a simple Christmas at Covenant

Here’s the heart of our Simple Christmas: four gatherings at our place and one at yours. That’s all the church-related activity we are asking you put on your calendar this year.  

Four gatherings at our place: 

We have chosen not to schedule a separate Christmas program, and instead focus on our Sunday morning worship services. We want to make each service different and rich with meaning as we walk through the simple retelling of the story of the very first Christmas. For more information about each service, visit our Events page.

 December 3        Welcome Jesus like Mary and Joseph       Matthew 1.18-25 and Luke 1.26-38

 December 10      Welcome Jesus like the Angels                  Luke 2.1-14

December 17       Welcome Jesus like the Shepherds          Luke 2.8-20

December 24*     Welcome Jesus like the Wise Men            Matthew 2.1-12

Christmas Eve

*Don't miss this! Because Christmas Eve falls on a Sunday this year, we are offering the same service at three different times: 10:30am, 5:00pm, 6:30pm. You're welcome to come more than once - the services are identical.

December 31        Vision for the New Year: Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus    Hebrews 12.1-3

New Year's Eve

Children’s classes will run as normal the first three Sundays of Advent. On Christmas Eve, we will offer classes for babies and toddlers at the 10:30am service; childcare for babies and toddlers at 5:00pm; and NO childcare at 6:30pm.

We can't wait to have you with us every Sunday morning in December! Clear your calendar and come be with your church family.

One gathering at your place: 

We also ask you to open your home to neighbors sometime during December. 

We have all been looking for tangible, practical ways to love our literal neighbors: the people who live on either side, in front and behind us.  

This Christmas we ask the Covenant family to take a next step – it might feel like a bit of a risky step – and extend hospitality to a neighbor (or several). Have them in your home for:

• a classic holiday movie or a meal 

• a game night or to decorate Christmas cookies

• a Saturday morning pancake breakfast

• a neighborhood holiday open house

Who will you invite over? Pray about who God would have you connect with and how, get it on your calendar, and start making plans. 

One more touchstone to make our Simple Christmas special:

To help our church family have a common focus and conversation, we’ve created a simple Advent calendar.

Each day has a Scripture reading; brief devotional thoughts written by our staff, elders, and church family members; and discussion questions to share around your table. Printed editions will be available Sunday, November 26 - you can also read each day right here on our blog. Or download a print edition here.

Let’s use this calendar together as a way of staying focused and connected as a family.  

Looking forward to celebrating the birth of Jesus with you! We hope it will be simply wonderful!

David Henderson and your Covenant staff

PS: Looking ahead, we will have a single service at 10:30am, Sunday, December 31; classes for babies - PreK only.

PPS: The Covenant family has a tradition of receiving a year-end Christmas offering to benefit strategic ministry taking place around the world. Read more about the 2023 Christmas offering here.

PPPS: If you're interested to know who wrote each devotion, here's the list:

Dec 1 - Rob Eyman

Dec 2 - Tom Jameson

Dec 3 - Margo Balsis

Dec 4 - David Henderson

Dec 5 - Cliff Johnston

Dec 6 - Krista Lackie

Dec 7 - Michelle Leichty

Dec 8 - Gretchen Ely

Dec 9 - René Maule

Dec 10 - Susan Hyde

Dec 11 - Louis Tay

Dec 12 - Glenn Balsis

Dec 13 - Travis Overstreet

Dec 14 - Julie Williams

Dec 15 - Ethan Hall

Dec 16 - Mike Faith

Dec 17 - Sarah Bollock

Dec 18 - Brently Jordan

Dec 19 - Daaron Fleeger

Dec 20 - Dulcy Abraham

Dec 21 - Sally Craw

Dec 22 - Andrew Patton

Dec 23 - Joe Ely

Dec 24 - Mary McKeever

Dec 25 - Charlene Hoskins