A Tradition of Worship

Covenant’s mission includes challenging students to follow the example of Christ and fostering a recognition of God’s dominion over all creation. One way this is applied is through a weekly time of meeting together as a community in a non-denominational Chapel service rooted in the historic, orthodox Christian tradition.
Lower School Chapel
Every Wednesday, Lower School students attend Chapel. The school community is actively involved in the service: leading music, reading Scripture, and reciting The Lord's Prayer. Arts performances by fifth-grade students include band, handbells, and choir. A weekly parent prayer time follows Chapel.

Middle and Upper School Chapels
Every Monday, the Middle and Upper School communities gather in school-level Chapels. This corporate worship time includes a student-led music team, various readings from Scripture and historic Christian creeds, personal testimonies, and a message from the Chaplain, a teacher, or member of the community. A parent prayer time precedes Chapel each week.

    • Bryan Verbrugge

      Hickory Chaplain

The son of a Navy man, Bryan Verbrugge grew up around the world. He attended Geneva College in western Pennsylvania, studying youth ministry and education; he also played college soccer. After starting at The Covenant School in 1996, Bryan took three years off to study theology where he earned an M.Div. from Westminster Theological Seminary before returning to Covenant. Now, he serves the school as Upper School Chaplain, Theology Department Chairman, and senior Theology teacher.  He also coaches the Varsity Boys Soccer team.  Bryan and his wife, KC, have four children.

    • Jesse Womble

      Middle School Chaplain

Jesse Womble grew up in Apex, North Carolina, and attended North Carolina State University in Raleigh. There he studied political science and history, while also working for the local YMCA and getting involved with the college ministry, Cru. Jesse moved to Charlottesville in 2019, after spending two years interning with Cru internationally, in West Africa and the Middle East. In addition to Middle School chapel, Jesse now teaches seventh grade World Geography and a Current Events elective.

    • Matt Johnson

      Lower School Chaplain

Matt Johnson grew up in a small town in northern Arkansas and enlisted in the Marine Corps out of high school. While serving in the Marine Corps, Matt found a love of teaching as a firearms and close quarters battle instructor. After surrendering his life to Jesus only a few months before leaving the Marine Corps, he worked in security for several years before going to college at PVCC and UVa later becoming a teacher at The Covenant School. His greatest joy in life is learning and teaching God’s Word to students, and helping others recognize and discover God’s love for them and the plans He has for them, even as children.

The Covenant School

Birdwood Campus | Lower School | Pre-K–Grade 5 |
1000 Birdwood Road Charlottesville, VA 22903 | 434.220.7309

Hickory Campus | Middle and Upper School | Grades 6–12 | 175 Hickory Street Charlottesville, VA 22902 | 434.220.7329
Located in Charlottesville, VA, The Covenant School is a non-denominational, private, Christian day school for Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12. Students benefit from a challenging academic program, visual and performing arts, competitive athletics, and a wide selection of extracurricular activities.
The Covenant School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, nationality, ethnic origin, or sex in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, tuition assistance programs, athletic and other school-administered programs, nor in the hiring of faculty or staff.
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