Service

Our Savior taught us that to be an effective leader one must first be a willing servant. Thus, we at Covenant believe that Christianity establishes the dignity of labor, and the Reformed faith in particular, emphasizes our duty to serve God by serving His church and His world in a variety of callings. As Christian brothers and sisters, we are all part of the body of Christ and, as such, each have different responsibilities to that body. Covenant College needs you to help us build our College to God’s glory. Thus, to this end, Covenant College has implemented the Mark 10:45 Program (see Mark 10:45, I Corinthians 12, especially verses 12-27). The Mark 10:45 Program is to reflect the College’s Statement of Purpose.

The purpose of the program is threefold:

To further develop our identity in Christ as individuals and as His body.
To learn and apply a biblical frame of reference (thoughts and attitudes).
To serve as Christ would serve (actions).

To give you just one example of how our students are using the gifts and passions God has given them to impact Chattanooga, one of our sophomores has been volunteering weekly at a local hospital. Listen to what she has to say about the experience:

Having this opportunity to volunteer at Erlanger has helped me in so many ways. For one, it has helped me to realize that I do have time to volunteer. Many times I get caught up in my own busy life and I don’t feel like I have time to give back, but this experience has shown me that there is time if you make it. This experience has also helped me to learn how to be a servant for Christ without expecting anything in return. Through this weekly experience, I found myself doing this service out of love, and not because it was required."

Mark 10:45 Project

During orientation week, new students will spend an afternoon with their Christian Mind class volunteering at a local organization or church. Students will get to hear about the organizations’ work in Chattanooga and debrief with their Christian Mind professor after the project is finished.

Mark 10:45 Program

First year students are required to complete 15 hours of service per semester. First year students are involved in various assignments and projects on campus. The majority are assigned to Facilities Services or Athletics. Jobs include custodial cleaning of campus buildings, moving furniture, gym monitoring, and working at athletic events. Students can expect to work on teams with other first year students and a student team leader.

First year students may also find opportunities to serve off campus with churches or other organizations. All off campus opportunities must be approved by the Office of Student Development prior to beginning service.

Married and part-time students are exempt from the Mark 10:45 Program.

Mark 10:45 Opportunities

A consistent thread of service-over-self will connect the required offerings at the outset of a student’s time at Covenant with opportunities to volunteer willingly in order to serve the local community in the sophomore, junior and senior years. Our hope is that seniors will graduate with hearts tuned to serve, seeing others as more significant than themselves (Philippians 2:3-4).

Voluntary Mark 10:45 opportunities will be emphasized during the entire tenure of a student’s time at Covenant. Whether it be hall service projects, Love Lookout, or other options that present themselves from Chattanooga and the surrounding communities, all students will have the opportunity to volunteer by contacting the student development office for information on Mark 10:45 opportunities throughout the year.

Any questions regarding the Mark 10:45 Program should be directed to the Student Development Office: