What is Happening This Week 3/18-3/21/21
 At last, after 53 weeks we are meeting to Praise God as the Body of Christ at Holy Covenant this Sunday!!!!Join us for worship in three ways beginning Sunday, March 21: 8:30 AM Outside in our back area – bring your chairs, blankets, coffee –bulletin will be emailed out at 8:00 AM 10:30 AM Livestreaming & In-person – you are invited to join us in the sanctuary with masks and safe distancing Holy Week Worship Palm Sunday – March 28 8:30 AM outside in our back area -bring your chairs, blankets, coffee – bulletin will be emailed out at 8:00 AM 10:30 AM Live Streaming & In person – you are invited to join us in the sanctuary with masks and safely distancing 11:30 AM Families gather for picnic (bring your own) 12 noon Holy Week Celebration for HCUMC family – stations for children to visit 1:00 Drive thru Pantry for our neighbors Maundy Thursday – April 1 7:00 PM Live Streaming and in person – please prepare Communion at home if you are live streaming Good Friday – April 2 7:00 PM Live Streaming and in person Easter Celebration – April 4 8:30 AM outside in our back area -bring your chairs, blankets, coffee –bulletin will be emailed out at 8:00 AM 10:30 AM Live Streaming & In person – you are invited to join us in the sanctuary with masks and safely distancing Hope you will join us for Holy Week worship at Holy Covenant UMC in whatever way you feel is best and safe for you and your family! If you plan to join us in-person at any of these services and are willing to be a Greeter, please contact me [email protected]. I look forward to meeting you when you arrive! Shalom Blessings, Pastor Cheryl  We hope you are joining us for online worship on Facebook Live. We will be on Facebook again this Sunday at 10:30 am. If you have missed any of the services, or do not use Facebook, you may also find them on our website hcumc.org. Outside Sunday Worship -Resumes March 21!  OUTSIDE WORSHIP – Will resume Sunday, March 21st at 8:30 am, weather permitting! Sunday, March 21 Fifth Sunday in Lent Fasting from Sorrow/Embracing Hope Scripture: John 5 Prayers of the People  Please keep the following people in your prayers this week: The Barkley family; the Stewart family; the Mincieli family; Brian Dermody; Rhonda and Mitzi King; Kent Prindle; Helen Mayo; Mary Harrison; Tyler Ackerman; Jojo Sain; and our friends at Atria Carrollton. Highlights This Week  Church Work Days -Spring Freshen Up Saturdays, March 20 and 27 9 am to Noon Sign Up Here The Trustees/Building and Grounds subcommittee is requesting volunteers for a work day to help clean up the exterior beds to prepare for Easter and spring. We are offering two consecutive Saturdays to allow wider participation of Holy Covenant folks, and to also allow wider separation of volunteers to satisfy COVID protocols. Families are welcome and can be assigned a particular area/task to limit contact with other groups. Typical garden tools will be needed (rakes, trowels, shears, trimmers, and of course gloves and appropriate shoes and clothing). There are electrical outlets around the building exteriors for those tools. You can get more information by contacting Donna Johnson (254-485-9888), William Powell (903-267-2487) or Rick Davis(972-814-5325). Please Sign Up Here so we can get a count of volunteers. Lenten Prayer Walk  Be sure to come to Holy Covenant each week in Lent, any time of day, to experience a Lenten Prayer Walk. You will find a QR code with instructions posted on the glass doors by the labyrinth on the east side of the sanctuary. Scan the code with the camera on your phone and follow the steps. Any materials you need will be in the Prayer Box located below the code. You may complete the walk by yourself, or with someone else. We hope the walk will prove to be a time of meditation and reflection for you.  Food PantryWe had a wonderful Food Distribution last Sunday. The sun was shining, and it was a beautiful day. We served 63 families 2,763 meals. We still have some spots to fill for the next Food Distribution on the 28th. So please go to signupgenius.com to volunteer. Someone will be at the church office Thursday and Saturday from 10:00 am to noon to accept donations of food. We are almost completely out of: Hearty Soups Chili Mac and Cheese Dog and Cat Food Thank you for your continued support of the Food Pantry. Highlights Next Week  Palm Sunday Family Event March 28 11:30 am Picnic Time – Bring food and blankets/lawn chairs for your family, water bottles will be available. 12:00 – 1:15 pm Visit Stations – Each station will have activities to celebrate Holy Week.Children will receive Holy Week gift bags!Wear your masks.Social distancing will be observed.  Lent 2021 DevotionalsWe are still accepting devotionals! Please volunteer to write a devotional that we can share with the Holy Covenant family each morning during Lent. Select a favorite scripture and write a brief reflection and a prayer that we can email out to everyone each day of Lent. Send them to Elise at [email protected]. If you are one that does better with suggested themes, below are the themes of the weeks. If you would like to have your devotional fit into the theme of the week, please select one of these: Mar 21 – Faith Mar 29 – Holy Week Feel free to contact Pastor Cheryl [email protected] for suggestions.We want to hear your witness, your story, your passion for Jesus!  Prayer ReminderRemember to pray at 12:30 pm each day for your church family. Finances  Thank you for your continued generosity! If you typically write a check, please consider online giving. March Regular Donations/Pledge Payments: Needed $46,982 Given to Date $16,640  Online GivingDonate Here. You may set up regular giving by choosing the Donation Frequency.  Volunteers Needed!Would you like to help with our online worship? We need volunteers for our worship streaming ministry. You will be asked to commit to 2 worship services per month to operate either a video switcher or a camera. Experience welcome–but not required! There will be training. If interested, please contact Tim Shepardson at [email protected]. |