Covenant Presbyterian Church - Charlotte, NC

Outdoor ministry

Cultivating our faith

Mission: To provide members of our community practical opportunities to experience nature; deepen relationships with the church, each other and our natural surroundings; and grow in faithful stewardship of the environment. We do this through:

  • Fresh Air and Fellowship: Providing people of all ages and life stages a simple, compelling, low-barrier-to-entry option for nurturing their physical health and for building their relationships with and through the church through fellowship. (ex. Hikes, Sunday strolls, kayaking, etc.)
  • Community Connection: Using nature and the environment as a universal context to foster relationships within and beyond the Covenant community. (ex. Earth care for sacred spaces/campus gardening, stream cleans, gleaning, etc.) 
  • Eco-theology: Providing programming and curriculum to enhance ecological and environmental knowledge with a biblical, spiritual and theological emphasis. (ex. Open Table programs, contemplative hikes, etc.) 
  • Earth Care and Sustainability: Examining and putting into practice our spiritual convictions about taking care of the environment, both on the Covenant campus and within our local community. (ex. Programs and panel discussions, projects and calls to action, examining systemic issues, engaging in environmental restorative justice, etc.)
Contact Lauren Sawyers with questions

Outdoor Ministry Activities

Community Hikes

March 17 (rain date: March 24) at 2:00 p.m. Redlair Preserve, Gaston Co.
Join Covenant Outdoor Ministry and Haywood Rankin, NC Conservationist of the Year 2023, on a hike through this exceptional ecological habitat.  
The outing presents an extraordinary opportunity to witness a rare, undisturbed Piedmont riverine slope ecosystem and possibly an ephemeral wildflower display. Moderate difficulty over uneven terrain.

April 27 at 10:00 a.m. Camp Grier in Old Fort, North Carolina
A great day in the woods less than a two-hour drive from Charlotte.  Julian and Amy Wright, facilitators.  
Hike in and around Camp Grier (to the Rock Slide and maybe up to the new Fire Tower) or perhaps explore the new Gateway Trails system that the Camp has helped develop adjacent to the Camp’s property.  
Sign up here for Hikes

Community Care: Gleaning 

Be a part of the solution to food waste and food insecurity by spending time with Covenant friends collecting leftover crops from farmers' fields after they have been commercially harvested or on fields where it is not economically profitable to harvest.  Glean with Covenant through the St. Andrew Society.  
Email Mary Carrigan with questions

Community Care: Stream Cleans 

Join Covenant friends at the Chantilly Ecological Sanctuary as we enjoy nature and beautify the space by removing litter in and around the wetland ponds and along the banks of Briar Creek.   Covenant has adopted this stretch of the creek, committing to quarterly beautification events.  
Sunday, December 3 at 4:00 p.m.
Sign up here for stream cleans

Sustainability

Using the Interfaith Power and Light resource and process guide, we will examine Covenant’s carbon footprint and propose recommendations for taking steps toward a greener campus and providing tools and resources for individuals to live into our call to care for the environment.
Action items could include:
● Planting a native pollinator garden on campus,
● Examining and enhancing our campus recycling program,
● Installing solar panels and/or EV charging stations on campus,
● Creating a community compost bin,
● Committing to environmentally-friendly landscaping
● Offering a program on climate-friendly investing, etc.
email mary gaertner to participate in campus assessment