Clear Lake UMC -- Covenant Class

Study of the Gospel of Luke

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:58:00 +0000

Beginning this Sunday, June 14, we will begin an in-depth, textually-based look at the Gospel of Luke. Luke, arguably more so than the other 3 Gospels, tells the story of Jesus Christ as a story for the entire world. Beginning with the story of John the Baptist, Luke presents God's message of salvation that is overtly directed as Jews, Gentiles, indeed all of Humanity. As a class, we will seek to understand the context and purpose of the Gospel by discussing each passage of text to discern its purpose in the First Century and its power in our lives.

Please join us for this study and discussion each Sunday at 11 am in Rm 311 at Clear Lake United Methodist Church.

The Case for Christ

noreply@blogger.com (Thomas & Larissa Arnold) — Sun, 17 May 2009 03:16:00 +0000

We are currently about halfway through a 6 week study of Lee Strobel's book "The Case for Christ". From Amazon: Retracing his own spiritual journey from atheism to faith, Lee Strobel, former legal editor of the Chicago Tribune, cross-examines recognized experts with tough, point-blank questions: How reliable is the New Testament? Does evidence exist for Jesus outside the Bible? Is there any reason to believe the resurrection was an actual historical event?

The study is video-based with lots of discussion in between segments, and you don't need to have read the book, so feel free to come by and take part in the study, hope to see you there!

New Series: Christianity and World Religions

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 20:40:00 +0000

Christians (and all people really) have a tendency to be so enthusiastic about our beliefs that we might be quick immediately dismiss the beliefs and practices of other religions simply because they are not overtly label as "Christian". While we certainly have an obligation to test the spirits (1 John 4:1), might we be able to learn something about God through other religions? What is to say that God might not use anything, even the practices and beliefs of non-Christians, to teach us something about God, ourselves, or even our beliefs? Additionally, it stands to reason that in order to evangelize and spread the Good News to non-Christians, it is important for us to have a basic understand of the other religions vying for the attention and spiritual lives of non-believers.

"Christianity and World Religions" is a 6-week study by Adam Hamilton that attempts to give Christians a healthy understanding of world religions and what they believe. It aims to help us better understand the issues and obstacles we may encounter when attempting to spread the Word of Jesus Christ to people of other faiths. We must be sensitive to those issues, even when we disagree, if we want to even have an audience with those people. It also gives us some insight into the values of others, perhaps lending some understanding into how we can value ourselves and our relationship with God. The Covenant class is currently spending 6 weeks learning about some of those issues. Through this study, we hope to gain an understanding about what other religions value and hold to be self-evident. We believe that this will better equip us as Christians to bring others to Christ, while acknowledging that God may use other religions to teach us about him.

This Sunday will be our third week on the study. Having already had an introductory session and a session on Hinduism, we will learn about the history and beliefs Buddhism, paying specific attention to the significant similarities and differences with Christianity. Afterwards, we will discuss Islam on August 31, Judaism on September 7, and Christianity itself on September 14. We hope you will join us!

New Series: Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 03:23:00 +0000

We have been blessed to have local pastors that take an active interest in the lives and spiritual education of our church. Personally, I've been able to personally get to know each of the CLUMC pastors, and they each provide unique and valuable resources to the spiritual development of the church. Rev. Harold Travis is one such pastor, and he will begin a 5-week study of the book Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations. Rev. Travis is a wonderful, friendly person with no pretensions and plenty of things to teach us.

The book, however, focuses on what we as a congregation can do to edify, glorify, and unify each other and the community we live in. The great thing about this is that the entire congregation will be studying this book concurrently. Obviously, the church leaders want us all to get on the same page regarding how we think of ourselves as individual Christians as well as a unified congregation, which I think is a great idea.

From the 5 Practices website:
The Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations

Radical Hospitality
Passionate Worship
Intentional Faith Development
Risk-Taking Mission and Service
Extravagant Generosity

These words capture the core process by which God uses congregations to make disciples - congregations offer the gracious invitation, welcome, and hospitality of Christ so that people experience a sense of belonging; God shapes souls and changes minds through worship, creating a desire to grow closer to Christ; God's Spirit nurtures people and matures faith through learning in community; with increased spiritual maturity, people discern God's call to help others through mission and service; and God inspires people to give generously of themselves so that others can receive the grace they have known.

These fundamental practices are so critical to a congregation's mission that failure to perform them in an exemplary way results in congregational deterioration and decline. By repeating and improving these practices, churches fulfill their mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

God wants our hearts

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 15:53:00 +0000

This Sunday in Covenant (11am, Rm 311), we will be watching a 12-minute Nooma video about what we do as Christians and how it's congruent (or sometimes incongruent) with what we believe. Discussion will follow.

From the DVD cover: "Why do we do the things we do? Why do we go to church or give money away? Because we're supposed to or because we think God needs it? Do we honestly put on our best clothes for an hour once a week, stand and sit at all the right times, and sing all the appropriate songs for God's sake, or because it'll make us look better to the world around us? We're tired of all the empty rituals and routines. And so is God. God hates it when we call ourselves Christians but ignore the things he really cares about. He hates it when we go through hollow religious routines out of some feeling of duty or obligation. God doesn't want the meaningless rituals. God wants our hearts."

Here's a preview:

Turning Toward

noreply@blogger.com (Jason) — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 05:13:00 +0000

This week in Covenant, I plan to lead a discussion of what helps and hinders our ability to glorify God in our marriage. The Bible speaks quite a lot about the relationship between a husband and a wife, and a consistent theme is that we are to honor, love, and support each other. While that's all well and good, the Bible is not always specific in how we should go about doing that in the midst of the normal stressors of our culture, our families, our jobs, and our lives. It certainly is not always as easy as we think it will be when we say "I do".

John Gottman's book, The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, will serve as the primary practical basis for the class, but we will also look to the Bible for the general themes that should dictate the direction of marriage. One of those themes is Turning Towards. Gottman describes this, which is number three of his Seven Principles, as the moments when one partner makes a bid for connection to which the other partner positively responds. This is what Jesus modeled for us throughout the Gospels. By following His example in our marriages, even during times of conflict and hurt, healing can occur and the relationship grows. Covenant will explore this Sunday (11:00 AM, Rm. 311) how this process works or fails to work in our marriages.

This Week at Covenant

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 01:45:00 +0000

Visitors:
Please join us on Sunday mornings at 11am in the Elrod Building, room 311. We're always happy to have newcomers!!

Lesson Schedule:
Feb. 17: Marriage - Jason
Feb. 24: Nooma video - Anitra
March 2: Prayer - Larissa
March 9: Guest Speaker - Amanda G
March 17: Guest Speaker questions - Anitra
March 23: Easter
March 30: begin Church-wide Book Study, Five Practices of a Fruitful Congregation

Social Events:
Monthly lunches and outings... More info to come...

Any questions??
Contact the church office at 281-488-5111, or visit us online at http://www.clearlakemethodist.org/.

This Week at Covenant

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:06:00 +0000

Visitors:
Please join us on Sunday mornings at 11am in the Elrod Building, room 311. We're always happy to have newcomers!!

Our Lesson Series:
We are currently doing a study of the book of Romans. This Sunday we discussed Chapter 15 with Bryan M as our leader. Next week, we will discuss the final chapter in the book, Chapter 16. The class reads the chapter aloud followed by interactive discussion questions.

Future planning:
Feb. 10: Our class will use the 11AM hour to choose new leadership, reorganize/create committees, and plan for future social events. Feel free to join us!
Feb. 17: We hope to begin a new lessons series with a guest teacher. More info to come...

Social Events:
Feb. 3: Super Bowl Party!!

Church Wide Announcements:
Feb. 6: Ash Wednesday Services. 12 noon and 7:30pm services offered in the sanctuary.

Any questions??
Contact the church office at 281-488-5111, or visit us online at http://www.clearlakemethodist.org/.

This week at Covenant

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 20:57:00 +0000

Visitors:
Please join us on Sunday mornings at 11am in the Elrod Building, room 311. We're always happy to have newcomers!!

Our Lesson Series:
We are currently doing a study of the book of Romans. This Sunday we discussed Chapter 14 with Shannon S as our leader. Next week, we will discuss Chapter 15. The class reads the chapter aloud followed by interactive discussion questions.

Social Events:
Feb. 3: Super Bowl Party!! More info to come...

Any questions??
Contact the church office at 281-488-5111, or visit us online at http://www.clearlakemethodist.org/.

This Week at Covenant

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 19:37:00 +0000

Visitors:
Please join us on Sunday mornings at 11am in the Elrod Building, room 311. We're always happy to have newcomers!!

Our Lesson Series:
We are currently doing a study of the book of Romans. This Sunday we discussed Chapter 13. Next week, we will discuss Chapter 14. The class reads the chapter aloud followed by interactive discussion questions.

Social Events:
We get together for a social event about once a month. Stay tuned for future social info.

Any questions??
Contact the church office at 281-488-5111, or visit us online at http://www.clearlakemethodist.org/.

This Week at Covenant

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 22:01:00 +0000

Visitors:
Please join us on Sunday mornings at 11am in the Elrod Building, room 311. We're always happy to have newcomers!!

Our Lesson Series:
We are currently doing a study of the book of Romans. This Sunday we discussed Chapter 12 with Shannon S as our leader. Next week, we will discuss Chapter 13. The class reads the chapter aloud followed by interactive discussion questions.

Social Events:
We get together for a social event about once a month. Stay tuned for future social info.

Any questions??
Contact the church office at 281-488-5111, or visit us online at http://www.clearlakemethodist.org/.

Christmas Party 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Cratie) — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 02:46:00 +0000

This Week at Covenant

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 19:54:00 +0000

Visitors:
Please join us on Sunday mornings at 11am in the Elrod Building, room 311. We're always happy to have newcomers!!

Our Lesson Series:
We are currently doing a study of the book of Romans. Next week, we will discuss Chapter 11. The class will read the chapter aloud, then discussion questions are presented by our leader.

Social Events:
We get together for a social event about once a month. Our December event was a great Christmas party on Dec. 1st. What a FUN time and a big turnout!! Stay tuned for January's social info.

Church Wide Announcements:
Dec. 8-10: Walk through Bethlehem. Our class will help to break down, if available.

Any questions??
Contact the church office at 281-488-5111, or visit us online at http://www.clearlakemethodist.org/.

This Week at Covenant

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 19:31:00 +0000

Visitors:
Please join us on Sunday mornings at 11am in the Elrod Building, room 311. We're always happy to have newcomers!!

Our Lesson Series:
We are currently doing a study of the book of Romans. This Sunday we took a short break from Romans to watch the first half of the video The Case for Christ. Next week, we will finish this great DVD. Very soon we'll be back in the book of Romans and will continue with Chapter 11 at that time.

Social Events:
Dec. 1: The Christmas party was so much fun!! We ate, visited, exchanged crazy white elephant gifts, and played some games. Thanks for hosting, Neumans!

Church Wide Announcements:
Dec. 8-10: Walk through Bethlehem. Our class will help to break down, if available.

Any questions??
Contact the church office at 281-488-5111, or visit us online at http://www.clearlakemethodist.org/.

This Week at Covenant

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 19:26:00 +0000

Visitors:
Please join us on Sunday mornings at 11am in the Elrod Building, room 311. We're always happy to have newcomers!!

Our Lesson Series:
We are currently doing a study of the book of Romans. This week we discussed Chapter 10:14-21, with Shannon Simonds as our leader. Next Sunday, we will be taking a short break from Romans to watch the first half of the video The Case for Christ. This will allow us to view this great DVD and will give our teachers a well deserved break during the holiday season. We'll be back in the book of Romans in a few weeks and will continue with Chapter 11 at that time.

Upcoming Social Events:
Dec. 1, Sat., 5PM: Christmas party hosted by the Neumans!! Bring a white elephant gift and a dish to share for the pot-luck dinner. Feel free to bring your little ones.

Church Wide Announcements:
Dec. 8-10: Walk through Bethlehem. Our class will help to set up and break down, if you are available.

Any questions??
Contact the church office at 281-488-5111, or visit us online at http://www.clearlakemethodist.org/.

This Week at Covenant

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 19:45:00 +0000

Visitors:
Please join us on Sunday mornings at 11am in the Elrod Building, room 311. We're always happy to have newcomers!!

Our Lesson Series:
We are currently doing a study of the book of Romans. The week of Nov. 11th, we discussed Chapter 10:1-13, with Shannon Simonds as our leader. Next Sunday, Nov. 25th, we will continue with Chapter 10:15-21. There was no Sunday School on Nov. 18th.

Upcoming Social Events:
Christmas party in the works... Most likely to be held one of the first Saturdays in Dec. Time: TBA. Pot luck dinner. Should be lots of fun!

Church Wide Announcements:
Nov. 25th: Service of Hope and Healing, 7pm, Sanctuary.
Dec. 8-10: Walk through Bethlehem. Our class will help to set up and break down, if you are available.

Any questions??
Contact the church office at 281-488-5111, or visit us online at http://www.clearlakemethodist.org/.

This Week at Covenant

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 19:10:00 +0000

Visitors:
Please join us on Sunday mornings at 11am in the Elrod Building, room 311. We're always happy to have newcomers!!

Our Lesson Series:
We are currently doing a study of the book of Romans. This week we discussed Chapter 10:1-13, with Shannon Simonds as our leader. Next week, there is no Sunday School. We will continue with Chapter 10:15-21 on Nov. 25th.

Upcoming Social Events:
November social info to come...
Christmas party in the works...

Church Wide Announcements:
Nov. 18: Transformation Celebration. The traditional and contemporary worship services will worship together in the sanctuary this Sunday! There will be a Thanksgiving Feast from 10:45a-1:30p for all (please RSVP to the church). There will be NO SUNDAY SCHOOL.

Dec. 8-10: Walk through Bethlehem. Our class will help to set up and break down, if you are available.

Any questions??
Contact the church office at 281-488-5111, or visit us online at http://www.clearlakemethodist.org/.

This Week at Covenant

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 18:42:00 +0000

Visitors:
Please join us on Sunday mornings at 11am in the Elrod Building, room 311. We're always happy to have newcomers!!

Our Lesson Series:
We are currently doing a study of the book of Romans. This week we poured over Chapter 9, with Bryan Montz as our leader. We had a dynamic discussion on God's sovereignty and omniscience and our own will. Next week, we will be discussing Chapter 10.

Upcoming Social Events:
November social info to come...

Church Wide Announcements:
Dec 8-10: Walk through Bethlehem. Our class will help to set up and break down, if you are available.

Any questions??
Contact the church office at 281-488-5111, or visit us online at http://www.clearlakemethodist.org/.

This Week at Covenant

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 18:00:00 +0000

This week at Covenant

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 19:24:00 +0000

Visitors:
Please join us on Sunday mornings at 11am in the Elrod Building, room 311. We're always happy to have newcomers!!

Our Lesson Series:
We are currently doing a study on the book of Romans. This week we discussed Chapter 8:1-27, with Shannon Simonds as our leader. Next week, we will continue with Chapter 8.

Upcoming Social Events:
Our 2nd annual Halloween Party will be held Oct. 27, 2007 at 6pm at the Arnold's. Be sure to wear your costume and feel free to bring the little ones.
November social info to come...

Church Wide Announcements:
Starting Thurs., Oct. 25th, 7pm - Join the Sanctuary Choir in preparing for the Many Moods of Christmas, a musical presentation planned for Dec. 16th. We'd love to have each and every one of you!!

Any questions??
Contact the church office at 281-488-5111, or visit us online at http://www.clearlakemethodist.org/.

This week at Covenant

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra) — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 20:05:00 +0000

Visitors:
Please join us on Sunday mornings at 11am in the Elrod Building, room 311. We're always happy to have newcomers!!

Our Lesson Series:
We are currently doing a study on the book of Romans. This week we discussed Chapters 6 & 7, with Bryan Montz as our leader. Next week, we will be discussing Chapter 8.

Upcoming Social Events:
Our 2nd annual Halloween Party will be held Oct. 27, 2007 at 6pm at the Arnold's. Be sure to wear your costume and feel free to bring the little ones.

Church Wide Announcements:
Tonight, Sun., Oct. 14, 6pm - All church charge conference in the sanctuary to discuss the future building plans and possible purchase of adjacent land.
Starting Thurs., Oct. 25th, 7pm - Join the Sanctuary Choir in preparing for the Many Moods of Christmas, a musical presentation planned for Dec. 16th. We'd love to have each and every one of you!!

Any questions??
Contact the church office at 281-488-5111, or visit us online at http://www.clearlakemethodist.org/.