about thornapple

what we believe

Since 1979, Thornapple Covenant Church has been called to help people find and follow Jesus Christ (John 1:35-51). We believe this to be our main task and by the power of the Holy Spirit we participate in God’s mission that all people come to faith and that all things be made right in and through Jesus our Lord.

But how should we live? What shape does our discipleship take in our daily lives? At Thornapple finding and following Jesus means we humbly commit ourselves to a way of daily living that honors Jesus and winsomely draws people to him. To that end we invite each person to practice the following missional habits:

Bless our neighbors with God’s love and the good news of Jesus (Witness).

Look to God in prayer at all times and seasons (Pray).

Learn Jesus through engagement with God’s word (Word).

Share our life with a small group of disciples (Community).

Care for the poor and vulnerable as we extend the compassion of Christ (Serve).

Read our full mission statement
Learn about our vision

Our Denomination

We are a part of the Evangelical Covenant Church, a denomination of more than eight hundred churches in the United States and Canada. It was founded by Swedish immigrants in 1885 as a voluntary covenant of churches committed to working together to share the Good News of Jesus Christ. Covenant churches emphasize the Bible’s witness to new life in Jesus Christ expressed in a day to day walk with the Lord.

For Covenant people, our essential beliefs are summed up in six “Covenant Affirmations.”
  • We affirm the centrality of the word of God.
  • We affirm the necessity of the new birth.
  • We affirm a commitment to the whole mission of the Church.
  • We affirm the Church as a fellowship of believers.
  • We affirm a conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit.
  • We affirm the reality of freedom in Christ.
Read a full description of the Evangelical Covenant Church and learn more about the affirmations.

View videos created by the denomination about each affirmation

Get a historical overview of the demographic change in the Covenant from 1885 to today 
Meet Our Leaders