Welcome to the

May 2024

NEWSLETTER

Email the office

Or Contact Pastor Grace using the methods below

Email: pastorgrace@lcocdalecity.org

Text or call her work cell phone: (571) 202-0178

Worship Schedule

Sundays

9:30 a.m. - Worship

10:45 a.m. - Sunday School

in-person and online via Zoom and YouTube Live!

May and June Worship Servers

Message from Pastor Grace

“35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” – Matthew 25:35-40

If I had to summarize this passage in a sentence, it would be this: When we see a need and we meet it, we are serving and glorifying God.

We at Lutheran Church of the Covenant have seen needs in the community and this is how we are meeting them in the coming month:

1. The Elementary School Teachers at Neabsco need support and encouragement, and we are meeting that need by providing bags of treats and supplies for the teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week. Help pack these bags after worship on Sunday, May 5!

2. Local families need help getting diapers and baby supplies, and we have dramatically surpassed our goal of diapering a child for a year (2,200 diapers). We have collected almost 4,000 diapers for ACTS already and the drive is not over yet!

3. College Students at Northern Virginia Community College – Woodbridge Campus needed encouragement during their exams, and we sent a team to represent us at their Vendor Fair, handing out snacks, stress management tips, and offering hugs to people who wanted them. We also invited them for some free food during “Pizza and Game Night” taking place on Wednesday, May 8 from 6-8 p.m. (everyone in the congregation is invited to attend to support and provide community for the college students we are reaching).

When we see and meet community needs, we are serving and glorifying God! Thanks be to God for your sensitivity to these needs and your willingness to respond, welcoming God’s people.

With Gratitude,

Pastor Grace

Message from the Council President

April has been a busy but fun month! Our congregation met its goal for the baby drive to provide 2200 diapers and other baby items to ACTS. Brian supervised installation of a new water heater in the sacristy. Our Stihl Cadets planted beautiful flowers around the church and kept the pond drain clear following the many rainstorms. Penn, Ralph, and Brian completed the audio-visual cable relocation project to resolve the fire marshal write-up. Mark Gimmi organized (and brought donuts) the Cloverdale Cleanup; thank you to all of you who participated. Fay led a team to build blessing bags for college students at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA). They went to NOVA and handed out the blessing bags containing tri-folds describing LCOC, stress management and test-taking strategies…I’ve only scratched the surface; Fay will fill you in on the rest. We’ve been immersed in the Bible, in study, and for many of us, through an in-person experience seeing the production of Daniel at the Sight and Sound theater in Lancaster, PA. We’ll have the formal installation of the Council at the May 5^thworship service.

In Christ,

Jon Schilder

Council Meeting

The next Council meeting is on Thursday, May 16 at 7:00 PM

in the conference room

Worship Committee Report

Calling all singers! Thomas is looking for members to join the choir. Please consider helping to make the service even more memorable.

On Sunday, May 12th, we will celebrate Mother’s Day!

Sunday, May 19th, is Pentecost Sunday. This is a very special day in the church and also for Bailey Zamora as she affirms her commitment to God through confirmation.

Please share a copy of your confirmation photo by May 13 to be included in a slide show before and after Bailey's Confirmation service. Send it to the church office at office@lcocdalecity.org.

Come on June 2nd to help us celebrate our graduating College and High School students: Emily DeGroodt and Jessica Rosenquist and Troy Sweatman.

The Quiltmakers will present Troy Sweatman with his senior quilt during our church service on Sunday, June 2nd.

blessings,

Tricia Schilder and Fay Yentsch

Worship Committee

The next Worship Committee meeting will be in person on, Thursday, May 9th at 10 am in church workroom.

GROWING IN FAITH

Bailey's Confirmation on May 19

Don't miss this special faith milestone that will take place during worship on Pentecost Sunday (May 19).

Confirmations are an opportunity for the congregation to surround the growing student with love and support as they launch into more full participation in the life of the community! Come celebrate this important event!

The Adult Sunday School has finished the book of Daniel!

The pictures above show some of the Sunday School group attending Daniel at Sight and Sound Theater in Lancaster, PA on April 17.

New Tuesday Bible Study Read: Liturgy of the Ordinary

In this book, Tish Harrison Warren says, "In this book we look at practices -- how we spend our days, how we worship together." (p. 20) She connects the routine practices that we do every day like waking up, brushing our teeth, and eating leftovers to our lives as Christians and reminds us that "God is forming us into a new people. And the place of that formation is in the small moments of today." (p. 21)

Pick up a copy of this book today or just come to listen to the conversation.

Tuesdays, 10 a.m. on zoom.

Here is the link to join: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4570744899?omn=81440572782

BUILDING COMMUNITY

Book Club

The Out to Lunch with Books (OTLWB) club will meet on May 13th at 12:00 noon to discuss The Engineer's Wife by Tracey Enerson Wood. All are welcome to attend.

If you would like more information, please contact Diane DeGroodt.

CONNECTING

THROUGH OUTREACH

How far can we exceed our Diaper Drive Goal?

We had a goal of collecting 2,200 diapers for ACTS -- what we roughly calculated to be enough for one child for a year. Thanks to your generosity and the generosity of members of the congregations that use our space, we have blown that goal out of the water!

We have collected 3,903 diapers for ACTS so far!

Can we double our goal and reach 4,400 diapers?

Other appreciated donations include the following: wipes, formula, baby foods, Dreft detergent, and baby skin care products.

If you would prefer to donate money instead, we can do the shopping for you. For any questions, please contact Diane DeGroodt.

The collection runs through Sunday, May 12.

You are invited to come deliver the diapers to ACTS on May 15 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. -- we will drop off what we've collected, take a tour of the facility, and help them with some sorting tasks (that can be done sitting or standing).

Pizza and Game Night: Wed, May 8

The Evangelism Team has invited college students from the Northern Virginia Community College -- Woodbridge Campus to enjoy some pizza together on Wednesday, May 8 from 6-8 p.m, and you're invited too!

Come enjoy a pizza dinner as we intentionally make a space for college students in our community. Bring your favorite game to share and be prepared to have a great time with any and all students who show up!

Have you seen the new LCOC website?

https://www.lcocdalecity.org

Click a logo below and like, follow, and subscribe!

CELEBRATING PEOPLE

Please email Noris, with any additional birthdays, baptismal birthdays, or wedding anniversaries. We want to celebrate YOU!

Congrats, Graduates!

This month, three LCOC students are graduating: High school senior, Troy Sweatman, and college seniors Jessica Rosenquist and Emily DeGroodt! We are so proud of your accomplishments and can't wait to celebrate you in worship on June 2!