Covenant Presbyterian Church is a place of worship. Members and a number of visitors gather each Sunday to worship God. Our service is blended worship service. It includes elements that are contemporary (praise music) and traditional (hymns) in nature. Children have a special message each week and we have extended care and nursery for them as well. Our service includes a time to share gratitude's and concerns. Following worship, we enjoy a time of fellowship so that we can greet each other in the name of Christ.

Covenant Presbyterian Church seeks to encourage spiritual growth in a variety of ways. Sunday school meets weekly with classes for all ages. Christians In Action, our Youth program, meets jointly with Highlands Presbyterian Church on weekly basis. It offers a variety of learning, fellowship, and study opportunities. We have sent a number of youth to the Montreat Youth Conference. We are currently developing a program for younger children.

Covenant Presbyterian Church shares. Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, and Narcotics Anonymous use our facility. We also host an after school program under the direction of the North Central YMCA.

Covenant Presbyterian Church reaches out through a variety of outreach programs. We support the ACORN clinics and St. Francis House. We also serve meals at Hope House, a residential facility for patients undergoing cancer treatment at Shands Hospital.

Covenant Presbyterian Church seeks to live our theme of "Loving God by Serving Others." Please consider joining us.

Covenant Presbyterian Church had its beginnings in 1980 when the development of a new church in west Gainesville was recognized as a priority by the Presbytery of Suwanee (PCUS) and the Presbytery of Northeast Florida (UP).

Following extensive demographic studies, worship began in the fall of 1981. The new work was then called the West Gainesville Presbyterian New Church Development. These early efforts were led by a number of part-time, retired ministers that included Paul Edris, Jim Leitch, Ed Albright, Sr., and Alex Flemming.

In 1983, the Reverend James H. Wells was called as the organizing pastor. The work's name was changed to Covenant New Church Development and meetings were held in the library at Oak Hall School.

On November 21, 1983, the purchase of the current property was completed. Covenant now had 10.6 acres to which it could someday move. Until that time, the church continued to meet at Oak Hall and in 1987 moved to the Village

On June 1, 1986, Covenant Presbyterian Church was formally organized with 100 members by the Presbytery of St. Augustine. Jim Wells was elected pastor and installed on October 19, 1986. A Session and Building Committee were also elected.

Work began immediately to develop a preliminary plan for a facility. After months of work, the committee realized that the funds would not be available. In November, 1986 after a period of negotiations, Santa Fe Health Care Systems donated a 9,500 square foot hospital unit to Covenant. Plans began to move, renovate, and dedicate this new facility. Loans were secured from the Synod, the General Assembly, and a local bank to make the dream come true. The building was finally moved and installed on the site on November 1, 1987.

Under the guidance of Richard Moseley, a member of Covenant who served as project manager and with the help of many church members, renovation began. This work was completed and the building was occupied for Sunday services for the first time on July 3, 1988. The official dedication followed on September 11, 1988.

From the very beginning, Covenant sought to encourage ministry to the surrounding community. A number of programs were developed and designed to reach out to those nearby.

On September 17, 1995, the founding pastor, the Reverend James Wells resigned after nine years in the position. The Reverend John Ragsdale was called as interim pastor. He served from October 8, 1995 until Easter Sunday, March 30, 1997. Glen Busby served as parish associate from 1988 until 1993. On May 15, 1997, the Reverend Dr. R. Shane Owens began his work as the second pastor. He was installed by Presbytery of St. Augustine on June 15, 1997.

In 1999, the congregation participated in a consultation process that led to the development of a mission statement and theme for the church. In addition, goals and objectives were developed to guide Covenant Presbyterian Church over the next five years.

Covenant Presbyterian Church is a member of the Presbytery of St. Augustine, the Synod of the South Atlantic, and the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U. S. A.). It is governing locally by a Session composed of elders and the pastor.

The following mission statement was developed by a congregational task force. It was approved by the Session on February 17, 2000 and is used to guide all that we do here at Covenant.

"Led by the Spirit, we commit to growing ourselves and encouraging others in the Christian faith, while extending His Love to the world."