In the next several weeks you will receive many different appeals for donations to all sorts of charities. Each of them is designed to prompt your response. Sadly, not all of them are worthy. Their financial records may reveal more dollars paid out for marketing than used to help others. Some organizations may support projects that conflict with your own values. Some may be nothing more than money-making schemes taking advantage of the season. How can you be sure your gift will not be wasted?

As you make decisions about donations to ministry initiatives, or to assist people in need because of natural disasters or personal challenges and wonder how to give wisely, please consider this:

Giving to and giving through Christ Covenant is always a very good way to respond to the needs in our community and across the globe. We are actively involved in more than 50 different ministries, all year round. We are as concerned with feeding the hungry in July as we are in January. We don’t wait for Christmas to befriend the widow or the orphan.

Through the work of the Presbyterian Church in America and our network of sister congregations around the world, we are a part of the quick response at the scene of emergencies like wild fires, floods and storms. We know how to offer both immediate and long-term assistance, sharing the hope of Christ while meeting physical needs and establishing long-term relationships through the local church.

Here in our own community, partnerships with local ministries who share our goals allow us to direct our efforts to those in need without duplicating costs. Every dollar given to Christ Covenant to help others stretches a little further because there are no administrative deductions and volunteers, including members of our own church family who give so much of their time and skills to these ministries. If you have questions about year-end giving, or want to know more about the ministries we help support, please contact your pastor or call the church office. We are happy to assist.

Remember, gifts to the church in December go toward all our ministries and are a significant part of our annual income. Generally, gifts to the church in the form of checks or cash that are mailed (and postmarked) by December 31 or delivered in person to the church office by 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 31, should be deductible for tax purposes. You may also take advantage of our secure online giving (under the Members tab on our website). God blesses Christ Covenant through your gifts, and they are greatly appreciated. Call Sandy Spitz at 704-814-1010 with any questions.

Would you prayerfully consider who you believe could serve our church well as an elder or deacon? Through these offices Christ rules and shepherds his church. All nominees must be male and a member of our church for at least two years by his election (June 2021). The nomination form gives additional attributes of elder and deacon to consider as you are thinking of men in the congregation. Nominations will be received through the month of January. Forms are available at the information desk in the main lobby of the worship center or online at christcovenant.org/officer-nomination/. Thank you!

We are excited to offer new Sunday School opportunities in January. One is an in person class on Wednesday nights and the other is an online class that will begin on January 17. The senior adult "Thursday" class will return as well. Here is information for the classes:

Registration is now open for select winter/spring Women’s Bible Studies. Small Group Bible Studies will meet at a variety of times throughout the week, and the Winter Short Study, taught by Sarah Ivill will meet on Thursday mornings. To learn more about these studies and register, please visit the Women’s Ministry website at https://christcovenant.org/womensbiblestudies/.

All senior adults are invited to join us at the next senior adult luncheon. The luncheon will be Friday, January 15, from 11:45 am – 1:30 pm in the lower CLC. We will have lasagna, salad, bread, and desserts. Both auditoriums in the lower CLC will be used for seating with 30 per room to ensure proper spacing. To reserve your spot, RSVP by Friday, January 8 on the Sign Up Genius link, https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0444aaaf2ea2fc1-january, or directly to Jenny Blackmon, Ministry Administrator at 704-708-6104 or jblackmon@christcovenant.org. A $3 donation per person to cover food costs is appreciated.

The Christmas Carol Service was on Sunday, December 6. If you missed the service or would like to enjoy it again, you can find it on these links on our Vimeo and YouTube channels.

We hope you will pick up a copy of the 2020 Annual Report at any of the doors going into the sanctuary. You can also find a downloadable PDF of our annual report by clicking here.

If you are 70 ½ or older, you may be eligible for a significant tax savings when making gifts to the church. Here’s how that works. Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from an IRA account are typically subject to income taxes; however, payments made directly from an IRA to the church (trustee to trustee transfer) will not be subject to income taxes for many qualifying Seniors. If you are interested in making a financial gift to the church, this may be an opportunity for you to give and save taxes at the same time. This is a great idea for 2020 December giving as well as good planning for next year. Be sure to check with your tax advisor to see if this is right for you, and please be mindful of year-end deadlines (see Year-End Giving above). For church-related questions, contact the Church Finance Office at 704-847-3505.

The Gideons International is an organization of Christian businessmen and their wives dedicated to making the Word of God available to everyone and, together with local churches, reaching souls for Christ. In our 117 years, the Lord has enabled the distribution of over 2.5 billion Scriptures in 95 languages and 200 countries. The Charlotte Southeast Camp of Gideons International is continually grateful for the support of Christ Covenant Church over the years and wants you to know that despite the impact of COVID 19, your prayers and support contributed to the distribution of 71 million Scriptures worldwide including 7.6 million in the United States this past year. These numbers include 1500 Bibles distributed by the Southeast Camp.

Please continue to keep us in your prayers, for open doors and perseverance. Additionally, if you want to contribute to the Gideons, we invite you do that. You can watch their video, the Birthday for Jesus, by clicking here. This video is one-and-a-half-minutes summarizing Gideons International. Every $5 will place a Bible that has the potential to reach 2600 lives with the Gospel message. Checks can be mailed to Gideons, Box 220421, Charlotte, 28222. Also, you can link to the free Gideon Bible app by clicking here.