11 am Sunday worship on Facebook Live until further notice
Listen to any past Sunday sermon in the Sermon Archive on this website
May 2020
May 8, 2020 – It’s going to be a long time until we gather again: The church’s phased “transition” plan is starting to be implemented. We learned this week that the church plan lines up well with the “places of worship” category of the CDC’s draft for reopening. It will be a slow, gradual process, which is frustrating when we long to gather. While other churches around us may resume in-person worship, during the PA “yellow” phase First Covenant will remain closed. The PA phases won’t necessarily dictate the church’s phases. First Covenant plans to move forward cautiously with the health of the congregation, staff and community as priority. Online worship, Zoom faith formation and Zoom committee meetings will continue for the foreseeable future.
“God is Here” Pentecost Project: You are invited to attend the Drive-Thru Grad Celebration on Sunday, May 31 in the afternoon. At this event you’ll also be able to pick up a red (Pentecost) geranium to plant in your or a neighbor’s yard or another place in the community to be a silent witness of the Holy Spirit’s presence in this stressful time. Please share a photo of the planted flower on Facebook.
Re-Store, Re-Stock, Re-Open-Cleaning out the garage or basement while home? Erie Habitat for Humanity is looking to re-stock their Re-Store so it can re-open again. Donate kitchen cabinets and vanities; tools, shingles, lamps, 2 x 4’s, 2 x 6’s and 2 x 8’s at least 4 foot long, toilets, various home decorating items, etc. Social-distanced item collection: Friday, May 15 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. and Saturday, May 16 from 9 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. The Re-Store is located at 4922 Pittsburgh Avenue, in the business park off of West Grandview, 6th building on the right; brown with green trim. Enter the south driveway and proceed to the back of the building.
May 1, 2020 – From “Triage” to “Transition:” Moving from “Red” into the “Yellow” phase beginning next Friday, May 8 in our region of Pennsylvania. The staff has been busy working on a phased “transition” plan for the past few weeks. During the yellow phase the church will remain “closed.” In addition, the state phases won’t necessarily dictate the church’s phases. That is, expect the church to move forward slowly with the health of the congregation, staff and community of utmost priority. New cleaning and gathering protocols are being developed. Online worship, Zoom faith formation and Zoom committee meetings will continue for the foreseeable future.
April 2020
Our New Reality: While social distancing remains in place due to the Covid-19 pandemic and we are not able to physically gather for worship, we are still holding worship on Facebook Live on Sunday mornings at 11:00 a.m. Please note: All in-person worship and activities are cancelled until further notice.
- Join us for worship Sundays at 11:00 a.m. on Facebook Live: www.facebook.com/FirstCovenantErie/ and click on “LIKE” and “FOLLOW.” You will receive notifications when there is something LIVE happening. Encourage family and friends to join us. Print out the bulletin from www.firstcovenanterie.org
- Join us Wednesdays at 12 noon for Bible study on Facebook Live: Just go to www.facebook.com/FirstCovenantErie/ Either Pastor Chris of Associate Pastor Britney will a half hour bible study on Wednesday.
- Sunday Supper: Pat Tracy and her crew of volunteers are now offering take-out meals every Sunday from the outside doors of Knox Hall. While Covid-19 guidelines have cancelled dine-in meals, this ministry continues every Sunday, offering meals to those in need of meal from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Consider how you can support this ministry. Contact Pat Tracy.
- Remember our shut-ins with a card during “no visitations.”.Call the church office for an address list.
- Faith Formation for Children/Youth: Send your email address to [email protected]
- Do we have your current e-mail address? Updates & worship bulletins are being e-mailed weekly. Submit your email address, prayer request, suggestion or question to [email protected]
- Check the church website: www.firstcovenanterie.org —sermon audio, service videos, bulletins, and newsletters
- Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., call 814.456.4243 or email [email protected]
- Listen to any past Sunday sermon on this website by going to the worship section then sermon archive, go to this page https://firstcovenanterie.org/publications/audio/
- Presbyterian Church U.S.A – Coronavirus/Covid-19 Resources for Congregations & Members: https://www.pcusa.org/covid19/
On March 17. First Covenant closed the church building to ALL groups and postponed the physical gathering for worship on Sunday mornings until further notice. Erie County is under a declared state of emergency because of the COVID-19 pandemic. For the latest updates and information on the coronavirus pandemic from local, state and national officials, go to the Erie County website https://eriecountypa.gov/covid-19-update/
Connecting with Pastor Chris: When you wish to contact our First Covenant Pastor, Rev. Chris Weichman, he can be reached in the church office Tuesday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at 814-456-4243 ex.103 or anytime at [email protected]
Update the church office with your new contact information: If you have moved, changed your phone number or email address please update your contact information and let the church office know by contacting JoAnn Peters at 456-4243 Ext 110 or at [email protected]. If you have a question, send your email to: [email protected]
