August 2018

Coming Up

Soup Kitchen on Saturday, August 4th at 9:00am.
On Sunday August 12 at 5:00 pm, First Presbyterian in Greer is hosting a Taste of Chiapas Event with Mark Adams and Miriam Maldonado, PCUSA Mission Co-Workers along the border of Douglas, AZ and Agua Prieta, Mexico. They will share the story of Cafe Justo and its impact on local congregations and immigration. A meal will be provided at a cost of $10 per person. Checks may be made out to Covenant Presbyterian, with Taste of Chiapas in the memo line. Those interested in carpooling should be prepared to leave from Covenant at 4:30. Please register in the church office by Monday August 6th.
The Food Pantry and Clothes Closet will be open August 29th at 11:00am.

Letters From Pastor

What does it mean to be a church?

That question may seem pretty straightforward, but my hunch is that if you ask 5 people that question, then you might get 5 different answers. Some may speak of worship, others outreach, some nurture, or fellowship, or Christian Education, or evangelism. And then if pressed on any of those areas, you might get different answers on how each of those practices are enacted.

A different question is: What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? And what does it mean to be a gathered community of disciples? And what does it mean to be a gathered community of disciples who join in God’s mission in the world?

These are heavy questions that many Christians wrestle with each week. And I will be intentionally engaging these over the next 9 months, as part of a Clergy cohort that will meet for digging deeper into who God is calling our congregations to be and how we can be effective leaders of that call. These meetings will help me guide us during this time of discernment as we ask: What is God’s purpose for Covenant Presbyterian Church?

As I mentioned in my sermon a few weeks ago, we are a time of discernment. Many respondents in the Member Survey of 2006 stated that they hoped to see continued growth for our church, but we have experienced the opposite. The Session held an honest discussion of where we are at this juncture of our life together, and where we are going. We don’t know what God has in store for us just yet, but we are sure that God is at work in our midst. Over the next few months, we will have other discussions, and we also will seek conversations with the congregation and Presbytery. And at one point sooner or later, we will choose a path forward, knowing that God is our guide and leading us into a new and different future.

I am grateful for your prayers and support. And I look forward to speaking with you about your thoughts as we move ahead together.

Peace,
Andy

Prayer Requests

Covenant Presbyterian Church
Shelly Akers
Kathy Bates
Alexis Bezilla (friend of the Bleilers)
Velma Brown
David and Catherine Dedmon
June Garren (Cathy Baldwin’s mom)
Taylor Goode (M) (Bleilers’ Son)
Turner Hammett (Gena Hammett’s Son)
Mary Harris
Jay Jeter
Kosha Nesbitt
Forrest Peck
Kennedy Robinson (Daughter of Alex Muller’s friend)
Miriam Turner
Remember our shut-ins
Families who have lost loved ones
Our President and officials in Washington
World Peace

(M) Indicated Military

Servers

August Usher Duty

August 5: Cynthia Bridges and Jim Fraley
August 12: Bob McMichael, Carole Sanders, and Jim Bleiler
August 19: Russ Sanders and Nancy Biggerstaff
August 26: Callaway Alford, Henry Polston, Terry Terawaki

August Welcome and Announcements

August 5: Anne McChesney
August 12: Kristie Wade
August 19: Henry Polston
August 26: Connie Travaille

Session Update and Finances

July Session Update

The Session received an update on the Music Director search. Two candidates will be interviewed in August.
Discussed new adult study opportunities to begin in mid-September. These include a possible book study and a Bible study on the upcoming sermon text.
Approved the use of Edwards Hall for the Hope Center for Children to host a Positive Parenting Class. Dates to be determined.

Financial Update as of June 30, 2018

June Income

$9,029
YTD $70,593

June Expense

$7,069
YTD $66,286

Net Totals

$1,959
YTD $4,306