A Liturgical Church in the Heart of North Park
Covenant Church meets each Sunday morning on Howard Avenue in North Park, one of San Diego's older and most walkable neighborhoods. The congregation describes itself as an inter-generational and multicultural community of believers and seekers gathering around weekly worship, the sacraments, and gospel-centered teaching. As a member congregation of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, Covenant holds to the Westminster Confession of Faith and to the historic creeds of the early church while investing deeply in the local neighborhood in word and deed.
Sunday Worship at 10 AM
Sunday worship is the anchor of life at Covenant. The service begins at 10:00 AM in the sanctuary and runs for about 75 minutes. Coffee is available from 9:45 AM, and snacks and refreshments follow the service in the community center.
Covenant describes its worship as liturgical and sacramental, drawing its shape from the Book of Common Prayer and other Reformed and global liturgies. The liturgy is printed in the bulletin and on the screens so newcomers can follow along, whether or not they have experienced liturgical worship before. Each week the congregation prays together, follows the church calendar year, reads Scripture aloud, and preaches sermons centered on the gospel of Jesus Christ. Music spans a wide range, from historic hymns to modern worship songs, and the service aims to engage the whole person - mind, body, spirit, and emotions.
The Lord's Supper is celebrated every Sunday, and an extended Greeting Time about midway through the service gives the room roughly five minutes to connect with someone new. The service also includes space for people to pray for one another, with the conviction that the Holy Spirit leads and answers prayers of praise, thanksgiving, help, healing, and confession.
What a First-Time Visitor Will Find
Covenant Church is located at 2930 Howard Avenue, San Diego, CA 92104. Visitors can park in the church's parking lot off Howard Avenue or use available street parking. The adjacent Vons lot is off-limits; vehicles parked there will be towed.
The Sunday welcome team helps newcomers find their way, get their questions answered, and locate a seat. Hospitality volunteers set up the gathering area for fellowship, coffee, and snacks before and after the service. A family room to the right of the sanctuary lets parents watch and hear the service while caring for infants, and a nursing room is available to the left of the sanctuary for those who want more privacy.
Covenant Kids and Youth
Covenant Kids exists to provide a welcoming, safe, and nurturing environment for children so that they grow in their understanding of Jesus, experience his love, and desire to live like him in their families and neighborhoods. The program partners with parents and offers nursery care for children from birth through kindergarten every Sunday, with childcare provided in rooms 2 and 3 on the first floor of the educational building from 9:45 to 11:30 AM.
Children in first through sixth grade begin the service with their families and are dismissed during the Greeting Time to age-appropriate classes in the educational building. Parents are welcome to walk with their children and return to the sanctuary. On the first Sunday of each month, elementary-age and older students remain in the service for the entire morning to experience all the elements of worship alongside the wider community. There are no elementary or middle school classes on those first-Sunday mornings.
Kendall Byrd, a San Diego native and former first-grade teacher with a background in curriculum development, directs Covenant Kids. She and her family served as missionaries in Harmons, Jamaica, before returning to North Park.
The youth ministry, coordinated by CJ Castro, provides a welcoming, safe, and engaging environment for middle and high school students. Students meet regularly on Sundays for teaching and community, with additional mentoring, social events, and service projects woven through the year.
Community Groups and Discipleship
Community groups are central to life at Covenant beyond the Sunday gathering. Each group gathers around ten to fifteen people who commit to living life together in gospel community. Groups meet weekly in homes and other venues for fellowship, prayer, and Bible study, and the rhythm of every group includes three things: life together as a community inside and outside of meetings, sharing stories and praying for one another, and engaging Scripture together and discussing how it shapes daily life. Those interested in joining a group can reach out through the church's connect form or contact the assistant pastor directly.
For those who want to dig deeper into the Bible, the church offers a sermon podcast on Spotify, teaching videos on YouTube, and a community-wide Bible reading plan, including a current "LUKE PART 2" reading plan distributed as a downloadable resource.
Beliefs and Denominational Identity
Covenant Church is a Christian church in the tradition of the Protestant Reformation. The congregation holds the Scriptures to be the infallible Word of God and the final authority in faith and practice, and values the historic creeds - the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene Creed - as vital expressions of the central teachings of the universal church.
The church's stated beliefs include these affirmations:
- The Bible is the inspired Word of God, without error, and contains everything needed to know about a right relationship with God and the human community.
- God is one, yet exists mysteriously in three Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - who are to be equally loved, honored, and adored.
- People are created in the image of God and must be treated with dignity and respect, while also being alienated from God apart from his gracious intervention.
- Jesus is fully God and fully human, the one Mediator able to restore the fractured relationship between God and people.
- Restoration, or salvation, begins when the Holy Spirit gives a new heart that leads a person to trust in Jesus. God will also restore the entire universe to beauty, rest, joy, and freedom.
- Good works do not make a person acceptable to God, but are the natural outcome of authentic faith and are essential for human flourishing.
- The Church is the family of God, consisting of those who place their trust in Jesus, and is meant to be active in a local congregation that worships, serves, and offers life to its community and the world.
Covenant is a member congregation of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, a group of churches that embraces the Westminster Confession of Faith.
Six Practices That Shape the Community
Covenant's stated purpose is to be a witness of God's new heaven and new earth to come. Six practices shape the life of the community: remembering God's covenant (Romans 1:16-17), being renewed by weekly worship (Hebrews 10:19-25), welcoming others into community (Acts 2:42-47), growing as disciples (Matthew 22:34-40), blessing the neighborhood and city (Jeremiah 29:4-7), and going into the world (Matthew 28:16-20).
The church's logo reflects that vision: an open C for Covenant Church, with leaves recalling the tree of life planted in the new heaven and new earth. The garden, the church teaches, begins in Eden and ends in the garden-city of the New Jerusalem, where "the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations" (Revelation 22:1-5).
Mission, Mercy, and the Annual Camping Trip
Will Carreras, the Missions and Mercy Assistant Pastor, has served on the North American Mission Board, planted two urban churches in downtown San Diego, and is ordained in the EPC. He and his wife Tina are passionate about seeking God's justice and mercy and connecting others with this work locally and globally. The church's "Love Our Neighbors" ministry points members toward these local and global mercy and justice partnerships.
Each fall the community gathers for an annual camping trip at Lake Morena, with tent camping, cabins, s'mores, and time to enjoy creation together.
Leadership, Elders, and Deacons
Patrick King, the Lead Pastor, came to Covenant in December 2014 after serving as an Associate Pastor at Trinity Church in Plymouth, Michigan. He and his wife Kennerly, the Assistant Pastor, both graduated from Wheaton College and Beeson Divinity School. The Kings have three sons - Micah, Jonah, and Ezra - and enjoy time in North Park and at the beach.
The wider staff includes Kennerly King as Assistant Pastor; Kendall Byrd as Director of Covenant Kids and Students; CJ Castro as Coordinator for Youth and Young Adults; Frank Ralls as Music Director, whose background includes composing and producing music for Disney and co-founding and directing the Coronado Arts Academy; Will Carreras as Missions and Mercy Assistant Pastor; Milton Campbell as Visual Arts Director, a graphic designer with more than twenty years of experience; and Bob Parrish as Congregational Care Director, a San Diego native who previously worked in television, publishing, and manufacturing before joining the staff in 2021.
A team of elders provides spiritual and practical leadership to the community and helps the staff with decision-making and accountability. The current elders are Rick Preibisius, Alicia Luschei, Matt Chang, Gary Gaffney, Grace VanNortwick, Jean Froning, JK Kelly, Anne Stocking, and Patti Ranger.
Deacons care for the spiritual and physical needs of the community, embodying the Greek meaning of their title, "servant." Current deacons include Cathy Metts, Tom Stocking, Sean Lynch, Jenne Hill Kaufman, Patti Hyss, Sharon Halverson, Bob and Kim Byrd, Lisa Parrish, Peter and Lisa Yorgin, Phil and Wanda Hill, Mary Gaffney, Amy Kelly, and Melanie Harvey.
Teaching, Sermon Series, and the Church Calendar
Sermon series at Covenant move through the church calendar and across books of the Bible. Recent series have included a journey through 1 Corinthians - "The Church of God in Corinth," "The Message of the Cross," "That Your Faith Might Rest on God's Power," and "God's Field, God's Building" - and a series in James with messages titled "Where Is Your Treasure?", "The Lord's Coming Is Near," "Let Them Pray," and "One Thing."
Longer arcs have included "Daniel: Living in Exile," "Planted: Discovering Our Roots Through the Book of Acts," "A Fruitful Life" through the fruit of the Spirit, "Abide in Me" through the Farewell Discourse in John's Gospel, "The Gospel According to Luke," "Better Together: A Biblical Vision of Friendship," "Dear Church: Letters from Revelation," "The Beatitudes of Jesus," "The Parables of Jesus," and many more. Each series page also includes Scripture references, sermon outlines, reflection quotes, and discussion questions, so a week's teaching can be carried into small-group conversation and personal prayer throughout the week.
Sunday Volunteering and Hospitality
Creating a hospitable environment for worship and building community depends on the intentional service of members, and the church asks regular attenders to consider volunteering in some way on Sunday mornings. The welcome team uses their gifts and personalities to help people find their way, get questions answered, and find their seat. The hospitality team sets up the gathering area for fellowship, coffee, and snacks. Covenant Kids offers opportunities to hold babies and teach children, with each role making a lasting impact for families and kids. Those interested in serving can reach out to the Director of Operations.
Giving, Contact, and Practical Details
Office hours run Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The phone number is (619) 563-0560 and the general inbox is office@covenantsd.org. The church's main social channels are Facebook (covenantchurchsd) and Instagram (@covenantchurchsd), with additional teaching content available on YouTube.
Giving is available online through the church's giving page, with one-time and recurring options and direct bank draft. Checks can also be mailed to the church office. Cards accepted include Visa, MasterCard, and Discover, and direct bank draft is encouraged as a lower-fee alternative to credit and debit.
A weekly email gathers the latest news and events for the congregation, and a connect form helps newcomers get in touch about community groups, service opportunities, the Sunday hospitality team, discipleship classes, children's ministry, youth ministry, the worship ministry, or the membership process. Sermons are also available as a podcast on Spotify, and the audio archive includes downloadable messages spanning many years of teaching.