifts to be divided between the staff for Christmas Gift. Mark your check or put in an envelope so designated. This will be the last Sunday for this gift.

All the best to you and your family,

Merry Christmas

Don't forget, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. Several events I want to remind you of:

Sunday 9:00am & 11:00am - our Chancel Choir will be leading us in special Christmas Music. Invite your family and friends to attend and be blessed.

Sunday 2:00pm - 4:00pm - the Sudie Lewis Circle is sponsoring a Gift Wrapping Party. Bring your Angel Tree Gifts and the paper and bows and tape will be provided. Great fellowship time to do something that can be mundane and of course, snacks will be provided.

Speaking of Angel Tree - I understand there are still 40 angels that need to be adopted. Sign up Sunday, run out and purchase a gift and then head back up to the church for the wrapping party.
 
All the best to you and your family,

December 4, 2011 Sermon Download Available

This morning's sermon, My Christmas Wish List - The Gift of Joy, is now available for free download from our website. http://tinyurl.com/5j6nl3.

This Sunday's sermon, Just Can't Wait, is now available for free download from our website. http://tinyurl.com/5j6nl3.

November 20, 2011 Sermon Download Available

This Sunday's sermon, What Does His Kingdom Look Like?, is now available for free download from our website. http://tinyurl.com/5j6nl3.

This Week at Covenant

Dear Covenant Family

Wednesday Night
5:30pm - Wednesday dinner 
6:15pm - Children's Ministry
6:15pm - St. Jude Bike Walk Debriefing meeting. If you wish to let others know how to improve the walk, please join in.
6:15pm - Mid Month Solace Service. We will gather in the Sanctuary for prayer, praise and Holy Communion.

Saturday
8:00pm - Men's Ministry and Breakfast. 
6:00pm - St. Jude Workers Celebration Dinner - if you helped, come celebrate and eat a great meal together. RSVP requested, please reply to pastor@covenantum.org.

 Again a big thanks to the men who helped make the Flagpole project a big sucess.

Count Me In

Dear Covenant Family,

What another great weekend. Our St. Jude's Fund Raiser was a great success! 152 participants and $10,000 was raised to help fund the research and treatment of cancer in our children. THANK YOU,  THANK YOU, TO ALL WHO HELPED MAKE IT ANOTHER HOME-RUN.

This week is off to another fast start.

Wednesday
8:00am - Pilates Exercise Group
9:30am - Explorer's Bible Study
5:00pm - Handbells rehearse
5:30pm - Wednesday Night Dinner
6:15pm - Children's Ministry midweek event
6:15pm - Holy Communion in Fellowship Hall
6:30pm - Rev. Byron teaching the final lesson of obscure Women in the Bible and what we can learn from their lives and faith.

Friday - Veteran's Day
Don't miss the dedication of our new flagpoles and the very first raising of the flag to honor and remember all the Veterans and Families that have served our nation. Gifts were given so we could have our very own flag and thanks to all the men and women who helped us raise the poles. The unfurling of the flag and raising the flag occurs at 11:11am on 11/11/2011. The poles are situated at the northeast corner of our property. Refreshments will follow.

Sunday Afternoon
Help us Feed the Homeless from 3:00-5:00pm at the parking lot of First Methodist Church (corner of Johnston and Main). Bring food to help us feed our community. Great fun and fellowship. Covenant has always had the largest contingency of any church and I know we will again.

Childrens' Ministries & Preschool Update

It's been a full month of Pumpkin Patch activities for many of our children. Hats off to those who have been there to assist their parents when they were working and to those who have shared with others about the Patch.

We offer several opportunities for children to be a part of the activities in our church. There's Club 456, MPKids, Wednesday night activities and Sunday school. Be sure you bring your child so that they can reap the benefit of the wisdom of these leaders who work so hard to prepare for them to learn more about our Lord.

Congratulations to one of our families...the Nugents have a new baby girl and Jay is a proud new brother. Many thanks to Mrs. Leigh and Mr. Jerry for all they do to assist with our Children's Ministries.

The children in our Preschool have thoroughly enjoyed the Pumpkin Patch. There have been comments every single day from numerous children about "all those punkins." They've had great fun, so thanks to you Covenant Pumpkin Patch Volunteers, for all the effort you put forth each year to provide all this fun!

We are moving into Thanksgiving, where we'll by dying shirts with fruit and tea leaves and setting up teepees and wearing Pilgrim hats and collars. We believe in teaching the children early about their heritage as Americans.

We also believe in teaching them the importance of Christmas. Many of our children are active in church with their families, and most know the Christmas story, but there are some who do not. How fortunate that we have the opportunity to witness to these families and it shows up most at Christmas.

Many blessings throughout this holiday season,
Kim Havard

From the Associate Pastor - November 6, 2011

Just want to give you a heads up for the spring semester on Wednesday nights. We will be offering, beginning Wednesday night January 4, the “Financial Freedom” series by Dave Ramsey. Dave and Diane Redfearn will be the facilitators. This will be a 12 to 14 week study.

If you are interested, please call me or the office so we can begin the registration for our church. Not sure of the cost but we will get the information out as soon as possible. Of course we will offer a regular Bible study as well. Our adult Sunday school continues to grow. Les Stratton will be leading a new class at the beginning of the year. On our web site www.covenantum.org, under “Adult Studies”, you can find all of the classes offered and what each class is currently studying.

The Fred Factor

I was given a book a few years ago, with the above title, with a foreword by John C. Maxwell, a Christian pastor/leadership trainer/motivational type of guy. I was intrigued by the subtitle which merely said: “How passion in your work and life can turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.” I thought that was certainly kind of spiritual if not scriptural, without sounding so religious to chase people away.

 

After a long-long month of October, in which we have had over 7000 students not counting parents, teachers, chaperones here at Covenant for pumpkin Patch field trips; and five full weekends full of great fun events where we played host to other thousands of guest to our campus, I needed to remind myself of some of the “Fred Factors” in life. After all, we have had lots of ordinary people doing ordinary type work, but we certainly expect extraordinary results.

 

Principle #1 - Everyone makes a difference - our Lord and our church, in fact our world needs people who know we can change the world, one person at a time. It seems as if part of being a disciple for Jesus Christ is one who is committed to making a Christian difference in someone's life.

 

Principle # 2 -Success is built on relationships – we can't make much of a difference in the lives of people that we don't have a relationship with or don't care about. Well, we might make a difference, but it certainly wouldn't be the difference Jesus would want us to. Take time to get to know people as you invite them to spend time with you, your church, and your Lord.

 

Principle # 3 - Continually Create Value for Others- In order to make a difference in others lives, we must be determined to add to their lives, not to distract or take away from them. Are you able to either add good stuff to their lives, take away bad stuff from their lives, or are you simply dumping bad stuff upon them?

 

Principle # 4 - Reinvent Yourself Regularly – be committed to growing spiritually and growing as a disciple, so that you will have more of yourself (or Jesus) to give away to others. If you are the same person you were when you first gave yourself to Jesus, then you may either be in a rut or a grave and neither are great places for us to live.

 

Covenant and Our Lord needs us to ponder these principles and to recommit ourselves at being the best disciples possible. We will be building a new facility, and hopefully within the month of November, we will get bids and finalize our financial plans, but we are to be about more than building buildings; we are to make disciples. I am more then committed to lead us to be a church where People Meet Jesus, Hear the Message of Jesus, and then live out our Mission for Jesus. That is when we might need some of the Fred Factor Principles to live out. Find your place among us as we live out our faith.

 

November 6, 2011 Sermon Download Avaliable

This morning's sermon, Heaven is For Real, is now available for free download from our website. http://tinyurl.com/5j6nl3.

October 30, 2011 Sermon Download Available

This morning's sermon, The Power of Praise, is now available for free download from our website. http://tinyurl.com/5j6nl3.

October 23, 2011 Sermon Download Available

This morning's sermon, With Gratitude for Being Contagious, is now available for free download from our website. http://tinyurl.com/5j6nl3.

October 16, 2011 Sermon Download Available

This morning's sermon, God, Just One More Time, is now available for free download from our website. http://tinyurl.com/5j6nl3.

Pumpkins are Coming!

Tomorrow morning you are entitled to all the coffee you can drink, and all the donuts you can eat, as we unload our LAST Pumpkin Truck of the year!

As you remember we are having to receive our loads early due to freezing conditions in New Mexico, so Tuesday (tomorrow) come early if at all possible - 7:00am - to help us unload pumpkins

What a great way to start the day!

October 9, 2011 Sermon Download Available

This morning's sermon, Putting Prayer into Practice, is now available for free download from our website. http://tinyurl.com/5j6nl3.

MidWeek Update - October 4, 2011

Join Us
for this week's events

Wednesday

• 8:00am - Pilate's Exercise Group
• 9:30am - The Explorer's Interdenominational Bible Study
• 5:00pm - Handbell Practice - they will be playing this Sunday
• 5:30pm - Delicious Home Cooked Meal
• 6:15pm - Holy Communion & Prayer
• 6:15pm - Children's Ministry Activities
• 6:30pm - Marriage Enrichment & Intro to Revelation

Thursday

• School Fieldtrips in the morning.
• 12noon - we need all hands on deck. We have one of another three trucks coming with Pumpkins. A big freeze is headed towards New Mexico and the pumpkins have to be harvested and shipped before the freeze arrives. So not only do we have a truck at noon on Thursday, we will have one coming this Sunday, hopefully by noon, and then another one next Tuesday morning 7:00am.
• We will also have Zumba classes on this Thursday for our other Get Fit Group.

Saturday & Sunday

• Saturday, the Preschool will be cooking for this Pumpkin Patch and its Family Fun Day.  Invite Invite Invite - prizes and games for the little ones. 
• Followed by Sunday, the Angel Tree group will be grilling.

Crying Shame we don't have anything to do around here. 

So come on over and help stir the pot, and
join in the fun and fellowship.

October 2, 2011 Sermon Download Available

This morning's sermon, Expecting the Unexpected, is now available for free download from our website. http://tinyurl.com/5j6nl3. This is part of Brother Chris' sermon series on the Parables of Jesus.

Children's Ministry Update - October 1, 2011

One of the regular events we offer for children is on Wednesday nights. We've revamped it this year and are offering a time of Bible study, craft fun, thought-provoking games, and some great music. (Father Abraham is wearing the adults out!) If you have children in grades K-6, make sure they join us for a great time on Wednesday nights beginning at 6:30 (parents are welcome to bring their children in about 6:15 so they can participate in Communion). Many thanks to Ms. Amanda Arceneaux for leading the Bible study portion and to Ms. Kathy Lewis for leading music. Mr. Sam Ball is also there to help and is always willing to lend a hand wherever needed. We had 7 children the first night, 9 the second night...come on, let's beat the odds and shoot for 15 next time!

I also want to express thanks to Robin Stokes for taking over the coordination of Children's Worship. Susie Blanchard has done a great job and we appreciate all her dedication. Also coming in to help with Children's Worship is Sherry Goudeau, Emily Goudeau, and Diana Seiler. It takes a team to put this together every week and we have a great one!

Kim Goodman

From the Associate Pastor - October 1, 2011

I know we have an exciting month coming up with our pumpkin patch tours and the many activities on the weekends. But, I just wanted to let you know that we will still have the Wednesday night suppers and Bible studies. Bro. Chris is leading the study in Revelations and Kody and Melissa Bowen, Mac and Donna Guidry are leading the “Marriage Enrichment” class. The “F U E L” class on nutrition will only be meeting on October 18th this month.

Check in the bulletin or the mid-week email from Pastor Chris to find out when the “Healthy Living and Exercise” class will be offered, as we are still trying to find the best day and time for the class.

Also check bulletin to see date and time for our Zumba class.

Don’t miss our mid-month Solace on October 19th. Dale White will be leading the devotional so I know we will be blessed. On October 26th a three week study on Ruth and Esther will begin.