Slideshow image

Good Afternoon, Covenant Family.

I apologize for the increase in messages from me, but we want to work hard to keep you up to date on our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please read this full message to ensure you don’t miss out on something important to you. And if you know someone who does not have easy e-mail access, please give them a call to fill them in.

  1. Our Sunday Service will be online-only for the next three Sundays (including Palm Sunday - April 5). We have been instructed by BIC Canada to cancel all in-person gatherings. This includes house churches, board meetings, staff meetings, and any attempt to be together in person on Sunday mornings. We will be going live on www.facebook.com/CovenantPenetang from the Limmer family living room at 10 am. If you are logged into Facebook while you watch, we encourage you to use the comments section to let each other know you’re there and to catch up with each other. Each week we’ll be including a short “kid’s story” as a part of the service. This week during our kid’s story I’m looking forward to introducing you to someone very special!
  2. Children remain a priority for us as a Covenant family. If you are looking for a free weekly learning resource you can walk through with your children, The Meeting House (part of our Be In Christ Church of Canada family) has you covered. Each Sunday at kidsandyouth.themeetinghouse.com/blog/ they post curriculum for preschoolers and for grades 1-5. There is a lesson plan with questions you can talk through with your kids. There are activity sheets you can print off. And there is a full Grade 1-5 teaching video for you to watch together. On Mondays a follow up is posted with discussion questions and activity sheets which could be used later in the week. You could choose the Sunday material, the midweek material, or use both with your kids!
  3. Angie is looking into ways to gather online with our youth. Watch www.instagram.com/covenantyouthministry/ for details as they come available!
  4. Finances are a concern for many people and organizations during this time. This is true for Covenant Church as well. History has demonstrated that any weeks that services are canceled have a direct impact on the overall financial wellbeing of the ministry. We encourage you to still prayerfully give to our collective ministry as you are able during this time. We now have electronic giving available which you can access on your cell phone by texting “give” to 705-549-8477 or by simply clicking on this link: em2.ca/covenantchurch?give&if=true. If you would like to give by cheque, you may drop off your offerings in the church mailbox at 95 Robert St. E. (it will be monitored regularly) or mail cheques to the church.
  5. Finally, we just want to encourage you to reach out to each other via phone, text, social media, or video chat. This is true especially if you know (or even think!) someone is alone. If you would like to request a phone call for conversation or prayer - or if you need something delivered or can’t afford something essential - please reach out to help@covenantchurch.ca and someone will be so glad to follow up with you. Let us not become weary in doing good!

Thanks for your understanding regarding the difficult decisions we have needed to make. God willing, making wise decisions now will lessen the impact of this virus and decrease the length of time we need to take these measures. In the meantime, thank you for looking for creative ways to be the family of Jesus together during these days.

Grace and Peace,

Jon