Covenant News - March 11, 2011

"We ought always to thank God for you, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing." 2 Thessalonians 1:3 

May this note find you full of grace and the peace of God.

MPKids Bakesale Sunday
This Sunday we will have special recognition of awards by several of our Mission Agents And we will have the opportunity to help them raise funds with a Bake Sale. So you can either plan on buying something or even help more by bringing them something to sale.

Day Light Savings Time Starts Sunday
When we go to bed on Saturday night, we need to spring forward. That means we lose an hour sleep, so plan early on going to sleep early and not to sleep late on Sunday morning.

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If you have a late model vehicle that could be sold for a very moderate price, please let the preacher know. Someone in our church would like to provide transportation for someone they know.

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This Sunday we will look at another of the GREAT I AM statements, I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. We have 9 great adult classes for you to attend and this week, the Women who went on the Retreat will share a special treat with us. You won't want to miss. It's Lent, it's time to draw near to our Lord in worship and praise.

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Last but not least, one of our members is looking for someone looking for employment. It would require outdoor work and climbing on industrial platforms. If you know someone needing work, have them contact me and I will pass your information on.

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Can't Wait to see you this Sunday...I know Brother Byron did a great job and I thank him for his Loving You as I love you.

Sincerely,
Chris Blanchard
Covenant United Methodist Church

March 6, 2011 Sermon Download Available

This morning's sermon, It's Not Natural, is now available for free download from our website. http://tinyurl.com/5j6nl3

Life Line Screening

Covenant is pleased to offer a preventive health event. Life Line Screening, a leading provider of community-based preventive health screenings, will host their affordable, non-invasive, painless health screenings on Friday, April 15, 2011.

Five screenings will be offered that scan for potential health problems related to: blocked arteries, which is a leading cause of stroke; abdominal aortic aneurysms, which can lead to a ruptured aorta; hardening of the arteries in the legs, which is a strong predictor of heart disease; atrial fibrillation or irregular heart beat, which is closely tied to stroke risk; and a bone density screening, for men and women, used to assess the risk of osteoporosis.

Register for the Stroke, Vascular Disease and Heart Rhythm Package for $139. All four ultrasound screenings take 60-90 minutes to complete. Your Health is in Your Hands, so call 1-888-653-6441 for more information or to pre-register.

Ash Wednesday - Why and What?

I grew up with only a vague notion of Ash Wednesday. To me, it was some Catholic holy day that I, as a Protestant, didn't have to worry about, thanks be to God. In my view, all of “that religious stuff” detracted from what really mattered, which was having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In my early years as a Methodist it never dawned on me that some of “the religious stuff” might actually enrich my faith in Christ.

But then, in 2004, Ash Wednesday came to the forefront in American Protestant consciousness. Why? Because, on that day Mel Gibson released The Passion of the Christ. For the first time in history, the phrase "Ash Wednesday" was on the lips of millions of evangelical Christians, not just Catholics and other "high church" Protestants, as we anticipated the official release of The Passion of the Christ.

Ash Wednesday is a Christian holiday that has been honored by Christians for well over ten centuries at the beginning of Lent, a six-week season of preparation for Easter. Around 1000 AD, all believers began to signify their need for repentance by having ashes placed on their foreheads in the shape of a cross. Even this sign of sinfulness hinted at the good news yet to come through its shape as a Cross.

Today, celebrations of Ash Wednesday vary among churches that recognize this holiday. More and more Protestant churches hold some sort of Ash Wednesday services; where ashes are placed on our foreheads as a reminder of our mortality and sinfulness. The person who imposes the ashes quotes something like what God once said to Adam after he had sinned: You are dust, and to dust you shall return (Gen 3:19). This is the bad news of our sinfulness that prepares us to receive the good news of forgiveness in Christ.

Do we have some peculiar fascination with dying? I don’t think so. Rather, it allows us to stare death in the face is the assurance of real life, eternal life. When we know our lives are safe in the hands of God, and that this physical life is just the beginning of eternity, then we’re free to be honest about what lies ahead for us. We can face death without fear or pretending, because we know the One who defeated death. Thus Ash Wednesday’s vivid reminder of our mortality leads us, not to despair, but to hope. It points not to defeat, but to the coming victory of Easter. Make plans now to join us and your church family for an Ash Wednesday service on March 9th at 6:00pm. You do not have to have your forehead marked with ash, but you may choose to do so. Either way, join us as we begin the Lenten Journey towards the Cross.

Chris Blanchard

February 27, 2011 Sermon Download Available

Last Sunday's sermon, I AM the Resurrection and the Life, is now available for free download from our website. http://tinyurl.com/5j6nl3

Mission Possible KIDS - March 1, 2011

Mission Possible Kids agents celebrated Valentine's Day early, Sunday, February 6, by visiting residents of the Cornerstone Nursing Home. Agents created beautiful cards which they delivered along with cookies to approximately 50 residents.

Thank you to Kate Manuel and her friend Claire Dupleix, Ashlyn and Ava LeFevre, Presley Nutter, Cameron Chadick, Morgan Stokes, Joseph Vildibill, Emily and Evan Keller, and Victoria and Mikaila Kinsland who all participated in this special mission project.

Thanks go out also to agent moms: Lesley Nutter, Christy Chadick, Jamie Keller, Kellie Kinsland, Janice Vildibill, and Robin Stokes. Couldn't do it without your help!
MPKids would like to welcome our newest two honorary members: Mrs. Novella Boudreaux and Miss Camille Begnaud. We really enjoyed your help and look forward to having you participate again.

Check your email for upcoming MPKids events. For more information on this program, contact Jennifer Manuel at jenandwally@earthlink.net.

Body News - March 1, 2011

No, this is not your latest physical fitness tips from the pastor! But it is the fitness report of Covenant. We ended 2010 with the best financial year ever! We ended 2010 with increases in membership and in worship attendance and in our Sunday School attendance. We ended 2010 with growing classrooms in our Covenant Preschool and Mother’s Day Out. We ended 2010 looking forward to 2011 and beyond as we look at both our facility needs and our missional needs.

Body Facility News: Mike DeHart has been working diligently leading us from praying and discussing and looking at designs and tweaking them over and over again. I hope by the time the newsletter arrives, we will have our final schematic design that will provide us with a great multipurpose room to be used to eat, to meet, to worship, and to play. We are also tweaking the administrative office spaces we need now and for the future. I believe we are doing this guided by the Holy Spirit, so we can have a beautiful, functional, and economic building. Small financial gifts have been coming in, but we have yet to really begin talking about our capital campaign. Should anyone just really want to bless this effort with a sizable gift, go ahead and make my day!

Body Missional News: Gene Blevins and the Church Council have begun the conversation about where God is leading us as we do the very best we can at making Disciples for Jesus Christ for the Transformation of the world. Yes, we are doing good. Our worship average of 334 per week, places us somewhere around the top 20 United Methodist churches in Louisiana. But God isn’t finished with us yet, as HE has plenty of work for us to do. If you are being lead by God to see Covenant increase our outreach, please share it with me...go ahead and make my day!

Body Spiritual news: Here we are almost in Lent and we are geared up for a great time of preparation as we head towards Resurrection Sunday on Easter. I have already begun a Lenten emphasis with my sermon series: THE GREAT I AM. Each week we will examine one of the I AM statements in John’s gospel, where Jesus reveals a snapshot of the character of His Father and how HE reaches out to humanity. Ash Wednesday is March 9th, and as an inside article mentions, we will officially begin the Lenten time with a special service. Then each Wednesday during lent, March 16th - April 13th, our Study “Bread & Broth” where we look at some of the Old Testament saints and see how food is entwined in our lives. Yes...we will have different broths available during the study. There will be great music during our Lenten and Easter time. (See inside article) We will have a Holy Week Wednesday Communion Service on April 20th at 6:00pm and on Easter Sunday April 24th, we will have an early sunrise service at 7am followed by our two morning worship services at 9:00 or 11:00. Invite your family and friends to join us as we Worship the Risen Lord.

That’s it from the family of Covenant, where all the men are handsome and strong, all the women are kind and good looking, and all the children are above average and have great potential. That’s the way I see it from my place each Sunday.

See you in your place of worship! (And find a Sunday School Class to attend)
Rev. Chris Blanchard