On North Orange-Olive Road in Orange, California, Covenant Presbyterian Church has been gathering people around the good news of Jesus since 1973. Founded that year by a small group of Spirit-seeking families drawn to Reformed theology, Scripture, and Presbyterian church government, the congregation has grown into a multi-generational body that worships together at 10:15 each Sunday morning and reaches out through children's programs, a Christian school, and partnerships with missionaries around the world. Pastor Scott Larson and the staff describe their shared purpose in a simple phrase: "We are Made for More: to share, connect, worship, grow and learn together."
Sundays at 10:15: Worship in Person and Online
The main Sunday service begins at 10:15 a.m. in the main sanctuary and is also livestreamed on YouTube. Each week, teaching elders preach through books of the Bible as well as topical sermon series, weaving in life application and keeping the good news of Jesus at the center. The music is intentionally blended, with traditional hymns sharing space with more contemporary praise songs so that every generation in the pews can lift its voice. After the sermon, a brief Family Devotion sends school-age children out to their own classes, while others remain for the rest of the service.
Visitors are encouraged to come as they are. Some people dress more formally, some more casually, and the only goal is that everyone feel at home. After the service, a regular rhythm of connection events fills the multi-purpose room next to the sanctuary: an ice cream party on first Sundays, a pizza party with the pastors on second Sundays, a special event on third Sundays, and a community potluck on fourth Sundays. Anyone with questions can stop by the Welcome Booth or fill out a Connect Card on Sunday morning.
A Blended Service for Every Generation
Because people from every stage of life call Covenant home, the worship service is built to include them. Hymns from the church's history sit alongside newer praise songs, and the prayers, readings, and preaching draw on the deep roots of the Reformed tradition. Music is led by a team of instrumentalists, singers, and actors under the direction of Daniel, a pianist and music director whose background includes collaborative work with university choirs and performances at venues from Segerstrom Center for the Arts to the Steinway Gallery in Hamburg. The result is a service that feels at once familiar to long-time Presbyterians and accessible to newcomers exploring Christianity for the first time.
From Nursery Through High School: Kids and Students
Covenant takes seriously the calling to walk alongside the youngest members of the congregation. During the 10:15 service, nursery care is available for infants through age three, and a Family Room and Nursing Room are also open in the main sanctuary for parents who prefer to keep their babies with them. Children in kindergarten through sixth grade are invited into the sanctuary for worship and, after the Family Devotion, are dismissed to their own Sunday school classes. The Pre-6th program uses a curriculum that walks children through the Bible, prayer, worship, and playful learning, with a Parent Cue app offered to families so the lessons continue at home throughout the week.
On Wednesdays, Jubilee Worship Arts gathers children in grades one through eight from 3:00 to 5:30 p.m. in St. Andrew's Hall. Jubilee is a joyous program that weaves praise dance, worship songs, dramatic presentations, and singing with games, team-building, and special workshops. T-shirts and snacks are provided, and there is no cost to participate. Students in grades six through eight can also serve as student helpers to earn service hours.
Middle and high school students (grades seven through twelve) are part of SOMA, the youth ministry. SOMA meets on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. for games, teaching, small-group study, and fellowship, with a family-style dinner served beforehand at 5:30. Jacob Rice, who grew up through Covenant's children's and youth ministry and is an alumnus of Covenant Christian School, leads the group. A youth release and waiver form is required for events and outings.
For college-age young adults, The Way meets on the second and fourth Sundays of each month at 6:30 p.m. The group describes itself as an authentic community of college-age men and women drawing closer to God together through study, fellowship, fun, and food, with dinner provided.
Wednesday Nights Together
Wednesday is a family night at Covenant. The evening opens at 5:30 with a free community dinner in St. Andrew's Hall, and donations are welcome. From 6:15 to 7:15, the children run through their Wednesday program while adults take part in a rotating schedule of classes that covers topics like life, Bible study, family, growth, service, fellowship, and praise. At 6:30 the youth group takes over the Youth Hall, and nursery care is available for infants through age three from 5:30 until 7:30. The Jubilee Kids' Worship Arts program fills the early afternoon hours, making Wednesday a true all-ages evening at the church.
Growth Groups, Bible Studies, and Prayer
Beyond the Sunday service, Covenant offers a number of smaller settings for study and fellowship. God's Positioning System, or GPS, meets at 9:00 a.m. on Sundays in the Heritage Lounge, with a virtual option that posts new lessons each week. On Tuesdays, a group gathers at 7:00 a.m. for breakfast in St. Andrew's Annex, beginning the study at 7:30. The Rice Home group meets Sunday evenings at 7:00, an adult study group for ages eighteen and up gathers on the first and third Fridays, and an online ladies' group for high school and up sends weekly devotions.
Prayer undergirds everything the church does. Covenant maintains an active prayer chain and a public prayer wall where requests and praises are shared. After Sunday services, anyone who would like a private time of prayer can request it from an elder or prayer team member in the Prayer Chapel.
Missions: Orange County and Around the World
Missions are central to the identity of the church. Locally, Covenant supports Second Harvest Food Bank and Family Promise, and partners with the Beatitudes ministry that witnesses to and serves the homeless community. A church meal train regularly provides food for that Beatitudes team. Internationally, the church supports Steve and Tracy Geis with Wycliffe Bible Translators, Larry and Kathy Dunne with MissionGO, and Christ for the City International. The church also walks alongside a sister ministry in Kenya, Grabel Christian School, founded by Stella Namalishi Ngome; the school has more than 250 pupils, and a recent gift from Covenant Christian School helped fund a new pit latrine on its campus. Mission updates and the missions newsletter are coordinated through missions@covp.org.
Covenant Christian School on Campus
The same campus that houses the church is also home to Covenant Christian School, a faith-based school directed by Bill Furey, an ordained pastor with a background in Christian education and outdoor programming. The school's early childhood program is led by Brenda Pittman, who has more than twenty years of experience in early childhood education and a philosophy built around the idea that "when a child feels safe and loved, then a child can learn." The school office can be reached at 714-998-4052.
A Reformed Heritage in the EPC
Covenant is a congregation of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church (EPC), a denomination committed to carrying out the Great Commission through Presbyterian, Evangelical, and Missional churches. The congregation affirms the historic Christian belief in one God, eternally existing in three Persons, and the central doctrines of the virgin birth, the atoning death, and the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, through whose sacrifice believers are saved by grace through faith.
As part of the wider Reformed tradition that traces back to the Protestant Reformation and the witness of Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, and John Calvin, Covenant adheres to the EPC's seven Essentials of Faith and to the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms as its doctrinal standards. Local governance is exercised by a Session of teaching elders (pastors) and ruling elders (ordained laymen), with a board of deacons and deaconesses responsible for works of mercy, service, and care. The congregation's stated pathways for living out this calling are worship, community, and outreach.
Practical Notes for First-Time Visitors
Covenant Presbyterian Church is located at 1855 N. Orange-Olive Rd., Orange, California 92865. The church office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and can be reached at 714-998-6650 or churchadmin@covp.org. Sunday worship is held at 10:15 a.m. in person and via livestream on YouTube. Giving is available online, in person during worship services, or by mail. Visitors who want to plan a first visit, learn about baptism, or follow Jesus can fill out the Made for More form or stop by the Welcome Booth on Sunday morning.