Hello, Bailey-

Click on the elephants to see pageant photos, and click on the image of Chelsea to see photos from her ordination—both from last Sunday.

Saturday is Christmas Eve. We have worship at 4:00, 6:00, and 8:00. We have soup and finger food in between the services. And we have worship on Sunday, Christmas Day at 10am. (more info below)

If you can’t make it to Covenant in person this weekend, that’s OK. Seriously. Stay home if you need to. It’s going to be very cold, so please be safe. There is lots of sickness going around, so if you do come to church, masks are recommended.

Remember our services are available on our YouTube page; the 4pm and 8pm services will be livestreamed, so you can connect with us virtually.

Wherever you find yourself, I do hope you make some time and space to celebrate the birth of Jesus, Immanuel, God-with-us:

• lighting a candle to shine in darkness,
• listening for the song of peace that the angels sing,
• remembering that we are never alone,
• asking God for opportunities to be kind, to forgive, or to strive for justice in the world

Merry Christmas!

Charlie

PS - We have one service at 10:00am on Sunday, December 25 Sunday, January 1. Our New Year’s Day service is in Bradfield Hall.

At our 4:00 Family Service, we continue our long tradition of telling the Christmas Story, and any time time the word “angel” is said, children are invited to ring a bell. New Day Ensemble leads us in music and we light candles, filling the sanctuary with light.

At our 6:00 Traditional Service, the Covenant Handbell Choir leads music, and at the 8:00 service, the Covenant Chancel Choir leads music, including a “Hallelujah” Chorus sing-along at the beginning of the service. And of course, we will light candles in both these services as well.

Join us for a bowl of hot soup on Christmas Eve between services! Soups and crackers will be provided.

Please bring a “Finger Food” to share with others… your favorite Christmas cookies, appetizer, plate of sausage and cheese, mini sandwiches, veggies and dip, or chips and salsa, or whatever finger food you like. Bring your family or come on your own. Invite some neighbors or friends!



Christmas is a time to be together, so join us for some Christmas Eve fellowship as we enjoy a simple supper together! Merry Christmas, one and all!

• In-Person and Livestream worship: 10:00am (ONE service)
• A reading of "The Christmas Pageant" by Michael Lindvall
• Visit our Worship HQ for everything you need to worship with us online!
• Please note: there is no Sunday School, Kaleidoscope Kids, or Nursery care until January 8th.

If you missed a service or would like to watch a service again, all livestreamed services are saved to our YouTube channel. Or you can give the sermons another listen on our sermon podcast!

At the Christmas Eve services, we will collect the Christmas Eve Mission Offering. This year’s Christmas Eve Mission Offering will go to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance’s Refugee Ministry. Click the link for more info. CLICK HERE to give now, or you can give in person on Christmas Eve. (Note: this is different from the Christmas Joy Offering.)

In addition to the above closures, we have also decided to close the office on Friday, December 23rd due to the winter storm.

Bring your donations through December!

Trees are at Covenant by the Columbarium.

You can still fill out a commitment card if you haven’t had a chance. They are available in the office. You can also fill out your commitment card/form as well as serving survey on our Generosity Page. Here is a snapshot of where we currently stand financially:

W encourage you to fill out a serving survey (click). The serving survey indicates your gifts/talents which helps us know how you want to get involved at Covenant.

Coming in January, we will have a new devotional to ring in the New Year called

“Hungry,” a daily devotional on the book of Matthew. SUBSCRIBE NOW and you will receive daily emails beginning January 1st and through the month of January. Click HERE to read Pastor Charlie's preface to the devotional. Hard copies will be available in the New Year at church.

On the first two Sundays in January, we will celebrate Epiphany! Every year, we give out Epiphany stars to those that want one. These stars have words on them that will serve as a "mantra" for 2023. On January 8th in worship, we will hear from a few folks about what their word meant to them in 2022. Note: there is ONE service at 10am on January 1 (New Year's Day).

Session has called for a congregational meeting on Sunday, January 8 at 10:00am for two items of business:

1. To hear and act on a report from the Nominating Committee on the seven candidates for our Associate Pastor Nominating Committee.
2. To hear and act on a report from Building & Grounds about ceding 115 sq ft of church property to a neighbor, after a fence was inadvertently installed on church property. 

As part of our commitment to becoming a Matthew 25 congregation, the Adult Education Committee encourages members to consider participating in the Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership Development’s Black History for a New Day course. This class will be offered on Monday evenings from 7:00-9:00pm via Zoom February 6-April 17. We will have a Covenant specific group and it will be lead by Jennifer Morgan. 

Due to Covenant’s longstanding commitment to Nehemiah’s ministry as well as generous support from GMB, the cost for Covenant members will be reduced to around $125 and full scholarships are available for those who need one. Sign up HERE, and contact Jenny Von Bergen with any questions.