A Glimpse of City Impact

Oct 14, 2015

City Impact is a week set aside to serve our community through various projects ranging from weeding to building a swing set for children in transitional housing for the homeless. I had the privilege of touring the various projects and seeing small groups in action serving local ministries.  In reflecting back on the day, I cannot help but rejoice in how God moved our church to serve.  However, the greatest impact was felt in my own heart. I was moved deeply by what I saw throughout the day. 

I witnessed a small group helping a family with both parents suffering through cancer and unable to care for their home.  More than pressure washing their driveway or repairing their broken window, I saw leaders in our church taking time to minister to the hearts of the people, applying the balm of the gospel to a hurting brother. 

Arriving at CenterPointe Food Pantry, I noticed three women from a small group weeding and a few young men doing a deep cleaning in the food storage garage.  The words of the 70-year old man who runs the food pantry deeply moved me as he told us of a young engineer from our church who created a program which allowed their computer system to more efficiently track clients.  A young man using his Fridays off from Harris to faithfully volunteer at the food pantry probably never realized he would inspire a 70-year old man to go back to school and begin taking programming and math classes.  Our actions can impact other's lives in ways we might never imagine.

I saw the final part of the multi-day project at Community of Hope, a transitional housing project for those who would otherwise be homeless.  I can only imagine the scene in future days...children laughing and playing as they enjoy the massive swing set while parents sit watching from a beautifully painted bench under a new wooden pergola.  All because a few small groups gave of their time to show the loved of Jesus by cleaning up the area and building structures to make this housing project more enjoyable.  

Pregnancy Resources from the outside has the appearance of a warehouse.  Once inside the building, I was struck by how beautiful and warm-feeling the office and meeting rooms were.  I can only begin to image the love that young pregnant women feel as they enter seeking help in their time of crisis.  The small group serving there was busy painting and trimming landscape.  While in the parking lot, we were approached by a woman asking for money to buy herself lunch from the local gas station.  Thirty minutes later, a church member returned from taking her to the local grocery store; he knew her name, her story and had the chance to tell her about Jesus - the true healer of brokenness.  I'm grateful to have had this opportunity to see the love of Christ so genuinely modeled by a church leader. City Impact isn't just about pulling weeds, painting or repairing buildings. It is about being a part of the great call to bring real healing to the lives of the broken and oppressed in our community. 

Seeing the many local ministries that our church partners with made it more real to me. Our church is part of a greater mission than just participating in City Impact for one week. We are part of a larger body of Christ, that I witnessed while seeing brothers and sisters in Christ from various churches working side-by-side for the singular purpose of obeying Christ's call to serve.  May each of us embrace this call even now that City Impact week is finished.  May we open our eyes to see those in need.  And may we be a part of building the bridge that closes the gap between the church and our city all for the glory of God.

If you missed this event, you have not missed the real opportunity.  Every day these ministries serve the needy in our community.  They could use our help throughout the year.  Please consider seeing where you might serve one of the various ministries we support at covenantpalmbay.org/localmissions.  

"This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else." 2 Corinthians 9:12–13 

written by Andrea Diener

City Impact 2014: Bridges for the Gospel

October 9, 2014

When I was a kid, my Mom used to tell a joke to me. It went like this:

Q: What do you do if you get swallowed by an elephant?

A: Run around until you get "all pooped out". 

[Budum pshhhh!]

In the tired sense of the word, this is exactly what one can feel like in the weeks leading
up to City Impact. There is so much to do, so many details to attend to, and so many loose ends to tighten that all that you can see as being a possible result of this would be just plain exhaustion! 

His Place Ministry - Homeless Cold Night Shelter

But I tell you, watching all the work that the deacons have put in to organizing City Impact, watching the projects unfold at their appointed times, and watching the bridges of change from our church into our community being built and reinforced, leaves me with such a sense of satisfaction in service and unity with the mission of Christ. 

So that you can know the facts:

• 329 people from Covenant served (adults, youth and children)
• 21 individuals projects were accomplished
• 230 homeless care packages were assembled
• 100 lunches were made for homeless people and day labor workers
• 61 meals were prepared for new moms that are clients with Pregnancy Resources
• 20 Lockmar neighborhood yards were weeded
• 75 people served on the Community of Hope paint project ministering to the homeless
• 1 women's shelter was landscaped (Genesis House)
• 1 kitchen was remodeled (Love INC)
• 9 local ministries were assisted in their daily battle against the effects of sin

All this seems pretty great, until you think of the ramification of all that work.  Those painted houses, pulled weeds, prepared meals, and packed lunches do more than we ever imagine.  These statistics tell of a seed that has been planted that can and will grow beyond our comprehension.  When you think of the fruit of this one week of labor that we may never see, then the whole thing becomes GRAND!

I can't help but think, if we could simply keep building bridges, keep serving together, and keep marching forward with the Kingdom of God into the lost and broken kingdom of this world, what great rewards and benefits for God we would inevitably see!

Praise God for City Impact 2014!

Voyagers assemble bags for homeless

If you or your small group would like more information on local ministry opportunities, see covenantpalmbay.org/localmissions or contact Ransom Kent at rkent@covenantpalmbay.org.

No Longer Waiting

September 6, 2014

This past week we lost a partner in ministry. Marbely Diaz Reyes was found brutally murdered in Nicaragua.  Marbely was only 34 years old.  She was the wife of Juan and mother of Randall, Sammi and Jared.  She enjoyed helping her husband Juan to prosper by serving in the new church plant, El Shaddai Presbyterian Church in Esteli, Nicaragua. The church was growing as Juan and Marbely reached out to meet new people in the neighborhood. Their weekly outreach activities included many children, and Marbely loved to interact with these kids and their parents as they enjoyed fellowship time and as Juan taught them from the Bible.  She loved to share the love of Jesus with anyone who came across her path, and God was using her to build His kingdom.

My eyes welled up with tears when I heard this news, and I have wrestled with a question this week - Why would God allow a vibrant 34-year old wife, mother and motivated kingdom worker to be taken away so early?  She had work to do and she was energized to do it! I was quickly filled with responses that could come across as platitudes - "God's timing is perfect", "We can't fully know the mind of God and His plans for His people", "God is good and good things will come out of this tragic event", "She loved Jesus and is now resting in His arms."  These words, because they arise out of knowledge of God's Word were comforting, yet they didn't seem like enough.  I was seeking an answer that would comfort me deeply as I thought about the comfort of my brother Juan and the comfort of his three young sons.

Romans 8:28 always comes to mind when something like this happens.

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose."

What does this tell us about suffering?  As believers in Christ as our Lord and Savior, it gives us great assurance for our future and it gives us comfort even in our present suffering.  We are not promised earthly comfort; in fact, we are promised that as Christians we will suffer, perhaps even a great deal.  The comfort comes in our continuing conformity to Christ. Through Him we can have closer fellowship with God, through Him we can bear greater fruit for the kingdom, and through Him we are assured that our future glory will be so much greater than our present suffering.

I also was comforted by Paul's words in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God."

Our experiences of God's comfort through our suffering enables us to bless others in their suffering. Paul experienced great suffering, and it gave him great empathy in serving others.

Perhaps the most comforting thoughts are the promises God makes to us throughout Scripture concerning the eternal state of the believer.  2 Corinthians 5:1 says this,

"For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."

When believers die, they exchange their fragile, tattered bodies for brand new and perfect bodies that will last forever and never wear out.

Marbely no longer waits for her perfect body; she no longer waits for the suffering to end; she no longer waits for perfect fellowship with God.  She is experiencing this glorious prospect right now! Praise be to the God who comforts us!


Written by Mark Diener
Global Missions Director
mdiener@covenantpalmbay.org

Backpacks as a Bridge
August 18, 2014

This past summer, our Encounter Middle School ministry capped off all of its fun events with an all-day road trip. One part of that road trip (a.k.a. The Encounter Brevard County Road Trip Blow-Out Extravaganza Fest!) took us to a small after-school program on Lipscomb Ave called "Master's Workshop" (MWS).

MWS is a safe haven for the kids of the underprivileged area that surround University Blvd. in Melbourne.  Miss Janet has been there since 1998 slowly building and expanding her evangelistic ministry to the children of this area.

While we were there she had us sort some books, clean some floors, pick some weeds, and finally have a nice long talk with her about her passion and vision for the ministry that she is partaking in. Several of the middle school students mentioned, after the fact, that among all the activities (which included The Lego Movie, lunch, the beach, Andretti's, and games), the MWS visit was by far their favorite! What a blessing.

While we were there it came to our attention that they were having a back-to-school party and were approximately 100 backpacks short. Another church had committed to collecting and sending the backpacks, but at the last minute, they had withdrawn their commitment.

The following Sunday, Jason, Elise, and I decided that we would take the Edge youth group to Target and purchase 25 backpacks and enough supplies to fill them.  What a spectacle we were, walking up to the cash registers with three heaping carts of school supplies. One gentleman even asked me, "Are all these your kids??" I thankfully could reply, "No, they are helping an after-school ministry." After we purchased and packed all 25 of the packs, we let MWS know that we could deliver them. Patrice, Miss Janet's right-hand gal, came to the church to pick them up. Just that morning, she told me, that they were 20 packs short and they had no idea where they would be coming from. So, they prayed. As she was getting into her car, tears were in her eyes as she said, "God is SO GOOD!"


Amen to that, God is so good and it is a great learning opportunity to see how God connects his church through prayer and taking action. God used something as simple as buying backpacks to make a bridge for the gospel message! Awesome!

If you would like more information on Master's Workshop, please email me directly at rkent@covenantpalmbay.org. This is a small and needy ministry and we have so much potential as a congregation to make a great impact for the Gospel through this local ministry.

CPC Team Serves in Nicaragua (part 2)

July 30, 2014

A portion of our trip to Nicaragua focused on Discipleship and Leadership Development. We had the opportunity to encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ in the area of biblical marriage.  We met with many of the married couples in the church and shared God's plan for healthy marriages.  There were many good questions and discussion about how to keep marriages Christ-centered and healthy.

During the Sunday worship service, Gaston Formisano gave a message on the role of
discipleship in the church.  The women of the team (Jillian Beharry, Heather Bennett, Hayleigh Bennett, Ananda Elam and Cathy Formisano) had the opportunity to share a message and a craft with the children in the church.  Daniel Hedman and Brian Lum Shue Chan brought their guitars along and participated in leading worship while Cathy Formisano did an amazing job singing a solo in Spanish.  During one of the evenings, David Schatz led a prayer meeting sharing God's will for us as we help to build His church.

Speaking of building the church, one of our tasks on this trip was to come alongside our brothers and help begin the construction of a new church building.  I would love to say that our team was instrumental in preparing the foundation for the building. Unfortunately, that would be a lie.  We were hopeful as we were given the task of digging two holes about 1.5 meters square and 2.5 meters deep, with the end goal of setting up rebar and pouring concrete in the holes.  Though our hopes were not met with success (not even close), it provide an opportunity for great fellowship with our brothers as we moved some dirt around together.  We were the recipients of quizzical looks (okay, they really thought we were nuts) when we suggested renting a backhoe to dig the holes.

All of this reminded me that relationships are more important than progress - I know that is often very hard for us productivity-minded Gringos.  Roy Oishi, videographer, documented all of our attempts at digging during those days, as well as all the other activities throughout the week.

We rounded out the week with a "Fiesta de adios" where we exchanged gifts and words
of thanks.  This event included a time of worship with our friends, eating together, sharing testimonies about how God was working in us and through us throughout the week, and saying our goodbyes (some of which were tearful).

Relationships really are the key to the inter-dependent partnerships that we are seeking as we act on our desire to be a part of building the Kingdom.  We were all extraordinarily blessed as we developed and strengthened relationships.  We are humbled by our like-minded kingdom building partners and their love for us, for each other, and for the communities they serve.  Pray for them as they seek to share the Good News with those who desperately need it.

Written by Mark Diener


For more information on our Global Missions program or upcoming short-term missions trips, contact Mark Diener, Global Missions Director at mdiener@covenantpalmbay.org.

Serving in Nicaragua - Part 1

July 23, 2014

It has been a week since our team arrived home from Nicaragua.  I wanted to chronicle the trip immediately upon my return but got a bit sidetracked by Montezuma's revenge, and then some. Here are some highlights so you can get a glimpse of our time there.

We arrived in Esteli on July 4th and almost immediately got to work, meeting with the leaders of Saving Grace Presbyterian Church.  It was a pleasure to meet with brothers and sisters, both old friends and new:  Richard Fuentes, Emerson Wilson, his wife Martina and daughter Xochil, Juan Reyes and Marbley Diaz.  What a blessing it was for our team to hear how God is working among and through these partners.  Early the next morning, I began teaching a session that would assist our partners in establishing a Presbytery for the newly formed Presbyterian Church of Nicaragua (PCN).  This meeting, originally scheduled for 45-60 minutes, ended up lasting 2 1/2 hours because they were so interested in learning all they could about moving forward.

The rest of the team had been scoping our the construction site for the new church building.  We met them and gathered outside with several of our Nicaraguan friends to sing songs of praise for this new chapter in the church.  What a beautiful time as we raised our voices to our Lord and Savior, thanking Him and worshiping Him for what He has done and what He continues to do to redeem a people for Himself.  It was such a privilege to pray over the land and ask God to bless this work of building His kingdom.  We asked God to use the service and works of all involved to soften the hearts of many in the community, have them get involved in the worship and work of this new church, and hear and respond to the saving message of the Gospel. We laid the cornerstone and asked Christ, the true Cornerstone, to come and bless His Church mightily, allowing many new believers to be recipients of His unending grace, and allowing us to experience and witness that joy.  Many in our group were moved by the presence of God's Spirit as we again lifted our praises to Him.

Our first of two outreach activities was targeted to low income children and adults.  We sang with the children, teaching them new songs.  The puppets came alive, singing and performing a Gospel skit that had the crowd laughing and cheering.  This was followed up with crafts, balloon animals and face painting.

Our second outreach a few days later was similar, with two exceptions.  First, many of the children in this community were not receiving regular nourishing meals.  When supplies were available, the local school provided lunches.  To assist them, we blessed them with a 100-pound sack of beans.  The principal of this extremely rural school was very grateful for our gift.  The other surprise was Randall, a young boy who showed his puppet ventriloquism skills.  We didn't understand all the Spanish skits he performed, but it was obvious that the crowd did, and Randall kept them rolling.  The greatest part is that Randall is the son of another new church planter and he is using his puppet skills as a way to evangelize in the new community where they are planting a church.

To be continued...
Part 2 - coming soon.

Written by Mark Diener



For more information on our Global Missions program or upcoming short-term missions trips, contact Mark Diener, Global Missions Director at mdiener@covenantpalmbay.org.

First Sunday Socials for Young Adults

July 21, 2014

Being a recent graduate from high school and now attending a local college, I can confidently say that it has been a struggle to get connected to a good college-age ministry in the Palm Bay area.  Many high school students move away from the area to attend college following graduation, but for those of us who don't, we're left to fend for ourselves, often having to find a Christian community outside of our church.  I know of many ministries that have started up (and have thrived, even) only to fall apart after less than a year, or drift away from sound doctrine.  Our church has had many attempts to reach the college-age group with Covenant Groups or other events, but nothing seems to stick and bring new people.

Until now.

Recently, Covenant has begun a Young Adult Ministry, which has consisted of a few Sunday socials at Fred Lee Park or Pastor Jonathan's house.  I went to the first social (begrudgingly, to be honest), and was unsure as to how I would fit in.  I gave it a couple tries, and this past Sunday was (in a word) fantastic.  We met at the Culley's house right after church, and not only was it one of the best-attended First Sunday Socials, the dynamics were practically perfect in every way (to quote Mary Poppins).  After lunch, people naturally broke out into smaller groups for some exhilarating games of Crazy Uno and Dutch Blitz.  I had fun and many others appeared to enjoy themselves as well.

I have begun to change my attitude toward what I had previously considered "another young adult ministry".  I think that if we keep having social times like these, other young people will wonder, "What's that going on at Covenant this weekend?  Let's go check it out?", and this ministry just might become grafted into the DNA of Covenant.  So, let's do this; get the word out.  Share upcoming events on Facebook.  Click here for our Young Adults Facebook page to see when our next event it.  Invite your friends to your Covenant Group or the next First Sunday Social.  In the long run, you'll be glad that you did.

For more information or to stay in the loop, check out our Young Adults Ministry page at www.covenantpalmbay.org/YAM. 

Hurricanes Are Not Our Friends, or Are They? 
June 1, 2014

Covenant members participating in cleanup in 2004.

It's been around a decade since our area has been seriously affected by a hurricane. This is great news for us; however, if and when a hurricane hits our area again, what will we do? Will we be ready to help ourselves, let alone our neighbors?

Keith Perry is a deacon at our church and he also represents MNA's (Mission to North America) Disaster Response efforts in Eastern and Central Florida. In recent years, MNADR has seen an uptick in the number of volunteers that have been responding to the disasters that occur in our country.

The MNA Disaster Response Trailer
is a key to getting the job done!

"We recently celebrated a major milestone; the mobilization of our 100,000th disaster response volunteer. Even with the record number of folks serving with us there is an apparent perception that folks need to be highly trained to serve with us; that is a misconception that we constantly strive to correct. We re-organized disaster response into a grassroots effort during 2006 to engage as many folks as possible going forward and the PCA has confirmed this strategic change by responding in unequaled numbers since then."

Two of our elders taking part in the
response to our last major hurricane.

This is all great news, but what does this have to do with us? Well, if a hurricane were to hit our area, Keith and the MNA would be the suppliers of any resources that we need to get ourselves and our neighborhood back on its feet. While the MNA is a pool of resources, we still need to be prepared to be the hands and feet of Jesus in a time of destruction and hardship for many. Although, in a bad way, a hurricane is devastating, on the other hand if we are ready to take action, we can build a bridge for the healing and hopeful gospel into the lives of our neighbors by simply offering them aid in a time of need.

What can we do about it? There are two things:

1) We are trying to breath some life back into our Chainsaw Ministry. This is a group of folks who would be willing to be an on-call volunteer in case a disaster hits our area. You do not need to be a professional or even know how to run a chainsaw. As Keith said, you do not need to be highly trained. You simply need a heart for your neighbors and the gospel. If you are interested in signing up for this team, please email me at rkent@covenantpalmbay.org.

2) On Saturday, June 7, the Ironmen breakfast is hurricane readiness themed. We are offering free Hurricane Readiness Inspections to the elderly and single moms in our congregation and will be performing all of our regular Ironmen fix-em-up duties. If you would like to attend and/or you have a need that needs to be met. Please visit Ironmen Eat & Serve to sign up.


For more information on MNA Disaster Response: pcamna.org/disaster-response/

The Power of ROAR
May 20, 2014

This past Saturday, ROAR Basketball celebrated its most successful season yet. Although it is certainly impressive to know that we had 180 kids from ages 5 to 14 enrolled and playing in 4 different leagues, and that spread among those leagues we had almost 50 coaches, these numbers still do not represent the value and the importance of what ROAR is really all about.

The power of ROAR is found in relationships. The relationships that form between neighbors and strangers are the bridge over which God carries the Gospel to hungry and needy hearts. I wanted to share this experience from one of our church members with you all as one example of many of how the small investment of a relationship can turn into so much more.

My next door neighbors are Hindu. My children play with their children often and one day the subject of religion came up. My son, being as bold as he is, asked them one day, “do you believe in God?” The kids responded back “of course, we believe in many gods”. My son said “No, no, no, do you believe in the one TRUE God?” The kids responded back and said there are many true gods. My children were confused so during dinner they asked me and my wife for advice. We confirmed that they were doing the right thing, evangelizing is an amazing gift from God and that they are privileged to be used by Him. We also encouraged them to wait for God’s timing. 

Later that week, we found out about ROAR Sports and entered our children in to the league. The following week, the neighbors asked if we knew of any basketball leagues his son could participate in….we said “heck yeah”. He brought his son and came out to ROAR sports and they enjoyed themselves. I told the director about the neighbors situation and what we have been doing with them. So the program director invited them to “show up” the next morning with his ROAR sports shirt on. Well that next morning at church, it just happened to be Easter. 

After the service, my son asked his friend what he thought about the service. The neighbor’s son said, "it was wrong what they did to Jesus, He was a good man." He didn’t understand why they would do something like that to Him and why He would continue to love us. He was extremely intrigued but confused and had a long conversation about what it is like to have a relationship with Him. 

That same week, the next door neighbor’s wife came out to talk to us while the kids were playing and out of the blue asked about what the kids do at church? Asked if they are taught Bible lessons etc, both me and my wife were dumbfounded because we totally did not see that coming. They are interested in the children coming to church. God is amazing….what a lesson for all of us.

For more information about ROAR, its ministries, and how you can either participate or get involved visit our website @ www.covenantpalmbay.org/ROAR

Spring Fling 2014 Recap

April 17, 2014

This past Saturday was Lockmar Elementary's annual Spring Fling celebration. We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day to meet new friends and to attend to the safety of our Lockmar neighbors as they traversed the bouncy houses, inflatable obstacle course and slides. 

As the coordinator for the event, I had the opportunity to be there all day long. Besides getting one of the worst "farmer's tans" on record, I had the pleasure of meeting at least half a dozen parents from the Lockmar neighborhood. It was great to have friendly conversation with our neighbors regarding their love for ROAR sports, their interest in our school, and service times and activities at our church. Not to mention, seeing dozens of ROAR sports shirts wandering around the campus was yet another litmus as to how effective our sports outreach is being in our community. 

It was also a great pleasure of mine to see our 30+ volunteers investing their time as an "Inflatable Safety Officer" for the kingdom. Taking part in this ministry gives us great opportunities to meet people we would not normally meet and to serve them in ways that are unexpected and personal. It is a temptation to ask the question, "Is it really serving the Kingdom to stand and enforce inflatable rules?" At face value, the answer is, "maybe not," but if we remember that relationships are the bridge for the Gospel and that the Gospel changes everything in the lives of those who encounter it, watching an inflatable becomes something so much more. It becomes eternally significant. 

I want to extend a special "thank you" to all those who came out to set-up in the early morning, watched an inflatable during our many volunteer shifts, and came in the late afternoon to help clean-up after the event. 

If you would like more information about how to serve at next year's Spring Fling or about how you might be able to serve our local elementary school in more significant way, please contact me at rkent@covenantpalmbay.org. 

CenterPointe Pantry Provisions
March 13, 2014

Cindy lost her job for the second time in several months. She didn't know what she was going to do. When she shared her need with a friend at the Bible study hosted at CenterPointe Church, they asked her if she had thought about possibly utilizing the food pantry offered at their church. Cindy wasn't sure she'd be eligible or if it would even offer enough food to cover her and her children. Her friend insisted she go and check it out, after all it is for anyone in need. What she found was a group of Gospel-centered passionate volunteers that were making sure every one of the 525 families that came through the line of the pantry were greeted with a friendly face and that they got exactly the things they needed to feed their families.

While Cindy is a fictitious name, her story is certainly real. Upon visiting CenterPointe Pantry Provisions (CPPP) several weeks ago, I spoke with person after person who had this exact story.  CPPP is a continuous blessing to its clients, a well-run ministry, and an effective tool for the growth of the Kingdom of God.

These are the main reasons we have decided to partner with CPPP. Already, we have provided them some much needed freezers and under the direction of the Diaconate and through several of our small groups we are beginning to collect food monthly to fill the gaps that their normal process of food collection has created.

CPPP is a growing ministry and its leaders have great vision on what it could be and how many people could not only fill their bellies, but also submit their hearts to the Lordship of Jesus Christ through this ministry. Already Covenant is helping, but we can do MORE. Specifically, CPPP is asking for volunteers to help with their Friday food sorting and Monday food distribution times.


This weekend we will be featuring CPPP during the ministry highlight portion of the church service. I look forward to sharing this great ministry with you all. If you have any interest in helping with this awesome ministry, please contact me (Ransom Kent, rkent@covenantpalmbay.org)  For more information on foods you can donate and how you can help, go to www.covenantpalmbay.org/foodpantry.

ROAR Basketball
February 27, 2014

ROAR Sports is our church's primary means of community outreach and evangelism. Thus far we have hundreds of community children, teens, adults and families involved in a diverse range of recreational activities. These range from surfing to bowling and from soccer to basketball. While increasing the skill level of the participants and making sure a good game is played, these are all really secondary priorities to the ROAR program. 

Mic Huenefeld is one of the lay leaders for this years ROAR Basketball season. While we were discussing his passion for this project and the needs they are still facing (see last paragraph) for this season, Mic made this statement, "Project ROAR is in full swing, and we are looking for people to share the Gospel (through Word and Deed) in Palm Bay!  ROAR solely exists to turn people from Death to Life by bringing them the Good News that Jesus is our Savior." 

What an encouraging reminder! 

More important than making more baskets than the other team or making certain our children grow up to be NBA stars is the task of sharing the Good News of Jesus' gift of salvation from our state of spiritual death with others. ROAR sports is more about relationships and sharing our lives with others than it is about the scoreboard or the referees. 


If you have not yet had the opportunity to experience what a great ministry ROAR sports is or you have yet to see the amazing fruit that it is already bearing, I encourage you to make it out at least for one Saturday this Basketball season. Once you see the coaches teaching the players about Christ and you take a moment to talk with a parent of one of the kids that are playing you will know the blessings that come from relational evangelism and you'll not want to miss out on any more of these opportunities. 

The 2014 ROAR Basketball season will tip-off Saturday, March 8th on the CPC campus. They are still in need of 10 or so more coaches and assistant coaches. If you are not confident in your coaching, that is OK! Approximately 80% of those families involved in ROAR sports are not regular attenders at CPC. If you simply come out and watch the games while talking to a few folks in the stands, you will be taking part in this church's evangelistic mission to our corner of the world. I urge all of you to pray about how God wants you to partake in what He is accomplishing through ROAR. 

If you'd like to volunteer to be a ROAR coach/assistant coach or to help in a number of other ways click here. 

If you would like the opportunity to help us expand and grow this fruitful ministry click here. 

IRONMEN = Bacon 
February 7, 2014

I love bacon.

Bacon is salt, sweet, fat, and meat all rolled into one delicious crispy morsel.  That is truly the basis of bacon’s greatness.  It is a food event for your mouth that all at once brings joy to your taste buds and also satiates your hunger.  The IRONMEN Eat & Serve will be hosted by our deacons on Saturday, February 22^nd, and I would argue it is the live-action version of bacon. Yes, IRONMEN is "the Bacon of Ministries".  Let me explain:

First, there is always a plethora of bacon at the breakfast that starts at 8:00am.  $3 basically gets you all you can eat bacon. The bacon of ministries contains LITERAL BACON!

Second, not only do we get to fellowship with other men of all ages from our congregation (and, of course, talk about bacon), but you also get to go out and meet the real needs of the widows, single moms, and senior adults of our congregation and community.

IRONMEN is the bacon of ministries because it is service, fellowship, worship, evangelism, outreach, and bacon all rolled into one simple event.  All you need to do is sign-up and show up. I truly hope that all of the able-bodied men of our congregation will consider coming out and serving with joy.  There are many needs to be met and there is much bacon to be consumed.

CPC IRONMAN EAT &SERVE, Sat., Feb 22, 8:00am in the Fellowship Hall (cost $3), followed by a work assignment from 9:30-12 noon. CLICK HERE to sign-up.

Best Yet Set folks, widows, single moms and others-need help on a handyman job?  Use the above website link to get a CPC Ironmen to assist you on Feb 22.

Church Dedication in India

January 2014

I recently had an opportunity to make a return visit with our ministry partner, Khen Tombing, at Manipur State in Northeast India.  I met up with the team that had arrived earlier and it was wonderful to hear about their experiences prior to my arrival.  They visited three rural villages and set up "health camps" to care for and help many people who often have no access to any healthcare.  They had a great time in these villages, sharing testimonies of God's work in their lives, and performing an evangelism skit for the people they met.  

I arrived on Saturday evening and saw that we were scheduled to visit three churches the next day.  We worshiped at Munhoih (Good News)  Presbyterian Church, a church we helped to fund and dedicate just a year ago.  This church opened its doors with about 40 members and now has about 120.  What an honor it was to be invited to praise God with these members for His work in growing this congregation. 

Following this service, we headed to the dedication service for Ningthoukhong Presbyterian Church, our second church plant with Khen Tombing's ministry.  The leaders there gave all of us special attire that would be culturally appropriate for worship with new believers from the Meiti tribe, a predominantly Hindu people group.  I had the privledge of bringing a message about the promises of Jesus to build His church.  Again, we were all honored to meet our new brothers and sisters in Christ and worship our God with them.  

The evening service was at Rayburn Presbyterian Church, and the service was full, both in attendance and in activity.  There were several special things planned for our team, in addition to the team once again performing their evangelism skit for the congregation. They were applauded with loud cheers during and after the presentation.  After giving my first full length sermon ever, translated by Khen and making it twice as long, we also got to take communion with the congregation. What a great service to end a very full and amazing day.  

Most of the team headed back to the US, however, Roy Oishi and I ventured on to Yangon, Myanmar for the next portion of our missions trip.  You can read more about our time there in my next post.  

Submitted by Mark Diener, Global Missions Director.  For more information about our Global Missions program, contact Mark at mdiener@covenantpalmbay.org

IronMen: IronDad

August 1, 2013

On Saturday, July 20, the deacon-led IronMen ministry hosted its second Eat & Serve men's work event of 2013. This particular time, the theme was "IronDad". This time around, in addition to inviting all able bodied men of the congregation to come out and work for those in need, we also encouraged dads to bring out their children to work alongside them!

This particular event completed 17 different projects utilizing a volunteer workforce of over 40 men and numerous children! Those being served by this event included widows from out congregation, needy neighbors of congregant members, and one Love INC client. The projects ranged from pressure washing driveways and siding, painting hallways, light to moderately-heavy yard work, to fence and in-home repair.

To be frank, when I first joined Covenant, I (wrongly) presumed the IronMen projects were for older guys or for a certain sub-set of the men of the church. I don't know why I presumed that, but I did. If you are thinking a similar thing, let me set the record straight.

If you are a man, IronMen is for you!

It's that simple. If you are not convinced yet, here are some more reasons: If you like breakfast, if you have the desire to serve REAL needs in our congregation and community, if you have the ability to do anything from pulling a single weed or swinging a hammer with great skill, IronMen is for you. Our next Eat & Serve Event will take place sometime this winter (after City Impact - being help in October). We'd really love to see you there, please consider joining us as the IronMen serve our neighbors in need.

Homeless Bags: A Practical Way to Love Your Neighbor

June 7, 2013

One of the components of our church's small group vision is to do a group service project. In the past, many groups have helped out at the local Cold Night Shelter (His Place Ministries), served hot dogs at ROAR Sporting events, or even done Nursing Home Outreach and visitation. This year one of the more creative and practical service projects was something called "Homeless Bags" (see contents to the right).

At least two of our ladies' groups from Covenant participated in this type of service project and have found it to be a very simple way to make a small yet significant difference in our community. "What is a homeless bag?" you might ask. Well, one group describes them as such: "[We] made bags to keep in our cars to give to people when we see them... And if we see someone holding a sign that says "hungry" we give them these pre-made bags that have in them (ours are all different) something like a water bottle, a fruit cup and plastic spoon, a protein bar, some packaged trail mix or a granola bar. I have some with small cans of chicken salad and crackers. Whatever we can keep in the car."

But as we all know, just doing something for someone is not always enough. Every group that made the bags also included some form of evangelistic message. Whether it was a Gospel tract or simply a message that said, "You are made in the image of God. That makes you precious! God loves you! I hope this snack blesses you." Sandy Beckwith reports, "I've given out quite a few. One time really blessed me as I watched the guy read it as he walked back and he seemed touched...David and Katie are keeping one in their cars too. David gave out his first one the other day. He was glad to have it ready."

If you or your group have participated in any other service projects throughout this past year, please let us know (email me at rkent@covenantpalmbay.org), or simply leave some descriptions of the practical ways your group has shown God's love in the comment section below.

The Love, INC Love Op

On May 4, The Axsom/Patterson Small group partnered with Love INC to help accomplish a Love Op. What is a Love Op you might ask? In short, A Love Op is Love INCs way of assisting its clients by connecting them with local churches to meet whatever physical need is most urgent. In this particular case, Love INC was assisting a woman in our community whose house had been invaded by black mold. It was beyond the point that she could fix herself. After contacting Love INC and partaking in the action plan they had developed for her, assistance was offered and the problem was resolved. 

Five members of CPC and several other members from other area churches suited up and spent a few hours lending a helping hand by removing the mold infested waste from the living space. Materials, training, and lunch were all provided by Love INC. All the volunteers had to do was show up! 

"It was so beautiful seeing the 'local body' unite to accomplish a missional task together," said Jonathan Culley of the event. "We held hands in a circle and prayed before we got to work.  I felt that this event brought both physical and spiritual needs together nicely.  Although I didn't personally meet the resident, I felt a personal connection with her just by being there helping."

The great thing about the Love INC Love Op is that it is meant for YOU. It is tailored for anyone to have a meaningful and impacting experience with minimal preparation, planning, and/or skills. You simply need to show up. As Don Patterson put it, "After suiting up, there was equipment to be moved, drywall and insulation to tear out and transport to the trailer, decisions to be made, nails to be removed, and clean up to be done." There is literally something for everyone. 


If you want to join the ranks of this small group, our Diaconate-led Iron Man Teams, and droves of other CPC members who have been part of a Love Op, I would love to help you make that happen. I can't sum it up better than Don did when he said, "I enjoyed helping meet this very real need, and worshiping with other believers in the process. I overheard one of the residents saying that he wanted to help out at other Love INC operations. And I do too."

If you are even lightly interested in partaking in a Love INC Love Op please contact me at rkent@covenantpalmbay.org. Love Ops happen seven days a week and can meet whatever skill set, challenges, or preferences you might have. 


Let's get out there and make a difference in our community!

For more information about Love INC please visit our church's website at www.covenantpalmbay.org/Loveinc. 

Spring Fling 2013

May 2, 2013

On Saturday, April 27^th, Sixty three volunteers and countless CPC families converged on the Lockmar Spring Fling. For the third year, our congregation has assisted our local public elementary school in throwing its annual spring student celebration. Our sixty three volunteers assisted with: supervising the six bounce houses, helping with the teacher-led games, cooking and serving over 500 hot dogs,  preparing 300 prepared meals, and serving over 700 drinks!

Norma Hostetler, Lockmar’s principal, said of the event, “The teachers, students, and parents thought the event was well attended and the students had a great time.  We could not have covered bounce houses and food with the limited number of volunteers that we had.  Your church volunteers and the bounce houses made the event a huge success.” 

I would like to send a HUGE thank you to all the families who came to spend time with their neighbors and the many volunteers who sacrificed at least an hour of their time to make this event a “huge success”. If you would like more information about how you can assist in helping with our ministry to our local schools, please go to our church’s website under the Adopt-a-school ministry page (linked below).

www.covenantpalmbay.org/adoptaschool

If you have any other questions or interest in our Local Outreach Ministries, please feel free to email me here.

Ironmen Serving Church and Community

March 21, 2013

Thirty-two men served at the recent Ironmen Eat and Serve.  After enjoying a time of hearty breakfast and fellowship, the men headed out to serve in 12 projects.  Various projects included painting a house for Love INC, yard work, pressure washing, carpet replacement, drywall repair, window maintenance, and plumbing. 

Ransom Kent reflected upon the day with these words:  “I took part in two separate projects. First, I worked with a fellow Ironman to help a member of our church shape up some hedges in their back yard, as well as clean out some gutters and remove an unwanted plant.  On the second job I was part of a large team of Ironmen who were assisting Love INC with a LoveOP. We painted the front side of the home for one of Love INC's clients. " 

He greatly enjoyed working with his brothers in Christ to accomplish a task for the kingdom.  Ransom said that "Even stirring gravy to the Lord for the Ironmen breakfast is more enjoyable than just stirring gravy for gravy-stirring sake!" 

David Schatz mentioned, "It is cool to see men of all ages come together for the common goal of being Jesus to the body."  He was especially touched by how blessed the people are that are the recipients of the work.  David was amazed by how each time he became worried about an event detail, he prayed and God tangibly over-blessed the situation. 

Men, the next time you hear about an Ironmen event, make plans to attend.

For more information on Ironmen events, visit www.covenantpalmbay.org/Ironmen