“Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.”
– Hebrews 12:28–29
What to Expect
Welcome to our congregation
What to expect at the Kirk
We are glad you decided to join us, and we hope that you feel welcome. Christ Covenant Church is a member congregation of the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches (or CREC). There are some questions that newcomers ask frequently. Some of these distinctives are grounded in our denomination’s confessional commitments, and others are more culturally-driven—that is, by means of an unwritten set of shared assumptions. If you join with us, you should be able to sort through those distinctions at some point. For now, we just wanted to let you know of some of the things you are likely to encounter here—and perhaps give a word or two of explanation why.
As you read, please keep in mind that our churches do not worship in lockstep. Not everything described here applies to every CREC congregation, and that’s fine, too. That’s another thing you can expect from the CREC: unity, not uniformity.
The fact that we have identified these things that you may have questions about does not mean that we believe these to be the most important things about our faith and worship—it is just that, for visitors, they are perhaps the most obvious things about it. So here we go.
The visitor’s booklet
What to Expect in Our CREC Church
A 12-page guide to the things visitors tend to notice first in our worship and life together, with a word or two on why we do them. Read it online, or download it to print.
Inside
- Liturgical Worshipp. 2
- Covenant Renewal Worshipp. 2
- Weekly Communionp. 3
- A Worship Conversationp. 3
- Worship Centralityp. 4
- A Corporate Amenp. 5
- Posture in Worshipp. 5
- Psalm Singingp. 6
- Singing in Partsp. 6
- Musical Stylep. 7
- Scripture Readingp. 7
- Biblical Sermonsp. 8
- Optimism about the Future of the Churchp. 8
- Wine in Communionp. 9
- Church Membershipp. 9
- Child Communionp. 10
- Christian Educationp. 10
- Cultural Engagementp. 11
- Christ Covenant Church Distinctivesp. 12
Content courtesy of Canon Press 2014. Amended and updated 2026.
Christ Covenant Church
Our Distinctives
As Moses prepared Israel to enter the land, he appointed Joshua, gave the law to be read and taught, composed a song, and promised a place where the Lord would dwell with His people (Deut. 12; 31–32).
Christ, the greater Joshua, still gives these gifts to His conquering, suffering Church by His Spirit: leaders, a book, a song, and a table.
Our Leaders
Christ Covenant Church is shepherded by elders who, like kings, rule Christ’s household in the fear of the Lord and guard the weak; who, like priests, lead God’s people into His presence each Lord’s Day; and who, like prophets, declare the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27–28).
A Book
We are a whole-Bible church. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture is one story of the Son’s suffering and glory (Luke 24:26–27). We read, sing, pray, and preach it until it reshapes our imaginations, orders our households, and claims all of life.
A Song
Song is a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name (Heb. 13:15). At the Kirk we sing the Psalms and the great hymns of the Church in four parts, learning to pray from the Bible’s own hymnbook and to stand together as the Church Militant.
A Table
Every Lord’s Day our Father spreads a table before us in the presence of our enemies (Ps. 23:5), and our baptized children sit with us. Having been fed, we feed others—opening our homes to one another, to our neighbours in Selkirk and the Interlake, and to the stranger.
We aspire to be a well-ordered, Bible-saturated, joyful, musical, festive, and hospitable people, living For Christ’s Crown and Covenant. Come and worship with us at the Service of Covenant Renewal, every Lord’s Day at 3:30 PM.
Go deeper
Read more about our distinctives
Before you visit