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.

Covenant Midweek News

Dear Covenant Family Member -

VBS is almost over, and it is going great. All the volunteers - Amazing! Jennifer Manuel - superb! Tomorrow is the last day, and sometime around 11:30am the loser of me or Jennifer Manuel will gladly receive a pie in the eye. Big contest going on, boys vs. girls, as to whom could bring the most pennies to fill jugs. All the benefits going to the Methodist Children's homes. Right now it doesn't look good for the preacher. Oh well,I can take one for the team.

Tonight - Thursday
I am recommending you to view a web cast of Dave Ramsey - the Great Recovery.  He is going to challenge us in the church to be out front in helping us face the nation's economic and other issues from a spiritual perspective. Tune in on the web at 7:00pm Central time www.thegreatrecovery.com/live to see the broadcast webcast. My plans are to watch.

This Sunday
Finally, even after a long week at VBS, we will have worship services on Sunday. A baptism at 9:00am, Rev. Ed Boyd visiting and helping. I will be preaching from Matthew 13 - the parable of mustard seed and leaven.

And big treat - we will hear from our VBS - some great singing. You won't want to miss church this Sunday. In fact, I wouldn't know when you would ever want to miss church.

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One other note: received information for all you school uniform shoppers. Big time sale at the Heymann Center Thursday-Saturday, where school uniforms were advertised cheap! Shirts - $4.50,  shorts - $7.00, pants - $7.50. Sounds pretty good to me.

Reminder - still looking for someone to help Novella Boudreaux get to Shreveport next friday - July 29th for an important doctors visit. If you can help, please email me back.

Mid-Week News - July 12, 2011

Don't forget our summer schedule -

• Wednesday begins with Pilates Exercise Class 8:00am in our fellowship hall
• Summer Solace - Food for the Body at 5:30pm. Taco Soup and Salad, chicken nuggets and Fries for the kids
• Summer Solace Service - 6:15 PM. John Wesley's Rule for Living

Covenant Getting Fit
We will have our first meeting of all parties that are interested in helping plan ways our Church family can get fit. We will meet immediately after the Summer Solace Service. A short meeting to talk about what we are doing, what we might do, and who might help us do it. I am so excited that so many of us are determined to do the best we can to feel the best we can so we can serve God the best we can for as long as we can. Everyone is invited to eat, worship, and to plan.

Sunday we will have church
We are planning on having two great worship events where we learn from God's Word,where we fellowship with the Holy Spirit and our church family, where we worship the Lord with our hymns of praise and worship, and where we get marching directions on how to live out our faith.

This month's Men's Breakfast has ben cancelled. We will pick back up in August.

One more important announcement - one of our church family needs a ride to Shreveport for an important doctor's appointment on Friday July 29th. Should you be able to do so, please email me back.

Sincerely,

Midweek Reminders from Covenant - June 15, 2011

Let's not forget, even though it is summer, we still have some activities during the week.

Wednesday
8:00am - Pilates exercise group
5:15pm - Light meal of chicken, salad, veggies, desert, and bread: chicken nuggets and fries for the kids
6:15-ish - Gather in the Sanctuary for a time of singing, prayers, Holy Communion and devotion - Food for the Body, Soul, and Spirit

Saturday
8:00am - Men's breakfast. Time of fellowship and food. Stay tuned for list of projects we may try to accomplish but trust me it will not take too long

Sunday
This coming Sunday is Father's Day. Why not Worship our Heavenly Father by being in Church. Gifts for all our men who come to worship

We continue focusing on the Apostle's Creed, I believe in the Holy catholic church. Don't you want to know what all that means, and why don't we say; I believe in the United Methodist Church?

Last but not least, I have had several comments about last Sunday's message, and how our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit - and how we are to Glorify God in All we do. Over 120 personal commitment cards were submitted to take this seriously. We will start planning on how this will live out here at Covenant by offering a comprehensive program for Offering Health for Body, Soul, and Spirit.

Sincerely,
Chris Blanchard

MidWeek Reminders and a Call for HELP - October 20, 2010

Today is Wednesday - a day in which the busy church calendar gets even busier:
8:00am Pilates, 9:30am Explorers Bible Study, and Pumpkin Patch field trips in the morning.

Then, tonight:
5:00pm - Handbells
5:30pm - Wednesday Night Supper - Chicken or Red Beans and Rice
6:15pm - Children's Music - they will be playing on Sunday October 31st
6:25pm - Mid Month Solace Worship Service - a time of prayer, singing the old songs in a new way, Holy communion and short devotional thought. Come and feed your body at Supper and Feed Your Soul at Worship

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PUMPKIN PATCH NEWS - if you have noticed our pumpkin supply is down to almost nothing. It's embarrassing to have so few pumpkins, but Praise God that means we have been blessed to sale many many pumpkins. The Great News is The Cavalry is on the way, or should I say the Pumpkin Trucks are on the way. Yes, we have the opportunity to download two truck loads this week. The first is scheduled for noon on Thursday and the second truck is scheduled for noon on Friday. Unheard of, but we can do it! Please, if at all possible, come out to cheer, to encourage, to lift, to help us unload on one or both days. I am sure there is a special blessing from heaven for Pumpkin Truck Unloaders.

And then, this Saturday and Sunday, the HUGE, Gigantic Pumpkin Patch Craft Show. We have 80 booths that have signed up. So come out to shop, come out to eat (The Daily Life Class will be working hard to cook enough food for the crowd), come out and greet folks and tell them what a great blessing it is to come to our church.

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This Sunday
Last but certainly not least, because it is what we are all about. Sunday worship. Our 9:00am service will be held indoors and our focus will be on "Where do I go now, after the Purpose Driven Life".

Then our 11:00a, service will be unique. We are attempting to take our Faith Out of our Four Walls - an Outdoor service (weather permitting). I suspect this will be a short service (attention span problems) but my message is just about that: how we live our faith out, not just in the four walls of the church, but out in the hustle and bustle of Pumpkin patch, commerce, activity. Some of you 9:00am service people may want to come back. When is the last time you were in an outdoor service? Well brothers and sisters, that might be just too long.

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Looking Forward
Now this is just how mission minded we are here at Covenant. Saturday November 6th, when we should be putting our feet up and resting, we are hosting the St. Jude Bike and Walk a Thon. We hope to be bigger and better then ever. Go to our website: www.CovenantUM.org and see how you can help. We are hoping our Sunday school classes and small groups will enter into the competitive spirit to see which class can have the most participants and win a great trophy.

With all my love,
Rev. Chris Blanchard

Notes from the Pastor - October 13, 2010

Reminders and Big Praises

First the Praises: I am sure you and I have been riveted to the TV screen watching the dramatic rescue of those 33 miners in Chile. Praise Be to God for the success so far and for continued Grace as all those men are pulled back out of the depths of what might have been a mass grave.

Praise God for all those who have helped make this rescue possible. Praise God for a Great Pumpkin Patch and Praise God for everyone of you who have helped make this the best one yet; Readers, Greeters, Sales, Singers, Unloaders, tour guides, tractor drivers, on and on. We couldn't do this without all the people who pitch in. There is still room to have fun and enjoy the smiles and laughter of all the kids who come our way. Thank You.

Praise God our facility is maxed out. Between Pumpkin Tours, Explorer Bible Study, Pilattes Class, Preschool Activities, Tutoring, we have no space. I am sure glad we don't waste what God has given us.

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Reminders

Today Wednesday
5:00pm - Handbells
5:30pm - Wednesday Night Supper
6:15pm - Children's Music Ministry
6:15pm - Purpose Driven Life Discussion- our last

Saturday
Our Patch weekends continue. This weekend we host Healing House Family Adventure Day. If you can help children decorate a pumpkin, why not volunteer? Call the office or reply to email, and we will make certain you have a chance to help. Otherwise, just come out and greet and price and meet all the people God sends our way.

Sunday
We do have church in spite of all the other things going on, We come to worship the One who has given to us abundantly more then we could ever imagine. Our focus is on Made for a Mission.

Last but certainly not least
Soon after our Patch ends, we have a few days to catch our breath, but we also have another worthy project to help, St. Jude Bike-A-Thon. Okay, I know may not ride a bike but you can walk. The kids will use our parking lot to ride their small bikes, have a bike safety class, but there will be a 1 mile and 5K mile walk to help raise funds. How about our Sunday School Classes get involved by challenging other class to have the most participants. Sign up and volunteer sheets in the Narthex this Sunday. I am cooking and if you can't walk or ride, come help me cook and serve the participants.

Sincerely,
Chris Blanchard