Daughter s Brunch May 5th Fellowship Hall at 9:30 am

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1 Keeping Up with Covenant Presbyterian Church News Wendell, North Carolina May 2018 Daughter s Brunch May 5th Fellowship Hall at 9:30 am Church office hours: Mon. Thurs. from 9:00 2:00 p.m. covsecty1@raleigh.twcbc.com (919) Celebrating the Past Building the Future Come join us for friendship and laughter and good food! Covenant Presbyterian Church 125 S. Selma Rd. Wendell, NC Senior Day May 20th Celebrating the lives of our Graduating High School Seniors during worship. NEWS UPDATE! The Session has voted to mail our newsletters to your home unless you would prefer to receive it via . Please let us know in the church office if you would prefer an version only. We will be entering updated membership data into a new computer software designed for churches and hope to have a new directory for you in a couple of weeks!

2 A Note from the Pastor Prayer Concerns Dear Friends, The Session and the Mission Study Team have been considering the community/culture in which the Covenant Presbyterian Church is located/lives. We are doing this in order to consider how best to reach out to our neighbors, inviting them to join us in ministry. We have observed and considered the following: 1. Millennials (people born in the 1980 s and 1990 s) have been internet and IT savvy their entire lives. They communicate and gather information through the internet and social media. In an effort to communicate more efficiently with these young adults, our Session has created a separate ministry team, Communications Ministry Team, and Lisa Bailey, elder, is moderator of this new ministry. The Communication Ministry Team will help us maintain a Facebook page and webpage as well as consider ways in which we can effectively communicate who we are and the events/ ministries in which we are engaged with our community. This includes a technical support and marketing function. Lisa is in the process of creating her team (and if you would like to serve in this capacity, please contact her) and holding initial meetings. 2. Research has identified that only 11 percent of millennials identify as mainline Protestants and 16 percent as Catholics. In fact, in a recent Harvard poll, most millennials are wary of institutions. They are forcing churches to re-consider and re-establish our priorities and communicate the significance of the gospel in new ways. Millennials are looking for authentic relationships/community, not necessarily programs. Millennials also see inwardly focused churches as a living contradiction to the gospel. They want to make a difference in their communities and in the world. Given what we are learning, we recognize our need to explore ways to reach out to young families/adults in ways that will create relationships and offer opportunities to engage in mission/outreach. The good news is that you guys are a very welcoming community of faith; we just need to discover how best to invite folks to come join us. 3. New developments are exploding in the Wendell/Zebulon area. All you have to do is drive around within a 10-mile radius and you will see the new growth. Wendell Falls is expecting to triple the current (7,000) population of Wendell. So the potential for inviting new folks to join us is abundant! And the opportunities for ministry are abundant! God has blessed this community of faith in so many ways. The challenge is how we will use those blessings to grow as disciples of Jesus Christ and engage/reach out to the community surrounding us. Stay tuned. New opportunities to serve will be coming your way. If you have thoughts or ideas, please do not hesitate to talk to me or any of our elders! Debbie You guys are an absolute joy and I am so grateful to be able to serve alongside of you! Prayer Concerns: Members Roberta Hole s family Assisted Living: Faye Kelley (Carillon), Beth Lewter (Zebulon House), Louise McClaid (Sunnybrook, Raleigh), John Chambers (Crescent Green of Carrboro), Peggy Fink (Brookdale, Wake Forest), Louise Weant (Stone Ridge, Cary) Member Friends & Family Harold Forrester (Tammy Strickland s father) Greg Forrester (Tammy Strickland s brother) Stacey Swart (sister-in-law of Susan Smithson, breast cancer) Steve Moody (Joan Davis cousin, cancer) Logan Barnes (Ewing s sarcoma treatment) Melinda & Carl Cassick (Sherman McClaid s daughter & husband) Janice & Bill Readshaw (Carrie Petrosky s parents; Bill fell and broke his hip) Gloria Baker (Judy McCurdy s cousin) Tom Hutchison (Judy McCurdy s brother) Conner Hutchison (Judy McCurdy s cousin) John Taylor, cancer Jeff VanGelder (Tim VanGelder s brother, cancer) Zack Stalls (cancer, co-worker of Jeannie Driver) Sue Studt (Judy Raybon s niece, brain tumor) Bob Studt (Judy Raybon s brother, heart) Arta Anderson (Juanita Taylor s mother, lung cancer) John and Mary Jane Roberts (Jennifer Carnes parents) Liz and Justin Smith (friends of the Bowmans, pregnancy complications) Larettie Schmidt (Linda Higgins mother, now living with Linda) Step-sister of Chris Murphy, cancer Joy Grubb (reoccurrence of ovarian cancer) Natalie Perkins (Vanessa Turner s sister, lung cancer) Billy Jones (Peggy Buffaloe s brother-in-law) Gene Hester (Mary Jo Cashion s uncle, health issues) Please let us know of folks we need to add/delete from the prayer concerns by either calling the church office, Pastor Debbie or turning in a prayer request card during worship. The Grief Group meets on the first and third Tuesday at 7:00 pm in the Sessions room. If you are grieving a loss, don t try to do it alone. Share your feelings with others as we walk together through the wilderness of grief. At the end of our journey together, may we be able to experience the wonderful memories we have of those we have lost. If you have any questions, contact Judy Shotts at or jshotts65@att.net.

3 May 2 May 3 May 4 May 7 May 9 May 10 May 12 May 13 May 14 May 15 May Birthdays JoAnn Lanzi, Becky Morgan May 17 June Bowman, Louise Weant, David Field Marshall Page May 18 Cheryl Kelley Rachel Page, Dylan Haswell May 20 Nancy Clemmons Debbie Osterhoudt May 21 Angie Petrey Lisa Cauley, Emma Buus May 22 Mary Carnes Richard Warner, Dorine Newton May 23 Mollie Grace Smithson Allison Buus May 26 Heather Wolfgang Betty June Dale May 29 Sherman McClaid, Linda Warner Terrell Thomas May 30 Hugh Cashion, Ed Sneade Kristen Myers Stahlman May 31 Alan Thorne Driver, Ron Hall May Anniversaries May 12 Rusty & Bonnie Wagstaff May 13 Larry & Lisa Bailey May 15 Adam & Erin Hamrick May 23 David & DeAndra Field May 26 Tim & Ronica VanGelder May 27 Bob & Carolyn Fleming Choir Chatter Worship Elders Barbara Sneade & Tim VanGelder Your choir is enjoying a time of not having to work so hard. With the exception of a couple of pieces, we re working with music that isn t so difficult. Jeff and I are looking at tour locations and music, and will be ready to announce that shortly. Now is a great time to give us a try. If you try and don t want to stay, we won t be angry. What if you try and love it? You ll never know until you come on Wednesday at 7:30 pm and sit in. Also, remember that this year s concert series is nearly done. On April 29th at 7:00 pm, we ll have our final concert of the season. Triangle Youth Jazz Band and Triangle Youth Jazz Orchestra will present a concert that celebrates thirty years of the organization s existence. They are under the direction of Lisa Burn. We look forward to having them with us. The orchestra was with us in 2016, and we are delighted to have these two ensembles with us this year. Raleigh Boy Choir will be unable to present in May, but we look forward to having them on the list for next year, if possible. See you in church, Wanda We are ordering new paraments and a new acolyte lighter. We are still looking for a few more volunteers to be ushers, please contact Barb Sneade or Tim VanGelder if interested. National Day of Prayer - May 3 rd Noon service at J Ashley Wall Square 7:15 pm at Wendell Community Center Gift Cards: Thank you for supporting our church by purchasing gift cards through Covenant! We continue to raise almost $4000 per year and that has really helped the budget. Food Lion, Lowes and Walmart are available in the Narthex before and after service. There are now over 700 retailers who give a percentage to Covenant nothing out of pocket!! Order on Sunday and have your gift card the following Sunday. Please think about paying for your groceries, prescriptions, gas, gifts, household items, restaurants, travel, etc. using gift cards. For more information, please call Susan Darby at or David Meyers at or sddarby@hotmail.com. Church Staff: Transitional Pastor Reverend Debbie Osterhoudt, (mobile) Revdeb2017@gmail.com Pastor Emeritus Reverend Bob Borland Directors of Christian Ed. Linda Berry lberry61@hotmail.com Dorine Newton dorinenewton@nc.rr.com Administrative Assistant Mary DeFino covsecty1@raleigh.twcbc.com Minister of Music Wanda Ramm wjramm1@gmail.com Church Musician Jeff Bottoms Innerkid13@earthlink.net Clerk of Session Fred Lanzi fredlanzi@bellsouth.net Church Treasurer Carol Rich crich319@gmail.com Accounts Payable Joe Bowman josephlbowman@gmail.com Accounts Receivable Judy McCurdy mccurdyj@aol.com Webmaster Lisa Bailey lbailey513@aol.com

4 Congregational Care Elders Paula Daniels & Jeannie Driver Christian Education Elder Paula Perry First Sunday Lunch - May 6th - Sub sandwiches with fixin s and sides. Congregational Care Committee Meeting - May 20, 2018 at 12:15 p.m. in Session Room Presbyterian Women of the church meet the fourth Tuesday of the month at 7:00 pm (May 22) in the Fellowship Hall. Inviting all women to come join us for a great night of fellowship and wonderful lesson from Judy Shotts. We have just begun a new study on Back to the Well Women s Encounters with Jesus in the Gospels by Frances Taylor Gench. Judy Shotts is the Bible Study leader, she is also using Women of the Gospels Friends and Disciples of Jesus by Stephen J. Binz. We enjoy lively discussions about what the Bible is saying to us and how we can put the message into action in our daily lives. Come and join us as we all journey together to strengthen our faith. May 5th - Daughter s Brunch to be held in the Fellowship Hall at 9:30 am. We had a great time last year with requests for a repeat event. Please sign up in the narthex at church or call Judy Shotts, so we will know how many people to prepare for. Breakfast Fellowship May 7 & 14 The Clayton group meets at Jones Café at 9:30 am on the first Monday of the month, and the Zebulon group meets at McLean s on the second Monday, both at 9:30 am. EVERYONE is welcome - at either or both groups! Prayer Shawl The Knitters meet at 5:00 pm on the third Sunday of the month and create shawls & throws for comfort in time of need. Want to join the group? Experienced knitters are happy to help & share patterns. Some supplies are available. Call Christine Mailliard at for more information or if you know of someone who could use a shawl. Join a special care ministry (Contact Paula Daniels at or Jeannie Driver at for more information) Handy Hands helps with home repairs and chores for those who find it difficult to manage by themselves. They have installed several ramps for those with problems with mobility. Need is more important than ability to pay, so donations are appreciated. Martha s Ministry provides meals in time of need. If you are experiencing difficulties - illness, stress or any other reason and having a meal delivered would give you a lift, please let the church office know ( ). If you are able to help prepare and/or deliver meals, please call Paula, Jeannie or the church office. Presbyterian Men s Breakfasts are on summer break. We will resume in September. SUNDAY SCHOOL TIMES: Classes begin at 10:00 and end 10:45. The Will Smithson Class will be lead by Dorine Newton this month; the Junior class will be lead by Robin Harris. Both classes will be studying the following lessons: May 6 th... Lydia May 13 th.... Paul and Silas May 20 th... Pentecost May 27 th... Shipwrecked The youth will meet with Leann Dale this month in their study of discipleship. ADULT CLASSES Underhill Class, Serendipity Class, Stomp and Holler Class all meet at 9:30; Coffee and Conversation meets at 10:00. A NEW HEALTH FORM is needed for all children in our nursery, Sunday School program, and youth program. We have been advised to do this to ensure the health of all children. Letters are being distributed to all parents and grandparents and guardians of any children who might attend. We are growing, and we need to know all allergies, food restrictions, etc. of all of the children in our care. Thank you for returning these forms to us. If you did not receive one of these, please see Dorine Newton or Linda Berry. ATTENTION: ALL CHILDREN AND YOUTH SUNDAY SCHOOL CLASSES, YOUTH GROUP, COFFEE AND CONVERSATION, AND CHIL- DREN'S CHURCH TAKE A VACATION DURING THE SUMMER. The last day for Sunday School, Coffee and Conversation, and Children's Church will be May 27 th. The last day for youth group to meet will be on May 20 th. VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL MEETING May 8th at 7:00 pm SENIOR DAY: On May 20 th, we will honor our high school graduates during the worship service. We will award the Covenant Scholarships at this time as well. There will be a reception in the Fellowship Hall afterwards. MISSION TRIP: Our youth will leave for their mission trip to Washington, DC on June 24 th. Keep them in your prayers as they prepare for this life changing event. Thank you to all who have supported them in their fund raising and to those who simply donated money for this event. BIBLE STUDY - Come join us for a study of the Gospel of John, led by Pastor Debbie, on Tuesdays at 10:00 am or Wednesdays at 6:00 pm. We are having lively discussions and you don t want to miss this! CONFIRMATION CLASS: Rev. Debbie will be offering a confirmation class this fall for our youth who have not been confirmed. It will begin in September and continue during the fall; Rev. Debbie is committed to a mission component in the confirmation experience. Please let Linda or Dorine know if you and/or your youth are interested. VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL: JULY 8 12TH: We are in preparation for VBS already; this year the children will be going on a Rolling Rover Rampage. Please let Linda, Dorine, or Leann know if you would like to help. We want to encourage all children to bring a friend, all grandparents to bring their grandchildren, all neighborhood children to attend. We will be doing a big invitational campaign in Wendell Falls and other new neighborhoods. Please help us get many children to attend. We have great leaders already signed up. The Christian Education Committee has changed its monthly meeting to the third Tuesday of the month at 6:30.

5 Clerk of Session Report Fred Lanzi Mission/Outreach Elders Bud Lawler & Rusty Wagstaff We are working on energy use reduction proposals with Duke Progress Energy that will reduce our yearly energy costs significantly. One that you may notice, if you are on campus after dark is the change out of the bulbs to LED in our area lights. This will result in about an $825 savings. Another proposal, is changing out the light bulbs in the Sanctuary & Education Building. After we receive the energy audit from Duke Progress, we ll be able to tell the potential savings. Initial estimates indicate an annual savings of a couple thousand dollars. Our smoked window panes in the Sanctuary should be changed out by the end of April. Then in May we are having the windows cleaned in the whole sanctuary building. Finance/Stewardship Steve Hicks & Carol Rich Finance Report for March 2018: Expenses YTD: $21, Income YTD: $23, Heritage Fund YTD: $2, Mortgage Balance as of 3/31/2018: $1,013, Dear Friends, Back in the 70 s my brother was the baseball coach at Broughton High School. There was young man, Billy, who devotedly served as team manager. Billy had no way home after practice and games so my brother would drive him home. Billy was significantly underdeveloped physically and the school social worker said that it was due to a lack of nutrition when Billy was very young. Most days, on the ride home, my brother would buy food for Billy. After a couple trips through the drive-thru, Billy asked my brother to drive slow so he could eat all the food before he got home. When my brother asked why, Billy said that people at this home would take the food away from him. I have never forgotten this story. I can t stand the thought of anyone being hungry. It shouldn t be this way but the sad truth is that it is very real. Hunger exists right here in our neighborhood. You all have done a wonderful job of donating to the food pantry and the Backpack Buddies program. Please keep up the good work. Together we can help to eliminate hunger and ensure that several children in our community go to bed with full tummies on the weekends. God Bless, Your Mission and Outreach Team Carver Elementary Backpack Buddy Program Don t forget our weekend meals for Carver kids. We need hearty soups, vegetables, peanut butter and fruit. There is a designated bin in the Narthex and lists with suggested items on the bulletin boards. The Food Pantry is an ongoing project supplying bags of groceries to needy families in our area. Non-perishable foods are welcome. Emphasis for May: Canned fruits, chicken noodle soups, instant potatoes, soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and toilet tissue. Don t forget that the fourth Sunday of the month we receive Pennies for Hunger during worship. Bring your food for the Back Pack Buddies and Food Pantry on Communion Sundays. Oliver House residents enjoy reading magazines. If you have some old magazines that you would like to donate to the Oliver House, place them by the food pantry box in the narthex and someone will deliver them. When we gather to celebrate the Lord s Supper on the second Sunday of each month, we recognize God s amazing gift of Jesus Christ to the world and the incredible sacrificial gift Jesus made for us. The table of the Lord s Supper is a table of incredible love and grace shared for us all. But we are called to be not only receivers of the gift, but givers of the gift. What better way to share than to bring our food to the table for the local food pantry and Back Pack Buddies. Did you know that we provide bags of food to some 30 plus families with children from Carver Elementary School which will enable them to put food on their tables for the weekend? We are inviting you to bring your food - canned vegetables, fruit cups, soups, etc., - Communion Sundays. The children will collect your food during the Conversation with the Children - just like they do with their Pennies for Hunger - and then place the food in the baskets at the communion table, reminding us that we are called to be not only receivers of God s grace, but givers. We will continue to gladly receive your food any time, in the boxes in the narthex. Just remember to bring a can or two on communion Sundays as well! Many thanks!

6 Volunteer Schedule for May 2018 May 2018 Date Lay Reader Audio Greeters Ushers May 6 Elaine Vaden Kevin Dale May 13 Marc Johnson Walker Driver May 20 Hulon Perry Billy Cuthrell John & Judy Shotts Pam Hardee, Carol Rich Paula Daniels, Nicole Bills Chris & Heather Wolfgang, Don Agee, Doug Petrey Becky Abate, Jeannie Driver, Ed & Barb Snead Bud Lawler, Bill McCurdy, Matthews Bills, Tim VanGelder MON TUE WED THU FRI SAT 1 6:30 Girl Scouts 7:00 Grief Support :30 Daughter s Brunch (Presby Women) May 27 Carol Rich Tim Harris Tom & Stella Martin Philip & Annette Kirk, Al Cates, Steve Buus 6 First Sunday Lunch 5:30 Youth Meet 7 9:30 Breakfast Fellowship Clayton 7:00 Wendell Council of Churches 8 7:00 VBS Meeting Date Children s Sermon Nursery Volunteer Acolyte May 6 Jennifer Carnes Pam Hardee James Newton May 13 Don Mailliard Robin Harris Emma Buus 13 Mother s Day 6:00 Property 14 9:30 Breakfast Fellowship Zebulon 6:30 Perennial Garden Club 15 6:30 CE Committee 6:30 Girl Scouts 7:00 Grief Support Newsletter items due! May 20 Bob Borland Karen Marsh, Nathan Marsh Mollie Smithson May 27 Mary Selke Carrie Petrosky Usher 20 Senior Day 5:30 Youth Meet 6:00 Mission 7:00 Session :00 Presbyterian Women :30 Youth Meet