Our Worship

For sample worship services click here

Key Principles of Worship at Covenant OPC

1. God Determines Our Worship By His Word
We believe that God has told us in the Bible how to worship him. Throughout the Bible, God often expresses his desire to be worshiped by his people according to his prescriptions rather than according to our imaginations (Exodus 20:4-6; Leviticus 10:1-3; Colossians 2:20-23). Therefore, we only include in our worship services those elements of worship which God has commanded in his Word: the reading and preaching of God's Word, public prayer, congregational singing, the bringing of tithes and offerings, the administration of the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper, and the ministerial issuing of a salutation and benediction from God's Word. [Click here to request a copy of an article by Pastor Oharek on The Regulative Principle of Worship.]

2. God Calls His People to Weekly, Lord's Day, Corporate Worship
We believe that God has called us to regular, Lord's Day worship as a community of believers. The Christian life is not only an individual calling, but a calling to be a part of the worshiping church (Acts 2:42; Ephesians 4:1-6). Mankind was created in order to worship God (Genesis 2:3), we are redeemed in order to worship God (Exodus 4:23), and we worship God weekly as a foretaste of what Christians will do for all eternity in heaven (Hebrews 4:1-9; 10:19-25). [Click here to request a copy of an article by Pastor Oharek on The Need for Worship.]

3. God Calls Worshipers to Focus on Him (Rather than Ourselves) in Worship
Mankind often struggles with the temptation to worship the creature rather than the Creator. This temptation often manifests itself in the form of wanting to make the worshipers (rather than God) the focal point of our worship. However, the very notion of giving worship to God (1 Corinthians 14:25) excludes the possibility that man should ever take center stage. Therefore, in our worship services we always strive to keep God as our focal point. [Click here to request a copy of an article by Pastor Oharek on The Theocentric Principle of Worship.]

4. God Calls His People to Worship with Reverent Simplicity
So often, people speak about worship "styles" as if the character of a worship service were nothing more than a fashion preference. However, the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments give us very helpful instructions regarding the character of Christian worship today. Because of the holiness of our God, we must worship him with reverence (not casually). And ever since the first coming of Christ and the bold access to the throne which he secured for his people, we must worship God with a simplicity (not with excessive ceremony or theatrics) that evidences the accomplished work of Christ. (Hebrews 10:19-22 & 12:28-29) [Click here to request a copy of an article by Pastor Oharek on The Simplicity Principle of Worship.]