What is Happening This Week 3/25-3/28/21
 Praise God! Holy Covenant is FINALLY opening up for in-person worship! In our wildest dreams we would not have imagined no congregational worship for a year in our church building! But that was reality and it is OVER! We wanted to report to all of you that Sunday was great, outstanding, wonderful to worship at last as a gathered family! As you feel safe, please join us for 8:30 outside worship in the back (bring your own chairs and beverage) or 10:30 in the sanctuary. We will continue to live stream the 10:30 AM worship and the evening Holy Week services (next Thursday and Friday evenings at 7:00 PM). We are requesting that everyone wears a mask and is as distant as is appropriate. We also have air purifiers that are cleaning the air in the sanctuary keeping it as safe as possible. Join us for after worship fun this Sunday! Holy Week 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 – outdoor stations for families to visit 1:00 Drive-thru Food Distribution 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 8:30 am  OUTSIDE WORSHIP – We gather Sundays outside by the cross at 8:30 am, weather permitting! Sunday, March 28 Palm Sunday Sermon: Joining the Parade Scripture: John 12:12-19 Prayers of the People  Please keep the following people in your prayers this week: The Barkley family; the Fuller family; the Stewart family; the Hunsaker/Halamicek family; the Mincieli family; Kimberly Ditty; 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  Music Ministry Check-in Thursday, March 25 7 pm on Zoom If you are part of the Music Ministries (choir, handbells, instrumentalists) at Holy Covenant–or would like to be– please join this virtual gathering. It gives us a chance to check-in with everyone and make plans for upcoming music opportunities. HCUMC IT is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Topic: Choir Time: 07:00 PM Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87955220118?pwd=b0lKTjBpMWFHVWViTzg0eHdnSFZQUT09 Meeting ID: 879 5522 0118 Passcode: 944377 Dial +1 346 248 7799  Church Work Day – Spring Freshen Up Saturday, March 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. 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. 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.  Food Pantry We’re looking forward to a great Food Distribution this coming Sunday, March 28. The weather is supposed to be beautiful, and we haven’t had much of that at our Distributions so far this year. We still have some spots to fill, so if you are in the mood for some good company, come on out and join us. 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. Prayer Reminder Remember 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 $24,039  Online Giving Donate 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]. |