“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…” Eccl. 3:1

Summer is almost here  (on the calendar, anyway)! School ends for most students next week and, ready-or-not, many schedules or rhythms are about to change. For my family, this is a welcomed change, as three of the four of us look forward to sleeping in and setting their own schedules for a season. And even though my own schedule doesn’t change, a new rhythm in one area of life certainly affects all areas of life. Changes bring new perspective, new focus, new priorities, and new energy. Change keeps us on our toes and prevents us from becoming stagnant in an area of life. While every change (both welcomed and unwelcomed) brings a degree of stress, change can also bring new opportunities (for rest or for growth).

Here are a few things to note as our church heads into a new season:

Love Burnsville Week! Mayor Kautz has invited our church as well as other faith communities in Burnsville to reach out with simple acts of kindness and compassion during the city's Love Burnsville Week, which begins this Saturday. We encourage you to use this as an opportunity to bless your neighbors. For a list of creative acts of kindness go to http://popmn.org/wp content/uploads/popmn/2013/04/Dots-of-Love_Summer-calendar.pdf and for a events occurring this week go to http://www.burnsville.org/index.aspx?NID=738.

Faith Steps Walking Club! Women of all ages, children (in strollers) and friendly pets are welcome to join our Women's Ministry weekly walking club starting June 7! We will walk at various locations around the south metro on Fridays from 9-10am. Our first week we will start and end at Faith Covenant. Contact Natalie for more information: [email protected].

Walk for Life! Faith Covenant has long partnered with our neighbor, Amnion Crisis Pregnancy Center, in hosting their annual Walk for Life. This year's (2 mile) walk will take place on Saturday, June 8th and, as always, begins and ends right here at Faith Covenant. Consider walking, invite your friends, and/or sponsor a walker this year! Contact Deb Devine at [email protected] for more information.

World Tour! Join us for our next sermon series June 9-30.  We'll be taking a World Tour of some of the worldwide missions that FCC is involved in, all the while asking the question "what work or mission does God have for each of us?"  N.B. There will be a special Missions offering on June 23 to help fund some very exciting special missions projects.

Vacation Bible School! VBS is our weeklong program for children 3 1/2 to grade 5. It is absolutely free and provides a great opportunity to invite your friends and neighbors. VBS is a wonderful way to help children explore God's Word in new and exciting ways. June 17-21, 9am-noon. Sign up on Faith's web page (Children's Ministry tab) or pick up a paper form at the church's main office.

Women’s Ministry Book Study! A 7 week study of “The 7 Hardest Things God Asks a Woman to Do,” by Kathie Reimer & Lisa Whittle, begins July 9 on Tuesday mornings. Details to follow! Contact Jen at [email protected] for information or to register.

Church Picnic time! Plan to join us on Wednesday, August 21 from 6-8:30pm for dinner, fellowship, and baptisms at Antler's Park (Lake Marion)! We'll provide burgers and hot dogs - bring your own chair or blanket and a dish to share.

Our youth are awesome, aren’t they? It was so fun seeing them lead worship this past Sunday. The youth team has done a great job of developing leaders and worshipers.  Congratulations to all the Graduates and those students who were confirmed.

Well as many of you know John Foley and myself spent some time in Kosovo with a mission team of about 30 people from all different backgrounds. I know that some of you have asked to know more about the mission work that Faith Covenant Church has been involved with. I have been really excited to see how much interest we have in missions because that means more people want to go out and be the hands and feet of Jesus.

Over the next month, John Foley will be highlighting missions in our next series beginning June 9th. It is a time where you hear about the different missions Faith is apart of, but also have a chance to become involved. It is going to be a great series.

Before we start the new series, we are in the last 2 weeks of the series “Be Yourself.” This week is Memorial Day weekend and Char will be giving the message. The next week, June 2nd, we will be having a time where you can be baptized right in the service. So if you are thinking about baptism or want to be baptized remember to where appropriate cloths to get baptized June 2nd.

Also there is an optional baptism class this coming Wednesday in room 200 for those who want to know more about baptism. You do not need to go to the class to be baptized in the service June 2nd, but thought we would offer a class for those who still might have questions about baptism. Don’t forget if you want to get baptized to bring a change of cloths. It is going to be great! Can’t wait to see how the Spirit is going to move in the service.

See you Sunday,
-Jon Oney

HERE IS WHAT IS COMING UP AT FAITH

VBS
VBS is our week long program for children 3 1/2 to grade 5. It is absolutely free and provides a great opportunity to invite your friends and neighbors. VBS is a wonderful way to help your children explore God's Word in new and exciting ways. June 17-21.

AMNION CRISIS PREGNANCY’S WALK FOR LIFE
Mark your calendars! Faith Covenant has long partnered with our neighbor, Amnion Crisis Pregnancy Center, in hosting their annual Walk for Life. This year's two mile walk will take place on Saturday, June 8. As always, it begins and ends right here at Faith Covenant. Consider walking, invite your friends, and/or sponsor a walker this year! For more information contact Deb Devine at [email protected].

FAITH STEPS WALKING CLUB
We are so excited to offer our women an opportunity to gather on a weekly basis this summer to walk, visit, and pray together. Join us Friday mornings from 9-10am for a time of excercise and fellowship. Bring your little ones (strollers are welcome) and friendly dogs... For more information, contact Natalie at [email protected]. First Faith Steps will be June 2, meeting at and departing from Faith.

ALL-CHURCH PICNIC
Summer in Minnesota = Church Picnic time! Plan to join us on Wednesday, August 21 from 6-8:30pm for dinner, fellowship, and baptisms at Antler's Park (Lake Marion)! We'll provide burgers and hot dogs - bring your own chair or blanket and a dish to share.

Greetings Friends,

Pastor Mike Lotzer here with this week’s Faith Update.  Appreciating the good things that God brings our way is a discipline I often forget to incorporate. With that in mind let me share some good news that I am thanking God for at Faith:

New Faces:  I am seeing more and more new faces in our weekly gatherings. The warmth and Christ-like hospitality of our church family seems to be growing, and for that I am grateful to you and to God.

As we Age: I spoke with a dear woman in her late seventies last week who shared with me how she is becoming more aware of the true motives of her heart.  As she identifies pride and selfishness she is becoming quicker to ask for forgiveness to those she interacts with.  How cool is that? A church where even those of us approaching 80 years old are intentionally asking God to grow us!

Early Words of Faith:  I am so grateful for those who see a need and offer time and talent to teach our children about Jesus.  In my own family the value of our children’s ministry became clear when my son, just shy of his second birthday, said  “I love Jesus” as I put him down for a nap after church.  Of course he often stays in the nursery for both services so he does get the benefit of repetition… For a church that forms the faith of toddlers I am so grateful!

Service & Influence: Faith Food Outreach fed 370 families Monday. Isn’t that incredible? Thank you to all who serve on the second Monday of each month in that ministry.  I heard today that more and more of the clients who receive the food are asking to volunteer to help serve the food.  Behind that trend I see the power of just how influential giving one’s time with no strings attached to help others can be.  In fact, in general, we are seeing more people asking how they can serve at Faith across departments. Thank you for that church!

Give, Save, Live: This simple rhythm of financial management is more than good advice. It is the biblical rhythm of responsibly managing God’s resources. I preached on this rhythm last winter and I have been humbled to see tangible growth in giving at FCC.  I sense that our church is grasping that generosity and giving God our first as a response to the Gospel.  What is more, it is the best vaccination possible against the virus of greed, consumer debt, and financial heartbreak.  Thank you for giving joyfully, sacrificially and consistently.  It is critical to moving our ministry in God-honoring directions. 

Faith in College:  I am thrilled to see that so many have rallied around a plan our Youth Director, Brian Martin, is rolling out. His plan: Build volunteer teams to support our individual young people at FCC as they transition from high school to college.  These teams will send care packages and letters to our College Freshman next fall and commit to praying for and dialoging with these ambassadors of Christ in a new chapter that is often infamous for starving a daily walk with Christ.

These are just a sampling of the good news that comes across my desk and through conversations daily. From my view God is moving in this family.  Some of the very best things are so clearly a work of God’s Spirit that our staff couldn’t even begin to take credit for it! If you would like to share some good news you see happening at Faith please send it to our church council at: [email protected]

Lastly, below you will find information about Children’s Ministry, a Walking Club, Missionary Updates and more.  God bless and keep you in Christ!

Genuinely,
Mike Lotzer

Children's Ministry Summer Programs
Check out the fun things we have planned for your children/grandchildren this summer at Faith! They won't want to miss VBS, Covenant Pines Day Camp or Secret Service Day Camp. Registrations are available on the Children's Ministry page at www.faithcovenant.org, or paper copies are at Faith by the main office. VBS is free and is a great outreach opportunity to share with your friends and neighbors.

Faith Steps Walking Club
We are excited to offer our women an opportunity to gather on a weekly basis this summer to walk, visit, and pray together. Join us Friday mornings from 9-10am for a time of exercise and fellowship. Bring your little ones (strollers are welcome) and friendly dogs, if you'd like. For more information, contact Natalie at [email protected]. The first Faith Steps will be June 2, meeting at and departing from Faith.

Mission Moment
Stop by the Faith Missions Board (in the upstairs hall by the east door) to learn more about the Smoak's ministry in Honduras. Allison Smoak is a daughter of our congregation; parents are Mark & Pat Heimkes.

Covenant Pines Golf Tournament
Join us for the 18th Annual Covenant Pines Golf Tournament, Wed June 5th at Crystal Lake Golf Course in Lakeville. Funds from the event will help support Covenant Pines scholarships to ensure every kid is a camper. Limited to the first 144 golfers. Don't golf? No problem. Be a sponsor or donate prizes. Register online at covenantpines.org. Click on the "schedule" tab.

Walk for Life

Mark your calendars! Faith Covenant has long partnered with our neighbor, Amnion Crisis Pregnancy Center, in hosting their annual Walk for Life. This year's (2 mile) walk will take place on Saturday, June 8th and, as always, begins and ends right here at Faith Covenant. Consider walking, invite your friends, and/or sponsor a walker this year! Contact Deb Devine at [email protected] for more information.

After 10 days in Kosovo, there are many stories to tell.  A team of 31 joined Rick, Mary, and Tim Drenk in the mission work that continues year after year since the war in 1999.  Pictured here from FCC are Jon Oney, Pat  Simpkins, myself, and Bob and Jaymie McNamara.  It was a phenomenal trip from beginning to end.  I am humbled by God's hand, faithfulness, and blessings he has poured out since FCC first overwhelmingly supported the Drenk's mission work there.  Look forward to hearing and seeing more about this trip during our June sermon series.

-Pastor John Foley

Here are a couple things happening at Faith:

Children's Ministry Summer Programs
Check out the fun things we have planned for your children/grandchildren this summer at Faith! They won't want to miss VBS, Covenant Pines Day Camp or Secret Service Day Camp. Registrations are available on the Children's Ministry page at www.faithcovenant.org or paper copies are at Faith by the main office. VBS is free and is a great outreach opportunity to share with your friends and neighbors.

Amnion Crisis Pregnancy Center's Annual Walk for Life
Mark your calendars! Faith Covenant has long partnered with our neighbor, Amnion Crisis Pregnancy Center, in hosting their annual Walk for Life. This year's (2 mile) walk will take place on Saturday, June 8th and, as always, begins and ends right here at Faith Covenant. Consider walking, invite your friends, and/or sponsor a walker this year! Contact Deb Devine at [email protected] for more information.

Faith Steps Walking Club
Women of all ages, children (in strollers) and pets (friendly) are welcome to join our Women's Ministry weekly walking club starting June 7! We will walk at various locations around the south metro from 9 - 10am. Contact Natalie for more information: [email protected].

Birth is a beautiful thing.

Many of you know what I’m talking about.  You’ve been in a delivery room as a witness to the very first moments of a person.  It’s this thing that feels like a miracle, and it’s a moment that reveals God in this unique way like nothing else does.

I guess I’m thinking about birth today because of some recent births around here (Keely Dack and Isaac Lotzer, to name a couple), as well as a “church birth” celebration for Restoration last Friday night which welcomed our little church plant into full-on, real, not-a-church-plant-anymore status.  While it’s fun and easy to think about the beauty of these kinds of beginnings, there are a couple other necessary observations to make about birth, too.

Birth hurts.

Labor is called labor for a reason; it’s really hard work.  It’s often compared to the level of energy it takes to run a marathon (did Ann Eicher get you to sign up for Team World Vision yet? Because if not, she’s comin’ for you!).  Energy is involved here.

Birth requires risk.

Babies and mothers are at risk at the moment of birth.  Most births (statistically) occur without incident.  But there is always the risk that the transition from in-the-belly to out-of-the belly will carry dangers unknown or unavoidable.

In the church, we live in this reality and tension that birth, in this case metaphorical birth, is beautiful, but is also risky and, sometimes, painful.  The birth of a new idea, a new strategy, or a new program in a church carries all of these same markings.  There is, perhaps, excitement about the new, a joyous celebration.  But there is also risk: what if this doesn’t work? What if NOT doing it that way means it doesn’t work? And there is pain that can come in many forms.

A question I am wrestling with today is this: in the Church (the “big C” kind…but our “little c” church, too), does the beauty of birth and the start of a new generation of ideas and strategies outweigh the pain and the risk?  Or does the risk feel too high and the pain too scary to avoid “pregnancy” all together?

God, help us all know your will on that.

All that said, here’s some information we thought you’d want to have:

Faith Steps Walking Club
Women of all ages, children (in strollers) and pets (friendly) are welcome to join our Women's Ministry weekly walking club starting June 7! We will walk at various locations around the south metro from 9 - 10am. Contact Natalie for more information: [email protected].

Kids' Praise Team
Join us as we teach kids to worship God through movement and music. Children ages preschool through 5th grade are welcome. Class will be in room 250 in between services from 10:30-11am each Sunday in May. Contact Lynn for more information at [email protected].

Worship & Welcome Teams
Faith is looking for people who like to help out with hospitality. We are revamping our welcome program at faith and want to let people know we need some more help. We need people to help greet, be at the welcome desk, and be a presence that helps new people find their way around Faith. If that sounds interesting to you, there will be a sign up in the lobby this Sunday May 5. Come check it out.

Covenant Pines Family Weekend
Memorial Day Weekend, May 24-27, is a great time to come to camp and enjoy the beautiful outdoors while helping prepare camp for the busy upcoming summer. Register online at covenantpines.org. Kids 0-3 are free, 4-12 only $15, and anyone over 12 ONLY $30. Space is limited, so register soon! For more info contact Terri at [email protected].