Archive for August, 2009

Michael grew up between the South (KY/TN) and the Midwest (IN). He’s been in the Chicagoland area since 2002 where he went to Trinity Christian for undergrad. A current resident of Uptown, Michael was blessed to find Holy Covenant in the Spring of this year, thanks to a tip from a member of GCN, an online community of believers who take an active role in bridging the gap between the Church and the LGBT community. When he’s not working for Action for Children, he enjoys playing guitar, going out for dinner or drinks with friends, watching movies, or indulging his chocolate addiction. Michael is excited to finally have found “home” here at HCUMC and looks forward to seeing what God has in store for the near future.

Faith in Homecoming
August 23, 2009, Holy Covenant UMC
By Kate Hurst Floyd
Text: Psalm 84

You know that feeling when you first fall in love…nothing else matters, and you’re completely consumed…the rest of the world stops around you, and you view everything with love-struck eyes; your knees are weak and you have butterflies in your stomach; no matter how hard you try to concentrate on anything else, you can’t help but let your mind drift to your lover. You begin to listen to sappy love songs, songs you swore before were completely trite and cheesy…but when you’re in love, all of a sudden Faith Hill’s “Breathe” seems brilliant; you swear that they sing the melody of your soul and you don’t know why you ever made fun of it before. (more…)

Holy Covenant is blessed to have so many volunteers willing to do things – big and small – that help our church grow and thrive.  Annually, we conduct a gifts, talents and interest survey to help match you with opportunities that you may be interested in as they arise. 

The 2009 survey is closed, but please e-mail at office@holycovenantumc.org to find out how you can get involved and let us know what your interests are.

Dear Holy Covenant Community,

Affordable access to quality healthcare is an urgent need for millions in this country. The debate over healthcare legislation is raging, from town hall meetings to dinner tables, White House Press Conferences to conversations with coworkers. Healthcare reform is complex and political; it’s difficult to sort out facts and next steps. Even when we follow the debates and legislation closely, it can be hard to know the right course of action. However, as people of faith, we do know that God calls on us to care for all of creation, especially those without power and access to justice.

Jesus’ message is clear:

“I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” John 10:10

Through Jesus Christ, we know full life and are called to advocate for fullness of life for all. The United Methodist Church believes that healthcare is a basic human right that must be available to all. In the midst of all the information out there, it is helpful to have our faith community, and our denomination, as a resource. There is an excellent website sponsored by the General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church:

www.1010challenge.org

This site gives biblical and theological contexts for healthcare, United Methodist positions, and tangible ways we can move our faith into action. For example, this week’s action helps us send postcards to members of congress sharing our stories. I encourage you to visit this site as a valuable resource from a faith-based perspective.

As this country moves towards healthcare reform, may we all continue to educate ourselves and advocate for the least of these. Let’s all be in prayer for our leaders, policy-makers, and those who live each day without adequate access to healthcare. May our prayers center us in God’s love, which wills abundant life for each and every person.

Grace and Peace,

Kate

This fall Holy Covenant will be holding a fundraiser for general church funds. The event, scheduled for October 9th at 7:00 PM, will will include live entertainment and a silent auction. You can help by contributing an item for bidding. Some of you may choose to donate services, while others may secure a donation from a local business.

Please let us know if you are able to offer or suggest any donations for the auction. Auction ideas include: weekend at time share / vacation home, aquarium/museum tickets, artwork/photography, collectibles / autographed items, one-hour massage certificate, yoga class certificate, restaurant gift certificates, architectural tour or your own personal services (paint a room, cook a meal, cookies each month for a year, etc.).

To make this easier, the Fundraising committee has created two documents. The first is a customizable Silent Auction Request Form you may share with potential donors, explaining who we are and what we’re asking for. The second is a Silent Auction Reply Form – for donor (or you) to fill out with information about the intended donation.

Although the event isn’t until October, the silent auction for some items will start two weeks early. For this reason, we’d ideally like all bids secured by September 23rd. Of course, last minute bids are always welcome.

We hope you’ll be able to participate! Please contact Devin Donaldson with any bid questions, suggestions or donations.

Warm regards from your fall fundraiser chair,

Katie Cook

Faith in Joy
Kate Floyd, Holy Covenant UMC
Preached on August 16, 2009
Ephesians 5:15-20

Why did you come here this morning?  Think with me about the reason you decided to come to worship.  You had lots of options on this beautiful Sunday morning…sleeping in, working out, going to the air and water show, having brunch with friends or staying in your cozy bed with a good book.  For some reason, though, you were compelled to come here, to Holy Covenant, and spend an hour worshipping God with this community.  Maybe you come here, religiously, every single week.  Maybe you drop in once a month or so, or maybe today is your first time here.  We’re all busy people in an even busier world, with many demands on our time….so what is it about worship that’s a priority for us on this day?  (I’m paid to be here, but the rest of you have a choice). (more…)

Saturday, September 12, 10am-1pm
Please join us for this wonderful neighborhood event. We will have bible-themed booths, prizes, bouncy house, and fun! A FREE lunch will be available for all so bring your friends and neighbors and don’t miss this event!

GREAT DEAL – $1,600 for 3RD FLOOR APARTMENT ABOVE HOLY COVENANT
This beautiful unique space has never been priced this low! It’s a large, luxurious 2BR/2bath plus loft with cathedral ceilings, gas fireplace, skylights, newer white kitchen (with dishwasher), central AC, in unit washer/dryer, and close to Brown line Diversey El. $1600 monthly rent (with an option to rent 1 parking spot). If you are interested or know someone who is interested please contact Allison Chaplain or call (773) 301-6205. We need to get this apartment rented soon, so please spread the word.

Pictures in our flyer.

Dear Holy Covenant Community,

This week, in worship, we move from suffering to joy.  On Sunday, we explored the reality of human suffering, and God’s hopeful presence in the midst of our pain.  But one of the beautiful realities about being Christians is that our lives are also marked by great joy.  Often, people of faith are characterized as boring, stodgy, and self-righteous.  Frequently, when I tell someone I’m a minister, they assume they need to stop laughing, change the tone of the conversation, and ask me only serious questions.  But our faith gives us much to sing and laugh and dance about.  Ours is a life and faith filled with delight and wonder.

Our theme for worship this week is “Faith in Joy,” and our text is Ephesians 5:15-20.  It ends this way:

Be filled with the Spirit, 19as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, 20giving thanks to God at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Join us in worship this week as we explore and embody how to live lives of joy, singing praises to God through Jesus Christ, not just during worship, but in all that we do.  There are also many ways to stay connected to this joy-filled and Spirit-filled community, and I hope you will consider taking part:

*Family Fun Fair-Our 2nd Annual Family Fun Fair is on Saturday September 12 at the church.  If you’d like to help with the fair, and show love to our children and the children of the community, please contact Donelle Sommer.  This will surely be a time filled with great joy.  Look for the sign-up sheets in the Gallery Space on the small groups board.

*Evening Service Discussion-Our  7pm service is a holy time to gather us in for word, table, prayer, and music and to help send us out into the week refreshed and fed.  See the announcement below about the community conversation happening this Sunday, August 16, at 8pm.  We want to hear from YOU about your hopes, visions, and feedback about the evening service.  Food is served and all are welcome.

*Soirees/Small Group Gatherings -I’ve had a wonderful time meeting you and am grateful for all the ways you’ve welcomed me into this community and to Chicago.  Much of our time together has been around business, meetings, or worship, and it has been sacred time.  But I’m also eager to get to know more about you in an informal setting-to  hear your story, your passions, learn about your family and your hobbies, your favorite food and flavor of martini.

There are many small group gatherings over the next month and a half and I hope you will sign-up for one.  They are in the homes of members and at the church.  There will be a sign-up sheet at worship on Sunday.  Also take note of the announcement here about the first two that begin next week.    I look forward to seeing you at one and getting to know you better.

May you find joy in this church and in your week and spend time singing songs of praise and thanksgiving.  Alleluia!

Grace and Peace,
Kate

Faith in the Face of Suffering
By Kate Hurst Floyd
August 9, 2009

Text: Psalm 130

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Have you ever woken up early to watch the sunrise?  Maybe you couldn’t sleep, so you decided to stop fighting the insomnia and go outside to greet the morning before she came knocking on your window.  Or perhaps you were someplace with a spectacular view….the beach, the mountains, a lake…and you set your alarm to wake you at 4, to go sit on a sandy shore and watch the big ball of fire slowly inch its way over the waves.  Maybe you stayed awake all night, unplanned, and instead of going to bed decided to wait that extra half hour for the first signs of morning. (more…)