Worship Service
2306 S. Church Ave.
Covington, VA 24426
Service Time: Sundays, 11:00 am
What To Expect
When
Edgemont presently holds one worship service every Sunday morning, which begins at 11:00. Any changes to that will be announced on our website’s Homepage, our Facebook page, and our internal 1-call system. A bulletin for this upcoming Sunday’s service should be posted to this website by Friday.
Dress Code
Written or unwritten, there is no dress code. The important thing is to simply be present to worship God among His church people. Please wear whatever you want to wear so that you feel comfortable. Most attenders opt for “smart casual.” You will see men in ties and sports jackets, as well as open-collared golf shirts. Ladies come in dresses, slacks and jeans. In other words, people are encouraged to wear whatever they are comfortable wearing.
Parking
Ample paved parking is available immediately in front of the church, which includes multiple parking spaces for those who are disabled. Our deacons may even escort you with an umbrella if it’s raining!
Music
Edgemont has had a choir for decades and we continue to be blessed by those who want to sing as a choir member. In addition to a couple of hymns or songs performed by the choir, the congregation will corporately sing 2 or 3 traditional hymns. Selections are aligned with the sermon topic and the church calendar (e.g., Christmas, Easter, etc.). A grand piano and a full organ may accompany the singing, which is led by our Choir Director. Hymnals are provided (The Worshiping Church—A Hymnal) but we also post the lyrics on overhead monitors.
In addition to corporate hymns, we also sing the Doxology (Genevan Psalter, Old Hundredth) that praises God, as well as the Gloria Patri (Greatorex version) which ascribes glory to the Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
Unison Confessions and Prayer
The universal Christian church is a confessing body of believers under the headship of Christ. As such, we acknowledge our core beliefs that affirm the tenets of our faith, as expressed in the Holy Scriptures. Edgemont most often recites the Apostles’ Creed, but occasionally will instead recite the Nicene Creed (examples, below).*
In addition to pastor-led prayers, the congregation will recite The Lord’s Prayer.* This prayer is a model prayer taught to us by the Lord Jesus.
Our Sanctuary
Edgemont’s sanctuary was designed with purpose and there are subtle aspects of its architecture that may not be noticed or understood at first glance.
Foremost, our pulpit is elevated above the congregation, the Lord’s Table, and the choir. This is because the Word of God is the ultimate authority, proclaimed by the Holy Spirit—God Himself—and pronounced and delivered from the pulpit.
The stained-glass at the front of the sanctuary forms the shape of the cross. By this, we are reminded of the Gospel—the Good News—that Jesus died as God’s acceptable atonement for sin. And it is an empty cross because He resurrected, having died once for all time.
The Lord’s Table and baptismal font sit on the sanctuary floor—in front of the congregation and directly under the pulpit area. This location demonstrates that the two sacraments instituted by Jesus (Baptism and The Lord’s Supper) are means of grace that provide ways for His people to communicate (and commune) with Him, but ways that flow to us from God, as expressed in His Word. As such, the baptismal font and the Lord’s Table are positioned below the pulpit from where the Word is preached, and serve to enable our partaking of the sacraments.
And lastly, the high ceiling depicts the transcendent nature of God - that He is above us in all ways, and that He condescended to reveal Himself to man.
The Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s Supper is a sacrament instituted by the Lord Jesus. As exemplified at the last supper that Jesus ate with His disciples, the Lord took bread and wine and explained that they represent His body and blood. With those disciples, the Lord ate the bread and drank the wine, commanding that His followers remember Him in this way until He returns in glory.
Edgemont has chosen to celebrate the Lord by observing the ordinance of the Lord’s Table on the first Sunday of each calendar quarter. This celebration is a solemn occasion and one that should be prepared for with prayer, self-examination in light of the Scriptures, and personal confession of sin. We invite all believers in Jesus—all who confess Him as Lord and Savior—to join with us in this Supper.
Also, Edgemont recognizes that wine may rightly be used as the element of drink, but we have opted for unfermented grape juice as the fruit of the vine to represent the blood of Christ, shed for the remission of sins for many.
Why does our pastor wear a robe?
In the Protestant Church, there is nothing special about the minister’s wearing of a robe. Typically, the black robe is worn by the pastor who delivers the sermon, partly out of tradition and partly out of practicality.
The tradition aspect comes from the time of the Reformation—those years when the unbiblical practices of the Roman Catholic Church were being exposed; when the teachings of Jesus and the Apostles enumerated in the Bible were being reclaimed as right and authoritative. In contrast to the Roman Catholic clergy of that day, who tended to wear colorful robes adorned with vestments which conveyed ecumenical rank and an air of holiness, the Protestant Reformers wore plain black (traditionally called the Geneva Gown), which was the dress of the academic professor who taught the Word of God. And so the black gown worn in today’s pulpit at Edgemont is a reminder that, in contrast to the Roman Catholic Church’s conveyance of institutional power through the status of men, God’s Word is being taught to the people, by the Holy Spirit, in the common language of those hearing it preached.
The practical aspect of our pastor’s wearing the robe is simply to help the congregant focus on the preached Word, and not to be distracted by the pastor’s personal clothing.