- Pints With The Pastor now in-person!
- Come to the church and be blessed on June 13th! See below
- Meditation is on June 16th at 7 pm.
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heArt Connections on June 18th. See below.
- Thrive with Pride Plenary (large group) will be meeting on Tuesday, June 22nd at 11:00 am via Zoom. Drag Queen Bingo will be the highlight!
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IN-PERSON WORSHIP STARTS JUNE 13TH! |
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The Board of Holy Covenant is delighted to announce that we will be returning to in-person worship on Sunday, June 13th! Our live stream will continue, via Facebook Live, for those who cannot or do not wish to attend in person for whatever reason.
Guidelines include:
- Masks required (available at the door if needed)
- Hand sanitizer use on the entrance (available at the door)
- Temperature check on the entrance (touchless)
- Vaccinations encouraged
- Social distancing (our chairs will be arranged for both groups and individuals, six feet apart)
- We will not be singing
- Doors will be open and the ceiling fan on to provide constant air circulation
- If you are not feeling well, please stay home and take care of yourself, and watch us on Facebook or YouTube!
Communion
Communion wafers will be dropped into your hand. Both grape juice and wine will be available in small individual-serving disposable cups; you may dip your wafer or drink the wine/juice.
Prayers
Prayers will be available but confirm with the prayer partner how close to them you are comfortable being.
Live-stream
We will live stream the full service via Facebook Live only (not Zoom). The camera will be focused on the altar/pulpit area; the congregation will not be visible on-camera. The video of the service will be available on both Facebook (shortly after the service) and on Holy Covenant’s YouTube channel (sometime that week).
Coffee Hour
We will offer coffee hour outside, with coffee and individually wrapped treats. In case of inclement weather, we will not hold coffee hour.
These guidelines were arrived at by the Board after a lot of prayers, research, thought, and discussion. We remember our first command as a community of faith: “Love one another.” Part of loving one another is keeping each other safe and respecting each other’s health needs and decisions. Please take care of yourself, and do what you need to do to stay safe and well.
We are planning a celebration as we are able to gather together in person again!
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JUNE IS PRIDE MONTH!
BE PROUD OF WHO YOU ARE!
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God Has Made Us Different and This Is Truly His Way of Showing Us That He Loves Us in a Special Way. Have a Happy Gay Pride Month!
Click below to watch about LGBTQ history as shown on The Ellen Show in 2019!
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Holy Covenant has started to use an online software program called SignUp Genius to create volunteer opportunities and for future worship.
With this online software, you will be able to sign-up to help with a variety of different events being held at the church. By signing up you will receive reminders for what you have signed up to help with and can keep track of other volunteer opportunities that may arise.
When you see a volunteer opportunity for a sign-up like grass cutting, garage sale, etc. there will be a link that will take you to the sign-up sheet. Please fill it out as needed.
Our partner at Share Food, Share Love uses this online software with great success! Let's make it successful for our church too by everyone clicking on the provided link and sign up to help out Holy Covenant as needed.
If you have any questions, please contact Rev. Martha or Barbara Adams Latsaras at socialmedia@holycovenantmcc.org.
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YOUR GENEROSITY IS NEEDED!
Your generosity is needed, now more than ever! You may give via:
PayPal — access it through our website or send your donation on PayPal to donations@holycovenantmcc.org
Electronic Check
Send an electronic check from your financial institution, or by sending a personal check. Our address is 9145 Grant Ave, Brookfield, IL, 60513.
Square
There is a button below to give via Square. Or click this link here
Please remember that when giving through Square and PayPal they do charge a percentage fee to the church unless it shows an option to help out the church and pay that fee.
See the weekly giving below. Holy Covenant needs at least $4,650 a month to meet its obligations for bills and salary. We are now showing what the percentage of giving is and how we are doing on a monthly basis.
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MAY 2021 GIVING
Needed Weekly
(5 WEEKS) $931
The Difference is -$1,978
The raffle at the garage sale netted $246 and the garage sale netted $502. These numbers are not reflected above in the chart.
Please consider contributing to
Holy Covenant via PayPal, Check or Square.
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heART CONNECTIONS - JUNE 18TH |
The pandemic, lockdown, finding and getting vaccination shots, losing a job, family issues, and other stresses can change your life. We have a way to help you release some stress and relax.
Come get creative with us as we paint, draw, make, and write our feelings out, have some fun through a brief meditation (no experience necessary). Mary Ann Latsaras will be leading everyone in an experiential creative process which includes a 15-minute meditation, followed by an artistic project (you don't need to be an artist) in expressing and getting in touch with the core of one's true self and one's own experiences.
Click on the image to download the informational PDF.
Need more information? Please send an email to Events at events@holycovenantmcc.org or you can sign up by clicking here
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SUNDAY WORSHIP ON FACEBOOK LIVE
10:00 AM CST
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Our worship celebration is every Sunday at 10 am CST. If you would like to join us, you may go to our Facebook page at Holy Covenant Facebook Page and click on the Live button to watch the service, or you may join via Zoom (link is below).
Sunday Reading:
Mark 2: 13 - 22
Sermon
Rev. Martha Daniels
"The Old and The New"
Topic: Holy Covenant Worship Celebration!
Time: June 6, 2021, 10:00 AM Central Time (U.S. and Canada)
Meeting ID: 828 1827 5027
Passcode: 299339
One tap mobile
+13126266799,,82818275027#,,,,,,0#,,299339# US (Chicago)
+16465588656,,82818275027#,,,,,,0#,,299339# US (New York)
Dial by your location
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 646 558 8656 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
Meeting ID: 828 1827 5027
Passcode: 299339
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kb1pgOacn
Have a candle ready to light, cookie or bread, and a glass of your favorite libation for communion.
You can also find the sermon on our YouTube Channel here.
Rev. Martha is available by email, phone, Facebook Messenger, and text for any pastoral needs you may have revmarthadaniels@gmail.com
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PINTS WITH THE PASTOR
THURSDAY, 06/10 - IN PERSON!
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Come have dinner at Irish Times in Brookfield and chat with Rev. Martha and your friends from Holy Covenant about whatever is on your mind!
Time: 6 pm, Thursday, June 10, 2021
Irish Times
8869 Burlington Ave
Brookfield, IL 60513
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All are welcome to join us on the front lawn of the CSJ Center. Come and join the prayer, enjoy the singing of a children's choir, and be motivated by local guest speakers. Bring a chair or blanket!
Congregation of St. Joseph
1515 Ogden Ave
La Grange Park, IL
Time: 10 - 11 am
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MEDITATION IN PERSON IS BACK! |
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Meditation has returned! The next meditation is on Wednesday, June 16th at
7 pm at the church. Mary Ann will be leading the meditation in Fellowship Hall. This event is free and open to all women.
Please be prompt at 7 pm
so there are no distractions.
We will be following CDC/Illinois guidelines.
- You must be wearing a mask inside
- Your temperature will be taken
- We will be practicing 6 feet apart
- We ask that you use hand sanitizer as you enter the building
- You must be vaccinated or have a negative COVID test.
If you have any questions, please email Mary Ann Latsaras at only1amar@yahoo.com.
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Our grass is growing and has been cut once already! We need some volunteers that would be willing to come and cut the grass! You can volunteer to do it once, twice, or whenever you want. If you feel you can help, please let Mary Ann know by dropping her an email at only1amar@yahoo.com or you can sign-up on our new volunteer portal called Sign-up Genius. Click SignUp Genius to Volunteer!
We started with a sign-up date of Saturday, but you can come and cut the grass any day of the week that is convenient for you.
We have a lawnmower and all the lawn equipment you will need!
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THRIVE WITH PRIDE - JUNE 22ND |
Our next “plenary” session – the open, informational presentations we host once a month – is on June 22ND. Thrive with Pride Large Group will be meeting June 22 and in celebration of Pride Month, will offer Drag Queen Bingo! You’ll need to register for this one, in order to get your bingo sheets—go to the ageoptions.org website or see the link in the newsletter.
Link to sign up for Drag Queen Bingo:
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BOARD MEETING ON 06/17/21
The monthly Board meeting is now in person at the church on Thursday, June 17th at 7:00 pm.
You can find the May Board minutes on our website and the June Agenda one week before our meeting on our website here.
You can find a PDF of the past Board Meetings Agenda and Minutes here
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FIRST MCC-ORDAINED U.S. MILITARY CHAPLIN
DOES SHE LOOK FAMILIAR?
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MCC congratulates Chaplain (Captain) Tania Guzman on her place in history as the first openly MCC-ordained clergy serving on active duty in the United States military. Tania completed the U.S. Army Chaplain Basic Officer Course at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina in March 2020. Through a unique partnership between MCC and endorsing organization The Coalition of Spirit-filled Churches, led by Chaplain Dave Plummer, Tania began serving as a Battalion Chaplain at Ft.
Hood, Texas in May.
Chaplain Tania’s calling began when she first realized as a young person that she was attracted to the order and structure of military life. Later she also realized that her sense of gratitude as an immigrant to the U.S. played a part in leading her to where she is now. Today her calling is being realized through her new ministry: bringing theologically progressive spiritual support and deep respect for all walks of faith to those who are serving in uniform.
Living out this passion isn’t easy in today’s Army, where the Chaplain Corps is largely represented by very conservative Christian traditions. Most chaplains are classified as “restricted” by their denominations; this means that as soon as the chaplain hears that someone is LGBTQ or curious, they cannot perform pastoral duties and must be sure to provide another chaplain for the service member. Out of the seven chaplains in her brigade, she is the only one who can perform marriages for same-gender couples who are a part of the roughly 4,000 brigade personnel. While the Army does not allow proselytizing by chaplains, many see the military as their “mission field” anyway. There are far fewer chaplains who understand that their role is not to convert but to meet
soldiers wherever they are spiritually, and respectfully partner with them on their journey of faith.
Tania is one of those few. She reports, “I want to make sure that I am that chaplain there for that soldier, especially those who identify as LGBTQ, who have probably already gone through so much to bring themselves to see a chaplain. I want them to have a safe place to exercise their beliefs, whatever they are, to be themselves without fear, and to have a supportive space to grow spiritually in the way that is true for them.” While Tania is very grateful for the sincere support she feels from her Brigade Chaplain and several other chaplains with whom she works, she has discovered that serving as a
U.S. Army chaplain can be a lonely ministry. Tania recently found herself at a gathering of about 100 other Army chaplains, and she realized she was one of only a few who were not “restricted.” She often feels alone and wants to change this. Someday she hopes to serve as a chaplain recruiter so she can be a part of bringing more religious diversity to the Army chaplaincy. She would love to see more progressive Christians (especially from MCC!), Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, and Muslims all serving as chaplains together. She is also very excited about being a part of the new, ongoing LGBTQ-affirming chapel service at Ft. Hood that her Division Chaplain has supported.
Given the current extremely conservative state of the U.S. Armed Forces Chaplain Corps, Tania feels very strongly that there is a huge and urgent need for more MCC-ordained clergy to serve as U.S. military chaplains, either in the Reserves, National Guard, or on active duty. In spite of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” being overturned, the military is still a challenging environment for those who identify as LGBTQ. Many do not feel safe being open about who they are, and there is a great need for more chaplains to provide the message and ministry of God’s unconditional love in all branches of the U.S. military.
Despite the challenges, Chaplain Tania is committed to following her calling. As
someone who has always identified as a peace and social justice activist, she
sometimes struggles between the personal and the political. It is her calling, however, that continues to tell her she is in the right place. “I know I am supposed to be here because there are soldiers who really need chaplains like me, and like others ordained by MCC. That one soldier who comes to me and finds support for who they are and where they are on their spiritual journey – that makes everything worth it.”
MCC Moderator, Rev Elder Cecilia Eggleston, praises this noteworthy event in the life and history of the MCC community. "Congratulations to Chaplain Guzman on serving in this groundbreaking role. I know that there are so many in MCC who have served in the armed forces for their country. Here is an opportunity to bring such service and vocation together to create a safe space for soldiers on active duty. Many in the US military need to be assured of God’s love no matter who you are or whom you love. This is a deep calling. Well done Chaplain Guzman.”
Chaplain Tania Guzman believes she cannot say this strongly enough: we need more MCC chaplains in the U.S. military! There are literally thousands of people serving in uniform who need the kind of unconditional acceptance, spiritual support, and love that MCC offers. Might God be calling you to serve in this way?
U.S. military chaplains have to meet requirements related to age, physical fitness, education, ordination, and ministry experience in order to qualify. If you feel that God may be calling you to serve as a military chaplain, please contact Rev. Dr. Lea Brown at revlbrown@yahoo.com for more information about our partnership with the Coalition of Spirit-filled Churches and about how you can take your next steps.
In the meantime, please pray for Rev. Tania, for her amazing and challenging ministry, and for God to provide many more who can serve as MCC-ordained military chaplains.
Chaplain Tania Guzman was born in the Dominican Republic and came to the U.S. in 1989 at age 12. She earned her Master of Divinity degree at the Florida Center for Theological Studies and her Doctor of Ministry degree at Episcopal Divinity School in Cambridge, MA. She was ordained by MCC in 2007 and has since served Church of the Trinity MCC in Sarasota, Sunshine Cathedral MCC in Ft. Lauderdale, Holy Covenant MCC in Brookfield IL, and at Advocate Health Care and Suncrest Hospice in Illinois. She entered the U.S. Army as a Captain. The article was written by Rev. Dr. Lea Brown and appeared in the FOCUS email from MCC on May 28, 2021.
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WE ARE AN AMAZON CHARITY! |
You can make an impact while you shop on Amazon. Simply shop here at Holy Covenant Amazon Smile Link and AmazonSmile will donate to Holy Covenant Church - M C C, at no cost to you.
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NEED POWER OF ATTORNEY OR WILL?
Contact the Center for Disability & Elder Law
Click this link to see the information and links. |
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PLEASE DONATE TO HOLY COVENANT
Click on PayPal or Square to Donate!
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Thanksgiving for Rev. Tania Guzman for continuing God's work in new places1
Thanksgiving for Colin's 8th grade graduation1
Prayers for healing for Karen V.1
Prayers for healing for Edward T1
Prayers for healing for Rev. Martha's mother Lee1
Prayers for healing for Barbara R. for her macular degeneration.3
Prayers of thanksgiving for good neighbors The Hernandez who brought over their tent for Cheryl & Roxann to sit under when it rained at the garage sale.3
Travel mercies for Barbara and Mary Ann and for some good fishing!2
That God will provide for those who are hungry, unemployed, and homeless
or in financial difficulties.
All those affected by HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, COVID-19, and other life-threatening illnesses.
All communities of faith
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LINKS AND OTHER INFORMATION |
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SUICIDE HOTLINE
If you or someone you know is in an emergency call 911 for help.
NAMI - National Alliance on Mental Health
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Missed a sermon?
Click here to catch up and watch on the Holy Covenant YouTube channel!
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Every day brings something new—and God is
with us always!
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