Membership Covenant
- I recognize Jesus Christ as the only means of salvation. I have accepted Him as my personal Lord and Savior, God as my heavenly Father, and the Holy Spirit as my guide. I accept the Bible as the authoritative Word of God and believe that all Scripture is given by direct inspiration of God. I therefore base my faith, life, and practice on its written message. My goal is to live according to Jesus’ teaching of love, peace, and reconciliation in all my relationships. I affirm and accept the doctrines of the Bible as expressed in the 1963 Mennonite Confession of Faith.
- Recognizing the Christian’s deep need for fellowship, I will faithfully support our congregation’s life by participating in the worship experience and the discipling ministries. I will support our leaders, my brothers and sisters, and all our activities in prayer (Hebrews 10:25; Luke 4:16).
- I will carefully cultivate a personal devotional life by regular study and meditation in God’s Word combined with prayer for myself and others (Psalms 1:2-3).
- I pledge to live openly and lovingly with my brothers and sisters, to share their joys, problems, and concerns with a caring heart. I will always be ready for reconciliation and secure it without delay by willingly receiving and giving counsel in love, if offenses (sin) should arise (Matthew 18).
I will take seriously Jesus’ great commission. By my daily words and life, I will testify to those around me and to the world at large of God’s saving and enabling grace (Matthew 28:18-20).
I recognize that the things I possess are really a trust of God committed to me as His steward, therefore, I will use them responsibly by contributing time, gifts and offerings to the ministry and mission of the church (II Cor. 9: 6-15; Ephesians 4:28).
I believe marriage, Christian and non-Christian, is a permanent, sacred bond terminated only by death (Romans 7:2-3; Mark 10:2-10). I believe marriage problems must be dealt with redemptively. God does not sanction remarriage following divorce.
I believe that any sexual relationship outside the marriage bond is sin. Anyone involved in fornication, adultery, or homosexuality, needs to repent to stay in fellowship with the body of Christ (I Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:3).
I believe the husband must diligently fulfill his role as leader in the home, modeling a Christ-like life in all relationships, loving his wife, and being sensitive to provide for the needs of each member by God’s help (Eph. 5).
I believe Christian men shall have short hair and not have their head covered when praying or prophesying (I Corinthians 11:4,7,14).
I believe the wife likewise must fulfill her Biblical role and be in submission to her husband. I believe the woman’s head should be veiled when praying or prophesying as a sign of authority in light of God’s headship principle. I believe the sisters should also have long hair (natural length) as taught in I Cor. 11:1-16.
I believe that children should obey their parents in the Lord (Eph. 6:1).
I believe that Christians are to maintain a non conformed lifestyle that rejects the evil of the world. I will endeavor to keep my body clean and healthy, to find my joy in the pursuit of godliness, to wear simple, economical and modest clothing, to seek the ageless beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit rather than submitting to the standards of beauty that the world dictates such as jewelry and elaborate hair styles (I Corinthians 6:19-20; I Peter 3:3-5; I Timothy 2: 9-10).
I will carefully choose leisure activities that build a wholesome body, character, and thought life. Recognizing the tremendous impact of television and other forms of mass media, I will allow the Holy Spirit to guide me in controlling their impact on my life. I will refrain from practices which would grieve the Spirit and hinder my witness for Christ (Eph. 2:1-11; Eph. 4:22-30).
I believe that human life has its beginning at the time of conception and the taking of human life, whether by abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, or in any other circumstance is murder and is forbidden by scripture (Psalms 139:14-16; Exodus 20:13). I will avoid violence and endeavor to live at peace with all men. I will be a conscientious objector to any form of military service. I will obey the government in all areas that do not conflict with my higher loyalty to God (Jeremiah 1:5; Ephesians 1:4-5; John 18:36; I Peter 2:21-23; Romans 13).