General
Where is your church?
We’re located at 2350 Leigh Ave, San Jose, CA 95124. Our building is north of Curtner Ave. and south of Dry Creek Road. View the map and get directions
When are your worship services and Sunday School times?
Regular Schedule – During the school year our morning worship service is at 10:00 am; Sunday School is at 11:30 am.
On the 1st and 3rd Sunday evening of each month Growth Groups (or small groups) meet at the church and in homes around the area to discuss and apply the Sunday morning message.
Summer Schedule – The worship schedule changes for the summer starting the middle of June and continuing through August. Our summer worship service remains at 10:00 am. There is no Sunday School during the summer; we enjoy an extended time of fellowship, with coffee and refreshments, at 11:15 – 11:45 am. We will return to our regular worship schedule on September13.
SPUR – This summer we have 6 Sunday evenings that include: supper, a time of praising in song and uniting to reflect on God’s Word as we take a look at six of the apostles. June 28-August 2 at 6:00 PM.
What is your church like?
We are a growing, family-oriented, gospel-driven community, reformed in theology, and traditional in worship style. Our typical Sunday morning will find around 200 people attending, coming from all age groups and stages of life.
What are your requirements for membership?
To become a member at Covenant, a person must make a credible profession of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and be willing to submit to church leadership. Members are not required to agree with every theological position held by Covenant.
Are you a part of a denomination?
Yes, Covenant is part of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC), a conservative, reformed and evangelical denomination of over 300 churches.
Worship Services
What is the music like in your morning service?
While incorporating some of the newer Christian songs, Covenant’s music style is best characterized as traditional. The majority of the songs we sing are hymns; we have a choir that sings regularly in our morning service; and our singing is accompanied by piano and/or acoustic guitar.
What is your preaching like?
Because of our strong belief that God speaks to us in the Bible, our preaching is unapologetically expository. Our pastors seek faithfully and clearly to explain God’s Word in an applicable way, so that together we might be transformed into the likeness of Jesus.
How long are your morning services?
Generally, our morning services last slightly longer than an hour. On Communion Sundays the service lasts about an hour and fifteen minutes.
Do you provide childcare during the service?
Yes. Child care is provided for infants through 3 years. The nursery is located at the back of the sanctuary; there is a large viewing window for parents to check on their children.
How often do you celebrate Communion?
We celebrate the Lord’s Supper the second Sunday of every month.
What is your view on baptism?
We believe that baptism is a sign of God’s covenant made with us; those who are baptized receive the sign that they belong to God. Since God’s promises extend to families of believers, we believe that children of believers should be baptized.
What translation of the Bible do you use?
Our congregation uses a variety of translations, including the NASB, NIV, KJV, NKJV, and ESV. The translation from which our pastor preaches is in our pews is the English Standard Version.
Ministries
What programs do you have for children?
Our church has Sunday School classes for all ages. The children participate in most of our fellowship activities; these include dinners, picnics, bowling, and movie nights, to name a few.
What programs do you have for teenagers?
We consider our youth a vital part of our church. On the 2nd and 4th Friday evening of each month junior high and high school students meet for Bible study and fellowship at Pastor Starke’s home. This is a time when teenagers have an opportunity to study God’s Word together and encourage each other in the faith. The youth also meet for special events throughout the year including service projects, fellowship events, and a presbytery-wide winter “Snow Rally” and youth camp in the summer.
What programs do you have for adults?
Covenant has two central components in our adult ministries. Sunday morning we gather together for worship and also have Adult Sunday School classes that cover a variety of theological topics and books of the Bible. Throughout the week, Growth Groups play an equally important role, providing an opportunity for members to encourage each other in the faith through Bible study, prayer and fellowship. Many of these smaller groups meet in homes.
Teaching
What does it mean that you are a 'Reformed' church?
In saying we are “Reformed” we identify ourselves with the doctrines of the Protestant Reformation:
- God authoritatively speaks to us only in the Bible.
- Salvation comes only through Jesus Christ–salvation that is completely of God’s grace.
- This salvation is received solely by faith.
The Westminster Confession of Faith is the classic doctrinal statement to which our denomination holds.
What is your view on the Bible?
We believe that the Bible is God’s Word, completely authoritative and trustworthy in all it says.
- It is sufficient: it contains all we need to know to be saved and live according to God’s will.
- It is relevant: God speaks to us in our present situation through it, providing necessary direction for life.
- It is powerful: as people hear God’s Word, the Holy Spirit uses it to transform people and change their lives.
What is your position on the ordination of women?
We believe that men and women are equal: equally gifted, equally important to the church, and equally loved by God. However, the Bible teaches that God created human relationships with order, meaning that in marriage and the church, men are to be in the final position of authority under God (Genesis 1, Ephesians 5, 1 Cor 11, 1 Timothy 2:11-15). For this reason we believe that only men should be ordained for the positions of deacon, elder, and pastor.