Decorah Covenant Church is a multi-generational gathering of people wrestling out what it looks like to follow Jesus together. We think this starts by engaging deeply with Scripture and each other. And it grows as we allow the Spirit to empower us for Kingdom work.
We encourage one another to ask hard questions, show up as we are, and respond to the various ways God calls us. We believe everyone has something unique and essential to contribute to the Body of Christ. And we feel called to challenge, support, and equip one another as we explore and grow into our callings.
This is why you’ll often see kids and adults of all ages leading various aspects of our Sunday morning worship, from music to prayer to Scripture reading. And why we sometimes invite you to (gasp!) talk in church: with your neighbor, with a small group, or to God in prayer.
And this is why it matters that YOU are here on a Sunday morning. Because we believe you, too, have something essential to contribute to the Body. Our worship is not the same without you.
Wherever you are in your spiritual journey, we would love to walk with you toward Jesus. We hope that you’ll come with your questions, your struggles, your own history with Jesus, and the unique gifts God has given you.
Our History
In 1995, a small group of families began gathering once a week on Saturday evenings in living rooms to sing, study, and pray.
The group recognized God moving in their lives and by 1997 this small cluster had flourished and grown. They were inspired to worship together on Sunday mornings and searched for another worship site.
In December 1998, the group began meeting in the Decorah High School Music Room for public worship. After exploring several denominations, the membership felt the Spirit leading them to affiliate with the Evangelical Covenant Church and they hired their first ECC pastor.
In the summer of 1999, the assembly met in Decorah’s First Lutheran Church lounge for Sunday evening worship. By September, they began meeting at St. Benedict’s school gym. This not only allowed them to return to Sunday morning worship but afforded them room to grow.
In 2000, the congregation officially joined the Evangelical Covenant Church, celebrating Charter Sunday on Mother’s Day, May 14; and in 2009, the Decorah Covenant Church acquired its present location on Washington Street and began remodeling the building (which had previously been used as a bank) into a worship, fellowship, and education center. Dedication Sunday was observed on July 12, 2009.