Covenant Community

As a seminary committed to training Christ's servants for ministry, we seek to build a Christ-centered community that prepares you for real-world ministry. Students have often said that one of the greatest experiences of attending Covenant Seminary is the opportunity to meet, share with, and grow with people who have a heart for God and are seeking to serve him. We believe that this sense of community and commitment to one another are vital parts of seminary life and essential to preparing every student properly for ministry.

CHAPEL

Chapel services take place every Tuesday and Friday during the regular school year, providing students, spouses, faculty, and staff a regular time to gather for community-wide worship, prayer, and teaching. Most chapel services feature professors, local pastors, or distinguished guest speakers who preach while students lead worship. Ordinarily, chapel is formatted as a worship service but on specific occasions the time is used for topical presentations and information sharing of a more informal nature. Several times a semester, the service includes extended times of singing and prayer.

COVENANT GROUPS

Another important element of spiritual development is encouragement and accountability through small group prayer. Covenant Groups are formed at the beginning of each semester and meet weekly throughout the year. In each group, students and a faculty member share personal needs, struggles, and testimonies of praise with the purpose of encouraging and praying for each other. This opportunity to create long-lasting friendships with other students and faculty members by ministering to one another in a close, personal environment is strongly recommended for all students. Other small groups, such as Mission Prayer Groups and Peer Discipleship Groups involving first-year students, are also available.

CAMPUS HOUSING

or someone in the Admissions Office who will be happy to assist you. For an overview of our off-campus housing, please see the attached Housing information form (pdf). We also have information for you about the St. Louis area and invite you to spend a few minutes learning about why we enjoy St. Louis as our home!

DAY OF PRAYER

One day each semester, the Seminary holds a Day of Prayer when classes are suspended and students, faculty, and staff meet in the chapel for prayer and worship. After a brief message from a special speaker, there are sessions of individual prayer, small group prayer for individual needs, and corporate prayer for the Covenant community as a whole and for other needs around the world. All of this is followed by lunch provided by the Seminary.

CAMPUS DAY

One day each semester, classes are suspended for Campus Day, when faculty, staff, and students meet for a brief worship service before teaming up for various practical work projects around the campus.

FREE STORE

The campus Free Store provides access to second-hand clothing, children’s toys, and other items donated for use within the Seminary community.

STUDENT COUNCIL

The Student Council serves the student body as a representative voice to the Seminary Administration and organizes three major social events each year—the Fall and Spring Picnics and the Winter Banquet.

FAMILY NURTURE

Flowing from a deep sense of commitment to the family, Student Services directs a unique Family Nurture Program designed to focus specifically on the needs and interests of married students (and those preparing for marriage), their spouses, and their children as they prepare for a lifetime of ministry. This program includes a variety of opportunities for support groups, fellowship, learning, and general preparation for the joys and challenges that ministry brings to family life. All student families are invited and encouraged to take part.

Fellowship activities for wives are held periodically with the specific intention of addressing the special needs of student spouses in both a small group setting and a larger context of fellowship. In addition, Parents' Night Out and Mothers' Mornings Out provide free childcare for seminary couples and wives who desire free time that might otherwise be difficult to arrange. The Family Nurture Program also "adopts" certain courses by providing free childcare so that couples with children can learn together in class.