A church covenant is a way to express our commitment to God and each other. It is a means to remind ourselves how the Bible instructs us on how we ought to live. It is in no way intended to indicate that we will never sin against God and each other but rather stands to drive faithfulness. Followers of Christ were never meant to live in isolation and a covenant reminds us of our biblical obligation to God and each other. It provides biblical standards for our behavior in order to bring attention to the goodness of God.
We will use this covenant in the life of LITD to make clear our expectations of each other. We will at times find it necessary to read it before Members Meetings or even perhaps utilize it for personal reflection on holiness. Below is our Church Covenant:
Having been led as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, and on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now in the presence of God, and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ.
We engage therefore by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love, to strive for the advancement of this church in the knowledge of God, holiness, and unity; to promote its spirituality and not forsake the assembling of ourselves together; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expense of the church, the relief of the needy and the spread of the gospel to all nations (Ps 96:1-3 / Matt 25:13-46, 28:16-20 / 1 Peter 1:13-16 / Eph 4:1-7 / Heb 10:23-25)
We also engage to maintain faithful bible reading and prayer, and in family devotions if possible; to bring up our children in the teaching and discipline of the Scriptures and to be examples to them of consistent Christian living; to live carefully in the world denying ungodliness and worldly lust; to preserve loyalty to biblical truth and by a pure and loving example, and spoken word to seek the salvation of our family and friends (Titus 1:11-15).
We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aid one another in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and Christian courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay, holding each person accountable.
We moreover engage that when we remove from this place, we will as soon as possible, unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of the covenant and the principles of God’s Word.