Worship Service Information | | |
Rev. Jessie MacMillan will offer her sermon "An Expansive Vineyard" during the service. The scriptures this week are Isaiah 5:1-7 and Matthew 21:33-46.
Our liturgist is John Mackintosh Bourne. John's relationship with the Covenant goes back many years, beginning with his grandmother, Mabel Thayer Bourne, who joined the Euclid Avenue Presbyterian Church in 1889. It was in her memory that the first “lift” was dedicated “for the convenience and comfort of the women of this church.” As a young teenager, John was baptized here by our revered Dr. Harry Bertrand Taylor. Now, at 88 years of age, John has just about done it all, being an ordained Elder and having served as Chair of the Personnel, Budget, and Finance committees, and on Trustees. His beloved wife Judy was very involved at the Covenant as well, acting as Moderator of the Deacons and organizing “Covenant Classics.” Additionally, John has been a member of numerous other boards and committees, including representing Covenant on the Board of University Circle, Inc., and was an elected councilman for 13 years when he lived in Kirtland Hills.
Ushering this week are Suchi Nelson and Nancy Smekal and the greeter is Liz Shriver. Our custodian on duty is Guillermo (Will) Chacon. A/V technicians are JD Cupple and Brent Chamberlin.
Photo: Vineyard in Bordeaux France Daniel Greathouse
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As we gather for worship, you are warmly invited to enter the sanctuary in a spirit of quiet preparation, allowing the music of the prelude to draw us together in prayer.
Prayer candles are located in All Saints Chapel and Christ Chapel, to either side of the chancel. Please feel free to light one for personal intentions, loved ones, or in gratitude.
| | Child care is provided in our Crèche located on the second floor of the Education Wing. Children pre-school through 2nd grade may leave after A Time for Young Disciples to go to the Crèche in the Dotson Room. | | We welcome everyone who is joining us for worship online on Sundays and throughout the week. We're thankful that our congregation is expanded through digital ministry! | | The Samaritan Road: Kindness Across Divides—Sanctuary for All | |
Sunday, October 11th at 4:00 p.m.
The Church of the Covenant
11205 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44106
Free Admission
"A traveler was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he was robbed... But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion for the traveler." That single parable permeates an upcoming collaborative concert, in which the Covenant Chancel Choir and Trinity Cathedral Choir perform a program of music on themes of kindness and sanctuary for all. Featuring chamber orchestra, piano, harp, and organ, the musicians ask a question that is as relevant today as it was when the parable was first shared: Who is my neighbor?
The program spans nearly three hundred years of music written around that very question. J.S. Bach's Der Geist hilft unser Schwachheit auf, BWV 226, offers comfort at a graveside. Ola Gjeilo's Ubi Caritas rests quietly inside the idea that love itself is what gathers us together. Benjamin Britten's Cantata Misericordium, written for the Red Cross's centenary in the shadow of the Cold War, tells the Samaritan story itself in vivid, dramatic color, featuring tenor soloist Derek Chester and baritone soloist Timothy LeFebvre. And David Hurd's jubilant I Was Glad concludes the evening with rejoicing—fittingly performed alongside several Oberlin Conservatory students singing in the choir, where Hurd himself once studied.
Conductors Matthew Garrett, Shiloh Roby, and Michael Peters lead the performance, with Jonathan W. Moyer at the organ, Mikhail Grazhdanov at the piano, and Keiran Cantilina ringing throughout the afternoon on the McGaffin Carillon.
Free parking as available; accessible drop-off and sanctuary access provided. Come celebrate unifying kindness with musicians from across Northeast Ohio at Church of the Covenant.
| | Upcoming New Members Class | |
Attention Discerners and Friends of Covenant. Pastor Jessie and Pastor Zoë will be hosting a new members class October 11th and 18th from 11:30-12:30. If you are not yet a member of the Church of the Covenant, we would love to invite you to join us in this two class series to learn about our wonderful church, denomination, and the many ways to have meaningful membership at the church.
This will be our last New Members class for 2026, but if you can’t make it- do not worry- we will host another one in Spring 2027. Hope to see you in the class!
| | October 11th |PEARLS (Positively Empowering And Restoring Ladies Self-Esteem) | Brittney Smith | |
Brittney Smith is the founder and Executive Director of PEARLS (Positively Empowering And Restoring Ladies Self-Esteem). PEARLS Inc. is an award-winning Cleveland-based non-profit organization dedicated to nurturing and empowering girls through innovative support.
- Title for the Presentation: Lead, Style, and Serve: The Vision and Impact of PEARLS Style Collective
- My Title: Founder & Director, PEARLS Style Collective
- Short Blurb: Discover how PEARLS is transforming youth mentorship through fashion, entrepreneurship, and community care. Join us for an inspiring look at how our student ambassadors are building safe spaces, leading with purpose, and shaping the future of Cleveland's youth.
- Short Bio: Brittney A. Smith is the founder and director of PEARLS, a mentoring and leadership initiative dedicated to empowering teenage girls through creative self-expression, style, and community advocacy. A proud Cleveland native and community leader, Brittney is passionate about creating spaces where youth can step into their power, build confidence, and lead transformation from the ground up.
| | You can make online donations and pledges from your phone or computer. | |
| |  | Every year on the first Sunday of October, Churches globally celebrate World Communion Sunday. This sacred Sunday is a global Christian observance where churches from every denomination all over the world break bread and partake in the holy sacrament of communion together to symbolize unity, ecumenical ties, and the oneness of the body of Christ across denominational and cultural lines. The first World Communion Sunday was hosted in 1933 at Shadyside Presbyterian Church in Pittsburgh, PA to unite Christians in fellowship and mission during the Great Depression before it was adopted globally. In the Presbyterian Church today, we celebrate World Communion Sunday by sharing the Lord’s Supper together and by collecting a special offering. The World Communion offering is collected and designated to causes/ministries of racial justice, gender justice, peacemaking, global witness, and ecumenical and interfaith relations within our national denomination. There will be special envelops in the pews Sunday or you can give directly here!
| | Sunday Seminar | Christianity 201: What’s Faith Got to Do With it? | Rev. Dr. John Lentz | October 4, 4:00–5:30 pm. | Gard Meeting Room | Join Parish Associate Rev. Dr. John Lentz for a six-week conversation exploring some of Christianity’s biggest questions: Who was Jesus, and what was his message? What is the Bible, and how should we read it? What is faith, really? And what do you have to believe to call yourself a Christian? Based on Dr. Lentz’s new book, What’s Faith Got to Do With It? Learning to Love and Live the Questions. | | Fall Guest Carillon Concert | |
Sunday, October 4 at 4pm Jennifer Lory-Moran
Jennifer Lory-Moran (b. 1974) has been the advisor for the Cornell University Chimes program in Ithaca, New York, since 2000. Jennifer spent the past year studying at the Royal Carillon School “Jef Denyn” in Mechelen, Belgium, with Koen Cosaert, Koen Van Assche, and Jasper Depraetere, graduating with great distinction in June 2026. During her year abroad, she played 51 different carillons throughout Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Ireland. Jennifer is a National Board Certified middle school math teacher who enjoys sci-fi, steampunk, and celebrating Pi Day every March 14th. Her carillon composition “Pi in the Sky,” being performed on this concert, transcribes the first 100 digits of pi into a musical theme and was premiered at 3:14 pm on March 14, 2026, while her audience ate pie. Link to program and live-stream information
| | SUNDAY EVENING! Dinner Church for College Students | UPCaM (United Protestant Campus Ministry) is hosting their Dinner Church tonight (October 4th) at 6:30 pm in Dowd Commons. This is a great opportunity for college students (both undergrad and graduate) to share a home cooked meal and worship every Sunday! | | Celebrate Lives with Flowers | The flowers in the chancel urn are given to the glory of God and in honor of Anne Marie Haiss to celebrate her birthday on October 5th, by her daughter-in-law Mary Anne Bromelmeier. | Sanctuary flowers are donated by generous members. Donations may be given for specific Sundays, and an announcement will be printed in the bulletin. The Deacons arrange and deliver flowers to 2-3 members who are homebound, grieving, in recovery, or celebrating. A sign-up sheet is in the Office, or you can call the Church Office. The cost for one Sunday’s flowers is $100, but any amount can be donated to honor someone on a particular Sunday. | | Music Notes for this Sunday | |
Our celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month continues as we share Holy Communion using Central and South American liturgical settings from our hymnal, highlighting our global connection in Christ.
The Chancel Choir then transitions to Germany for J. S. Bach's double-chorus motet Der Geist hilft BWV 226, presenting the section “Der aber die Herzen forschet”. Sung in German, this intricate double fugue declares that God, who searches our hearts, knows the mind of the Spirit. This theme of deep inner examination directly refutes the tragedy of Isaiah 5:1–7. Where Isaiah’s "Song of the Vineyard" laments a cultivated people who produced only "wild grapes" of injustice, Bach’s text reveals that true righteousness cannot be manufactured outwardly; it is harvested only when we allow the Heart-Searcher to find the Spirit's genuine work within us.
During Communion, the choir performs Mark Milosevich’s arrangement of *Let Us Break Bread Together*. This setting utilizes a macaronic structure, seamlessly weaving the familiar African American spiritual with a 13th-century Latin Eucharistic plainchant. By pairing these disparate traditions, the setting bridges historical divides, unifying distinct expressions of faith at the Lord's Table.
| | Singing and Ringing at Covenant this Fall | NOW is a great time to join our team of Covenant musicians. Chancel Choir and Beckwith Handbell Choir rehearsals have resumed and we welcome new folks to come make a joyful noise with us (handbells, 6:15 pm; choir, 7:30 pm). Contact a member of our music staff (music@covenantweb.org) to learn more. | | Fall Guest Carillon Concert | |
Saturday, October 10 at 4pm Joseph Min
Joseph Min is the winner of the prestigious 2024 Queen Fabiola International Carillon Competition. After graduating summa cum laude from the Royal Carillon School “Jef Denyn” in Mechelen. He has performed on carillons throughout America and Europe. Prior to this, he studied under Joey Brink at the University of Chicago where he was introduced to the instrument. He has premiered multiple new compositions at GCNA and WCF congresses. Joseph recently graduated from the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP), and currently works as an acoustician, photographer, and freelance carillonist. His work in acoustics and music will help further both architecture and carillon culture. Link to program and live-stream information
| | Covenant and Trinity Choirs present The Samaritan Road: a Collaborative Concert, October 11th | Join the choirs of Covenant and Trinity Cathedral for a collaborative choral masterwork concert exploring compassion, grace, and radical hospitality at 4 pm on Sunday, 10/11/26. The combined choirs will be joined by a chamber orchestra, and soloists Timothy LeFebvre and Derek Chester. The program bridges centuries of sacred reflection: Bach’s motet Der Geist hilft, Ola Gjeilo’s contemporary setting of Ubi caritas, Benjamin Britten’s dramatic setting of The Good Samaritan—Cantata Misericordium, and David Hurd’s celebratory I Was Glad. The program will also feature Covenant Assistant Carillonist Keiran Cantilina performing on the McGaffin Carillon. Admission is free, with accessible drop-off and free parking available on-site. All are welcome! | | Tuesday Noon Organ Plus Concerts | October 6, 12:00 pm. Christa Rakich (Oberlin College and Conservatory) | | Friday Lunchtime Carillon Concerts | |
A series of 30 minute mid-day carillon concerts presented live and streamed by The Friends of the McGaffin Carillon and The Church of the Covenant. The music is performed on the recently restored and renovated fifty-one bell McGaffin Carillon by carillonists George Leggiero, Keiran Cantilina, and Guests. Programs include an eclectic mix of music written for the bells as well as arrangements of classical works, folk tunes, pop, and show tunes. Programs and stream links are posted on the FMC website www.ucbells.org/events. We welcome requests by email at info@ucbells.org. We’ll let you know when we can program your request. All concerts begin at 12:15 pm
The best place to hear the bells live is away from the Euclid Avenue traffic noise in the campus areas behind the tower along Bellflower Road. The bells sound best some distance from the tower with a direct sight line. Bring a lawn chair, blanket, a picnic and a friend. There are some picnic tables and benches behind the church near Harkness Chapel.
Concerts are rain, snow, or shine. You can always listen from your car or from inside the church where the audio of the concert will be transmitted.
Greet the performer at the Euclid Avenue tower entrance following the concert.
| October 9, 12:15 pm. George Leggiero | | |
Please Join Us This Week!
(October 4 – October 10)
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Sunday: Child Care, Dotson Room (Crèche), 9:30 am to 11:00 pm;
Worship, Sanctuary, 10:00 am;
Sunday School, Dotson Room (Crèche), 11:00 am;
Reception, Reception Room, 11:00 am;
Kanisa La Agano Kiswahili, Beckwith Hall, 11:30 am;
Cleveland Classical Guitar Rehearsal, Hammond Room, 1:15 pm;
Sunday Seminar, Christianity 201, Gard Meeting Room, 4:00 pm;
Carillon Concert, Outside and Sanctuary, 4:00 pm;
Carillon Concert Reception, Reception Room, 5:00 pm;
UPCaM Dinner Church, Dowd Commons, 6:30 pm.
Monday: No Scheduled Church Activities.
Tuesday: Cache, Lower Level, 10:00 am;
Tuesday Noon Organ Plus Concert, Sanctuary, 12:00 pm;
Crafts & Chat, Tanaka Room, 4:00 pm.
Wednesday: Covenant Men’s Fellowship Bible Study/Breakfast, Gard Meeting Room, 8:00 am
Stirring Up Hope, 11:00 am to 1:00 pm;
Library Team, Jackson Library, 4:00 pm;
12 Steps to Freedom, Beckwith Hall, 5:30 pm;
Deacons’ Meeting, Gard Meeting Room, 6:30 am.
Thursday: UPCaM Bible Study, Tanaka Room, 5:00 pm;
Combined Music Rehearsal, Sanctuary, 7:30 pm.
Friday: Co-working Space, Gard Meeting Room, 9:00 am;
Carillon Concert, Church Grounds, Sanctuary, 12:15 pm.
Saturday: Saturday Tutoring Program, Lower Level, 10:00 am;
Cleveland Community Guitar Orchestra Rehearsal, Van Horn Choir Room, 10:00 am;
Carillon Concert, Outside and Sanctuary, 4:00 pm.
| | Attention College Students! | Every Tuesday from 4 to 6 in the Tanaka Room, UPCaM and Pastor Zoë host Craft and Chat. A wonderful group of students who come and craft together. If you are an experienced crafter or are interested in learning – Come! Supplies provided or you can bring your own project. Food provided, because crafting is hard work. | | The Hessler Street Fair is back and
The Friends of the McGaffin Carillon will be there. | | |
On Saturday, October 3, The Hessler Street Fair returns. The original annual Street Fair began in the mid 1960s and was a popular day highlighting the arts and counterculture of the Hessler neighborhood. This year, The Cragin Peal will open the fair at noon. The day’s activities continue until 7pm. The Friends of the McGaffin Carillon will have a booth. Stop by and chat with Keiran Cantilina about the carillon and The Friends’ future projects. More information is available here.
| | Get Out the Vote with GCC Member Congregations – | |
Sunday, October 18, 2026, Forest Hill Church (3031 Monticello Blvd.), 1:00-5:00 pm.
Join members from Covenant and three other east-side congregations that are members of Greater Cleveland Congregations after church on Sunday, October 18, to call and canvass voters in Cleveland Heights to urge them to vote in the November 3 General Election. With two state-wide and many local races, including those for the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Please, it is vital that all citizens participate.
| | Gently Used Clothing Needed | The Congolese congregation is growing. They are looking for gently used clothing for their children, new born - High School. If you would like to offer clothing for them, please drop them off in the box in the office. Questions, ask Willie Howard or Mary Anne Bromelmeier. | | Please Be Alert to Email and Text Scams | |
From time to time, members of our congregation receive emails or text messages from scammers pretending to be one of our pastors or other church leaders. These messages may look surprisingly convincing. They often begin with a simple request such as, “Are you available?” or “I need a favor,” and eventually ask the recipient to purchase gift cards or send money, sometimes claiming it is to help someone in need.
Please know that our pastors and church staff will NEVER contact you by email or text asking you to purchase gift cards or send money on our behalf.
If you receive a message that seems unusual, even if it appears to come from someone you know at Covenant:
- Do not reply, click on links, or purchase anything.
- Check the actual email address or phone number, not simply the name displayed.
- Contact the church office or the person directly using a phone number or email address you already know to be legitimate.
- Delete the message and report it as spam or phishing.
Unfortunately, churches are attractive targets for this kind of fraud because scammers hope to take advantage of the trust and generosity that exist within a faith community. We want you to continue to be generous—and also to be vigilant. When in doubt, please check with us. We will always be glad you did.
| | Saturday Morning Tutors Needed! | | |
We have students ready to learn—we need tutors ready to help!
Our Saturday Morning Tutoring Program is underway, but we urgently need more volunteer tutors. Last Saturday, we had to turn students away because there were not enough tutors available. Help us make sure that doesn’t happen again!! Volunteer at: saturdaytutoring.org
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October 18th | Everyday Antiracism as an Action Guide. Mark L. Joseph PhD.
Mark will share his Everyday Antiracism framework to help advance racial equity and racial justice. He'll talk about ways we can make meaningful progress through a shift of mindset and through daily actions, small and large. His talk will have implications for each of us individually, in small groups, and as a congregation. He will also bring copies of his book Changing The Narrative: Short Stories To Advance Everyday Antiracism for purchase.
| | The Covenant Prayer Shawl Ministry will meet in the Church Library from 4:30–6:00 pm. We will meet on October 12, and November 9, no meeting in December. Whether you are new to knitting or crocheting or are an experienced crafter, all are welcome! Materials needed: 3 skeins of Lion Brand Homespun yarn, or comparable-weight yarn, OR 18 oz. of #4 or #5 weight yarn. Size 11 or 13 knitting needles, or a size M crochet hook. Materials will be provided if needed. For more information, please email Patty Fowler. | | Nail polish, any color, any size, wanted for a massive art project. Drop off in the Church Office. Questions? Contact: Artist Dale Goode. | | Saturday Tutoring Program | The Saturday Tutoring Program is a community-wide tutoring program that provides free academic help for students in grades 1-12 on Saturday mornings during the school year, at the Church. Tutors are asked to arrive at 9am on the 12th for orientation. Tutoring lasts from 10 am to 12 pm and runs through November 21. If you are interested in learning more about the program, please talk with Mary Anne Bromelmeier or check out the website. saturdaytutoring.org | | Cache Is Now Ready For Donations! | The Cache wants to thank everyone for their understanding and patience while we went through the donations. We are now ready for your donations!! Thank you again. | | Young Professional Co-Working Space! | Every Friday from 9 am – 12 pm we are inviting young professionals to meet in the Gard room for coffee/matcha, third space and fellowship! If you have any questions email zgarry@covenantweb.org. | | Contact Amanda Powell, Campus Minister for United Protestant Campus Ministries (UPCaM) at: www.upcam.org. | | |
Bear one another's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill
the law of Christ. - Galatians 6:2
We Keep in our Prayers:
Frank Repasi (the death of his sister Joanne), Tom Denbow (the death of his mother), Nadine Williams, Timothy Dorsey, Solveig Anderson (granddaughter of Greta Anderson), Stephen Brewer Smith (brother of Anne Wombwell de Coningh), Shawn Skudrin (friend of Sarah Andexler), Marlene Dirksen, Dalia Baker, Charles Wynn, Luther Moss, Deanne Lentz (recovering from shoulder surgery), Patty Chase (undergoing cancer treatment at the Cleveland Clinic), Elijah Grimes (undergoing pneumonia treatment at Rainbow), Karin Garland, Debra Johnson (friend of Jean Ganger), Ken Kalen (friend of Tracy Blake and Julie Mailey), Chris Allegra (friend of Jessie MacMillan), Shelley Wheeler, Trudi Klug (sister of Deni Horstman), Mary Louise Starett (mother of Susan Warner Taylor), Joan Harlan (mother of Ann Harlan), Kitty Jarjisian.
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We pray for those struggling with illness, convalescing, or homebound;
patients, family, and staff in our surrounding hospitals.
Names are generally removed from the bulletin after four weeks unless there is a continuing need. Please let the church know if you or a loved one is in the hospital; HIPAA privacy regulations prevent hospitals from sharing this information.
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