Church Info

Durbin Family

Sarah, Rachel and Jonah live in Oak Park and found Holy Covenant through Reconciling Ministries. Rachel is a senior at OPRF High School and Jonah is in 4th grade at Longfellow Elementary. Rachel is an accomplished figure skater who would perform on ice every weekend if given the opportunity. She is really excited about Akwaaba, the teen youth group she started at Holy Covenant, and is hopeful the group will finally take root this fall. Rachel just recently got back from YTI (Youth Theological Initiative) where she had the opportunity to explore important theological and social issues with other teens and consider the power of becoming a “public theologian”. Jonah is your typical boy. He loves sports especially soccer and plays on a traveling team. He is loud and is constantly moving. Which is entirely opposite from what you see at church. For just being nine, he has a big heart and is always making sure that his sister is taken care of. Sarah works in the non-profit world. She is a member of the Children and Families Committee and is on the board of a local LGBT organization. As a family, they have a passion for social justice and providing service in the community.

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Dear Holy Covenant Community,

It’s no secret that United Methodists LOVE meals. You’d be hard pressed to find a Methodist church without regularly scheduled pot-lucks, ice cream socials, and pie bake-offs. Holy Covenant does our part, from perfecting our chili recipe for the cook-off in the fall, to eating pizza and slurping root beer floats after the evening service, and enjoying delicious home-baked goods on a Sunday morning. We are a community who loves meals!

Is it just that we really love to eat? We do, no doubt. But if that was all there was to it, we’d just go to restaurants, or pack up the baked goods and take them to the park. Instead, we stay and we eat together, because something powerful happens in those moments: the food tastes better, the conversation is more interesting, and our connections are deeper. Jesus knew the power of the table, of a shared meal. That’s why on the last night of his life, he gathered his disciples around a table to eat supper together. Don Saliers, my professor of worship, was fond of saying, “Jesus loved meals so much he became one.”

For in that sacred meal, Jesus takes the bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it. The bread becomes his body and the wine his blood, and we, then, through sharing in the meal, become his body. Every time we take communion in worship, Jesus takes and chooses us, God blesses us, our hearts break open, and God gives us the gift of grace and forgiveness. Beginning in August, we will have the opportunity to eat this sacred meal together each week in the morning. Starting August 1st, we’ll have weekly communion at the 9:30am service. We’ll continue to share in this meal monthly at 11:15am and weekly at 7pm.

If you find yourself hungry during the week, I hope you’ll consider coming to the 9:30 service to receive your fill of grace, peace, justice, and mercy as forgiven and grace-filled children of God. After all, the invitation is coming from Jesus—“Let’s eat!”

See you Sunday, and think about who you can bring with you.

Grace and Peace,

Kate

Dear Holy Covenant,

There will be NO evening service this week, July 4th due to the holiday weekend. Please do come in the morning at 9:30 and 11:15 for our evening-style service in the am. Please plan to join us for our evening service summer kick-off worship and party on July 11th at 7pm.

Hope you enjoy afternoon and evening sabbath time with your loved ones this Sunday!

Peace,
Pastor Kate

By David E Braden

Last week was the 171st Annual Conference of the Northern Illinois Conference of The United Methodist Church. Annual Conference is a time when clergy and laity (non-clergy) gather to celebrate the ministries of the local and regional church, remember those who have died in the past year, celebrate the ministries of retiring clergy, and celebrate the commissioning and ordination of new clergy members. It is also a time to consider the business of the church where clergy and lay representatives from every congregation in the Conference vote on the Conference budget and legislation ranging from clergy compensation to immigration reform and inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people in the church.

This year, Holy Covenant was represented by Rev. Kate Floyd (clergy), Rev. Monica Isaac (clergy), David Braden (laity), and Brittany Isaac (laity). Other Holy Covenanters at Annual Conference included Rev. Lisl Heymans Paul, Campus Minister at Agape House; Deaconess Rachel Harvey, Associate Executive Director of the Reconciling Ministries Network (RMN); and Audrey Krumbach, Field Organizer at RMN.

The 2010 Annual Conference had a focus on young people and there was a special worship service on Sunday night that involved young people in a significant way. What amazed me most about this service was watching the young people on the overhead screens and seeing a sea of pink, “All Means All” buttons. The “All Means All” buttons are a part of a campaign in the Church to change the discriminatory laws that limit the full participation of LGBTQ people in the church. What a joy and what a witness is was to see this sea of pink from the young people of the Conference!

In the realm of legislation, we had seven petitions focused on inclusion of people of all sexual orientations and gender identities within The United Methodist Church. Summaries of these petitions can be found at the bottom of this letter. Many of these petitions included requests for Declaratory Decisions from the Judicial Council (the Supreme Court, so to speak, of The United Methodist Church) to overturn a discriminatory ruling from 2005 that empowered United Methodist clergy to deny people membership based on their sexual orientation. I am thrilled to report that all seven petitions passed on the floor of Annual Conference with supermajority votes ranging from 87-97%. I have confidence that these petitions will be considered by the Judicial Council and I will report back to Holy Covenant later this fall with the outcomes of the Judicial Council’s decisions. (more…)

Dear friends in Holy Covenant,

It has been my great joy and privilege to be a student intern and then on staff at Holy Covenant for the last two years. Especially since I have been unable to avoid dreaming about what’s next for this community, I am so glad to be staying on with you in the new position of Minister of Spiritual Formation.

The new position includes the work I’ve been doing this year as worship leader for the evening service and minister of small groups. Happily, I’ll have more time to devote to each! Additionally, I’ll be working with children and families. Even many of you who know me may not know that before I moved to Chicago for Divinity School I spent years working with children — from infancy through adolescence — at summer camps, in classrooms, and on farms. I can feel that my face still lights up when I start to tell stories about the children I’ve known. I’m excited to build relationships with the children and families in our congregation (and those who’ve yet to arrive!) and to include them more fully in the life of the church. I’ll also be available for things like meeting over a cup of coffee for conversation and prayer and committee meetings where I’m needed, and I’ll be preaching a little more too.

As for the “spiritual formation” of the job title: I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to be a people of faith. What makes us any different from what we were when we had no faith? I know that in my own life, I’ve recently found myself caught up in school, work, and church to the point that I’m not practicing my faith. I forget to lean back on the faith that I claim to have. I don’t make time to pray. I suspect that I’m not the only one for whom this is true. Lots of great things happen at church, but there are some things that happen only at church: things like learning how to pray, how to read Scripture, and what difference it makes to be a Christian in how we care for others and the world around us. My prayer for all of us is that we would experience a deepening in our spiritual understanding and practices.

My new job begins July 1st. By then, the regular hours when I’ll be available to you will be figured out and made public. Until then, don’t forget to take a look at small groups! And consider visiting the evening service if you’ve never been – or haven’t been in a while. It’s a warm, intimate service that feels like the best parts of a family dinner. We sing songs in harmony; we pray for one another; we gather around the Communion table every week and are reminded of the truth that God breaks into our lives again and again.

In peace,
Rebecca Anderson

Sign up for any of these small groups online.

Sundays

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES on SEXUALITY AND CHRISTIANITY
Why is sexuality such a contentious issue for the Church? Has it always been this way? Many Christian texts discuss sex, passion, and physical existence, but not in the ways that you might expect. However familiar the past might seem, the issues, concerns, and thought-worlds of people from the past are often very different from our own. Come read and discuss primary texts from the first twelve centuries after Christ to get a taste of past debates, better understand themes in Christian history, and reflect on how past perspectives can inform and challenge our own.

Leaders: Rebecca Anderson, David Mihalyfy
When: Sunday afternoons, 1 – 2:30 p.m., April 25th – June 13th
Where: Holy Covenant gallery

WOMEN’S GROUP -  2nd & 4th Sundays
The Holy Covenant Women’s Group meets on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month at Pompei (Wellington and Sheffield). It is a drop-in group – no sign up or commitment is required. The purpose of the group is to provide a fun, casual place for the diverse women of the church to meet, share our stories, and support each other. It is a great choice for women who would like to feel more connected within the church, especially newcomers to Holy Covenant. The Women’s Group runs year round and can be attended in conjunction with or in between other groups.

Leaders: Linda Effinger Quinde
When: 2nd and 4th Sundays of the month, 5:00 – 6:45, on-going
Where: Pompei at Wellington and Sheffield, right at the Wellington Brown Line stop

SUNDAY RIDERS
Calling all bike riders, or those who just wanna go for a spin…Announcing the Sunday afternoon group bike ride! Each week, starting May 30th, we’ll meet at Holy Covenant at 12:30, and head out for a 5-10 mile ride (with a lunch destination), and finish back at HC. The course will be announced each week; we will also learn about minor bike maintenance, riding in a group, bike commuting, and Chicago neighborhoods. Chicago is best explored by bike so bring your helmet, water bottles, and sense of adventure!

Leader: Chris Shickles
When: Sundays, leaving after the 11:15 service, beginning May 30th
Where: Start at church and end up…(well, back at church)

Mondays

INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW…WHAT DOES THE BIBLE REALLY HAVE TO SAY ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY?
There are several biblical passages often referenced by those who believe that homosexuality is a sin and “incompatible with Christian teaching”. In this small group, we will look at the historical and cultural context of those passages. The group will explore the application of those scriptures to our lives in the 21st Century.

Both Straight and GLBTQ folks are encouraged to join in a frank and honest dialogue. It will be an opportunity to share with others in our faith community, how the varying interpretations of these scriptures have impacted our spiritual communities, our society, and our lives. We will use several extra-biblical references, to aid in the study, including a movie screening.

Leader: Cory Fransway
When: Monday 7p-9p, May 17th – June 28th
Where: Andrew Schorr’s place, at 2041 N Magnolia St. Unit B

INTENTIONAL COMMUNITY WOMEN’S SMALL GROUP
This is a group for women who want to not only dig deeper into Scripture, but deeper into community. This will not be a drop-in group and a commitment to participate for the summer is required. We are going to spend some time each week sharing a meal, reading Scripture (starting with the book of Philippians) and doing life together. We are going to share our stories and commit to being honest with each other about our walks with God. Together, we are going to discover what living intimately with Jesus through community and on an individual level looks like. This group is not for the faint of heart! We are going to really push ourselves to discover more and more of Jesus.

Leader: Katie Kuehn
When: Monday  7-9pm, starting May 31st, continuing through the summer
Where: Katie’s apartment, Lawrence and Campbell, right off the Western stop on the Brown Line

Wednesdays

SUNDAYS’ SCRIPTURE
Sunday’s Scripture is a group that meets with the pastor to discuss the text that provides the center of our Sunday worship. Are you interested in engaging scripture outside of weekly worship? Asking questions of the text? Hearing the insights of others? Going deeper into the word of God? Then this is the group for you! Each week, we will study, explore, and imagine with the Scripture lesson for the Sunday a week and a half away. Your contributions will help shape the sermon and worship services. We will ask ourselves: What’s the history and context of this text? How do we relate to the characters in the story? How does this speak to our lives today? Where is God’s voice for us, here and now? Join us as we grow closer to God and one another through the biblical passages that shape our lives as a community.

Facilitator: Kate Floyd
When: Wednesdays, 7-8:30pm
Where: Holy Covenant Gallery
Duration: On-going throughout the year. You are welcome to drop in.

Thursdays

CELEBRATION CHOIR
Join other singers in preparing music for Sunday’s services – whether you’re an old hand at choral singing, or have mostly sung in the shower. Bring your own dinner and share a time of fellowship and practice, all with an eye and heart towards worship. You can check it out any Thursday; commit for a month, a season, or the year. Get in on the music-making before the summer recess!

Leader: Andrew Collins
When: Thursdays, dinner and chatting at 7; practice 7:30 – 9, on-going
Where: Holy Covenant Gallery

Sign up for any of these small groups online.

The winter session of Small Groups is over, but these on-going groups continue.  Join us!

On-going groups:

Sundays

Women’s Group, 2nd & 4th Sundays
The Holy Covenant Women’s Group meets on the 2nd and 4th Sunday of each month at Pompei, at the corner of Sheffield and Wellington, right at the Wellington Brown Line stop.  Pompei offers wonderful, inexpensive food and beer/wine. It is a drop-in group – no sign up or commitment is required.  The purpose of the group is to provide a fun, casual place for the diverse women of the church to meet, share our stories, and support each other.  It is a great choice for women who would like to feel more connected within the church, especially newcomers to Holy Covenant.  The Women’s Group runs year round and can be attended in conjunction with or in between other groups.

Leaders: Linda Effinger Quinde
Contact: effinger@umich.edu, 630.670.8774.
When: 2nd and 4^th Sundays of the month, 5:00 – 6:45, on-going
Where: Pompei at Sheffield & Wellington, right at the Wellington Brown Line stop

Wednesdays

Sunday’s Scripture
Sunday’s Scripture is a group that meets with the pastor to discuss the text that provides the center of our Sunday worship.  Are you interested in engaging scripture outside of weekly worship? Asking questions of the text? Hearing the insights of others? Going deeper into the word of God? Then this is the group for you! Each week, we will study, explore, and imagine with the Scripture lesson for the Sunday a week and a half away.  Your contributions will help shape the sermon and worship services.  We will ask ourselves: What’s the history and context of this text? How do we relate to the characters in the story? How does this speak to our lives today? Where is God’s voice for us, here and now? Join us as we grow closer to God and one another through the biblical passages that shape our lives as a community.

Facilitator: Kate Floyd
Contact: revkate@holycovenantumc.org
When: Wednesdays, 7-8:30pm
Where: Holy Covenant Gallery
Duration: On-going throughout the year.  You are welcome to drop in.

Thursdays

Theology on Tap
Theology on Tap is an independent gathering of men and women who share an interest in Christian theology and, of course, beer. We are committed to an open discussion of the life and teachings of Jesus and the doctrines that developed in the aftermath of his death and resurrection. ALL are welcome, with the caveat that each individual be respected and treated with dignity and kindness. (We also want to respect the staff and build relationships with them, so please budget in order to leave at least a 20% tip.)  NOTE:  This is an on-going group.  Drop in any week.  Look for us on Facebook at T.o.T. (Chicago).

Facilitator: Jonas Grey
Contact: jonasdavid@me.com
When: Thursday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: The Hidden Shamrock on Halsted at Diversey
Duration: On-going.  Drop in, or commit to going every week for a season.  Bring a friend!

Celebration Choir
Join other singers in preparing music for Sunday’s services – whether you’re an old hand at choral singing, or have mostly sung in the shower.  Bring your own dinner and share a time of fellowship and practice, all with an eye and heart towards worship.  You can check it out any Thursday; commit for a month, a season, or the year.

Leader: Andrew Collins
Contact: acmusic@andrewcollinsmusic.com
When: Thursday nights, dinner and chatting at 7; practice 7:30 – 9
Where: Holy Covenant Gallery

Sign up to join any of these small groups using this online form or by e-mailing groups@holycovenantumc.org.

Saturdays

Holy Covenant Book Group – Last Saturday of every month
Each book will be discussed at the Starbucks right by Church at the corner of Diversey and Sheffield, on the last Saturday of every month at 2pm.  March’s book remains Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood.  April’s selection is Lamb:  the Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal, by Christopher Moore.  May’s masterpiece will be CS Lewis’  the Great Divorce.  Keep an eye on the Church’s Facebook page, and any questions, email Matt.

Leader: Matthew Piechocinski
Contact: matthewpiechocinski@gmail.com
When: April 24, 2pm (last Saturday each month)
Where: Starbucks, Diversey & Sheffield
The books: March – Year of the Flood, by Margaret Atwood
April – Lamb:  the Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal, by Christopher Moore
May – The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis

Dear Holy Covenant Community,

As we approach our half-way point into Lent, I want to highlight some news and special opportunities that are happening in our community:

*Join Holy Covenant on Easter Sunday
Have you been considering joining Holy Covenant? Praying about how God is calling you to be involved in the life of our community? If you’re ready to take the next step and vow to join Holy Covenant with your prayers, presence, gifts, and service, we’d love for you to join on Easter Sunday. Traditionally, newcomers were baptized and welcomed into the church on Easter as a sign of new life and an embodied celebration of the resurrection. A group of people are joining on Easter, and you can be part of this sharing in the gift of new beginnings. Please be in touch with me if you are interested or have any questions.

*Special Lenten Opportunities
Consider deepening your Lenten journey of growing closer to God by participating in these upcoming special events:

*Spiritual Formation opens the sanctuary every Wednesday from 5:30-6:45 as a time for prayer and reflection-all are welcome to come for 5 minutes after work or to stay the whole time.

*Free dinner and special Lenten lecture on the Gospel of John
Wednesday March 24 at 6pm in the sanctuary
Join us for “An Evening with Candler” a free event offered by my alma mater seminary at Emory University, for a time to be in fellowship and deepen our understanding of the Bible. See more info and RSVP here so we have a count for dinner (did I mention it’s FREE?).

*Children and Families Staffing News
As I announced on Sunday, Jeff Dodson, our Interim Minister for Children and Families until June, has resigned effective immediately for personal and health reasons. We give thanks for all that Jeff has given to the life of the community and wish him well. Because we are hiring a 30 hour/week Minister for Spiritual Formation beginning in July, we are not going to replace Jeff at this time. However, Ellen Willett, office administrator extraordinaire, in conjunction with the Children and Family Committee, will be increasing her hours to cover the administrative needs of this ministry.

*Sign-up for a Listening Session on our Marriage Policy
Please sign-up for a listening session to pray, discern, discuss, and process our proposed DRAFT marriage policy. These sessions are exactly what they advertise: An opportunity for your perspective to be heard so the taskforce, and thus church, knows where we are as a congregation. We want to hear from you! The policy is open to change, small or large, but we can only know where to move in the future if we have your input. As I said in church on Sunday, we are not called as Christians to agree. We are called, however, to participate in holy conversation with one another, by being honest and open, even (and especially!) when it’s not easy. Please participate in this process by signing up here, wherever you stand, because your view will affect what we end up adopting.

If you have feedback/questions/suggestions/comments about any of the above, please don’t hesitate to be in touch! I’d love to hear from you. Continued blessings on your Lenten journey.

Grace and Peace,

Kate

Holy Covenant UMC, a dynamic, progressive congregation full of many young adults and families in the Chicago Lakeview neighborhood is seeking a Minister for Spiritual Formation to share pastoral responsibilities for the Holy Covenant Community, focusing specifically on spiritual formation for all ages.  Responsibilities include primary leadership for Sunday evening service and assistance in Sunday worship, planning for small groups, and care for children and families.  This job is 30 hours per week with the vision of growing into full-time.  Benefits are included.  Requirements: Bachelor’s Degree but Master of Divinity preferred.  Previous ministry experience a plus.  Please send a resume and cover letter to office@holycovenantumc.org.  Review of applications will begin April 5th and continue until position is filled.

Over the next few weeks, Holy Covenant is joining in the Advent Conspiracy challenge to worship fully, spend less, give more, and love all this holiday season. We believe that taking some of the consumerism out of Christmas and focusing in on what really matters is one way we can live out Holy Covenant’s mission to seek God, love all people, and change the world.

You can find out more about Advent Conspiracy by visiting www.adventconspiracy.org. To find out more about what the Holy Covenant community is conspiring to do this season or how you can get involved, visit the Advent page on our website at www.holycovenantumc.org.