Covenant Presbyterian Church - Charlotte, NC

Young adults

learning, serving and fellowship

Whether you are new to Charlotte or have been here for your whole life, you’ll find a community built on faith, compassion, generosity and love. Sign up here to receive our monthly newsletters.  

Welcome

We are grateful for your interest in Young Adults at Covenant!

Our goal is to continually build a community of friends who serve together, learn together, and share life’s ups and downs together. We would love for you to be a part of it.

Whether you are new to Charlotte or have been here for your whole life, you’ll find a community built on faith, compassion, generosity, and love here at Covenant. We strive to be a place where each and every person feels supported, while also being a ministry which serves the wider community and world.  

Upcoming Events

  • Work From (church) Home: We are delighted to continue Work From (church) Home through the summer and have our next morning planned for Thursday, June 5th. As always, breakfast will be provided, and we look forward to sharing the workspace. RSVPS are not necessary, but it will help us plan accordingly – you can do so here.
  • Camp Covenant GOES URBAN: Save the date for Saturday, June 7th and join YA to celebrate the start of summer! We will be shaking things up a bit this year and hosting our annual summer-kick-off-party at Belle Acres, a hidden gem in Charlotte that you’ve likely driven by on South Blvd. Technically a golf club due to the miniature putt-putt course out back, Belle Acres has been a Charlotte staple since 1989 and stands strong amid the development of Southend. The afternoon will be complete with good food and drink, games and community. Formal invitation to come – we hope you’ll be there!
  • Faith in Times of Fracture: Throughout the year, Covenant YA will host one-off opportunities to gather for both fellowship and education. Our second Fellow-Ed Event will offer an opportunity for YA to meet and greet with one another, as well as an opportunity to hear from Bob Henderson, Senior Minister, and Shea Watts, Director of Contemporary Worship and Arts. Bob and Shea will reflect on how we might live faithfully in an increasingly polarized culture and world and will offer some thoughts around how we might engage in the conversation between culture and religion. Join us to learn more, and perhaps to connect with some folks you haven’t yet met. This event will take place on Tuesday, June 17th at 6:00pm and will be hosted at the home of Mike and Susan Ferone. To help us plan ahead, sign up here.
  • YA CAMPS: The first (annual?) YA Camping Trip is just around the corner on June 27 – 29. This two-night excursion will take place on Long Arm Peninsula in Lake James State Park. All levels of camping experience are welcome. Registration is now open, and we’d love to have you join us!  Sign up here!
  • Night at the Knights:  Our annual “Night at the Knights” is on the books. Join us on Sunday, August 3 as the Charlotte Knights take on the Rochester Red Wings, the triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. This year, we’ve reserved 20 Field Box Seats behind the 3rd base. Tickets are $25 apiece – claim yours today and we’ll see ya at the ballpark! If you have any questions, please email Mary Kate Sykes.

Community learning

Covenant Young Adults believe that we are called to learn with and from one another, which is why we offer multiple opportunities to learn together throughout the year. Whether it is through joining a Life Group or participating in Adult Education, we hope you’ll join us to grow in faith and in community. If you find yourself looking at these offerings and unsure where specifically to get involved, or perhaps hoping for a new, uncreated space, please reach out. It would be our great joy to expand our opportunities for community learning, and to partner with you in doing so.

Young Adult Life Groups

Covenant is a large congregation, but we understand the importance of small, close-knit, communities. That’s why we encourage our members and participants to be involved in Life Groups. Life Groups provide the space for both spiritual friendship and spiritual growth, and we’ve seen them to be the local of transformation within the life of faith.
Covenant Young Adults hosts a number of Life Groups. Some choose to meet weekly, and others meet seasonally. However it is that you’re looking to participate, we’d love to help you find the right space and time. Contact Mary Kate Sykes to learn more, and/or review our Small Group FAQ.

Fellow-Ed Events

Throughout the year, Covenant YA hosts one-off opportunities to gather for both fellowship and education. This year, we look forward to hosting three Fellow-Ed Events. As we expand and develop this ministry offering, we invite your ideas and suggestions as to topics of interest. In the meantime, we hope you’ll join us for the following, some dates TBD:

  • Mindful Transitions with Karen Willis
  • Finding Freedom with your Finances with Bob Henderson

serving

Monthly (or so) at McCreesh Place

Covenant YA partners with Supportive Housing Communities (SHC) and specifically, with McCreesh Place, Charlotte's first permanent supportive housing community, located in NoDa.  McCreesh Place is home to 90 formerly homeless men and women and we are grateful to call them friends and neighbors.  We spend time with folks at McCreesh Place monthly, participating in a range of activities that offer space for relationship building - in the past, this has included working in the garden, hosting BINGO and sharing meals.  Contact us to learn more about upcoming opportunities.  

Seasonal Service Projects

Throughout the year, we gather to support significant group projects such as Covenant Impacts Charlotte (our church-wide day of service), Habitat for Humanity builds, or environmental cleanups. We'd love to have you participate in our next one!

Global and Regional Mission Work

We encourage young adults to participate in Covenant-sponsored mission trips around the world. These offerings occur throughout the year and are a great way to serve, learn, and build connections across our church community.

Fellowship

At Covenant Young Adults we strive to cultivate meaningful, lasting, and faith-centered friendships. As such, we create regular opportunities for you to meet new people and strengthen existing relationships. We hope you will consider joining us! Our fellowship events are always open to all young adults, and they are a great way to plug in if you are new to Charlotte or Covenant.

First Sunday Community Meal
On the first Sunday of each month we gather at a local restaurant at 12:30 to share a meal and conversation together. It is a great way to catch-up, meet new friends, and explore the city! See our “Upcoming Events” to learn more about our next gathering.

Work From (Church) Home
Over the past two years or so (really since Covid), many have had a change in work environment – some of us are fully in person, others hybrid, and others completely remote. For those looking for a change of scenery on the hybrid and remote days of work, we invite you to join Covenant YA as we “Work From (church) Home together on the First Thursday of each month.
From 8:30am – 12:30pm, you are invited to join us in the upper rooms of the Fellowship Hall where breakfast and coffee will be provided, as well as colleagues to work beside. The program will close with a brief service of song, scripture, and prayer.
RSVPS are not necessary but will help us plan accordingly – you can sign up to join us here! Upcoming dates include February 6th, March 6th, April 3rd, and May 1st. Interested in contributing to our breakfast spread? Note your contribution here.

Park Play Dates
 The “Parents and Families” branch of YA Ministry hosts Park Play Dates every few months to provide space for fellowship among parents with young children. These are held on Saturday mornings (9AM – 11AM) at Latta Park in Dilworth. Coffee and pastries are provided. Latta has a wonderful playground, and we hope you’ll join us for a morning of fellowship and play! See our “Upcoming Events” to learn more about our next gathering.

Seasonal and Special Events
Throughout the year we seek to host several special and seasonal events. This includes larger gatherings such as our summer kickoff (Camp Covenant), an annual Fall Retreat, Friendsgiving, and a Christmas Party. It also includes one-off events, like Happy Hours and Tennis Clinics.
Several of our special and seasonal events have already been scheduled, and we hope you’ll save the date for:
  • Camp Covenant: Sunday, June 8th, 2:00 – 5:00pm
  • YA Fall Retreat at Dreaming Stone Arts and Ecology Center in Rutherfordton, NC:  October 10 – 12th
Whether you’ve been around for a while or are exploring Covenant, we’d love to have you!

Interested in connecting with us?

People seek out a church for many different reasons. To learn more and get connected, drop Mary Kate Sykes a line below and she will reach out. Or sign up here to receive our monthly newsletter.