Frequently Asked Questions

In a nutshell, the Evangelical Covenant Church is a denomination that places huge emphasis on the authority of the Scriptures and the necessity of a personal walk with Christ. You can find more detailed information here.

We have a sense of community and family.

• Just about everyone who visits our church comments on how friendly and warmly they were treated at Fridley Covenant Church.

Our worship services are upbeat and creative.

• We often use drama, music videos, movie clips, slides, and other media in our worship services.
• Our music has a style that can be appreciated by all people of all ages.
• Occasionally we integrate the music and involvement of our Sudanese members.

We have a high percentage of our people in small groups that meet in homes on different days and nights of the week.

• These small groups are an excellent place for people to study the Bible and socialize.

We have a unique summer setup.

• A canopy of 100-year-old oak trees provides comfortable shade for outdoor services on hot sunny days.

We have a Sudanese population.

• This group of Christians from Sudan normally meets Sunday afternoons.
• We often meet together for worship at different times of the year.
• There are opportunities for tutoring and teaching English.

Whatever you like! Dressing casual is welcome in our church; Just keep it appropriate. A lot of people in our congregation generally wear blue jeans to Sunday services. Pastor Mark is even known to wear Hawaiian style shirts during our outdoor summer services.

All of our volunteers who interact with children in any way are put through rigorous screening and training. It is required that each person provide personal profile information and references which are thoroughly checked out.

Our insurance company provides a video which is required to be viewed by all volunteers. It provides information about what child abuse is and how to recognize it. It also provides guidelines regarding qualifications of volunteers.

CHIC stands for Covenant High in Christ. It is a life-changing event for teens that takes place every third summer on a university campus, and features some of the best speakers and bands in the country. Packed with worship, discipleship, and fellowship, and offered to anyone entering 9th-12th grade, it is a great event for any high school student to attend. More information about CHIC 2009 can be found at CHIC2009.org.

We recognize and perform both infant and believer baptisms. In the case of infant baptism, the parents are introducing the child into the family of God and declaring that they will bring up the child in the Christian faith, but the child is not saved through baptism. In the case of believer baptism, we do not believe that the individuals involved are receiving salvation through baptism, but instead are proclaiming that they have already received it.

In communion, we believe that Jesus is present as we partake of the elements. We do not believe these are the actual body and blood of Christ, but are rather a symbol of his sacrifice for us. Lately, we have favored the intinction style of communion, whereby a person walks to the front or back of the sanctuary and takes a small piece of bread and dips it into the cup of grape juice.

All people, gay or straight, are welcome at Fridley Covenant Church. While the practice of homosexual sex is listed among other sins in the books of Romans and 1 Corinthians (and elsewhere), any sin is forgivable. Deliverance from the bondage of homosexuality is possible through the blood of Jesus Christ. All people groups are treated with dignity and respect in this church because all are created in the image of God.