Through April 26th, we will worship by web only. You can watch the service live here on Sundays at 10am, or the archived edition anytime afterward. You can also watch on Facebook. 

We encourage you to reach out by phone, text, email and social media to your Covenant neighbors. Learn who they are. Times of crisis can draw us closer together if we let them, and knit us together more closely. We are a geographically diverse church, and knowing our neighbors can, at this time when we are gathering less in person, improve our mental & spiritual health as well as reinforce our sense of security in community no matter what is going on.  We will continue to email you with "Covenant Connection" updates.  Please email Nancy Reding if you do not receive Covenant Connection, and would like to be on our email list.  

We will let you know if particular needs of vulnerable community members emerge. Please do let us know if you are available: to connect by phone with isolated people, shop, pick up medications or do other tasks that may help the most frail among us. You can email  to help or with a need.

Finally, here’s a short, sweet set of spiritual guidelines:

Moses had Ten Commandments; Covenant U.M. Church will keep it to five.

 

THOU SHALT PRAY. Pray for all people everywhere who are impacted by this disease. Pray for health care workers, first responders and all those serving others in this time. Pray for local, state and national governmental officials, that they will have strength and good counsel to make wise decisions. Pray for our most vulnerable community members, those at higher risk of contracting the virus, those living in isolation, those without paid sick leave, those whose mental health issues are exacerbated by the high levels of anxiety and uncertainty. Pray for Covenant U.M. Church and for all churches everywhere, that our work and witness will be faithful.

THOU SHALT WASH THY HANDS. THOU SHALT WASH THEM FREQUENTLY AND THOROUGHLY. Please wash your hands with hot water and lots of soap. It is the single best thing that you can do to cut down on the risk of spreading the virus. Scrub for at least 20 seconds. If you need to time yourself and are tired of singing the “Happy Birthday” song, consider using the doxology instead (“Praise God from whom all blessings flow…”).

THOU SHALT TAKE A BREAK FROM HANDSHAKES AND HUGS. We all need human touch for mental and spiritual well-being, but now is a good time to swap out those hugs, handshakes and high fives for elbow bumps or meaningful eye contact, for the physical well-being of our most vulnerable community members.

THOU SHALT CONNECT WITH FIRST CHURCH ONLINE. Watch worship online every Sunday morning by going to this page, starting at 8:30am or whenever you like after that.  Use Facebook post hollabacks, amens and feedback. 

Get better acquainted with our social media presence. Like our public Facebook page.  Tuesday Night Live Bible Study has met online using videoconferencing, and Pastor Dawn and other congregants have offered prayer using Zoom.  Email Kathy Herman, Nancy Reding or Pastor Dawn for more information on how to use any of these platforms. 

THOU SHALT SERIOUSLY CONSIDER ONLINE GIVING. If you haven’t already, now would be an excellent time to look into our options for electronic giving to Covenant U.M.Church. By clicking on this link, you can make a one-time donation or email our church admin at office@covenant-umc.org to set up a recurring electronic gift (by automated checking account withdrawal or credit card). Making arrangements to give electronically is one of the best things you can do to stabilize your church in these disruptive times. You can, of course, use this link to continue your giving right here online.  

God be with you all!