At Covenant, it is our goal that worship be:
- Biblical: God’s word determines how we worship.
- God-exalting: we long that God get all the glory.
- Spirit-filled: God gives strength and focus to worship.
- Joyful: our enthusiasm reflects the greatness of Christ’s salvation.
Our worship style is traditional and vibrant, building on the church’s insight into biblical worship throughout the ages, and yearning expectantly for the Spirit to bless his church anew.
Our Worship Service
The worship service leads us through a process of covenant renewal, where God meets with his people and reaffirms his love for us. The service is interactive and relational: God speaks to us, and we respond to him.
- Salutation and call to worship: God greets his people and summons us to worship him.
- We respond in praise: Throughout the service, we sing praise to God for all he has done. Our songs are taken from Scripture and the best hymns of the faith throughout the church’s history, including the present day. Older music is found in the red Trinity Hymnal. Newer music is found in the black Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs book.
- We confess our faith: We speak together with zeal, confessing our faith in Jesus Christ before God and the watching world. We remember our unity with the church around the world and throughout the ages.
- Prayer of confession: We can only approach God’s holy throne through Christ, who makes us holy. That is why we confess our sins at the outset, relying on the grace of Christ. To show our humility, we kneel.
- Assurance of pardon: God reminds us that we now are righteous before him because of Christ.
- Pastoral prayer: The elders, as shepherds of God’s people, lead us in praying for the church both here and abroad, as well as for our needy world.
- Reading of Scripture: God speaks to us through his word. In honor of God speaking, we stand.
- Giving our offerings: These financial gifts are a token of our whole selves, which we present to God as living sacrifices.
- Sermon: The pastor, as God’s ambassador, urges us to greater faith and love, always on the basis of Christ crucified and raised, according to Scripture. This word from God builds up the church and encourages active outreach to the world.
- The Lord’s Supper: God seals to us the word just preached, reminding all who belong to him that the good news about Jesus Christ is truly theirs. All who are Christians, trusting in Christ and baptized members of Christ’s church, are welcome.
- Benediction: God sends us out with his blessing.