IN THE SPIRIT

-- Michele Marr

* Church name: Presbyterian Church of the Covenant

* Address: 2850 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa

* Telephone: (714) 557-3340

* Denomination: Presbyterian Church USA.

* Year church established: 1962

* Service times: Sunday worship is at 10 a.m. On the fourth Sunday of

each month there is a service called Starlight at 6:30 p.m. Starlight is

a simpler service than the Sunday morning service. The Rev. Tim McCalmont

is currently teaching from the book of Philippians at the evening

service.

* Pastor: The Rev. Tim McCalmont

* Program staff: Bruce Kurrle, pastor emeritus; Justin Schmidt,

director of student ministries; Terri Yuen, director of children’s

ministries; Antoinette Brosius, director of music ministries; Linda

Messenger, accompanist; Carol Whitman, office administrator; Norma

Huizenga, parish nurse; Patrick Thompson, a recent graduate of Fuller

Theological Seminary, intern

* Size of congregation: 350 to 360

* Makeup of congregation: Members are families, couples and singles

primarily from Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Fountain Valley and Irvine.*

Child care: Nursery, pre-kindergarten and Sunday school for all ages

begin at 10 a.m. on Sunday. Child care is provided for most activities.

* Type of worship: The service is a blend of traditional and

contemporary styles, with hymns and contemporary songs led by the

church’s worship team, praise band and choir.

* Type of sermon: Sermons are all biblically based and expound on a

text of scripture.

* Recent sermons: McCalmont is currently presenting a series, called

“Pilgrim: God’s Will As A Way of Life.” The series looks at questions

like, “What is God’s purpose for me?”

* Upcoming sermons: Sermons in the coming weeks are as follows --

Sunday, “There Is More Than Enough”; Feb. 17, intern Patrick Thompson

will preach; Feb. 24, “The Extraordinary in the Ordinary”

* Welcome wagon: Visitors are invited to coffee after Sunday morning

worship. Those who leave their name and address in the church’s guest

register receive a letter from McCalmont and a brochure about the church.

* Church building: The church building was extensively renovated a

year and a half ago. The additions and changes were made to make the

building and the resources of the congregation more available to the

community.

* Outreach programs: Youth and community service ministries are a

central focus of the congregation. The church facilities are home to

Youth Achievers, a tutoring program developed in partnership with the

Central Orange Coast YMCA and the Newport Mesa Unified School District.

The program, now in its second year, has been very successful. It has

doubled the number of students it serves, continues to grow and now has a

waiting list of students.

* Mission statement: “As a community of faith, we shall serve, worship

and enjoy God by celebrating and proclaiming the Lordship of Jesus Christ

through the power of the Holy Spirit -- nurturing all the people of the

church, encouraging and enabling one another for ministry, reaching out

to youth and young families in our community, sharing our resources with

local and global mission causes.”

* Interesting note: A number of special services will precede Easter

-- on Wednesday, an Ash Wednesday service at 7 p.m.; on March 28, Maundy

Thursday, “A Service of Gathering Darkness,” music and dramatic readings

from scripture foreshadowing the crucifixion of Christ, at 6 and 8 p.m.;

on March 29, Good Friday, an agape Communion, the time still to be

arranged. For more information, call the church office.