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  HOLY WEEK

April 4 – Saturday, 5:30 Worship

April 5 – Palm Sunday, 8:00 & 10:30 am Worship

 April 9 – Maundy Thursday, 11:00 am & 7:00 pm Worship

 April 10 – Good Friday, 1:15 & 7:00 pm Worship

 April 11 – Easter Vigil, 5:30 pm Worship

 April 12 – Easter Day, 6:30, 8:00 & 10:30 am Worship

Easter Breakfast, 7:30-10:30 am

Easter Egg Hunt, 9:15 am

 

SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS

The Scholarship Committee of the Covenant Lutheran Church Endowment Foundation would like to remind parents and eligible family members of the availability of educational scholarships. The amount of any scholarship is dependent on earnings from the Endowment Fund which may vary from year to year.

The Guidelines for Scholarships and application forms are located on the kiosk in the Narthex. Scholarship applications are due in the church office by April 15, 2009 for consideration for the 2009-2010 school year. Please not: The application deadline for school year 2010-2011 will be March 15, 2010.

If you apply, you must:

1. Complete the application and provide required documentation
2. Return signed and dated application that you have read and understand the eligibility requirements on or before April 15.

Questions? Contact Chris Doll, Foundation Administrative Assistant at 873-7494.

HIGHLIGHTED MINISTRY OF THE MONTH:

LANDSCAPE TEAM

 

We are a supporting branch of the Property Team. There are many opportunities for us to work together. Communicating our plans with Property Team, Church Council and the congregation is a high priority.

Landscape Team has a unique emphasis. We are about enhancing the beauty and health of Covenant’s landscape. We want our natural space to be a welcoming place to worship. We want plants that are easy to maintain as well as beautifully designed. We want to have fun in the process – recognizing that nurturing goodwill is every bit as important as what we plant.

Landscape Team begins our third season in ’09. We began with the perennial garden surrounding the church sign. We helped organize a new drainage system. With the help of a landscape architect we submitted designs for a three-year plan to the Church Council. The Van Buren side and the north parking lot entrance, phase 1 & 2, were completed in ’07 and ’08. The implementation of the courtyard, phase 3, will begin when the economy improves.

Work in ’09 includes helping Property Team with spring and fall clean up, recruiting summer helpers, securing the north slope outside the education wing with ground cover, putting plants by crane 2, over seeing the plants from phase 1 & 2, and maintaining the courtyard.

We intend to begin the courtyard design and the three islands as the economy improves.

Support has come in many forms. Financially, the Covenant Endowment Foundation, Gifts & Memorials and private donations have been generous. The help of countless people includes the sixteen summer helpers who watered and weeded, folks who planted the hundreds of bushes, trees, bulbs and perennials and one individual donated the money for all the tree trimming and stump removal. Another donated hundreds of yards of bark. It has been truly heart warming to reflect on the many hands that have made this committee thrive!

Want to help this summer? Call Penny Vodak at 873-5107.

 

SPRING INDOOR/OUTDOOR CLEAN UP DAY Saturday, April 18

(Rain date is April 25)  

We are asking folks to join us at 8:00 am as we take care of the gifts that God has given us in our beautiful facility and grounds. Inside there is dusting, cleaning pews, washing windows, walls and trim, etc. Outside we will be trimming back plants, raking leaves, cleaning garden beds, cleaning the courtyard, etc. Gloves, wheelbarrows, rakes, shovels, brooms , pruning shears would all be useful. Please bring a snack to share

 

LEAD CONFERENCE REPORT

On March 14, 10 members of Covenant attended the South Central Synod’s LEAD (Leadership Education and Development) Event at Our Savior’s in Sun Prairie. In addition to keynote addresses by Beth A. Lewis, CEO of Augsburg Fortress Publishing, and by the Rev. Dr. Rick Rouse, author of “A Field Guide for the Missional Church,” there were nearly twenty workshops offered as well, and each person could choose up to three. These workshops were built around three categories:

Book of Faith Workshops

• Missional Congregations and Leaders
• Stewardship

We were able to have our ten people split up and cover a number of the workshops, including these specific topics:

The Generational Challenge: Does the Church Have a Future?

• Book of Faith Bible Study
• Technology Enhanced Outreach for Congregations
• Come and See! Sharing the Good News with Men, Young and Old
• Mission Interpretation: Real People Telling Real Stories of Ministry
• How Can an International Financial Crisis Be Good News?
• Good Sense: Christian Financial Management Ministry

These were well-done workshops, and gave ideas, help and inspiration to our ministries here at Covenant. I know that I came away fired up about the idea of trying to re-ignite a Men’s Ministry here at Covenant.

But, the most important things I gleamed during the day actually came out of Rick Rouse’s keynote address. He gave a presentation titled: From Chaplaincy to Mission: Transforming Congregations. There were many points to take from it, here’s just a few:

• The percentage of people in the United States considering themselves unaffiliated with any religion is 15% (up from 8% in 1990).
• Those who are non-religious will generally have children who are non-religious.
• The Church is going through a paradigm shift where, in an increasing hostile relationship with the world and culture around it, the Church finds itself in an ‘Apostolic Paradigm,’ where every member is a missionary of the Gospel, and the work of the church falls into the hands of the laity.

This is very much different than the church we have been used to for hundreds of years, where the culture is friendly and supportive to the church. Our response to that culture can be either: a) We become a church of chaplaincy, where we take care of our own, serving the needs of our members, or b) We become a church of mission, where we take care of our own as a means to an end, nurturing disciples so that we can go out and make more disciples.

There was so much more in Pastor Rouse’s presentation, but my point is ultimately this: At the end of an hour long presentation, I felt that the ministry of Covenant was incredibly affirmed. We are doing the right things to fulfill Jesus’ commands of “making disciples of all nations.” If you are interested in hearing or seeing more about Pastor Rouse’s presentation, please see me – I also have a copy of the PowerPoint presentation that he gave.

 Mark Doll

 

Education Updates

 

Romans Bible Study

Who:       Anyone with a hunger to study God's Word.  You do not need to have attended previous bible studies!

What: The Book of Romans

Where:   Fellowship Hall

When:    Every first Friday of the month at 7:00, during Family Movie Night. This month, April 3, Chapter 6 in the booklet

This will be a 13-month study, so if you would like materials, please contact Beth Hilgendorf, 279-1656. However, anyone can "drop in" at any time!

 

Adult Education in April

April 5: Gloria Hirsch (topic TBD)

April 12: no adult education-Happy Easter!

April 19: Divine Drama by Crossways Team

April 26: Divine Drama by Crossways Team

 

Adult Education for Sunday, May 3 : Discussion of The Shack

This session is scheduled for adults who have read the book already or would like to read it during the month of April to prepare for the May 3 discussion. Becca Sundby will lead the session from 9:10 to 10:15 in Covenant’s lower level classroom in the southeast corner of the building.

Here’s a little about the book from a Web site:

The Shack revolves around Mack (Mackenzie) Philips. Four years before this story begins, Mack’s young daughter, Missy, was abducted during a family vacation. Though her body was never found, the police did find evidence in an abandoned shack to prove that she had been brutally murdered by a notorious serial killer who preyed on young girls. As the story begins, Mack, who has been living in the shadow of his Great Sadness, receives a strange note that is apparently from God. God invites Mack to return to this shack for a get together. Though uncertain, Mack visits the scene of the crime and there has a weekend-long encounter with God, or, more properly, with the godhead.

Please note this commentary about the book:

“One thing to note is that the abduction and murder of Missy is quite heart wrenching. Although the book does not go into great detail on these pieces of the story, it may be too difficult to read for some. Know that this is not the focal point of the story. It is a stepping stone for getting to the heart of The Shack.”

Regarding book availability: The hold request list for this book in the South Central Library System is very, very long. It would not likely be available to anyone who requested it prior to the May 3 session. The Stoughton Library does have a copy of the book for the Lucky Day shelf; note that the book would have a 1 week due date with no renewal if it happened to be on the shelf when a patron visited the library. The book is $14.99 for a paperback at Borders and $8.24 at Amazon.com; used copies are also available from about $5.50 at Amazon.

 

REMINISCENCE WRITING STORY HOUR

Saturday, April 4

10:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Skaalen Home - Chapel

 

Members of Covenant's reminiscence writing group will be reading their stories at an upcoming story hour. All members of Covenant, plus any guests, are invited to attend. If you are interested in signing up for a new class, please contact Chris Melland at 877-4128.

 

THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

Friday, April 3, 7:00 pm, Bethel Lutheran Church

312 Wisconsin Avenue , Madison, Wisconsin

The Gospel of John, a live off-Broadway and U.S. touring performance to be presented at Bethel Lutheran Church in Madison. It took nearly five months for actor Brad Sherrill to memorize all 20,000 words of The Gospel of John. He had plans to perform it just once at his home church in Atlanta, but has since presented John’s gospel over 500 times in professional theatres and churches across the U.S., Canada, the U.K. and Ireland. On Friday, April 3, Brad Sherrill will bring his celebrated touring performance to Bethel Lutheran Church in Madison. The drama begins at 7:00 pm. A free-will offering will be taken. All are welcome! There is limited parking in Bethel’s Parking Lot.

 

HOSPITALITY AT COVENANT: APRIL 2009 UPDATE

Is anyone as amazed as I am with the abundance of hospitality at Covenant lately? It’s incredible!!! “The Christian virtue of hospitality is the welcoming attitude you have toward others. A family shows hospitality when it opens its home and its heart to help those in need or to celebrate with others.”*

Here is a sampling of just some of the ways we have shown hospitality recently:

• Toso family benefit (Yeah, God!)
• Food Pantry donations
• Fair Trade coffee
• River Pantry
• Quilting
• Midwife & Hospice Kit donations
• Peace sharing at worship services
• Family Movie Night
• Job Seekers Networking Group
• Lenten suppers
• Nazareth House service
• Hosting “Hope Overflow” musicians and singers

Can you feel the love? I sure do. Let’s continue to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us, the Covenant family!

Covenant’s hospitality philosophy: whatever we plan or do—within or outside of Covenant-- we should think about how what we are doing reflects what life is like when Christ is a part of who we are.

In His service and love,

Denise Pigarelli

*Thomas D, et al. Benziger Family Life. Glencoe/McGraw-Hill; Woodland Hills, CA. 2001:5.

 

10 Stewardship Principles

As baptized members of the body of Christ, we gratefully confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We boldly proclaim the gospel as the Word of God. We clearly recognize the gifts that God has first given us through grace, and we joyfully accept our role and responsibility as stewards.

This is the third installment of 10 Stewardship Principles that you will hear throughout the year. Your stewardship team believes that these principles provide a foundation for the life of a faithful and generous steward. We have been entrusted with the mysteries of God and walk together as stewards in God’s church.

10 Accept a challenge

means recognizing the dynamic nature of our faith. As our faith grows so will our blessings, and our responsibilities. Paul writes,  

“...the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.”

2 Corinthians 9:6

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

 

MARTIN LUTHER CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS NEWS

Exciting things are happening at Martin Luther Christian Schools.

As you may have heard, we are leasing 22,479 sq. ft. of the Yahara School building, and will take possession on July 1 st. With the help of many volunteers, we hope to have our Childcare moved in and operational by late July and our Elementary School soon after. We will truly be able to celebrate our 30 th YearAnniversary, when we open our doors, in September!

MLCS has just purchased “two” 28 passenger school busses!

We will transport students we have enrolled in our before and after school childcare program, to and from the public schools. As a community partner, we hope to accommodate those families who have been affected by the new Stoughton School Bussing Policy.

Our 4K program has grown to five sections. We have 100 students registered for our program!

After a one year absence and many requests, our 3 Year Old Preschool Program is back at Martin Luther! Please spread the word!

 Elementary School registration continues for the 2009-2010 school year . Please call the MLCS office at 608-873-8073 for questions, information, or to volunteer.

Classroom Corner

My name is Melissa Kelly and I am the third grade teacher at Martin Luther Christian Schools. In third grade there are many new and fun things to experience. Our first new learning experience is cursive handwriting. Students practice both upper and lower case letters until Christmas and then after Christmas we begin using it in our every day writing. We also focus on different types of writing. Each morning the children write in their journals by answering one of two questions from a packet. We also write stories, do reports, and write on various topics such as Groundhog’s day and Presidents Day. In our Houghton Mifflin reading series, we look at six different genres with a focus on poetry and trickster tales. Students also break into groups and do literature circles on different chapter books. Not only is our focus on reading the words and fluency, but we begin taking a closer look at what it is we are reading and comparing and contrasting it to other materials. In math, students begin to learn multiplication, division, and more difficult math concepts. In science we begin by looking at animal and plant science. We then move to physical science and talk about simple machines. We later focus on earth science, planets, and the human body and six body systems. In social studies we study Japan, Brazil, and Norway. Our faith and Christian values play an important part of each day.

Peace and Blessing,

JoAnn Gilbert

Administrator, MLCS

 

MLCS BOARD LOOKING FOR CANDIDATES

Martin Luther Christian School needs your help today and as we plan for the future. The Board of Directors is looking for candidates to fill positions. If you would like to be a part of the MLCS family, we urge you to consider offering your name for consideration to become a member of the Board.

This is a very exciting time for MLCS, as we start a new chapter in the School’s history. We have leased a large portion of the former Yahara school, where we will have the space to enlarge our programs while still planning and raising Funds for the Future enabling us to have our own facility on our property on Williams Drive.

We need several Christian education minded people to step forward and join the team at this critical time in the life of MLCS. If you are interested in serving as a MLCS Board member, please contact Gail Wollenzien, MLCS Board, for more information by May 1, 2009. Nominations will be accepted prior to the MLCS annual meeting, which is tentatively scheduled for the last week in May.

Thank you for considering becoming a member of MLCS Board.

Gail Wollenzien

gailwollen@charter.net

873-9556

 

FAMILY MAILBOXES & NAME BADGES

Have you misplaced your name badge? Does your child need one? Has your name plate on your mailbox fallen off? Are you a member who doesn’t have a mailbox? Please contact Chris in the church office at 873-7494 or covluth@chorus.net.

 

Church Events E-mail List

Do you or someone you know need prayer?

Call the Covenant Prayer Chain! Call either Lois at 877-0908 or Karla at 877-0284. Prayer is a powerful thing!!! 

A Reminder

Your church home seeks to be available for you during times of crisis and celebration.  Until we master the art of mind reading, we need some help to make that happen!  Please contact the church office when:

• A death occurs in your family

• A new baby arrives

• Someone within your household is hospitalized or moved to a nursing home. Please note: hospitals only call if you specifically direct them to do so; indicating your church home does not guarantee a call.

• Your address or phone changes

• You become aware that a member of the congregation has become homebound

• You have a prayer requestA new family moves to your neighborhood or someone you know does not have a church home

• Your committee or group plans to have a meeting, or cancel a meeting, so that it can be put on the church calendar or in the bulletin.

Pastor's Availability

Do you need to speak to one of your pastors? Like to just pop in and get to know them better?  Please know that their doors are open for you!  The nature of the pastors' job means 'office hours' vary due to pastoral care responsibilities at hospitals, nursing homes, and in homes, as well as other off-site meetings, but they are generally available in the office ekday mornings and often in the afternoons.  Both are available by appointment days, evenings, and weekends.  Contact either pastor at the church office for a time.  873-7494

GIFTS & MEMORIALS

ALTAR FLOWERS

Let’s beautify the sanctuary one Sunday at a time. We need people to sign up for flowers for the altar. If you have a birthday, anniversary or just like flowers, there is a sign up sheet in the Narthex.

Questions: Call Joan Buss at 873-3449.

 

 

Pastoral Acts

Baptisms:

Marriages:
  

Last modified 4/11/2009
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