Thankful...

Can you believe it is almost Thanksgiving!

We have so much to be thankful for at CovPres, but one thing that the Children’s Ministry is beyond grateful for are all the amazing volunteers we have!

From Wednesday Nights to Sunday Mornings we appreciate each of you and the unique and wonderful role you play in sharing the Gospel with our children!

Thank you for your hours and hours of service! The Lord is using you to do mighty works for His Kingdom and His glory! Years from now what joy it will be to see their little faces you teach each week continuing to praise Jesus in their 20s and 30s – Lord willing!

A couple of announcements:

Wednesday, November 20 – Last night of activities...we've had an awesome semester!
(Wednesday Night Activities Resume on January 15)

Friday, November 22 from 6-8 p.m. – Mega Movie Night for 1^st-6^th Graders. RSVP by clicking here.

Sunday, November 24 – Christmas in Fairfield clothing items and banks are due to the Sanctuary foyer. We still have precious children left, so it is not too late to be involved!

Click here to Volunteer in Children’s Worship.

Email Katie Flores, Pre-School Director, at kflores@covpres.com or Karen Yendle, Elementary Director, at kyendle@covpres.com, if you are interested in teaching Sunday School or getting plugged into these ministry areas.

Thank you thank you thank you for sharing your children with us each week. We truly love to see them and love each one of them! We hope they love to come to church as much as we love to see them here!

What a joy to serve with you!

CovPres Christmas Service Project: Christmas in Fairfield

CovPres families we have the opportunity to share the love of Christ with our neighbors in Fairfield. 

We hope your family will be involved in this great endeavor in some way. What a joy to give and share the Gospel!

Christmas in Fairfield - beginning Sunday, October 20

What:

Helping in what Dr. Tom Edwards, a physician & Covenant member, initiated last year in the Fairfield community by providing gifts and clothes for approximately 150 children!

How:

A toy store is set up in the basement of Church of the Reconciler in Fairfield, Alabama. CovPres volunteers purchase toys through donations and stock the store. Parents are then able to purchase gifts for their children at greatly reduced prices…what joy parents feel when they are able to provide Christmas gifts for their children.

A special time of prayer is offered to families to truly show the love of Christ to His people.

Who:

Families are selected to participate in the Fairfield Christmas Shop from Fairfield ministries sponsored by CovPres, Dr. Edwards’s ministries, and CovPres nursery employee’s children.

How can your family be involved?

Sponsor a child: Purchase clothing items for a particular child, pray for this child, and donate money towards the store. A devotional book with sorties about a typical Fairfield family, Bible verses, and suggested activities will be provided in the sponsor packet. You will also receive a bank for your family to save money to help purchase toys for the Fairfield Christmas Shop. Please come to the church foyer to pick up a sponsorship packet & bank.

Make a donation: We hope to purchase 500-600 toys/gifts for $25,000. Please consider making a generous tax-deductible gift!

Make checks payable to: Hope Health Center (Christmas Project)

Mail to: 4614 Carnegie Avenue, Fairfield, AL 35064

 Volunteer: There are many volunteer opportunities. You can learn more about volunteering by picking up flyers at the Sponsor Registration Table in the church foyer. Or by contacting Sissy Flynn at sissyflynn@bellsouth.net.

  Please donate used children’s books, which will be free to shopping families.

 Please stop by the church foyer to receive more information on Christmas in Fairfield.

Children Bring Joyful Noise!

What a great two weeks we have had in our new rhythm on Sunday Mornings! We hope your children have enjoyed worshipping together as much as we have enjoyed seeing & hearing them worship.

A friend forwarded me a great article that encouraged me as a mom of young children. It also said very well what we feel in Children’s Ministry – that we are beyond excited each week to see your children come through the doors of Covenant!

We are so hopeful for all the Lord has planned for their lives and find it pure joy to be a part of His work in their lives.

Here is one small segment from the article, and I hope it will encourage you to keep sharing the Word & Worship with your precious children! What you are doing is GREAT!

Excerpt from Jami Bruesehoff’s article “Dear Parents with Young Children in Church”

"When you are here, the church is filled with a joyful noise. When you are here, the Body of Christ is more fully present. When you are here, we are reminded that this worship thing we do isn't about Bible study or personal, quiet contemplation but coming together to worship as a community where all are welcome, where we share in the Word and Sacrament together. When you are here, I have hope that these pews won't be empty in 10 years when your kids are old enough to sit quietly and behave in worship. I know that they are learning how and why we worship now, before it's too late. They are learning that worship is important."

Thank you for sharing your children with us each week during Sunday School & Children’s Worship...their laughs, cries, songs, and footsteps are a joyful noise to us & to Jesus!

Please join us on Sunday Mornings- click here to choose a couple of Sundays to help out during Children’s Worship! 

Wednesday Night:

6:00-6:30 Music Clubs

3k-5k C221

1st-6th Grades C316

6:30-7:15 Camp Dad

1st-6th Grades Day School Parking Lot

Devotional, planned activities - "Tails" a fun game of tag, hula hoops, jump rope, chalk & more

3k-4k C221 (optional)

A Great Kick-Off...

We had a wonderful "Kick-Off" Sunday! What a joy to see so many precious families in Children's Worship, Sunday School, and then continuing to enjoy fellowship during lunch!

It was exciting to see such a wonderful amount of participation in Sunday School & Children's Worship...we hope the transition from Children's Worship to Sunday School was smooth...and it will continue to improve as children become confident in their classes! We are also making adjustments to the rolls and computers- Please remember to check-in at one of the Welcome Desk and to check your child's tag for room numbers! THANK YOU!

Thank you so much to all the amazing Sunday School teachers & Children's Worship volunteers - Sunday Mornings are truly soooo much better with all of you serving! 

We still need volunteers for Children's Worship! PLEASE click here to choose your Sundays to serve!
Thank you so much in advance for helping!

Just a reminder:

Wednesday Nights 
6:00-6:30 p.m. Music Clubs (Children's Choir)
3k-5k room C221
1st-6th Grades room C316

6:30 p.m. Camp Dad
Children of all Ages!
3k-6th Grades meet in the Day School Parking Lot
7th-12th Grades meet in the Youth Room

We look forward to sharing the Gospel with your children this week!

Wednesday Nights Begin Sept 4!

Join us Wednesday nights for delicious dinner, fellowship, & activities for the kiddos! A great mid-week break to connect with friends & family!

Children's Ministry Activities Include:

Music Clubs (Children’s Choir) - 6:00-6:30 p.m. 

            3k-5k  room C221

            1^st-6^th Grades room C316

Music Clubs is an amazing time of learning to praise the Lord through voices and instruments. Children will learn to sing scripture, which is an incredible way for them to hide His Word in their hearts.

We need your help! Please click here to volunteer to serve in Music Clubs…it is so much fun…and who can resist precious voices praising the Lord! For more information contact Casey O’Dell, Children’s Choir Coordinator, disneybrave@gmail.com

Camp Dad @ Covpres - 6:30-7:15 p.m. 

            Starting point C316/Parking Lot by Day School Entrance

Children of all ages and their dads are invited to a time of planned activities and intentional interaction…. a great way for dads to share the Gospel with their children and to build relationships with other men in the church. Children will be so excited to play fun games with their dads! (3k & 4k children will have the option to remain in C221 for time of teaching and play).

Looking Forward to A Great Year...See What's in Store!

We are in great anticipation of all the Lord will do this year in the lives of children and families at CovPres. We look forward to serving along side you in planting the Word of God in the hearts and minds of our children. We cannot wait to watch their eyes open to the Gospel. Please partner with us in serving in some aspect of the Children’s Ministry...help us tell the next generation of His glorious deeds!

New Schedule…New Events…New opportunities for our children to grow deep roots of faith!

Sunday Mornings (beginning Sunday, September 8)

Gathered Worship/Children's Worship - 9:00 a.m.           

            3K Children’s Worship room C222 (children age 3 by September 2013)

            4K&5K Children’s Worship room C221

1^st-3^rd Grade Children’s Worship room C316 after being dismissed from Gathered Worship. Children’s ministry staff/volunteer will escort children to C316.

Nursery Available for infants - 2 years old

Children’s Worship is a time for children to gather together and worship the Lord through hearing God’s Word, engaging in hands on experiences, and interacting to draw application from the what they have learned. The 3k-5k children also engage in a time of play.

Click here to serve in Children’s Worship – you choose your Sundays and where you would like to serve!

Sunday School - 10:30 a.m.

All children will be escorted from Children’s Worship to their Sunday school classroom.

Please click here for a list of room numbers for Children’s Ministry Sunday

School classrooms.

Pre-School Sunday school is a time of hearing God’s Word, planned activities to point them to Jesus, and play.

Elementary Sunday school is a time of hearing God’s Word, breaking into smaller groups for a time of interaction and application, and learning to hide God's Word in their hearts. 

Nursery will also be doing age appropriate lessons with our toddlers - imparting truth into their hearts early!

If you would like to help our children grow in their knowledge and love of our Savior by teaching Sunday School, please contact Karen Yendle, Elementary Ministry Director at kyendle@covpres.com or Katie Flores, Pre-School Ministry Director at kflores@covpres.com. You can also call 871-7002.

Wednesday Nights (beginning Wednesday, September 4)

Music Clubs (Children’s Choir) - 6:00-6:30 p.m. 

            3k-5k  room C221

            1^st-6^th Grades room C316

Music Clubs is an amazing time of learning to praise the Lord through our voices and instruments. Children will learn to sing scripture, which is an incredible way for them to hide His Word in their hearts.

We need your help! Please click here to volunteer to serve in Music Clubs…it is so much fun…and who can resist precious voices praising the Lord! For more information contact Casey O’Dell, Children’s Choir Coordinator, disneybrave@gmail.com

Camp Dad @ Covpres - 6:30-7:15 p.m. 

            Starting point C316/Parking Lot by Day School Entrance

Children of all ages and their dads are invited to a time of planned activities and intentional interaction…. a great way for dads to share the Gospel with their children and to build relationships with other men in the church. Children will be so excited to play fun games with their dads! (3k & 4k children will have the option to remain in C221 for time of teaching and play).

Mission Northern New England in Full Swing...

Mission Northern New England is in full swing! A team from Covenant is helping with Explorer Camp & Created for a Purpose all lumped into one fun week for children in New Hampshire. What a great way to share the Gospel and encourage fellow believers!

To see all the action check out the mission team's blog by clicking here: explorercampnh.blogspot.com 

Please continue to pray for the participants in the camp as well as our mission team!

Mission team members : The Stewart Family (Carter, Monica, Elson, Bradford, Frances); The Lassiter Family (Joe, Emily, Mary Jane, Camille); The Wilson Family (Drew, Mary, Daniel, Amanda, Jonathan, Andrew); Ingram Link & Hank; Burney Johnson; Laura Wolfe; Luke Hall; Dan Edwards & Jake. 

Mission Northern New England!

Dear Friends & Families of Covenant, 

It’s my delight to share with you about a wonderful way for you to get involved with sharing the Gospel in New England…without leaving Birmingham!

Mission Northern New England is a ministry originated here at Covenant that is designed to come alongside our sister PCA churches in the most northeastern corner of the United States.  Each of the ten churches in the Northern New England Presbytery (Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont) experience a hardened spiritual landscape in which it is very difficult to work.  During our Mission’s Festival in February, you might have heard the two pastors from that region tell of the awesome work that God is doing in their churches, but also the disheartened feelings they have, especially as they see the next generation being raised in spiritual darkness. 

            So, for the past three years Covenant has had the privilege to teams to Portland, ME and Manchester, NH to serve with our brothers and sisters there.  Our ministry has essentially been in the realm of children’s ministry.  We have ministered in church neighborhoods with our popular nature and Created For A Purpose camps.  Once again, we are sending a team this summer.  We will offer the two camps simultaneously in Manchester, NH during the week of July 22-26.  Twenty-two members of our church will serve there.  We need your help, too.

            Here is where you can be involved…In order to ease the burden of raising funds for each of our team members, the Children’s Ministry is attempting to raise $4,400 for this mission event during July.  This is a tax-deductible gift.  Would you consider contributing to this cause?  There will be a collection basket located at the second floor welcome station in the children’s building into which you may place your contribution.  Or, you may mark a check for Northern New England Mission and forward it to Meg Cotney in the church office. 

Thanks for your consideration,

Dan Edwards

Please mark this week on your calendar and remember to pray for the team:

The Stewart Family (Carter, Monica, Elson, Bradford, Frances); The Lassiter Family (Joe, Emily, Mary Jane, Camille); The Wilson Family (Drew, Mary, Daniel, Amanda, Jonathan, Andrew); Ingram Link & Hank; Burney Johnson; Laura Wolfe; Luke Hall; Dan Edwards & Jake.