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,

Weekly Reminders - November 28, 2012

Don't get so busy putting out your decorations that you don't prepare your heart for Christmas!

Susie has already decorated our house, I am in charge of hanging lights outside, so that will be done sometime before Christmas Day.  But, Advent is more then just decorations, it is  the time we prepare ourselves for the Coming of Christ into our Hearts and Into our World.  I hope you avail yourself of every opportunity to do so.

Wednesday
9:30am - Explorers Bible Study
5:00pm - Hand Bells
5:30pm - Dinner: Gumbo weather and chicken and sausage gumbo with potato salad
6:15pm - Prayer and Holy Communion
6:15pm - Children's Mid Week Program
6:30pm - Young Married Class with Sheri Hester
6:30pm - Brother Byron and I will lead a 3 week Advent study - What is Advent? Finding Jesus in the Old Testament

Friday
10:00am - Hanging of the Greens- help decorate our sanctuary for the Christmas Season. I will have Hot Chocolate and Christmas Music.

Sunday, December 2nd
Stewardship Sunday & Holy Communion - so don't forget your I CAN food offering for UCO food pantry.

MidWeek Reminders - October 24, 2012

Don't Miss - Wednesday Evening Schedule
5:30 - Dinner - Beaf Stew
6:00 - Handbells
6:15 - Prayer and Holy Communion
6:20 - Children's Ministry
6:20 - Bible Studies
     Old Testament Overview - Brother Byron
     Daniel, Chapter 10-11 - Brother Chris
     Young Marrieds - Sheri Hester

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In the Patch
If you haven't volunteered at the Pumpkin Patch Field Trips, come on down. Only a few days left. Thanks to all those who were able to come unload the last truck.

Saturday
Young Adults cooking Jambalaya, etc

Sunday
Angel Tree cooking
Trunk or Treat 4:00-5:30. Bring some bags of candy, and welcome all the little ones as we have fun together.

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Next Wednesday after our Dinner
we will have a Monthly Solace Service, praying specifically for our nation and the National Election.

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We have had a few folks in the hospital and others who need nour prayers:

• Vickie Neck in the death of her mother-Elizabeth Brodhead, I conducted her memorial service in Pineville, Tuesday
• Danny Griffith was in LGH
• Gene Randall was in Lourdes
• Bonnie Ward in Lourdes
• Diane Timm had knee replacement this morning

If there are others, please let us know.

Sincerely,

Friday Reminders

Dear Covenant Family - I missed you, even if you didn't miss me. Susie and I thoroughly enjoyed our days apart and our trip to Branson, Missouri. Felt so young being there with all those other older adults who frequent the place. We shopped enough to count as a stimulus program, and we saw great entertainment, and we sat in the back of worship at Branson United Methodist Church, thinking all along I wish I was back at Covenant.

We are now home and can't wait to see you this Sunday at worship, yes, even if it is raining, our roof doesn't leak and we need to be here.

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Weekend reminders
We are sad to announce one of our newer members, Mr. Travis Shipp died, and we will have a funeral service at Delhommes Funeral home on Bertrand Drive. Saturday, visitation from 10:00am - 1:00pm, and the service at 1:00pm. If at all possible, come pay your last respects to this kind humble man who was only with us for a couple of years.

Sunday Morning
First Sunday of the Month. We will gather at the Lord's Table for Holy Communion. Don't forget to bring our UCO ICAN food offering. Our Youth group will be informing us of a month long food drive to help UCO with friendly competition between the Sunday school Classes, but bring what you can this Sunday. Parable of the Week - Matthew 25:1-12 - the Ten Maidens with Lamps

Future Opportunities
Next Wednesday, September 7th - we will begin our regular Wednesday Night Dinner and Academy Classes - covering marriage relationships, Introduction to Revelations, and Get Fit.

Handbells are beginning also on Sepember 7th - Lisa White, the leader has informed me that we need to recruit some ringers. No experience or musical ability needed. Why not come try it out and see if you could offer this gift back to God during worship.

Finally, but not least of all, Wednesday Morning the Explorers Bible Study is beginning. If you are looking for a long term interdenominational Bible study, come join this group of women on Wednesday mornings at 9:30am.

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 - January 11, 2010

Wintery News from Covenant

Just in case you wanted to avoid the cold and breezy weather outside, we wanted to give you some inside options here at Covenant.

Wednesday
9:30am - All are invited to join this inter-denominational Bible Study in the Fellowship Hall Building
5:00pm - Hand Bell Choir - again, Lisa would love to have new ringers
5:30pm - Wednesday Nite Dinner - good home cooking.
6:15pm - Children's Music Ministry
6:15pm - Prayer and Holy Communion
6:30pm - Session 2 of the Book of James Bible Study - Youth Room

If you were expecting a T-shirt or gift from supporting the St. Jude Bike A Thon, they are in, and you can pick them up in our office, or we will have in the foyer Wednesday Night.

Saturday
8:00am - Men's Breakfast, all men invited!
10:00am - Mary Fontenot teaching Crochet to help provide goods for the Homeless Community

Sunday
9:00am & 11:00am - two great times of worship

See you then,
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

Midweek Reminders from Covenant - October 5, 2010

What a beautiful Fall Day! Praise God for all our Blessings! Great Weather for hosting our Pumpkin Patch, so many willing people to share in the ministry of the Patch, and smiling expectant faces of the children who step onto our property eagerly awaiting the Patch Experience.

If you have not signed up to help with either our Monday-Friday Field trips, or "manning" the sales trailers in the afternoon, or working on our busy Saturday and Sunday times, please sign up soon.

Wednesday
8:00am - Pilates Exercise Group
9:30am - Explorers Bible Study Group
5:00pm - Handbell Choir Rehearsal
5:30pm - Share a meal with your Church Family (chicken)
6:15pm - Children's Music Ministry
6:15pm - Purpose Driven Life Discussion on Discipleship - Youth Room

Thursday
8:30am - The Men's Bull Session
12 Noon - as the last field trip pulls off, we will have another full load of pumpkins to unload and restock our Pumpkin Patch. We need as many willing hands as possible.

Saturday
Family Fund Day - come help us and watch as we try something new - a few more games and fun jumps for our younger children - our Preschool and Mother's Day Out staff - cooking Jambalaya and sandwiches for lunch.

Sunday
Certainly not least of all, we gather for Worship. Join your church family as we celebrate all God has done for us. I will be focusing on Purpose Driven Life - Created to Be servants.
Then Sunday afternoon, we gather outside and greet our guest as they come to the Pumpkin Patch.

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Other Upcoming Events
October 16 - Family Adventure Day coming to the Patch. Contact Roxan Godeau 988-0199 to help with this event.
October 23 - Second Annual Covenant Craft Sale Day at the Patch
October 24 - our 11:am service will be outside (weather permitting) hoping some of our vendors and neighbors will join us for worship before we open our patch for the second day of the Craft Sale
October 31 - Fifth Sunday Potluck as we celebrate the end of the Patch - watch for details later - Blood Drive at the church 10:30am until 1:00pm.

Sincerely,
Chris Blanchard

Midweek Reminders from Covenant - August 31, 2010

What a great Sunday! We had a wonderful Fifth Sunday Fellowship Time. Thanks to all who brought food to share and those who helped clean up! Can't wait until we do it again! We also recognized and prayed for our Preschool and Mother's day Out Staff. Thanks for such a great ministry.

Midweek Reminders:
Wednesday - 8:00AM - Exercise with Palates
Choir Get togather at Wally Manuels in the evening

Thursday - Men's Bull Session 8:30 AM- Be here to enjoy some good food prepared by Dee Nolan. Problem solving discussion abounds.

Friday evening - a Cursillio Work Party in the fellowship hall.

Sunday, September 5- We will finish up the "We Need a Little Christmas Right This Very Minute- LOVE." I will be talking about the Labor of Love and then we will gather around His Table for Holy Communion and Share in the Elements of His Love.

Also, Don't forget our offering for ICAN Sunday to help with the UCO Food Pantry.

Covenant Preschool still has a few openings for our 4 year old class. Call Kim Havard at the school office - 988-3962.

Sincerely,
Chris Blanchard