Why, Where, and When
We are following the Lord’s leading to plant a church in the city of Richmond, working towards launching in Fall 2026. We are prayerfully focusing on the northern half of Richmond, north of Blundell Road and between No. 2 and No. 5 Road. Check out our events page for upcoming information, community, and prayer events.
Mission & Vision
The mission of Covenant City Church is to be a Christ-like community that sends out Christ-like disciples. Our vision is for Gospel-centered churches labouring together on mission.
Values
Our values have been chosen to reflect and shape the culture of our church community. Even as we strive to faithfully preach and teach the gospel, we want to be intentional in ensuring that the gospel bears fruit in the culture of our church. As the pastor Ray Ortlund put it, “If we want [gospel] doctrine to be credible, we can’t disregard the culture… churches where the doctrine and culture converge bear living witness to the power of Jesus.”
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Centered
Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you (1 Corinthians 15:1-2)
As a church, we want to be first and foremost centered on the gospel as the gospel is what changes everything. The gospel is the simple message that God saves sinners, and this message must form the basis of all that we do, with its rich, life-changing, life-giving implications for all of life. While we seek to faithfully contextualise our ministry and message to the culture of the city, we maintain gospel fidelity by grounding ourselves in the authority of Scripture and seeking wisdom from the saints in the history of the church.
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Dependent
for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)
Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2)
The puritan writer, John Owen, once wrote, “We can have no power from Christ unless we live in a persuasion that we have none of our own.” At Covenant City, we want to consistently remind ourselves of our utter dependence on God’s power. We do this by asking the Lord to cultivate in us submissiveness to His Word, sensitivity to His Spirit, an instinct to prayer, and a discipline of rest. Part of learning to depend on God is learning to depend on each other. Instead of autonomy and independence, Scripture teaches us a profound dependence on each other, where we bear the burdens of others and vulnerably allow others to bear our own.
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Humble
…in humility count others more significant than yourselves (Philippians 2:3)
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. (Matthew 11:29)
In a world that prizes individual rights and rewards self-promotion, Scripture calls for radical humility. Just as Christ humbled himself to the point of self-sacrificial death on the cross, so those who follow him are called to a life of quiet service, where we are slow to speak and quick to listen, respond to others with charity, and put the interests and wellbeing of others before our own.
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Kind
Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience (Colossians 3:12)
God’s loving-kindness lies at the heart of who he is and has been revealed consistently throughout history, most supremely through his Son, Jesus Christ. As God’s new covenant people who have received his lavish kindness, we are called to put on God’s kindness as he gives us new hearts to experience and reflect his kindness to others in the power of His Spirit.
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Courageous
Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. (Joshua 1:9)
Being on mission will often mean following God beyond our comfort zones as he pushes us to Kingdom frontiers. In other words, being on mission will give us many reasons to be frightened or dismayed. As missional disciples for Jesus, we want to be courageous in following Jesus, trusting that He is with us and will provide for us as he works all things for his glory and our good.