(704) 599-9810 | Worship Sundays @ 10:55 a.m.
(704) 599-9810 | Worship Sundays @ 10:55 a.m.
Dec 03, 2025
Advent Week 1 • HOPE • “How Are You?”
As December begins, Holy Covenant steps into a month of Reflect & Celebrate with a simple, honest question: How are you… really? In this first week of Advent, we lean into HOPE — not the loud kind, but the steady kind that keeps showing up even when the headlines are heavy and our hearts feel tired.
The prophet Isaiah reminds us:
“Those who hope in the Holy One shall renew their strength.” (Isaiah 40:31)
All month long, we’ll be lifting up our Pastor and Consistory leaders as we ask how it is with your spirit, your hope, and your heart.
Advent Week 1 • HOPE • “How Is Your Hope Holding Up?”
I might be the worst person to ask about hope, because I’m a pastor and pastors are expected to be full of hope. I mean, aren’t we the ones who are supposed to lead people toward more hopeful lives and a more hopeful world? The truth is, when something unexpected happens or a new circumstance pops up in my own life, my mind usually rushes straight to the worst-case scenario. I worry. The anxiety hormones kick in. I paint a bleak picture in my head, and I start mentally doomsday prepping.
And I don’t think that’s bad or wrong, I actually think it’s just human. And honestly, to me it’s a sign that I deeply care about whatever has stirred up those emotions or feelings in the first place.
I don’t tend to think about things like hope or faith as things that rise and fall depending on the circumstance. What I’ve come to understand is hope is created by doubt and things like doubt and fear start to show up because uncertainty feels present. Yet beneath all of that, what I know to be true is that God’s love is real, that things can be made better and will be made better, no matter the circumstances.
So, in a way, all there is…is hope.
For me, hope is the choice to step out of that fear, or at least loosen our grip on it, even if it’s just for a moment, and to recognize that whatever has us dreaming up worst-case scenarios or doomsday bunkers isn’t real. I’m not saying it doesn’t exist in a physical sense or isn’t causing us pain or hurt or grief, what I’m saying is that I believe God is repurposing it in a way we cannot yet see, which makes hope real.
There is so much in the world right now pulling at our heartstrings and that tempts us to just want to throw the remote at the TV. But what I think hope does, is it opens us to the awareness that God is still present in our lives. For me, hope isn’t something we have more or less of at times, I tend to believe it’s just something we learn to notice. And we notice it because God simply is.
-Pastor Chris
As we move through Advent Week 1, we invite you to pause and gently ask yourself:
How am I, really? How is my hope?
If your hope feels thin or tired, let your church family hold some of it with you. You are not alone, and your honest heart is welcome here.
Nov 28, 2025
Community Thanksgiving Event · Third Annual
At Holy Covenant, Thanksgiving is more than just turkey — it’s about belonging, connection, and radical welcome. 🌈🧡 What began two years ago as a way to make sure no one spent the holiday alone is quickly blossoming into a beloved traditions of our church family. Whether you’re a longtime member, a newcomer, a neighbor, or just looking for a place to be — you belong here.
This year, we opened our hearts and tables once again, including to several families from Charlotte Family Housing, a Charlotte-based organization that provides temporary housing for families of all shapes and sizes as they transition to a long-term, stable home. Their presence reminded us of the transformative power of community and our shared commitment to hope and healing — a living picture of what it means to gather at a true Table of Grace.
“This dinner began as a way to make sure no one spent Thanksgiving alone… and it’s become an important time for many. For me, being so far from our family back in St. Louis, it’s been deeply meaningful to share this holiday with others who’ve become like family.
I’ll say it every time if I have to — All are welcome.”
– Pastor Chris
Our 2025 Community Thanksgiving video, “Thanksgiving Words of Grace”, weaves together what this gathering is truly about: a softer rhythm, a shared table, and a story told in gentle frames. It invites us to slow down long enough to notice the quiet ways God carries us — in a warm light in the window, in the comfort of a familiar chair, in a simple table set with love, and in the relief of whispering, “I made it this far.” Rest, gratitude, and grace met us here.
This gathering comes to life because of the many who pour love, labor, and grace into it.
We offer heartfelt thanks to:
#HCUCCEverywhere #ProgressiveClergy #TableOfGrace #CommunityThanksgiving #RestInGod #ThanksgivingGrace #GratitudeAndGrace #RadicalWelcome
Nov 26, 2025
November Sabbath Theme: Rest in God · A Story in Gentle Frames
by Eric Miner
Thanksgiving invites us into a softer rhythm — a pause, a breath, a remembering. “Thanksgiving Words of Grace” gathers that spirit into a series of gentle frames, each one an invitation to slow our steps and notice the quiet ways God carries us. Before the day becomes full, we begin in stillness — trusting that gratitude often rises not in perfection, but in presence.
“Be still, and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10
This Thanksgiving story unfolds like a whispered prayer — a sequence of moments that call us back to gratitude, one breath at a time. Through stillness, memory, and gentle truths, we are reminded that grace meets us in the quiet places: in a warm light in the window, in a simple table set with love, in the relief of whispering, “I made it this far.”
These words carry us gently toward the heart of the holiday: rest, gratitude, and the steady love of God. May they bless your table and your spirit this Thanksgiving Day.
💬 What grace are you resting in today?
Share a word of gratitude or encouragement — your voice brings warmth to our table.
#HCUCCEverywhere #ProgressiveClergy #RestInGod #ThanksgivingGrace #SabbathRest #GratitudeAndGrace #HealingInStillness
✍️ About the Author
Eric Miner serves Holy Covenant as our digital disciple, visual storyteller, and keeper of our shared memory.
He believes that images — like scripture — can become windows into grace when held with care, curiosity, and love.
Nov 20, 2025
by Eric Miner
Every bulletin tells a story.
Over the years, Holy Covenant’s worship bulletins have changed — fonts, layouts, colors, designs. But through every season, they have held the same heartbeat: a gathered people, coming together to worship with intention and love. Our old bulletins are more than paper; they are snapshots of sermons preached, hymns sung, prayers whispered, and ministries born.
In this look back, we’re pairing some of Holy Covenant’s vintage bulletins and inserts with a bit of history about how church bulletins came to be — especially in the United Church of Christ and other progressive traditions. As we honor this month’s theme of Sabbath, we remember that even our liturgy learns to rest… to breathe… to unfold in new ways with every generation.
For much of Christian history, congregations worshiped without printed programs. People followed along using hymnals, prayer books, and memory while clergy guided the order of worship aloud. It wasn’t until the late 1800s and early 1900s, when printing became inexpensive and Sunday Schools expanded, that weekly bulletins began to appear in Protestant churches.
These early bulletins were simple — often just a single sheet listing the hymns, scripture readings, and sermon title. But quickly, churches discovered how useful they could be: a way to share announcements, invite people into ministry, and teach the shape of worship itself. By the mid-20th century, bulletins were standard practice in most mainline churches.
In denominations like the UCC, Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans, and Episcopalians, bulletins soon became more than a list of what comes next. They turned into teaching tools and small catechisms:
In many ways, bulletins became the “scrapbooks” of mainline Christianity, capturing the ordinary weeks that add up to a life of faith.
When the United Church of Christ formed in 1957, it brought together traditions that loved both thoughtful liturgy and bold engagement with the world. UCC bulletin covers from the 1960s through the 1990s often included:
One classic UCC image in our archive shows the words “that they may all be one” set against rainbow-layered typography — a visual echo of Jesus’ prayer in John 17 and of the UCC’s growing witness for inclusion and Open and Affirming ministry. Even the bulletin cover became a small sermon in itself.
Our own Holy Covenant collection reaches back several decades. In the photos below, you’ll see:
Together, these pieces trace how Holy Covenant has grown in diversity, humor, justice, and joy — while still gathering around scripture, song, and the simple pattern of worship: we come, we listen, we respond, we are sent.
When we leaf through old bulletins, we are not just looking at graphics from another era. We are remembering people who prayed these prayers, sang these hymns, and showed up to serve in these seasons of life. The paper may fade, but the worship it held still echoes in us.
Today, our bulletins look different again. Some Sundays we hold printed copies; other times we follow slides or worship from home. Announcements move to email and websites, and our designs reflect new accessibility and environmental goals. Yet the mission remains the same: to draw our scattered lives into a shared story of God’s love.
As you look through these images, consider saving a few bulletins of your own — from baptisms, confirmations, memorials, or moments that changed you. Someday, someone may look back at them the way we are looking back today and whisper, “Every bulletin tells a story… and this one tells mine.”
Do you have an old Holy Covenant bulletin or insert you’d like to share for our archives? We’d love to see it.
✍️ About the Author
Eric Miner serves Holy Covenant as our digital disciple, visual storyteller, and keeper of our shared memory. He believes that images — like scripture — can become windows into grace when held with care, curiosity, and love.
Nov 20, 2025
Observed every November, Native American Heritage Month calls us to face the full story of this land— its original caretakers, their enduring wisdom, and the injustices they continue to resist. It is a season of truth-telling, honoring culture, and lifting up Indigenous authors whose voices have
too often been challenged, suppressed, or erased. In that spirit, our Banned Book Library expands this month with three powerful new titles by Indigenous writers.
At Holy Covenant, we believe the freedom to read is sacred. Our newly expanded Freedom to Read: Banned Book Library web page is now live — and it is one of the most beautiful, thoughtful, and lovingly constructed pages on our entire site. Designed to celebrate curiosity, dignity, and diverse voices, this new page invites you to discover books that have shaped lives, sparked conversations, and endured attempts to silence them.
• Five beautifully themed sections — Classics, Adult Fiction, Non-Fiction, Young Adults, and Picture Books/Young Readers, each styled with its own UCC-inspired color palette.
• Expandable book lists that make browsing intuitive and fun — just click any section to open its full list of titles.
• Dozens of short, pastoral-minded summaries honoring each book’s themes of justice, empathy, belonging, and resilience.
• A clean, accessible layout crafted with care to make the experience welcoming for all readers — whether you love YA fiction, modern memoirs, classics, or picture books.
This new page is more than just a catalog — it is part of our ministry of welcome. At a time when thousands of titles are being challenged or removed from libraries, Holy Covenant chooses a different path: to learn, to listen, to celebrate diverse stories, and to keep a table big enough for every voice.
Visit the Page
Take a moment this week to explore the new Banned Book Library online. Click through each section, find a title that speaks to you, and reflect on how stories help us grow as a community of compassion and justice.
📖 Take & Read: Visit the new page here:
#HCUCCEverywhere #ProgressiveClergy #BannedBooks #FreedomToRead #UCC #BeTheChurch #SacredStories #BooksBuildBelonging #ReadWithCourage #JusticeInPrint #InclusiveChurch #ChurchLibrary #CommunityOfReaders #LivingTheCovenant #VoicesUnbound #OpenAndAffirming #UCCBelieves #FaithAndJustice #RadicalWelcome #LoveOfLearning #StoryAsSanctuary #ReadersOfHCUCC #HolyCovenantCharlotte #ReadReflectRenew
Nov 16, 2025
Nov 13, 2025
Faith for a Worried People · November Sabbath Theme: Rest in God
In a world that hums without pause, Digital Sabbath invites us to lay down our devices and rediscover the sacred rhythm of stillness. At Holy Covenant United Church of Christ, we are learning that rest is not withdrawal—it is renewal. Each quiet moment becomes a prayer: a chance to listen for the Holy One who speaks beneath the noise.
“Be still, and know that I am God.” — Psalm 46:10
To practice Digital Sabbath is to reclaim the spaces where our attention has been scattered. It is permission to step away from constant connection and remember that grace requires no notifications. For one hour—or one day—we let the screens dim and the Spirit speak.
This week’s reflection linked beautifully with Pastor Chris’s sermon, “Faith for a Worried People.” Just as faith steadies our anxious hearts, so does Sabbath—digital or otherwise—steady our restless minds. In that quiet pause, we remember: God is not found in the flurry, but in the breath between beeps.
💬 How will you practice rest this week?
Share a word of gratitude or a moment of stillness in the comments below.
#HCUCCEverywhere #ProgressiveClergy #DigitalSabbath #RestInGod #FaithForAWorriedPeople #YearOfWellness #BeStill #FaithAndTechnology #HolyCovenantUCC
Nov 11, 2025
A moment of justice and joy as love’s promise endures.
A moment of gratitude for Holy Covenant, the UCC, and LGBTQ+ families everywhere
Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to revisit the landmark marriage-equality precedent that has safeguarded LGBTQ+ marriages nationwide since 2015. For Holy Covenant and the wider United Church of Christ, this is more than a legal footnote, it is an affirmation of what we’ve always believed and known — love cannot be confined by people or parameters.
In 2014, Holy Covenant families and clergy joined a first-of-its-kind, faith-based legal challenge to North Carolina’s marriage ban—asserting that the state’s restrictions violated both equal protection and the freedom of clergy to perform weddings in their houses of worship. That case helped open the door to marriage equality in North Carolina, setting the table for the nationwide ruling the next year.
“We believed then—and we believe now—that blessing love is not the state’s to forbid nor the church’s to withhold.”
The United Church of Christ’s advocacy for LGBTQ+ dignity spans decades—rooted in Scripture’s call to justice and the Gospel’s wideness in mercy. From early statements in the 1990s supporting equal marriage rights to the 2005 General Synod resolution affirming marriage equality, our denomination has stayed the course: full inclusion, public witness, and pastoral care for all families.
Yesterday’s decision is both reassurance and invitation: reassurance that the marriage of those in our pews remains protected, and invitation to deepen our practice of joy, protection, pastoral care, and support of the inclusivity and diversity of love.
At Holy Covenant, we mark this news with gratitude—and with renewed commitment to walk alongside LGBTQ+ members, couples, parents, teens, and elders.
“Yesterday’s Supreme Court ruling upholding marriage equality is a victory for LGBTQ+ rights. As people of faith, we affirm that God’s image is reflected in every person and every loving relationship.”
“Too often, the Bible has been misused to condemn same-sex relationships—something about which scripture says very little—while ignoring the broader, recurring themes of God’s call for justice, compassion for the poor, love of neighbor, and liberation for the oppressed.”
“For some in our congregation, this attempt to repeal marriage equality has reopened old wounds or stirred valid fears and concerns. To you, I want to say once again, Your love is holy, your marriage is sacred, and the sanctity of love, like our God, is far greater than we could ever imagine.”
— Rev. Christopher Czarnecki, Senior Pastor
“It’s important to our family to belong to a church that honors and affirms loving relationships and marriage equality for all people as we seek to build a just world.”
— Meg Houlihan, Racial Justice & Equity Ministry Team Lead
“Our love is sacred. Our love is blessed. Our love is holy! Love is for everyone! Our faith and connection to the Divine means trusting that love holds us together even through threats by conservatives and those bound by hatred and fear of inclusion and diversity. Today we rest in God’s faithfulness, and we rise to keep welcoming, blessing, and defending every beloved story.”
— Rev. Melissa McQueen-Simmons
💬 Share a word of gratitude or encouragement
Your story and your joy strengthen this community.
#HCUCCEverywhere #ProgressiveClergy #RestInGod #FaithForAWorriedPeople #MarriageEquality #LGBTQFaith #UCC #LoveIsLove #OpenAndAffirming #JusticeAndPeace #EqualityMatters #UCCJustice #FaithAndFreedom #InclusiveChurch #RacialJusticeAndEquity #PrideInFaith #ProgressiveChristianity #FaithForAllPeople #UCCHistory #HolyCovenantUCC #LGBTQChristian #SabbathPeace #YearOfWellness #StandFirmAndHoldFast #UCCEverywhere #UCCONA #BeTheChurch #UCCJusticeAndWitness #FaithForJustice #LoveWins
Nov 10, 2025
Faith for a Worried People · November Sabbath Theme: Rest in God
In yesterday’s service, we were reminded that God’s peace is big enough to hold every story — the worried and the wondering, the certain and the searching. “Stories for All People” celebrates that welcome: a table where every voice belongs, every journey matters, and grace keeps making room.
“Stand firm and hold fast.” — 2 Thessalonians 2:15
As Pastor Chris invited us to loosen our grip on fear and rest in God’s steady love, this piece gave the message a heartbeat. It’s a testimony in motion: when we lay our worries down, we can hear one another more clearly and discover the holy threads that bind our lives together.
From the centering prayer to the children blowing their worries away, the liturgy held a gentle arc: let go, listen, and live in trust. “Stories for All People” gathered that arc into one invitation — to be a people whose rest in God becomes welcome for the world.
💬 What story of grace are you hearing this week?
Share a word of gratitude or encouragement below — your voice matters at this table.
#HCUCCEverywhere #ProgressiveClergy #RestInGod #FaithForAWorriedPeople #YearOfWellness #AllAreWelcome
Nov 10, 2025
Faith for a Worried People · November Sabbath Theme: Rest in God
Some songs arrive like a steadying hand. Yesterday’s anthem, “It Is Well with My Soul” (arr. John Ness Beck), joined our worship as a companion to the morning message on trust and calm assurance. In a world that often feels unsteady, this beloved hymn gave our community language for peace — not the peace of control, but the peace of resting in God.
“Stand firm and hold fast.” — 2 Thessalonians 2:15
The anthem’s clear lines and warm harmonies lifted the sanctuary, inviting us to breathe a little deeper. Paired with the call to release what we cannot hold, the music traced a pathway from worry to witness — reminding us that peace is not the absence of storms but the Presence who steers us through them.
From centering prayer to the joyful wisdom of our children’s message — letting worries “float away” — the liturgy framed the very peace the choir then sang into being. When fears grow loud, this anthem answers gently: It is well… because Love holds the horizon.
💬 Where did you sense God’s peace this week?
Share a word of gratitude or encouragement below — your testimony may be the anchor someone needs.
#HCUCCEverywhere #ProgressiveClergy #RestInGod #FaithForAWorriedPeople #ChancelChoir #SacredMusic #YearOfWellness
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