What is Happening This Week 1/18-1/21/24
 Beloved Community, We have all endured a challenging cold week that reminds us it is winter, while appreciating how brief these very cold days are in Texas! We will be very warm and cozy on Sunday! Hope you will join us for Sunday School and a very special worship service. In the fall, we celebrated the laity of our church. On Sunday, we will celebrate the staff! Each staff member will be sharing a bit of their story and the passion they have for Holy Covenant. We will also be blessing the leadership of 2024 that will be working beside the staff. I hope you will join us for this very special hour that will give you a glimpse of how blessed I am to work with these gifted and outstanding people every day! I look forward to WARMLY greeting you then! Shalom Blessings, Pastor Cheryl Murphy  10:30 am Sunday Morning Worship In-person and Livestreamed Join us either in-person, or for online worship on Facebook Live. We are on Facebook Sundays 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. Sunday, January 21 Ushers: Daughters of Shalom  Sunday School 9:15 am Kinder to 2nd – Room 206 3rd to 5th—Room 202 Confirmation – Room 207 Youth – Youth Room Infants to PreK – Nursery Adult Classes: Daughters of Shalom – Room 208 Seekers – Room 210 Pathfinders – Room 211 Spiritual Journey – Room 212 Travelers – Room 213 – starts at 9:30 am  Wear Your Nametag! Be sure to wear your nametag this Sunday to help our guests learn names. If you need a nametag, please add your name to the sign-up sheet on the nametag table. Prayers of the People  Please keep the following people in your prayers this week: The Boren family; Jean McDonald; Marilyn Paa; Rob Evans; Lisa Hunsaker; Sharon Harris; Ed Webb; Kyle McAnally; Jim Shepardson; John Webb; Laura York; Jeff Mills; Claudia and Marshall Masser; Karen McGuffin; Charles Hinton; Debbie and Bob Schulter; Sara Bunch; James Baxter; Karyl Sarver; Tom Yull; Matthew Perry; and our friends at Atria Carrollton. It’s not too late! Thank you to those who have already turned in their 2024 pledges! You may still bring them Sunday and place them in the offering plate, mail them, or submit your pledge ONLINE.   Highlights Next Week Dinner & Game Night Friday, January 26 6 pm Covenant Center Bring your friends, family and your favorite games! Everyone is welcome. Dinner will be Frito Pie, so please contact Mandie Long [email protected] to let her know what you can bring. Donations toward dinner expenses (utensils, beverages, etc.) can be made on the church website and are also appreciated.  Open Joint Advocates/Missions Meeting Sunday, January 28 11:30-1pm in the sanctuary Are you passionate about justice? Do you have a heart for missions and outreach? Here at Holy Covenant UMC we have two committees committed to the work of justice and service in the world. The Missions committee oversees service projects and mission outreach and the Advocates for Justice & Peace work on justice, advocacy and education in our church and in our community. Join us after church January 28 for an open meeting to see if you might want to join one of these committees. Lunch will be provided!  Food Pantry Pantry Hours: Tuesday-Thursday from 10-2 2nd and 4th Sundays from 12-1 pm We currently need soups, black beans, diced tomatoes, pasta sauce, mac & cheese, cereal and pet food. Donations may be dropped off Tuesdays through Thursdays between 10 am and 2 pm. In addition to that, we accept donations on Sundays before and after worship. There will be carts outside the Pantry for your donations. We thank you for always being there to support the Food Pantry with your donations, your time, and your prayers.  Coming Soon Pastor’s Bible Study Wednesdays at 9:30 am Starting January 31 Join Pastor Cheryl each week in studying the Book of James.  Austin Street Food Collection Saturday, February 3 9 am to Noon Holy Covenant Kitchen Holy Covenant is scheduled to again provide breakfast for the homeless at Austin Street Shelter. If you are able to donate food, please prepare 12 sandwiches, 12 pieces of fruit and 12 hard-boiled eggs and deliver them to Holy Covenant on Saturday, October 28th, between 9 am and noon. Bottled water and juice boxes are also appreciated. Please drive around to the kitchen door where members of the Spiritual Journey Class will receive the donations from you. Please contact Rick Davis (972-814-5325 [email protected]) with any questions.  Clothes Closet Needs We need the following for the HCUMC Community Clothes Closet: -Coats (all sizes) -Men’s clothes (all sizes) -Children’s clothes -Shoes (all sizes, specifically work shoes, heavy duty shoes) -New underwear and socks (all sizes) -Mini shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothpaste, lotion Please bring clothes to the church office Tuesday – Thursday between 10 am and 2 pm or Sunday mornings.  Register Now Courage Over Comfort Group – The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People “Who you are is God’s gift to you. Who you become is your gift to God.” Do you feel like you are living your best life and growing into who you are meant to be? Come and geek out with us as we learn with some of the leading experts in brain modification and habit formation, mindfulness and meditation, simplification and clarification, and bravery through vulnerability and whole-hearted living. Join a supportive group of your church family as we encourage each other to grow, live our best lives, and be the change we wish to see in this world. Join me in February to explore an awesome book on personal growth and habit formation. “In The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, author Stephen R. Covey presents a holistic, integrated, principle-centered approach for solving personal and professional problems. With penetrating insights and pointed anecdotes, Covey reveals a step-by-step pathway for living with fairness, integrity, honesty, and human dignity – principles that give us the security to adapt and change, and the wisdom and power to take advantage of the opportunities that change creates.” Courage Over Comfort will meet in two groups: Sunday, February 11th and Sunday, February 25th after service in the Pathfinders room. Bring a sack lunch! Tuesday, February 13th and Tuesday, February 27th at 7:00 PM in my home. If you would like to join me on this journey, please email me at [email protected]. Blessings, Melissa Beard  Holy Covenant is Having a Birthday Celebration! 2024 will be Holy Covenant’s 50th anniversary and we will celebrate April 13-14, 2024. We invite you to celebrate your church when you celebrate your birthday. Whenever your birthday falls, consider making a gift to HCUMC. Just mark your gift “Birthday Offering” and put it in the offering plate on Sunday or give ONLINE.  Tuesday Take Five Tuesdays at 12 noon Facebook Live Take a few minutes out of your Tuesday for spiritual growth and an uplifting message for the week with Laulie Eckeberger. Finances You may give ONLINE or send checks to: Holy Covenant UMC 1901 E. Peters Colony Rd. Carrollton, TX 75007 Annual Giving Statements for 2023 will go out on or before January 31. If you have any questions or would like to update your mail/email preferences, please contact Christine Perry at [email protected].   Online Giving Donate here or use the QR code. You may set up a regular pledge payment by choosing the frequency of donations. Highlight Beyond Holy Covenant  |