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From our pastor — Rev. Dan Turis The Covenant Courier Covenant-First Presbyterian Church September 2025, Vol. 30, Issue 9 Why the Nicene Creed? Beloved in Christ, One of the most dangerous ideas in the modern church is that creeds are unnecessary. We hear it in slogans like, “No creed but Christ,” or, “Doctrine divides; love unites.” But such thinking is not only historically naïve—it is spiritually perilous. The church has always confessed her faith, not in order to replace Scripture, but to guard it, proclaim it, and preserve it against distortion. In the fourth century, the church faced a crisis. Arianism was sweeping through Christendom, denying the full deity of Jesus Christ. Left unchecked, it would have given us another gospel altogether—a gospel with a creature-Savior instead of the eternal Son of God. The Council of Nicaea met, not as philosophers quibbling over terms, but as shep-herds defending the flock. Out of that crucible came the Nicene Creed, a confession that reached its 1,700th anniver-sary this Fall, a creed delivered to the saints for the centering point of the faith. This Fall, we will walk together through the Creed, guided by the Word of God. Each phrase of the Creed is tethered to Scripture, each line a distillation of Biblical truth. Our sermon series will unfold as follows: Fall Sermon Series: “We Believe” • September 7 — Ephesians 4:4–6 — We Believe in One God • September 14 — Psalm 33:6–9 — The Father, the Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth • September 21 — John 1:1–5 — We Believe in One Lord, Jesus Christ • September 28 — Philippians 2:6–11 — God from God, Light from Light, True God from True God • October 5 — John 1:29–34 — The Incarnate Christ: Crucified, Risen, and Coming Again • October 12 — John 15:26–27 — We Believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life • October 19 — Ephesians 2:19–22 — We Believe in One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church Do you see what the Creed does? It takes us by the hand and walks us through the whole drama of redemption: Father, Son, and Spirit; creation, incarnation, atonement, resurrection, and consummation. It reminds us that Christianity is not a vague spirituality or a shifting set of opinions. It is a faith rooted in history, secured in the eternal God, and confessed by the saints across every age. Augustine once said, “We believe in order to understand.” Faith precedes comprehension, but true faith always seeks to know the One in whom it trusts. The Nicene Creed is a map for that journey—a doctrinal compass that points us to the triune God who has revealed himself in Christ and in his Word. As we walk through this series, I encourage you not merely to listen with your ears, but to confess with your heart. Say the Creed with conviction. Teach it to your children. Let it shape your prayers and your worship. For in these ancient words, the church is not inventing truth but echoing it—echoing the very gospel of God.
Page 2 The Covenant Courier Session Update Your Session met for a regular meeting on August 11. • Rev. Dr. Turis led a devotional continuing his past focus on the giftings of elders, drawing from the Old Testa-ment, and connecting the distinct giftings to the various elders. • The business portion of the meeting included a mid-year financial review. Discussion centered on the two large special gifts received this year, the extraordinary memorial gift received in January (in memory of Bob Goering), and a recent bequest from the estate of Bob Goering, received during the summer. After discussion, the Session voted to designate half of the bequest for needed building repairs and capital expenditures, and to hold the remaining funds for 2026 or 2027, as current giving trends suggest that regular and pledged giving could be less in the coming year. • The Session also reviewed upcoming events, and Rev. Dr. Turis discussed the planned September 7 Rally Sunday, with the goal of encouraging more members to be involved in various church ministries. The Session will next meet on Monday, September 8; please see me, Rev. Dr. Turis, or any elder with any questions or concerns. Rob Heidenreich Clerk of Session Rally Sunday — Sunday, September 7, 2025 Building Fellowship Through Service This fall, our church family will gather on Sunday, September 7 for Rally Sunday, a special involvement fair designed to help every member find a place of joyful service in the life of the congregation. The event will take place in Metzger Hall during Fellowship Time, providing a relaxed and welcoming space to discover new ministry opportu-nities. There will be tables for each ministry opportunity. Rally Sunday is more than a calendar date—it is a reminder that the church is not built on programs but on people, each gifted by the Holy Spirit for the good of the body (1 Cor. 12:4–7). Whether it is teaching children, serving in music, joining a prayer group, or lending a hand in hospitality, every act of service strengthens the witness and fel-lowship of Christ’s church. By coming together in Metzger Hall, we can explore the many ways to be involved in the church’s daily life and mis-sion. It is also a chance to meet leaders of different ministries, ask questions, and prayerfully discern how God may be calling you to serve in this season. Let Rally Sunday be a time of recommitment, celebration, and unity. As we gather, may we remember that the Lord calls each of us not only to worship on Sunday mornings, but to participate in the ongoing work of his kingdom throughout the week. Questions? See Pastor Dan or Genita Heidenreich.
Page 3 The Covenant Courier Deacon’s Corner The deacons held their monthly meeting on August 24, 2025. Present were Devon Bloom, Maria Bloom, Jenny Ad-ams and Joan McAlonan. This year we have welcomed three new deacons who are also fairly new members of Covenant-First. In the next few months they will personally introduce themselves as they begin to serve you this year. Sophia Colclasure I began attending CFPC in 2021 after moving to Cincinnati for work. I grew up in Olney, Illinois and was raised in a Southern Baptist congregation. My favorite memories growing up are of my Great Aunt Ruth Ann who would sing the hymns that she would be leading in church that Sunday every morning before reading her Bible. The country church never had more than 15 people, but that never deterred her dedication or spirit. (She also read through the en-tire Bible six times in adulthood!) For college, I attended Asbury University (near Lexington, KY) and majored in accounting, while playing softball. Since graduation, I have lived at the Banks downtown and have been working in tax at EY. After my first four years in banking and capital markets tax preparation and audit, I recently moved into project management for our real estate groups. I just passed my Project Management Professional certification this month! I have a son – King George, who is the craziest orange cat ever (demanding daily showers and games of fetch). I love attending all live sports events, walking along the riverfront, spending time with friends, and going home to stay with my grandma and parents as much as possible. Recently I have been trying new hobbies and have found joy in Reformer Pilates classes and trying local Cincinnati restaurants (favorites being Olla in Covington, Wunderbar, and The Turf Club, and Uncle Yips). Sophia joined CFPC on January 30, 2022. On Sundays she can be found in the balcony working the livestream during worship. * * * * * * * * * * The Deacons are planning another workday at Matthew 25 Ministries on Saturday, October 25 at 9 AM at Matthew 25 Ministries, located at 11060 Kenwood Rd, Blue Ash, OH 45242. If you would like to participate in this ministry op-portunity, watch for an opportunity to sign-up soon. Questions? Contact Joan McAlonan. Joan McAlonan Deacons Moderator Bible Study Opportunities Wednesday Noon Brown Bag Study Wednesdays at 12 Noon Wednesday Evening Bible Study Wednesday Evenings at 7 PM Both studies will led by Pastor Dan and will be do-ing a study through the book of Matthew.
Page 4 The Covenant Courier New Parking Process for the Garage The 222 W. 7th Street garage has a new management system and this will result in the garage parking method looking a little different. The garage has new technology that uses license plate recognition for entering and exiting. You will see signs around the garage telling you to register your vehicle. If you would like to register your vehicle it will make leaving the garage more efficient, but it is not necessary. When entering the sanctuary you will be able to pick up a validation voucher. This validation voucher will enable you to exit the garage. You must use the Elm Street exit for validation. When you approach the exit there will be an attendant waiting, you simply need to give them the valida-tion voucher and they will validate your parking. If you do not see an attendant, you can stop at the garage office to get assistance. If you choose to preregister you vehicle, you may exit from any gate, just make sure to scan the QR code before leav-ing the garage, otherwise you will be charged the full parking rate for that day. New technology always results in a few bumps along the way. I have been working with the garage to develop a plan that will work the best for our congregation, please contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you, Genita. 3CDC Workday — We Need You! Saturday, September 13 — 9:30 AM to Noon Mark your calendars now for another opportunity to collaborate with 3CDC and make a difference in our neighbor-hood. We’ll be working near the church, and no special work skills are needed. Nearby residents who are members of the Downtown Residents Council are also joining us. For anyone interested, we’ll also share lunch together afterwards. These are always well organized and a fun opportunity to serve our neighborhood. Questions or to sign-up, see Rob Heidenreich. Church Picnic — Sunday, September 21 — 5 PM Mark your calendars and plan to attend our annual church picnic. We will be having the picnic in Washington Park this year. We have rented the porch for the evening and we can enjoy the cool-ing fans and pleasant atmosphere of this space for our picnic. The format will be much the same as in previous years, the church will provide the entrée, and we will each bring a side. Sign-up in Metzger Hall. Questions? See Genita Heidenreich. Senior Singles Outing — Thursday, September 19 at 6 PM The Senior Singles Outing for September will be on Thursday, September 18 at 6 PM. They will be going to Ferrari’s Little Italy, 7677 Golf Terrace, Madeira, OH. If you would like to attend RSVP to Pat Beckman by noon, Wednesday, September 17.
Page 5 The Covenant Courier September 6 Dustin Ellington 7 Mary Kay DeBruler 14 Monique Garnett 16 Roxie Higgins 21 Phil Cameron 27 Claire Crousey 30 Jordan Parker October 2 Susan Ford 9 Darlene Page 11 Alan Melvin 19 Jack Weis 21 Nid Balz 24 Bob Anderson 25 Carleen Heath 25 Brian Wesley 30 Mike Millhaem 30 Isla Crousey 31 Liam York Ordination Service — Sunday, September 28 at 4 PM All are invited to join for a special worship service here at Covenant-First on Sunday, September 28, when the Presbytery of Cincinnati will ordain Margaret Heidenreich as a Presbyterian Minister of Word and Sacrament. The service will include pastors and elders from across the Presbytery; Margaret’s preaching professor, Rev. Dr. Angela Hancock, dean of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, will be preaching. For anyone interested in singing, a volunteer choir including members from Covenant-First and other local congregations will be participating in the service; please see Yolanda Parker if you’d be interested in joining the choir. Following her ordination, Margaret will be moving to Iowa where she has accepted a call as the pastor of a smaller congregation. It will be a fun and festive service! Pet Blessing Friday, October 3 — 5 to 7 PM Pastor Dan will be outside of the church offering blessings to neighbors’ pets. If you are a pet lover this is a perfect oppor-tunity to volunteer and show some love to the pets of the neighborhood and more importantly to their owners. Questions? See Pastor Dan.
Page 6 The Covenant Courier A birthday celebration for Pastor Dan with a meet and greet with Anthony Munoz. Jamie Jewell arranged this fun surprise for Dan. Aruna Run 2025 Participants: Cindy Standen, Jeff Standen (not pictured, he left us in the dust!), Rob Heidenreich, Margaret Heidenreich, Dan Turis and Genita Heidenreich Thank you to Carlos and Elisa Sosa for the action shots.
Page 7 The Covenant Courier Our final Courtyard Café for the Summer
COVENANT-FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 717 Elm Street * Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513-621-4144 * Email: office@covfirstchurch.org www.covfirstchurch.org Pastor: Rev. Dan Turis CHURCH STAFF Church Administrator: Genita Heidenreich Custodian: Christy Ware-Fields Sexton: Cory Linman Choir Director: Yolanda Ortiz-Parker Organist: Andrew Hackett Organ Scholar: Christie Lee Choral Scholars: Zach Burnham, Laz Clark, Andrew Hallam, Jarrett Hazelton, Madeline Jentsch, Lea Nayak, Kayla Sconiers, Natalie Sheppard Weekly Events Sundays 9:15 AM Adult Sunday School Sundays 10:30 AM Worship Sundays 11:30 PM Fellowship Time Wednesdays 12 Noon Brown Bag Bible Study Wednesdays 7 PM Evening Bible Study Saturdays 7:30 AM Men’s Bible Study The church office is open for regular hours Monday through Thursday 10 AM to 2 PM. Other hours are available by appointment by calling the church office at 513-621-4144. ELDERS Rob Heidenreich, Clerk Krissy Bradley Jamie Jewell Jennifer Maxwell Lashuna Meatchen Mike Millhaem Hugh Ralston Cindy Standen Randy Page DEACONS Jenny Adams Devon Bloom Maria Bloom Sophia Colclasure Joan McAlonan, Moderator If you are not receiving email up-dates from the church, send an email to office@covfirstchurch.org and request to be added to the email list. We can also mail the weekly bulletin and announcements, if you do not have email access. Call the office to request bulletins by mail. Upcoming Events September 7 — Rally Sunday — during Fellowship Time September 8 — 6:30 PM — Session Meeting September 13 — 3CDC Workday — 9:30 AM September 21 — Church Picnic — 5 PM at Washington Park September 28 — 4 PM — Ordination Service Friday, October 3 — Pet Blessing — 5 to 7 PM Sunday, October 5 — 6 PM — Dinner’s for Eight Sunday, October 12 — Pastor Dan Out-of-Town Monday, October 13 — 6:30 PM — Session Meeting Saturday, October 25 — Matthew 25 Work Day