The Covenant Experience

Chapel

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.

Meet the Upper School 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. Coming to 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, Bible Department Chairman, and senior Bible teacher. A competitive triathlete, he also coaches the Varsity Boys Soccer team. Bryan and his wife, KC, have four children.

Meet the Middle School Chaplain

Ralston Hartness grew up in Chattanooga, TN until he moved to Virginia to attend Washington & Lee University. There he studied religion and education, while also creating and leading programs for the outdoor program and residential life. Ralston moved to Charlottesville for the Trinity Fellows Program in 2018, where he worked as Covenant's Middle School Chaplain while also receiving vocational, academic, and spiritual formation. In addition to Middle School chapel, Ralston now teaches sixth grade American History and Introduction to the Classical World.

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.