In this week's One Takes, Pastoral Resident Molly Smerko reflects on the mystery of God. While no one has fully seen God, there are many ways that we can reflect on God's majesty. Molly uses a newly released children's book, What is God Like? (Evans/Turner) as one way to think about who God is. What things - art, music, nature - help you to ponder God? We hope you will take time this week to reflect on the majesty and mystery of God that is all around us.

Covenant's Re-Opening Task Force met earlier this month to assess Covenant's guidelines in light of current COVID-19 conditions. The guidelines will remain in effect at least until the Task Force meets again in August. 

Click here to read the latest guidelines.

This Sunday, July 25, we will host regular 9:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. worship services in person in the Sanctuary and live online.

Sunday School and childcare will be available. Adult Sunday School will be held at 9:30 a.m. in the Fellowship Hall.

Infant Soothing Room:

Children of all ages are always welcome in worship at Covenant. We also have two soothing rooms for parents who would feel more comfortable caring for babies and/or young children during the service. One is located in the balcony and the other in the Parlor downstairs. Both offer a live video stream of the service and can be accessed at any time. If you need assistance finding these areas before or during a service, please see a member of the Usher Team.

Our People in Mission and Stapleton-Davidson Interns will lead Adult Sunday School this week. Grab a coffee and listen to a panel discussion as our interns share more about their placements across the city, the people they serve, what they have learned and how it has all impacted their faith journeys. Adult Sunday School is hosted in the Fellowship Hall on Sundays from 9:30-10:30 a.m.

Join friends for Open Picnic Table, a weekly informal Wednesday evening family gathering under Covenant's Magnolia tree. Bring a picnic dinner and enjoy time together every Wednesday between 5:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. through the summer. Sweet treats are provided. This is a rain-or-shine event. In the case of inclement weather, we'll meet in the Fellowship Hall.

Maureen Flynn Betts

Director of Communications

Nikki Zimmerman

Pastoral Resident for Mission & Outreach

We are pleased to announce that Maureen Flynn Betts will join the Covenant staff as Director of Communications starting on August 2. Maureen brings excellent experience and skills to Covenant in the areas of strategic, digital and brand marketing, analysis, and social media. Maureen is a graduate of Marywood University (Scranton, PA) and received a Master of Business and Science in Marketing from the Waterford Institute of Technology (Ireland). She most recently served as the Marketing and Digital Communications Manager with Bull’s Eye Innovations in New Jersey. While in Ireland, she was Marketing Director and Brand Manger at Children’s Consignment Boutique. Maureen is an active volunteer with Scouts and enjoys spending time with her two children, son Kieran, age 13 and daughter Abbie, 12. When asked about joining us at Covenant, Maureen borrowed a quote from Saint Catherine of Siena, saying “Be who God meant you to be and set the world on fire.”  

Nikki Zimmermann, will begin as our Pastoral Resident for Mission and Outreach starting on August 2. As previously announced, Nikki graduated with a Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary and served most recently as Pastor of Worship, Ministry of Community Engagement at Kingston United Methodist in Kingston, NJ. She will reside at The Mezzanine on Freedom and is looking forward to being a part of the Covenant and Charlotte community.

Please join us in welcoming Maureen and Nikki to the Covenant staff and supporting them in their work among us. 

It’s that time of year where we begin focusing on the changing seasons, including the changing season of our youth!

Rising 6th and 9th Graders: Youth Transition Celebration

On August 15, all rising 6th and 9th graders are invited to a formal celebration of their transition into middle and high school. The middle school celebration will be hosted at 2:00 p.m. (youth and parents) and the high school celebration will be hosted at 4:00 p.m.(youth only).

Save the Date: Youth Fall Kick Off

Come and celebrate the beginning of the school year with us on September 12 at 6:00 p.m. We will share more about the great events and fellowship to come throughout the year. Both youth and parents are welcome!

Questions?

For questions about your youth’s transition or on joining Covenant's middle/high school youth, please email:

• Alyssa Pacheco (middle school)
• Martin Pruitt (high school)

Rising college freshmen through rising college seniors are invited to join us for a college send-off celebration on July 30 at 6:00 p.m. on the Covenant patio. We look forward to wishing you well as you enter this next chapter and journey ahead!

RSVP to Martin Pruitt via email or by texting 864.356.6605.

Joining Day:

Joining a church is becoming part of a community bigger than yourself. Have you always wanted to become a member at Covenant? Meet Lora Borrelli, Membership and Engagement Director, in the parlor at 10:30 a.m. to join Covenant. We hope you'll stay for the 11:00 a.m. service, and then join other fellow young adult friends for lunch at Kid Cashew. Questions? Contact Molly Smerko. 

First Sunday Lunch:

First Sunday lunches are back! Come join your young adult friends at Kid Cashew (1608 East Boulevard) for fun and fellowship. Contact Seth Puckett for more information. 

We all experience challenges in life –times when we could benefit from the support of a caring Christian friend.

Assisting our pastors on the front lines of congregational care, Covenant's Stephen Ministers are trained, listening friends who can bring the caring presence of the church to those experiencing difficult life situations, large or small. First and foremost, Stephen Ministers offer a confidential, faith-based, caring one-on-one relationship. This ministry is designed to offer help in the midst of a challenging time such as death, loss of a job, life transition, illness, divorce, empty nest, isolation, and more.

Read more about Stephen Ministry here.

Should you or someone you know be interested in being paired with a Stephen Minister, please contact Katherine Kerr.

Our ongoing partnerships with Highland Renaissance Academy and The Mezzanine provide critical support for students and families in some of the most economically disadvantaged areas of Charlotte.

This year we hope to fill 200 backpacks with supplies and materials for children in both communities.We are collecting supplies from now through August 13 in the Welcome Center. We will bless these backpacks during worship on Sunday, August 22. You can view the Amazon Wishlist and supply needs via the link below.

Learn more about how you can help to fill backpacks here.

We still have approximately 15 slots to fill to ensure we can provide enough sandwiches to our neighbors at Roof Above on Monday, August 2.

To participate, we ask volunteers to make 25 sandwiches each and bring them to Covenant on the morning of August 2. We will be in the circle drive in front of the Sanctuary building from 10:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. to collect and then deliver directly to Roof Above for lunch that day. You may also sign up to provide water bottles and/or help us deliver the sandwiches to Roof Above.

Click here to sign up and review sandwich-making guidelines.

Questions? Contact Lucy Crain.

After our summer interns move out of The Landing, we will need help cleaning the facility to prepare for fall Sunday School.

If you are able to help pack, clean and prep on Sunday, August 8 at 11:00 a.m., please contact Lynn Morrow.

We will be serving at Loaves & Fishes on August 10 and 24 from 9:00 - 11:00 a.m. We are in need of more food sorters on both days to create food boxes to help feed our neighbors.

Please sign up here and contact Lucy Crain with any questions.

Do you have a gift for getting to know folks one-on-one? Our Covenant Visitors program offers a wonderful opportunity to serve our homebound members through one-on-one relationships. We have members who are now ready to see others face-to-face and would love to hear what is going on across our church community.

Interested in being a part of this program? Please contact Laura Capranica.

We are currently looking for volunteers to teach Early Childhood Sunday School (Ages 2-K) and lead Small Groups for Elementary Sunday School (Grades 1-5). Leaders rotate monthly and participating is a great way to meet other families at Covenant!

For more information, please reach out to Anne Lowrance or Sarah Askins.

In August we will launch a new sermon series, "Beginning Again, Beginning Anew: Lasting Lessons from the Pandemic."

Now that society has opened to a full array of activities, what will we be intentional about remembering - and bringing forward - from the experience of living through a pandemic? This short series will help us codify our learning and improve our living.

Our pastors will share scripture readings and sermons around themes including: unexpected gifts, wisdom prevails and the power of another. Join us and bring a friend!

Join Covenant friends for a day outing to Linville Falls, featuring fresh air and fellowship. Gather mid-morning to take one of several hiking options around the Linville waterfalls, then meet for barbeque and social time at Bob and Suzanne Henderson’s mountain home.

Sign up today.

August 29 from 1:00-3:00 p.m.

The next opportunity to engage in our Summer Racial Justice Series, “See. Grow. Act.” will be a tour of The Brooklyn Collective (229 Brevard Street).

This event will begin with a tour hosted by Executive Director, Monique Douglas. During the tour we will see business, learn about the history of the Brooklyn neighborhood, and visit the newly installed art exhibit. Following the tour, we will enjoy refreshments together at Studio 229. 

Sign up and learn about transportation options to the event here.

Questions? Email Grace Lindvall.