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.

Hickory Campus Chapels
Every Wednesday, the Middle and Upper School communities each 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 a member of the community.

    • Bryan Verbrugge

      Hickory 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. After starting at 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, Theology Department Chairman, and senior Theology teacher.  He also coaches the Varsity Boys Soccer team.  Bryan and his wife, KC, have four children.

    • Abby Remein

      Co-Middle School Chaplain

    • Kyle O'Donnell

      Co-Middle School Chaplain

The Lord powerfully drew Kyle to Himself while he attended UVA. From there he was a Trinity Fellow, where he also met his now wife, Elizabeth, with whom he has three wonderful children. Kyle served in the student ministry for years at Trinity Presbyterian Church, and later in campus ministry with RUF at UVA, during which he pursued his MDiv at RTS in DC. Kyle took his first pastorate outside of Raleigh, NC, during COVID (that was quite a first gig). In 2023, he and his family moved back to Charlottesville to serve at Church of the Good Shepherd, and now he also gets to serve as a Theology teacher and Chaplain in the middle school.

    • Matt Johnson

      Lower School Chaplain

Matt Johnson grew up in a small town in northern Arkansas and enlisted in the Marine Corps out of high school. While serving in the Marine Corps, Matt found a love of teaching as a firearms and close quarters battle instructor. After surrendering his life to Jesus only a few months before leaving the Marine Corps, he worked in security for several years before going to college at PVCC and UVa later becoming a teacher at The Covenant School. His greatest joy in life is learning and teaching God’s Word to students, and helping others recognize and discover God’s love for them and the plans He has for them, even as children.

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.
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