Welcome to Windows on Covenant, your weekly guide to the life of the church.

Wednesday, August 10, 2022

Join us for a screening on August 23 at 6 p.m. of the film “At the River” with a discussion following including the director and co-director. Complimentary snacks will be served and box dinners will be available for pre-order.

When did you realize that what you were taught about race as a white Southerner was wrong? Filmmaker Carolyn Crowder, raised in Montgomery, Alabama, during the Civil Rights era, set out to ask this question of Presbyterian ministers she knew who had taken stands during those turbulent times. Often isolated in small towns in the Deep South, some chose to be brave in spite of the dangerous circumstances. For the feature-length documentary, Crowder traveled throughout the Southeast interviewing ministers in their 80s and 90s about their experiences and what it took to go against the racist currents during those hard days within their local communities and congregations.

Learn more and register here.

This Week at Covenant

Lots of energy on campus this week as more than 100 Vacation Bible School campers and dozens of volunteer leaders enjoy learning about God's purpose for us all. Please keep these participants in your prayers for the remainder of a fun-filled week!

This Sunday, August 14, participate in our sermon in the Sanctuary or online at 9:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.

If interested in joining Summer Choir, meet in the Choir Room under the Sanctuary at 10 a.m. on Sunday for rehearsal and preparation for that day’s service. No experience or long-term commitment is required.

Be sure to visit during Fellowship Hour at 10 a.m. in the Welcome Center for snacks and conversations.

The summer series continues as we learn about Indigenous Christianity with Dr. Brittany Hunt and Jessica Strickland, PharmD, CDE. You are invited to engage in this conversation either in person in the Fellowship Hall or on Zoom. 

On August 21, we will discuss Catholicism with Deacon Clarke Cochran and Zach Surber from St. Peter’s Catholic in Charlotte. 

We are hosting a children's COVID-19 vaccine and booster clinic on August 12 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Welcome Center. For more information, contact Laura Capranica.

Help our friends at Urban Promise get ready for back to school. We will be partnering with the residents at McCreesh Place on August 13 to make school supply bags to support Urban Promises' after-school program. Sign up here. Contact Meagan Barger or Laura George for more information.

All rising and current Middle School Youth and their families are invited to meet director Alyssa Pacheco for donuts and introductions on August 14 from 10:30 to 11 a.m. at the Fellowship Hall patio.

Are your pets tired of being inside? The Pet Ministry invites you to come to join other Covenant members and their furry friends. Bring an appetizer to share and a beverage of choice. Paper products, cups, and ice provided. This is time to get to know each other and our dogs for planning future activities together. Donations of dog food or treats would be appreciated. These will be taken to the Mecklenburg County Animal Shelter where there is a big need this summer. Join us from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the home of Hugh and Barbara Lewis; 4810 Addison Drive.

Everyone in their "third quarter" of life -- 50 to 75 years old -- is invited to join friends for fun and fellowship. We'll hold our second social gathering on August 15 at 6 p.m. at Brewers at 4001 Yancey. No registration or RSVP is required. Participants will be invited to make a contribution to the cost of the event. Questions? Contact Katherine Kerr.

Join us in the Covenant Recreation Wing August 15-18 for a camp for kids in Kindergarten through 5th grade. The Children's Eco Camp is dedicated to teaching kids about our environment and how to take care of it with fun projects and guest speakers and some take-home goodies. Learn more here.

MeckMIN is very happy to invite you to our first in-person Food for Thought event since February of 2019! We'll gather to hear from the amazing James Ford, an award-winning educator, and consultant on issues of equity in education discuss "A New Precedent of Faith in Unprecedented Times." This will be a great "back-to-school" event as we embrace the role people of faith have to make our schools work for all students and to work for a more equitable society. Join us on August 16 at 12 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Learn more here.

News & Announcements

We celebrate with Molly Smerko as she transitions back to her hometown of Raleigh, NC, and New Hope Presbyterian. She looks forward to furthering her education in the clinical pastoral field and seeks to serve as stated supply within New Hope Presbytery. We are grateful for Molly’s time at Covenant and will say farewell on August 21 following worship.

Spend the day playing with Covenant friends at our fall retreat at Anne Springs Close Greenway on September 10 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Join us for hiking, crafts, games, food, and worship.

Reserve your spot today!

Registration is now open for the Civil Rights Tour to Alabama and Mississippi. Join us from October 13 to 16 as we visit key sites in the Civil Rights Movement. 

Sign up here.

Attention college students and parents!

Covenant supports our college-age students near and far! We match students with Secret Saints who send anonymous care packages and uplifting notes throughout the school year. All college students are eligible! To provide your school address and share with us some of your favorite things, sign up here.

Recruiting Secret Saints: We are in need of volunteers for this fun and rewarding ministry. The time commitment is small yet the impact on Covenant college students is great.

If you are interested in supporting a student, sign up here.

Questions? Contact Leslie Ford, chair of the College Council.

Covenant donated more than $1 million to Roof Above to help make The Rise on Clanton a reality and serve those in need of safe, affordable housing. Last week, the first residents moved in. Watch the move-in video here. 

Opportunities to Serve

This fall, Covenant celebrates education with students in our community and worldwide. At Covenant, we believe that we are called to do for all God’s children what we do for our own.

In Charlotte: Supplies are needed to fill 150 backpacks for students at Highland and The Mezzanine. From now through August 28, we'll be collecting supplies in the Welcome Center. Find out what's needed or place an order on the Amazon wish list here.

Once the school year begins, 40 people are needed at Highland to be Heart Math tutors and Read Roar Soar volunteers. Learn more and go ahead and claim your spot here. 

In Kenya: Historically, students living in extreme poverty in Renguti did not have the opportunity to pursue an education past the 8th grade. However, Covenant now partners with Mountain Park Academy, a faith-based secondary boarding school that provides rigorous STEM curriculum offerings and trade school programs. This year, 53 Renguti graduates will be attending Mountain Park Academy, however, all are in need of $500 scholarships to cover their tuition, room, and board. We humbly ask for your help in loving across boundaries and borders, caring for these children just as we do for our own. Learn more here.

Could you assist with children and youth music ensembles in the fall? Contact Heather Potter for more information.

Be a part of the solution to food waste and food insecurity by spending time with Covenant friends collecting leftover crops from farmers' fields after they have been commercially harvested or on fields where it is not economically profitable to harvest.

Sign up here to indicate your interest in joining this team and to receive updates on dates and times for gleaning opportunities.

Calling all families! Covenant will be serving dinner at Roof Above on August 30 and needs Texas Hash casseroles and desserts! Texas Hash and desserts can be prepared at home at anytime and stored in a church freezer in Fellowship Hall. This could be an excellent back-to-school project with kids! Want to help? We also need volunteers to serve.

Click here for more information and the Texas Hash recipe.

Coming Soon

All are welcome as we kick off another great year of Young Adult ministry on August 21 from 3 to 5 p.m.! Linger over small bites and drinks as you reconnect with old friends and make new ones. We’ll also have opportunities to sign up to learn more about ways to get involved with service, education, small groups, and more. You won’t want to miss this—especially as we hear from some of our young adults as to what makes this community so special. Reach out to Molly Smerko to learn more. Sign up here.

Covenant friends are once again invited to Open Table with dinner prepared by Chef Johnny from 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. Cost is $9 for adults, $6 for children 2-12, with a family max of $36. Make your dinner reservations now. 

Programming will be available for children, youth, and adults. In September, adult programming will be Distilling the Gospels from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

We will begin our study of The Gospel of John on Wednesday, September 7 at 6:30 p.m. in room 207 in the Fellowship Hall and on Zoom. Sign up for daily emails. 

Mark your calendar for Convocation Sunday on September 11. Covenant will host Rev. MaryAnn McKibben Dana, a writer, free-range pastor, speaker, and ministry coach living in the Virginia suburbs of DC. Like many authors, MaryAnn writes the books that she herself longs to read. So as a recovering perfectionist who likes her backup plans to have backup plans, she penned God, Improv, and the Art of Living, about embracing improvisation as a spiritual and life practice. And as a twitchy workaholic seeking to find balance in a 24/7 world, she wrote 2012’s Sabbath in the Suburbs, which turned out to be a Chalice Press bestseller for two years running and a “must read” by Ministry Matters.