Two Worship Styles on Morton Ranch Road
Holy Covenant United Methodist Church sits on Morton Ranch Road on the west side of Katy, Texas, just minutes from the growing neighborhoods west of Houston. The congregation belongs to the United Methodist Church and gathers on Sunday mornings with a clear intention: to help people grow as disciples of Jesus Christ while serving their neighbors. Pastor Fred Willis leads the church, and the staff team includes Stephen Hughes as Youth Director and Lisa Gill as Director of Discipleship.
Two Sunday morning services give the congregation a choice of style. The 8:30 AM Classic Worship borrows with classic hymns, liturgy, and a more traditional feel, while the 11:00 AM Blended Worship weaves together ancient traditions like hymns, creeds, and congregational prayers with contemporary praise music. Both services meet in the Sanctuary. The 11:00 AM service is also livestreamed, and the church maintains a sermon archive on its YouTube channel for on-demand viewing.
A full morning flows around those services. Breakfast is served in Covenant Hall starting at 9:00 AM, and Fellowship Groups for all ages meet from 9:45 to 10:45 AM. After the 11:00 AM service ends, newcomers are invited to meet in the Chapel to learn how to get connected.
First-Time Visitors
Holy Covenant describes its culture with a simple line: "the heart of what we do is about you and your relationship with Jesus." Visitors are not asked to check in to worship, though a Welcome Team stands in the lobby outside the Sanctuary to collect names and contact information from anyone who would like to follow up. Dress ranges from jeans and button-downs to slacks, dresses, and the occasional suit; the only request is to come in whatever feels comfortable.
Parking is laid out around the campus for easy access. The west lot serves the Education Building and the Kitchen. The north lot offers guest and handicap spaces in front of the Offices and Fellowship Building. The east lot sits closest to the Sanctuary and includes a covered drop-off point for rainy days. Handicap accessible parking is available in all four lots, and most of the older buildings, including the recently remodeled Fellowship Building, have been brought up to ADA standards.
The Classic service lasts roughly 45 minutes and is followed by an open breakfast and the chance to join small group meetings. The Blended service typically runs close to an hour. Nursery care for children from birth through Pre-K is available from 9:30 AM through the end of the 11:00 AM service; the nursery entrance is off the north lot in the front of the Fellowship Building, with signs directing families through the lobby into the Education Building. A professionally staffed team watches the children, and a low child-to-teacher ratio is maintained.
A Place for Every Child from Birth Through Fifth Grade
Children's ministry at Holy Covenant serves families with children from birth through fifth grade. The team sees children as a precious gift from God and works closely with parents to provide age-appropriate lessons, activities, and experiences that inspire spiritual growth. All staff and volunteers are background-checked and trained, and the ministry maintains strict safety protocols.
On Sunday mornings, families check in at the Education Building. The nursery opens at 9:30 AM for children from birth through Pre-K. Children in kindergarten through fourth grade attend a Small Group from 9:30 to 10:45 AM. Children in kindergarten through fourth grade are also invited to a Children's Worship in the Chapel during the 11:00 AM service. Children begin in the Sanctuary with their families, exit through the center doors after the Scripture reading, and return between the Affirmation of Faith and the closing song. Children's Worship is optional and is not held on Communion Sundays (the first Sunday of the month) or on certain special holidays. Younger children are welcome in Wiggle Worship or the nursery.
Beyond Sunday mornings, SPARK gathers third through fifth graders in Covenant Hall from 3:30 to 5:00 PM on selected Sundays for fellowship, games, creative projects, and a deeper look at the Sunday School series. Vacation Bible School fills a summer week with Bible lessons, games, crafts, and songs. Seasonal celebrations mark Easter and Christmas, and service projects throughout the year teach children the joy of generosity.
Students and a Two-Year Confirmation Journey
Student Ministry at Holy Covenant welcomes sixth graders through high schoolers with a blend of fellowship, Bible study, mission trips, service projects, and events built around friendships. Sunday mornings start with fellowship in the Education Building at 9:30 AM, followed by Bible study from 10 to 10:45 AM in small groups split by grade. During the school year, Sunday evenings bring students together from 5:00 to 7:00 PM in the Education Building and Covenant Hall for games, worship, and meaningful conversations. Summers shift to a packed calendar of mission trips, summer camp, poolside Bible studies, and informal lunches.
Confirmation is a two-year journey that begins in sixth grade and runs through seventh grade. Students engage with Scripture through storytelling, creative reflection, and discussion, walking through the story of Israel from Genesis to Revelation, studying the early church, and learning the basics of the Wesleyan theological tradition, including grace, the Trinity, the Church, and the Sacraments. By the end of the journey, students are invited to make a personal commitment of faith and become full members of Holy Covenant UMC.
Embrace: Special Needs Ministry
Embrace Ministries, launched in 2015, is Holy Covenant's special needs ministry. Its mission is to walk alongside families of individuals with special needs, nurturing their spiritual, physical, and emotional well-being. Every participant is treated as a VIP. On Sunday mornings from 11:00 AM to noon in Fellowship Building Room F-107, Embrace offers an interactive worship experience supported by trained Partners in Ministry. Parents and caregivers may attend the main worship service in the Sanctuary or stay and worship with their loved one in Embrace.
Embrace Summer Hangouts invite guests to return throughout the summer for games, crafts, and cooking activities designed for participants with a parent or caregiver present. Embrace Camp is a day camp offered in June for ages 6 through adult with intellectual, physical, or developmental delays. Campers are paired with peer partners who assist them in activities, and onsite nurses and patient care assistants are available throughout the week. Embrace Soccer is an indoor 3-on-3 wheelchair soccer league for players ages 5 and up that takes place in the spring.
Small Groups, Bible Studies, and Al-Anon
Small groups are the engine of adult formation at Holy Covenant. Most adult Fellowship Groups meet on Sunday mornings from 9:45 to 10:45 AM and study Scripture, pray together, and serve the Katy community. Current classes include Good News, Searchers, Journey, Agape, Faith Builders, and Pilgrims, each with a slightly different style and focus. Embrace also gathers as a small group from 11:00 AM to noon in Fellowship Building Room F-107.
Beyond Sunday mornings, several Bible studies meet during the week. A Men's Bible Study gathers on Monday mornings in the Fellowship Building conference room. The Early Morning Bible Study meets Saturday mornings at 6:00 AM in the same conference room for fellowship and in-depth study. Al-Anon meets at the church on Tuesdays at noon in the Choir Rehearsal Suite (Sanctuary Building, with parking in the east entry lot closer to Mason Rd). Al-Anon is a mutual support group for those whose friends or family members are affected by drinking or drug use, and families and observers are always welcome.
Serving Katy and Beyond
The Missions and Service team at Holy Covenant sees following Christ as something lived out, not just believed. Service happens at three levels: local, regional, and international. Local partners include Hope Impacts, Katy Responds, Katy Christian Ministries (including its food pantry), Katy Disaster Response Team, Adira Clinic, Partners in Education at Winborn Elementary, and a prison ministry. Regional efforts include hurricane relief and support for refugees in the greater Houston area.
Market to Missions is a monthly outreach that supports the KCM Food Pantry. Reusable shopping totes are available in the Connection Corner before Communion Sunday; congregants take a tote home, fill it with non-perishable food items, and return it on Communion Sunday, with all donations going directly to KCM to help families facing food insecurity. Tutoring is offered locally, and mission trips extend the church's reach beyond the Texas border and around the world.
Music and the Arts
Music ministry at Holy Covenant is built on the conviction that an eclectic and expansive range of worship expressions - old and new, global and local, modern and traditional - can coexist in one congregation. The Chancel Choir is one of the church's proudest traditions, bringing together singers of all ages and abilities. The choir rehearses on Tuesday evenings from 7:30 to 9:00 PM and leads worship at the 11:00 AM service on Sundays. Handbells rehearse on Wednesday evenings at 6:30 PM and welcome ringers of all ages and skill levels with no audition required. The Praise Band energizes congregational singing and infuses a variety of sounds into worship; instrumentalists and experienced vocalists are invited to join.
Men, Women, and Young @ Heart
Women's Ministry at Holy Covenant gathers women of all ages and backgrounds for fellowship, study, and service. The ministry hosts a fall and winter calendar of events that includes the annual Sisterhood Banquet, Halloween Bingo, the Heartwarming Christmas Market, the Women's Ministry Christmas Party, and a Women's Ministry Retreat each January. Men's Ministry focuses on spiritual growth and discipleship beyond scheduled meetings; men are actively engaged in missions, retreats, small groups, leadership roles, and youth mentorship. In addition to the Monday morning Bible study, the men gather for early morning Bible study on Saturdays, and the ministry hosts an annual car show and other outings.
Young @ Heart is a social group for adults 55 and older that meets monthly for lunch on the third Wednesday at 11:45 AM in Covenant Hall, with off-campus trips using Harris County passenger buses that typically depart at 9:00 AM and return by mid-afternoon. Recent outings have included the Holocaust Museum in Houston, the Montgomery County Historical Museum, the Bible and American History Museum at Houston Christian University, the National Museum of Funeral History, and Washington-on-the-Brazos. An annual Christmas dinner supports local mission activities of organizations like Katy Christian Ministries and the Pregnancy Help Center.
Heartwarming Christmas Market and Upward Soccer
Now in its thirty-fifth year, the Heartwarming Christmas Market brings 50 or more local vendors, food trucks, photos with Santa, live Christmas carolers, a silent auction, and a Sweet Shoppe of homemade treats to the Holy Covenant campus each November. Proceeds support women's missions, youth scholarships, and local outreach programs. Upward Soccer offers a spring soccer league for children from Pre-K through fifth grade that emphasizes faith, sportsmanship, and community. Coaches are volunteer parents and church members, and the league includes Bible-based character development at each practice.
A Memorial Prayer Garden and a Methodist Heart
The Memorial Brick Program invites individuals and families to honor or remember a loved one with an engraved brick in Holy Covenant's Memorial Prayer Garden, a lasting tribute that becomes part of a sacred space for prayer and reflection. The Heart of the church's teaching is rooted in the Wesleyan tradition: people of every background and stage of life gather to seek God, love and serve their neighbors, and grow as disciples of Jesus Christ. Whether someone is exploring faith for the first time, raising young children, navigating a season of empty nesting, or looking for a community that takes doubt and questions seriously, Holy Covenant UMC invites them to come as they are, sit down, and live life together with a community of imperfect people who love God and their neighbors.