What’s new

New Covenant in the news! https://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/politics/champaign-church-taking-steps-to-make-reparations-to-black-americans/article_ffdae789-d085-5dd0-8529-2e04e5e7ca93.html

Mari Hunt Wassink teaches on Black Farming and the need for Reparations in Agriculture and Land Ownership.

Christmas Day and New Year’s Day services will be online only! We resume in-person worship on January 8, 2023.

Join us Sunday morning for Advent candle-lighting! On Dec 11, stay for a festive meal of pasta, salad, and desserts at 11:30am followed by a congregational conversation in the fellowship hall, ending by 1:00pm.

Join us at Restoration Urban Ministries this Sunday 11/27 for a Joint Worship Service at 10:30am!

Baptism coming November 20, 2022 during morning worship!

We are honored to host an exhibition of “The Auschwitz Experience in the Art of Prisoners.” On display September 18 – October 10 in the sanctuary.

Worship with Jean-René Balekita again on September 4 at 10:30am at NCF!

Oct 2021 work/play day at Randolph St. Community Garden!

Powered by the Sun

Our Solar Panels are fully operational! We are grateful to care for creation and the next generation together!

1st Sundays: Online Only

August 1st- Worship online any time. Join us at Hessel Park for a Potluck Picnic with the Interfaith Alliance from 4-6pm. Come connect with our community of faith!

4th of July

Our first Sunday of each month “flip” means online worship only, but fellowship outside in person! Join us at Kaufman Lake in Champaign (on Springfield Ave across from El Toro) on Sunday, July 4, 10:30 am -Noon to walk and talk by the water. The path is paved and the pier is accessible. 

In-person Worship Resumes

On June 13 we return to the sanctuary for hybrid services- a mixture of live worship, recorded elements, and fellowship together. The vast majority of NCF is fully vaccinated and masks effectively prevent COVID transmission. Join us 10:30-12 or listen online whenever, wherever you are.

Open Air Fellowship

Sunday, June 6, join us at Hessel Park 10:30 am -Noon to hang out, play, and catch up! The worship service will be online for listening at any time. With the vast majority of NCF vaccinated, we are excited to begin gathering again. No agenda, just community togetherness!

Our Health

Pastor Renée Antrosio shares about her diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis, reflecting on healthcare inequities in America; Jeff Trask, founder of the Champaign County Christian Health Center, updates us on developments of this important ministry in this week’s blog. Don’t miss Dr. Trask’s teaching this Sunday, May 23!

                                                                          Reparations Conversation #1

Our April 25 Zoom Session US Civil War, Holocaust Reparations, and Compensation for Forced Labor is now available as a video on YouTube or an audio podcast. Follow the link above or visit our Justice tab. 

Leadership Team

Greg W, Carolyn V, Joyce M, and Paco Z meet with Pastor Renée on Mondays to study scripture, pray, and discern direction for our church fellowship. We are excited to be together again, while still utilizing Zoom for larger meetings.

Reparations Conversations

SUNDAYS │ 6:15 – 7:30 PM (CENTRAL)

April 25 International Reparations, May 16 US History, June 6 Recent Attempts , June 27 Possible Responses

Reach out for the Zoom link!

Women’s Shelter at NCF

Austin’s Place has been housed in our fellowship hall for the majority of the pandemic while their space at CU at Home is renovated. This is the first year that women experiencing homelessness in CU have had access to year-round shelter.

Prayer for Beirut

Martin Accad’s post pertaining to his Aunt Evelyne Accad pictured here reads:

“Many thanks to all friends around the world who have been sending me countless messages checking on our safety. We are grateful and nothing life threatening in my family. We spent 9 hours in emergency room with my aunt Evelyne who lives in Ashrafieh with her balcony overlooking the port. The damage to her apartment is terrible and the image above speaks for itself. Lots of cuts from glass and other debris. All of the hospitals were completely overwhelmed and caring for wounds and stitching was happening in every corner. So much destruction. So much hurt and death. So many people homeless and who have lost everything … yet again…”

Please take a moment to listen to Valerie Hoffman’s prayer for Beirut.

Auction Online

The Auction of Goods and Services opens this Sunday, March 29 online! Donors have put up dozens of events to look forward to, as well as services, goods, and goodies  to sustain us all while we’re still sheltering. Strengthen our connections again this year!

NCF Auction of Service

It’s time to decide what you’re going to offer at this year’s Auction of Goods and Services. Before March 15, please complete the Auction contribution form and leave it in the basket at the back of the sanctuary, or email Paige your details. Wonder what the NCF Auction is all about? Want some suggestions on what to contribute? Have an idea you’d like help with? Let’s make this Auction the best one yet!
     

Ash Wednesday and Lent

Join us at Bethel AME, 401 E. Park St, Champaign, for Ash Wednesdays services at Noon or 7pm, led by Rev. Terrance Thomas. Journey with Jesus through Lent with a book group at Noon on Wednesdays (2:30 on Ash Wed) at Bethel. Unite with the community of faith this season!

Sunday Feb. 23rd

Jeff Trask will preach when Restoration Urban Ministries joins us for worship on Feb 23 at NCF. Don’t miss it!

Solar Panel Power Meeting

Stay for lunch Feb 2 at 11:45 after a shortened service. Greg Wallace and crew will provide the meal; we all supplement with sides and desserts. Please  stay to eat, listen to the Solar presentation, and discuss. In order to decrease our carbon footprint, we are looking into installing solar panels on our roof, using a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) to pay for the installation. A representative from StraightUp Solar will be at NCF at noon on February 2 to make a presentation.

MLK Sunday

Jeff Trask is back to teach on MLK Sunday. Join us January 19 for a special time of worship.

Christmas Eve

Join us at 5:00pm on December 24 for a candlelight Christmas Eve service. Our hearts are full as we prepare for the birth of the King.

Carols & Cookies

Spring Initiative Kids and Staff will join us for worship Sunday Dec 15 for a shortened service, followed by singing carols and munching cookies to celebrate our fellowship. Join us with a plate of finger-food to share!

Advent Begins

Join us December 1 for candle lighting as we celebrate Advent and prepare for the birth of the King! Jeff Trask will be our guest teacher.

Thanksgiving Offering

In November we are collecting a special offering to gift to these organizations:

Local- Latino Partnership Family Assistance Fund

National- RIP Medical Debt

International- Network in Solidarity with the people of Guatemala

Join us in learning and participating in these good works!

Honoring Elaine Mustain’s Memory

Listen to Brian’s sharing about Elaine here:

Cookout, Work, & Play  

This Sunday 10/20 at Randolph St Community Garden at Noon. Worship service at NCF at 10:30 with Church of the Brethren joining us. Then cookout at the garden at noon. NCF will provide and grill burgers (meat and veggie) and hotdogs. Please bring sides, chips, and desserts. Work & Play in the garden and at the playground after that.

This Sunday

Join us this Sunday for a service on Responding to the Call (Matthew 9:9-12) led by Professor Jeffrey Trask, former pastor at NCF.

Joint Service at RUM

Join us this Sunday September 29 at 11:00am for worship at Restoration Urban Ministries at 1213 Parkland Ct in Champaign for a joint service. There will be no separate service at NCF that morning; we will all meet at Restoration to be the church in partnership together.

Memorial Service

Celebrate the life of J. Michael Powers: 2pm, Saturday, September 21 at New Covenant Fellowship, 124 W White Street, Champaign. To contribute photos or videos, please email kevin@shesaidproject.com ASAP, by Friday 5pm. A simple reception will follow. Donations in Michael’s memory may also be made to New Covenant Fellowship, to help defray family expenses for final arrangements.

Friday Food & Friends

Friday Food and Friends resumes this Friday, Sept 20th for a fun and relaxed dinner. We look forward to catching up with each other and building relationships as we begin the fall. 

Book Signing

Activist, teacher, pastor, and author Vern Fein will be signing copies of his book RADICAL FAITH: From The Sixties Counterculture To Jesus, available after church this Sunday Sept 15 for $15 (cash/check).

Art with Arlene

Intrepid local artist Arlene Rappaport will teach a mixed-age art Sunday School once a month starting this Sunday Sept 8! Aspiring artists from Middle School through Adults are welcome to participate during the Sunday sermon time. 

Spring Initiative 

Join us this Sunday September 1 for an update from Anja and Bianca about our partnership with Spring Initiative in Mississippi. Stay for a taco bar lunch after the service!

High School Discussion Group

Our new monthly HS Discussion group with Barbara Linder starts this Sunday, Aug 25, in the NCF Library during the Sunday morning teaching time. All High School students are welcome to attend!

    

This Sunday

Professor Jeffrey Trask, former pastor at NCF, will give the teaching this Sunday August 11. Join us to think together about living our best lives now as we seek justice and mercy in our world today.

NCF Retreat!

It’s time to get a headcount for our upcoming retreat, August 9-10 at East Bay Camp on Lake Bloomington! If you’re interested in attending one or both days and haven’t seen the fliers at NCF, please send an email to office@ncf-cu.com and we’ll send you an info sheet with retreat details and RSVP instructions. We need to provide a headcount to the camp by July 29! All are welcome—we hope you can join us!

    

News Gazette Article 

Don’t miss this fun Clergy Corner interview with Pastor Renée in today’s News Gazette. You might learn some things you didn’t know about her!

NCF Retreat

Join us for a retreat at East Bay Camp on Bloomington Lake August 9-10! This is a great opportunity for fun and fellowship, building our relationships as the family of God. 

Restoration Urban Ministries Partnership

When NCF traveled across town to Restoration Church on MLK Sunday 2019, Pastor Williams said that our next joint worship service would be at New Covenant. That date is coming! Join both churches for worship at 124 W. White St on June 23 at 10:30 am. Be part of the unity of the body of Christ in action!

   

Leo & Renée Lobo

Renee and Leo Lobo, lifetime missionaries in Spain and Columbia, are visiting! Join us this Sunday after church for lunch at Lee Ann and Walt Kelly’s house with these prayer partners. 

Friday Food & Friends

Join us on May 24th for dinner together! Invite friends to relax and get to know each other better. Doors open at 5:00 with appetizers and drinks. Following dinner, childcare will be provided 6:00-7:00. 

   

Mini Spring Fundraiser Update

We sampled amazing cheesecakes, ate many scrumptious savory bites, and indulged in much laughter.  Such generous giving raised over $1,000 for Mini Spring! Thank you to our hosts and to all who contributed to this wonderful afternoon!

Mini Spring Fundraiser

Please join us this Saturday, May 11 at Paige and Laurence’s garden in Champaign for a mini spring fundraiser in support of Spring Initiative’s Mini Spring program. From 1-5, we’ll be grilling and chilling, serving up pulled pork tostadas, topped with crema and Blue Moon breakfast radishes. Also cooking up some mini spring pizza ideas to celebrate Mini Spring!  Suggested donation is $25 per person or $50 for the whole family.

Streetfest in the Sanctuary 

The community response to the unified message of non-violence was incredible. Cold weather moved us inside, but God worked beyond our imaginations. See local news coverage for quotes from Rev. Lewis of the Ministerial Alliance, music performances from across the community, and the vision from pastor Renée.

Second Annual Streetfest

Join us on April 19 Good Friday from 4-7:30 for our Second Annual Streetfest Against Violence, in partnership with the Ministerial Alliance C-U and Restoration Urban Ministries. There will be good music, good food, and good info as we join together as a community to promote peace. Register for the Blood Drive here with group code: 71019

Potluck & Congregational Conversation 

Citrus Rosemary Chicken Breast and Spring Vegetable Curry with Basmati Rice from Dish Passionate Cuisine, plus all the salad, sides, and desserts we bring for our lunch on April 7. Stay for our Congregational Conversation. Childcare will be available.

Annual Auction of Goods & Services

Stay after church Sunday March 10 to bid on a wide variety of donated items! From special dinners and game nights, to frozen dinners, homemade goods, and services like yardwork- there is something for everyone. Auction events throughout the year connect us to each other and build our relationships. Bring your calendar and your checkbook! Proceeds benefit upcoming fellowship activities like church retreats, intergenerational trips, and conferences. Loaded baked potatoes and ice cream sundaes will keep you going. Gift certificates for kids and adults will be distributed to names drawn from a hat.

Meal & Conversation

Join us for a special service this Sunday Jan 27 featuring gospel vocalist Ken Stewart. Stay for lunch at noon! Sooie Bros Bar B Que Joint will provide ribs and tips, plus mac and cheese. NCF members bring sides and desserts. A great time to visit and get to know us!

January 2019

We start 2019 by heeding the words of Martin Luther King Jr. throughout this month.

  • Sunday January 13,  Jeff Trask teaches on Racial Identity & Relationship in Christ.
  • Mark your calendars for our special Jan 20 joint service at 11:00am at Restoration Urban Ministries. Our service will start at NCF at 10:30 with a few songs and then we will drive over together, or you can simply join in at 11:00am at 1213 Parkland Ct, Champaign to worship and stand together in unity. Please join us!
  • On January 27th join us for music preformed by Ken Stewart and a teaching by Karyn Hunt on the Journey towards Justice.

This Sunday, December 9th

We come
together for an Advent concert with Jim Croegaert.
We watch
We wait
We look
We long 
together as we prepare for Christmas.
Join us 10:30am-noon.

 

Join us this Advent season

Sunday, December 2, marks the start of both Advent and Hanukkah. All are welcome to join us for worship at 10:30 as we enter this season of expectation, hope, and light in the darkness.

 

This Sunday Brunch before Thanksgiving!

Brunch, conversation, and creative doodling will be rolled into one fun event Sunday 11/18 around noon (immediately after our 10:30 am worship service). Everyone is invited to join us, whether this is your first visit to NCF or you’ve been part of our church family for years. Details:

– Greg W. and various helpers will be cooking a main breakfast-for-lunch dish. Please bring baked goods, fruits, and other sides to round out the meal. (Or just stay and eat; there will be plenty!)

– We’ll be creating a collection of diverse, expressive paper hands to prepare for our Advent theme: “Do not let your hands grow weak! Yahweh, your God, is in your midst. (Zeph. 3:16-17)

NCF Men’s Retreat

Please join us at NCF for a Men’s Retreat, Saturday Oct 27, 9:30-12:30. Victor Fein (center) is an experienced retreat leader and has put together this stimulating event that will provoke good discussion and bonding. All identifying as men are welcome!

Church in the Garden

Join us Oct 14 for Church in the Garden! Our offerings support after-school programs, food pantries, and this community garden in collaboration with Dawn Blackman and Church of the Brethren. Come worship, work, eat, and play together in this blessed space. Start with coffee and snacks at NCF at 10am. Sing together as we start our service at 10:30. Then, at 10:50, we will walk, bike, and drive north to continue with church in the garden. NCF will provide grilled burgers and hot dogs for lunch; we bring the sides, salads, and desserts. Wear your play/work clothes to church to help build garden beds and join in this community celebration of creation!

Jean-René Balekita

This Sunday September 2, Jean-René Balekita will play a concert within our service. This is a great opportunity to hear wonderful, worshipful, Congolese-style music. Invite friends and acquaintances to enjoy!

 

Congratulations to two members of the New Covenant Fellowship family!

Mark Foley, teacher at Urbana High School, has been named the 2018 Illinois History Teacher of the Year. Mark and his wife Sharon have three children. At NCF, Mark leads worship and guides our youth.

Kevin Hamilton has recently accepted a three year appointment as dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Illinois, where he’s been a faculty member since 2002. Kevin and his wife Susan have twin boys. At NCF, Kevin often shares the Sunday morning teaching.

Thank you, Mark and Kevin, for sharing your gifts with us, and for your important service in the community.

Intergenerational Retreat

Our intergenerational retreat is Aug. 10-11 at East Bay Camp on Lake Bloomington. Plan to arrive Friday evening for the campfire, music, and card/board games, then spend the night in the basic lodge accommodations. Or just come for the day Saturday, for a choice of thought-provoking sessions, a delicious brunch, and a variety of fun activities for all ages (including swimming, paddle boating, and a “bags” tournament). Retreating together is an important way to connect and grow stronger as a faith community, whether you’re new to NCF or have been here for decades. Join us!

Faithful Film Festival 

Join us this summer on second and fourth Tuesdays at 7pm for movie showings here at NCF! All are welcome to come and enjoy a free movie, free snacks, and a free-ranging, faithbased discussion of the issues raised in the evening’s movie. (Movie Lineup right)

Jim Croegaert Concert

Join us May 27 for a special worship service featuring singer-songwriter Jim Croegaert, well known for his Easter song “Was It a Morning Like This,” in concert. There will be a time of coffee, snacks, and fellowship at 10:00 am, followed by the concert in the sanctuary at 10:30. Nursery will be available. Learn more here.

Pentecost Sunday Potluck

Join us for Pentecost Sunday May 20 at 10:30 and stay for lunch at noon! Renowned local cook Laurence Mate will provide delicious main dishes; we potluck-supply the sides and desserts. Our discussion will feature a conversation with some of the congregants who attended our LGBTQ+ Sticky Scripture Series. This is a great opportunity to hear their reflections on these Bible studies and how this year’s experience informs our journey forward together.

BloodRed Beats: Standing up against violence on Good Friday

BloodRed Beats is a streetfest designed to bring together people who want to take a stand against violence, while encouraging one another and offering glimmers of hope. The event also provides an opportunity to experience Good Friday in a new way—in the streets, outside the walls of a church.

The event will include:

– Live music by local acts from 4:00-6:30 pm, featuring Congolese music by Jean-René Balekita at 5:45 pm
– A mobile blood drive (Sign up to give blood by going to www.bloodcenterimpact.org — click “schedule now” & use our Group Sponsor Code 71019)
– Interactive art and social justice stations
– Popcorn and shaved ice by the Cool Bliss Popped Bliss foodtruck
– A Good Friday reflection and gospel music from 6:30 – 7:00

All events will take place on White Street near the intersection of Randolph in Champaign. In the event of rain, the event will be moved inside the New Covenant Fellowship Building.

The event is sponsored by NCF in collaboration with Restoration Urban Ministries.

Congregational lunch and conversation Feb. 25

Stay for lunch and conversation after a (shortened) worship service February 25! NCF will provide the main dish; please bring sides and desserts to share.

After we eat, our congregational conversation will involve reflecting and sharing around these questions: What are ways you see God working in our congregation? What would it look like for God to do more of that? Let us boldly pray for strength and wisdom for God to do more in and through our fellowship. Please pray and plan to participate!

Demand for CU Men’s Shelter increases

At the February 2 One Winter Night event, a community-wide event to raise awareness and funding around issues of homelessness, Pastor Renée gave a brief talk about New Covenant’s current role and the increasing need for shelter. An excerpt of her talk is shared below, and a recent news piece about the shelter, with a link to give financial support, can be found here on the WCIA site.

“New Covenant is blessed that our building has been able to minister to so many in this community- hosting Daily Bread Soup Kitchen for 7 years- and now the CU Men’s Shelter. As a church, we are overjoyed that our building in downtown Champaign is being utilized every day of the week for God’s kingdom.

“But this winter has made it clear that men’s need for shelter in our town exceeds the capacity of NCF’s fellowship hall; since Christmas, the Shelter has consistently used overflow space at Salvation Army, doubling the cost of staffing the Shelter.”

It’s almost auction time!

It’s time to think about what services, events, and items you are able to donate to our annual Auction of Services, which will be held on Sunday, January 28. Please let Paige and Caroline know what you will contribute by January 21.  The Auction has something for everyone: there are many ways to give and many ways to receive. Please plan to participate by donating goods and services now and by staying a little longer after the worship service on January 28 to bid on goods and services that will lead to food, fellowship, art and activities all year long!

Help host our “5th Sunday” brothers and sisters

We will be hosting a simple dinner Sunday, Jan. 7th, from 5:30-7:30 pm for our “5th Sunday” churches! Let’s have a great turnout to help welcome our sisters and brothers from Bethel AME, Salem Baptist and First Mennonite.

The evening will begin with the meal and fellowship, and then will include time for prayer and discussion about what it means to be the body together in a racially-divided nation. Childcare will be provided during the discussion.

Journey through Advent with us

December 3 marks the beginning of Advent, a season that we love to travel through together at New Covenant Fellowship, and to share with others. All are warmly welcomed to join us for our 10:30 am worship services each of the Sundays of Advent.

Our Advent theme this year, “Restore us, O God,” is expressed so well in this section of Psalm 85:10-13:

Love and faithfulness will meet;
Justice and peace will embrace
Fidelity will sprout from the earth
And justice will lean down from heaven.
YHWH will give us what is good;
And our land will yield its harvest.
Justice will march before you, YHWH,
And peace will prepare the way for your steps.

Men’s Shelter update

In the first seven days that the C-U Men’s Shelter was open in our Fellowship Hall, it provided 145 beds for 41 different men, with an average of 21 per night! What a blessing! The shelter will be open every night through March 31 (9 pm – 8 am).

Thanksgiving Offering recipients

This year we’re excited for our Thanksgiving Offering to go toward helping refugees settling in our community (East Central IL Refugee & Mutual Assistance Center- ECIRMAC); first-generation college students in Mississippi (College Success Fund for Spring Initiative kids); and veterans doing disaster relief work (Team Rubicon). Look for Thanksgiving Offering boxes on the communion tables each Sunday in November.

Family Fund update

At a recent Leadership Team meeting, the Family Fund encouragingly shared that 40 different requests for housing, transportation, utilities, and other needs of NCF’s family and friends have been met in the past year. Specific generous gifts to the Family Fund have enabled them to provide a much-needed safety net, helping individuals and families stabilize and experience God’s mercy and justice that Mary joyfully proclaimed. We gratefully encourage NCF participants to continue to alert the Family Fund to needs of our family and friends, so that the work of God’s kingdom can continue to lift up the lowly and fill the hungry with good things.

The Men’s Shelter in the news

A news segment—“Nonprofit restructure emergency homeless shelter”—ran Nov. 6 on WCIA channel 3.

“Having one address and knowing where people can be sent, I think it will be easier and keep people safer and warmer,” Champaign mayor Deb Feinen said when interviewed for the segment, referencing the decision to host the winter shelter at NCF seven days a week.

At NCF, we are so grateful that we have the space to share, and that we have such a committed group of partnering churches and organizations supporting this effort. Please keep the shelter and the men who will be staying here in your prayers.

Meals (plural!) & fellowship October 29

There are two opportunities to eat and fellowship with Christian brothers and sisters on October 29. Start the day connecting with people from other churches over breakfast and Bible study at the 5th Sunday Crosstown Sunday School. Breakfast will be 8:45-9:10, and Sunday school is 9:15-10:15am (for all ages), all at Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club.

At noon, after our morning worship service at NCF, we will gather in fellowship hall for a Congregational Meal and Conversation. The main dish will be provided, but please bring a salad, side dish, or dessert.

“Sticky Scripture” Series, part II

Join us at the NCF building October 14 from 10 am – 1 pm for part II of our “Sticky Scriptures” series! Two topical presentations on scripture (including passages from the Old and New Testaments) will be covered by Renée and Kevin:

10-11:30am Created Male and Female
11:30-1pm Sodom & Gomorrah

Men’s Emergency Shelter updates

We’re excited to announce that the C-U Men’s Emergency Shelter, which is hosted in the NCF building, is now a 501(c)(3) non-profit! The team of directors include Sheryl Palmer (lead pastor FUMC), Rob Dalhaus III (CU at Home), Beverley Baker (United Way), and Walt Kelly (NCF). Other updates of interest:

  • Cunningham township is providing funding to increase when the shelter is available (currently Dec-March) to open Nov. 20 through April 14, covering more early and late winter weather. (The NCF community can vote on this matter now through October 29. Contact Walt with questions.)
  • The Shelter Board is writing a grant to install two ventless dryers and two washing machines on the room adjacent to the kitchen, which is also used for Shelter-related storage.
  • CU at Home will provide case management to facilitate guests’ successful Shelter use.

“Sticky Scripture” Series planned for this fall

The first session in our Saturday Sticky Scripture Series examining passages that cause Christians to get “stuck” regarding LGBTQ+ inclusion starts Sept. 30, 10:00 am-1:00 pm at NCF. Everyone is welcome. Sessions will be recorded and notes will be available for those who are interested but not able to make a session. Also, mark your calendars for the second and third sessions, on October 14 and November 18, 10 am – 1 pm.

Congregational Conversation and meal Sept. 24

All are welcome to join us for our first Congregational Conversation of the academic year, immediately after the worship service on September 24. If you’re able, please bring a side dish, salad or dessert to supplement the delicious main dish fare being prepared by Laurence.

Bible study with Pastor Ron on Thursdays at noon

Looking to study the Bible in community? Every Thursday from noon until 1 pm at the NCF building, emeritus pastor Ron Simkins hosts a study of 1 Thessalonians. All are welcome! Come when you can!

Three gatherings planned for “summer small group” sessions

Plans are being made for summer small groups! This summer’s sessions will be organized in a slightly different format than previous summers. Three people have each planned a session that falls under the umbrella of a general theme—discernment, and hearing God in our lives—but each session is also independent of the others. This allows for everyone to be a part of just one, two, or all three, as their schedules allow.

Mark your calendars! (The locations for each are TBA.)

  • Saturday, June 24, 9AM-noon. Gale W. will lead writing exercises and discussion on recognizing and interpreting (or misinterpreting) “signs,” and the Holy Spirit. (No formal writing experience is necessary!)
  • Thursday, July 20, 7PM-8:30PM. Kevin H. will lead a Bible study and time for individual reflections around the theme recognizing and responding to (or failing to respond to) “God’s presence with us.”
  • Wednesday, August 9, 7PM-8:30PM. Paige W. will lead a storytelling and reflective listening session on recognizing and acting on (or failing to act on) “callings.” 

Habitat Interfaith Build wraps up with June 11 dedication of the two homes

It’s time to dedicate the Habitat houses NCF has been supporting through labor and finances through the Habitat Interfaith Build! The whole process, which began last September with a groundbreaking ceremony, has been a blessing. Several teams of NCF-ers (including some of our youth!) worked on builds last fall and this spring.

The dedication will be June 11 at 3pm, beginning at LaKendra’s house (1203 Beslin in Urbana) then moving to Nicole’s house a block away (1212 Hill St). Come tour the homes, meet the two families, and enjoy light refreshments.

Lunch after the worship service on May 21

Our next Congregational Conversation and lunch will be after the worship service Sunday, May 21. Please bring a side dish, salad, or dessert to share if you’re able—the main dish will be provided!

Late-summer NCF retreat planned

Do you enjoy: campfires, good food, canoeing, spending time together in prayer, water trampolines, playing cards, walks in the woods, and growing closer to each other and to God?

If so, mark your calendars for our end-of-summer intergenerational retreat, August 25-26 on Lake Bloomington. More details to come!

5th Sunday cross-town breakfast & Sunday School

This is a 5th Sunday weekend, which offers an important opportunity for us to enjoy breakfast, fellowship, and Bible study with brothers and sisters from area churches that are historically African American. Please join us to help build relationships, dialogue, and understanding! It’s also NCF’s turn to provide the breakfast, and we could still use some contributions of fruit, muffins, sweet breads, bacon, or sausage—bring something if you’re able!

We meet at the Don Moyer Boys & Girls Club, 201 E. Park St. in Champaign. Breakfast begins at 8:45 and Sunday School classes for all ages begin at 9:15 (ending in time to make it to NCF in time for our worship service at 10:30).

Something new: Pastries, coffee and fellowship starting at 10 am

Everyone is welcome at New Covenant Fellowship—and now, all are encouraged to show up early on Sunday mornings for pastries, coffee and fellowship! God is doing new things in us as we build community, invite new friends, and spend more time together in God’s presence. Join us!

NCF Talent Show April 8

Come out Saturday evening (April 8) at 7pm for the NCF talent show! Vic has put together quite a lineup, ranging from various musical combos and solos to dance, magic, poetry, skits, and our very own “house band” to entertain between acts. Bring friends and family and come out for a great time of fellowship and fun together.

Sunday morning blood drive and breakfast on Palm Sunday

Interested in giving blood to help those in need? This Sunday morning opportunity (April 9 starting at 9:30 at NCF) makes it extra convenient—and perhaps frames the act in a more meaningful way, as we prayerfully consider what it means to give of ourselves during Lent. (Schedule an appointment to give blood.) Whether or not you are planning to give blood, we will also be sharing a potluck breakfast starting at 9:30 that morning. Please plan to join us (and bring some bagels, muffins, or fruit to share, if you’re able!).

Emergency Shelter Update

The Winter Men’s Emergency Shelter moved to NCF on Friday, March 17. Please be praying for this ministry. More information will follow as volunteer opportunities become available these last weeks of March. As the weather warms, the shelter will close for the season and then re-open in December at NCF.

Habitat Interfaith Build—spring dates

There are upcoming opportunities to help with the Habitat Interfaith Build of two local houses. Several NCFers participated last fall, joining more than 15 congregations. Multiple build dates have been scheduled for weekends in March and April:

– March 24 & 25
– March 31 & April 1
– April 8 & 9
– April 14
– April 21
– April 29 (Youth Day, when kids under 16 can participate)

To sign up for a date, follow the links by house:

1212 W. Hill  (registration event code: J7McTb)

1203 Beslin (registration event code: xkvwSj)

Contact Lee Ann or Jubal with questions.

Our annual auction of services is coming March 5 & 12!

Make sure you’re at the worship service March 5 if you want to get in on the Donate-and-Dine portion of our annual auction. Everyone who makes a donation of any amount will get to enjoy a wonderful themed meal with others from the congregation. The Silent Auction will take place after the worship service March 12 and will include a range of items and services to bid on, from artwork and yard work to gift certificates to local businesses. To sustain you while you bid on March 12, Laurence Mate and the NCF youths will serve baked potatoes and toppings, and ice cream sundaes.

The auction raises money for the NCF youth group and for Missions, Mercy & Justice-related travel, and it also helps connect us to each other.

Ash Wednesday Service, March 1st at 6:30pm

We hope you can join us for a simple, reflective Ash Wednesday service at NCF this evening. Ashes—made from the palm branches we celebrated with at last year’s Palm Sunday service—will be imposed for those who wish to receive them.

As we enter together the season of Lent, this blog post from Renée and this Ash Wednesday video, “Rend,” (which was shown during the February 26 worship service) may help frame the journey.

Congregational Book Study Group is Formed 

A new study and discussion group has been formed as NCF seeks to understand how to more fully welcome LGTBQ people into the life of our fellowship. We’re reading and discussing the book Bible, Gender, Sexuality: Reframing the Church’s Debate on Same-Sex Relationships. Upcoming meetings will be from 7-9 pm on Thursdays March 2 (chapters 6 & 7) and March 16 (chapters 8 & 9) in the NCF office. Everyone is welcome, even if you haven’t made it to previous meetings, and books are available through Renée.

The hope of this group is that it will help nurture a deeper relationship to the Bible through prayerful consideration of what it says about the gender, sexuality, and sexual identity. We intend to do so through reading what some ministers and scholars have had to say about the matter. All are welcome to attend the first meeting or to join in later, as more details emerge.
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Annual MLK Community-Wide Service of Celebration January 15

The Martin Luther King Community Choir performs at the 32nd Annual Dr. MLK Jr. Service of Celebration, beginning at 5pm Sunday, January 15, in the Foellinger Great Hall at the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. Join with other members of the NCF and broader community in celebrating and being inspired by the life and work of Dr. King. Scholarships will also be awarded at the event, which features keynote speaker Rev. Dr. Allan Boesak.

Congregational lunch and conversation January 8

Make plans to stay after the worship service Sunday, January 8, for lunch and fellowship! The main dish (pulled pork and macaroni and cheese) will be provided—bring a salad, side, or dessert to round out the meal, if you’re able. A brief congregational conversation will begin right after the meal. Visitors and guests are welcome to join us just for lunch, or to stay for the conversation, as well. We’re looking forward to spending time together after a busy holiday season.

Join us on Christmas Eve

All are warmly invited to join us at our Christmas Eve service, this Saturday at 5:00 pm, upstairs in the NCF sanctuary. A simple service of readings and songs will lead us from the Advent season of waiting into Christmas, the celebration of Emmanuel, God with us. (There will be no service at NCF on Christmas morning.)

Living Out Advent

As Renée wrote in a recent blog post, “Advent is the time to stay woke. To not be lulled into complacency by everyday life.” There are a variety of upcoming opportunities to “stay woke”—involved and aware—this season:

  • View the documentary film “Racial Taboo” at 6pm on Thursday December 8, at Jericho Missionary Baptist Church in Champaign.
  • Continue to pray about the possibility of NCF serving as a host for a Men’s Emergency Overnight Shelter for three winter months, if it is permitted by the city of Champaign.
  •  Plan to join the MLK Community Chorus, whose first rehearsal is 2-4 pm on Saturday, December 17 at Salem Baptist Church.

Join Us For a Thanksgiving Meal November 20, After the Worship Service

5209786530_759a02b2ba_zWhy celebrate Thanksgiving just once? We’ll be sharing a Thanksgiving meal after the worship service this Sunday, November 20! Jason will make the turkey—please bring a side dish, salad, or dessert to fill out the menu. (And if you can’t bring something, please join us anyway!)

We’ll also discuss our hopes for how we might use our building after Daily Bread moves into their new home, so please be praying and reflecting on that this week.

The Recipients of our Thanksgiving Offering 2016

Each November, NCF collects a special offering in gratitude for all the Lord does for us.

  • Bridges of Peace International, serving refugees in Lebanon, where at least one in five (and as many as one in three) persons is a refugee. This is the umbrella organization for both Beit el-Hanane (Home of Tenderness) and Spring of Life children’s center in Beirut, to which we have a connection through Evelyne Accad, a retired UI professor and longtime friend of NCF.
  • Academic Peer Education Project (APEP) at San Quentin State Prison, a college preparatory program for prisoners that is taught partly by prisoners (peer educators) and partly by volunteer teachers from the outside. (Ellen Dahlke, who was a part of the NCF community during her years in Champaign, is involved in this project.
  • CU At Home, a local organization that engages and mobilizes our community to house and support the most vulnerable homeless on their journey of healing and restoration.

Please pray for these organizations and give what you can this month to support their important work.

Sign Up For an October 27 or 28 Habitat Build Team

img_5499NCF has been asked to provide four teams (of five people each) for Thursday, October 27 and Friday, October 28. Each team will do a 3.5 hour shift (8-11:30 am or 11:30-3 pm).

These builds are a part of the Habitat Interfaith Builds project, which was kicked off on September 11, 2016, and brings together 22 local faith groups, including NCF. Please pray about taking this opportunity to show our commitment to affordable housing and standing with other faiths. There will be a sign up sheet at the welcome desk.

Worship and Lunch at Lake of the Woods (10/16)

img_3492Our annual service at Lake of the Woods will take place on Sunday, October 16th! After the worship service (which starts at our usual time, 10:30 am), we will have lunch together (the main dish will be provided—please bring sides and desserts), followed by a congregational conversation.

More information, along with maps and carpooling options, will be available at the NCF Welcome Center soon. Also note that there will NOT be a service at the NCF building that Sunday!

All are welcome at mercy/justice team meetings

The Missions, Mercy, and Justice team (MMJ) will be meeting before the worship service this Sunday, October 9th at 9:15am in the main office at NCF. All are encouraged to have a voice in our fellowship’s mercy and justice efforts by joining the team on a regular basis or just by attending meetings when you’re able. We meet the second Sunday of each month.

Habitat Interfaith Builds Project Kick-off

imgresDon’t forget to mark your calendars for this Sunday’s kickoff gathering of the Habitat Interfaith Builds project, which brings together 22 local faith groups, including NCF.

When: Sunday, September 11th
Time: 3:00-3:30pm
Location: 1212 Hill Street Urbana

Annual End-of-Summer Picnic

5857976301_0088fe43ce_zOur annual end-of-summer picnic/potluck will be after the worship service this Sunday (8/28) at Crystal Lake Park in the main pavilion.

As usual, we’ll provide some grilled items (hamburgers, hot dogs, veggie burgers, etc. as well as buns and condiments), but please bring a salad, side, or dessert to share. This is our chance to catch up with one another after a summer full of travel, and it’s also a great opportunity to invite friends and family!

Youth Group Trip Video

If you missed the slideshow/video the youth shared last Sunday about their time in Chicago (or if you want to see it again or share it with others) here you go!

Thanks to all the people who made this trip possible through your prayers, auction of services donations and purchases, and by helping shape these great kids! (And extra thanks to the four amazing adult leaders who nurtured great conversations and thought while in Chicago, and kept the kids safe!)