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Connections
540 SE 18th Street, Owatonna MN 55060
507-451-1032
June 2015
Volume 3, Issue 4
Our mission as Christ
Community Covenant Church is
to glorify God and seek His will
for our personal lives and our
lives together.
Inside This Issue
Page 2
* Musings (cont’d)
Page 3
* Mission Focus
* Church on the Road
Page 4
* Kid’s Connections
* Sew Blessed
Page 5
* Calendar
* Bible Reading Guide
Page 6
* Financial Report
* Service Schedules
Connections is a monthly
publication of Christ Community
Covenant Church, Owatonna, Minn.
Articles for Connections must be
submitted by the 15th of each
month to Betty Wells.
W e b s i t e : w w w . o w a t o n n a c o v e n a n t c hu r c h. o r g
E m a i l : c c c @ o w a t o n n a c o v e n a n t c hu r c h. o r g
Monthly Musings from Pastor Brent
So how well are we doing love?
From the musical Carousal by Rogers and Hammerstein, perhaps you
remember hearing these words:
June is bustin' out all over!
All over the meadow and the hill!
Buds're bustin' outa bushes
And the rompin' river pushes
Ev'ry little wheel that wheels beside the mill!
As we see all around us, the grass, the flowers and the trees are
busting out with green and sensational colors. Truly this season is a
gorgeous time of the year as we experience the signs of summer.
The song continues:
Fresh and alive and gay and young
June is a love song, sweetly sung
June is bustin' out all over!
The saplin's are bustin' out with sap!
Love he's found my brother, "Junior,"
And my sister's even lunier,
And my ma is gettin' kittenish with Pap.
Because it's June! June, June, June
Just because it's June, June, June!
Not only is June a wonderful season for budding color, it is also the
season for budding love. It has been said in years gone by that June is
when every young man’s fancy turns to (not baseball) but love. In fact
June is traditionally the most popular month for weddings.
So what does all this talk about love have to do with us? Well, as you
all know, the Bible has a lot to say about love. First and foremost we
need to know that God loves us. In fact the only way that we are able to
love is because God loved us first, “We love because He (God) first
loved us” (1 John 4:19). Therefore, when it comes to love, please know
that God loves you. Do not ever doubt that even though everything and
everyone may fail you, God always loves you.
(continued on page 2)
Monthly Musings from Pastor Brent
(continued from page 1)
Then in return Jesus said in
Matthew 22:37 that the first and
greatest commandment is “You
shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart, and with all
your soul, and with all your
mind.” So with all the signs of
summer, flowers, blossoming
trees and rain showers our
genuine response to our loving
God should be love in worship,
praise, thanksgiving and service
in caring for the environment.
So how well are we doing love?
We often quote these words
from memory and we shouldn’t
have to be reminded. However,
in our busyness and our
comfort; in our selfishness and
forgetfulness, we have to be
reminded and encouraged to
reach out in love to all those
around us. There are people all
around us that deeply need to
know that they are loved, and
because God loves us, we can
love them. So how well are we
doing love?
Jesus then followed the
greatest commandment by
saying, “And the second is like
it: ‘Love your neighbor as
yourself’” (Matthew 22:39).
Jesus also said, “A new
command I give you: Love one
another. As I have loved you,
so you must love one another”
(John 13:34). And He also said,
“"You have heard that it was
said, ‘You shall love your
neighbor and hate your enemy.’
"But I say to you, love your
enemies and pray for those who
persecute you . . .” (John 5:4344). The Bible also give this
instruction, “Husbands, love
your wives and do not be harsh
with them” (Colossians 3:19),
and in response most wives
already know to love their
husbands. So how well are we
doing love?
We may intend to and we may
want to, but we forget. We may
not want to, we may not know
the person and we may not
even like the person, however,
God does not give us a choice.
He has asked us to reach out in
love to those around us.
Perhaps a “Good Morning” or
“Good Afternoon” as we meet
people at the store. We may be
the only ones who say anything
to them all day. Where
appropriate a smile or even a
friendly greeting can be
encouraging. At home a hug, a
kiss and a genuine “I love you”
is always good. So how well
are we doing love?
These are God’s word to us as
God’s children and as a
community of believers at Christ
Community Covenant Church
when it comes to love. Love
God! Love our neighbor! Love
one another! Love our spouse
and family! Love our enemy!
We know these things and we
shouldn’t have to be reminded.
Connections
Love can be expressed through
prayer for another individual
with the genuine hope that
God will intervene with His
love. Love can be
demonstrated through
friendship and mentoring.
Stopping by for a visit or
calling a person on the
phone or sending them a
friendly note are also ways
to show our love. So how
well are we doing love?
The Lord will even help us with
the words to say when we want
to share the love of Christ with
someone by telling them how
much God loves them. There
are so many people all around
us who do not know - really
know - that God even loves them
because they have never even
experienced the real love of a
person. So how well are we
doing in sharing the love of
Christ?
The month of June 2015 is here.
Wouldn’t it be great to see the
people that we know find the
love of God in their lives for the
very first time? Let us pray to
our God who loves us that we
might be loving enough to share
His love with the people around
us. Then June will “be bustin’
out all over” as the love and the
joy of the Lord is experienced by
members of our family, our
friends and even our enemies.
Love is awesome and it is my
prayer that June will burst out all
around us with God’s love.
And now these three
remain: faith, hope,
and love. But the
greatest of these is
love.
1 Corinthians 13:13
page 2
Mission Focus for June
Church on the Road
Owatonna Care Center
Transitional Housing of Steele County is an interfaith
Again on Sunday, June 28, we will be
taking our church service on the road as
we go to the Owatonna Care Center on
18th Street SW. This time of worship with
the residents and their families is a great
opportunity for us to share the love of
Christ with them. Also this service
provides a wonderful
opportunity for the
residents to worship
on Sunday morning
which they seldom
are able to do.
nonprofit organization. Their mission is to respond to
people with housing needs in Steele County, Minnesota.
Transitional Housing began in 2000. It started as a
meeting of concerned people, including leaders of local
churches, who wanted to end homelessness in Steele
County. The group carefully considered the best way to
serve the homeless population and decided to adopt
the transitional housing approach. Transitional Housing
has proudly served the homeless, and those who are in
danger of becoming homeless, ever since.
Over 300 people are homeless in Steele County on any
given night, including small children and families. Some
live in abject poverty and abusive relationships, while
others live in their cars or might be fortunate enough to
have temporary housing with friends or in shelters.
Homelessness is often hidden, but it is still there.
Dr. Julie Anderson, executive director, will be in our
Sunday morning worship service, June 14, to give a
special report on this vital ministry in Steele County.
For more information please go to their website at
www.transitionalhousingsc.com
If you know someone who lives there,
please invite them to come and
encourage their family to join with them
and us for worship. Please also pray for
this special occasion that God will be
glorified and that His people will be
encouraged in their life and walk with
God.
The Inspiration for their mission:
On the street I saw a small girl, cold and shivering in
a thin dress with little hope of a decent meal. I became
angry and said to God, “Why do you permit this? Why
don’t you do something?” That night God replied, “I
have. I made you.”
Connections
page 3
Sew Blessed
by Cathi Carlson
The school year has flown
by so very quickly, and the
children from our church
have been busy
discovering during their
connection time that "Every
Story Whispers His Name."
Yes, there are lots of stories
in the Bible, and we have
been focusing on the one
big idea that God loves his
children and comes to
rescue them. It takes the
whole Bible to tell this story,
and at the center of the
story is Jesus. We have
been looking at the fact
that every story in the Old
and New Testaments,
somehow "whispers his
name" or points to Jesus.
We have been having a
great time together. Over
the summer months, Lisa
will be leading the children
in a story and activity time.
Please remember to pray a
Luke 2:52 prayer for Lisa
and the children during
these days so that they will
continue to grow in
knowledge, wisdom, in
favor with God and in favor
with man.
When you see Ava,
Courtney, Ella, Hannah,
Aiden, Gavin or Owen on
Sunday morning be sure to
say “Hi” to them (they will
love it!). Let's help them to
LOVE Church!
Connections
Cutters and Funds Needed
Nearly 1000 diapers have been made since “Sew
Blessed” began almost 3 years ago. Each
Wednesday, the church basement becomes a
friendly workshop where women gather to sew,
or trace patterns, or cut fabric, or help with
miscellaneous tasks, or just to visit. As “Sew
Blessed” continues through the summer months,
we invite newcomers to join in. Don’t worry
about the lunch plan—just come anytime
between 10:00 and 2:00.
Especially needed at this
time are people to trace
patterns and cut the
t-shirt material. Also
needed are donated
funds so that fabric can
be purchased for the
outside layer of the
diapers. You may mark
your check “Sew Blessed” and put in the offering,
or give to Alice Svoboda, or bring with you on any
Wednesday. It will be good to see you then!
Sunday, June 28
5:00 p.m.
at
DeWayne & Tillie Erickson’s home
All the details will follow soon in the
church bulletin.
Faith Night
with the
Mankato MoonDogs
vs.
Alexandria Blue Anchors
Sunday, July 12
Game starts at 6:05 p.m.
Cost: $4.00 per person
Sign-up sheet coming soon!
page 4