THE COVENANT CONNECTION Volume XX No. 23 September 28, 2016

Covenant United Methodist Church

"Peace... and Remembering the Fallen"

A Visual Prayer

ORIGAMI CRANES DUE BY OCTOBER 14TH Covenant origamists are hard at work folding paper cranes for the installation that will eventually hang in the west tower of the sanctuary. This art piece is meant to express our grief and prayers over the many mass killings that have taken place over the last few decades, and which seem to be occur-ring with increasing frequency. Our plan is to have at least 1,000 white origami cranes to represent our prayers for peace and an end to the violence. The white cranes will surround a column of red cranes, each one representing one of the events and its victims. The suspended prayer will be in place for the All Saints Day service on November 6th. Thanks to the hard work of all who are folding the cranes, we’ve reached a total of about 400. We would like to have our target number of 1,000 ready to be strung together by October 14th or sooner. We probably will be able to add more cranes until the 21st, but we are hoping to have at least 1,000 by the 14th. We appreciate the work of all those busy fingers, and would welcome more help. Contact Jayce Keel-ing at 466-1027 with questions. Additional origami paper is available on the tall table in the living room.

Newsletter Mailing Changes Beginning in January, the printed newsletter will be mailed once per

month. We have a wonderful new email system that allows us to send

email updates to everyone, keeping you informed of the many exciting things happening in the life of the

church.

New Church Email Updates

Are you receiving weekly email updates from the church?

If you would like to receive this newest communication from the church, please provide your email

address to the church office and tell us to add you to our weekly email

list! Be sure to read the weekly up-dates and watch for ways to con-

nect and be involved at Covenant. If you don’t receive the updates,

check your spam folder for this email, some people have said this went to their junk mail first. You

may need to tell your email server that this is desired mail.

Special Offering for

World Communion Sunday

October 2, 2016 The World Communion Sunday offering

funds graduate racial-ethnic World Com-

munion Scholarships, with at least one-

half of the annual amount reserved for

ministries beyond the United States.

Your donations also provide for under-

graduate U.S. Ethnic Scholarship and

Ethnic In-Service Training programs.

It’s time to sign up for Friendship

Dinner Groups! Add a friendship dinner group experience to your fall

plans! New friendship dinner groups are forming for 2016 - 2017. Sign up on the high table in the living room to participate. The groups meet in homes four times dur-ing the year to share dinner and conversation. Most members, either singles or a couple, host one time, providing a main dish. Others bring an appetizer, sal-ad, or dessert. A formal dining space is NOT required - a room at the church, a condo gathering area, or a park are all possible places to gather. A dining out group is also a possibility. Enjoy dinner at a variety of restaurants and forget the preparation and clean up. Sign up on the Dining Out list. Contact Marty Erb by email or phone

Adult Education News

October 2 & 9 at 10:45 am Healing the Heart of Democracy

Please join us in Adult Ed. for the next two Sun-days as we as we explore another video and dis-

cussion offering by Parker Palmer, author, Quak-

er, inner-life explorer, and founder of the nation-

al Center for Courage and Renewal.

We will be looking into the content of his recent

book Healing the Heart of Democracy. The topic

couldn’t be timelier. Parker honestly and openly

speaks of ways to “hold” our political tensions, for

the sake of the common good. As with most issues

he talks about, he encourages us to first look

within, as well as remembering that we are mem-

bers of one another. Parker will name for us his

own “habits of the heart” that can help us move

toward healing the tensions of our differences.

Sara Ferris will be facilitating the session. She

has studied with Parker Palmer and other educa-

tors through the Center for Courage and Renewal.

Grab your coffee and join us in Room 13!

Linda Karalfa—Lectionary Study

Pastor Linda Karalfa is leading a study of the

lectionary. In the lectionary texts, there is a

reading from the Old Testament, from the

Gospels, and from one of the Epistles. Pastor

Roger will be preaching from one of the lec-

tionary scriptures each week, so the discus-

sion will also include the passage he used for

the sermon.

Participants of the study will have an oppor-

tunity to read and reflect on the passages

prior to the study each week. Come, join this

Bible study in room 9 after worship.

October 2

Lamentations 1: 1-6

Psalm 137

2 Timothy 1: 1-14

Luke 17: 5-10

October 9

Jeremiah 29: 1, 4-7

Psalm 66: 1-12

2 Timothy 2: 8-15

Luke 17: 11-19

Worship Servants: Thank you for offering your

gifts & service to our morning worship experience.

You are appreciated!

October 2 Reader: Caleb McDougall

Greeters: Jim Shaw and Judi Morgan

Ushers: Joel & Sara Ferris

Welcome Table: Tom Robinson

October 9 Reader: Peggy Donovan

Greeters: Tom & Judi Lux

Ushers: Gordon Miscoi and Gordon Wilson

Welcome Table: Rick & Diane Thomas

October 16 Reader: Marty Keeling

Greeters:

Ushers: Ted & Diane Ketcham

Welcome Table: Dick & Teresa Heezen

In our Prayers

Doris Dyer, Shirley Hesseltine, George Newell, Patti Osebold,

Ken & Beverly Stam, Jim Thrapp

Directory Update: Kyle Smith has a new email address.

Please make note of the change in your

church directory.

kbren635@gmail.com

The Next 36 Years

36 years old, and facing a milestone calling for

$294,000 for new siding, Covenant United Methodist

Church is prayerfully and gracefully rising to the chal-

lenge of planning for the future.

We want to be an effective church. And we un-

derstand that church is so much more than land and a

building. Church Council is therefore prayerfully work-

ing on a comprehensive plan to ensure that our newly re-

sided, top-class facility comes with a vision of how the

land and building will serve the mission of “making dis-

ciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world”

for the next 36 years.

Thanks to some amazing and discerning work

done by Council we are well along the way!

The United Methodist mission is “to make disci-

ples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the

world.” And over the past few years, along with a new

organizational model, Church Council has refined this

mission for Covenant: “We feel called to build and honor

all relationships (with God, one another, and our

neighbors) by being open-minded, delighting in diver-

sity, seeking understanding of the Word, and caring

for God’s creation.” That’s Covenant’s mission - these

two statements taken together.

This mission was then, with the skills and inter-

ests of members in mind, fleshed out into the vision(s)

of:

Health and Wellness

Care of Creation, and

Education

Now we further the process of implementing the

three components of Covenant’s emerging vision.

Our facilities team, led by Chuck Anderson, has

done a thorough job of researching the siding options and

costs. Our finance team, led by Marty Keeling, has

responsibly recommended we have a healthy financial

reserve in place while we repay the siding loan to cov-

er any emergencies, should any arise. The challenge now

is to raise $25,000 to have that financial reserve in place.

The Church Council met last night, after the All

Church Conference of Sunday, September 11 authorized

them to proceed with the siding project, to decide how

best to raise the $25,000 for the financial reserve. After

much discussion it was decided to raise the money

through a creative capital campaign that is linked with a

collective fleshing out of the three visions arrived at over

the past few years.

Exciting dreams and ideas – a community garden,

a garden preschool, four annual seasonal suppers, a dog

park and more - are beginning to bubble up, all of which

we invite you to contribute to and come up with your

own.

It was agreed that a deadline for raising the

$25,000 would be January 31st. Should that amount not

be raised by then, it was agreed that one of the unused

lots to the north be sold to ensure the healthy financial

reserve.

So, on behalf of Church Council, I invite you all

to be in prayer over the coming months. Let us engage

each other in holy conferencing about the mission and

visions of Covenant as we move forward in upgrading

our facilities with the new siding. Working on both to-

gether will help ensure the next 36 years will be exciting,

effective, and above all, faithful.

I look forward to working to this end. Thanks for

the privilege of serving God with you all in this place.

Pastor Roger

DNH DG SILWG

The Bethany chapter of PFLAG is showing a movie and we will join them in viewing it on Oct.12. The generation who fought hardest to come out of the closet is going back in to survive. In honor of National Coming Out Day, join Spokane PFLAG for a movie and conversation about our aging LGBT population and the health system. This is a free event. Donations are appreciated.

PFLAG Friends, do not forget the movie, Gen Silent with our PFLAG and Bethany's on October 12 at 6:30 pm at Bethany Presbyterian at 2607 S. Ray. Off the freeway and up the hill. There will be re-freshments. Dian and John Zahner

New Hope Resource Center Christmas Wreath and Cross Fundraiser

Wreaths $16 and Crosses

$20. Six dollars of each sale goes to New Hope Resource Center, where it may be used to help our neighbors keep their homes warm, put enough fuel in a gas tank to travel to a medical appointment, or assist them as they battle through a crisis. Ron & Cheryl Vaughan will be taking orders on Sundays starting this week through No-vember 6.

Covenant Coffee Klatch A small group of ladies would like to get to-gether once a month to have coffee at local coffee shops to connect with one another. This would be more of a socializing group to get to know people better. A first gathering has been planned, if you are able, please join us! Tuesday October 18th at 9:00am at The Little Garden Ca-fé, 2901 W. NW. BLVD

Any Questions contact Chanie Christman, 939-8109. Or, Betsy Hartman 325-3342 If you are unable to make this first gathering, but want to be

Lunch Buddies Starting Soon

Would you enjoy reading and playing games with a

student once a week during the school year at Mid-

way Elementary? Our Covenant Lunch Buddies pro-

gram will be starting up again soon and we would love

to have more lunch "big buddies" join us this year.

It's a fun, low-key way to make a difference in a

child's life. For more information contact Fleeta Hol-

comb at 466-3356 or fleetaholcomb49@gmail.com.

Family Promise at Covenant Oct. 16-23 Did you know that Family Promise of Spokane has 600 volunteers serving every quarter? They are one of 200 affiliates around the coun-try, loving a few homeless families at a time with communities of churches providing shelter, support and food for these families in need. You can serve homeless families, right here at Covenant. We are a host church that houses families for one week, about 4 times a year. Check your calendar for Oct. 16-23rd. Here are some opportunities to serve during the week. Provide a dinner Be a dinner host Be an overnight host/make breakfast Donate money for breakfast/lunch foods Be part of the set up or take down team Wash laundry at the end of the week Sign up sheets are in the living room, or talk to Gail Harris, Barry Karalfa, or Barb Miscoi.

Sunday Schedule

Worship .......................................................................... 9:30am

Children’s FROG Time .................................................. 9:45am

Adult Education Hour .................................................. 10:45am

Covenant Staff Pastor ........................................................ Rev. Roger Hudson

Music Leader ................................................... Mary Jo Woods

Pianist ........................................................................ Feng Tsai

Church Secretary ..................................................... Karen King

Custodian ................................................................... Bob Ratts

Youth Ministries Coordinator ............................. Position Open

Nursery Supervisor ............................................ Marcy Hansen

Preschool Director ............................................ Angie Canavan

Office Hours: Mon-Friday ..................................................... 9:30am -3:00pm

“The Covenant Connection” is printed twice a month, (once a

month in the summer) by Covenant United Methodist Church.

Deadline to turn in articles for the next newsletter is

Tuesday, Oct. 11.

Covenant United Methodist Church 15515 North Gleneden Drive

Spokane, WA 99208-9743

Phone (509) 466-1768

Email: info@covenantmethodist.org

Website: www.covenantmethodist.org

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Permit No. 20

Book Review Group Oct. 11 Book: The Wright Brothers by David McCullough Reviewer: Dian Zahner Hostess: Sharon Colman Nov. 8 Book: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah Reviewer: Gail Harris Hostess: Cheryl Vaughan Do you love to read? Join us! We welcome new people to join us for discussion and fellowship. Contact Jeannie Peer, 466-4623 for more information.

TRUNK-OR-TREAT

Monday, October 31-5:30 to 7:30pm In the church parking lot.

A favorite annual community event! Plan to come to the

church on Halloween night and pass candy out from the trunk of your car. Some folks like to decorate their car or

dress up (purely optional!) Parents have told us how much they appreciate having a safe, well-lit area for their little

ones to be.

Candy Collections Taking

Place Now! Bring donations of individually wrapped candy to the church collection barrel