covenant presbyterian church

Advent & Christmas 2021

Worship services, devotionals, gatherings, mission opportunities & more!

Our Sunday morning worship services & our Advent retreat are offered both in-person and through Zoom.

Due to COVID, in-person services are shorter, maksed, and include singing only at the very end. Because our sanctuary is smaller, we cannot guarantee social distancing, so we encourage everyone to use their best judgment as to whether or not they are comfortable worshipping in person. 

If you’d like to attend via Zoom, please email Kathy Miller for the link and password.

Sunday morning services

Because of COVID, our Sunday morning services are masked and we encourage children to go directly to Sunday School. Additionally, we try to keep our services limited to 45 minutes and the only singing we do is a short Benediction response. Our Advent services will look similar to regular Sunday morning services with the addition of lighting candles on the Advent wreath. We hope you can join us.

Sunday, November 28, 2021 @ 10:00 a.m. — Advent One (Hope)

Sunday, December 5, 2021 @ 10:00 a.m. — Advent Two (Peace)

Sunday, December 12, 2021 @ 10:00 a.m. — Advent Three (Joy)

Sunday, December 19, 2021 @ 10:00 a.m. — Advent Four (Love)

Sunday, December 26, 2021 @ 10:00 a.m.

Mission Opportunities

STOCKINGS FOR SOLDIERS

Stockings will go to soldiers who are deployed or in Veterans Hospitals and those helping with the covid pandemic; a list of items that can be included in the stockings is available in the TidingsStockings need to be dropped off at church no later than Sunday, December 5th.

REVERSE ADVENT CALENDAR FOOD PANTRY

We encourage you to put aside an item of non-perishable food each day of advent for the food pantry. Most needed items are:

  • Shampoo
  • Deodorant
  • Toothpaste
  • Toothbrush
  • Non cream of soups for instance, meat, vegetable, potato, chicken noodle or any chunky Soup
  • Pancake mix
  • Pancake Syrup
  • Saltine Crackers
  • Laundry Detergent
  • Children’s Cereal

Food can be dropped off at church each week or at the end of Advent and will be delivered to the Food Pantry by the Mission Committee. We have done this project for several years now and it always helps to make Covenant the biggest donor of food for the year to the Northside Food Pantry.

A NEW KIND OF CHRISTMAS FAMILIES

Over the last year, the Mission Committee has been discussing how we might make a change to our Christmas family mission project. This project has been a way to offer a few families a fantastic Christmas with gifts provided by Covenant and has certainly accomplished this. However, we have become aware of more and more places in Racine making Christmas gifts available to families. Additionally, the committee has had a growing desire to try and contribute to families in a way that will last beyond Christmas.

Recently, the opportunity to co-sponsor an Afghan Refugee family with three other Racine congregations has presented itself to Covenant (we sent out an email with the details to this). As we considered the great need these many refugee families will have as they begin their new lives in the United States, we saw an opportunity to shift the focus of our Christmas Families project to something that would help these refugees build a new life. This year, we’d like to ask members to consider how much you would have spent on gifts for the Christmas families and instead make a donation of that money towards our work with the refugee families. If Covenant decides we are not able to co-sponsor with these other congregations because we don’t have the volunteers available, we will still be able to offer this financial help to these new families in our community.

If you’d like to participate, you can send a check into the church or donate on our website making sure to put a note that it is for the “Afghan refugee project.” Our initial goal is to raise $2000. If you have any questions, please reach out to Pastor Jenny or a member of the Mission Committee.

CHRISTMAS EVE OFFERING

This year’s Christmas Eve offering will be donated to the Racine Vocational Ministry. Racine Vocational Ministry is a faith-based nonprofit organization whose services go beyond simple job placement to a holistic approach that cares for and addresses the whole person. RVM helps participants:

  • become productive, self-sufficient worker trained for appropriate careers
  • retain jobs through monitoring and follow-up
  • address negatives in their lives that impede their careers (including drugs and alcohol, homelessness and emotional health problems)

Their mission is to:

  • Help individuals discover God’s presence and action in all aspects of life, including work.
  • Prepare individuals for life and work by developing attitudes, habits and skills that reflect human dignity.
  • Empower unemployed and underemployed citizens to become productive and fulfilled.
  • Help individuals use their unique callings to powerfully influence their communities.

To give to this offering please mail a check or put a check in the Offering Box at church made out to Covenant Presbyterian Church with “Christmas Offering” in the memo field or give through our website and choose the “other donation” choice for your giving any time before Christmas.

Advent Devotionals

We have a whole host of different Advent devotionals both outside the church in our Little Free Library as well as inside inthe Gathering Space. Some have been read and loved, others may be brand new. Some are from years past, some are undated, and some are for this year.

We hope you will choose one that stands out to you (one that calls your name). Take it home, read it, and when you’re done with it (whether that’s this year or in five years), bring it back so someone else can appreciate it.

If you’re looking for a digital devotional, we’ve recommended a number of options here.

MORNING ADVENT RETREAT—DECEMBER 4th (RSVP Req'd)

Come join us for a half-day Advent retreat designed to help you enter more deeply into the season. We’ll be focusing on our Advent theme (Close to Home) & the book of Ruth. There will be opportunities for silence, prayer, conversation, and learning.

You are welcome to attend in-person (masked and socially distanced in the sanctuary) or online through Zoom.

Please RSVP with Kathy Miller no later than Wednesday, December 1st.

Sunday School Advent Workshop—December 12th

Our Sunday School children are invited to come to Sunday School on Sunday, December 12th for our annual Advent Workshop. Each child will get to make three different crafts/gifts as well as help paint our Stained Glass Nativity Panels. We will begin the workshop during the Sunday School hour where each classroom will rotate through to different stations, but to finish all the crafts, the workshop will likely run for 15-20 min longer than Sunday School. We hope you will join us!

service of light—7:00 p.m. December 19th (Zoom Only)

Because the holiday season can often be full of hustle and bustle and jolly good cheer …

Because the holiday season can heighten feelings of loneliness, isolation, grief, and depression …

Because sometimes you just need a timeout, a space to be quiet and collect yourself …

Our Service of Light offers a more quiet and contemplative approach to the season. We hope you will join us on Sunday, December 19th at 7:00 p.m. You can get the Zoom link and password from Kathy Miller.

Christmas Eve—5:00 p.m & 9:00 p.m.

Because we’re not singing much in worship due to COVID,* you are invited to join us for an abbreviated carol sing outside (distanced and masked) 15 minutes before each service.

If you’ll be worshipping via Zoom, you’re invited to come pick up a Christmas Eve candle from just inside the church doors  Monday, December 20th—Thursday, December 23rd between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

There will not be nursery care or childcare at either Christmas Eve service. Children are welcome to attend worship in the sanctuary or via Zoom.

Friday, December 24, 2020 @ 5:00 p.m. — Family friendly Christmas Eve service including lessons and carols* by Covenant children and youth along with candle lighting

Friday, December 24, 2020 @ 9:00 p.m. — Traditional service of lessons & carols* with candle lighting

*Each service will end with the congregation singing two verses of Silent Night and Joy to the World but otherwise, all carols will be played on video.

CHRISTMAS EVE OFFERING

This year’s Christmas Eve offering will be donated to the Racine Vocational Ministry. Racine Vocational Ministry is a faith-based nonprofit organization whose services go beyond simple job placement to a holistic approach that cares for and addresses the whole person. RVM helps participants:

  • become productive, self-sufficient worker trained for appropriate careers
  • retain jobs through monitoring and follow-up
  • address negatives in their lives that impede their careers (including drugs and alcohol, homelessness and emotional health problems)

Their mission is to:

  • Help individuals discover God’s presence and action in all aspects of life, including work.
  • Prepare individuals for life and work by developing attitudes, habits and skills that reflect human dignity.
  • Empower unemployed and underemployed citizens to become productive and fulfilled.
  • Help individuals use their unique callings to powerfully influence their communities.

To give to this offering please mail a check or put a check in the Offering Box at church made out to Covenant Presbyterian Church with “Christmas Offering” in the memo field or give through our website and choose the “other donation” choice for your giving any time before Christmas.