The Point Community Church membership covenant comes from the elders out of their love for the church body and a desire to honor the Lord, His church and His people. The purpose of a membership covenant is to teach the biblical expectations and obligations for both the elders and individual members of The Point.
As shepherds and overseers of the local church, elders are entrusted with protecting, leading, equipping, and caring for the church body and the individual members. The elders of The Point take these responsibilities very seriously and after much prayer, thought, and study, we have determined that it is important for the members of The Point to commit to biblical church membership by entering into a covenant relationship with the body and leaders of the church.
From the Scriptures we find several examples of covenants; some between God and man as in Genesis 6,9,15; Ezekiel 20; Hosea 2; Jeremiah 31; and Matthew 26. Other examples are between people as in 1 Samuel 18 and 2 Samuel 5.
The covenant is first, and most importantly, a promise made to God as a commitment to seeking His glory and the good of the body, the bride of His Son.
This covenant contains many conditions that are general Christian obligations, such as all Christians are required to submit to the Scriptures, pursue holiness, steward resources, etc. The covenant is merely a tool to teach about what it means to be a member of the church. It is not intended to be a legal document.
If at any time a member feels as though the church is not remaining faithful to the statements in the covenant, it is the responsibility of the individual member to lovingly and humbly express their concerns to the church elders. If the church elders are unwilling to change or be faithful to the covenant then the member is free from their membership obligations and is encouraged to seek church membership elsewhere because of the church’s unfaithfulness.
The requirements of this covenant are not intended as an addition to the biblical obligations of a believer. Rather, this document functions as an explanation of what the Scriptures teach about the church and the obedience that faith produces in the life of a follower of Christ.
It is the belief of the elders that the covenant provides a clear explanation of biblical principles of church membership. It is our sole intention, prayer and hope that The Point Community Church would grow in the grace and truth of Jesus Christ as a result.
Finally, the elders are available to you for questions about the covenant. Please contact us if we can answer questions or concerns. We plan to present the final document to the membership in the first quarter membership meeting in 2010.
The elders.
Click here for a DRAFT of the Membership Covenant- Membership Covenant – DRAFT