Covenant October Newsletter Available for Download

  October Newsletter

The October 2014 Covenant Newsletter is ready for direct download or pick up at the church.

Click HERE to Download

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,

Covenant September 2014 Newsletter Available for Download

September Newsletter

The September 2014 Covenant Newsletter is ready for direct download or pick up at the church.

Click HERE to Download

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,

Covenant March Newsletter Available for Download

March Newsletter

The March 2014 Covenant Newsletter is ready for direct download or pick up at the church.

Click HERE to Download

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,

January Newsletter Available for Download

January Newsletter

The January 2014 Covenant Newsletter is ready for direct download or pick up at the church.

Click HERE to Download

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,

December Newsletter Available for Download

December Newsletter

The December 2013 Covenant Newsletter is ready for direct download or pick up at the church.

Click HERE to Download

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,

November Newsletter Available for Download

November Newsletter

The November 2013 Covenant Newsletter is ready for direct download or pick up at the church.

Click HERE to Download

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,

October Newsletter Avaiable for Download

October Newsletter

The October 2013 Covenant Newsletter is ready to download or pick up at the church.

Click HERE to Download

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,

September 2013 Newsletter Available for Download

September Newsletter

The September 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,

August Newsletter Available for Download

August Newsletter

The August 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,

June Newsletter Available for Download

June Newsletter

The June 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,

May Newsletter Available for Download

May Newsletter

The May 2013 Covenant Newsletter is ready to download and pick up. Yeah, I know it's early.

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,

April Newsletter Available for Download

April Newsletter

The April 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,

March Newsletter Ready for Download

March Newsletter

The March 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,

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,

The "C" Word

Yeah, I know people get uncomfortable around the "C" word, but sometimes it's a good thing.

Beginning after the first of the year, we will no longer be sending out our monthly newsletter via the US Postal Service. Our newsletter will be available by download from our website (www.CovenantUM.org) or for pick-up in the church Narthex. When you go to our website, look on the right-hand column of the first page. You'll see a section called "Downloads". Here you can download the most current newsletter, Sunday morning bulletin, and even our Visitor's Brochure.

For those on Brother Chris' email list, you will receive a notice of when the new issue is available. If you are not on this list and want to be, there is a easy sign-up box right below the download links.

What Can We Depend On?

As I write this article the third week of August, the symbolic and real gauge of our nation's economy, the Dow Jones is headed south once more. It may only represent the emotion of our national economy, but it certainly reflects the mood of investors. No one can deny we have been on shaky ground, with a prolonged period of unemployment, record high debt for our nation, and now the news of a world wide crisis. If we only look at that news, then we would certainly be nervous. Will our savings allow us to educate our children, provide for a comfortable retirement income, or whatever our goals have been? Returns on savings accounts have been so low, it loses ground with inflation, and now with other investments so uncertain, where do we turn?

My frustration level has also been raised by the ineptness of our politicians to help lead the nation out of our troubles. Party loyalty seems to run so high, that we have to look hard and fast for true statesmanship. Where are those men and women who love nation above party and above self aggrandizement? It is easy to see why the polls reflect a higher level of dissatisfaction then satisfaction with all our leaders. Where do we turn?

The psalmist said it best: “ God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though the waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.....Be still and know that I AM GOD!”

As we come ever so close to securing bids and raising funds for our long awaited building campaign, I must tell you I am nervous. Will the environment of shaky finances and political unrest with our times, adversely affect our ability to fund the project? It will, if we keep our eyes on anything but the Lord's promises for His people. That part of me that walks in the world, and listens to the news is nervous, yet there is that part of me, that walks with the Lord, and I know that once again, He can do for us, what we can not do for ourselves. Let me tell you how God has whispered very clearly to me the same message—be still and know that I AM GOD. Even before we have officially asked or announced our campaign, we have been blessed with people's generosity and have pledges and cash in hand approximately $300,000 already. Praise God! Plus, our church is in the best financial position ever. We do have other funds that we have accumulated, that can be used in the building program. Others who know what a pessimist-realist I can be, assure me, God is in control.

So what can we do now? Surround yourself with assurances that our Lord has always been faithful and has always seen His people through perilous times. How might you do that? Be in worship as often as possible. Find a Bible Study and Sunday School class to attend and learn God's word. Fellowship with other believers often. Develop your own devotion and prayer time. Remind yourself all we have comes from and is to be used for God's purposes. Be in discussion now, and in prayer now, about what financial gift you will be able to make to Covenant to help our vision come true. Be still and know that I AM GOD!”

Organized Chaos

Nope, not talking about my desk, because right now there is no organization at all. I am talking about VBS, in fact I'm talking about the church. As I write this article, we are smack dab in the middle of our excellent VBS Program—Panda-mania. Thank you Jennifer Manuel, and all our many, many volunteers. But what you could observe from the outside, are these children being herded around the premises as they are guided from crafts to snacks, to video to story time to outside play time and around. If you didn't know better, or maybe if you knew all too well, it certainly looks like organized chaos. But why not, because I suspect that is often what church looks like, too.

During one of my recent sermons, I shared from a book entitled “Going Home” by Robert Raines, about the nature of the authentic church. “It's not a neat, tidy, sober congregation, seated heatedly side by side all facing forward, but the church is a milling around, shoving, laughing, loving crowd- a combination of Moses and the whining mob- all making our way through the wilderness, but all headed toward the promised land.” Amen, brother Amen! Organized chaos!

Here at Covenant, we can observe some folks headed toward worship, some headed toward Sunday School, some toward service in the music, children, youth, and other service areas, some gearing up for Pumpkin Patch, others coming to exercise or weight loss programs, while others come to fellowship. Some of us are confident, others of us are doubtful. Some of us are wandering, others of us are wondering. But, together we are all headed in the direction of the promised land.

My function as your pastor is to help you along the journey. I can't make you nor would I want to. All I ask is that you ask the Lord where and what you should be doing for His Kingdom. We have lots of opportunities for you to jump right in as a disciple of Jesus Christ. I love worship, but you miss so much of the riches of the church, if that is all you do. Some of you who get this newsletter, need to evaluate if you are even doing that enough to reflect your Love of God.

We are on the move here at Covenant. It is my prayer, soon, and very soon, we will be unveiling the details of our building program here and asking people to step up and help us make that dream come true. We will be adding opportunities for you to learn God's Word, to hear about God's desire for improving our marriage relationships, hearing about our need to put our financial house in order as a spiritual act of worship, and we will be adding opportunities for our church family to get healthier so we might better serve the Lord. You don't need to do them all, but surely you can find something to jump right in and add to our organized chaos around here.

See you each and every Sunday at our place of worship.

April 2011 Newsletter Available for Download

If you are not already receiving the printed version of the Covenant Newsletter, you can download the April 2011 edition by clicking HERE.