Covenant News - April 9, 2013

As always, I want to let you know all the happenings around the church:

Wednesday
9:30am - Explorer's Bible Study
5:30pm - Wednesday Night Dinner - Pork Loin
6:15pm - Prayer and Communion
6:30pm - Study #1 - What is a Covenant of God?
6:30pm - Smart Discipline Parenting Seminar - Sanctuary (not too late to attend, but we need to know if you need childcare - email children@covenantum.org).

Sunday Morning
two power packed worship services

Helma Constantine Funeral Information: 
Wake on Wednesday Evening at Syrie Funeral Home - 1417 East Simcoe Street from 5:00pm - 9:00pm 
Funeral service on Thursday - 11:00am at Covenant

A Busy Week

Dear Covenant Family -

What a great weekend. The services were a blessing, as we honored those veterans among us. Thank you for coming. Once again we had over 375 in worship. One of the activities we did, was to allow our children and our adults to go over to our new building, and to write their name, or favorite passage, in the wall, that will soon be covered with sheet-rock, but they will stand forever with your mark in the new building. If you did not do this Sunday, come by soon, and add your mark.

Many of our flock went to help us host the homeless community. Covenant, as always, made a great showing. Thank you for your participation and your food and your prayers and your socks, and hats, and gifts the community enjoyed.

If you were in services yesterday, you heard another great report from the Pumpkin Patch. All your hard work, lead by the Mason's gave us another banner year. $68,000 that can be used for missions. You also heard the Masons are passing on the baton. They have laid the foundation of a great patch, but we will pick it up and do the best we can.

We had one funeral today, remembering Daisy Mellington. Tomorrow, from 11:00am-2:00pm, we will have visitation here in the church of Mrs. Sally Blaine, another member and mother of Laura Wiggins. The service will be held at 2:00pm. I hope you will come by and pay your last respects, as we celebrate her resurrection day.

We also had another one of our Saints make the journey to her heavenly home, Mrs. Bonnie Ward, a faithful member for many years. After a long hosptial stay, she went home on Sunday morning. Visitation will be at Delhommes Funeral Home on Tuesday evening  4:00-7:00pm, But in lieu of any church services, we will have a short prayer service tomorrow evening at 6:00pm at Delhommes. On Wednesday I will travel with the family to have Ms. Bonnie's graveside down in Sweeney Texas.

So on Wednesday - we will have another full day -
9:30am - Explorers Bible Study
5:00pm - Hand Bell practice
5:30pm - Wednesday Night Dinner with our Thanksgiving Dinner with Ham, Turkey, Cornbread Dressing and Pie
6:15pm - Children's Program, Prayer and Holy Communion
6:30pm - Brother Byron will teach. We will not have our Daniel Study....since I will be headed back Texas

Sunday, November 18th, we will gather for worship and offer our Thanksgiving Praise to God. Even before you fill your belly with turkey.

I am so blessed to be your pastor. You are one of the main reasons I have to be grateful!

Where's the Ark?

In case you forget - that is what a sun looks like. Wondering if God forgot to tell us to get the ark ready?

Several announcements: Ginger Prine, who had moved up north a few years ago, died, and we will have her graveside service on Saturday, 2:00pm, at Lafayette Memorial - the cemetery on Pinhook just past Kaliste Saloom. She was an important part of our church for years, so I hope our church will be well represented.

VBS announcements - immediately following our 11am worship service, we will physically transform the sanctuary and other rooms to be ready to host VBS. There is mandatory (required), you gotta be there meeting for the leaders at 3pm on Sunday.

The message this Sunday is focusing on "Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine." Can't wait to see you there.

And yes, the Son, Jesus Christ is always shining on us, even if the sun, the big star in the sky isn't. 

Memorial Service for Chris Constantine

It is with great sadness that we must announce that Chris Constantine, the adult son of Ambrose Constantine, was tragically killed by a hit and run driver last Sunday morning. Chris had very generously donated his organs and tissues in order to save other lives.

We will be having his Memorial Service here at Covenant this Saturday morning at 10:00am. We know that you will want to fill up our Sanctuary with love and your prayers for the family at this time.

Rev. Ralph Ford, former pastor, and Rev. Byron Aucoin will be leading this service of Resurrection and the Celebration of Chris Constantine Life.

Midweek from the Pastor

Covenant you are the greatest. Thank you for making Jim Sides Home Going Service so special, Choir, Ken, Melissa, Sherrie Ferg on the handbell, thank you, Don and Danny and Rachel on the computer, sound board, and video machine, Doris, Mary, Hazel, Pat, Lucille, and all the others who had such delicious finger foods for the family, Gene for the class memories, and Church for your attendance. Have I told you how much I love being your pastor?  And Byron, you were great, even if you wore a hat in church. Continue to pray for Beth and the Family.

Wednesday Schedule
9:30am - Explorer's Bible Study
5:30pm - Wednesday Night Dinner
6:15pm - Holy communion and prayer
6:15pm - Children's Ministry Time
6:30pm - Financial Peace and New study & Resurrection and Easter Faith

Thursday
10:00am - Funeral service for Joyce Henson and Ambrose Constantine's sister - Clara Dell Broussard  at the Emmanuel - Mallileu United Methodist Church on North Louisiana Ave.
8:30am - Men's Bull Session
11:00am - American Heart Association, GO RED luncheon, fundraiser and publicity. Hilton for only $50 per person. Check out the website. And come if you can, Susie and I will be there

This Sunday
We continue the series on Easter Questions and we will hear Jesus ask: Do You Want to Be Made Well?   
Holy Communion also means I CAN Food Offering.

In Loving Memory - Rev. Brady Forman

Brady Forman, one of my colleagues in ministry and a former pastor here at Covenant United Methodist Church has now entered his heavenly rest. 

Visitation will take place at the Blackwater UMC outside Baton Rouge on Thursday evening 6:00pm-9:00pm, and then from 10:00am on Friday morning until the Celebration of Life service for Brady at 11:00am at Blackwater.

I know you will lift his wife Carol and daughter Ginger and family in prayer.

Chris Blanchard

Mellington Service Details

Many of you have heard already about the passing of our friend and Brother in Christ, Lyle Mellington.

Visitation is schedule for tonight, Tuesday, from 5:00pm until 9:00pm at Delhomme Funeral Home.

Tomorrow, visitation will be from noon until 2:00pm here at Covenant. Then at 2:00pm we will have the funeral service.

I am told that the obituary will not appear in the newspaper until tomorrow morning, so some people may not find out in time these arrangements. Please, if you know anyone who knows Lyle and Daisy, please pass this information on.

As we celebrate the life of Lyle, let us continue to lift up Daisy and the family during this time.

In Loving Memory - Lyle Mellington

Beloved member Lyle Mellington passed away this morning. Brother Chris will be meeting with Daisy this afternoon to discuss arrangements.

As we celebrate the life of Lyle and God's deliverance of him from illness, let us keep Daisy and the rest of the family in our prayers. We'll post the funeral details as they become available.