I have to confess that sometimes it is easy for me (Pastor Nick) to look past the single impact as I try to help strategize ways to make our church more sustainably impactful. But that is a mistake, and probably a little bit of a sin of pride.  Pastor Karen encouraged me the other…

  What an incredible day we had on Sunday! We celebrate with Kennedy Juma, Msebengi Bilanga, Ana Asani, Alembe Samsoni and Wakati Asani! Congratulations on your Baptism!! Praise GOD!! What a joyous day! This, my brothers and sisters, is what Jesus told us to do: “Go and make disciples and baptize them in the name…

Greetings from my (Pastor Karen’s) parents’ house on Cape Cod! Don’t worry! We don’t go to the beach where the sharks are! I thought you might enjoy another tidbit from the Global Leadership Conference… Have you ever heard of a “Growth Mindset”? This is not about numbers, it’s about learning. I actually think that OCC members…

Check out this info that will help you level up your connections with people, (and possibly your opportunities to share God’s love), from a summary of last year’s Global Leadership Summit: Vanessa Van Edwards, a best-selling author on behavioral research, offered some great tips on “leveling up” with people and creating a stronger connection which…

We are at the end of July,  and as the heat bears down,  you might start dreaming of fall weather. Which means it is a good time to start dreaming about who might start attending Orchard Covenant this fall as well! Most of you know the acronym, BLESS for evangelism,  but if you don’t, right now I just…

Dear Church, If you haven’t witnessed the devastation at Pilgrim Pines (our East Coast Conference retreat and conference center), this video will give you an idea. https://www.wmur.com/article/flash-floods-roads-swanzey-camp/44497029 My heart is breaking. My mind is on a loop. “Lord, be with Jim (camp director), Father, rescind the waters, help the campers dig the cars out, thank…

I (Pastor Nick) stumbled upon this quote and I think it fits our series about finding God’s refreshment: “(W)hat makes you think that God is absent from the maintenance shop but present in the chapel? . . . Holiness doesn’t depend on changing our jobs, but in doing for God’s sake what we have been used…

Pastor Nick and I are here at the Covenant Annual Meeting. In just two days (Saturday), Pastor Nick will be ordained! I am so happy for him. I’m sure you are too. We would like to thank everyone for your support of our professional journeys here in the Covenant. You have supported us well and…

This Monday was Juneteenth. A holiday commemorating the actual freedom from slavery in the United States. Well, that is simplifying it a bit, but there are some great resources out there about the holiday, so I’ll just offer my meager reflections on a “toe in” celebration of the day. My first instinct was to exclude myself from this…

Pastor Karen reminded us last Sunday that there are kingdom seeds and there are weeds of the enemy.  We are always planting seeds in our lives, whether intentional or not.   Some of them will grow into the fruit of the kingdom-  Righteousness,  Peace and Joy.  Other seeds that we plant will grow thorns that…