Tuesday, December 21, 2010
December 19, 1020 Sermon Download Available
A Message of Christmas
Dear Covenant Family -
What a week! Traffic is horrible, lines are long, people's patience running thin (okay my patience is thin, yours might be just fine) calorie count is huge, etc.
"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas." Not anything that looked like the first Christmas, but what has happened to Christmas over the years. I have seen signs on cars, "Keep Christ in Christmas". I would like to share a devotion forwarded to me recently that speaks of the current situation we find ourselves in.
This was the December 19th devotion from Robert Morgan's book, My All in All:
Weekly Reminders
Since this is the week of Christmas, our normal routine has been changed. NO WEDNESDAY activities. This gives you plenty of opportunity to do all your preparations for Christmas and still plan on being present along with some of your family and friends for one of our Christmas Eve Services either at 4:00pm or 6:00pm on Christmas Eve. We will await to hear the good news about that Christ Child born into the world. We will celebrate with Holy Communion and have a service of Candle Lights, surrounded by beautiful poinsettias, and Christmas Colors. But it won't be complete without you there.
Let me thank Jennifer Tassin and all the folks involved in Last Sunday's Childrens Pageant. IT WAS GREAT! Hasn't our season been wonderful so far, with the Choir's Performance a few weeks ago, and now the children - almost complete - and will be with our Christmas Eve Services.
Don't forget the day after Christmas bring all your left over family and friends to church with you. Regular worship times. There will be a time of blessing of the toys and singing more Christmas Carols then we normally sing. Yes, we will be open for business the day after Christmas and hope to see you there. A great way to end the present year at worship with our church family.
Thnaks to all of you who helped make this year for ANGEL TREE the best one yet. Lots of gifts and food. Thank you for being the Body of Christ and reaching out to some of God's nedy around us.
Last but not least, a BIG THANK YOU FROM ALL THE STAFF FOR YOUR GENEROUS Monetary CHRISTMAS GIFT TO US ALL. WE KNOW WE ARE LOVED.
Yours truly,
Rev. Chris Blanchard
"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas." Not anything that looked like the first Christmas, but what has happened to Christmas over the years. I have seen signs on cars, "Keep Christ in Christmas". I would like to share a devotion forwarded to me recently that speaks of the current situation we find ourselves in.
This was the December 19th devotion from Robert Morgan's book, My All in All:
- "When Hitler rose to power in Germany, he wanted to take over the German church and dictate the nation's religion. Falsely accusing clergymen of various crimes, he had churchmen arrested and religious publications stopped. He encouraged marriage ceremonies to be conducted by state officials rather than by the church. In 1935, he outlawed obligatory prayer in schools, and he tried to replace Bibles with Nazi propaganda.
- He had greater difficulty with the religious holidays because Germans had faithfully observed Easter and Christmas for centuries; so he set out to reinterpret their meaning. Easter became a holiday heralding the arrival of spring, and Christmas was turned into a pagan festival. Carols and nativity plays were banned from the schools in 1938, and even the name Christmas was changed to Yuletide.
- Hitler failed, but the same sort of attempts are being made now in America as our society tries to strip Christmas of its meaning and outlaw its traditional observances in the public square.
- Two thousand years ago, King Herod tried the same thing. Though he was one of the greatest builders of antiquity - leaving behind such fabulous ruins as Caesarea, Herodium, and the Temple Mount in Jerusalem - he couldn't overcome a Baby's influence.
- No power on earth can stop you from worshipping Jesus this season. Satan has tried from the beginning, but his efforts always fail. After all, we cannot spell Christmas without Christ - and with a capital C at that!"
Weekly Reminders
Let me thank Jennifer Tassin and all the folks involved in Last Sunday's Childrens Pageant. IT WAS GREAT! Hasn't our season been wonderful so far, with the Choir's Performance a few weeks ago, and now the children - almost complete - and will be with our Christmas Eve Services.
Don't forget the day after Christmas bring all your left over family and friends to church with you. Regular worship times. There will be a time of blessing of the toys and singing more Christmas Carols then we normally sing. Yes, we will be open for business the day after Christmas and hope to see you there. A great way to end the present year at worship with our church family.
Thnaks to all of you who helped make this year for ANGEL TREE the best one yet. Lots of gifts and food. Thank you for being the Body of Christ and reaching out to some of God's nedy around us.
Last but not least, a BIG THANK YOU FROM ALL THE STAFF FOR YOUR GENEROUS Monetary CHRISTMAS GIFT TO US ALL. WE KNOW WE ARE LOVED.
Rev. Chris Blanchard
Friday, December 17, 2010
Weekend Reminders - December 17, 2010
Here is the weekend news we all need:For Men Only - Saturday Morning 8:00am - Men's Breakfast: short devotion and, depending on weather, a few of our trees need trimming. Bring portable saw saws or pruning loppers. It won't take long.
For Sunday - two great worship services - Handbell Choir and Baptism at 9:00am, our great Redeemed Praise Band at 11:00am. Our Children's Christmas Musical during our Sunday School Hour. You don't want to miss.
This will also be the last week to bring your Angel Tree gifts or funds to help with the grocery buying.
Chris Blanchard
Monday, December 13, 2010
It's Beginning to SOUND A Lot Like Christmas
Don't forget our Wednesday schedule
8:00am - Pilatees
9:30am - Explorers Bible Study
5:00pm - Handbells
5:30pm - Wednesday meal
6:15pm - Children's Music
6:15pm - Holy Communion and Advent Study
Saturday
8:00am - Men's Breakfast: devotion and a small work project cutting some branches out of some of our treesSunday - Poinsettias will add to our worship
9:00am - Traditional Worship with Handbells and a Baptism
11:00pm - Contemporary Worship with our praise band, Redeemed
And in between our services, at 10:15am, the children will be presenting their Christmas Pageant. Come early to get the good seats.
Last but not least, we have misplaced our small manger. It was taken out of the attic for our children's performance but now has disappeared. If anyone is holding it for ransom, will pay gladly.
Chris Blanchard
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Announcing the Birth of a New & Improved Ministry
Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. - 1 Timothy 4:12
Dear Covenant Family,
We are so very excited to announce the beginning of a new era in Youth and Young Adult involvement at Covenant. We started with reviving the youth room which depicted every Christian's spiritual journey from darkness and chaos into the Light of Christ. Then with a newly energized group, we decided that we needed a new identity--one that would describe to others what we were all about and where that journey we're on could take us. That journey that begins in darkness and chaos and into the Light is what we like to call HWY 4:12.
1 Timothy 4:12 tells us to be an example to believers of all ages. So when asked how we would like to be described as a group, several words kept coming up--leaders, role models, a sanctuary for all to be welcomed and feel safe, Christ-like. This group wants to be that good example, they want to be a vibrant and active part of our Church. With that said, 1 Timothy 4:12 has been adopted as our own - one we will, with God's help, strive to live out, every day.
Another change we've made is including the young adults in our congregation. This age group has fallen through the cracks for quite some time and our Jr. & Sr. High youth have missed out on having some fantastic role models. This will also give our young adults a great place for Godly fellowship after they graduate and enter into the crazy world of college or the real world of employment. It also gives them the opportunity to be mentors and to lead discussions relevant to the youth of today.
Because of the large age difference between our Jr. High youth and young adults, we will rearrange meeting times to assure that discussion topics remain age appropriate.
Please join me in prayer for this Youth and Young Adult Ministry. They're searching and so desire to have God in their lives.
Yours in Christ,
Gretchen Cheshire
HWY 4:12
A Youth and Young Adult Fellowship
We are so very excited to announce the beginning of a new era in Youth and Young Adult involvement at Covenant. We started with reviving the youth room which depicted every Christian's spiritual journey from darkness and chaos into the Light of Christ. Then with a newly energized group, we decided that we needed a new identity--one that would describe to others what we were all about and where that journey we're on could take us. That journey that begins in darkness and chaos and into the Light is what we like to call HWY 4:12.
1 Timothy 4:12 tells us to be an example to believers of all ages. So when asked how we would like to be described as a group, several words kept coming up--leaders, role models, a sanctuary for all to be welcomed and feel safe, Christ-like. This group wants to be that good example, they want to be a vibrant and active part of our Church. With that said, 1 Timothy 4:12 has been adopted as our own - one we will, with God's help, strive to live out, every day.
Another change we've made is including the young adults in our congregation. This age group has fallen through the cracks for quite some time and our Jr. & Sr. High youth have missed out on having some fantastic role models. This will also give our young adults a great place for Godly fellowship after they graduate and enter into the crazy world of college or the real world of employment. It also gives them the opportunity to be mentors and to lead discussions relevant to the youth of today.
Because of the large age difference between our Jr. High youth and young adults, we will rearrange meeting times to assure that discussion topics remain age appropriate.
Please join me in prayer for this Youth and Young Adult Ministry. They're searching and so desire to have God in their lives.
Yours in Christ,
Gretchen Cheshire
Monday, December 6, 2010
Press Release - December 6, 2010
Hold the Presses!
Wasn't that the words spoken just before some earth shattering news was to be released? Here goes for all you who missed our Charge Conference. What a Great Day we had yesterday. Attendance was through the roof and so was our offering. If that wasn't enough we had more pledges turned in on Sunday then we had all of 2009. Thank You Lord and All of You who so generously responded. If you missed, you can still bring your commitment card over the next few Sundays, or mail them into the church office as soon as you are able.
And to top it all off, our charge conference unanimously (and we had almost a full house) approved the next step of our building campaign. Our building committee will now select someone to provide some final drawings for our multi-purpose building, secure firm bids, arrange to have a capital campaign to raise additional funds, and then hopefully, prayerfully be ready to present the final project to our church by June 1, 2011. There is lots of hard work left to do,but I could sense the eagerness to keep moving on.
THANK YOU COVENANT FAMILY AND MOST OF ALL, WE THANK THE LORD FOR ALL HIS BLESSINGS. It was a high moment yesterday, when we gathered at the Lord's Table to receive the sacrament and the symbols of HIS great love for us all.
Now to packing a few boxes of books and try to get our offices moved over to the temporary office space. We're still waiting for telephone and computer wiring to be completed. We will let you all know when we are officially in the office trailer.
Just couldn't let this morning pass, without sharing all this great news with you.
Chris Blanchard
Monday Morning Bits & Pieces - December 6, 2010
We Have More Pecans!
All the pecans that were ordered have been sold — but due to requests for more, we decided to order one box each of the halves, chocolate covered, chocolate caramel clusters and cinnamon glazed. These will go fast, so place your order today!
This Sunday, December 12th, 5:00-7:00pm - Holley Building
All children, infant through 6th grade, and their families are invited.
Please bring a snack to share.
Altar Flowers
The 2011 Flower Chart is posted in the Narthex.
Please sign up for Sunday flowers before your choice dates are taken.
We are now taking orders for Christmas poinsettias. Poinsettias may be purchased "In Honor" or "In Memory" of a loved one. Order forms are available in the Narthex.
This Sunday out Chancel Choir will be presenting their annual Christmas Cantata, I Hear the Prophet Callin', at both the 9:00am and 11:00am services. This is a wonderful way to share our church with a friend or neighbor.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)