Merry Christmas! Are you wondering if you are reading the right blog? We are into the celebrations of the New Year and Christmas has been a done deal ever since the packages were opened and the family dinner dishes cleared. As weird as it may seem, it is still the season of Christmas. The twelve days following Christmas actually comprise the season of Christmas. I personally think it is important for all Christians to remember the gift of the manger as we consider the beginning of another year in our lives. What does it mean for us to embrace the hope, peace, joy and love brought to bear through birth of God into our world?   I ask that as you make New Year’s resolutions for 2016 that you allow each of these to inform the new life you embrace. Having a thinner waist is good but what about having a … Read More

Message from Pastor Carol      Light of the World    3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falselyon my account. (Matthew 5:1-12)   For the Jews in the first century, being blessed was evident based on lifestyle and social positioning. If you had health, wealth, … Read More

Reconciling Ministries Network Affiliation From the beginning, Holy Covenant United Methodist Church has very intentionally chosen to be formed as a community of faith through the language and directives found in the questions asked of our baptism initiates. Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves? Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Savior, put your whole trust in his grace, and promise to serve him as your Lord, in union with the church which Christ has opened to people of all ages, nations, and races? (UMH pg. 39)  We are a church that stands wholly and earnestly on the foundation that Jesus is the Christ who is our reason for being. We are a community of disciples seeking to feel loved by God, to love God in return, and to love our neighbor. This is … Read More

Extravagant Generosity has been our theme for the past four weeks in telling our story as a church during our stewardship campaign. I believe this act of being generous is a call to allowing our hearts to be more open. God has asked us all to be more open with our love, our wisdom, our encouragement, and our resources. What is the gift we get in return? Our lives become filled by the responses of generosity that we are extending to others. Our lives have more love, we become wiser, we are encouraged through relationships and we discover the real power of time and money to change lives.   Our first week, we shared what we love about our church; The second week, we shared who we love in our church; and, the third week, we shared our hopes and dreams for our church. How did or will you respond … Read More

What are you going to do to cooperate with God’s plan for Holy Covenant? We had a wonderful event on August 16th as we gathered for our “BIG” event and potluck. OurBIG: Be, Ignite, Go campaign was about more than just coming together as a church. It was also about helping us prepare ourselves for all of the wonderfully exciting things that are happening at Holy Covenant. If you have not noticed lately, our church is full of little ones running around. We are blessed to have almost 30 children on our roles for the nursery. We have two elementary aged Sunday School classes, a Confirmation class and a youth aged Sunday School class. All of these classes are beginning to fill up with children and youth. Our dream two years ago was that we would be a church with families and young children.God has answered our prayers! With this answer, comes cooperation. We, church … Read More

Be  Ignite Go     Summer is coming to a close in four short weeks and this marks the end of pool parties, beach fun and sun driven vacations. But all of this is happening just in time because something BIG is happening at Holy Covenant. August 16th marks the beginning of so many great activities happening here at church. We are going to have great music and worship, adult classes, promotion Sunday for youth and children, Third Grade Bible Presentations, School Supplies Drive, a Curriculum Fair and the kick-off to so many opportunities for all of us to learn and serve this fall. We will top the day off with a church wide potluck celebration at noon. Our Journeymen will be providing grilled burgers and hotdogs, our choir will bring water and chips, and we will have a “Homemade Ice Cream Contest” organized by our Service Station Teams. We … Read More

On a Mission Have you ever heard someone say, “I am on a mission”? My first thought is, “Well, what is the mission?” and “Do I want to join in?” I am intrigued by the thought of joining someone who seems singularly focused and determined. I feel vital when I feel like I am investing my time and energies in a cause, event, fundraiser, etc that in fact gets accomplished.   I believe that the church must be just as effective at “being on a mission.” Our mission as a United Methodist Church is “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” I have heard this for years and I know it is drawn from Jesus’ commissioning of the disciples found in the gospel of Matthew.   18 And Jesus came and said to [the disciples], “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to … Read More

Message from Pastor Carol   We are already 2 Sundays into Lent. We committed through the imposition of ashes to spend this season growing in our awareness of ourselves and in our confidence of God’s wisdom. As we continue our Lenten journey together, let us keep in mind what lies ahead.     Blessings, Pastor Carol   Holy Week Palm Sunday      8:30, 11:00 am   March 29 This service embodies the sharp contrast of Holy Week. With the children entering waving the palms, we experience the joyous demonstration of loyalty to Jesus as he enters Jerusalem and then we are confronted by the story of Jesus’ passion through the reading of scripture and the sermon.    Maundy Thursday Service   7:00 pm   April 2 We call the Thursday of Holy Week, “Maundy Thursday”. The word maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum novum, which means commandment. For this service, we will remember Jesus’ … Read More