Covenant Update from Ron
Dear Covenant Family:
Today was a great day at Covenant, as we had 37 members and friends in attendance. Attached is today’s church bulletin with a number of important events listed, please check them out. Note that Covenant Church will hold its annual Covenant Business Meeting immediately following our church service next Sunday, November 12. Please plan to attend this important meeting as we confirm Joe Morgan as our Treasurer for another 3-year term and we approve the 2024 budget. The meeting should only take 10-15 minutes, so please plan to visit with friends and family after the business meeting ends. Also note that the following Sunday, November 19, at 5 PM Covenant will host its annual Thanksgiving dinner. Covenant will provide the turkey and ham and all drinks, and we ask all attendee families to bring their favorite vegetable dish, salad, or dessert to share with others. This is a favorite event every year, so please bring your friends and family members with you. Covenant is also planning a Holiday Social immediately after church on Sunday, December 10. So plan to attend church and then stay for food and drink and holiday singing. More details will follow later regarding that event.
A number of Covenant praise and prayer requests were made today. Ron and Cindy Marks missed church last Sunday as they went to Miami to visit a dear friend close to death with cancer. We had a wonderful visit with our friend and his wife, and we just learned today that our friend died last night. So we are very glad we got to visit him one more time last weekend and ask for continued prayers for his wife Sylvia who misses him dearly. Frank Dolwick asked for prayers for Francis Bush who was out sick today and also for an outpatient treatment that Francis will receive tomorrow. Frank also asked for prayers for his grandson Kye who was unable to be with Frank and Brenda at church today due to illness. Missy Mauldin asked for prayers for a teaching friend’s daughter KK who lost the use of her legs last week. She was taken to the hospital and the girl’s mother asked for praise that her legs are working again, but asked for prayers because the doctors still do not understand what caused the issue. Mack Vlacos continued to ask for prayers for his brother Bob. A church visitor named Joshua asked for prayers for the family of a close friend Elijah Paine who died recently. Becky Alexander had both a praise and prayer request. She asked for praise that she has again been selected to participate in the Snowball Express this year, which is a program that her employer American Airlines contributes to each year. The airline provides travel for children who have lost a parent in war from Europe and throughout the US to attend Disney World each Christmas. Becky also asked for prayers for herself as she needs to have two more ongoing medical tests in the next month for the cancer that she has had previously.
Pastor Don’s sermon today was titled It’s Not Fair and his scripture was Matthew 20:1-16, Luke 12:13-21, and Luke 23:39-43, which are all examples of life being perceived as unfair by people. Comments made by Don in his sermon were “Life is not always fair, but God is”, “Think about God instead of thinking about yourself”, and “Instead of it being about me, it needs to be about God’s grace”. If you were unable to be in church today, I suggest and hope you will listen to Don’s sermon. Pastor Don’s sermon can be accessed at https://gainesvillecovenantchurch.org/ and then choose Sermons on the home page, and then choose the sermon you want to hear. Remember that you also get a bonus when you listen to his sermon because you will also get to hear the anthem sung by the Sounds of Hope today.
May God grant each of you and your loved ones a most blessed week!
Ron
