We had more people in the sanctuary last Sunday for Easter than we have had since Christmas of 2019! Thanks be to God.
I love our sanctuary, and I love this building. I love being with other people in our church and sensing lives being changed here.
I’m grateful for former members who built and cared for this place. Now it’s our turn.
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The installation of a new boiler for the B and C wings of the building has begun. The (very) old boiler, pictured here, has limped through the past few winters.
It is a major project, involving pipes, cabinets, plumbing, and more, with a budget of around $700,000.
I’m grateful that we have the reserves to do this, and I’m grateful for the wisdom of our Building and Grounds Committee in coordinating this effort. And I’m excited that we are installing an efficient modern system which will last for decades.
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As we make this major investment in our building it’s a great time to be thinking and re-thinking how we use our building and who we are as a church. How can we use this building to share God's love? Too many churches have locked doors and locked rooms and are seen as private clubs for the members.
In Jesus Christ, we are called to love our neighbors and serve people in need. It’s time for us to start really thinking about new ways to use this space to serve people. We already have Scouts, 12 Step groups, music groups, neighborhood meetings, and more, but there is lots of untapped potential.
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I’ve asked Elders, Deacons, and Staff to read The Post-Quarantine Church: Six Urgent Challenges and Opportunities That Will Determine the Future of Your Congregation.
One emphasis of the book is on the facility. Author Thom Rainer writes: “What if we asked the community how our church facilities could best serve them? What if the facilities became a place for the community as well as a place in the community?" (p. 17)
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This building has been a blessing to thousands of people over the years, and now we are the caretakers. But the building isn’t just for us, just as God’s love isn’t just for us. Let’s put on our thinking caps and say our prayers. |
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On the journey together,
Charlie
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PS--On Thursday, your pastoral care staff (Melissa Hinz, Clara Thompson, and I) had an ice cream party at Oakwood with a fun group of Covenant folks.
In addition to ice cream we had a music quiz! Click on the photo to see more. If you want to test your church music knowledge, take the quiz here: Hymn Quiz
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CLICK ABOVE for the Facebook event and for more information on our Kite Event this Saturday. SHARE with your friends and bring your family!
This CONNECT event is FREE and open to the public. Covenant member Craig Wilson shares his world of kite flying, aerial photography, and indoor kite flying performances in the Field House at Memorial High School. Google Maps says it is "temporarily closed". Ignore that.
CONNECT is a program of events sponsored by the deacons of Covenant Presbyterian Church with the intention of fostering connection within the congregation and community.
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In-Person and Livestream services at 9:00 & 11:00am
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Visit our Worship HQ for everything you need to worship with us online!
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Life In All Its Fullness Easter Sermon Series begins (see video below)
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Charlie Berthoud - "Doubts, Belief, and Life" (John 20:19-31)
- Music from Ben Welch, New Day Ensemble (9:00), Doug McNeel, Melissa Hinz, and Covenant Chancel Choir (11:00)
- Children's Time with Cindy Lovell
- Kaleidoscope Kids during 9:00 service
- Sunday School (10:00-10:50am)
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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!
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Join us SUNDAY at 10:00am in person (Bradfield Hall) or on Zoom for the class “Creation Care” with Covenant Green Team’s Steve Whayland and Lorenza Zebell from Sustain Dane. They both will give updates on what our Green Team and Sustain Dane are up to on the Creation Care front.
For more info on Adult Education at Covenant, visit covenantmadison.org/adult. There, you can watch past classes, or access class resources.
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JOIN US SUNDAY the next Spiritual Stroll around the Madison area! Join family and friends from the church on this soulful saunter at Pheasant Branch Conservatory (4864 Pheasant Branch Rd, Middleton). Click on the image for the Facebook event!
CONNECT is a program of events sponsored by the deacons of Covenant Presbyterian Church with the intention of fostering connection within the congregation and community.
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"It’s been thousands of years of people not believing the stories that women have told."
This week, Jo reflects on Luke 24 when the women tell the disciples of Jesus' resurrection. Spoiler alert: they don't believe them. Take 2 minutes out of your day to take in, ponder, and reflect.
Midweek Musings is a weekly Covenant blog with a variety of authors and spiritual topics. Feel free to leave a comment as you are moved. We are excited to be reviving this blog, and hope that it blesses you this week and the weeks to come.
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We are hiring! Covenant is seeking a Church Administrator to join this awesome team (minus Mary who will be retiring in June). Click on the image above for the job posting. Apply if interested or share with someone you might think is interested!
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UKRAINE OFFERING & PRAYER |
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Click for more information. |
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Click for more information. |
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