The Journey is a member of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC), a denomination based in Chicago, Illinois. The ECC is a rapidly growing multi-ethnic denomination in the United States and Canada with ministries on five continents of the world.  Founded in 1885 by Swedish immigrants, the ECC values the Bible as the Word of God, the gift of God's grace and ever-deepening spiritual life that comes through faith in Jesus Christ, the importance of extending God's love and compassion to a hurting world, and the strength that comes from unity within diversity.   The Evangelical Covenant Church has its roots in historical Christianity as it emerged in the Protestant Reformation, in the biblical instruction of the Lutheran State Church of Sweden, and in the great spiritual awakenings of the nineteenth century. These three influences have in large measure shaped its development and are to be borne in mind in seeking to understand its distinctive spirit.   Covenant churches are:   Evangelical, but not exclusive, Biblical, but not doctrinaire, Traditional, but not rigid, and Congregational, but not independent.     The unique character of the Covenant is expressed in the design of the Covenant logo (left) - - people united in Christ, people serving people in God's name, and people bringing people to Christ. The basis of the design is symbolic of four people facing north, south, east, and west. Note that each one's arms are outstretched, indicating the church's outreach in mission and service to the world. The four are part of the whole, yet their hands do not touch, symbolizing their unity in the freedom and evangelical warmth that characterizes the Covenant. The geometric arrangement of the four figures results in a crosslike pattern, representative of the center of our faith. The center circle symbolizes the unity and the bond of fellowship which we call "the Covenant."   For more information, please visit http://www.covchurch.org.