Our sign says Covenant Baptist — A Contemplative Christian Community. We are a church with Baptist roots sunk deep into the soil, roots and rocks that make up our little piece of land. Our congregation has been around many more years than the buildings themselves, having met in homes, a local fire station, a lounge in a nearby country club, in schools, and in other churches. When we decided that our time of wandering was over, many of our members came out to clear land with their own hands.

We are still the kind of people who use our own hands. We are a gentle congregation, intent upon extending grace. We’re learning what it means to listen to God. Sometimes that means we listen while we mow the lawn here, or clean the floors in the sanctuary. We make time for silence, and we value the presence of children. We’re not really your typical Baptist church.

We’ve said it elsewhere, but it bears repeating: Covenant is a place of healing for many, a “come-as-you-are” kind of place. We aren’t pushy or judgmental. Ours is a sacred space where you can just be. Our building and its grounds were intentionally designed to facilitate an appreciation for the beauty of creation. Deer and birds often look in on us during services.

We have prayer paths and a labyrinth behind the church, open to anyone who needs a place to walk and to pray. The paths are quiet and close to nature. The labyrinth is a popular spot, not just on Sunday mornings, but during retreats, and during the week when friends, neighbors, and strangers need a break. Walking back to the labyrinth is like an invitation to lose some of the rush and bustle of everyday life. You don’t need to call ahead, but we recommend you read our Labyrinth page for a few helpful hints before you come.

Covenant is aware that we are responsible to those outside of our campus, and outside of our little neighborhood in Garden Ridge. We are exploring what it means to bear Christ’s presence in the world, and to partner with other Christians in the San Antonio area, and literally around the world. We have an ongoing relationship with an orphanage in Moldova, and we work closely with a justice initiative in the Democratic Republic of Eastern Congo. Our members travel to Congo and Moldova, and friends and representatives from those missions visit us as well. We find God, already at work, overseas. Ours is to simply join in as we are able. For us, our small physical presence in Garden Ridge need not confine us.

We have been blessed with gifted senior pastors over the years, including Gordon Atkinson, Kyndall Rothaus, Natalie Webb, interim Greg Richards, and our current pastor, Jenny Perkins Kiser.

If you have questions about Covenant, we’d be happy to answer them. Come by on a Sunday morning, or anytime you see Ben or one of the members mowing the grass. We like a good conversation.