Opportunities for Outreach and Service
From our congregation to our neighborhoods, cities, country, and the world, Covenant offers many ways to shine Christ’s light in the darkness. There are many energetic hands at work here and there are many ways you can participate.
Congregation and Neighborhood
This group welcomes visitors to our morning service. We make sure someone is at the welcome table to greet newcomers and make it easy for them to enter a new faith community.
Coordinator: Betsy Hartman
Members of this ministry team assist Pastor Megan with the care of our congregation. We hold a weekly Wednesday prayer time at 5:30 p.m. in the sanctuary and provide prayer and prayer blankets for those having surgeries or care for long-term illness. We also coordinate meals for those in need of help due to illness, births, deaths, etc. Communion visitations are provided to those unable to attend worship on first Sundays, as well as other visitations and care as needed.
This group creates meals and receptions for a variety of gatherings, including meetings, seasonal feasts, and other times when people gather around food. Newcomers are welcome.
Coordinators: Diane Ketcham
This early fall gathering for the Covenant neighborhood is held on the church lawn. NeighborFest includes an informal concert on the lawn accompanied by food for sale by a local vendor. The kids have a great time when they crawl in an inflatable jumping castle, a popular fixture each year.
Coordinator: Pam Tsuchida
The church sponsors Boy Scout Troup 218. They meet weekly in our facilities. Often scouts who are striving for an Eagle Scout badge will choose projects in the church.
Covenant liaison: Mahlon Dirks
Halloween always presents a dilemma for parents to ensure a safe place for their children to trick or treat. A group of people from Covenant dress up in costume and dress up their car trunks in order to provide a welcoming environment for the neighborhood kids to visit our parking lot, gather some candy, and engage in conversation.
Coordinator: Betsy Hartman
The center is an outreach facility serving those in north Spokane County. Clients who have met the eligibility requirements can find help paying bills, getting money for gas, clothing, rides to medical appointments, and senior services such as lawn mowing. We support New Hope with volunteers, needed supplies and donations.
Coordinators: Sue Jackson and Shari DeBerg
Creation Care
The Covenant Community Garden ministry incorporates all facets of Covenant’s mission as we try to be good stewards of God’s gifts of nature. Participants may grow organic flowers, fruits, vegetables, and herbs in personal-sized raised beds. There’s a small charge and we ask you to donate some time to help maintain the common areas of the garden. For more information go to Eden Community Gardens website.
Coordinators: David Yarbrough and MJ Woods
The goal of this team is to help educate members of our congregation to nurture God’s creation with our daily choices and activities. We address issues such as the use of fossil fuels, climate-friendly investments, composting, and the use of plastics and recycling.
Coordinator: Fleeta Holcomb
In the west tower of our church hang one-hundred twenty-six red origami cranes amidst 1000 white peace cranes. Each red crane denotes a mass killing in the U.S.A. since 1982. Overwhelming the tragedy marked by the red cranes is the hope and promise a thousand cranes bring. The cranes wing our faith heavenwards that love will ultimately triumph. They petition God for guidance as to how Covenant UMC might wage peace in Christ Jesus’ name. This prayer corner in our sanctuary is a place of prayer, peace, contemplation, reflection, and comfort. Our aim is to set an example on how our lives might be guided by peace and love, support our fellow humankind, and show that our church is one of inclusion that supports all races, genders, ethnic groups, and religions.
Coordinators: Patti Osebold and Rhonda Greco
Our City & World
We participate in a program through Family Promise to house several families for a week, four times a year. Each family is provided a private room for sleeping and family time. We have a gym for the children to enjoy. Covenant volunteers provide and host evening meals and a brief breakfast before our guests head to a downtown day center. We have an overnight presence in case of an emergency. The volunteers set up and take down the equipment, as well as launder the used linens at the end of the week.
Coordinators: Gail Harris, Barry Karalfa and Barb Miscoi
Shalom Ministries serves meals to the food-insecure Shalom Ministries and homeless population in downtown Spokane four mornings and two evenings per week. Covenant is a partner church providing funding, food and clothing donations, and volunteers.
Covenant Representatives: Ted and Diane Ketcham, Doris Dyer, Sandra Boudreaux, Nancy Morlock
Covenant members support the Spokane Alliance organization, which describes itself as “a group of nonpartisan, proactive, everyday citizens dedicated to making Spokane a better place for all to live and thrive.” Several Covenant members attend meetings and lobby for issues that will impact the well-being of our community.
Covenant representative: Tom Robinson
More than 25 years ago, Covenant established a sister church relationship with Buena Nuevas Lutheran Church in El Salvador. Through delegation visits and other communication over the years, we have formed a deep friendship with the community and assisted our sister church in many ways. We strongly feel that education is the best way to make a long-term difference in the lives of our brothers and sisters. We offer scholarships for students, K-12, and assist post-high school students with their studies.
Coordinator: Fleeta Holcomb
Do You Have a Heart For Service?
Call us for more information or to get in touch with a mission coordinator to see how you can help.
Our office hours are 9am-3pm, Mon-Fri.