Newsletter: Monsoon Summer 2020
Covenant Chronicle
Dear Covenant Family and Friends,
As our dry summer turns into our wet summer, let's take a moment to review the last six months. Here are just a few highlights from Covenant.
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Improved Communication: To strengthen our relationships and service together, the elders met with all five fellowship groups and nineteen mission teams before the quarantine; the church adopted a new internal communication system; and with this email, we have relaunched Covenant Chronicle.
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Morning Prayer: Covenant introduced Morning Prayer, an online gathering in which we pray, meditate on the Bible, and then pray again. So far we have prayed through 1 & 2 Thessalonians, half of 1 Samuel, and almost all of 2 Samuel.
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New Members: Through ongoing discipling, we were able to rejoice in the reception of five new communicant members.
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Covenant Helps Team: Under the guidance of the session, the CHT was formed to provide practical training for future ordained leaders and help meet the material needs of Covenant. Please pray that God will grow the seed of the Helps Team into the tree of an ordained diaconate.
A note on finances
Even though one well-meaning company told us: If you don’t worship in-person or offer online giving, your giving will tank, from January to June, our giving was substantially over the expected giving for the period.
These gifts allowed us to pay for a few unexpected expenses and squirrel away for the future, a very good thing to do in a recession. Thank you for your support, and praise God for his abundant blessings!
Note: Please send checks to our new address.
Covenant Orthodox Presbyterian Church
P.O. Box 36721
Tucson, AZ 85740-6721
What’s next
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Worship: We're meeting again and it’s a real treat. Offering you a stable livestream of our morning service is a priority right now. Watch covenantopctucson.org/covid-19 for updates.
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Vacation: My family and I are taking August off and will be back at Covenant in September. Familiar faces Dan Smith, David Schexnayder, Paul Johnson, and Stu Sherard will lead us in worship.
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Morning Prayer: I’ve decided to continue offering Morning Prayer online. It’s a great way to start your day or finish your early-morning routine. While I’m on vacation, David Schexnayder, from Calvin OPC will be leading us.
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Watering: As we enter our wet summer months, please pray with me that God would water and grow the seeds he planted in the first part of this year.
And a big thanks to everyone who chose not to miss this strange opportunity to grow together in Christ! It’s been difficult at times, but God has helped us every step of the way, and we're stronger now because of it.
Your servant, for the Savior,
Pastor Chelpka
P.S. I'd like you to read two little books before the next newsletter arrives in Autumn. If you do, will you tell me how they've helped you? I'd love to know.
- A Little Book on the Christian Life by John Calvin
- Holy Helps for a Godly Life by Richard Rogers