Christ Covenant                  08.24.14
Community Church
Weekly Update
Breakfast for School Staff!

Christ Covenant has the opportunity to provide breakfast and coffee for the staff of two local schools on Monday, August 25th.  We want to welcome them back and give them a great start to the school year. This is a way to show love and be a part of our community! You can help by donating food items, contributing financially, or picking up and dropping off food.  Click here to sign up to help.
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In addition, Pastor Bill has been in contact with the staff and PTA of Harrison Rd Elementary looking for opportunities to extend the ministry of Christ Covenant into our community through service.  We already to this with Welcome Back Breakfasts for staff at both Harrison Rd and Salem.  An additional need was identified that we want to respond to:

Yard Maintenance at Harrison Rd Elementary School
This Friday, August 22 from 2-5 pm

Not quite like clearing lots in New Orleans, but a great chance to serve in our community closer to home.  We'll be weeding, cutting back brush, weed-whacking, trimming trees, mulching and the like.  Plan to bring a pair of gloves and any yard tools you can use and meet us there.  Contact Pastor Bill or Wil Dargan for details.
InterVarsity at UMW
from Jess Molzahn

This Monday, my student leaders moved in. They moved in early for the retreat and so they can help with freshmen move-in, and so we can start New Student Outreach events when freshmen arrive. I am so grateful for the ways these gifted men and women are willing to sacrifice their time, energy, final week of summer so that they can respond to the invitation Jesus is offering. Two of my leaders are freshmen RA's on purpose because they see this as an incredible opportunity to meet and build relationships with freshmen. It would be far easier and less work for them to be upperclassmen RA's, but instead they are responding 'yes' to Jesus' invitation. Would you join me in praying for all these student leaders that the Lord would sustain them, give them energy thru a busy time, and that he would be continuing to transform them in the process?
...... Hear more from Jess about what's happening at UMW and how we can help.
Back to School Burgers

Following worship service on Sunday, September 7, we'll have lunch together to start the new school year off right. We provide the burgers, you bring fixins, desserts and sides. Sign up here or through welcome binders.


EPC Iraqi  Relief

This week, we received notice from EPC General Assembly Stated Clerk Jeff Jeremiah regarding an opportunity to stand with the people of Northern Iraq in the face of terrorist atrocities. 

 

In response to atrocities against Christians and others by militant Islamic groups in the Middle East region, including ISIS in Iraq, the EPC is working with Christian Aid Mission (CAM), an evangelical agency through which EPC churches and individuals can send relief funds. Click here for more information.

You can also read more on this subject from Pastor Bill's blog..
Christ Covenant Road Signs and Volunteer Opportunity

We have new Christ Covenant road signs - sets of 4, each with the EPC Motto: "In Essentials, Unity; In Non-Essentials, Liberty; In All Things, Charity." - to be placed on 4 key locations approaching the church building. Watch for them!

 

With that we have an opportunity for volunteers to place them each Thursday evening, and remove them each Sunday afternoon. If you would like to do one set or several, please contact Pastor Bill by email.

Learn the New City Catechism: One Question Per Week

Each week we'll be posting a question and answer from the New City Catechism, along with a brief video explanation. 

Question 34:
Since we are redeemed by grace alone, through Christ alone, must we still do good works and obey God's Word?
Answer:
 

Yes, because Christ, having redeemed us by his blood, also renews us by his Spirit; so that our lives may show love and gratitude to God; so that we may be assured of our faith by the fruits; and so that by our godly behavior others may be won to Christ.

NCC Q34: Since we are redeemed by grace alone, through Christ alone, must we still do good works and obey God's Word? 
NCC Q34: Since we are redeemed by grace alone, through Christ alone, must we still do good works and obey God's Word?

 

Click here for a tutorial on using the New City Catechism!  
Sunday Sermon 
Topic:
Hearing the Voice of God: You Were Meant For More
Passage:
Isaiah 6:1-13
Thank You For Serving In Children's Ministry This Week!
Lisa Boyer
Lorna Mazzucca
Mary Lynn Linder
Karen Jordan
Together in the Gospel

This Sunday Pastor Bill will join Alan Hagar of Hope EPC and Ken DeLage of Sovereign Grace Church as we join together in the Gospel at Sovereign Grace Church before heading back to Christ Covenant to preach. We are taking these weeks in August to be at each others churches to share in a time of prayer and to share with our congregations the partnership we have in ministry. We are friends and brothers in Christ. We have met together for several years for study, prayer and encouragement. And though we are from different churches, we believe we share an important common foundation of faith and ministry. That is, the desire to have a gospel-centered ministry in our churches that lifts up the grace of God as the hope and power for life.


Meet Mike Moses
EPC General Assembly "Moderator-To-Be"

Mike Moses is a church planter, pastor and soon to be Moderator of the EPC's General Assembly.  Get to know him a bit and see what being in the EPC is SO GREAT!  Folks like this make us glad to be a part. 

Click Here for his blog post on his observations regarding his experience with EPC leaders.
Grace in FXBG: From Pastor Bill's Blog...

We recently had dinner together as a church followed by open discussion in small groups about new directions for our worship of God at Christ Covenant.  I'd like to continue that a bit in light of what I learned, and to share with those not there. 

Part II: Singing Together  
We work deliberately to encourage and enable congregational singing  at Christ Covenant.  That means all of us singing together.  Even - perhaps especially? - those like me, who don't sing naturally, comfortably or well.
I look around and observe that in the pursuit of excellence, many churches - both contemporary and traditional - allow or even encourage a more concert-like observer role for people in the congregation.  Excellence - giving God our best - is a good thing and there is a time and place for both vocal and instrumental solos.  But at Christ Covenant, we never want to loose, overshadow or minimize the opportunity to gather God's people in many voices as a single, unified expression of praise and gratitude.  ...Continue reading

Other Recent Posts:
Singing Together - Click
Gospel Parenting - Click
Sex-Colored Glasses - Click
Why Be Good? - Click

Sister EPC Church Damaged by Fire 

Faith Liberation Church is a small, urban EPC congregation located in Charlotte, NC. Recently damaged by a fire that began in their kitchen, the churches of the EPC Presbytery of Mid-Atlantic will be pitching in to help with the restoration of their ministry facility. Without a permanent pastor, they are led by Elder Russ Sherrill. Christ Covenant's Steering Committee has sent a donation from our "Benevolence Tithe" to help with their rebuilding, and encourages the people of Christ Covenant to remember this sister congregation in your prayers.