Covenant Connection. May Challenge Bring Someone to Church. Happy Father s Day. Who will Win? Covenant Life Ministries June 2017 Issue 2

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1 Covenant Life Ministries June 2017 Issue 2 Covenant Connection Happy Father s Day Inside this issue: Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother which is the first commandment with a promise, so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth. Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord. Ephesians 6:1-4 (NIV) Congratulations to Our New Members CLM s Bi-lingual Praise & Worship Service! F.A.T. Corner Monthly Financial Tip Baby Dedication 4 Meet Tio Stan 4 May Challenge Bring Someone to Church The April Challenge was such a success, we decided to do it again for May. Happy Father s Day AJ Gross Interview Set-Free-CLM Ministry Congratulations Graduates CLM welcomed several visitors which resulted in a 5-way tie. During the month of June, the five CLM members listed below have been challenged to break the tie. Chet Baskins Marie/Necole Hope Gary Lucas L Sandra Sunny Smith Aaliyah Taylor Who will Win? Youth & Young Adult I am My Brothers Keeper Intercessory Prayer Special points of interest: Happy Birthday Church Calendar Fun Time Corner Worship Services Sunday 10:00am Bible Study takes place through weekly Field Teams sessions

2 Congratulations to Our New Members Congratulations to our newest members. We are excited that you have chosen to become a member of the CLM family. As a child of God, you have been granted the same rights, advantages, privileges and protection He provides for all that belong to Him. As a member of His family, God has a purpose for you to fulfill. If you have not already done so, we ask that you get involved and join any of the CLM Ministries. Congratulations Konsti, Keisha, Debbie, James, Cierah, Beverly, Kevin, Sherrie and Tiahna. Remember God Created You, Jesus Saved You, the Holy Spirit Guides You Sticky Teams East 2.0 Exploring off the Map CLM s Field Team Coaches, Ministers Stan and Darlene Williams, attended the Sticky Teams East 2.0 Conference held May 16-17, 2017 in Lancaster, PA. The conference looked at how we can discover new ministry directions that allow us to lead our teams more successfully. sessions and one-on-one gatherings, over the course of two days, by seasoned ministry experts on topics that are relevant to the challenges that churches, leaders and team are facing today. Ministers Stan and Darlene was able to take advantage of three of the nine topics offered: Keeping Volunteers Long-term Reaching, Keeping and Equipping Millennials Get in the Game You re Already Losing The 2017 Sticky Teams conference provided training on how to build and maintain a unified and effective team(s). There were over 25 breakout 2017 Guest Speakers Larry Osborne & Chris Brown, Sr. Pastors, North Coast Church, Vista, CA David Ashcraft, Sr. Pastor, Lives Changed by Christ Church, Manheim, PA Mark Clark, Lead Pastor, Village Church, Vancouver, BC CLM s Bi-lingual Praise & Worship Service! On May 28, we welcomed International Worship Leader and Musician, Minister Abraham Contreras and his lovely wife Gabriela. Minister Abraham is the son of Pastor Rafael Contreras (Good Samaritan Church, Sousa, Dominican Republic). During this special time of Praise and Worship, Minister Abraham led the congregation to receive a tremendous blessing through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in both English and Spanish. What an incredible opportunity to be in a worship service and at such a time as this! To God be all the glory, honor and praise! Join us each Sunday as we continue in our bi-lingual worship and praise. Don t forget to invite someone to join us. If you missed this service, you can still watch it at Page 2 Covenant Connection

3 F.A.T. Corner Monthly Financial Tip (Financial Accountability Team) In keeping with the theme and the purpose of the F.A.T. raffle and piggy bank, TO SAVE MONEY, here is your monthly financial tip. SELECT A SAVINGS ACCOUNT, WISLEY Do YOUR research when selecting a savings account as they differ when it comes to interest, fees and minimum balances. Look into online banks also. However, sometimes interest rates are higher for online savings accounts, so do your research. Also know the institution's policy on ATM fees and monthly service charges. I personally learned that one of my banking institutions began charging me $10 a month because on a particular day of the month (17th in this case) I didn't have the minimum required amount in it to prevent the service charges. It was never an issue before because I used that account for my direct deposit. However, I made some financial changes to that account recently, thus I learned of the service charges. So this month, you get a "2FER". 1) Do YOUR research at different institutions and compare savings accounts to determine which works best for YOU and YOUR goals. AND 2) Periodically review your accounts. Know the relationship between YOUR money and the institution it's making deposits in. That's how I became aware of the service charges to my account. God's Grace. Submitted by, Associate Minister Hope F.A.T. Raffle Winner Congratulations to Sabrina Peggy Williams on winning the "money filled" Ms. Piggy bank from the FAT raffle during the 2017 March Ministry Madness. We love you and God's Grace to you! From the F.A.T. Members For information on financial stewardship, please FAT@CLMLife.com Water Drive Spring is just about over. Summer is rapidly approaching and the temperatures will be on the rise! There will be a need to stay hydrated. Due to limited storage space at our church, we will have a sign-up sheet for the months of June- September for those willing to donate cases of water to keep our members refreshingly hydrated prior to, during and after church service. Our goal is to have at least five families per month to donate two cases. Please see Minister Chet Baskins to sign-up. June 2017 Issue 2 Page 3

4 Baby Dedication On Sunday, June 25, 2017, CLM will have a baby dedication service (immediately following worship service) at which time you have the opportunity to dedicate your precious child to God. If you would like to have your baby/child dedicated, please see Deaconess Donnesha Correll or admin@clmlife.com. And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them. Mark 10:16 (NIV) Field Team Sessions (Spring Session ending soon) Bible Study takes place through weekly Field Team sessions. Field Teams meet in small groups so that CLM members and friends can grow into disciples for Christ; walk with a purpose; and develop a foundation that will provide a network of Christian brothers and sisters who hold each other accountable as they become spiritually mature in their Christian faith. Field Teams Spring Session will end their nine-week session the week of June 25th. If you haven t already done so, we encourage you to sign up for a field team near you. It s never too late. If you would like more information about the Field Teams, please contact Ministers Stan or Darlene Williams at FieldTeams@CLMlife.com. Meet Tío Stan Who is Tío Stan? I m not sure. I would like to think of myself as a Humble Man of God that loves and cares for my family, friends, Church and just about everyone around me - including you. Last year Mom & Doc Blake had a few words on how they viewed my life - the INVISIBLE Uncle Stan (Need to meet that Uncle Stan). Uncle Stan, this has been so hard to put into words because all that you do is so much, but yet so invisible it is not stuff it is spiritual (one cannot put their hands on it). You have been our Nehemiah in getting the walls of the Field Team built. You care so much about the restoration of all us. The Holy Spirit works when the people set their hands to do good work. You work so hard to accomplish God s will. Your intellect and energy to get all the jobs done has been you yielding your hands so the Holy Spirit works through you. And believe me it is so hard to express because we are in AWE of all you do and thank God everyday that you are "family". Love You Mannn... SO MUCH!!! Doc Blake and Mom Blake When it was time for me to learn about fatherhood, my father was called to glory early in my life so I was left with a choice to make: follow the God of this world or to walk with Jesus. The Apostle Paul was a special man with some amazing life attributes and after reading his story I realized that I needed to walk a life that was anchored in the Lord. When the storm doesn t cease and if the winds keep on blowing in my life I can stand like Paul, steady and strong, even when the ship is shaken and battered. Paul was a Child of God, on a Godly mission, a man with Godly faith and in deep fellowship with God. So when the ship s anchors proved ineffective against the storm, Paul was anchored in the midst of the storm. Happy Father s Day Anchor yourself in the Word of God Page 4 Covenant Connection

5 Happy Father s Day AJ s Interview AJ and Andrea Gross are celebrating their first year as parents, we thought this would be a great time to ask AJ about his first year as a new parent. Congratulations AJ and Andrea.. Fatherhood is one of the most awaited stages of life in which every man yearns for. It is actually a privileged moment for every new Dad when he finally steps into fatherhood. Even though, being a Father means sleepless nights, dirty diapers and loads of responsibility on the domestic front, no Father can deny the joy that a new-born baby brings to his life. CLM CPR Ministry asked AJ Gross the following questions: 1. What have been your highlights of life in your first year as a father? Watching my son grow & develop a personality. 2. Have there been any low points? Missing out on some things because of school. 3. Any surprises that you did not expect? I didn t expect him to be walking so soon (9 months). 4. What was the most unpleasant thing you ve experienced, so far? (keep it clean, LOL) Xander projectile vomiting in my mouth. 5. Any tips you have for a new (first time) Dad in the first weeks of being a Father? I have a warning; there shall be no sleep. 6. What have been your most useful baby item that you couldn t have done without? Free breast milk, free pampers & hand-me-down clothes. 7. Any parenting hacks you ve tried and would recommend? Get a rocking chair. 8. What is the funniest moment you have had, so far as a Father? Xander pulling my shorts down and cracking up afterwards. 9. What was the best suggestion(s) you were given to being a first time Father? It s important to not neglect your marriage even though you re a parent. 10. What was your scariest moment as a new Father? No scary moments (knock on wood!) June 2017 Issue 2 Page 5

6 Set-Free CLM Prison Ministry (First Engagement) On Friday, June 2, Associate Minister Steven Crumb was the guest speaker for the "Making it on the Outside" series at Roxbury Correctional Institution (RCI) in Hagerstown, MD. This series is a joint collaboration among the State of Maryland, Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulations Library and Transition Departments, respectively in Correctional Education, and the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services in order to provide our returning citizens with a realistic view of the road ahead. Associate Minister Crumb brought tough love to the men of RCI. His talk emphasized the need for accountability, authenticity and being prepared for returning home by using their time of incarceration as halftime" in order to renew their thinking. The men who participated were extremely grateful to have him and were engaged throughout. They asked insightful questions and he offered answers anchored in experience and truth. They have already requested that he return! We are looking forward to more from him! If you would like more information about the Set-Free Ministry SetFree@CLMLife.com Page 6 Covenant Connection

7 Set-Free CLM Prison Ministry cont d (First Engagement) Associate Minister Crumb was given the opportunity to talk with many inmates and share his experiences. One of the inmates shared this poem with him, which he just had to share with you. Turning 30 in Prison Conscious: Hello there Sammy, It s me your conscious You know I am gonna give it to you straight with no nonsense You see lately I don t like the way you ve been thinking All the drugs you ve been taking, all the drinks you ve been drinking Do you remember? Getting rich before 30 was our mission But keep doing what you ve doing you ll be turning 30 in prison Seriously, what are you doing Sammy? Are you thinking about your girl? Are you thinking about your family? Are you thinking about your nephews? Are you thinking about your nieces? Are you thinking when you ve away that their hearts will be in pieces? But no, none of these thigs are on your mind. You just make money the fast way so you think that you re fine Sammy: Shut up dumb conscious I know what you re trying to do Make me less like me and more like you I know that I am wise, smart and so full of knowledge And that I shouldn t be on this block but that I should be in College. So, shut up dumb conscious why don t you give me a break? Let me do me and learn from my own mistakes. Conscious: I am just trying to remind you getting rich before 30 was our mission. But keep doing what you ve doing you ll be turning 30 in prison. And what about all the little kids that admire you? Why don t you get a job, I know several places that will hire you? Plus being arrested will change your life from night to day So, there s no need for you to be throwing your life away. Sammy: Ok dumb Conscious now you re making me mad you don t know what It s like growing up without a Dad or watching my mom raise 4 boys on her own so, stop talking to me dumb conscious I don t need you I am grown, see dumb conscious you ve so focused on what people say, who say you can only get money the legal way? Plus, everyone I know gets money like this so honestly, I am not too scared of the risk. Conscious: Okay, so Sammy, did you think about your friends? Have any of them been killed-are any of them in the Pen? I bet by now that some of them are regretful, or better yet let me ask you are any of them successful? If you do get locked up, will any of them come visit? Or get you a local number with 204 digits? Now don t get me wrong Sammy, I am not saying they won t, but 9 times out of 10 when you go to prison they don t, you don t have to worry about me Sammy as God is my witness, you think that you know it all, so I will stay out of your Business. But remember getting rich before 30 was our mission, but keep during what you are doing you ll be Turning 30 in Prison. June 2017 Issue 2 Page 7

8 Congratulations Graduates Remember the past, live in the present and look forward to the future! May your graduation be just the beginning of a lifetime of fulfillment for you. Congratulations graduates! Keisha Linder College Graduate On May 18, 2017, Keisha graduated from the College of Southern Maryland earning her Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN). Keisha plans to further her education towards earning her Bachelor Degree, while pursuing her career as a nurse in a Hospital Emergency Room or Trauma Center. For others who may need to hear, Keisha offered these words of wisdom: Keep pushing, no matter how many times you fail. Each failure teaches you how to succeed the next time! Live through it; grow through it! Pray through it! Way to go Keisha!!! Nyah George High School Graduate Nyah graduated Cum Laude with a GPA of 3.75 from North Point High School on June 2, Nyah plans to continue her education and attend college. Her current schools of choice are Johnson and Wales University in Charlotte, North Carolina and Maryland Eastern Shore. She is looking to major in either Culinary Science, Business, or Meteorology. What a blessing to have so many choices! During Senior Awards night Nyah received the following awards and honors: Certificate of Merit Cum Laude Four Years of Math and Science Maryland Scholars Scholars Course of Study Science, Technology, Industry Culinary Arts Nyah was also recognized during Senior Awards night for playing in dual sports and winning the Maryland Regional Championships in Varsity Soccer and Varsity Basketball. Congratulations Nyah!!! Page 8 Covenant Connection

9 Congratulations Graduates cont d Necole COCO Hope High School Graduate Necole is the daughter of proud Mom, Assoc. Minister Marie Hope Necole graduated from North Point High School on 2 June She maintained a 3.6+ GPA in academics and played on the Girls Varsity Basketball Team her Freshman through Senior years. Necole garnered myriad accolades throughout her high school academic and basketball career. She was the team leading scorer, 2 nd Team All-Met, SMAC Player of the Year, to name a few, and she finished her career by tying the women s basketball highest scoring record of 1,363 points and the 3 rd player in the history of the school to score 1,000 points. Through her hard work on and off the court, Necole earned a full ride Division I Basketball Scholarship to continue her education at East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. She plans to Major in Business Management and has a desire to play professional basketball overseas. Congratulations Necole!!! Recognizing our Youths and Young Adults Joshua Crumb was chosen Eagle of the Month at North Point High School. This award is given to students who stand out in a specific content area and are nominated by their teacher. Out of 1,800 students, Joshua was recognized for his commitment to learning. Congratulations Joshua!!! Congratulations to Ke Moni Mosley, who is a student at McKinley Tech High School. Ke Moni was inducted into the National Honor Society on May 31, The National Honor Society recognize the highest achieving students in Grades Way to go Ke Moni, your CLM Family is so proud of you!!! Congratulations to Layla White-Sneed. On Friday, May 12, Grace Brethren Christian School held a Ceremony to recognize the students in the Early Readers Club. Layla read over 125 books during this school year. Each student received a medal and certificate. Way to go Layla!!! June 2017 Issue 2 Page 9

10 Attention Graduates Students and parents, if you are or have a child graduating this year, please see Minister Darlene Williams and she is gathering information about each graduate. Pastors Roy and Rev Tia would like to recognize their accomplishments! Deadline for submission is Sunday, June 11th. Youth & Young Adult Ministry My Brother s Keeper The Youth & Young Adult Ministry, under the leadership of Associate Ministers Nigel and Anita D Abreu, held its first event on Friday, May 26th. Youth and young adults between the ages of came together for an evening of fellowship, food and fun while learning how God wants to use us as our brother s keepers. For additional information on upcoming events or to be a part of this ministry, YYAM@CLMLife.com. Laying a firm biblical foundation from an early age, encouraging the youth to live purpose driven lives in accordance with the Will of God. Equipping the youth with the necessary tools to accurately respond to the issues of life while maintaining integrity and humility. Page 10 Covenant Connection

11 Recognizing all June Birthdays 1 Danny Randall 3 Deana Fenwick 5 Abagail D Abreu Wanda Reynolds 9 Zion Barnett-Guy Zanai Barnett-Guy 11 Sadetra Lassiter Janae McNeil 13 Diane Williams Tamia Thompson 15 Justin George 16 Lamar LJ Lyles, Jr. 16 Ikea Thompson 17 Taelor Baskins 18 Beverly Luckett 29 Xander Gross 30 Marques Carbon We Are So Excited! This newsletter (available online at will be published monthly and will focus on the life of the church, its members, upcoming events, ministry opportunities and will also provide members of the church with articles to read from both church staff and members of the church. So if you have a success story, testimony, accomplishment, event, suggestion or just want to recognize someone and would like to share, We Want to Hear From You! For additional information or to submit a request, please see anyone from the Communication & Public Relations Ministry (CPR), Carolyn Bowman, Tanya George, or Sabrina (Peggy) Williams. You can also us at CPR@CLMLife.com. NOTE: All request must be received no later than the 20th of each month for print in the next issue. Your Assistance is Required! CLM is in the process of updating the Members Contact Database. Please take the time to ensure that we have your most recent information on file. This will allow you to receive announcements of upcoming events, birthday greetings, opening/closures information due to inclement weather, etc. You can update your information online. Simply provide your address and we will send you the link. Deaconess Diane Williams will also be available after each service to take your information. Help us to stay in-touch with you. June 2017 Issue 2 Page 11

12 Covenant Life Ministries June 2017 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Worship Service 10am (Communion) 11 Worship Service 10am Worship Service 10am Father s Day 25 Worship Service 10am (Baby Dedication) Field Team Spring Session Ends Attention In honor of Father s Day there will be no Children s Church on Sunday, June 18th. Get Your CDs. Individual CDs are available for a small donation of $5.00. If you would like to purchase a CD from any of the previous lessons or if you are interested in a series of lessons, please see our Media Ministry POCs Sheriee Waller or Elder Tanya George to complete a request form or media@clmlife.com Page 12 Covenant Connection

13 Please keep the following individuals lifted up in your prayers. Gaston McVea Alyse BJ Bernard Foster Diana Longo Dee Elizabeth James Jackie Chavis Kevin James Lisa Winckler Regina Chavis Shon James 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV) A Father s Day Prayer God our Father, In your wisdom and love you made all things. Bless these men, That they may be strengthened as Christian fathers. Let the example of their faith and love shine forth. Grant that we, their sons and daughters, May honor them always With a spirit of profound respect. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen Poems for Father s Day My Earthly Dad With these three words, "Dear Heavenly Father," I begin my every prayer, But the man I see While on bended knee Is always my earthly dad. He is the image Of the Father divine Reflecting the nature of God, For his love and care And the faith he shared Pointed me to my Father above. Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6 (NIV) Our Dad God took the strength of a mountain, The majesty of a tree, The warmth of a summer sun, The calm of a quiet sea, The generous soul of nature, The comforting arm of night, The wisdom of the ages, The power of the eagle's flight, The joy of a morning in spring, The faith of a mustard seed, The patience of eternity, The depth of a family need, Then God combined these qualities, When there was nothing more to add, He knew his masterpiece was complete, And so, he called it Dad June 2017 Issue 2 Page 13

14 Fun Time Corner Can you find 20 Books of the Bible in this paragraph? Read the story below, hidden in the story you will find 20 books from the bible. To help you get started, we have identified one for you (highlighted in red). Someone showed me this story and remarked that there are twenty books of the Bible hidden here. He challenged me to find them. Sure enough they're all here. Still this thing is a lulu. Kept me looking so hard for the longest time. Some of you will get bogged down with facts, others are hit by them like they were some kind of revelation or one may get in a jam, especially since the names are not capitalized and often leap the spaces between the words. This makes it a real job to find them, but it'll provide a most fascinating few minutes for you. Yes, there are some really easy ones to spot, but don't get the big head cause truthfully you'll soon figure that it would take more federal judges and preachers numbers of hours to find them all. I will admit that it usually takes a minister to find one of them, and that it is not uncommon for there to be loud lamentations when it is pointed out. One lady says that when she is confronted with puzzles like this, she brews a cup of tea to help her concentrate better, but then this gals a real pro. Verbs, nouns, and all that stuff are her thing. See how well you can compete. relax! If you fail to find them, there's a penalty. You'll have to go fly a kite, sit on a banana, hum the Battle Hymn of the Republic, or hose a dog (a mean one). Get to it! Word List Acts Amos Esther Hebrews Hosea James Job Judges Kings Lamentations Luke Mark Nahum Numbers Peter Preacher (Ecclesiastes) Proverbs Revelation Ruth Titus Answers will be posted in July s Issue Page 14 Covenant Connection

15 In our Next Issue Baptism Class Beginning Sunday, July 2, 2017 at 8:45 9:45 am, CLM will hold Baptism class. This will be a three-week class where you will learn the significance of Baptism. If you re interested, please see Minister Stan Williams. Baptism Our bi-annual Baptism will be held on Sunday, July 23, 2017, immediately after service. If you are interested, please see Minister Stan Williams. We are working on our next issue, do you have something you want to have printed? Please contact any CPR team member or CPR@CLMlife.com June 2017 Issue 2 Page 15

16 Covenant Life Ministries 7823 Parston Drive Unit-C Forestville, MD Phone: Fax: Website: In Need of a Ride? The Transportation Ministry provides service to members and non-members alike who have a desire to attend any of our services. The Transportation Ministry will reach others with the gospel by providing transportation so they can attend Worship Service on a regular basis. We provide safe and consistent transportation to the people of God. Please Transportation@CLMLife.com for information or to request a ride. Watch Us Live.. Living Life in Agreement with God Hebrews 8: or Have a Suggestion or Comment? Do you have a suggestion or comment for the Covenant Connection Newsletter? We love hearing your thoughts! Use this form below to provide us feedback. Name: Comment/Suggestion: