February Newsletter Ready for Download

February Newsletter

The February 2013 Covenant Newsletter is ready to download and pick up.

1. You can pick up a paper copy in the church narthex the next time you are at church.
or
2. You can download it directly from our website – www.CovenantUM.org. Just look for the "Downloads" section in the right hand column of the first page and click on "Current Newsletter". It looks like this:

You will need to have the free Adobe Reader on your computer. If you don't have it, you can get it here.

See you Sunday,

Sister Church Offers Grief Recovery Program

• Time: Sundays at 3:30 for 13 weeks.
• Date: First meeting is on February 3rd.
• Location: Asbury UMC - Church Administration Building (Welcome to Asbury) Asbury is located on the corner of Johnston and Live Oak. Greeters will be on hand to direct participants to their classroom.
• Phone: 984-4211, Jan Cooke, Adult Ministry
• Cost: One-time fee of $15 for workbook. Workbook purchase is optional. There is no fee charged for joining this group.

“Grief Share” is a network of thousands of grief recovery support group meetings around the world.  In this program, participants learn how to walk the journey of grief with support along the way.  These weekly “Grief Share” groups are designed to help people recover from the deep hurt of death and find healing and hope.

There are three components to “Grief Share”, a 13 week program:

1. Groups share a video featuring personal stories of people grieving the death of a loved one along with expert insights on topics important to grief recovery.
2. Participants become part of a small support group where discussion centers on the video but also includes the discussion of problems and successes experienced by group members.  Group members are never asked to share personal experiences unless they make the choice to do so.
3. Groups discuss their workbook, From Mourning to Joy, which includes daily prayers, meaningful reflections, questions and comforting Bible Scriptures.  Each session lasts approximately 90 minutes.

To learn more about “Grief Share”, readers may log onto www.griefshare.org.

I highly recommend this program from personal experience. Do someone a favor and tell them about "Grief Share".

Covenant News and Reminders - January 15, 2013

The Sun is Just Around the Corner....

Dear Covenant Family -
To paraphrase the Apostle Peter, I consider the misery of these long rainy dreary days to be pale in comparison with the Joy Filled Days of The Sunny Days of the Son, to Come.

Okay, so much for armchair platitudes. While it is rainy and cold and our front yards are afloat and some in our area have water in their homes, it does not stop the work of the church. Our preschool is open and children are running around. We had a full room of Zumba folks last evening and tonight- Tuesday our I TECH class will be having their second meeting at 6:00pm

Wednesday
9:30am - Explorer's Bible Study
5:00pm - Hand Bells at 5PM
5:30pm - Wednesday Night Dinner - Soup, Salad, and Great Fellowship
6:15pm - Prayer and Communion
6:15pm - Children's Mid Week Program
6:30pm - Young Married
6:30pm - Grace: is the voice that calls us to change and then gives us the power to pull it off? Join the preachers as we lead this new study.

Saturday
8:00am - Men's Saturday Work Day and Breakfast. All men invited.

Sunday
Another great day of Worship, Study, Youth and Children's Ministry.

HUDDLE UP!!!

Huddle Up
Friday, January 25, 2013
6:00-8:00 P.M.
Click here to register online

Join us at Covenant on Friday, January 25 from 6:00-8:00 P.M. for a night of food, football, and fun.  Huddle Up is a Bible study where we will work as a family to strengthen our ties and learn how to work together as a team.

It is the week before Super Bowl so come wearing your favorite team apparel. We will also be collecting canned goods for this "souper" event to benefit UMCOR.

Bring your appetite, your Bible and your team spirit. Register online by clicking on link above.

Contact Lindsay Perry at children@covenantum.org with any questions or for more information.

New Year Blessings and Reminders

Wishing you and your family a Happy New Year. One in which we are able to see the Lord grow in each of our lives as well as in the mission of our Covenant Family. We have had another great year here at Covenant and know the Lord will continue to Bless us.

Men
Normally we meet on the first Thursday of each month, but since tomorrow we still have Holiday mentality and Byron and I will be running the roads trying to catch up, we will not have Bull Session until February 7th. The Fiscall cliff has been avoided until then anyway, so we would have no problems to solve.

Sunday
I will begin a month long Sermon series on World Religions. Come with a willingness to learn and how we might be better able to share Jesus with our world. Also, while we will not have holy communion since we did last week, you could still bring your ICAN food offering for the UCO Food Pantry.

New Year - A New You
Here at Covenant we want to help you get
Physically Fit - Zumba on Monday evenings 5:30pm.
Spiritually Fit - Sunday School and Worship weekly plus, starting a new Wednesday Night Study on GRACE.

All the best to you and your family,

The New Year

Christmas Season is a time when many gifts given in great sincerity will be exchanged, returned, or forgotten. I’m always amazed how many items get to Goodwill with the tags still on. Nothing sadder to know the gift you gave was not utilized. Now I’m all in favor of allowing the recipient the opportunity to exchange for right style, color or size - my gift giving improved hundred fold when gift cards were developed. Yet I’ve heard there are billions of dollars of unused cards lost or set on a shelf.

When God saw the need in humanity, God picked out the best gift; by giving Himself and His Love and Mercy and Forgiveness all wrapped up as a person. A God person, but a one in human form no less. By Jesus’ birth and resurrection, we are all offered gift of Kingdom Living Today and Forever. How sad God must be to know that not all have received His gift.

When God saw the need for His continued presence and encouragement and direction and power to have our lives transformed into what God needs us be, He gifted Himself one more time in the person of the Holy Spirit. How sad God must be to know not all have received His gift. And then we are left to wonder why our lives seem so forlorn, lost, and we are less than we had hoped and for sure less than what God would desire.

This Christmas look around - have you asked for and received all the gifts the Lord has for you? We can find so many of God’s gifts within our church family. We have such a giving and talented group of people here at Covenant. You are such a gift to me and to each other and to this community. May this year be filled with such amazing experiences, once we allow God’s gifts of His Son, His Spirit and His Family to change us all for this lifetime and beyond.

Hope to see you each and every week in worship.