Dear Covenant Family:
Today we had an awesome post-Easter service at Covenant, with 38 members and friends and family attending. Attached is today’s bulletin, so you can keep up with our April ministries. Please note the message regarding the Covenant 37th Anniversary Luncheon to be held immediately after church on April 21. Note that the church will provide a lunch of fried chicken, baked beans, potato salad, and macaroni and cheese, along with both sweet and unsweetened iced tea and water. We are asking church members to bring either their favorite salad or dessert to share with others. We hope many of you will be able to attend this special celebration. Also note in the bulletin Tina’s clever additions, one titled Need A Laugh? and the other about a math teacher and her student – both are hilarious!
We had a number or prayer requests this morning. Pastor Don asked us to keep both Carolyn and Mack Vlacos in our prayers as both are having continuing health issues. Roe Morgan heard from Edwina Hope’s daughter Donna this week that Donna was requesting prayers for herself as she had a bad health report this week. Michelle Miller asked for prayers for her father and family as her father’s brother just passed away. Tina Pinkoson commented that her secretary who was seriously injured a year ago has just passed away this past week, and Tina asked for prayers for the family after their long difficult journey. Frank asked for traveling mercies for his daughter Susanne and grandson Oliver back to their Baltimore home. Victoria McArthur asked for prayers for her cousin Richard who is struggling with the numerous world issues impacting all of us. Pastor Don also asked for prayers for Bill Mercado who will receive the results from a heart test he had last week.
We also had a number of praise reports. Ron Marks had an unspoken request. Patsy Sutton stated that she has had a lot of cancer for many years now and has had ongoing monthly chemotherapy for much of that time, yet she stated that at her recent doctor visit, she was told that the latest tumor had not grown at all. Michelle Miller also had a praise report in that her parents just celebrated their 57th wedding anniversary. Nancy Parke had a praise that she loves our church. Finally, Joe Morgan raised a praise for Carol Purpura, who was approached by the Trustees to become the recording secretary for Covenant Church to manage the annual giving records which had previously been managed by Don and Edwina Hope for the entire 37-year history of Covenant Church. Covenant Trustees also asked Carol to take over the remainder of Edwina’s term as a Trustee. Joe was able to tell the church that Carol has agreed to assume this new dual responsibility for Covenant Church.
Pastor Don’s sermon today was titled Is Your Bag Packed? And his scripture was the entire chapter of Matthew 24 regarding the second coming of Christ. It was an excellent sermon, as always, and I strongly encourage you to listen to it if you were unable to be in church today. Today’s sermon and all recorded sermons can be accessed at https://gainesvillecovenantchurch.org/ and then choose Sermons on the home page, and then choose the sermon you want to hear.
I pray that you will all have a very blessed and peaceful week. May God continue to bless each of you in your walk with Him!
Ron