Welcome

Join us for worship Sunday mornings at 9:30 a.m. in person or online (see links below)

We are delighted that you found us. We envision this site as a “front porch,” where you can come and find out about us in a very comfortable manner, and learn more about many facets of our life together. Feel free to browse through and see if there is a meaningful way for you to connect… to connect with the Divine Source of our life, to connect with other folks who are passionate and engaged, and to connect with the world around us!

Here at Covenant United Methodist Church we believe in the image of God in all persons. We strive to practice “Open Hearts, Open Minds, and Open Doors” with regards to all. We believe in the full-personhood and full inclusion of historically marginalized people groups, including but not limited to People of Color, the LGBTQIA+ community, women, the disabled, those living in poverty, and other groups. We acknowledge and lament that the Church has not always embodied the ways of Jesus and has often participated in and supported systems of oppression. We strive to shed ourselves of these idols and live in solidarity and support of the oppressed. When we say, “All are welcome!” we mean, “All means all.”

For our community, we will not “hide our light under a bushel basket.” This is who we are and what we are all about. You are invited to come and explore our community of faith in whatever way is meaningful for you.

We pray that you might find our community of faith a place of newfound relevance for your spiritual searching – a place where you don’t necessarily go to find the “right” answers, but a place to explore your questions and your faith.  We strive to be a diverse place, that requires us to engage with one another grounded in the love of God.

Covid 19 Policies: With the changing realities around the Covid-19 virus, Covenant UMC has updated some of policies. We are no longer requiring masks for vaccinated folks, but we are strongly recommending them. Volunteers and staff are specifically asked to continue to wear them on Sundays during our worship service.

Schedule for Lent

March 28th – Maundy Thursday Service at Audubon Park UMC 12:00pm
March 29th – Good Friday Service at Covenant 7:00pm
March 31th – Easter Services at Covenant 9:00am and 11:00am

(Information about Easter Brunch and Easter Egg Hunt to come)

Lenten Message Series

We are beginning our Lenten journey. Lent is the season of 40 days, minus Sundays, leading up to Easter. These 40 days are modeled after Christ Jesus’ temptation and fasting in the wilderness for 40 days. You can read that biblical narrative in Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, or Luke 4:1-13.

The Christian Church has set ourselves on this path for the past two thousand years, as preparation for the celebration of Easter. In the ancient Church, this is when those wishing to be baptized were engaged in intense discipleship to prepare them to enter the life of faith. Nowadays, it’s a common practice to give up something for the season of Lent—chocolate, swearing, watching tv, caffeine (this is not happening for me), etc. It is also the season for taking on a new spiritual practice—beginning your day with prayer and scripture, practicing compassion, serving at a local mission or ministry, etc. One of my favorite ideas came from Pope Francis a few years ago. He called upon followers of Jesus to give up judgment, cruelty, harsh words and to take on practices of kindness, care, joy, and compassion. To me, that’s always struck a powerful cord.

Ash Wednesday is the start of Lent. In this service, we are marked by the ashes of the previous year’s palms from Palm Sunday. We are marked to remember our mortality and humanity, and the gifts that those things are. We are also marked as an act of repentance, or turning from our sin. This is one of my favorite services of the whole year.

Ash Wednesday this year falls on February 14th. The evening service will be at Covenant UMC at 7p, and the early service will be at 12p at Audubon Park UMC. 

Throughout the Lenten season, we will be partnering with Audubon Park UMC because last year really solidified that we are better together. It is relationships that make us whole because it is what God has made us for. Relationships of all kinds. So this year, on Valentines Day, join with us as we both acknowledge the ways we have fallen short in our relationships—with God, others, creation, and ourselves—and the way that we want to reorient ourselves in the ways of Jesus this year.

Join with us on our journey as we follow the Peter throughout this Lenten journey.

Turning Toward the Light Playlist

As a part of our worship series on Spiritual Affective Disorder, we are going to be invited to make an uplifting playlist. Here’s a curated one all ready for you! It includes worship songs, some classic and new hits, all intended to invite us into the practice of turning toward the light. So queue up this music, give yourself a little dance break, and remember that our everyday practices can help us turn toward the Light.

Worship service is at 9:30 am each Sunday. To watch our services live, online go to our YouTube channel or Facebook page. Live videos begin at the same time – Sunday mornings at 9:30 am. To watch previous videos go to the YouTube channel and select the Worship Within Us playlist.
Education

Our church is convinced that the Christian faith addresses all aspects of our lives – including spiritual, physical, social, and political. Our educational topics reflect this holistic approach. These programs are offered as Community Classroom events or in our Sunday adult education classes after worship each week.

Health & Wellness

Nurturing both mind and body is one of our core missions. Our beautiful building is a place for activities like Yoga, Tai Chi, Pickle Ball, and more. Events like our Seasonal Feasts celebrate nutritional health using gifts from our own community garden.

Creation Care

We take seriously our role in sustainability and forward-thinking creation care ideas, whether it comes from our beautiful community gardens, or educational programs and research about environmental issues.

Compassion & Justice

As Christians, we are called to do Acts of Compassion and Acts of Justice. Compassion is showing kindness to another person. Justice is an action that creates a change that makes things fairer in our community or world.

From the Pastor’s Desk

February 14, 2024|From the Pastor's Desk|

Lent is a peculiar time in the Church year. The season kicks off with Ash Wednesday, a service during which we are called to truly acknowledge and hold our mortality before God and each other. We are marked for mortality [...]

Recent Posts

February 28, 2024|Announcements, Education, Featured|

A new northside preschool is opening! Registration for The Children's Garden Preschool begins March 4, 2024 and enrollment is limited. They are located inside Covenant United Methodist Church. For more information visit their website or [...]

Anti-Racism & Civil Rights Through Film

March 1, 2024|Adult Ed, Community, Education|

Held March 10th after worship. Tom Robinson and Pastor Megan Madsen will be leading this class as we look at issues of systemic racism and other civil rights issues by watching films and discussing how [...]

Sister Church Scholarships for 2023

For thirty years Covenant Methodist has maintained a “Sister Church” Relationship with Buenas Nuevas Lutheran Church in the El Salvadoran village of El Paisnal.

In addition to many Covenant delegations to El Salvador, Covenant Methodist has had the opportunity to help El Paisnal’s children with a scholarship fund that provides tuition, shoes, uniforms, and basic school supplies.

For $130 a student is provided a full year of these supplies. We have been able provide scholarships to nearly 100 students every year. (Donations in any amount are gladly accepted and appreciated.)

The fund also supports “Saturday School,” where students study English and basic computer skills. These classes are taught by former scholarship recipients.

Giving is easy! If giving online, navigate to the ‘Give’ tab and choose ‘Give to Sister Church Scholarships’ in the dropdown menu when entering your information. If giving by check, indicate Sister Church Scholarships in the memo line.

Eden Community Gardens is a partner program with Covenant. Have you seen the raised beds and beautiful fountain north of our building?  Learn more about its mission here.

Love is a fruit in season at all times, and within reach of every hand. It is the greatest gift anyone can give.