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Covenant
Matters
Teacher Appreciation Breakfast
Equal Exchange Coffee is Back!
Let's show the teachers at Webb Middle School, Covenant's adopted school,
how much we appreciate all they do for their students. We'd like to provide a
special breakfast on May 5. Contact Kathy Willis at kathy71willis@gmail.com
or (512) 826-6309 to make a contribution, to help set up or to serve.
Due to your support of the Presbyterian Coffee Project last fall, Covenant
members again have the opportunity to purchase delicious, fairly-traded
coffee at wholesale prices. On April 26, place your order at Equal Exchange
table on the patio. To help with this effort, contact Lynn Bell (512) 454-3990.
Covenant can make a difference for small farmer co-ops around the world!
Austin Mayor Steve Adler at Covenant
Raising a Modern Day Knight Coming this May
Austin Mayor Steve Adler will be at a Covenant Town Hall meeting on
Wednesday, April 29, at 6:30 p.m. in FE 200. Adler will be here to help us
determine how Covenant can be a "love letter to the city," as we discussed
during Darrell Guder's visit in January. Covenant members are encouraged
to submit questions for the mayor to find out from him what he sees as the
needs of Austin and to learn how Covenant can help. Submit your question at
covenant.org/mayor or put it in the basket in the church office. Childcare will
be provided. Make a childcare reservation at childcare@covenant.org.
What does it take to raise our sons to be masculine, polite, generous and
kind? Men of Covenant will go about figuring that out in the class "Raising a
Modern-Day Knight." The curriculum focuses on fathers with sons from 6 to
20 years. The class will run Thursdays 6:30 –7:30 a.m from May 7 through
June 11 in FE 200. For more information and to register, contact Skip Crowe at
skip.crowe@searchministries.org.
All-Church Picnic is May 3!
VBS 2015, Everest: Conquering Challenges with God’s Mighty Power, is June
15–19 from 9 a.m. to noon. Get ready for a week of faith, fun and friends. Each
family must provide an adult volunteer for at least two days. Camp Everest
is for kids ages 2–4; Everest is for pre-K to incoming 5th grade; youth volunteers are incoming 6th graders and up. Register and get more information at
covenant.org/vbs, or contact Ashley Ellison at ahellison@yahoo.com.
Armchair Travelers will meet on Thursday, April 23, at 7 p.m. in the Sanctuary.
Jerry and June Beck will present their 2014 trips to Grassy Valley, Calif., and
Ashland, N. H. Around Grassy Valley, they explored Empire Gold Mine State
Park, Nevada City, Sacramento, NAPA Valley wine country and Redwood
Forest State Park. Around Ashland, they toured the lake area where "On
Golden Pond" was made, and drove north to the mountain area near Sugar
Hills and Mount Washington. The purpose of these trips was to attend weddings for two nephews. Contact Fred Hartmann at (512) 345-4181.
Children's Musical: God is my Anchor
VISIONS LUNCHEON is APRIL 21
The Covenant children's choirs will present "God is my Anchor" on Saturday,
May 2, at 6:30 p.m. in the Sanctuary. The group will give an encore performance on Wednesday, May 6, at 6:15 p.m. in the Sanctuary.
Join us on Tuesday, April 21, at 11:45 a.m. in FE 200 for the VISIONS (Very
Interested Seniors Investigating Our New Season) luncheon. Enjoy a tasty
lunch and fun fellowship followed by a message and beautiful music presented
by the Rev. Tom Mitchell. Tom will share his knowledge of church music with a
program he calls "From Grief to Gratitude—Great Hymns of the Church." Call
the church at (512) 454-5231 to make a reservation. Cost of lunch is $6 at the
door or whatever you care to donate.
Covenant's Annual All-Church Picnic is Sunday, May 3, at the Skaggs ranch
(13600 FM 1826). The fun starts at 4 p.m. and goes until about 8. Drinks are
provided. Bring food for your family. Music will be provided by Sons of the
Saltfork. Come prepared for horseshoes, kickball, running around, water fun
and more. Find directions at covenant.org/annual-church-picnic.
Godspell Jr. Is This Sunday
The Journey Youth Choir will present Godspell Jr. on Sunday, April 19, at 1:30
p.m. in the Sanctuary. Based on the gospel of Matthew, Godspell is the story
of how Christ's loving message transforms lives, builds communities and
grants salvation to all of us. Admission is free. A light lunch will be served in
Eaton Hall immediately following the 11 a.m. worship services and prior to the
musical. Please stay, eat and enjoy the fellowship and the show!
Explore Membership in May
Are you considering membership at Covenant? Covenant is offering an
Explore Membership class in May. This class will be two Wednesday nights,
May 13 and 20, from 6 to 8 p.m. in CO 208. Covenant provides childcare for the meeting times. For more information, contact Amy Skaggs at
askaggs@covenant.org.
April 19, 2015
covenant.org
covenant.austin
@cpcaustin
Vacation Bible School: Register Now
Preschool and Summer Camp Now Enrolling
Covenant Presbyterian Preschool and Child’s Day Out is a part-time program
created and supported by a community of parents, teachers and children
working together to provide high-quality experiential learning in a Christian
environment for ages 9 months through 5 years. Space is available for 2015–
2016 in our three's and five’s classes. We are also registering for summer
camp for kids ages 2-6. Find more information and applications (accepted
year-round) at: covenant.org/preschool or call (512) 454-8370.
Folk-Celtic Concert is May 13
Covenant’s Folk-Celtic Band is having a special concert and hymn sing—
“How Can I Keep from Singing”—on Wednesday, May 13, at 6:15 p.m. in the
Sanctuary. Come, enjoy a musical evening with this unique ensemble that
takes advantage of fiddles, cello and other acoustic strings as well as hand
percussion. The group looks forward to presenting some of its favorite songs
in an evening concert and hymn sing. Bring your voices with you!
MAY ARMCHAIR TRAVELERS HAS BEEN CANCELED
Armchair Travelers scheduled for Thursday, May 7, has been CANCELED
due to the presenter being unable to attend. Call Fred Hartmann at
(512) 345-4181 if you have any questions or comments.
APRIL ARMCHAIR TRAVELERS
What's for Dinner?
Wednesday Night Dinner Menus
April 22
Sloppy Joes
Potato Salad
Sautéed Squash
Dessert
April 29
Kings Ranch Chicken Casserole
Black Bean and Roast Corn Salad
Tortilla Chips and Salsa
Dessert
Every Wednesday night, Covenant's Chef Mark Toussaint prepares meals for the congregation in the Fellowship Hall. Enjoy a tasty dinner at 5 p.m., then head over to one of
Covenant's many Wednesday night activities! Cost is $6 per person or $20 per family.
Stewardship Update
Covenant's Pledged Income Under Budget
During several months last fall, Covenant members and guests talked about what
it means to “get out of the boat.” During the fall sermon and book series, we
discussed what faith looks like in many aspects of our lives—including giving. We
shared stories of when God had been faithful and when we’d seen His fingerprints
on our lives. With God’s promises on our hearts, Covenant members pledged
generously, and Session approved a dream budget for 2015. This budget includes
increased funds to our missions, as well as more funds directed to debt reduction.
After the first quarter of 2015, our pledged income is $90K under budget. Your
2014 promises are vital to Covenant, enabling us to fund many projects – both
within the church and those that help us serve in our city and around the world.
All online giving is now processed through “My Covenant.” If online is your preferred method, visit covenant.org and select “My Covenant” from the left corner of
the homepage.
The Stewardship Committee is thankful for all of your contributions, looks forward
to all the wonderful things God has planned for our community.
Manos Needs Teachers and Tutors
CWU May Friendship Day is May 1
Manos de Cristo works to empower low-income individuals in our community
with food, clothing and low-cost essential dental care, as well as educational
opportunities for adults to learn English and basic computer skills, or prepare
for the citizenship process. We are identifying volunteer teachers and tutors
to train over the summer to begin teaching classes at Covenant or Manos de
Cristo in the fall. To learn more, visit the Manos table on the patio Sundays
through May 10, or contact Karen Green: kgreen@manosdecristo.org or
(512) 628-4200. This is the third of three projects funded by a bequest to our
mission committee from the Freeman estate.
All women are invited to attend Church Women United’s May Friendship
Day Celebration on Friday, May 1, at Westminster Presbyterian Church,
3208 Exposition Blvd. Coffee and fellowship starts at 9:30 a.m. The program,
“Journey of the Caregiver," begins at 10 a.m. The charitable action project
recipient is the Trinity Center, a mission of St. David’s Episcopal Church, which
serves those experiencing homelessness and poverty. Please bring toothbrushes, toothpaste, disposable razors, deodorant and socks especially for
women. Contact Susan Holman (512) 452-6890 or jaholman@swbell.net.
Reason #2 you may be called to Cuba
During this time of transition in Cuba, discover the "power of empty hands."
Given our struggle against insidious temptations to incur gratitude and gain
influence with the gifts we bring, we first must empty our hands as a genuine
thank offering. This frees us to greet our Cuban family as sisters and brothers in Christ to embrace; to walk and to work together in witness and service;
to laugh and cry together in joy and sorrow experienced in solidarity; and to
purge ourselves of the inevitable lingering traces of manipulation and hunger
for control. Nine spaces remain to join Pastor Jill Williams and a mixture of
14 returning veterans and first-time visitors. For more information, visit Cuba
veterans on the patio or contact Jack Kern at jackckern@sbcglobal.net.
VISIONS Activities Day Is May 5
CAREER TRANSITIONS IS UNDERWAY
Covenant seniors and friends are invited to the May 5 VISIONS Activities
Day to experience the nail-biting race against time at Bletchly Park during
WWII. Alan Turing and his brilliant team of code-breakers attempt to crack
the code used by the Nazis' communications machine, Enigma. "The Imitation
Game" (2014) is based on the real-life story of this legendary cryptanalyst
played by Benedict Cumberbatch. Meet in FE 200 for games and puzzles at
10 a.m. Lunch is at noon and the movie starts at 1 p.m. Guests are welcome.
Donations are accepted for lunch; reservations are not required. Contact
Martha Bombaugh at (512) 345-5916.
Career Transitions, a class is for those facing employment uncertainty or
change, meets Thursdays at 7 p.m. in FE 100. On April 23, Scott Carley,
Principal at Growth Dynamic, will present "Networking for Introverts." The
following week on April 30, Angela Loeb, author, speaker and career/personal
vision strategies with InSync Resources, will present "Resumes that Work."
Come to one session or to all. Each acts as a stand-alone workshop. Contact
Kay Austin at kaustin@covenant.org.
Financial Update
May VISIONS Trip To Fort Hood
On Thursday, May 7, Covenant VISIONS will travel to Fort Hood to watch the
1st Calvary Division Horse Detachment practice their ceremonial routines.
Following lunch at the Fort Hood Commissary, the group will visit the Texas
Central College to see two shows in the Mayborn Planetarium. Trip price is
$21 per person, and includes lunch. The bus will leave the church at 8 a.m.
and return about 5 p.m. Make reservations on the patio on April 19 and 26.
Contact Jim Abbott at jwabbott325@att.net or (512) 795-0063.
For Period Ended March 31, 2015
GENERAL FUND
Revenues
Expenses
BUILDING FUND
Total Loan Balance
Principal Reduction YTD
YTD
Actual
YTD
Budget
$ 882,177
732,482
149,695
$ 936,991
817,239
119,752
$ 6,458,733
53,085
A Time to Celebrate: PW Spring Luncheon
All women are invited to the Presbyterian Women’s Spring Luncheon on
Thursday, May 12, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in FE 200. This will be a joyful time
of celebration and fellowship, and a look at the year ahead. Beth Daniel will
be the guest speaker and we will install the new officers for the Presbyterian
Women Coordinating Team 2015-2016. No reservation is required. If you need
childcare, please email childcare@covenant.org.
MoMs Group Meets April 27
The MoMs Group meets the first and third Monday of the month from 9:30
to 11:30 a.m. in the Sanctuary parlor. Join us for coffee, a snack and fellowship.
On Monday, April 27, member Carrie Cothran-Williams will discuss Love and
Logic, a parenting method that emphasizes setting love limits and having fun
with your kids when they are behaving well. For more information on MoMs,
contact Rachel Gossen at rachel.gossen@gmail.com or Becky Butterworth at
beckybutterworth@gmail.com. For free childcare, make reservations at least
48 hours ahead by contacting childcare@covenant.org or (512) 334-3020.
Oasis Class in April
Dr. Paul Hooker, Associate Dean for Ministerial Formation and Advanced
Studies at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, will lead the Oasis
class today, April 19 and next Sunday, April 26. The title of his presentation is
"What Do We Mean When We Say 'Church'?" He will lead class participants
in an exploration of the Foundations of Presbyterian Polity using the Book of
Order. Oasis meets Sunday at 9:30 a.m. in FE 100.