December Youth Report

Youth had a great month wrapping up the “To Save A Life” series with a guest mental health professional to speak with them. The next week fourteen youth participated in the homeless dinner downtown, serving the less fortune right here in Lafayette. This prepared our hearts for a season of giving as we have several mission projects lined up for December. December will be an awesome month with giving, holiday functions, and great worship.

God Bless and Merry Christmas!
Craig and Melissa Hartwell

Mission Opportunities

Sunday, November 11th 
We will join the other United Methodist Congregations to put on our annual Thanksgiving Dinner for the “Homeless” Community. You can help serve, greet our guests, and help us make a difference in their lives. First United Methodist Parking Lot.

---

Sunday, November 18 
“BUY SOME GREAT COFFEE AND SUPPORT ORPHANS IN HONDURAS!”
The Hope of Jesus Children's Home is a Christian home located in La Esperanza, Honduras. Abandoned and neglected orphans in Honduras are provided with protection and daily care as they grow up in this loving environment. This ministry also has a self-sustaining coffee and dairy farm, Hope Farm, that helps support the children's home. All proceeds of the coffee go directly to the care of the children. Sponsorship is also another way to support these children in need.

On November 18th, 2012, Christine Brasseaux, a volunteer to this ministry and a Kairos friend, will be selling coffee and will have more information available following the 9 AM and 11 AM services. The coffee would make great Christmas gifts too!

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.

Clocks, Socks, Bikes, Toothbrushes, Votes and things

Here we are midweek already and the rain has been great! It has slowed work down on removing the Pumpkin Patch but good things just go on and on and on! Again a big thanks for all the great volunteers with the Patch. People came to Covenant, enjoyed themselves with good clean safe environment for the children, and helped us raise approximately $45,000 for Mission and Outreach. Praise Be To God!

---

Clocks - remember our Daylight Savings Times comes to an End on Saturday night.
Fall Back: turn back your clock or you will arrive amazingly early for church, of course for you who struggle to be on time, don't set it back and you can claim any seat in the house.

---

Socks, Toothbrushes, Toothpaste - On Sunday, November 14th, the area United Methodist Churches come together to provide a THANKSGIVING FEAST FOR THE HOMELESS AND POOR.
In addition to providing food, we are wanting to bless the community with new clean socks, mens and womens, as well as toothbrushes and toothpaste. Bring them this Coming Sunday. There will be a box in the foyer.

---

Bikes - don't forget this Saturday, November 6th, our St. Jude Bike and Walk-A-Thon will take place. No fee, only a donation. Come help, come walk, come bike, come watch, come enjoy another opportunity our Covenant Family extends the Love of Christ to the hurting in our world.

Attention: Covenant - wear orange one more time - wear your pumpkin patch apparel so we can be identified with the church and the Patch.

---

Votes - Please join me in praying for our next Congress, House and Senate, as they work together with President Obama to lead our nation into a nation OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, AND FOR THE PEOPLE. May we who won our votes not be disappointed, and may we who lost our votes be pleasantly surprised. We are after all ONE NATION UNDER GOD. May the divisiveness be packed away and may our Leaders remember they serve the people, not the people serve the Leaders.

---

Last but not least - Join us Sunday for Holy Communion and All Saints Sunday, as we recognize and Thank God for those who have made the journey Homeward. Our preaching focus will be: The Politics of Saints.

You will have the opportunity to make a contribution to the Pastor's Discretionary Fund during Communion.

See you Sunday,
Chris Blanchard

Bits & Pieces - October 28, 2010

Here are Bits & Pieces - things going on at Covenant you may not be aware of:

The Wesley United Campus Ministry at ULL is holding a Plate Lunch sale and Open House on Saturday December 4th from 11am-3pm. Church members are invited to come tour our building and learn more about our vital ministry with young adults. ULL alumni can look forward to seeing old friends and learning about what the ministry has been doing since they graduated. Lunch tickets are $6, please contact the Wesley Ministry (337-235-6073 or amy@ulwesley.com) to order yours today!

---

Look out world, MPKids are on the move! A whopping TWENTY-TWO agents reported for duty Sunday, October 3rd to help sort pumpkins and coloring books for Pumpkin Patch
field trips. Whew, what a workout! But our agents got the job done.

Congratulations to Morgan Stokes for completing six missions. He joined the ranks of others promoted to Special Agent 1st Class. Also, we welcome our Honorary General Jennifer Blanchard for going way beyond the call of duty by helping our agents with the sorting of the pumpkins. We would have been lost without you!

Special thanks to our agent parents who helped at our October meeting: Lesley Nutter, Jamie Keller, Kellie Kinsland, Stacy Purgahn, and Christy Chadick. MPKids will participate in the St. Jude's Bike-a-Thon on Saturday, November 6 here at Covenant. This will serve as our November meeting.

---

Thanksgiving for the Homeless
God has called us to reflect His love to one another. All the area United Methodist Churches in Lafayette come together to celebrate our thankfulness for each other and the homeless community who will join us in a Thanksgiving Feast on the parking lot of First United Methodist, downtown Lafayette. We need you to come help us serve and visit with our guests on Sunday, November 14th at 3:00pm. Bring large casseroles, desserts or bread because we feed around 300 people. IT IS A JOY!

---

The Fellowship Class is once again taking orders for Pecans — pieces, halves and beautifully foil-packaged gift bags of different kinds of delicious candied pecans — the perfect gift for friends and neighbors. Please place your order in the Narthex.

---

Christmas Music at Covenant
Now that Pumpkin Patch is almost over (*whew*), it'll be holiday season before we know it. All of the music ensembles are busy preparing Christmas music to make it the best year ever. I'm specifically looking forward to a New Childrens Pageant. Miss Jennifer is working with the kids on a very special program.

The Chancel Choir program will be Sunday morning, December 12th. "I Heard a Prophet Callin'", will heighten the anticipation of Advent. Handbells and Redeemed will be doing their part to make the season extra special.

And there is still more in the planning stages. I hope you enjoy all that our Music Department has to offer. I encourage you to sing loud and proud in worship as we praise our Creator and Redeemer. There are no bad voices in God's family.

God bless,
Ken Cheshire