Worship is the proper response of all human beings to God (Psalm 95.1-3, Psalm 96.1-6). Covenant is committed to transcendent, Reformed, and grace-centered worship that points us toward God and His magnificent worth and the grace that He offers us in Christ.

When we worship, we are ascribing honor and glory to God simply because He is worthy. Our worship of God is centered on Christ, our Redeemer, and is empowered by the Holy Spirit (Philippians 2.9-10). Worship is something that should happen all of the time for God’s people, and we believe that, in addition to this lifestyle of worship, God has set apart a day for us to come together corporately and worship.

In our corporate worship, our primary purpose is to glorify God. As a result of this desire, Covenant will consistently teach that the magnificence and worth of God should be the impulse of our worship, and the Word of God will be pervasively present in our all of our corporate worship.

We draw from a rich liturgical and musical tradition. Our liturgy comes from the pages of the New Testament and includes corporate prayer (Acts 2.42, 1 Timothy 2.1), the reading and preaching of Scripture (1 Timothy 4.13, Colossians 4.16), the singing of songs (Ephesians 5.19, Colossians 3.15-16), the giving of gifts (Philippians 4.18, 2 Corinthians 9.6-9), the confessing of our faith (Hebrews 13.15, 1 Timothy 6.12), the confession of our sins (James 5.16), the assurance of pardon (1 Corinthians 5.17), fellowship with and greeting of one another (Acts 2.42, Romans 16.16), the holy sacraments of our Lord (Matthew 28.19-20, Luke 22.14-21), and reception of a blessing (2 Corinthians 13.14). These elements will always be present in our corporate worship, either weekly or in regular, consistent observance.

Since the central focus of Reformed worship is always Jesus Christ and the boundless and amazing forgiveness and grace that was secured for God’s people at the Cross, Covenant will always have worship that is centered on this grace. In order to do this, we will adhere to the Calvinistic rhythm of worship that is constructed around three cycles of “gospel reenactment”: gathering and preparing for worship, hearing the word of God read and expounded upon, and responding appropriately to the grace of God.

We are committed to have worship that is corporate in the fullest sense of the word. We recognize and rejoice in the fact that God gives good gifts to His church, and that the church does not function properly if all of the people of God are not encouraged and enabled to use those gifts (1 Corinthians 12.12-31, 1 Peter 4.10-11). As a result of this belief, we are committed to having God’s people participate in our corporate worship as they are gifted and called: in the reading of the Word, in leading various parts of the service, and in music. We want to encourage active worship of the living God for all of God’s people, whether in leadership or congregational participation.

Our worship will acknowledge the values and concerns particular to urban people, both those who follow Christ and those who do not. Our worship will also reflect how the gospel of Christ addresses those values and concerns – at times challenging them, and at other times embracing them.

For more information, contact Paul van der Bijl.

Knowing about God and His works of creation and redemption is crucial to both the growth and nurture of our faith and our mission to tell others about Christ. Covenant is committed to strong teaching ministries, both inside and outside the church.

Christian Education Classes

Our Sunday School classes operate on a quarter system, September through May. Each quarter, adult classes offer electives in the areas of Old Testament, New Testament, and Theology. Classes start at 11am, after the worship service and fellowship time. For more information, contact Aaron Baker.

Library

Covenant's Emblen Memorial Library is located in the Education Building, on the first floor on the west side of the hallway. A warm, comfortable, and inviting place, the library is a great spot to visit after worship services. You can browse the shelves for a variety of things, whether books on Christian living, commentaries, or just a "good read." The library also has resources for home-school curriculum and small groups – items we hope to continue to expand in the future. If you miss a Sunday service or want to share a particular sermon with a friend, the library is also where you can find past sermon tapes. Items are self-checkout with a loan period of 3 weeks. For more infomation, contact Robin Ficke.

Children's Ministry

Nursery (ages 0-1): Available each Sunday morning from 9:15am-noon. A greeter will help you sign your child in/out and give you a pager for communication throughout the morning. For more information, contact Natalie Jackson.

Kids' Praise (ages 2-3): Available each Sunday morning from 9:15am-noon. A safe & structured space for children to get to know God better through play, songs, & Bible stories. Check your child in/out by entering the main nursery, signing a form, and picking up a number that will identify you. For more information, contact Melinda McNally.

Children's Worship (ages 4-8): Children are dismissed for Children’s Worship during the Sunday morning service, usually following opening songs and/or baptisms, and prior to the sermon. When the announcement is made, children can walk to the narthex, where adults will walk them downstairs. (Parents are welcome to attend.) Children should be picked up right after the service, except for communion Sundays, when they are brought back up to the parents in order to witness this sacrament. For more information, contact Janis Smith.

Sunday School (age 4 through grade 5): Each Sunday morning, after the worship service, ending at noon. Right after the worship service, parents should bring children to the snack room in the church basement for fellowship time. At 11am, Sunday School teachers will escort children to their classes. Children should be picked up from their classrooms promptly at noon. For more information, contact Melinda McNally.

Youth Ministry

The Youth Ministry at Covenant strives to create a vibrant and fun place within the church where students in grades 6 through 12 can better understand their faith in Christ on a personal level. We hope to encourage students to be people who worship God by loving Him, loving their neighbor, and obeying the great commission as future leaders of the Church. As part of this hope, we encourage youth to think through their faith, its relevancy to their lives, and the impact it can have on them and their relationships.

Weekly senior-high and junior-high Sunday School classes, Bi-weekly youth group meetings that include games, Bible lessons, food, etc., Men's and Women's small group meetings, Lock-ins, One-on-one meetings with students to further discipleship and relationships. For more information, or to volunteer with youth events, contact Dave Salsedo.

University Ministry

Covenant desires to be a welcoming "home away from home" for university students in Chicago. Covenant's vision is to reach and equip students to love and serve Jesus Christ as leaders of his Church. Covenant offers a College Sunday School class as a place for students to build relationships with other students while discussion questions that specifically relate to the lives of university students. Our University Ministry is not just located at Covenant but is present on the campuses in the church’s community. Covenant’s pastoral staff desires to spend time on campus so they can develop pastoral and discipleship relationships with students in order to intentionally encourage their faith in Christ.

DePaul University: Covenant partners with the National Leadership Foundation in order to support an on-campus student ministry at DePaul. This ministry is called The Well. The Well meets every Wednesday night from 8-9pm in the DePaul Student Center’s Reflection Room for a time of worship. In addition, The Well offers on-campus small group Bible studies, retreats, social events, and outreach/service events. For more information, visit http://www.depaul.edu/~thewell.

Moody Bible Institute: Numerous Moody students fulfill their Practical Christian Ministry (PCM) requirement at Covenant each year. There are opportunities in children’s ministry, youth ministry, college ministry, worship, evangelism, discipleship, etc. In addition, Covenant has a program in place for Moody students seeking to fulfill their pastoral internship.

For more information, or for students who seek rides to Covenant for Sunday morning worship, contact Brian Geier.

Arts & Culture Ministry

This ministry is currently developing. If you have any questions or are interested in helping with this area of ministry, please contact Aaron Baker.

Our relationships with each other flow out of our relationship with God. Since we have experienced the love of God, we can truly be lovers of one another. Our relationships with others should be just like our relationship with Him – redemptive and full of the gospel (Ephesians 4.32, Mark 10.42-45). In order to actively provide a context for these kinds of relationships, Covenant is committed to developing dynamic relational ministries.

Small Groups

Small groups are groups of people from within the larger Covenant body that meet together regularly, and they exist for the purpose of strengthening our walk in Christ by being purposeful Christian communities. Each small group has a leader who facilitates group meetings on a regular basis (weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly). When groups meet, they study the Bible and pray together, as well as spending time simply getting to know one another. There are all kinds of groups: men’s and women’s groups, family groups, and singles' groups, and these groups meet all over the city and suburbs. To find out more about joining a group, contact Chad Lewis.

Covenant Life Committee

The Covenant Life Committee serves the congregation by developing and nurturing fellowship among the people who attend the church and by structuring opportunities for the body of believers to serve one another. Members of the committee welcome new attenders and help them discover ways in which they can develop relationships within the church. The committee also serves the members and regular attenders by connecting them to ways in which their gifts and talents can be used for the building up of the church. To find out more about joining a group, contact Chad Lewis.

Women's Ministry

This ministry is designed to encourage spiritual growth, accountability, friendship, and opportunities to develop and exercise gifts in settings and with topics particularly designed for women.

Women’s Prayer Group: meets the first Saturday of the month from 9:30-11am. The time begins with a meditation on some aspect of God’s character and ends with a prayer of praise and adoration. Extemporaneous prayer starts with specific needs and petition for the world, then narrows to the United States, our city, our church, and then ourselves. For more information, contact Amy Hodges or Paula Holbrook.

Women’s Group Discipleship: meets the second and fourth Saturdays of each month from September through May, 9:30-11:30am. The first hour is teaching and group interaction on Biblical growth topics. During the second hour, women divide into smaller groups for reflection on the topic, personal sharing, and prayer. Group leaders maintain regular contact with members, and devotional questions for personal study are emailed to each attendee. Another important aspect of this ministry is the mentoring of small group leaders. For more information, contact Michelle Dillon, Jeanie Hoover, or Beth Reece.

Mentoring: Mutually beneficial voluntary relationship that gives a person access to the knowledge and experience of a mentor for self-development. The mentor serves as a coach/counselor within a "safe haven," a confidential place in which a mentee can advance her own development. Designed to be goal-oriented and purposeful, with six-month review. For more information, contact Ruth Lindsey or Beth Reece.

Moms' Bible Study: Meets every Thursday from 10:30am-noon. We have a time of worship, followed by Bible Study and prayer for each other. Our hope is to know one another and be able to serve and pray for each other, especially in the areas of being a wife and mother. Childcare is provided during the Bible study. For more information, contact Jodee Lewis.

Special events and retreats are held yearly as announced. Additional groups are formed as needs arise and as resources become available. If you have additional questions, contact Beth Reece or Chad Lewis.

Men's Ministry

Our Men's Ministry includes Discipleship Groups, a Saturday morning Bible study, and Fellowship Events. For more information, contact Dave Dillon.

Jesus told his followers to make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28.19). The Apostle Paul told the church that the right response to being reconciled to God is for the love of Christ to compel us to become ministers of that same reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5.11-6.13). He wrote, quite simply, that God makes his appeal through us. As amazing as it might sound, we are the ones who have been called to herald the good news in every place and at all times – the good news that if anyone is in Christ, they are a new creation!

All of us are called to be ministers of reconciliation in the contexts in which we have been placed: in families, friendships, workplaces, and in our neighborhoods. When we do this, we glorify God. In addition to our daily, individual responsibility to minister the gospel, and the weekly presentation of the gospel in our corporate worship, Covenant actively supports intentional gospel outreach in the city and in the world through both word and deed.

Following the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations by proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom, missionaries and mission organizations that participate in gospel outreach are supported both fiscally and prayerfully by Covenant. The church also serves as a vehicle for sending out members of our church community for short-term mission projects.

For more information, contact Missions Committee.

Following the Great Commandment to love both God and neighbor, and therefore making the Kingdom of God physically present, Covenant embodies a compassionate response to the needs of our city, encouraging and equipping the congregation toward gospel outreach through works of mercy and service. Covenant also sponsors particular opportunities for mercy and service and partners with other city ministries that do the same.

For more information, contact Mercy Committee, Michelle McGillivry, Ryan von Drehle and Jill Wiles.

The Helps Committee recruits and schedules usher teams, schedules volunteers to prepare Communion, organizes special event assistance teams and assists with volunteers for coffee hour, nursery, etc.

For more information, contact Jerry McNally.

The Finance Committee and Treasurer are responsible for church financial oversight and for ensuring the availability and maintenance of adequate funds for church activities and operations. This includes administration of the church's annual budget, monitoring actual income and expenses during the year, and evaluation of giving and fundraising activities. The Finance Committee is involved in decision-making for ongoing activities such as staff wages and benefits, banking and lending relationships, insurance matters, the annual Scholarship Fund, and other activities that materially affect the financial resources of the church.

The Treasurer is responsible for the monthly church financial statements and financial records and has oversight of all collections and disbursements of church funds. The Finance Manager (a full-time employee) reports to the Finance Committee and Treasurer and is responsible for the day to day financial administration of the church.

For more information, contact The Diaconate.

The Property Committee manages all of the church properties (land, buildings, and contents) and is responsible for the development of capital improvement plans, oversight of contractors, and the general maintenance of the properties. The Committee organizes two church “work days” each year, for volunteers to perform projects relating to cleaning, maintenance, and property improvement.

The Property Committee is also responsible for the procurement and maintenance of the church’s property insurance policy and for the rental of church facilities. The on-premises Property Manager (a full-time employee) reports to the Property Committee.

For more information, contact Mark Dawson.