Pastor Letter 
Rev. Rob Mark, Pastor
Dear Church,
Happy Spring in the Celtic Tradition! Saint Brigit's Day February 1 each year is celebrated in the Celtic world as the slow emergence of spring. Under the frozen ground, life begins to stir. The buds are already starting slowing to grow new life. May we all feel the love that is emerging under the frozen and sacred ground coming to each of us in these sacred days.
And two reminders:
1. If you have not yet read my report for Covenant's Annual Report, here is the link. (Please email us if you want a PDF of the entire Annual Report.)
2. Lent is coming up and the theme this year will be "Cultivating and Letting Go." Ash Wednesday service March 6 at 6:30 PM marks the beginning of Lent.
In peace,
Rob
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Letter of Appreciation
by Julie Avis Rogers
Dearest Covenant,
It is so strange and hard that I won't be with you in the coming Sundays to tell you how grateful I am for the ways you sent me onwards with such such love, blessings and prayers on my final Sunday with you, January 13. I'm not sure many people have the opportunity to hear that they've made an impact and that they are loved-- but my goodness, I am one of the most fortunate people in the world who had a community of amazing people rally together and communicate that with such power and love!
It is only one day later that I am writing this (January 14) and I have already poured through every page of the beautiful scrapbook multiple times and seen each of your faces as I've absorbed your notes, your poetry, and your art (and started memorizing the "rules for my new job" that our kids so brilliantly wrote!). I've already wept my way through a video recording of "Oh Happy Day/ Unhappy Day" that our choir sang with such love and that Christine so brilliantly penned! And I've already laid awake far into the night remembering the words and stories and hugs that we shared.
The artwork of Mary and Elizabeth that will proudly hang in every future office of mine seems to sum up our beautiful journey together so well: we have co-created and encouraged new life within one another so much so that I, like Mary, can do nothing now but sing a song of great joy and gratitude to you!
There is so much goodness in store for you-- a generous community that sure knows how to pour love into this world.
With my love, awe and gratitude always,
Julie
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A Look at Covenant History 
By Nancy Hollomon
When we start a new year, we look forward to what is going to happen. It can be very interesting to look at the past also. Church of the Covenant has archives that go back to the beginnings of each denomination as they existed in Boston. Let's go back just 50 years to 1969, then to 1979, which was such a rich year for Covenant.
In 1969 a group of actors gathered to create The Pocket Mime Theater. This company performed in the sanctuary and in the space where another arts group, Gallery NAGA, now exhibits visual arts. ........Donald Denniston was baptized, making him our earliest current member........The social events of church dinners cost $1.00, but if you also brought canned food for people who came to the door hungry, you only had to pay 50 cents for your own meal.
1979
- only 40 years ago. The church had one half-time minister (who really worked about 120% of the time) and five part-time ministers, who also did other kinds of mission work in the Boston community.
"Renewing the Covenant" was an exciting commitment to stay in this place, in this building, and to make a pledge of time and money. One of our leaders was heard to say that the future "is strange and challenging".........
.......The congregation grew rapidly; new members came. The Pocket Mime moved out of the building, but 12 prospective ministers came in or under care. It was joyous labor to help prepare these people to be ordained. ........There was at least one day when rain came through the roof and down on the preacher in the pulpit. ....... Twelve new singers joined the choir, and there were major repairs to the organ.
The operating fund had $67,815 to support all this work. The Building Fund was just starting to grow. For the 1979 building care, $16,815 was available, mostly from gifts via individual wills.
The congregation decided to work actively on the program and the building.
The Organizing Committee to Renew the Covenant was created. Smaller groups met regularly in homes for discussions. The energy was amazing.
It reminds us what we could do today.
2019
-- How lucky we are to be a functioning congregation, worshiping,
teaching, feeding, and rejoicing.
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Pro Arte Concert of Newell's Opera
On Saturday, March 2, 8:00 PM, at First Baptist Church, 848 Beacon St, Newton Centre, Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra will give a concert which will include Newell Hendricks' "Prelude and Prologue" from his opera, "Cain."
This portion of the opera was premiered at Church of the Covenant on March  11, 1979. It would be wonderful to see a great number of COTC members in the audience on March 2.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.proarte.org or by calling 617-779-0900. They can also be purchased at the door the night of the concert. I will have a few comp tickets as well.
Thank you to all those who have generously contributed to the extra expense of performing Newell's piece, which requires more musicians than Pro Arte regularly uses. If others wish to contribute, please make checks out to Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra and write "for Hendricks' Cain" on the memo line. Mail to Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra, P.O. Box 590295, Newton, MA 02459. Any amount is appreciated!
Looking forward to seeing you on March 2, and sharing Newell's music.
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News from the Pews 
Compiled by Linda Pursley
Travels
In January, Barbara Darling and Ted Goodfleisch took a road trip to Spring  Arbor, Michigan, to visit Barbara's family. They were grateful that the weather was very cooperative for the whole trip AND grateful to spend time with her brother and sister-in-law, one of her two nephews, David, and his wife, and--a special highlight--Barbara's 7-week-old great-nephew, Liam!
Liam is pictured here with his dad, David Darling, and Barbara.
Mark Huston and Nancy Stockford traveled to Denver over the MLK weekend to babysit for their niece Becky's two little boys, Chapman and Winston. They had a lot of fun practice-grandparenting. Highlights included a trip to the transportation museum and a wildlife refuge.
Updates
Enid Watson sends greetings from the Stratford St. United Church in West Roxbury, where she is a part-time co-pastor with the amazing Abby Heinrich. Abby is also the founding pastor of Grace Church in Dedham, which meets on Sunday nights. Enid reports that she and Abby are having a great time with this wonderful congregation, and it's very active food pantry, Rose's Bounty. They are fortunate to collaborate at times with The Revs. Beth Wieman and Rick Spalding!
Enid continues her full-time work in public health. Currently, her Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) work involves advocating for state legislation to  adopt the federal definition of developmental disabilities,  so that adults with an FASD and an IQ over 70 can be eligible for developmental disability state services. Enid writes, "We need advocates! Please visit our advocacy page by clicking here,
and spread the word, contact your state legislator, etc. This is a social justice issue, dear friends! Also, look for a segment on Boston 25 TV during Feb. sweeps week;" Enid, a young man with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, and his adoptive mother talk about the challenges of FASD, and what helps Sasha make it through life. Enid ends her submissions with this charge: "Onward, dear COTC, with faith, determination, hope, and advocacy!"
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Under the Mango Tree 
by Tim Groves
Note: This column will be a monthly sharing of stories from our sister church community, Dulce Nombre de Jesus, in northwest Nicaragua.
Very little news from Nicaragua comes to us in the U.S. from the news sources most of us regularly depend on. What does make headlines, however, causes us anguish, as clearly there are imprisonments and human rights violations sponsored by the government in power. Is this a time to travel with Covenant's annual delegation to visit Nombre de Jesus? The response from
Entre Culturas, who partners with both communities and accompanies us:
We think there are conditions for a delegation to come; you can come because there are no clashes in the streets. There are no protests anymore, especially in Managua. The rest of the country, especially in the region around Dulce Nombre, the situation is pretty calm.
We believe it is good for you to come to see the new reality of Nicaragua, to feel it and realize that the future of Nicaragua will be more difficult. Another thing is that some people of Dulce Nombre are afraid and thinking that maybe because of the situation in Nicaragua you will no longer be interested in being in a relationship with them.
As we shared in last month's column, Covenant's Nicaragua Companions group invites those at Covenant who may like to learn more about a possible delegation to Nombre de Jesus this July, 2019, to reach out to us. Contact people are Tim Groves and Diane Lauber, although over 30 folks currently active at Covenant and many more in our diaspora have traveled to the village to represent us. They are all great contacts for you to talk with.
For raising funds to help support such a delegation and ones in the future, we will be fundraising with two events:
SOUP SALE: Karen Henry is collecting orders for homemade soups! We have nine volunteers preparing an assortment of delicious soups for you, which will sell for $10 a quart. Contact Karen to place your order at kams.henry@gmail.com .
CABARET: Our tentative date for this year's fundraising talent show is Saturday evening, April 27. Please contact Joe Waters to let him know that  you have talents to share! With Tom Handel's accompaniment and support, we have been surprised by and enjoyed each others' performances for many years. Be sure to join us this year, to delight in each others' gifts and to perform in a context of appreciation and support: sing, dance, tell stories, read poems, play music, juggle.
On Sunday, March 17, Nica Companions will be leading Sunday worship in the style of Dulce Nombre, the Celebration of the Word. We will reflect on the day's scripture, retell the story and examine its relevance to our lives and our world today. Please help us all make meaning together in the perspective of Liberation Theology's "preference for the poor." This service will mirror our sister community's worship that same morning.
Finally, as we think of our sister community, we are holding in our hearts and prayers two members of Dulce Nombre. Esperanza is a senior leader of the community in the final stage of her life. She is in her home surrounded and cared for by family and community - exactly where she wants to be. Yaritza, a much younger woman and a member of Maximino's extended family, has just successfully completed her second operation to remove a brain tumor. She is doing much better, although she will need follow-up chemotherapy. Eduardo and Luis of Entre Culturas have visited both women and carried prayers to them from Covenant. And on our last delegation in January, 2018, we were able to visit both.
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Council Report
By Trudi Veldman for Council
January 2019 Council Meeting
Due to Rev. Rob's illness, Council met by phone for a brief meeting to discuss time-sensitive topics.
- Faith Perry provided an update on 2018 financials and the draft budgets for 2019. Council offered no revision of the 2019 Building budget but recommended that the 2019 Operating budget be revised to reduce the proposed deficit.
- Council recorded the following vote (taken by email): To add Church of the Covenant-Boston to the list of congregations signing onto the New Sanctuary Coalition's "Exodus Statement".
- Rev. Rob provided updates on topics ranging from the recent staff transition, the Safe & Welcoming Church team, and plans to reconvene the Next Steps team to respond to concerns raised by staff and neighbors about unhoused people sleeping on the steps of the church.
- Barbara Darling brought a report from the Kindling Advisory Team with proposed next steps. Council approved that the ministry of the Kindling Collective (spiritual nourishment of young artists) will reside at Emerson College into the future and celebrated the fact that this ministry will continue.
- Trudi Veldman presented a report from Nominating Committee and council voted to elect as member of the Personnel Committee Nancy Ammerman to a three-year term in the class of 2021.
Council and Deacons have scheduled a joint meeting on January 27, 2019, to be followed by a Council meeting to approve the 2019 budgets, discuss next steps with regards to the Associate Pastor position and to prepare for the Annual Meeting.
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2 Jim Stiles
5 Linda Pursley
7 Nancy Graham
11 Evelyn Kimber
12 April Haines, Joshua Doherty
17 Bob Thomas
19 Gisela Rots
Note: If your February birthday does not appear on this list, please notify Hillary in the church office so we can include you next year!
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February  2019
Calendar
most up-to-date church calendar.
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About This Issue
February 2019 Covenant News
Editor and Graphics: Evelyn Kimber
Template: Harry Forsdick
Deadline for the March 2019 Covenant News is Saturday, February 23. Please email your submissions to Evelyn Kimber at
ebkimber@gmail.com
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