About Us
We are a church in the Reformed and Presbyterian tradition.
We are a member church of
the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA).
That means …
… we believe we are saved by God's grace alone
through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone
for God's glory alone, according to the Bible alone.
… we're downstream
from the Reformers
John Calvin and John Knox.
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… you can read more about what we believe about God, our theology, in the Westminster Confession of Faith and
Larger & Shorter Catechisms.
Ministry Focus
WE BELIEVE
WORSHIP
exalting Christ
Word and Sacrament.
Chorus and hymn.
Confession and doxology.
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At Grace Covenant, our worship centers on the Triune God of the historic, orthodox, evangelical Christian faith. We worship because God has called us in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and has saved us by grace through faith. Each part of worship engages our hearts and minds and points us to the saving work of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
DISCIPLESHIP
growing in Christ
Disciples are learners.
Discipleship is training.
At Grace Covenant, we value training and equipping believers both to proclaim and to live out life in Christ. Discipleship occurs on Sundays at Grace Covenant, through our worship service and Christian education. But primarily, discipleship at Grace Covenant happens in our small group ministry, in the context of relationships founded on the Word of God and developed by praying, living, and serving together.
MISSION
proclaiming Christ
Apostles are sent-out-ones.
Mission is disciple-making
in a larger context.
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The people of God have always been intended to be a missional people, taking the message of the Gospel to those around us and to the ends of the earth. Grace Covenant works both with our neighbors and with missionaries and missions groups overseas to "make disciples of all nations."
Leadership
We are led by men qualified and called to shepherd and serve Christ's church (1 Timothy 3; Titus 1). Below you can meet our pastors, elders, and deacons.
John
Frese
Pastor
Pastor Frese and his family joined Grace Covenant in Oct 2016. Pastor John grew up in Nebraska (Go Big Red!) and completed seminary in North Carolina (at SEBTS). John and his wife Tami have been married & ministering for almost 25 years and are blessed to be raising 5 children together. Pastor John loves coffee, good books, good jokes, and can often be found playing board games or riding his bike (summer) and his XC skis (winter) on the tremendous trails around the Twin Cities. His playlist includes Imagine Dragons, Bach, and The Gray Havens.
Luke
Wynja
Assistant Pastor, Director of Counseling
Pastor Luke and his wife Julie came to Grace Covenant in 2019. Luke grew up in the Denver Metro area, and attended Covenant Seminary for his M. Div and D. Min, and Crown College for his Master's in Counseling. They have been blessed through birth and adoption to welcome 11 children into their family, and find that life is never boring, slow, or lacking in noise and action. If Luke is not counseling or doing ministry, he is either building something or spending time at the cabin in NW Wisconsin. One of his favorite quotes is "attempt great things for God, expect great things from God," (William Carey). If he actually had a playlist, it would include his favorite theologians, Michael W. Smith and Rich Mullins, and a few random country songs thrown in for dramatic effect.
Tom
Luttio
Elder
Tom and his wife Terri live in Lakeville and have two adult daughters with whom they enjoy spending time. Tom has been immeasurably blessed to profess Jesus as Savior since 1991. Tom enjoys going on walks with Terri, the gym, and memorizing scripture. Tom’s current playlist includes various contemporary Christian music, Glen Campbell guitar solos and Beethoven’s 5th Symphony.
Patrick
O Banion
Elder
Patrick and his wife, Rachel, are transplants to the upper Midwest but have found that they love the weather. Rachel serves as the coordinator of Grace Covenant’s women’s ministry and homeschools their two children. Patrick serves with a local organization that provides theological training for pastors around the world.
Kevin
VerMeer
Elder
Kevin and his wife Teresa have been members at Grace Covenant (prior Riverside) for over 25 years,
since moving back to the midwest from the east coast in 1994. They have two sons, Billy and Logan,
and are all sports fans (Twins, Packers, Badgers). They welcomed Erin to the family in September
2021 when she and Billy were married, even though she is a Vikings fan. Kevin enjoys reading and listening to various podcasts,and spending time with the family, including cats Mabel and Ivey. He gets to work from home, which involves computer programming and related software development activities. Although not much for music playlists, he would vote for playing Christmas music all year.
John
Willems
Elder Emeritus
John grew up in Montana and served in both the Army and Navy, including the Navy chaplaincy program. He was a law enforcement officer in Montana and elsewhere for nearly 40 years. He and his wife Jill life south of the river with their beloved cats. John enjoys wood carving, restoring wood furniture and reading the works of old theologians – the older the better. He also enjoys hymns and sacred music, along with the Beach Boys' "Pet Sounds," which tops his list of greatest–ever albums.
Randy
Wahlstrom
Deacon
Randy and his wife Lorie joined Grace Covenant in 2017. Randy grew up in North Dakota, Lorie in Minnesota and have been married since 2000. They have 3 grown sons and are now blessed with two granddaughters. Randy enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, and cheering on his favorite sports teams.
Bryan
Peterson
Deacon
Bryan is the newest member of our deacons team. Watch this space for more about Bryan and his wife Carina.