Church Info

Dear Holy Covenant Community,

Advent is upon us! Beginning November 28th, we’ll prepare for the birth of Christ. Through worship, a congregational retreat, and Alternative Giving Fair, Holy Covenant will escape the trap of stress and consumerism and focus instead on love. Join us, with great expectations for this season, and invite friends!

Great Expectations: Advent 2010
This Advent, live with hope. Work for justice. Wait with joy. Prepare for love.
Expect Jesus to change everything.

Sunday Services
9:30am, 11:15am, and 7pm

Nov. 28th Expect Hope
Dec. 5th Expect Justice
Dec. 12th Expect Joy –Choir and Children Service
Dec. 19th Expect Love
Dec. 24th Candlelight Christmas Eve, 7pm and 11pm

Special Services and Events

Saturday December 4th
Expect Renewal: Congregational Advent Retreat 9am – 12pm
During this busy season, you are invited to push the pause button and gather with the Holy Covenant community for a time of prayer, silent reflection, and sharing. To RSVP, please contact Kristin Kumpf.

Saturday December 11th
Expect Generosity: Alternative Gift Fair 10:30am-2pm
Learn to make holiday gifts, focus on love rather than consumption. All proceeds will support emergency relief in Haiti.

Sunday December 19th
Party at the Parsonage 3-5pm
All are welcome!

Monday December 20th, 7pm
Expect Light: Longest Night Service
A service for those experiencing grief, loss, depression, or anxiety during the holidays.

Sunday December 26th, 10:30am
Christmas Celebration: Carol Singing and Potluck Brunch (one service)
See you on Sunday, our final day to bring pledges and give thanks. Haven’t pledged yet? Do so online right now! Think about who you can bring with you.

Grace and Peace, with Great Expectations,

Kate

Get these reflections and more in our weekly eNewsletter

I like to hear myself talk. I would never admit that in public, but it’s the truth … and one of my biggest flaws, because it gets me in trouble. The only thing I love more than my oratory skills, are my writing abilities … so when Chris and Meaghan asked me to write a blog, I was like … yep, and oh, it will be epic (I was picturing Dante’s Inferno, but in an uplifting way), so prepare for a flood of people contributing to the stewardship campaign, because I am singlehandedly going to turn that tide!

Truthbomb: my blog entry is almost done.

They (that being Chris and Meaghan) asked me to do this a couple weeks ago, and in that time, I have been thinking what to write that I haven’t already said. I think the best way to illustrate why I give is to take a look at what I did with my money on Tuesday, November 16th, 2010:

1 ticket to the Aquabats/Real Big Fish show: $28
1 Aquabats T-shirt: $20
The Goldfrapp discography: $40
2 Cheeseburger Meal Deal at the Arches: $6.48

That totals almost $100. One hundred bucks spent on frivolous stuff. What kind of change could I make if I gave away that amount every day? Not only that, what if I just gave a fraction of that total? I’m not a betting man, but I figure Holy Covenant UMC could make that money go a long way, and not even with the maintenance, upkeep, or salary issues that face the congregation … because it’d also go to numerous ministries, or charities that need financial backing.

Why do I give? Because people need to eat, or hear words of hope and praise, more than I need to listen to electronica, and campy 3rd wave ska revivalists.

Julie Stevens

Julie Stevens was born and raised in Clearwater, FL and spent 12 years in Atlanta. Julie attended Agnes Scott College and majored in Psychology. She currently works at an Industrial/Organizational Psychology consulting firm focusing on talent management within healthcare organizations. Julie has been in Chicago since last September and lives with her lovable mutt, Waker.

And please welcome…

Bobby and Amy Wagner

Amy is originally from Wisconsin and still visits Wisconsin regularly.  Bobby is from Cary, IL.  Bobby and Amy both attended UW-Madison (Amy for undergrad and Bobby for Law School and MBA), and they met on campus.  After college they moved to Chicago and they’ve lived here for the last 6 years.  Bobby works in finance as a consultant and Amy works at Northwestern Memorial Hospital as an administrator.  In the next few weeks, they are expecting a baby boy!  Although Amy was raised Catholic and Bobby was raised Lutheran, they have never felt more at home than at Holy Covenant, and are very excited to become part of the Holy Covenant family as well as become Methodist.

Read more about becoming a member.

I Love to Tell the Story: Learn God’s Story

Join a small group at Holy Covenant this fall to learn the stories that change lives and changed history. Connect with God and others as we tap into God’s story, share our own experiences of faith, and are strengthened to tell the stories of God’s presence in our lives to others.

Some people at HC are asking: How do I read the Bible? What are some ways I can pray? How can I include spiritual practices in my everyday life? How can I invite others to church? Small groups won’t answer all your questions but learning God’s story is a good place to start.

Sign up for any of these small groups online.

Short Stories:

Discovery Lunches
Shared leadership, at church
1st and 3rd Sundays after the 11:15 service
New here? Stay after church for pizza, salad, and to find out more about this community. Sessions are planned around our mission statement: Seek God, Love All People, Change the World. After a few sessions, you’ll be well-informed about what HC is all about and will get to know some of the other people sitting next to you on Sunday morning.

Sunday Riders
Led by Chris Shickles, leaving from church
Sundays, after the 11:15 service, Sept 26th until the weather turns!
Calling all bike riders, or those who just wanna go for a spin…Announcing the Sunday afternoon group bike ride! Each week, starting September 26th and continuing as long as the weather allows, 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!

I Love to Tell the Story (Group 1)
Led by Brittany Isaac and Dan Hart, in Rogers Park
Mondays, 7 – 8:30, Oct 18th – Nov 22nd (6 weeks)
Live into God’s story by sharing your own. Learn more about one another and our faith as we learn to tell stories of forgiveness, reconciliation, and to bear witness to the action of God in our lives.

Bible Basics
Led by Laura Dean and Corydon Friedrich at church
Tuesdays 7:30 – 9, Oct 5th – Nov 16th
Don’t know where to start? Start here! Come get an overview of the Bible that will leave you wanting more and give you some tips to get going. All questions and questioners are welcome.

Novels:

Learning God’s Stories, Sharing Our Own: Women’s Group
Led by Linda Effinger Quinde at Pompei (Wellington and Sheffield)
2nd and 4th Sundays at 5:15, ongoing and year round
Join this long-running community-within-a-community. Drop-in or become a regular. We provide a fun, casual place for the diverse women of the church to meet, share our stories, and support each other. A great choice for women who would like to feel more connected within the church, especially newcomers to Holy Covenant. Women’s Group can be attended in conjunction with or in between other groups.

Learning God’s Stories with our Children: Wiggle Worship
Led by Rebecca Anderson at church
Sundays, 8:45am, Oct 10 – Nov 21
Participate in a casual, intimate liturgy for children and families (and those who want to work with them). We’ll meet Sunday mornings before the early service for fellowship, singing, prayer, and story-telling. Children of all ages are welcome!

Learning God’s Story around the Table
Food: Spirituality, Sustainability, and Ethics
Led by Mary Colleran, Sarah Klehr, and Megan Whitney, in the facilitators’ Lincoln Square homes
Tuesdays, 6:30 – 8, Oct 12th – Nov 30th
Explore the issues of spirituality, sustainability and ethics related to choosing, preparing, eating, and sharing food. Meetings will include a variety of readings, reflections, video and discussion. In addition, we will share food each week. It is not necessary that you bring any food to the group meetings. Come gather in the kitchen with us for conversation and community!

Learning God’s Story: Sunday’s Scripture
Led by Pastor Kate at Holy Covenant
Wednesdays, 7 – 8:30, Begins Sept 29th, runs throughout the year
Meet with the pastor and others 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! 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. Join the conversation as we 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? Grow closer to God and one another through the biblical passages that shape our lives as a community.

Learning God’s Stories: Men’s Group
Shared leadership
1st and 16th of every month (rotating days, rotating locations)
Join other HC men as we attempt to discern what it means to be a Christian man through acts of service and fellowship. We’ll spend our time in service (at the church, Dignity Diner, and possibly the Night Ministry), in fellowship, and in Scripture/life learning. Hopefully, when all is said and done, we’re better for it. Please email Matthew Piechocinski for more information.

Research!

Becoming Disciples Through Bible Study
Led by Rachel Harvey and Brit Holmberg
Wednesdays, Andersonville/Edgewater
Informational meeting October 6, group begins October 20th and continues through June
“Disciple: a person who learns from another, especially one who then teaches another.” Bring your experiences and struggles and whole self to the Word of God. Be encouraged, be shaped; be challenged and nourished by Scripture. This group is based on careful study and preparation and asks that you spend about 30 minutes a day reading. As weeks go by, you will move from Creation to the New Jerusalem in the company of fellow disciples. A fantastic introduction to the long arc of God’s narrative.

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.

Read more about becoming a member.

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.