Sunday, June 18, 2017
The Second Sunday after Pentecost

The Sound of Joy
Multigenerational All-Ages Service
This Sunday at Covenant
10:30 Sunday Worship in the Sanctuary
  
Worship Participants: 
Worship Leaders - Rev. Julie Avis Rogers, Rev. Rob Mark, & Members of the Arts,
Spirituality and Justice Campus Ministry Team
Minister of Music - Thomas Handel
Communion Servers - Nancy Stockford, Harry Forsdick, Debbie Howland, & Tom
Sutcliffe
Ushers - Holly Humphreys, Trudi Veldman, & Ellice Miller
Sexton - Caitlin Vest


Readings: 
Hebrew Bible Reading:  Genesis 18:1-15, 21:1-7


This Upcoming Week at Covenant
 
PICNIC AFTER WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY: Come one, come all to the annual all church picnic! This Sunday we will hold our annual All-Church Beginning of Summer Picnic in the Boston Common after worship! It should be a beautiful day to gather together for an informal and fun picnic.  As in recent years, we will walk over to the area by the Carousel in the Boston Common after the worship service is over.  Please bring: your lunch, something to sit on and perhaps either simple finger food or a game to share! It seems unlikely there will be rain-- but in case of bad weather, we will picnic in Bates Hall.
 
A SPECIAL CELEBRATORY ALL AGES SERVICE: This Sunday's service is one of our designated "All Ages Sundays" where we welcome the youngest members of our community into the service and experience worship together in multi-sensory, creative ways.  This Sunday's service will include an opportunity to visit Prayer Stations around the Sanctuary and to learn new songs (including one written in honor of our Arts, Spirituality and Justice ministry by singer-songwriter Jenna Lindbo!). This Sunday's service will also include the "unveiling" of the name, logo and plans for the Arts, Spirituality and Justice Campus Ministry that has been in the works for the past few months.
 
AN INVITATION FROM THE ARTS, SPIRITUALITY, AND JUSTICE CAMPUS MINISTRY- LAUNCH EVENT ON FRIDAY, JUNE 23 from 7-9 PM! Our first event is about to launch as we celebrate the creation of our first ever Faith Zine, a tri-annual (3x/year) publication (think "homemade magazine) of visual and written work by Boston area students. We will be celebrating its first issue next Friday via a night of live reading and performance. Faith Zine gathers creative considerations of belief and spirituality from Boston-based undergraduate and graduate students. This premiere issue prompts its contributors and readers alike to ask: "Where have you felt most radically loved? Where has your faith taken you? Where have religious traditions wounded you, and how have you healed? How are you religious? What do you believe in?" We invite you to join us in our sanctuary at 7pm on Friday, June 23, 2017 to celebrate the launch of the zine and our wider campus ministry!
 
TRAFFIC NOTE: Please be aware that this weekend is the Tall Ships festival in Boston. We do not anticipate any specific traffic issues around the Church of the Covenant, but traffic in general will likely be heavier than usual.
NAMETAGS: Please wear your nametags for worship! Thanks to our recent influx of new members, there are some newer faces around Covenant; nametags are an easy way to help people get to know each other. We have a full set of nametags in our nametag holder once again: missing ones were replaced, and new ones were added for our congregation's new members. If you do not see your nametag but would like one, please email Ben Crosby at ben.crosby@cotcbos.org and he will make you one.
The June issue of Covenant News can be read online here. 

FOLLOWING THE STAR OF JUSTICE: Looking for some possible action items in these uncertain days? Click here to see our updated Following the Star of Justice document (and email Rob with any additions you might have) here (see link at end of first paragraph). 

 
Every Sunday at Covenant
click on the links to learn more:  
  • NURSERY CARE FOR CHILDREN:  Nursery Care is provided by our wonderful caregivers each Sunday from 9:15 am onward. Please ask an usher for directions if you need help finding it. 
Upcoming Events
CELEBRATE THE VITAL IMPORTANCE OF IMMIGRANTS: Join Mission & Advocacy for an adult ed on Sunday, July 9 from noon to 1 pm in Bates Hall to continue our ongoing engagement as a church around immigration justice.
 
COVENANT VOLUNTEER DAY AT WLP: Join our YAV Chris and members of the COTC community to volunteer at Women's Lunch Place on Saturday, July 22 from 7:30 am - 2:30 pm. This is a great opportunity for us to get to know the ladies and staff of Women's Lunch Place, our partner in ministry here at 67 Newbury St. Contact Chris at yav@cotcbos.org to sign up or with any questions.

B.A.A. 10K ROAD CLOSURES: Next Sunday, June 25th, the Boston Athletic Association will hold a 10K race in Back Bay. Roads along the course (including Commonwealth Ave. and Charles St.) will be closed the morning of the 25th, so please plan accordingly.

SAVE THE DATE: Breakfast With Tiffanys! 
Saturday October 14, 2017, 10:30 am, 150th Anniversary Roots & Branches Finale Event, in our Sanctuary, 67 Newbury Street, Boston.  This special event will allow participants to savor a tasty brunch together in our historic sanctuary with a silent auction (and more!) while contributing generously to its historic preservation. This event will be primarily a fundraiser to support our building, and therefore has a much higher donation ticket cost of $150 to coincide with our 150th year. We would love to encourage creative outreach for this event to sell all 60 tickets (yes, a limited number being sold!), so please begin spreading the word to other friends, contacts, connections beyond our beloved community of faith.  For those of us who want to come but are anxious about this higher price tag, consider the fact that at the writing of this announcement, we are 144 days away from this event, so consider putting aside a dollar or so a day to save up! Feel free to be in touch with anyone from our planning team (Ben, Christine R., Ryne, Jessica, Nancy H., Rob) with any questions, or if you'd like to reserve a ticket. More detailed information will be coming soon!

20s&30s@Covenant: We have an active group that meets regularly called Food, Faith & Fellowship for young adults in their plus or minus 20s and 30s. Our 20s&30s group meets to share food together, build community, and discuss how our faith motivates and guides us to live through this unique life stage. If you'd like to be added to the email listserv, please simply email Parish Administrator Ben Crosby at ben.crosby@cotcbos.org. 
 
Church of the Covenant, Boston, MA