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An Open And Affirming Community Of Faith -
We Welcome All Beliefs!
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Sage meets every Friday at 1 PM. Check here for the church calendar for the link.
- Holocaust Remembrance is May 5th
- Meditation on Wednesday, May 22nd at 7 pm
- Pot Luck 5/19 after service - see below
- Saturday, May 4 is World Labyrinth Day. Holy Covenant will be open from 12 pm to 3 pm for those who would like to walk our labyrinth. We will have explanatory materials and music to accompany your walk.
- Pints With the Pastor, Thursday, May 9th at 6pm
- Next Board Meeting is May 16th via Zoom
- Looking ahead to May and June, if you would like to add or update a photo of your mom (Mothers Day in May) or father (Fathers Day in June), or of someone who was a parental figure to you, dig those pictures out to send to Roxann.
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Support Holy Covenant MCC
with Your Generosity Today!
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Giving Needed Weekly
(4 WEEKS) $1,170
The monthly difference is $35
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Our bills are listed for the month of
APRIL 2024.
Your generosity helps us pay the bills. Any amount helps us meet our obligations.
If you would like to pay one of the bills,
please designate that in your donation.
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UPCOMING EVENTS OF INTEREST | |
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PINTS WITH THE PASTOR
MAY 9TH!
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Join us at Pub 78 in beautiful downtown Brookfield for no-host dinner and/or drinks. conversation and good times from 6 pm - 8 pm.
Time: 6 pm, Thursday, May 9th.
Pub 78
3733 Grand Ave
Brookfield, IL 60513
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POTLUCK - SUMMER FOODS!
MAY 19, 2024
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Hey there, church fam! Our fifth potluck of the year is coming up and we're getting excited to indulge in some delicious summer eats! We're talking juicy watermelon, tangy BBQ chicken, refreshing lemonade, and so much more! The potluck will take place on Sunday, May 19th, right after service, so be sure to come hungry! We're counting on our talented congregation to whip up some mouthwatering dishes that'll have us all drooling. Don't forget to sign up below and let us know what you'll be bringing to the table. Let's make this potluck one for the books!
May Potluck Signup sheet
Future dates for potlucks are:
May 19 (something that reminds you of summer)
June 30 (fancy/fabulous for Pride)
July 26 (cool for summer)
August 25 (picnic theme)
September 29 (breakfast)
October 27 (pizza and a donation for Share Food Share Love)
November 24 (Native American)
December 29 (cozy)
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SCAM WARNING
Hello friends! I wanted to let you know that a scam is going around churches in which someone sends an email or a Facebook message or text claiming to be the pastor, and asking for cash or gift cards--sometimes it's for themselves in a "crisis," sometimes it's to "help" someone else. DO NOT RESPOND, DO NOT SEND THEM ANYTHING! I will never send out such an email/message/text! Please report it to me or the Board, and again, DO NOT RESPOND, it does not come from me or the Board! -- Pastor Martha Daniels
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THRIVE WITH PRIDE FOR MAY 28th at 11 am -
Exploring the Expansiveness of Gender
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Are you looking for ways to better support trans community members? Do you have questions you’ve been afraid or embarrassed to ask or don’t know who to ask?
Join Karari Olvera (she/they) and Jes Favers du Shine (they/them) from Praxis Group for a guided discussion in a non-judgmental space as they explore the expansiveness of gender through national data and their own experiences navigating the world as trans and gender non-conforming (TGNC) people.
Click here to download the informational flyer and to attend you must register here.
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Thrive with Pride Cafe on May 2
Holy Covenant's Thrive with Pride Cafe will gather on Thursday, May 2 at 7 pm via Zoom (contact Rev. Martha for the link). We will review a presentation from the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), titled "Reframing Scam Shame." Many people, especially seniors, do not report it when they have been scammed, out of shame or fear that others will think it reflects on their mental competence. Lisa Schifferle and Michael Herndon of the CFPB discuss the many forms of scams and how they try to trick us. Join us for this interesting and needed discussion!
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Queer and Catholic: Making Sense of Recent (and Confusing) Catholic Statements on LGBTQ Issues
Join LGBTQ Religious Archives Network for a timely and opportune online presentation on May 16th: "Queer and Catholic: Making Sense of Recent (and Confusing) Catholic Statements on LGBTQ Issues." Read more about this program and its presenters here.
This Zoom webinar is co-hosted by the Center for LGBTQ & Gender Studies in Religion (CLGS) and LGBTQ-RAN.
Schedule: May 16, 2024; 5PM PT / 6PM MT / 7PM CT / 8PM ET
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Join our comprehensive Gender and Sexuality Course which delves into the fascinating and diverse tapestry of the human experience. Explore the concepts of sex, gender, and sexuality, and how they affect our human lives. Let's challenge the stereotypes, embrace inclusivity, and gain insights on sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression.
This course fulfills the Ministry Action Plan requirements, and is open to anyone who is interested. The course will have Rev. Dr. Francisco Danielsen-Morales as the instructor.
Schedule: June 7, June 14, June 21, and June 28; 4PM to 6PM ET
Please contact Rev. Cathy Alexander via email for more information (link below).
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HOLY COVENANT BOARD MEETING
MAY 16TH VIA ZOOM
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The next Board meeting will be held on May 16th, 7 pm via Zoom. The Board discussed about moving meetings to Zoom and it was approved by everyone. If you would like to attend a meeting via Zoom, please contact Rev. Martha for the link so you can listen and observe.
You can find all the Board agenda, minutes and financials on our website. They are also posted on the bulletin board in Fellowship Hall.
You can find a PDF of the past Board Meetings Agenda, Minutes and church financials here
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WEEKLY SERVICE INFORMATION | |
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HYBRID - IN PERSON AND ON YOUTUBE
REV. MARTHA DANIELS PREACHING
10:00 AM CST
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Our worship celebration is every Sunday at 10 am CST. If you would like to join us you may join us in person or go to our YouTube page and click to watch the service or previous services.
Sunday, May 4, 2024
1 Corinthians 12: 12-31a
Luke 4: 14-21
Sermon Title: "Selections"
Have a candle ready to light, a cookie or bread, and a glass of your favorite libation for communion if you are watching online.
You can also find previous services on our YouTube Channel here.
Rev. Martha is available by email, phone, Facebook Messenger, and text for any pastoral needs you may have revmarthadaniels@gmail.com
DO YOU WANT TO HELP WITH WORSHIP?
Do you feel a call to help with worship? To read a prayer, or a reading, or to usher or serve communion? Whether you are here in person or virtually, we need and want your gifts! Contact Rev. Martha or Roxann at roxann.victory@outlook.com.
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HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE DAY - MAY 5TH | |
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The Days of Remembrance of the Victims of the Holocaust (DRVH) is an annual eight-day period designated by the United States Congress for civic commemorations and special educational programs that help citizens remember and draw lessons from the Holocaust. The annual DRVH period normally begins on the Sunday before the Israeli observance of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Memorial Day, and continues through the following Sunday, usually in April or May.
A National Civic Commemoration is held in Washington, D.C., with state, city, and local ceremonies and programs held in most of the fifty states, and on U.S. military ships and stations around the world. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum designates a theme for each year's programs, and provides materials to help support remembrance efforts.
You can learn more by accessing these sites.
Wikipedia - Days of Remembrance
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
You can also visit the Illinois Holocaust Museum located in Skokie, IL.
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In the grand theater of community sales, where every volunteer is both the star and the stagehand, we witnessed a symphony of cooperation that would make even the most seasoned orchestra conductor green with envy. The maestro of the event, Cheryl Bartik, wielded her pricing gun with the finesse of a virtuoso, while Barbara Adams Latsaras orchestrated the flow of goods with a baton made of sheer determination. Tables, those silent yet sturdy supporters of all things for sale, were generously provided by the Bartik family, ensuring that the merchandise stood proudly, like soldiers ready for inspection.
The signage, crafted by the artistic hands of Roxann Victory, guided patrons as effectively as a lighthouse beams through fog, ensuring no treasure hunter was left adrift in a sea of bargains. The early birds, Karen, Sue, and Joanie, flitted about with a cheerfulness that belied the ungodly hour, their laughter mingling with the dawn chorus. Rev. Martha blessed the proceedings with a serenity that calmed even the most frantic of bargain spotters, while Jim, with a twinkle in his eye, proved that one man's trash is indeed another man's treasure.
Bev, the matriarch of multitasking, managed to keep one eye on the sale and another on her son John, a man with the enviable ability to carry two chairs at once – a feat that surely defies some law of physics. Lisa, the progeny of Barbara & Mary Ann, demonstrated that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, arriving at the crack of dawn with a smile that could outshine the rising sun.
As the day unfolded, the community came together like a patchwork quilt, each person a unique stitch holding the fabric of the event tightly in place. Laughter was the currency of the day, and it was spent lavishly. The sale itself became a living entity, fed by the collective energy of the volunteers, growing, expanding, and thriving under their care.
When the time came for the grand finale, the tear-down, it was Eve, her wife Kit and a friend of theirs, who led the charge, their efficiency so profound that one might suspect they had a secret stash of energy drinks. With the precision of a well-oiled machine, the tables were folded away, the unsold items packed up, and the area cleared, leaving behind nothing but the echoes of a day well spent and the promise of future gatherings.
As the last table was tucked away, a collective sigh of satisfaction rose to the heavens, a silent prayer of gratitude for the many hands that made light work. And so, with hearts full and spirits high, the volunteers parted ways, each carrying with them the knowledge that when autumn leaves begin to fall, they would reunite once more, for another round of community sale shenanigans. Until then, the memories of this spring's sale would bloom in their hearts, a perennial reminder of what can be achieved when a community comes together. Oh and we raised $670!
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Join us all month long for informative seminars, health programs, fitness, entertainment, and more!
Hello Neighbors! Below is our June schedule. Join us all month long for informative seminars, brain health programs, fitness, history, entertainment, and more online and in person! Just click here for the list of classes.
We encourage you to share our class schedule with friends, family, and neighbors, near & far, of any age – everyone is welcome to join us! All of our classes are free & no advance registration is required. We hope to see you soon on Zoom!
Thank you all for being a part of the Aging Well Neighborhood!
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SHARE FOOD, SHARE LOVE
FOOD PANTRY NEEDS YOUR HELP!
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Want to volunteer at Share Food Share Love, click here!
Food insecurity has become a public health crisis that continues to affect our communities, with an alarming increase of 19 in the number of households facing hunger compared to pandemic levels. The situation is even worse for Black households, as the number has risen by 37%. With the recent cancellation of extra money in the SNAP program, it is now more vital than ever to support organizations like Share Food Share Love.
By donating to the Share Food Share Love Food Pantry, you can make a real difference in the lives of those who are struggling to put food on the table. With just a $1.00 donation, you can help provide 3 meals for a family in need. Your generosity can help ensure that our neighbors do not go hungry.
We are calling on all members of our community to help us fight food insecurity by donating to the Share Food Share Love Food Pantry. There is a food box located in front of Tischler's where you can drop off your non-perishable food items 2/47 or bring your food donations to the church and we will take it over. Let's come together to support each other during these challenging times. Thank you for your support!
If you live in the surrounding area of Brookfield, you may qualify to be our neighbor at Share Food, Share Love. You can stop in on Tuesday evenings 7pm to 9 pm and Saturday mornings 10 am to 12 pm to apply and gather up some food for you and your family. If you do come, please try to bring your own reusable bags but if you forget, we will have bags for you.
The food box located in front of Tischler's where you can drop off your non-perishable food into this box 24/7!
Thank you!
SHARE FOOD, SHARE LOVE GIVING PAGE
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WSSS (SAGE) CALENDAR, EVENTS & MENU | |
West Suburban Senior Services (previously known as West Suburban SAGE) a social support group for LGBTQ seniors, meets both via ZOOM and in person on Fridays at 1 pm. Please contact Eric Eugenio Vironet (evironet@cmsschicago.org) if you plan to attend in person as space is limited. Meeting are held at 439 Bohland, Bellwood, Illinois.
Please check out the link below to purchase tickets or make donations to our Spring Fundraiser supporting West Suburban Senior Services.
2024 Spring Concert | Chicago Methodist Senior Services (cmsschicago.org)
Join CMSS for our spring fundraiser Still Rockin’ at FitzGerald’s. The evening will feature music from the 60s and 70s performed by renowned Chicago musician Phil Angotti. All proceeds from the event support programming and resources for older adults at CMSS’ West Suburban campus.
Mother's Day Celebration & Lunch information click here
West Suburban May Activity Calendar click here
West Suburban May Menu click here
West Suburban Senior Services website click here
WSSS Facebook Page click here
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PASTOR'S PICK CORNER -
Rev. Daniels Reading/
Listening/Watching Suggestions
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Many of the most thought-provoking books, movies, podcasts, etc. are not actually religiously or even spiritually oriented. I find "thought experiment" books and such especially interesting, because they offer a way to follow concepts to their ultimate conclusion, especially the "what if" books. Two authors I every much appreciate in this vein are Guy Gavriel Kay, who writes novels set in places and times that are very similar to history--the Byzantine empire (Sailing to Byzantium) and medieval Italy (A Brigtness Long Ago) are but two examples.
Another favorite is Harry Turtledove, who writes alternative history. His breakout book is titled Guns of the South--what if the South won the Civil War? That victory is made possible because (this is not really a spoiler) time travelers from 20th century South Africa have brought AK-47s and sold them to the Confederates. I think he's too kind to Robert E. Lee, but that's a minor quibble. The part of the book that shocked me most when I first read it, back in the 1980's, I think, was Confederate troops marching into Washington DC (where I lived at the time) and into the Capitol and the White House. When the events of January 6, 2021 took place, it was surreal to see things happen that had only happened in imagination. Truth can, indeed, be stranger than fiction.
Turtledove published a book in December 2023 that I somehow missed at the time, titled "Wages of Sin." What if, he asks, HIV had developed and made the jump to humans much earlier in human history? Say, at the beginning of the European exploration of Africa and the beginnings of the slave trade? Before medicine was much of a science, before the development of the microscope, of germ theory, of antibiotics? How would society respond? How would the world have developed differently? There's much to ponder and echoes of other plagues the human race has known--the bubonic plague, smallpox, influenza, and let's not forget Covid 19.
Turtledove's speculations offer real food for thought as we reflect on his novel and compare it to both historical and modern experience. Some things about the human race just don't change...
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MEDITATION WILL BE MAY 22ND! | |
The next date for meditation with Mary Ann will be on Wednesday May 22nd at 7:00 pm. We hope to see you there!
For more information about meditation please contact Mary Ann Latsaras at only1amar@yahoo.com.
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AMAZON HAS OUR LIST OF NEEDS!
UPDATED LIST!
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We have updated our "needs" list online at Amazon. We ask that you look at our list of what items we are in need of and purchase something for the church.
This list is available to see here HC Need List and is updated as needed. You can order and pay for anything off this list and have it shipped directly to the church. We appreciate anything you can order for us!
We thank you for your continued support of Holy Covenant!
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NEED POWER OF ATTORNEY OR WILL? | | | |
NEW T-SHIRTS FOR HOLY COVENANT
NOW AVAILABLE! ORDER NOW! Show your support of Holy Covenant by buying a t-shirt. Many sizes, shirt types and colors to choose from. These shirts will be used throughout the year when we attend Pride parades or fests and for our garage sales so we are known to our neighbors. A small portion of the proceeds goes to Holy Covenant. Any questions please see Roxann Victory or email her at roxann.victory@outlook.com.
Click here to order! https://www.bonfire.com/holy-covenant-mcc/
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We mourn and pray for all the families who have suffered personal losses from gun violence at our schools, churches, and hospitals. public venues and other places.
Prayers for Denise C. for a peaceful transition to eternal life & for her family.1
Prayers for Patti V, for answers for my chronic fatigue & pain which is getting worse.2
Prayers for Barbara R.'s friend Maggie that she feel God's arms around her as she mourns the death of her husband Walt.2
Prayers for Tony & Jim that their car gets fixed.2
Prayers for Jim U.'s Aunt being forced to move into independent living and for Lucile & John. 2
Prayers for Megan as she faces difficult medical decisions.2
Prayers of Thanksgiving for Debbie C. that her chemo is keeping her lung cancer in check.3
Prayers for Mary Ann that the Dr's find and fix what is making her weak and ill.3
Prayers of peace for Dani and Carly, and all those transitioning to eternal life.3
Prayers for Colin who is sick. For Crystal, Karen, Mark, Chris, Corey, Marci and all others who recently lost their jobs.2
Prayers that all that are unemployed or underemployed find gainful employment.
Prayers for those with harden hearts that feel the need to deface places of worship.
Prayers and strength for Ukraine, for those who are relocating, and to end the war and unnecessary deaths.
Prayers for all our first responders that they stay safe while helping others.
Prayers that God will provide for those who are hungry, unemployed, and homeless,
or in financial difficulties.
All those affected by HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, COVID-19, and other life-threatening illnesses.
All communities of faith.
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LINKS AND OTHER INFORMATION | |
There is a universal help line 211 for Cook County. They can help residents with housing, food, health services and more. It is a 24 hour seven day a week operation and have trained professionals answer the phone and are able to help you | |
Missed a sermon?
Click here to catch up and watch on the Holy Covenant YouTube channel!
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If you or someone you know is in an emergency call 911 for help.
Need someone to talk to? Call the suicide lifeline by dialing 988.
NAMI - National Alliance on Mental Health
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Every day brings something new—
and God is with us always!
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9145 Grant Ave
Brookfield, IL 60513
Phone: 708.387.1611
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