The church covenant is a declaration of our duties as church members towards God and our fellow believers. You could think of this as a ‘cheat sheet’ of the duties of a Christian and the responsibilities which each church member pledges himself or herself to honor, in the best way possible. It outlines, in a summarized way, those duties which the New Testament requires as members of a church. The Church Covenant for members of Seaford Baptist is:
Having been brought by God’s grace to repent and believe in Jesus, having given ourselves to Him, and having been baptized following our profession of faith; we, relying on God’s grace, joyfully enter into this covenant with each other to seek to walk worthy of the calling we have received by …
GROWING IN CHRIST-LIKE CHARACTER (Ephesians 4:1, 13-15)
- Through attending and participating in worship faithfully (Revelation 4:11, John 4:23-24)
- Through reading and studying God’s word (Joshua 1:8, Colossians 3:16-18)
- Through consistent prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)
- Through participation in a Sunday School class or small group (Hebrews 10:24-25)
PROTECTING THE UNITY OF OUR CHURCH (Ephesians 4:1-5)
- By working hard at relational harmony (Ephesians 4:1-6)
- Through practically meeting the needs of other believers (Acts 2:44-45, 1 John 3:16-18)
- By seeking to use our words for positive good (Ephesians 4:29)
- Through seeking reconciliation according to Matthew 18:15-17, when conflict arises with another member.
LIVING OUT THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE GOSPEL TOWARD THE WORLD
- Through finding ways to share the good news of Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20)
- Through demonstrating the love of Jesus through hands on ministry to the community (Proverbs 21:13, Matthew 25:31-46)
- Through faithful financial giving to support the work of this Church and its ministry to the world (Malachi 3:10, 2 Corinthians 9:6-8)
PARTICIPATING IN THE MINISTRY OF OUR CHURCH
- By discovering our gifts and talents (Romans 12:6-8, Ephesians 4:7-11, 1 Corinthians 12, 1 Peter 4:10-11)
- By being equipped to serve by and with our pastors (Ephesians 4:11-12)