Grace Community Baptist Church

 

Our Covenant

By the grace of God, having, as we trust, been brought by divine grace to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and to give up ourselves to Him, and having been baptized upon our profession of faith, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, we do now, relying on His gracious aid, joyfully and solemnly enter into this holy covenant with each other.  Knowing that our Lord Jesus taught that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and that the next is to love our neighbor as ourselves, we endeavor to do these things in the following manner:

Regarding the Corporate Body of Grace Community Baptist Church we desire and intend to:

1.      Walk together in Christian love, working and praying for the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace;

2.      Strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness, unity and warmth of fellowship;

3.      Promote her spirituality and well-being;

4.      Sustain her worship, ordinances, and doctrines;

5.      Submit to the church’s discipline upon ourselves and lovingly assume our responsibility to participate in the discipline of other members, as taught in Scripture;

6.      Give her sacred preeminence over all institutions of human origin;

7.      Commit our resources for the support of the ministries of this church, the relief of the poor, the cause of revival and reformation, and the spread of the gospel through all nations.

 

Regarding ourselves individually, we desire and intend to:

1.      Maintain personal and family devotions;

2.      Religiously educate our children and any others who are given to our care;

3.      Seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances;

4.      Be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our conduct;

5.      Personally contribute time and money, cheerfully and regularly, to the support of the ministries of this church, the relief of the poor, the cause of revival and reformation, and the spread of the gospel through all nations.

 

Regarding our relationships with one another, we desire and intend to:

1.      Watch over one another in brotherly love, affectionately caring and encouraging whenever possible, and gently correcting when necessary;

2.      Remember one another in prayer;

3.      Aid one another in sickness and distress;

4.      Cultivate the ability to rejoice at each other’s joys and bear with each other’s burdens and sorrows with tenderness and sympathy;

5.      Cultivate Christian courtesy in speech by avoiding all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger;

6.      Be slow to take offense, always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the teaching of our Savior to secure it without delay.

Regarding our relationship with the world, we desire and intend to:

1.      Strive by God’s grace and power to live as Christ in the world, walking circumspectly and denying ungodliness and worldly lusts;

2.      Use our influence as salt and light to combat practices such as prejudice, abuse of substances and the spread of pornography, and any other which lead to moral and spiritual decay both personally and socially;

3.      Be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior, seeking the salvation of our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and all the nations.

When by God’s hand we move from this place, we will as soon as possible, unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God's Word.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all.  Amen.