Spiritual Reflection

 “Those in whom the Spirit comes to live are God's new Temple. They are, individually and corporately, places where heaven and earth meet.”

N.T. Wright (Simply Christian)

New Sermon Series

Begins Saturday, June 6 & Sunday, June 7

Many Christians are thankful for their salvation yet sometimes wonder why their daily lives look much like those who do not follow Christ.

The difference often lies in one powerful declaration: “Jesus is Lord,” a confession that opens the door to genuine transformation in our relationships, our habits, our priorities, and our values.

Next weekend, Pastor Harold will begin a brand-new sermon series about this topic titled, “Jesus is Lord…Living in the Lordship of Christ” (based on Bishop Tom Berlin’s new book).

Come and join us for worship during this series as we become more aware of the Lordship of Christ in our everyday lives.

“Revved Up for Dad!”

Father’s Day Car Show, Motorcycles, and Hot Dogs

Sunday, June 21 from 9 AM – 1 PM

Celebrate Father’s Day with us at New Covenant for Revved Up for Dad — a fun day of fellowship, food, and horsepower.

Enjoy classic cars, custom rides, motorcycles, and slingshots in a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere. Whether you’re a car enthusiast or just looking for a fun way to celebrate Dad, there’s something for everyone.

• Hot dogs and refreshments
• Great photo opportunities and community fellowship

“Revved Up for Dad” is more than a car show — it’s a chance to celebrate fathers and father figures while building community and sharing God’s love.

Come hungry, bring your lawn chairs, invite a friend, and join us for an unforgettable Father’s Day celebration!

Revved Up for Dad – where faith, family, food, and fast rides come together.

Legacy Fund

In 2007, New Covenant established an Endowment Fund, now known as the Legacy Fund. This fund provides the opportunity for members to make gifts which become part of this permanent fund to support ministries and church growth far into the future.

The good news about the Legacy Fund is that it does not require you to make a payment now. It just requires a little planning now: it is often referred to as “Planned Giving.” 

Each week in the WeeklyWord and on the screen is a short tidbit about Legacy Giving, such as:

• Less than two percent of people leave anything in their will or trust to their church.
• Over 50 percent of people die without a will. Do you have one? If you do, have you updated it or discussed your intentions with your family? It’s also a great time to add your church as one of the beneficiaries.

There are numerous ways to give a gift to the Legacy Fund, such as:

• A gift of cash or stocks & bonds while you are still alive.
• By including the church as a beneficiary of your will or trust.
• Name the church as one of the beneficiaries of a life insurance policy.
• A gift can be made from your IRA either now or as a beneficiary of the IRA.

There are also ways to make a gift now and continue to receive the income for the rest of your life. You do not have to be wealthy to leave a gift. Legacy Giving isn’t just about money — it’s about faith, stewardship, and ensuring that New Covenant’s mission continues for generations. 

If you have already included New Covenant in your planning, we would like to know about it or if you would like to receive more information as to how you can contribute to the Legacy Fund, please contact Linda Stubits in the church Finance Office. You will also want to discuss it with your attorney.

Bargains & Blessings Truck

Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7

The Bargains & Blessings truck will be on campus next weekend before and after worship services to accept donations. Volunteers are needed one hour every other month on Sundays when the truck is at the church. That amounts to only six times per year. There is no heavy lifting involved. The volunteers are responsible for meeting and greeting members who have donations. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Charles Stuart.

We appreciate your ongoing support of this important ministry. Each item donated and sold helps to support children and families in our local community. 

If you have large items to donate, please call the Bargains & Blessings Store at (352) 330-3333 for information about donation pick-up.

Generosity

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness.  (2 Corinthians 9:10)

 But this I say, He which sows sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which sows bountifully shall reap also bountifully.  Every man according as he purposed in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.  And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.

Legacy Giving

Less than two percent of people leave anything in their will or trust to their church.

If you would like to know more about Legacy Giving, please contact Linda Stubits. Thank you for considering our Legacy Giving Ministry.

Fifth Sunday for Residing Hope Children's Home

Saturday, May 30 and Sunday, May31

Residing Hope is now operating as a holistic organization to provide unique services for children who have been abused, neglected or abandoned. These services include:

• Therapeutic Residential Care (80 children served)
• Foster Care (135 children served)
• Outpatient Counseling (7,757 total hours received by children in this program)
• Independent Living (22 children served)
• Childhood Education-Montessori (220 children served)

We can help them continue to provide the support systems needed by these children. Please donate by writing your check out to New Covenant with Residing Hope in the memo line. 

Saturday Worship Moves to the Fellowship Center

This Saturday, May 30 at 5 PM

Twenty-five years ago, New Covenant began with a vision of becoming “A Place to Call Home.” This year, as we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we give thanks for the people, prayers, music, worship services, and faithfulness that have shaped this church into the community it is today.

But anniversaries are not only about remembering. They are also about asking what God is preparing us for next.

Our Saturday Evening Contemporary Worship will officially begin worshiping in the newly renovated Fellowship Center this Saturday. This move is more than a change of rooms. It is a step toward creating a worship environment that is warm, welcoming, reverent, and ready to help us reach new people in new ways.

This transition has taken time because we wanted to get it right. Earlier plans were paused after members shared the desire for more visible worship elements in the space. That feedback mattered. Since then, the Fellowship Center has been carefully shaped with symbols and furnishings that help it feel not only modern, but sacred.

At the center of the room is a newly created copper cross, artistically designed and recreated from the chancel cross of the original New Covenant Sanctuary by Bruce and Nancy Merrill, in collaboration with Sean Pollock. New kneeling prayer rails, hand-crafted by Bob Ferioli, along with a communion table and other paraments, now help anchor the room in prayer, sacrament, and Christian worship.

At the same time, the Fellowship Center offers tools that will strengthen contemporary worship: a state-of-the-art sound system, a video wall, and a more intimate layout for our Saturday evening congregation. The result is a space that brings together the best of both worlds — the warmth and reverence of our tradition with the energy and accessibility of modern worship.

Our first service in the Fellowship Center will begin with a brief time of reconsecration for worship, giving thanks for this space and dedicating it again to the worship of God and the ministry of Christ’s Church.



As we look ahead, our hope is simple: that this room will help us welcome more people into worship, into community, and into this place we call home.

All are welcome. Please come early for fellowship before worship begins.

Annual Conference Workshops

Wednesday, June 3 at Florida Southern College

The Florida Conference is offering workshops for church leaders prior to the start of Annual Conference. You're invited for a full day of leadership development featuring eight, 90-minute workshops co-led by FSC faculty and United Methodist leaders, designed to equip clergy and laity for stronger local church ministry. 

• $30 per workshop
• Register for 3+ workshops for an additional $5 discount

Deadline to register is June 1. When registering, please use coupon code 3AC2026.

“Jesus is Lord” — A Study with Pastor Ellen

Tuesdays, starting June 9 (for six weeks), from 9 AM – 10 AM

The weekend of June 6 & 7, Pastor Harold will begin a brand-new sermon series based on Bishop Tom Berlin’s new book, Jesus is Lord.

While Pastor Harold focuses on this book for his sermon series during the four weekends in June, you are also invited to join Pastor Ellen for a six-week, video-based study based on Jesus is Lord.

Registration is required. The book is available through Amazon.

In addition, if you are part of a small group, your small group is invited to participate in this study. For information about how your small group can participate, please contact Pat Hill, Care Coordinator - Discipleship.

Savvy Caregiver Training

Wednesdays, June 10 – July 22 from 1 PM – 3 PM in Classroom 11

Are you prepared to care for a loved one with memory loss and confusion? The Savvy Caregiver Program is designed for family caregivers who assist individuals with dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and cognitive decline.

This seven-week course helps dementia caregivers learn, develop, and modify approaches they can use to lessen their stress and improve their unique caregiver situation.

Registration is requested. There is no cost for this session. Please contact Amanda Sparkman at (352) 692-5226 for more information.

Blood Drive

Monday, June 15 from 12 PM – 6 PM in the West Parking Lot

New Covenant is hosting an upcoming Blood Drive with OneBlood.

Donors receive a $20 eGift card and a sunshade. You will also have a Wellness Checkup including blood pressure, pulse, temperature, iron count, and cholesterol screening.

Facts:

• Every two seconds of every day, someone needs blood.
• Only 3% of those who are eligible actually donate blood.

Appointments are encouraged!

More Than a Concert — An American Story Worth Singing

Sunday, June 28 at 5 PM in the Christian Life Center

What does it mean to be American — and how do we celebrate 250 years of a nation still growing, striving, and singing forward together?

Join New Covenant’s Chancel Choir, instrumentalists, and guest soloists for a powerful and uplifting evening of music, storytelling, and reflection at Celebrate America 2026 — a concert experience unlike any other in our community.

Hosted by Angie Rose and Sean Pollock, this special event weaves together beloved patriotic music, spirituals, Broadway favorites, and moving narrations that honor both the promise and the ongoing journey of America.

Featuring music ranging from The Star-Spangled Banner and God Bless America to moving selections including Give Me Your Tired, Your Poor, Lady Liberty, and I Hear America Singing, this inspiring evening celebrates the voices, sacrifices, hopes, and dreams that continue to shape our nation.

Come experience an evening of hope, gratitude, unity, and song as we celebrate the story we are still singing together.

No ticket required. A Love Offering will benefit the Backpacks4Kids Ministry.

“Common Ground” Bible Study by Amberly Neese

Each Monday in July (6 - 27) from 4:30 PM - 6 PM in Classroom 3

Whether it is in politics, the professional world, a party, or a pew, we face conflict every day. As discussions get more heated and social media is deluged with opinion-spewing, hurt feelings, and broken relationships, we need hope and practical tools to navigate the tumultuous waters and live at peace with everyone. Fortunately, the Scriptures hold the key to living at peace despite our differences in “Common Ground,” a four-week Bible study, Amberly Neese combines stories of sibling rivalries from the Bible with personal experience, humor, hope, and her love of God’s Word. Facilitated by Dana Osmanski.

Stories examined from the Old and New Testaments include:

• Joseph and His Brothers: How to Combat Jealousy
• Moses, Miriam, and Aaron: How to Work Together Despite Differences
• Mary, Martha, and Lazarus: How to Appreciate the Contributions of Others
• Rachel and Leah: Having Compassion for the Plight of Others

These stories point us to peace and reconciliation in all our relationships, reassuring us that it is possible to find common ground with everyone―despite our differences.

You will find Biblical and practical help for:

• Facing conflict
• Navigating broken relationships
• Handling heated discussions (in person and on social media)
• Living at peace despite differences

Registration is required. For more information, please contact Pat Hill, Care Coordinator - Discipleship.

Upcoming Holy Land Tours and Journeys of Paul Tour

Pastor Harold will lead two trips to the Holy Land: the first one is scheduled for this fall (October 5 – 14, 2026) and another for next spring (March 8 – 17, 2027).

In addition, Pastor Harold will be leading a cruise tour that follows in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul. The cruise (October 6 – 17, 2027) will take us to towns where Paul had established churches such as Philippi, Thessaloniki, Corinth, Athens, and Ephesus. There also will be stops in Rhodes, Mykonos, and Santorini, Greece. 

If you are interested in knowing more about these tours, you can pick up a brochure at the Welcome Center in the East Narthex, download the information from the New Covenant website, or use the links below.

In the fall, Pastor Harold will hold information meetings to talk more about these trips, answer questions and share more details.

Happy Hands Prayer Shawl Ministry

Wednesdays from 11 AM – 12:30 PM in Classroom 14

Happy Hands Prayer Shawl Ministry meets every week. This team puts their knitting and crocheting talents to work in making beautiful prayer shawls. They are available for anyone in need as a tangible comfort. If you don’t know how to knit or crochet, they will teach you! While they make these beautiful shawls, they share devotions and life stories as they pray for those who will receive these gifts. 

Susanna Wesley — mother of John and Charles Wesley — used prayer shawls to pray mightily for her family; they knew not to disturb her while she was praying, using it as a canopy over her while in prayer. Prayer shawls have a beautiful history all the way back to Old Testament times with the name for the shawl being tallit, and the fringe on the corners is the tzitzit, reflective of prayers offered.



Newcomers are welcome to join at any time! Contact Sarah Cooke for more information.

Weekly Prayer Concerns

Praying Together meets at 2:45 PM in Classroom 14

Every Wednesday a small but faithful group come to pray over the requests and needs of the congregation. The written prayer cards and the online submitted prayer requests are prayed for by this team. If you would like to join this group, all are welcome! You do not need to be a member of New Covenant, or you don’t have to pray flowery, elaborate prayers, but just come with a spirit of humility and reverence as you bring these needs to God. Please use the link below to submit an online request

Prayer Quilts

Lonnie, who needs healing.

Penny, who is recovering from several health concerns.

Richard, who had spinal surgery.

Ron, who had a stroke.

We request your prayers for these prayer quilts. Please click on the quilt to be taken to our Facebook Page, where you can "Like" the post to virtually tie a knot. Prayer quilts are made by a dedicated group in our church and throughout our community who envision the quilts being a special gift of love for people experiencing life-changing challenges. If you would like to order a prayer quilt, please click the button below.

Our Chancel Flowers have been provided by:

Ed & Cindy Work in celebration of their 20^th wedding anniversary.

To place an order for Chancel flowers, please use the button below. For any questions about Chancel flowers, please contact Sharon Weimert, Care Coordinator. Flower orders must be received by noon on Monday for flowers to be delivered that weekend.

Rev. Harold Hendren, Senior Pastor

Rev. Ellen Pollock, Associate Pastor