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

Wednesday, May 11, 2022

Thirty Covenant pilgrims leave tonight on our Israel/Palestine trip. They will meet with Mission Partners Dar Al Kalima College in Bethlehem and Tomorrow’s Youth Organization (TYO) in Nablus, returning on May 20. Please keep these members of our church family in your prayers throughout their trip. 

This Week at Covenant

Our year-long study of the gospels continues tonight with a discussion of the book of Matthew. Join Grace in the Fellowship Hall or on Zoom.

Learn more about Distilling the Gospels. 

Join Young Adults for fresh air, fellowship and service. As part of our monthly Second Saturday service project at McCreesh Place in NODA, Young Adults will tend to the community garden on the apartment complex campus. 

Sign up to join us.

Current 5th graders are invited to join Youth Singers for a Sundae Social at 10:30 a.m. in Ed Wing room 315.  Join us and bring a friend.  

The Covenant College Ministry is looking forward to seeing college students and their families for the Secret Saint Brunch in the Welcome Center. This event is for saints, students and parents. This is a Covenant ministry that is near and dear to our hearts and we want to thank dedicated Secret Saints for caring for our college students this past year. 

Click here to RSVP.

Are you interested in going on a mission trip to Reynosa, Mexico? Know someone who is? Join us in the Chapel for an informational meeting about our fall trip, scheduled for October 2-8. 

For more information, contact Lucy Crain.   

Covenant's Outdoor Ministry hiking series continues in May as Bruce Chapman and Will Raurk of Catawba Lands Conservancy lead a natural habitat and resources interpretive hike at this local nature preserve, which covers a variety of terrains, from savannah grasslands to old-growth forest. 

Sign up here.

The Angel Ornament Team is about to kick off this year's project, meeting every Tuesday afternoon until all the ornaments needed for Christmas Eve are complete. Minimal crafting skills required and all are welcome! Join us in the Sanctuary conference room as your schedule allows.

Contact Sally Graves with questions.  

News & Announcements

Our ministers want to know: What topics would you be interested in hearing sermons about this summer? The pastoral team is eager to tackle your big questions and what scripture has to say about them.

Send your ideas to n[email protected]. 

Soon, we will celebrate and publish the names of Covenant college and graduate school grads. Please submit the name, school, and degree of college grads you know in our church family. 

Send your names to n[email protected]. 

Contribution Statements are being emailed to you later today. If we do not have your email on record, one will be mailed to you. Please remember to check your junk/spam folder if you don't see your statement in your inbox. If you have any questions about your statement, please contact Virginia Rumbley.

Covenant Communications Director Maureen Betts has resigned. Her last day on staff will be this Friday. Please wish her well in the next step in her career journey. 

A search for Maureen's successor is now underway. Share this job description with anyone you think would be a good fit for this important role. 

Contact Lauren Sawyers for communication needs. 

Please note: On Sunday, May 29, we will have one contemporary worship at 11:00 a.m. in the Sanctuary. The summer worship schedule begins June 5 with services at 9:30 a.m. (contemporary) and 11:00 a.m. (traditional) in the Sanctuary. Our four regularly scheduled services will resume on September 11. 

Summer is fast approaching. Why not let your kids spend it at Covenant?  Check out our exciting and fun-filled lineup of camps this summer for children of all ages. Options include basketball, LEGO, ecology and more!.

Click on the link for more details and registration information.

Now you don't have to wait for Alternative Gift Market to come around to purchase your favorite Palestinian olive oil. Buy online and pick it up from the church today! 

Purchase olive oil. 

The deadline for the Douglas E. Matthias Scholarship Program has been extended to May 16.

Learn more and apply. 

Opportunities to Serve

VBS needs YOU! We are currently seeking Youth and adult volunteers to make sure this summer's Vacation Bible School is fun and safe for all the kids who attend. Have a youth who needs school service hours? Are you a grandparent who would like to spend more time with your family? This could be the perfect opportunity for you! 

Contact Dailyn Sailor for more information.

Help the Freedom School scholars at Highland, Covenant's partner school and Freedom School site, make the most of their summer by keeping them full on healthy snacks. We'll have 60 scholars who need snacks every day for 6 weeks - that's close to 2,000 snacks! Sign up and drop off by May 31 in the Welcome Center. Sign up here. 

There are plenty more opportunities to serve at Freedom School this summer. Learn more and sign up to help. 

Highland Renaissance Academy is currently looking for proctor volunteers for EOG testing. Volunteers must be 18 years or older. We need volunteers for the following days, Tuesday, May 24th and Thursday, May 26th. Proctor training will take place at 8:15 on the first day you volunteer.

Sign up to volunteer here.

Covenant will be serving dinner at Roof Above 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. Want to help? Making Texas Hash is easy and a fun activity with the kids.

Get the recipe. .

Purchase a new pair of shoes and socks for our students at Renguti and bring to church as part of your offering on Commissioning Sunday. Sign up to learn more and choose a particular size for donation. You can also donate gently used shoes of all styles and sizes that will go to our friends at Crisis Assistance Ministry for families here in Charlotte.

Sing up here. 

Covenant families, Children’s Sunday School needs your help. We need volunteers in the crib and toddler room. If you can assist us on Sundays through the end of the school year, please contact Dailyn Sailor.

Also, Summer Sunday School is right around the corner, and we need your help to make this a success. Please sign up to help with summer classes.

Coming Soon

Covenant’s Travel, Learn Connect (TLC) group will enjoy refreshments, followed by a presentation by Emily Reinicker, Covenant member and civil engineer specializing in stream restoration, who will talk about the importance of earth care, specifically in relation to our water resources. This will be an opportunity to learn more about the Outdoor Ministry and ways to get involved.

RSVP to Michelle Williamson. 

Join Covenant for a summer series on racial justice. The first of three sessions will be held in person in the Fellowship Hall and online via Zoom on Wednesday, May 18 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. The staff from QC Family Tree will guide us in a conversation in response to the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s report on systemic racial injustices in the history of Mecklenburg County.

Click here to read the library report. 

Unwind at the end of the week with your young adult friends! Fun and fellowship guaranteed. Reach out to Molly Smerko with any questions.

Join the Catawba Riverkeeper for a slow flow kayak trip on the South Fork of the Catawba River. No experience necessary; all equipment is provided. 

Reserve your spot (code: Presby)

Covenant friends 85-years+ are invited to enjoy a lovely spring luncheon with music and time to visit with members and staff.

RSVP to Michelle Williamson. 

Covenant Staff Singer auditions will be held in the Peek Music Room. Please consider this valuable opportunity to lead Covenant worship.

Check out the job description and apply. 

This summer we will engage in conversation with local religious leaders across traditions, learning more about God, world religions, and each other in the process. When we engage across differences, we are stepping towards each other and towards God. In the hearing and sharing of stories, we are made better by one another. All are welcome as we embark on this journey of learning, growth, and mutual transformation. The series will be structured in three parts, with part 1 focusing on different religions, part 2 focusing on how Christianity is expressed in different ways, and part 3 focusing on interfaith dialogue.

For more information, contact Molly Smerko. 

This summer, Covenant will offer a support group for anyone who is grieving. This group, which will be led by Katherine Kerr, will meet on Thursdays, 6/9, 6/23, 7/7, and 7/21 at 11:30 a.m. in the Parlor.