Sunday, June 17, 2018
The Fourth Sunday After Pentecost

Questioning Our Inheritance: The Daughters of Zelophehad
Ashley Anderson, preaching
This Sunday at Covenant
10:30 Sunday Worship in the Sanctuary
  
Worship Participants: 
Preacher - Ashley Anderson
Liturgist - Rev. Alice Hageman
Minister of Music - Tom Handel
Lector - Theodor Langenbruck
Communion Servers: Debbie Howland, Mark Huston
Ushers - Denice Thornhill, Anne Crane, Evelyn Kimber
Sexton - Fred Lopes
 
Reading from Scripture:     
Hebrew Bible Reading: Numbers 27:1-8

The Daughters of Zelophehad: They Stood
Lauren Wright Pittman
A Sanctified Art

This Upcoming Week at Covenant
A SUMMER WORSHIP SERIES AT COVENANT: "FACES OF OUR FAITH": This Sunday, June 10th, we will embark on a 10-week journey learning about some of the inspiring yet lesser-known characters in our faith. Each week we will explore a "bold and untold" story from our ancient scripture as well as a story told by a member of our Covenant community about an important person in their life who shaped them and their faith. Our worship will be further bolstered with powerful music by lesser-known composers as well as visual art and journals from the artists of Sanctified Art.
 
Please note that starting this Sunday, we will start using one common bulletin each Sunday (which we will recycle each week) so please keep an eye on "This Week at Covenant" for updated announcements and news!
 
LAST GODLY PLAY SUNDAY BEFORE HIATUS: After a bustling, Spirit-filled year with our community of children and young families at Covenant, this Sunday will be our last Godly Play program before the summer hiatus. Thank you to all of those who make this vital program for our children possible! Nursery care will continue to be available. 

NO POTLUCK THIS SUNDAY: Please be aware that there will be no potluck after church this Sunday.

GBIO HOUSE MEETINGS AFTER CHURCH THIS SUNDAY: More than 30 people from Covenant have participated in GBIO house meetings so far this spring! If you have not yet participated, come and join us in Bates Hall for an opportunity to learn about the issues that Greater Boston Interfaith Organization has been working on. We will also listen to one another as we discuss those things that are of deep concern to each of us. Get some iced tea or lemonade after the service and come on down. Since there is no potluck, we will provide snacks and we promise to finish in one hour or less. Since childcare goes until 1PM, parents are especially encouraged to join us. If this week does not work for you, we will provide the same opportunity on June 24th as well.  

NEW DIRECTORIES: New church directories are available! Please ask Trudi or another member of the Membership Development Committee for your copy.

THE POOR PEOPLE'S CAMPAIGN- A NATIONAL CALL FOR MORAL REVIVAL is underway! Together we will seek to change the dialogue and narrative of our nation toward just, equitable lives for all people. We begin by engaging those whose voices have been shoved to the margins - bringing into the center and into leadership those who have been most affected by poverty, racism, environmental devastation, and all forms of oppression.
 
Both our denominations, the UCC and the PC(USA), have endorsed this campaign and are actively participating in it. A comprehensive resource for the Poor People's Campaign in Boston can be found on the website for the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ here.

NAMETAGS:  As we move into our time of sabbatical here at COTC, just a friendly reminder to wear your nametags for worship! Nametags are an easy way to help people get to know each other, especially in this season with a Sabbatical Supply Pastor and an influx of new members and regular visitors. If you do not see your nametag in the nametag holder but would like one, please email me at ben.crosby@cotcbos.org and I will make you one. We'll also have blank nametag stickers and markers available in the back of the church.
 
WEEKLY PUBLIC WORSHIP VIGILS against the Back Bay Fracked Gas Billionaire's Pipeline: Every Wednesday at Noon (stay for 5 min or an hour - whatever time you have) at the intersection of Huntington Ave. and Belvidere St.

A SABBATICAL SEASON AT COVENANT: Rev. Rob Mark is away until August 13 on Extended Reflection/Study Leave. Rob has shaped his leave around the theme A Celtic Family Way: Finding Abundant Life in a Frenetic World. We hope and pray that this short "season" in the life of COTC is not a time of reduced ministry, but is rather a time of refreshed ministry. During this time, our half-time Sabbatical Supply Pastor Ashley Anderson will share pastoral responsibilities with Associate Pastor Rev. Julie Avis Rogers. Ashley can be contacted at: ashley.anderson@cotcbos.org and Julie can be contacted at julie.avisrogers@cotcbos.org. Please click here to read more about pastoral staffing and the Sabbatical period.

The June issue of Covenant News can be read online here. 
 
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

COVENANT BOOK GROUP MEETS JUNE 24:
The Covenant book discussion group will meet on Sunday, June 24 at 5 pm, beginning with a potluck.  We'll be discussing Krista Tippett's book 
Becoming Wise.  As always, you are welcome whether or not you have read any of the book and whether or not you have ever come to book group before.  For more information contact Barbara at 
 
MAKING GIVING EASY: Thanks to our COTC Generosity Generators, we can all now give fully online and set up automatic, recurring giving to the life and ministry of our beloved church. Simply click on the "Give" tab on our website to do some generous clicking! http://www.cotcbos.org/give.html 
THANK YOU!!

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR OUR 20s-30s GROUP: We have an active group that meets regularly to share food together, build community, and discuss how our faith motivates and guides us to live through this unique life stage. Mark your calendar for our upcoming events:
  • Cape Cod Retreat on Saturday, August 25! We will embark on our third-annual "Cape Escape" on Saturday, August 25. Save the date and join us for a day of delicious food, a beautiful beach, prayerful reflection, and a lot of fun.
If you'd like to be added to the email listserv, please simply email Parish Administrator Ben Crosby at ben.crosby@cotcbos.org. To RSVP for any of the events, email our Leadership Team at youngadults@cotcbos.org.

EVENT SEXTONS AND OPEN SANCTUARY HOSTS NEEDED: 
As we move towards summer, Church of the Covenant looking to expand our team of Open Sanctuary hosts and Event Sextons. Both hosts and sextons are so important in helping us make Covenant a welcoming place for the wider community. OS hosts staff our Open Sanctuary program that opens our building to the public, welcoming visitors and telling them about our building. Event sextons work with outside groups holding events here, opening and locking up the building, assisting with set-up (must be able to lift/carry moderately heavy objects), and making sure that events run smoothly. If you think you or someone you know would be a good fit for either of these positions, please email Ben Crosby at ben.crosby@cotcbos.org to set up an interview!

OPEN NEWBURY STREET DATES: On Sunday July 8, Sunday August 12, and Sunday September 9, the City of Boston is reprising their "Open Newbury Street" program, which will close Newbury St. to cars. Plan your travel accordingly.

UPDATES FROM OUR KINDLING COLLECTIVE: The first full-year of activity has wrapped up for our Kindling Collective, a multi-faith initiative for arts students and young creatives locally! It was a year full of inspiring art, delicious vegan meals cooked by our student minister Megan, endless conversations over tea and coffee, and even a course in spiritual entrepreneurship. The year ended with two well-attended and rejuvenating Artist Retreats (one here at Covenant and one at the Spingold Theatre at Brandeis). Please visit the Kindling Collective's Facebook page to view photos! www.facebook.com/thekindlingcollective

ALL CHURCH RETREAT: DATE & INVITATION TO HELP: Our all-church retreat will be held on Friday September 28 to Saturday September 29, 2018 at the Miramar Retreat Center, Duxbury MA. Options for overnight or just the day on Saturday will be available. Now that the retreat is not so far away, we're looking for people interested in facilitating yoga, sharing/leading a practice or art form, helping with logistics...would you be willing to help in any way, even if you don't yet know how?  Commitment is minimal, and most communication will be virtual with occasional meetings possible.   Please contact Diane or Julie! Diane: dianelauber@comcast.net
or (978-376-6574); Julie: rev.julieavisrogers@gmail.com