Greetings from Romania!
Buna ziua (Good day) Church Family! Our Romania team made it safely to Babadag. Thank you so much for your prayers! God has already shown us His glory through us and towards us. Here are some thoughts from our student missionaries: Yafet Tadesse, Lydia Blanchard, and Josie Hanneken.
Romania has been and will always be a life changing event for me. We got to see many interesting places and meet a variety of people. Today we went to Zebil to share hope with people who have mental disabilities. The way people act from a handshake or hug makes their day and mine as well. At the same time we saw things that were heartbreaking and I will never forget why we’re there and it inspires me to work harder for these kids and in my own life. If it weren’t for all you guys, we all wouldn’t be able to experience what we have and we all thank you.
-Yafet Tadesse
My first few days in Romania have been amazing and God has been with us through all of it. On our first day, we went to Zebil, which is an institution for people with mental disabilities. You could really see God working there through the smiles and laughs that started to happen when we interacted with them. I also saw God at Mahmudia, which is one of the homes for the boys in the system. There, you could really see God working on these boy’s hearts when Nick was preaching. All in all, the first few days have been crazy and I’m excited to see how else God can be seen in the rest of our time in Romania!
-Lydia Blanchard
Here in Romania I have seen God’s power being demonstrated in every institution we’ve been working in and even in the streets we drive down. This mission has changed my life in the best possible way. I have been shown what it means to be a publicly devoted Christian in a world where that is not an accepted lifestyle. There is great change beginning to rise in Romania and we get to help be part of it. The work we’ve been doing led me to have a discussion with Nick and asked if he would baptize me in the Black Sea the next day (he said yes of course!). I’m so grateful for the church and all of my family and friends who made this mission a reality for me. I know we will continue to make progress this week and for years to come.
-Josie Hanneken
We look forward to sharing more with you next week as we get kids to come join us here for camp. Please continue to pray for people in Babadag, the kids, and for us.
Blessings!
Nick
Here’s What’s Happening at Faith
Youth Summer Kick-Off
June 15, 3pm-7pm. Come to celebrate the beginning of summer with the youth group. All students going into grades 6-12 are welcome. Meet in room 150 for lots of fun games, fellowship, and BBQ.
Legacy Chapel Commissioning Service & Dinner
Join us on June 19 as we dedicate our newly renovated Legacy Chapel. Through music, prayer, shared memories, and words of commissioning, we’ll celebrate the beautiful and fruitful years of ministry that have shaped Faith Covenant’s enduring legacy. This will be a night of both remembrance and future hope. Dinner will be provided at 6pm followed by the dedication service at 6:45pm. RSVP by June 16 on Realm.
Garage Sale for Missions-VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
Faith’s All-Church Garage Sale is July 18-20. All proceeds will go to the MOMS Program. Help this sale be a success by gathering donations at home and/or volunteering! Sign-up to volunteer for set-up, clean-up, and working the day of the sale at the Information Desk during these Sunday Services: June 16, 23, and 30. Donations for the sale will be accepted Sunday, July 14, 12-5pm and Monday, July 15, 4-8pm. Drop off at lower level. Do not leave donations at church at other times. Questions? Contact Kathryn at office@momsprogram.org.
Annual Meeting-June 23
All are invited to attend a congregational business meeting June 23 following the 10:30 service. This is an opportunity to hear about the ministry we are doing here together. Members will also vote on new council members and the 2019-20 fiscal year budget.
All Church Retreat
Registration is now open for the Faith Covenant All-Church Retreat at Covenant Pines Bible Camp, Aug 23-25. It will be a weekend of relaxation, inspiration, fellowship and fun! Register on Realm. Baptism will be offered in Round Lake during the retreat, contact the office for more information.
HomeAltar Devotional
The July-Sept edition of the Covenant HomeAltar daily devotional is now available in the Fireside Room. Stop by and pick one up today.
Power Up Kids Camp (VBS)
Power Up Kid’s Camp is coming up soon! June 24-27, 9am-noon, for elementary children entering K-5 for the 2019-2020 school year. Cost is $15, which includes a t-shirt, snacks, and materials. Register today to ensure correct t-shirt size. Volunteers: we still need at least 6-8 more folks to serve our kids. To register a child or to volunteer click here.
MUUUCE-August 1-3
MUUUCE stands for “The Most Unbelievable, Ultimate, Urban, Camping Experience”. This high-energy, fast-moving, multi-day event is designed to give 6-9th graders a chance to connect with Christ and their peers. Save the date! For info, go to northwestconference.org.
Bible Memorization Challenge
Pastor Brad issued a challenge to our Faith Family in 2017 and would like us to take this challenge once again: to memorize 52 Bible verses in 52 weeks for 2019. These verses will be posted each week in this Faith Update blog and will be in the worship folder each Sunday. To see a full list of verses so you can practice adding a new one each week while keeping up with those you have already learned, click HERE. The verse for the week is this: Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12