Covenant Christian Church

06/05/2026

Today people of Covenant gathered together to make sandwiches for the New Beginnings Food Closet once again!

Afterward people stuck around to share in a meal, some conversation and putting puzzles together!

Thanks to all who gathered!

06/05/2026

Daily Devotions
Friday, June 5, 2026
by Don Hiscox

Some special thoughts for when you celebrate your birthday…

Scripture: (Psalm 139:14-18 The Message)

“I thank you, High God - you’re breathtaking! Body and soul I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration - what a creation.

“You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something.

“Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you.

“The days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.”

Many people…maybe most people think of birthdays as a day for cake, presents, and celebrating with family and friends.

But birthdays can also remind us of something much deeper: God created each one of us on purpose. Your birthday marks the day your unique life began. No one else has your exact gifts, personality, or story.

God knew you before you were born and has a purpose for your life.

A young girl once asked her grandmother why she always called - or sent a birthday card - on her birthday. Grandma smiled and said, “Because I thank God every year for the day you came into the world.”

Those words stayed with the little girl. Years later, she said that simple reminder helped her remember that her life mattered.

Every birthday is a chance to thank God for the gift of life, and to ask how we can use that gift to bless others.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for creating me and giving me life. Help me remember that I am your child and that my life has purpose. Amen.

06/04/2026

⚠️ Weather Update: Tonight's Concert Postponed ⚠️

Due to impending severe weather expected to move into the area this evening, tonight's Iowa National Guard Summer Concert Series performance featuring the 34th Army Band’s 42 Romeo Rock Band has been postponed.

The concert has been rescheduled for Thursday, June 18. We look forward to seeing everyone then for a great evening of live music!

In the meantime, make plans to join us next Thursday for Country Night featuring Blake Jack and his band as part of our Iowa National Guard Summer Concert Series.

Thank you for your understanding, and most importantly, stay safe as the weather moves through the area. We can't wait to see you this summer at Camp Dodge! 🇺🇸🎶

06/04/2026

Daily Devotions
Thursday, June 4, 2026
by Don Hiscox

Scripture: “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14 NIV)

I was feeling pretty exhausted from my day, and to pass the time, hoping to fall asleep and get my much-needed nap, I was thumbing through Facebook, searching for something to help put me to sleep.

And I ran across a cute little cartoon with a little ghost figure on it with the caption, “Sometimes I take up more space than I think I deserve.” It was a rather plain little cartoon, kinda cute, and I chuckled when I read the caption.

But then I read the reply of a close friend who had reposted the cartoon, and this friend simply said, ”There are days…” The little cartoon then took on an entirely different perspective for me.

I think its safe to say that many of us have felt that way at one time or another. There are days…and I’ve lived through some of those days in my lifetime. We may think our opinions don’t matter, our presence is a burden, or that others are just plain better, more successful people. When those thoughts come, it’s important to remember what God says about us.

God created each of us on purpose, and God doesn’t make mistakes. God knows our strengths, our weaknesses, our joys, and our struggles.

Yet God still calls us “beloved children.” Jesus gave his life for us because we are valuable in God's sight.

The world may sometimes make us feel small or unimportant, but God's love tells a different story. We are not here by accident. We have a place in God's family, and a purpose in God’s plan.

I’d like to modify the caption under that little cartoon to say this…”Sometimes I take up more space than I think I deserve, but I deserve to exist, too.”

Question of the day: What are some ways God reminds you that your life has value and purpose?

06/03/2026

A call to water stewardship!

💧 Why is Central Iowa Water Works asking customers to voluntarily reduce outdoor water use by 50%?

Right now, our regional water system is operating under significant stress.

To continue providing safe, reliable drinking water, CIWW has been:
🔹 Operating the Nitrate Removal Facility since January 6, 2026.
🔹 Withdrawing water from Maffitt Reservoir since January 19, a backup source typically reserved until Summer (if needed at all)
🔹 Using water stored in our Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) wells
🔹 Utilizing all seven water treatment plants

These resources are important tools that help us maintain water quality and meet customer demand, but they are not unlimited.

💡Outdoor irrigation can account for 30–40% of total drinking water use during the spring and summer.

‼️Small changes - like skipping a watering day or watering only where needed - can have an immediate impact on regional water demand.

‼️By voluntarily reducing outdoor water use by 50%, we can help preserve these critical water supplies, maintain reliable service, and ensure safe drinking water remains available throughout the summer.

Every gallon saved today helps protect our water supply for tomorrow.

Learn more about the Water Use Plan and ways to conserve water at www.ciww.gov.

Learn about lawn health and how much water your lawn needs from the Iowa State Extension Yard and Garden https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/watering-home-lawns

06/03/2026

Daily Devotions
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
by Don Hiscox

Remembered in Love!

As I prepare this devotion on Sunday evening, I realize this day (Sunday) has been an unbelievable roller-coaster of emotions. Text the pastor to tell him that we wouldn’t be in church this morning. He was absolutely kind, gracious, and understanding.

Make sure my injured wife is ready for the day. Respond to a text from my son who is reporting to me that his BFF just passed away quite unexpectedly at about 50 years of age. Help my daughter with setting up a graduation party. Help with the party and clean up afterward. Hurry home. Walk the dog. Grab a Pepsi Zero and a couple slices of cheese. Now time to go downstairs and write a devotion. I must confess I wasn’t sure my mind would be up to it tonight.

For some reason, over the years I have developed a pretty extensive listing of potential “themes” for the devotions I prepare. Tonight, I don’t have the time or the inclination to really think about an appropriate topic…so I grabbed the topic at the very top of the list…it’s a quote from the book Teacher of Warsaw, by Mario Escobar, a book I read sometime over the last couple of years or so.

The quote from page 48: “Death is when forgetting wins. As long as we remember the ones who lived, they are still among us.”

I just couldn’t believe it. I texted my son, Chris, with the quote and asked his permission to write about him and his relationship with his best friend, Brandon. His response…”It is absolutely OK to write about him. Brandon was not just a friend, but a woven part of my story.”

And so, to my son, Chris, and to everyone else reading this, I say…

One of the very hardest parts of life is saying goodbye to someone we love. We miss their voice, we miss their smile, and we miss the special moments we shared with them. While memories can’t bring a person back, those memories do remind us of the love they gave us, and the impact they had on our lives.

In the Book of Proverbs (10:7) we find these words, “The memory of the righteous is a blessing.” When we remember those who followed God, their faith continues to encourage us. Their stories can inspire us to live with kindness, courage, and love. Indeed, when remembered in love, their life does become a woven part of our own story.

As Christians, we also have a greater hope. Through Jesus, death does not have the final word. Those who trust in Jesus are held forever in God’s care.

So, Chris, today, thank God for Brandon, who was such a blessing in your life, and let his memory encourage you to walk faithfully with our Lord.

And for the rest of us reading this, please thank God for that one person who was such a blessing in your life, and let that person’s memory encourage you, once again, to walk faithfully with our Lord.

06/03/2026

This Sunday, June 7th, the Adult Sunday School begins the journey through John Pavlovitz’ book: Worth Fighting For: Finding Courage & Compassion When Cruelty Is Trending. See you this Sunday at 8:30am!

06/02/2026

Daily Devotions
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
by Don Hiscox

Scripture: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10 NIV)

Thought for the day: The two most important days in your life are the day you are born, and the day you realize WHY. (Original author unknown)

While the thought for the day is often attributed to Mark Twain, there is no documentation to confirm that thought. Suffice it to say, God gives each person life, and God also gives each person a purpose.

A pastor with whom I’ve become familiar over the years, and who now I would call a friend, tells the story that he never attended church as a child. That just wasn’t something his parents found important.

As a young man still in high school, he once volunteered at a local food pantry, not because he wanted to but because a childhood friend invited him to come help move heavy boxes of food.

At first, he thought he was simply helping hand out groceries. But after talking with the families and hearing their stories, he discovered a passion within himself for serving others.

A couple of years later he went to college, majored in sociology and dedicated his life to helping people in need. He had found his “why.”

He served in the Peace Corps for several years. Upon returning to the USA, he took a job driving a truck, a big rig. After saving enough money, he went to seminary and earned a Divinity Degree, and enjoyed several years of serving the church in pastoral ministry.

God has created each of us with unique gifts, talents, and opportunities. Sometimes discovering our purpose in life takes time, patience, and prayer. You know, I think I’ve discovered that sometimes people don’t discover the “why” of their life until after they’ve retired.

As we grow in faith and serve others, God often reveals to us in ways we never thought imaginable the work that has been prepared for us.

As you make your way through this day, you might pause occasionally and ask yourself: How might God be calling me to use my life to bless others?

I would wager it’s never too late to find out the “why” for our lives.