March Newsletter
Covenant Lutheran Church
March 6, 2019
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Links for More Information:
* Please take a look to see when you are scheduled to serve!
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Ash Wednesday Worship
Ash Wednesday worship will be held TONIGHT at 7:00 pm.
Ash Wednesday is a day we "remember we are dust and to dust we shall return" by receiving an ash cross marking on our foreheads. Join us for this special service that begins the season of Lent.
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Remember to set your clocks One Hour AHEAD on Saturday night so you arrive on time for worship and Seven Last Words Lenten Reflections!
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Seven Last Words
Lenten Reflections
March 10 - April 19
9:30 am - Community Rm
“Transformation is coming!” This is the gospel message of Session 2 of the devotional guide, Seven Last Words from Illustrated Children’s Ministry. The uplifting promise calls us into contemplation as well as conversation as we cross through the 40 days of reflection on the mystery of faith—the suffering, death. and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. Join us for this time of visual and creative sharing around familiar passages. At each session, participants (adults as well as children) may engage their creativity with coloring pages designed for each.
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Baskets of Hope
THIS WEEK: Bars of Soap
We are collecting personal care kit items again this year for Lutheran World Relief. See the article in this newsletter for more details. We will focus of collecting a different item each week.
The item we are collecting THIS SUNDAY is full size bars of soap.
Look for the containers in the sanctuary in which to drop off your donations.
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Redevelopment Update
It’s Spring! And we’re off!!
With so much study and ministry action already embedded in the Covenant mindset, our Redevelopment team is seeking a clearer understanding of the population surrounding us. What follows that discovery is the query “do we have the capacity to serve in ways that we are not currently aware?” It’s an obvious question when one worships in an intentionally multi-purpose space. Have we already mined the depths of our “Jerusalem or Judea? Is Samaria beyond our reach?”
And ... does it matter?
God’s word to us through the Book of Acts answers
YES! It does!
It’s essentially the reason why redevelopment (revitalization) happens. The process serves as an opportunity to rethink why we are where we are—in ministry, for that is what the Body of Christ is called to—being church with and to the people we encounter.
Members of the RD Team will engage in a type of “scavenger hunt” we’re calling “Listening Tours.” We will traverse the three to six-mile radius of Covenant, calling on anyone and everyone in the various ways available to us.
READ MORE...
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Message from Pastor Ele
Spring Forward and into Lent!
March 6, 2019
Does anyone remember that the word “lent” means “spring” or “spring season”?!
Just writing those words gives a lift to my spirits. It’s like having the one or two sunny days in a week of overcast skies that help you remember darkness and gloom are not forever. Ironically, the solemnity of the liturgical Lenten season tends to foster a perception of joylessness that challenges the promise of new life that spring represents.
What if we cast our Lenten experiences in themes of spring?
What if spring becomes the lens through which we view the disciplines of Lent?
What if the expectations we have of spring are the outcomes we hope for ourselves as Lent unfolds into Easter?
How about these two ideas as starters:
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Spring
brings perky
new color
that gradually gives way to the vibrancy of summer hues.
So, too, as the brightness of the resurrection awaits the appointed day, our Lenten reflections may center on our hope of eternal life. Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection are the trilogy of Christian hope. Without them our faith is formless.
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Spring
ushers out the bleakness of winter,
replacing its cold frigidity with wriggling inquisitive newbies.
So, too, in the stillness of contemplation, our failures and inadequacies may seem like uncompromising scars, until the spring of God’s grace through the work of Christ cleanses us and ushers us into refreshing new ways of seeing and living.
Now … your turn.
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3785 Barker Cypress Rd,
Houston TX 77084
281-578-8799
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Sunday, March 10, 2019
First Sunday in Lent
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Psalm 91:1-2, 9-16
Romans 10:8b-13
Luke4:1-13
8:15 am Heritage Worship
9:30 am Seven Last Words Lenten Reflections - Community Rm
(no regular children's classes March 10 & 17 due to Spring Break) Children welcome to attend these sessions.
11:00 am Contemporary Worship
Nursery available all morning for ages 3 and under
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Children, Youth & Family Ministries
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Classes meet at 9:30 am for ages 3 and up.
There will be
NO Christian Education classes for children and youth on March 10 & 17 due to spring break.
These students are encouraged to attend the Seven Last Words Lenten Reflections with their family on those Sundays.
Regular classes will resume on March 24.
For Adults (and all ages):
Seven Last Words Lenten Reflections
- meets at 9:30 am in the Community Room from
March 10 - April 19
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Other Events & Activities
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Easter Lilies & Hydrangeas for Easter Order Now!
In addition to Easter lilies, this year we are adding pink, white, and blue hydrangeas to beautify the sanctuary for Easter! See the table near the Covenant Cafe for order forms.
Lilies are $10/each; Hydrangeas are $12/each.
We have ordered 12 lilies and 8 each of the blue, white and pink hydrangeas - first come, first served, so ORDER NOW! You may designate the plants in honor or memory or someone special and may take the plants home after Easter if you like.
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Baskets of Hope - LWR
Care Kits for Lent
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In conjunction with our Lenten focus, "Seven Last Words,"
we are collecting personal care items during Lent from March 10 through April 14
to assemble into care kits for refugees around the world who are experiencing war, poverty or disaster.
Each kit will contain soap, a
bath towel, a toothbrush, a
sturdy comb, and metal nail
clippers.
The toothbrushes and
combs must be packaged individually. Bars of soap must be full size in original wrapping (no mini sizes). Towels should be lightweight, dark colors (20" x 40" to "52" x 27"). The items will be collected inside the sanctuary in special baskets.
Read more about this program and the items needed HERE.
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Candy Donations Needed for Easter Egg Hunt
Donations of individually-wrapped candy are needed to stuff the plastic eggs for the Easter egg hunt. (We have enough eggs.)
We will collect the donations on March 31, April 7 & 14.
The egg hunt will take place between worship services on Easter Sunday, April 21, along with other activities.
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Altar Flowers
There will be no flowers on the altar during Lent.
It's time to order Easter lilies and hydrangeas (NEW this year!) for Easter Sunday!
See the table in the lobby to place your orders. You can sign up to sponsor future dates on the
Flower Chart on the bulletin board near the Fellowship Hall, in honor or in memory of someone or a special occasion.
The cost to sponsor is $50 and you may take the flowers home after services on your special day.
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Covenant Lay Pastoral Ministry Team
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If you have a pastoral care concern this week, please contact
Connie Smith
and
Irvin Smith
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For emergency pastoral concerns, contact Pastor Ele at 281-698-0681.
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THANK YOU to all who donated blood at our Blood Drive last Sunday! 14 people were able to donate, which resulted in 16 products, saving 48 lives! WOW!
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Roadside Cleanup
Saturday, March 23
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Troop 1455's next roadside cleanup will be
March 23 at 8:00 am at Covenant.
They would welcome any Covenant participants who would like to attend. If so, please
watch the
Adopt-a-Highway Safety Video.
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Lutheran Disaster Response - Tornadoes
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On Sunday, powerful tornadoes hit Alabama, Georgia and Florida, causing widespread destruction and loss of lives. To find out more and
to give a donation to help people whose lives by been impacted by these devastating tornadoes,
CLICK HERE.
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Katy Color Run 5K/10K
Saturday, March 23
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Katy Christian Ministries invites everyone to participate in the 3rd Annual Katy Color Run "Chalk it up for Charities Fundraiser" which supports several Katy non-profits. Kids through adults may participate.
See more information and register HERE.
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Texas Lutheran University Choir will present a concert at
Holy Cross Lutheran Church (7901 Westview Dr, Houston, 77055) on Thursday, March 28 at 7:00 pm.
Concert is FREE.
CLICK HERE to learn more.
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Covenant Leadership
during Redevelopment
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