December 2014

CORNERSTONE COVENANT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH | DECEMBER 2014

ABOUT CORNERS CORNERSTONE CONTRIBUTORS SENIOR PASTOR THOMAS DANIEL

Cornerstone is the bimonthly publication of Covenant Presbyterian Church. Cornerstone provides in-depth articles on the events that take place on and off campus, and the people who make them happen.

CLERK OF SESSION MELANIE WILLIAMSON BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR DUANE DUBE EDITOR STEPHANIE SCHULTZ DESIGN AND LAYOUT

Content includes the pastor’s letter, Session news, member and staff spotlights, and a calendar of upcoming events. Find more information on the events online and in Covenant Matters.

Download the paper version of Cornerstone online at covenant.org/cornerstone. We will update the Cornerstone blog as we receive content at covenant.org/blog.

HILARY PITTMAN

We need you!

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS TERRY COLE, JEANNE DITTA, ALEXANDER KAO, SUE ROBERTS PHOTOGRAPHY KAY AUSTIN, TIFFANY CHAPMAN, JEANNE DITTA, THAIS KILDAY, STEPHANIE SCHULTZ, MIA THORNTON, JILL WILLIAMS SPECIAL THANKS TO PAUL MOWRY, BRIAN SPARKS, JAN VANDERPOOL

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To make Cornerstone better, we need your help!

The content will be more interesting and more fun with more writers. If you have something you want to write about or want us to write, let us know. While we can’t promise that every submitted article will appear in the printed version of Cornerstone, we will publish all appropriate stories on the blog. We also need photos of events.

If you have suggestions for Cornerstone, email us at publications@covenant.org or stop by the office in Covenant Hall.

STONE 2

PASTOR LETTER

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Holiday traditions remind us of Jesus’ love 3

FLOODED WITH LOVE

Recognize the small things, and the large 13

Frightening ordeal leads to new home 6

N EW SON EXPANDS HEARTS

SPREADING WARMTH

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GOD’S FAITHFULNESS

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WELCOME TO COVENANT

Meet our newest members

CLERK’S CORNER

Healthy finances ring in the new year

Covenant shares stories and celebrates 10

MENDING MARRIAGES

Couples strengthen bonds through class

Cold weather doesn’t stop Covenant 9

ALL IN THE FAMILY

Youth retreat creates new connections

Family welcomes refugee into their home 7

SYM CELEBRATES

FINANCE REPORT

For the period ended October 31, 2014 17

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Activities for Christmas and the new year

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1

PASTOR LETTER Do you have a nativity scene in your house? My family does. In fact, we’ve got several. Looking at them, I feel the excitement of the birth of Jesus. I also think of my daughter Miriam and my friend Steve Hayner, whom I’ve talked about a lot.

To say Steve likes nativity scenes is an understatement. He and his wife, Sharol, have numerous nativity scenes that they have collected from all over the world.

For the past seven years, my family has celebrated Christmas Eve at their home. In addition to the nativity scenes, the Haynors display multiple trees, thousands of lights and numerous other holiday reminders. Their home is so welcoming; it exudes warmth, love, joy and hospitality.

But one thing we noticed that first Christmas was the lack of a baby in their main nativity scene. All but the one included the baby Jesus. When we were almost finished with dinner, Steve slipped away from the table. He came back and told us excitedly, “Jesus has come!”

We walked into the living room and there was the baby Jesus, lying in the manger. We sang happy birthday and ate birthday cake. It was a wonderful celebration and a tradition that we would all enjoy that year and for many to come.

A few years into the tradition, my daughter Miriam, a very observant child, said to Beth and me, “I think I know the truth about Christmas.”

We were ready for the Santa Clause conversation, but she went in a different direction. “I think Steve puts Baby Jesus in the manger. The last two years, he has gotten up from dinner. Then he comes back and says Jesus is in the manger. I’m not sure you know the truth, but next year, I’m watching him!”

The next Christmas rolled around and though I’d spent 12 months praying that she would forget about her observation, Miriam informed us that she would be keeping her eye on Steve that Christmas Eve. When we arrived at the Haynors’, Miriam went straight to Steve and followed

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him everywhere, tailing him like an expert detective, barely allowing him into the bathroom alone.

sure they’d see him again. Miriam requested some one-on-one time with Steve.

As we sat down for dinner, Miriam wasn’t eating.

Other guests worried she was sick or too excited for Santa Claus, but we knew what was going on ... and so did Steve. When he’d finished eating, Steve leaned across the table, “Miriam, I want to show you something. Come with me,” he said.

When I asked Miriam what they talked about, she said, “I told Steve not to worry; I’d make sure that every Christmas Eve, Jesus would make it into the manger.”

Together they got up and left the table.

Three minutes later my then seven-year-old daughter came running back into the room with her face beaming and said, “Guys! Jesus is here. He’s come.

You gotta see. We gotta sing. Come on!”

Since that Christmas Eve three years ago, Steve and Miriam have always gotten up from the table together and placed baby Jesus in the manger.

The day that Miriam, Hannah and Beth were leaving Atlanta and flying to Austin, the girls wanted to see Steve and Sharol. By this time, Steve had been diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and they were not

I’m excited for Christmas for many reasons, not the least of which is the expectation that on Christmas Eve, my daughter will tell us with sheer joy and excitement, “Jesus has come!”

Her words and her actions will remind us that Jesus is real and alive. He is the One who drove out darkness and the One whose light triumphs over hatred.

Yes, we will celebrate the birth of Jesus and we will be reminded that nothing in this world can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

May your families create or continue traditions this Christmas and may you celebrate the joy of the birth of a baby with wild abandon!

JOYFULLY,

THOMAS DANIEL SENIOR PASTOR

FLOODED WITH LOVE Prior to the Onion Creek Halloween floods of 2013, Covenant Children’s Ministry Assistant Mia Thornton and her husband, Chris, knew they lived

in a flood zone with their two kids, Lilly, then 15, and Tristan, then one. But Chris had lived in their house his entire life, and in 30 years, the highest the water

ever reached was about an inch in the garage (and all residents were evacuated for that inch).

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my house. She’s coughing and sputtering with only one thing on her mind: to find her husband.

We lend her a phone to call him.”

The woman’s husband was a minister at a Baptist church. The two were trying to exit the neighborhood in separate cars. The woman’s SUV stalled and the current started dragging it away. The woman, whose name was Pat, climbed out of her car and was swept away. She hit trees and lightpoles. She had gashes and wounds from being pummeled by the current and hitting debris.

That all changed on Oct. 31 of last year. Mia awoke around 6 a.m.; it had been raining all night.

The dogs were anxious and so was Mia’s mom, calling to check on the Thornton family. As Mia talked to her mom, she noticed the street was flooded all the way to the curb. But Mia said they’d had that much water before, so she wasn’t real worried. When she saw a couch ‘whoosh’ by, however, she hung up the phone and went to wake her husband.

Together, the two started to move their electronics to a higher location in their one-story house.

Then Mia remembered she was car-sitting for a friend. She ventured out to move the friend’s car into the garage. The garage 4

already had an inch of water. She moved her own car closer to the garage. “The water is still coming up, and there are four inches inside the garage. I wake Lilly up to help with the baby,” Mia said.

At this point, the Thorntons are quite anxious about the situation. Chris calls 911, and is told to get to higher ground, perhaps the roof. “We’d lent our ladder to my aunt the week before,” Mia said.

As she’s figuring out what to do next, Mia thinks she hears something outside, a call for help, but she can’t see anyone and the water is up to her knees. She looks up and down the street, and then sees a woman hanging off the side of her car. Water is gushing over her head.

The family watches water rush into the house and Chris turns off the electricity. Five minutes later, water is spewing from the outlets. The water is taking apart the laminate flooring that the family had just installed and there are planks floating all over. And water just keeps coming.

“I get to the woman by hanging onto the side of my car to fight the current. I grab her, and take her arms over my shoulders like she’s a package. I drag her into

“We know we need to get out.

We put our cellphones and wallets in ziplock bags. We leave through our back sliding glass door, and more water rushes in.

When we get to our patio, we can see the street. There’s a truck being carried by the water, battering cars and then it hits a light pole. The pole falls down and we hear a ‘sizzle, sizzle, crack.’”

The family and Pat go back inside and get on the highest point in their house, the kitchen table. The water keeps rising.

By now, most people would be falling apart. Not the Thorntons!

“The amazing thing is – and I’m so proud of my family – we were very calm, very in control. We were thinking of the steps we needed to take. ‘We can’t leave, what’s our next step?’”

Mia knows the family must get on the roof. “I saw a table saw that I pulled out of the garage earlier.

It’s three feet tall. I know there’s a small step-ladder is Tristan’s room. We navigate through the house to his room, get the saw and put it on the patio. The miracle is the step ladder just fit on the table saw. I climb onto the roof, followed by the dogs, Lilly and Tristan, Pat and finally Chris.

The bag with the phones and wallets also contains one baby food pouch. “We couldn’t get to our pantry. Shortly after the waters came into the house, the fridge

floated up and fell in front of our pantry door,” Mia said.

and the mosquitoes were all over my bloody wound,” Mia said.

On his way out, Chris grabs a bag of unopened Halloween candy and as he is getting onto the step ladder, a 12-pack of Dr. Pepper floats in front of him. So, the five (plus two dogs) are on the roof, eating candy and drinking soda.

After three hours, they are all getting eaten alive by mosquitoes.

The family did not hear from the police or fire department until they’d been on the roof for about a half hour. The fire department came with boats, asking if anyone was hurt or needed help. They, however, would not rescue people from their roofs.

The next-door neighbor, who got up onto his roof by busting a hole in his ceiling, has a bottle of bug spray that he throws over.

Although they have a designated catcher and two back-ups, the Thorntons miss the spray.

“It’s muggy and hot and mosquito-filled and sticky. We’ve had sugar and liquid high fructose corn syrup. I’m barefoot. I had scraped my foot at some point

After the water goes down, the neighbor gets his ladder and helps the Thorntons and Pat off their roof. He brings shoes for Mia and Lilly. Since the neighbors have just redone their deck, nails, glass and construction scraps are everywhere. The family sees cups, dishes, shards of this and that, and toys. “Stuff is all over and the whole place is just dirty and muddy and silty,” Mia said.

Once off the roof, Pat very urgently leaves the group to find her husband. (He was one of the two fatalities in the flood.)

Mia calls family and they agree to meet them at the end of the neighborhood. No one is allowed to enter Onion Creek.

Later that night, after showering and a trip to the doctor for her wounded foot, Mia and Chris go back to the house. They have to park at the neighborhood entrance because the police have 5

cut off the entire neighborhood.

“We got a wagon and walked it to our house. As we’re walking, we started to relive everything.

Cars are slammed into homes and trees are torn into pieces and shredding. RVs are strewn and torn. There’s a house and the only thing that’s keeping it up is the car that crashed into it. It’s like a disaster movie scene.

“We get into the house and it already smells like mold and

algae. It’s nasty, damp and dirty,” Mia said, adding that they spent four hours making sure the stuff that survived wouldn’t get moldy.

“There was no trick-or-treating for us and it was a little surreal seeing all the happy kids and families in other neighborhoods.”

A year later, the whole ordeal feels a little surreal. The Thorntons are very thankful for the help they received from

Covenant and from Dell, where Chris works, as well as the Samaritan’s Purse. After months of clean-up, of working with the city and insurance companies and living with Chris’ mother, the city agreed to buy out the property. The last day of the 2013–14 school year in early June, the Thorntons moved into a new house in Manor.

It’s nowhere near any water!

N EW SON EXPANDS HEARTS Have you seen a middle-aged white lady walking through HEB with a young Hispanic man? Do they sometimes look a little awkward together? Do they communicate using a translation app on her phone?

Do they laugh together? Does he push the cart for her? Is she looking at food in the “Hispanic food aisle” and appearing a little baffled? That might be Jose and me. Let me tell you our story.

Last year, our Sunday school class read the book “The Barefoot Church” together. We made a commitment to live lives that show God’s love to all, sometimes in radical ways. My classmate Kathy and I starting teaching ESL(English as a Second Language) classes at Casa Marianella (a local refugee center). It was a life-enriching experience.

I’ve never had students so vulnerable and eager to learn. Joe, my husband, and I wanted to become more involved with the work of Casa Marianella and we befriended Jose, a refugee from El Salvador.

Jose and his family experienced terrible violence in 6

El Salvador and he escaped that violence by coming to the United States. He spent several months in detention here and is now in the legal system, attempting to gain asylum status. We are so grateful for his lawyer.

After a few visits, Joe, who is much more daring than I am, suggested that Jose could live with us.

(I’m a girl who takes two weeks to decide on a new pair of pants!) But, we had an extra bedroom and he needed a home. We’ve had multicultural experiences and he seemed like a fine young man. We were empty nesters and missed our kids, and he missed his family. We both had moments of panic (Are we out of our minds?!), but never at the same time. We knew we had the support of our community at Covenant and our family. We prayed for wisdom to make a good decision.

We’ve experienced love and support from friends and family around the country. We’ve played more games of Uno and dominoes than you can imagine.

He’s patient with our atrocious Spanish and we’re patient as he’s increasing his English skills.

Well, here we are three months later. Our hearts have expanded to love our new “son.” We have been touched by the love and concern he shows toward us. We send each other texts in “Spanglish.”

I’ve learned how to cook fried plantains and yucca.

He has learned to eat pumpkin muffins and kale.

What we are doing isn’t difficult. In fact, most of the time it is a pleasure and a blessing, but sometimes we do feel like we have started to “step out of the boat.” Maybe we’ve stuck our big toes out. That’s okay though because Jesus is on the water encouraging us, all three of us, to walk beside him.

Have you seen a middle-aged man with an 18-yearold Hispanic boy riding down 1st Street in a green pickup truck every morning? Do they look a little sleepy? Are they laughing? Are they still using that translation app? Well, that may be Joe and Jose.

Now you know their story.

SUBMITTED BY JEANNE DITTA

SPREADING WARMTH Shaped to Serve 2015 is a wrap.

Covenant had people all over town making food, painting, doing yard work, knitting, decorating trees, delivering newsletters and more. Despite cold temperatures and the threat of precipitation, Covenant volunteers fanned out over the city to spread a little warmth, helping neighbors and sharing God’s love with Austinites.

“I was so impacted by everyone’s joy and amazing attitudes in the midst of the coldest, dampest Day of Service ever,” said Associate Pastor Jill Williams.

professor who brought his class, painted a house and cleaned out the back yard and the alley for the entire block, removing limbs and branches, and trash.

One team working outside was Covenant’s 20’s and 30’s group.

Members helped Texas Reach Out Ministries, a group that provides halfway houses and counseling to people leaving prison.

The Covenant group, which included two families and a UT

“A neighbor came out and said we had inspired him to clean up his yard,” said Nathan Richards, who helped with the project. “A lot of people from the neighborhood thanked us. There was a lot of opportunity to have conversations.”

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GOD’S FAITHFULNESS Thanks for your 2015 pledges! Covenant has had a very successful pledge drive. Key to this success has been recognizing God’s faithfulness. We’ve shared our stories and by telling them, we can see the fingerprints of God all over our lives. We are assured of God’s provision in the past and are reminded to trust that He will continue to provide in the days ahead.

Deuteronomy 26 showed us that when we take the first fruits to the temple and lay them down, we tell our stories and we celebrate. Covenant, we are celebrating! God has big plans for our church, and His work is well under way. Many thanks for all of you who have turned in your pledges. If you haven’t yet pledged, its still not too late! Bring your pledge cards into the office or to worship.

I helped start a Christian orphanage in Vietnam that resulted in more than 90 orphans escaping to Dallas. After the war, only God could have arranged the series of miracles related to their When I was laid off from Motorola 12 escape.

—Patrick Beckham years ago, God provided me with a support system until I found a job in healthcare. I was fearful of the future and what was ahead. This church embraced me for who I was and the struggle of losing my work identity.

—Elizabeth Harrell Fourteen years ago, my Bible study group was studying Nehemiah. Like Nehemiah, I was called to go and build.

I felt sent to Estonia to help build a radio tower near the Russian border to broadcast the Gospel into Russia.

—Michael Maham 9

WELCOME TO COVENANT Covenant has welcomed 29 new people into the church family. Senior Pastor Thomas Daniel said many members of this group are professing their faith for the first time. “We are growing the Kingdom and that is a really neat thing.” The group was introduced to the congregation during worship in early November.

Covenant’s next new member class will take place every Sunday in Feburary. Thomas Daniel will lead the class. If you are interested in becoming a member, contact Maureen Crawley at mcrawley@covenant.org or (512) 334-3057. Great to have you, new members!

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Lynn Brown

Todd Church

Clay Cowan

Ken and Pam Currie

Anna Drake

Jef and Whitney Fair

Mitch and Emily Hibbs

Margaret LaMore

Gina Lento

Paul and O’Kelley Little

Breck and Meghan McBride

Angela McDonald

Nikki McNabb

Rick Olds

Jim Phipps

Mark Richardson and Sarah Noel

Cappy Robnett

Ryan and Jen Russell

Mark Seutter

Amy Sint

Diane West

Doug West

SYM CELEBRATES Street Youth Ministry (SYM) asked one of its workfrom-home volunteers to talk with some recovering clients and write an article. Alexander Kao is from New York. He volunteers remotely for SYM. Here is what Alex

shared on the subject of celebration as seen through the eyes of SYM clients: One might argue that the greatest celebration of all time will occur when Jesus comes back for a second 11

time. But I would propose that we need to celebrate small things just as much. The greatest celebration might be when a child got straight A’s. Or when a baby was born. Or when a child read his first book.

This season we could consider celebrating more than what might be considered normal. You have a dad? Celebrate by thanking God. Have a penny?

Wear clothes? Celebrate! It is great to celebrate Advent. However, do not forget that you can celebrate almost everything in life with zeal.

What do other people celebrate? I interviewed David Doyle, a recovering client from SYM, and he has a lot that he can celebrate. David was homeless. He was living in squats (abandoned sites), the woods and under bridges for about five years.

Working with social workers, he got his GED. Then he got a job. Because of these, he found housing. He applied for financial aid and was accepted to community college. (Supporters of SYM helped provide college textbooks for David.) He did well, making straight A’s. He applied to UT and was accepted.

He has now completed at least 111 hours in college toward his degree in physics!

David can celebrate the positive things that have happened in his life. He’s worked hard to accomplish a lot. However, he can also celebrate the negative things that have happened in his life. He can even celebrate that he was homeless! It’s part of his life and his story.

What’s in your story that needs to be celebrated this Advent? Alex is a member of our work-from-home action team. You can join the Street Youth Ministry action team at sign-up.StreetYouthMinistry.org.

See a list of items needed to be done at volunteer. StreetYouthMinistry.org/actionteam.

SUBMITTED BY TERRY COLE AND ALEXANDER KAO

ALL IN THE FAMILY “This was my favorite event that I’ve done at Covenant,” Associate Director of Student Ministries Whitney Bell said of the students’ fall retreat to Camp Champions.

“Our hope was to create a sense of family in our students. That 12

happened. It didn’t feel like separate high school and middle school groups. We had high school student leaders working with our small groups, and they were able to make connections that we can never make. It’s really

powerful when high school leaders are trained to lead peers.”

About 45 students and 13 youth leaders went on the retreat and according to Nathan Richards, director of Student Ministries, it was the biggest retreat that group

has taken in a very long time.

“It was great because for every four students, we had an adult leader,” he said. “We were able to come together as one big group by combining the middle and high school students. Let’s face it, Jesus never said, ‘Hey church, split into separate sections based on your age or your interests or anything else.’”

Nathan said that the weekend was really a gift to the students.

“We were unplugged. The students didn’t have pressures from the outside world. They really got to be in the present.

“Anytime you can get students out of their normal routine, it’s an opportunity for them to open up

to God more than they might on a normal weekend.”

The Student Ministry team also brought in an outside speaker for the event. Doug Condon, youth pastor at Riverbend Church, focused his presentations on Hebrews 11. “That’s the idea that living your faith will generally mean you have to step out of your norm,” Nathan explained.

By stepping out of the boat and combining different age groups for small groups, the students grew in their relationships with each other and with God. “We saw so many students get to know each other better and really enjoy it,” Nathan said.

For many of the students, attending the retreat required some kind of sacrifice; many missing music festivals, baseball games and more. “I’d say at least 50 percent of our students had to miss something to come to the retreat.

However, I heard from multiple students that they were so glad they did.

“It’s amazing what community looks like when you’re not pulled in so many different directions,” Nathan said.

Next up for the students, D*Now Weekend Retreat, which is Jan. 16–18. Contact Whitney Bell at wbell@covenant.org for more information.

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VISIONS LUNCHEONS Join Covenant seniors at 11:45 a.m. on the third Tuesday of each month January through May for good food and fun fellowship. The VISIONS group will be entertained and educated through a lineup of programs to pique your interest. Mark your 2015 calendar for the following dates.

2015 VISIONS CALENDAR Tuesday, Jan. 20: Willy Culberson, director of operations for Travis County’s Star Flight Emergency Service, will tell us how the Star Flight service works, what it does and how he got involved. In 2014, Star Flight received the international Outstanding Achievement Award in Swift Water Rescue and the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline EMS Silver Award.

Tuesday, Feb. 17: Covenant members Thais and Doug Kilday will share the details of their trip to Russia when they took their adopted daughter, Naeda, back to her birth country. This story shows God at work in every detail of a trip that was amazing and heart warming. As Doug has said, “This was not our trip to Russia, nor Naeda’s trip, it was God’s trip.”

Tuesday, Mar. 17: James L. Haley, critically acclaimed author and historian, will talk about his book “Captive Paradise: A History of Hawaii,” a revealing view of Hawaii’s history in the 19th Century. The Wall Street Journal said, “Haley surpasses Irving Stone.” Haley spoke at a lunch years back about Sam Houston, from his book “A Passionate Nation: An Epic History of Texas.”

Tuesday, April 17: Tom Mitchell will inspire us with his knowledge of music. His topic will be “From Grief to Gratitude—Great Hymns of the Church.”

Tuesday, May 19: Dr. Dixie Stanforth will share her expertise in personal training to help us achieve better health when she talks about “Small Changes - Big Rewards.” Dr. Stanforth has been a lecturer in the University of Texas Department of Kinesiology since 1985, is the author of numerous articles and books, and is the recipient of many awards. Let her show you how to improve your health with her effective behavioral change strategies.

SUBMITTED BY SUE ROBERTS

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MENDING MARRIAGES Covenant has a great gift idea for that “hard to buy for” spouse! The Marriage Course starts Friday, Jan. 9, and runs through March 6 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in FE 200.

The Marriage Course is designed to build, strengthen and even mend marriages. Each evening begins with a meal. Over dinner, couples have an opportunity to spend time together. Dinner is followed by a video presentation, interspersed with exercises and questions for each couple to discuss privately. At no time is there any group discussion or any requirement to disclose anything personal to anyone other than your spouse.

A group of volunteers will lead the class, but the real instruction is on video. The Marriage Course materials are nondenominational and have been very popular with past participants. For more information, see relationshipcentral.org/marriage-course.

The early registration cost is $130 per couple if paid by Dec. 15. After Dec. 15, cost is $150 per couple. Registration deadline is Monday, Jan. 5.

For information, to register or to volunteer to serve meals, contact Rachel Gossen at (512) 426-7120 or covenantmarriagecourse@yahoo.com. Childcare is available by reservation at childcare@covenant.org.

CLERK’S CORNER In sharp contrast to last year at this time, I’m pleased to report that Covenant’s financial position is very healthy. Based on the strong support of the congregation for the Covenant Presbyterian Foundation’s capital matching campaign, we were able to make a payment to Frost Bank to reduce the debt on the Fellowship and Education Building by almost $800,000. We also had a good response to the stewardship drive with many families responding to the call to think outside the boat, sharing their financial resources and stories of the ways that God has been

faithful in their lives. There is still further to go, and we encourage everyone to turn in a pledge card as an act of discipleship and to give generously to the mission and ministry of Covenant.

The various church committees submitted their “dream budgets,” which were approved by the Session at its November meeting, the earliest budget approval in recent memory. Thank you to the Stewardship Committee for its work.

In October, Session bid a fond farewell to Munn Hinds, interim associate pastor. The Associate

Pastor Nominating Committee continues to work diligently to find the next person God is calling to join the Covenant staff. We solicit your prayers for discernment as the committee continues in its task. Speaking of tasks, 15

we created a task force to look comprehensively at our Sunday morning schedule with an eye on worship, discipleship and fellowship. You will be able to offer input through a survey. Be on the lookout this month for more information.

At our November meeting, we approved a recommendation from the Children and Pre-teen Ministries search committee to

hire Stacey Grooms as the director of that ministry. Thanks to the search committee for conducting a thorough process, and thanks to Stacey for her work as interim director.

Several Session members attended the October meeting of Presbytery in San Antonio, and we enjoyed our annual joint meeting with the deacons in November. The Congregational

Nominating Committee continues to solicit names for the offices of elder and deacon.

Please make any suggestions to Chairperson Cindy Young.

As we prepare this Advent season to celebrate the coming of Emmanuel, God with us, may you know the love and joy of worship, discipleship and fellowship with Christ’s church.

BLESSINGS,

FINANCE REPORT Financial Update

For Period Ended October 31, 2014

GENERAL FUND Revenues Expenses Net Surplus

YTD Actual $ 2,266,776 2,157,022 109,754

BUILDING FUND Total Loan Balance^ Scheduled Principal Payments YTD EXTRA PAYMENT-MATCHING FUND!

YTD Budget $2,065,088 2,384,202 ( 319,114 ) $ 6,530,335 91,215 772,000

^Loan balance reduced by $772,000 with Matching Campaign proceeds. Interest costs are included in General Fund Expenses.

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS HANGING OF THE GREEN

CHURCH-WIDE CAROL SING

Sunday, Nov. 30, at worship services

Wednesday, Dec. 17, in the Sanctuary

PRESCHOOL BOOK FAIR

CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES

Monday, Dec. 1 – Friday, Dec. 5, FE 300

Wednesday, Dec. 24, Sanctuary unless noted 2:30 p.m. Traditional Service with candles 4 p.m. Service for young kids 5 p.m. Contemporary Service, FE 200 8:30 p.m. Traditional Service–candles communion 10:30 p.m. Traditional Service with candles

VISIONS ACTIVITIES DAY

Tuesday, Dec. 2, at 10 a.m. in FE 200 ADVENT EVENT

Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 5:30 p.m. in Eaton Hall VISIONS ACTIVITIES DAY VISIONS TRAVEL TO TEXAS CULINARY INSTITUTE AND THE HARRY RANSOM CENTER

Tuesday, Jan. 6, 10 a.m. in FE 200

Wednesday, Dec. 3, meet at church at 10 a.m.

DINNERS AND PROGRAMS RESUME

ARMCHAIR TRAVELERS

Thursday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m. in FE 200

Wednesday, Jan. 7 (Children’s choirs and youth, children and adult programming starts)

SPECIAL SERVICE OF CHRISTMAS MUSIC

MARRIAGE COURSE

Sanctuary Choir and Brass Ensemble Sunday, Dec. 7, 9:30 and 11 a.m. Traditional Services

Fridays, Jan. 9 – March 6, FE 200 at 6 p.m.

UPWARD BASKEBTALL GAMES

CHRISTMAS PROGRESSIVE DINNER

Saturdays, Jan. 10 – Feb. 21, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m., FE 400

Sunday, Dec. 7, at 5:30 in FE 200 DARRELL GUDER PREACHING GRACENOTES CHRISTMAS CONCERT

Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m. in the Sanctuary SANCTUARY CHOIR AND ORCHESTRA A PRESENT CHRISTMAS CONCERT

Sunday, Jan. 11, Sanctuary Services Guder is a Princeton Theological Seminary professor.

FRIDAY, JAN. 16-SUNDAY, JAN. 18

D*Now Intown Youth Retreat

Sunday, Dec. 14, 9:30 & 11 a.m. Traditional Services VISIONS LUNCH VISIONS LUNCH

Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 11:45 p.m. in FE 200

Tuesday, Dec. 16, at 11:45 p.m. in FE 200

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3003 Northland Drive Austin, TX 78757

OFFICERS AND STAFF OF COVENANT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH DEACONS

ELDERS

CLASS OF 2015

CLASS OF 2016

CLASS OF 2017

CLASS OF 2015

CLASS OF 2016

CLASS OF 2017

Susan Ashton Jill Baumhover Wendell Bell Sylvia Betts Rusty Burnett Carolyn Carmichael Steve Caskey Lynda Chapman Allison Crutchfield Dianne Erlewine Pansy Flick Jane Gamel Keith Ging Garrett Hall Patti Hansen Elizabeth Harrell Bill Hawkins Shannon Knisely Jack Kriens Loretta Kriens Larry Loessin James Marroquin Emily McGinnis Gwen Morton Patrick Schmidt Gary Vliet Becky Wells Sharyn Westmoreland Paul Wynkoop

Mike Austin Jennifer Carsner Jane Crowe Kay Davenport Dustin Johnson Michael Knisely Bill McCaleb Andrea Moen Julie Moore Ken Moore Jennifer Palm Ryan Palm Bob Peterson Cherry Raley Jack Skaggs Allison Small Bridgette Stahlman Emily Taylor Gwyn Theodore Donna Thomas Steve Thomas Kristen Tritle Kathy Willis Shannon Windham

Pat Beckham Charlene Cole Daphne Corder Al DiCristofaro Allison Dwyer Marv Hackert Tom Hutchison Barbara Knisely Dorothy Layne Patsy Martin A.V. Ootsey Kathleen Reish Mike Rhoades Ruth Rhoades Will Schmidt Carol Sheppard Florita Sheppard Brent Stover Lee Terrell Lorrie Terrell Adele Trigg Greg Wilson Sandy Youman Wesley Young

Don Davis Evangeline Herring Chuck Ruesink Melanie Williamson Cindy Young

Paul Askenasy Jennifer Maham Deb Rieber John Ruwwe Frank Sheppard

Joe Denton Susan Holman Thais Kilday James Marroquin Clark Weatherby

FOUNDATION TRUSTEES CLASS OF 2015

CLASS OF 2016

CLASS OF 2017

Dave Ferguson Jack Kern Mary Teeple

Larry Faulkner JoAnne McIntosh Tana Taylor

Dianne Erlewine

PROGRAM STAFF Thomas R. Daniel, Senior Pastor Thomas W. Brown, Director of Music Ministry Duane Dube, Director of Administration Jill Williams, Associate Pastor for Congregational Care Ministries Christy Milam, Director of Preschool John Schmidt, Organist Stephanie Schultz, Director of Communications Stacey Grooms, Director of Children and Preteen Ministry Nathan Richards, Director of Student Ministries Jerry Wise, Contemporary Music Leader Derek Nafe, Creative Arts Producer