Good morning, COG Family!
Did I hear someone say that we are getting together in person this coming Sunday, August 9th? Yes, I did! Wahoooo!!!
I know that many of us have been anxious to resume face-to-face services. It will be exciting to worship God together, in person! Read through the COG Re-Open Update below for details on what our time together will look like.
“I in them and you in me, that they may
become perfectly one, so that the world
may know that you sent me and loved
them even as you loved me.”
John 17:23
I look forward to seeing you this Sunday.
Be salt and light,
Pastor Chris
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Sunday Teaching Schedule
Reminder that Pastor Joel is on sabbatical until September 1, 2020. If you need anything, reach out to Pastor Chris or the church office.
Upcoming Teaching Schedule
August 9: Dr. Steve Veteto
August 16: Dr. Steve Veteto
August 23: Pastor J
August 30: Rory Tucker
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Tithes and Offerings
Thank you, COG family, for your generosity and faithfulness during these difficult times! Here are our giving numbers for the last tw0 weeks:
Week of July 28, 2020
Giving: $7,425.00
Weekly Budget: $10,121.44
Year to Date Giving: $286,731.73
Year to Date Budget: $303,643.20
Week of Aug 4, 2020
Giving: $5,846.64
Weekly Budget: $10,121.44
Year to Date Giving: $292,578.37
Year to Date Budget: $313,764.64
Below are the ways that you can contribute your tithes and offerings to the church.
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Write a check to the church. You can either mail it in to the church or stop by the church and put it in the slot of our mailbox located by the doors of the North Building (4343 S. Flanders St. Centennial, CO 80015).
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Bill Pay through your banking institution.
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COG website - online giving.
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The elders and task force have finalized Phase 4 of the re-open plan, which gives us the opportunity to begin meeting together in-person for Sunday morning services. Below are the key points to this phase to help everyone prepare for coming together this Sunday, August 9th, 2020.
The summary of COG Phase 4 is as follows:
Sunday service will start at 10 am. Please do not come to the building before 9:45 am unless you are filling a volunteer position.
- We are requiring face masks to be worn while inside the church building (following CO state guidelines). We recommend you wear them while outside the building as well, especially while visiting with others outside your family group.
- We are requiring 6' social distancing at all times with those who are not in your household. Children and youth will need to stay with their parents at all times.
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We will not have children's classes on Sundays until further notice. Nancy will keep parents up-to-date on progress with children's classes. If you have questions, you can email Nancy.
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Youth will not be meeting this coming Sunday, but youth and parents will receive an email from Pastor J regarding when they will start meeting. If you want to make sure you are on Pastor J's email list, you can email Pastor J.
- If you feel ill, have been ill, or around someone who has had COVID-19 over the past 10 days, please stay home.
- We will have volunteers on hand to help guide everyone through the new process. Ushers will help family groups find seating and we ask you to keep four chairs apart from each family group. This will provide the 6' social distancing required.
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If you do not feel comfortable coming to service, we will still be streaming service online at 10 am. Her is the link to our YouTube channel.
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We are asking everyone to complete an RSVP for the worship service by clicking on this link. This will allow us to have an idea of how many are coming and will help coordinate setup.
If you wish to read all of the details regarding this phase of our re-opening, you can click here to go to our COVID-19 page on our website.
Church family, I look forward to seeing all of you in person. Even socially distanced and wearing face masks.
Pastor Chris
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Bring Your Own Kids' In-Church Bags! We will be providing activity packets for kids who attend church with their families in person, so we are encouraging families to put together an activity bag for each child who will be attending with you. We suggest that each bag have a clipboard and coloring supplies; then add any additional items from home you know will help your child stay focused in church. We will have a few activity bags available for children to use (and not return) on Sunday mornings, but making and bringing your own would help us out. Thank you! |
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Praising God should be a regular part of our day. What are you praising God for? I would like to share your praises with the COG family in future newsletters. Email me your praises so we can all give God an amen. If you want to remain anonymous, just let me know.
Here are praise reports I received over the last two weeks.
"I'm thankful for God NEVER looking down His proverbial nose at me, playing favorites is a detestable trait."
"I praise our glorified Lord for His light that reaches into the most remote corners of darkness. Let His light so shine, let His Word pierce that remote corner of darkness and be transformed for eternity." - Anita
"I'm thankful for God's gifts and talents in my life, equips me for Kingdom purposes."
"Many people are struggling with health issues, but God remains faithful in providing strength and peace." - Joyce
"I'm thankful for knowing my brokenness, without it I don't think I'd be as impressed by God's power to make me whole."
“I praise God we are launching our in-person worship gatherings on August 9!” - Steve
"I praise God for a new job and for new relationships, even in this challenging season."
"I am thankful that God provides in all circumstances." - Chris
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In today's newsletter, we get to know Eric Blakely a little better. Thank you Eric for allowing us to get to know you and thank you for your service to our country.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Eric Blakely, I have been married to Kimmie for over 11 years and we have 4 bio Kids, Nate 10, Evy 6, Malachi 4, and Naomi 1. We also have between 0 and four foster kids depending on all that is going on, and currently have 3. Currently I work for the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office and the Army National Guard, although I have been full time orders with the Guard for most of this year. I was born and raised in Colorado, received a BA in Psychology from CU Boulder, spent a year teaching in China and finally finished an MS in Criminal Justice and Public Administration from Liberty University. I enjoy Baseball, Star Wars, Marvel and history (after all, Star Wars was a long time ago…)
Do you have an unusual skill/hobby/talent?
I have the unusual talent of knowing a lot of useless trivia and information.
If you picked one word to describe yourself, what would it be?
Loyal
What is a little known fact about yourself?
A little known fact is that I had a lightsaber duel as Darth Vader at the midnight showing of Episode III.
What do you like to do on a day with no set plans?
A day without plans for me consists of games (board, card or video) or movies.
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Camp Out At Long Scraggy
Every year, a group of COG families and friends go to Long Scraggy Ranch for a Labor Day weekend camp out. As of now, the camping trip is still on! The dates for this year will be September 4th - 7th. More details will be coming as we get closer to the event. If you are interest in going or have questions, you can reach out to William and Amy Fabrizio or call them at 720.469.9927.
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Students of Grace Connect |
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Pastor J has started a newsletter for the Students of Grace Community of Grace (SOGCOG) parents. This is a great way for parents to stay up to date on upcoming events and activities. The link -- https://newsletter.dymapps.com/read/31342 -- will stay the same so you can reference it at any time for SOGCOG information. If you have any questions, reach out to Pastor J. We are blessed to have a youth pastor who cares deeply for our students. Pastor J is coming up with new ways to engage your young adults during these different times. Thank you, J, for all your work and effort in helping to keep our next generation engaged with God.
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Just a friendly reminder that our congregation has access to an extensive video library called RightNow Media. It’s like the "Netflix" of video Bible studies and has a HUGE library of faith-based videos that you can access whenever and wherever you want—on your phone, tablet, computer, or at home on your TV.
Now is a great time to take advantage of any extra downtime to develop and strengthen your faith. If you have not looked at RightNow Media before, you are missing out on some incredible scholars who bring the Word well. This resource has videos for everyone—kids, youth, parents, married couples, college students, single adults, working professionals—all aimed at helping you grow.
Use the link below to sign up for your free account, and you’re all set to explore more than 20,000 videos. We pray that this resource will be a blessing for you and your family!
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Community of Grace Sunday Prayer Time |
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The COG prayer team is gathering via Zoom each Sunday at 9:15 am - 9:45 am to pray before worship service. Please join us! Click here to download the file; then click the file to add it to your calendar. You can also click this link to join the Zoom meeting directly. The meeting ID is 598 261 804 and the password is 053343. Prayer will wrap up with enough time to join our online worship service starting at 10 am. You can click here to go to the online service.
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Questions or Concerns?
Email us
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