covenant news & announcements · 8/23/2020 · 10:45 a.m. online fellowship time 236-716-120...

One Week Plus in the CLOKC SUNDAY, Aug. 23 12TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (G) 10:00 a.m. Church At Home with Communion

on CLOKC.church, YouTube, Zoom 236-716-120 or Facebook.com/CLOKCdotChurch

10:00 a.m. Worship Service at Ascension 10:45 a.m. Online Fellowship Time 236-716-120 11:00 a.m. Ascension Congregational Meeting TUESDAY, Aug. 25 12:00 noon Lunch with the Lectionary 813-7136-5574 WEDNESDAY, Aug. 26 2:00 p.m. Learning the Lessons 847-5387-2406 SUNDAY, Aug. 30 13TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (G) 9:00 a.m. Drive In Worship Service at Redeemer

826-8005-0795 10:00 a.m. Redeemer Congregational Meeting 10:00 a.m. Church At Home with Communion


10:45 a.m. Online Fellowship Time 236-716-120 TUESDAY, Sept. 1 12:00 noon Lunch with the Lectionary 813-7136-5574 WEDNESDAY, Sept. 2 9:00 a.m. Ascension Council Meeting ?? 2:00 p.m. Learning the Lessons 847-5387-2406 SUNDAY, Sept. 7 14TH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST (G) 10:00 a.m. St. Mark Worship with Communion

on Facebook.com/StMarkMWC 11:15 a.m. Church At Home with Communion NEW TIME


12:00 noon. Online Fellowship Time 236-716-120

Covenant Lutheran Oklahoma City Churches

Contact Information Inside

for the week of August 23, 2020, 12th Sunday after Pentecost . mailed on Thursday, available by email & social media on Saturday .Final

Covenant News & Announcements U We have suspended MOST in-person worship services through

August with the exceptions noted below. The Sunday Church At Home service stream begins at 10:00 a.m. on CLOKC.church, at www.facebook.com/CLOKCdotChurch, on YouTube (search CLOKCdotChurch), and on Zoom (236-716-120). Messages on Twitter and Instagram at 10 a.m. lead to the service on YouTube. Announcements and the service will begin at 10:00 a.m.

U Ascension has scheduled an in-person service at 10:00 am on THIS SUNDAY, to be followed by a congregational meeting.

U Redeemer will have an in-person service in their parking lot on NEXT SUNDAY August 30 at 9:00 am, with a congregational meeting after. The Zoom ID for the service & meeting is 826 8005 0795.

U St. Mark resumes in-person worship services on September 6. U Beginning on Sunday, September 6, our Church At Home video

service will be available at 11:15 am, with fellowship time following at 12 noon.

U We celebrate Holy Communion at each Church At Home service. Set out bread and glasses of wine, or grape juice, before the service.

U Please mail or deliver your offerings to your church. Church expenses continue even while we don’t gather together.

U Pastor Brian needs help with our Sunday services. If you are willing to record video you or your family reading greetings, prayers, or announcements, please let Pastor Brian know.

U Please check out our Collection Corner for updates on drives. U Each week, the OKC Cluster of ELCA churches prays for a church.

This Sunday, Resurrection in Yukon is being prayed for.

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Clicks from the CLOKC for 12th Sunday after Pentecost, August 23, 2020. Clicks from the CLOKC for 12th Sunday after Pentecost, August 23, 2020.

Pastor’s Ponderings Just a reminder for those preparing for their church Congregational

Meeting. We have again reprinted the Futures Task Force’s recommendations. The key item that will be discussed and voted on are their recommendations in the red box on the front of the report.

We will continue our Covenant Church At Home services streamed on Sundays even after the individual churches begin to hold in-person worship services. It has streamed at 10 am, but will need to find a new time when St. Mark resumes their service in September.

We will move Covenant Church At Home to 11:15 a.m. beginning September 6. Our online fellowship time will start slightly just noon. But it stays at 10 am through August.

Our Covenant Church At Home service is not just the way we provide our worship service for people lockdown at home. It is also a new ministry that we need to continue. There are a significant number of people for whom Sunday Morning services don’t work. I’ve heard from several of you that you watch later in the day, or later in the week, from time to time, or all of the time. This is a way that we can look at Being Church Differently, while we work at Becoming Church Together.

God’s Peace Be With You All, Pastor Brian

Covenant Lutheran Oklahoma City Churches Redeemer Office St. Mark Office Ascension Office

1524 NE. Grand Blvd., OKC 405-427-6863

7501 E. Reno, Midwest City 405-732-6837

3617 S.E. 29th, Del City 405-677-1444

[email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.redeemerokc.church .f. RedeemerLutheranOKC.

www.stmarkmwc.org .f. StMarkMWC

www.ascensionlc.com .f. AscensionCLOKCdotChurch

Pastor Brian Campbell [email protected] 405-318-0890 Please call Pastor Brian if you, or a loved one, are sick, depressed,

hospitalized, or have concerns for yourself or your family. During this crisis, Pastor Brian works from home. Call him if you need him.

Collection Corner NEW: As students return to Rose State, St. Mark has been asked to

help stock their food pantry. Their current needs are for: manual can openers, and cans of vegetables. Please drop off donations to your church and Pastor Brian will collect them.

UPDATE FOR FAMILIES IN NEED : While we still need the items listed below, the greatest need is for cash donations to purchase electrical items (switches, plugs, outlets, fixtures, ceiling fans, etc.) Send the donation to YOUR church, marked FOR FAMILIES IN NEED: An 18” toilet stool; Bathroom Vanity with sink & faucet; Tile and green board for a bathroom; New refrigerator; and Kitchen table and chairs. If you have items to contribute, contact Pastor Brian.

St. Mark has an outdoor food pantry that people to use daily. Please donate Individual serving lunch items, like cans with pull-tops. Suggested items are: Tuna, peanut butter, cheese and crackers packs, Mac and cheese cups; single serving fruit cups.

St. Mark is collecting glass & plastic peanut butter sized jars with screw on lids to be filled with laundry soap, and be made available to those in need.

UPDATED: St. Mark collects the following items for SISU for their homeless youth shelter: Individual Hand Sanitizers; Bike Lights and Locks; Tylenol & NyQuil; Clorox Wipes & other disinfectants

FMI: sisuyouth.org.

2020 Bedlam Food Drive Drop Off Dates

will be: October 25,

November 1, November 8, & November 15.

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Coffee with Jesus appears by permission of radiofreebabylon.com

Agnus Day appears by permission of agnusday.org.

In Greek, the word rock is petra. So Jesus is saying, “You are Peter,

and on this Petra, I will build my church. + pBC

Covenant Prayer List Ascension: Dottie Smith, Bertha Walker, Kathy Harrison, Jerry

Harrison, Jan Trygstad, Paula Ryan Redeemer: Pastor Michael & Norma Cone, Edward James, Tyree

Ponds, Ashton Wright, Chad Jones, Earnest Clark, Wesley Banks, Janet Ellis, Cornelia Paulson, Charles Harraway Jr., Dave Braggs III, Eddie James, Kathy Burkhalter, Thelma Jones, Charlotte Wright, Diane Ponds, June Logan, Ingela Thuné-Brown, Jessie Ricks, Roshalle Braggs, Sadie Davis, Ryan Brewer, Anna Mondragon, Chance White

St. Mark: Ken Bennett, Dean Cash, Loretta Tilden, Vivian Corbin, Jamey Hutchins, Lia Drake

General Concerns: Those away from family & friends; Those who seek reconciliation;

For The Recently Deceased: the Family of Janet Ellis; the Family of Lee Mitchell; the Family of Jess Hoffman; the Family of Terry Sheesley; the Family of Donald Ponds; the family of Bob Paulsen; the Family of Trina Walker; and the Family of Cynthia Jackson-Howard

Embracing God's Future without Forgetting the Past

People around the world are grappling with what it means to die and mourn in the midst of a pandemic. For this reason (with no solicitation from Bishop Mike) information on purchasing Bishop Mike's Book, "Embracing God's Future without Forgetting the Past" is available at www.aokelca.org/post/embracing -gods-future-without-forgetting-the-past and other booksellers.

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How To Join Us For Church At Home

Just before 10 am on Sunday, using your computer:

Open your browser to: www.clokc.church. Scroll down to see the video. Press play for the Sunday service. You can watch the service here all week.

Open your browser to: www.YouTube.com, and search for CLOKCdotChurch. When on the CLOKC page, find the Worship video for the day and press play. You can watch the service all week here. Old sermons are archived here.

Open your browser to :www.facebook.com/ CLOKCdotChurch. Look for the video premier atop the news feed. Services are archived here for a while.

Open your browser to :www.zoom.us, or open the Zoom app. Click “Join a meeting” and type in Meeting ID 236-716-120. Services are only available on Zoom at that time.

A Twitter message from @CLOKCdotChurch at 10 am will have a link to the service on www.YouTube.com.

An Instagram message from @CLOKCdotChurch at 10 am will have a link to the service on www.YouTube.com.

Just before 10 am on Sunday, using your phone:

Call Zoom at either (253) 215-8782 or (346) 248-7799. When told to “Join a meeting,” type in 236-716-120 #. Services are only available on Zoom at that time.

For help or questions, call Pastor Brian at 405-318-0890 but not on Sunday morning, he will be busy. Sorry.

You can use these steps for Zoom to attend meetings or Bible

Studies by changing the meeting code listed above for Sunday services with the code for the gathering you want to attend. Zoom ID codes are listed in the calendar on the back cover.

3 o’CLOKC Prayers

are updated every two weeks at CLOKC.church/3oCLOKC

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Covenant Congregations Status (March, 2020 – Before COVID-19 Measures) Ascension: The congregation has experienced a significant loss of members; and is drawing heavily on savings to continue the Covenant agreement. Because less than 20 typically attend worship services, Ascension may no longer have a critical mass for continued services, and is considering sale of the property. Redeemer: Participating membership is relatively stable, but contributions meet only about 85% of operational needs. With no change in contributions or cost, existing savings are expected to be exhausted in 2021. St. Mark: Participating membership is relatively stable. Contributions are generally sufficient to meet the current operational needs and pay ahead on the mortgage. Current Analysis: Both Ascension and Redeemer may be forced to close within the next 18 months. However, St. Mark would not be able to maintain their financial status if either Ascension or Redeemer were to withdraw from the Covenant agreement. For these reasons, it is critical that each congregation vote on a proposal for blending as soon as possible.

FUTURES TASK FORCE SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS PROPOSAL

Shared Plan for Consolidation This process shall be guided by the provisions discussed in the ELCA guidebook, “Together in Mission: The Blending of Ministries Through Merger or Consolidation”. The Futures Task Force recommends consideration of the following issues: a. All three congregations should begin worshipping together at one

location as soon as is practical. This will encourage fellowship among the members of the emerging congregation, allow for introduction of various liturgical styles, and reduce costs associated with services at three separate locations.

b. This emerging congregation should be temporarily organized as a Synodically Authorized Worshipping Community (SAWC), according to the ELCA Constitution and Bylaws for a SAWC.

c. The St. Mark campus is recommended as the initial site of the emerging congregation. The Futures Task Force recommends St. Mark because it appears to have the best combination of facilities, location for community outreach, and current financial stability. (Suggestions that follow use the example of St. Mark as the initial site of the emerging congregation. The Consolidation Task Force may suggest another site as part of its recommendations.)

d. A formal name (Covenant Lutheran, for example) should be adopted by the members of the blending congregations as part of the consolidation plan.

e. All individuals who choose to join the emerging congregation should be formally received as new members of the congregation.

f. Sunday worship should consist of an early service and a late service. One of these services will feature contemporary or Gospel music, and the other will feature traditional music.

g. Both services should be broadcast live (Zoom or Facebook, for example), so that homebound members can participate in the worship services. The pastor will be supported in this effort by a committee with the skills to facilitate the broadcast.

h. The call of Pastor Campbell should be modified to that of a “SAWC Leader”, with responsibilities as generally defined in the constitution for SAWC congregations.

i. The SAWC membership will elect officers and members of a SAWC Steering Committee (analogous to a Congregation Council).

j. Both Ascension and Redeemer Lutheran Churches should make an initial contribution of $6,000 to establish reserve funding for the emerging congregation. This amount is one-third of the estimated balance ($18,000) of the mortgage on the St. Mark facility on September 1, 2020, and represents a good faith “buy-in” of the shared ministry of the emerging congregation.

k. The voters of St. Mark should transfer the mortgage/title of the property to the emerging congregation.

l. The blending congregations should formalize a Memo of Understanding that a major proportion of net proceeds from the sale of property and/or major equipment in the dissolution plan will be designated for the long term support of the emerging congregation. (A minimum of 75% is suggested by the Futures Task Force.)

Plans of Dissolution This process shall be guided by the ELCA resource, “Leaving a Legacy of Mission and Ministry; A Resource for the Closing of a Congregation”, and through consultation with the Bishop of the Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod. Legacy Directives: “Each congregation will approve legacy directives that will direct the disbursement of the mission assets of the congregation in a fashion that will honor the legacy of the saints who have gone before, prosper the church, and advance the kingdom of God” (from “Leaving a Legacy of Mission and Ministry” of the ELCA).

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Examples of steps that will be necessary are briefly described below: 1. Celebrate the history and ministry of the congregation. 2. Provide for the orderly transfer of members to the emerging

congregation, or to another church body of their choice. 3. Provide for the transfer of historically significant items to the emerging

congregation, so that the history of each blending congregation can be maintained.

4. Close all congregational accounts and make final settlement of any balances due.

5. Transfer office equipment, audio-visual equipment, worship supplies, etc. to the emerging congregation if these items can be used effectively.

6. Dispose of other unneeded equipment, books, supplies, etc. in an orderly fashion.

7. Provide for the sale or donation of the property and any major equipment not required by the emerging congregation. These steps might include donation of property to the Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod, or establishing trust funds to be managed by the Synod for later distribution of assets.

Business/Ministry Plan a. The SAWC Steering Committee will be responsible for administering the

affairs of the emerging congregation. These responsibilities include the salary and benefits for the pastor, musician(s), worship resources, and the costs of maintaining the St. Mark facility. The current St. Mark accounts established for mortgage of the church property, electricity, internet, telephone, water, etc. should be transferred to the emerging congregation.

b. Contributions received during worship must be used exclusively to support the emerging congregation.

Incorporation of the Emerging Congregation If the efforts to establish a financially stable SAWC congregation are successful, the voters should then decide on the future ministry of the permanent congregation. This may involve a number of decisions: a. The site of the congregation: Maintain the initial St. Mark location or move

to a new location that may be more suitable for growth and ministry. b. Constitution and bylaws that define the Council and shape the ministry

of the congregation. c. The mission statement of the congregation. d. Formalize a call to a pastor.

FUTURES TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS June 11, 2020

Recommendation to be voted on by congregations The Futures Task Force of the Covenant Lutheran Congregations recommends

that the congregations of Ascension, Redeemer, and St. Mark develop a shared plan of consolidation. This plan of consolidation shall include: • Guidance for worship life that honors and includes elements of worship

from all three congregations • An equitable agreement for a percentage of the dissolution of each

congregation’s net assets to go to the emerging congregation • Provision of a business/ministry plan for the emerging congregation

If this recommendation is adopted by the required majority vote of each congregation, the process of consolidation should proceed in a stepwise method: Step 1:

A. Each congregation selects members to serve on a “Consolidation Task Force” to develop the shared plan of consolidation.

B. Each congregation votes to develop a plan of dissolution which includes transfer of assets that are not included in the plan of consolidation

Step 2: A. Each congregation votes to enact the shared plan of consolidation B. Each congregation votes to accept its plan of dissolution Step 3: Members of the emerging congregation formally incorporate the new congregation.

BACKGROUND FOR THE FUTURES TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATION Members of the three Covenant congregations met with Bishop Girlinghouse

on July 24, 2019 at Ascension Lutheran Church to discuss possible steps toward combining the congregations. Each congregation agreed to call a meeting of the voters to determine whether the congregation wished to be represented in a Task Force to discuss a means of blending the three congregations.

Result: The majority vote of each congregation was to participate in the work of the Task Force.

As part of the July 24 meeting, an informal poll was conducted. Participants were asked whether a blended congregation should be located at one of the existing properties, or at a different site.

Result: The majority of those present favored a new, independent site (a “consolidation”), so that all members of the blending congregations start fresh, not as guests entering an existing congregation (a “merger”).

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@CLOKCdotChurch On Our Social Media Sites

Regular Social Media Posts

3oCLOKC Prayers Daily at 3 pm

Facebook

Worship Reminders & Info Friday, Saturday & Sunday AM Facebook, Instagram & Twitter

Streaming Worship Sunday 10 am

Facebook, CLOKC.com, YouTube

Pastor’s Sermon Sunday PM YouTube, Facebook & CLOKC.church (written & audio)

90 Second Sermon Summary Monday Morning

YouTube, Facebook (Sunday Night on Instagram TV)

An easy way to share the Good News of Christ and of the Covenant Lutheran Oklahoma City Churches is to share our Social Media posts. You share who we are, what we do, and what we are about.

BIBLE STUDIES Lunch With The Lessons

Noon, TUESDAY, August 25

Matthew 16:21-29 Zoom ID 813 7136 5574

Learning The Letters

Returns on

Wed., August 26 at 2PM Starting with Romans 7:13

CARE RING CALLS During this crisis, Care Rings are calling members

Future Council Meetings Ascension Council Wed., Sept. 2 9:00 am 878-9674-1558 St. Mark Council Tue., Sept. 8 6:30 pm 865-2927-7286 or at St. Mark Redeemer Council Tue., Sept. 15 6:30 pm 730-2824-0898 Covenant Council Wed., Sept 16 6:30 pm 869-5654-0834

Meetings are on Zoom unless noted.

Lutheran Disaster Response

Your gifts to Lutheran Disaster Response help the church respond to the needs of people when disaster strikes. o Give online with a credit card

at www.ELCA.org/disaster o Make your check payable to

Lutheran Disaster Response. Mail to: Lutheran Disaster Response, 39330 Treasury Center, Chicago, IL 60694.

o Call 800-638-3522 to donate using a credit card, Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Central Time.

Current Sermon Series Stepping Out In Faith

Stepping Out of Our Comfort Zone To Share God’s Love To Others

August 23 + Matthew 16:13-20

Stepping Out, Rocking On August 30 + Matthew 16:21-28

Stepping Out: Stepping Up September 6 + Matt. 18:15-20 Stepping Out, Settling Down

September 13 + Matt. 18:21-35 Stepping Up, Letting Go

Please

mail or deliver your offerings to your church Church expenses

continue even while we don’t gather together.

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New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Copyright © 2019 RCL Worship Resources by Clergy Stuff ™. Used with Permission. Find more at RCLWorshipResources.com.

Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used with permission. All rights reserved.

August 23, 2020 Matthew 16:13-20

Use this resource at home to guide your household’s daily devotions.

Pray: Light a candle. Open your devotion with prayer.

God of truth, you reveal the truth to us, even when the world hides it. Show us how to live as your faithful followers, who stand firm in your promises and live in the hope of new life, for the sake of Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Read: Read the key verse from Sunday’s reading.

“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18)

Reflect: Reflect on the scripture summary.

Jesus questioned the disciples about who people thought he was. In his question, he indirectly pointed toward himself as the Messiah, toward Peter as the rock on which the church would be built, and toward God.

Connect: Connect in conversation with others in your household or community.

What was a high point of your day? What was a low point?

Who is your rock? In what ways have they helped you? Who leans on you as their rock? In what ways have you helped them?

For the littles: What can you do with rocks? Describe the perfect rock. Is it big? Small? Round? Jagged?

Bless: Close your devotion with a blessing.

May God be your rock. Amen.

Do: By acting on what we learn, we make God’s word come alive. Do the following activity this week.

Build a balancing rock tower. Use it to remember that God is our rock.

Go Deeper: Go to bit.ly/daily-devotions-rcl for the daily readings!

Monday, Psalm 8; Exodus 1:1-7; Romans 2:1-11 Tuesday, Psalm 8; Exodus 2:11-15a; Romans 11:33-36 Wednesday, Psalm 8; Exodus 2:15b-22; Matthew 26:6-13 Thursday, Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45b; Exodus 2:23-24; Eph. 5:1-6 Friday, Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45b; Exodus 3:16-22; 2 Thess. 2:7-12 Saturday, Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45b; Exodus 4:1-9; Matthew 8:14-17

covenant news & announcements · 8/23/2020 · 10:45 a.m. online fellowship time 236-716-120...

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