The Cross Church Membership Covenant
The Purpose of this Covenant
A church covenant has framed our commitment to love and serve one another under the Lordship of Christ since 2009. Within this covenant are the church’s obligations to its members and individual members’ obligations to the church.
This document summarizes how we promise to live together as people covenanted together as a local body, with Christ as the head and articulates the New Testament ethics, which shape our moral framework for living together as a community. Our acceptance of this document follows the practice of believers throughout the centuries who have pledged to God and to one another to live out the gospel in community.
We use our covenant in two key ways today:
We require all prospective members to affirm the covenant and commit to its fulfillment before signing it and joining the church.
Individual members and households reaffirm their affirmation of and commitment to the covenant yearly during a scheduled pastoral visit.
By featuring the covenant in our life together, we strive to protect ourselves from individual and corporate sin that hinders our joy and progress in the faith, and our witness to the world.
By implementing this covenant we maximize our fruitfulness to the local church, and our ability to honor Christ among his people.
The Cross Church Membership Covenant
I. The Cross Church’s Obligations to its Members
We covenant that the church’s pastors & teachers will meet the criteria assigned to them in the Scriptures (1 Tim. 3:1-13; 5:17-22; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-4).
We covenant to seek God’s will for our church community to the best of our ability as we study the Scriptures and follow the Spirit (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1-5).
We covenant to care for you and seek your growth as a disciple of Christ, in part by equipping you for service to Jesus and others (Eph. 4:11-13).
We covenant to provide teaching and counsel from the whole of Scripture (Acts 20:27-28; Gal. 6:6; 1 Tim. 5:17-18).
We covenant to pray for the church regularly, (Acts 6:4) and when sick (if desired) the elders can lay on hands and anoint with oil (James 5:14).
We covenant to be on guard against false teachers (Acts 20:28-31; Gal 1; 2 Tim 1:12-4).
We covenant to bear one another burdens so to fulfill the law of Christ, regularly denying self for the sake of Christ’s church (Gal 6:2; Rom 15:1).
We covenant to seek holiness diligently as leaders and as members indiscriminately (1 Cor. 11:1; Phil. 3:17; 1 Tim. 4:12).
II. A Member’s Obligations to The Cross Church
I will be eager to maintain the unity that we share in Christ and will not be divisive to The Cross Doctrinal Statement and have affirmed all matters regarding the essentials of the gospel. I also understand the importance of submission to church leadership and will be diligent to preserve unity and peace (Eph. 4:1-3; Heb. 13:7, 17).
I covenant to submit to the authority of Scripture as the final authority on all issues. (Ps. 119; 2 Tim. 3:16-17).
I will maintain a close relationship with the Lord Jesus through regular Bible reading, prayer, and fellowship. My relationship with him will be evident by not neglecting to gather together with the church during its corporate gatherings (Ps 105:1-2; Ps. 119:97; Acts 2:42-47; Heb. 10:23-25; 2 Peter 1:3).
I will be a cheerful, faithful steward of God’s resources to support the expenses of the church’s ministry, relief to the needy among us, and spread of the gospel to all nations (Prov. 3:9-10; Rom. 12:1- 2; Gal. 5:22-26; Eph. 4:1-16; 5:15-18; Rom. 12:1-8; 2 Cor. 8-9; 12:7-31; 1 Peter 4:10-11; Gal 6:6).
I covenant to submit to biblical church discipline if the need arises (Heb 13:17; Ps. 141:5; Matt. 18:15- 17; 1 Cor. 5:1-5; 2 Cor. 2:5-8; Gal. 6:1-5 8; 1 Tim. 5:20; 2 Tim. 2:25; Titus 1:9; 3:10-11; Heb. 12:5-11; Rev. 2:5-7, 14-25).
I covenant to engage in fulfilling the biblical roles for men & women as prescribed in Scripture (Gen 2:18-25; Eph 5:22-33).
I covenant to walk in holiness as an act of worship to Jesus Christ, who has saved me from my sin that I could live a new life (2 Cor. 5:17); I will practice complete chastity before marriage and complete fidelity in heterosexual marriage by abstaining from practices such as cohabitation, pornography, and fornication (Job 31:1; Prov. 5; Rom. 13:12-14; 1 Cor. 6:9-7:16; Heb. 13:4); I will refrain from illegal drug use, drunkenness, and other sinful behavior as the Bible, my pastor, and my conscience dictate (1 Cor. 8:7; Gal. 5:19-21). Should I sin in such a manner, I agree to confess my sins to Christian brothers or sisters and seek help to put my sin to death (Rom. 8:13; Col. 3:5; 1 John 1:6-10).
I covenant, when leaving this church, to notify the leaders and to find and submit to a gospel-preaching church.
