Description
Members of a local church are bound to one another by a common covenant. This covenant is a promise of how we will live together as a church of Jesus Christ. The Membership Covenant is a covenant among our members, a summary of our expectations for the life of the church, a statement of church ethics, and a standard given to us in the Bible. The promises we make in the Membership Covenant are based on the Scriptures. Our acceptance of such a covenant is a pledge to God and to each other, inherited from saints throughout the ages.
By signing and reciting the covenant, we will endeavor to keep ourselves from personal and collective sin. In the same way, we motivate each other to live under a greater covenant, a new covenant that comes from God's love, sealed by the death of Jesus Christ, and held by Him for all eternity.
Content
We believe that God's divine grace has brought us to repentance from our sins, to believe in the salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ, to accept Him as Lord of our lives, and to receive the sacrament of baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Now by His grace we solemnly and joyfully affirm the covenant we have made to one another:
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We will endeavor to keep all the truths that God has revealed to us through His Word, the Bible, and to obey the teachings of the Bible and display the glory of God;
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We commit ourselves to love and strengthen one another in the unity of the faith, following the example of Jesus Christ's self-denial and love for others, so that others may grow in the truth of God;
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We will endeavor to live as members of one another, encouraging one another in faithfulness and love, watching and praying for one another, admonishing one another, communicating with one another in reconciliation, and preserving with one heart and mind the unity given by the Holy Spirit;
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We will not cease or give up our meetings, nor will we neglect to pray for ourselves, our families and others;
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We commit ourselves to rejoice with those who rejoice, and to support one another in love and patience, bearing each other's burdens and sorrows;
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With God's help, we will endeavor to be prudent in our earthly life, to resist ungodly lusts, to do our duty in the world, to be honest in our lives, and to refrain in our private life from slander, false accusations, and gossip;
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We will commit ourselves faithfully to the ministry of the church, pray for the church regularly, and serve the church actively;
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We will endeavor to live a witnessing life and win more souls for Christ;
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We commit ourselves to glorify the God who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light, whether we prevail or fall in this life.
Note: This Church Covenant was adopted at the October 30, 2022 Congregational meeting.