Membership
Covenant
What is the Church?
The Church is composed of all those who have been redeemed by the life and work of Jesus Christ. The local congregation (Abiding Savior) is a microcosm of the universal Church where believers join together for fellowship, encouragement, accountability, service, and to receive the sacraments of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
What is a Covenant?
A covenant is generally defined as an agreement or promise between two parties. Throughout Scripture we see a number of examples of covenants (Genesis 6, 9, 15; Ezekiel 20; Hosea 2; Jeremiah 31; Matthew 26; 1 Samuel 18, 2 Samuel 5). The purpose of a covenant for church membership is to commit to living out the Christian life and commitment oneself to loving and serving the body of believers. To covenant oneself to the local body of believers means more than being committed only while it’s convenient; a covenant commitment means being committed during both the good times and the difficult times.
The membership covenant involves both responsibilities to the congregation and the congregation to you. We ask all members of Abiding Savior to covenant to carry out and live out these biblical responsibilities.
I covenant…
- to submit to the authority of Scripture as the final arbiter on all issues (Ps. 119; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21).
- to pursue the Lord Jesus Christ through regular Bible reading, prayer, fellowship and practice of spiritual disciplines (Luke 18:1; Acts 17:11; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Ephesians 5:1-21; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22).
- to regularly participate in the life of Abiding Savior by attending weekly services, engaging in Christ-centered community, and serving those within and without this church (Acts 2:42-47; Hebrews 10:23-25; Titus 3:14).
- to steward the resources God has given me, including time, talents, and treasures (Matthew 25:14-30; Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 8-9; 1 Peter 4:10-11).
- by God’s grace through the power of the Holy Spirit, to walk in holiness in all areas of life as act of worship to Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:13-16; 4:1-3).
- to do the following when I sin: 1. confess my sin to God and fellow believers. 2. repent and seek help to put my sin to death. (Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5; James 5:16; 1 John 1:6-10)
- to submit to the deacons and other appointed spiritual leaders of the congregation and diligently strive for unity and peace within the church (Ephesians 4:1-3; Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 5:5).
- to do the following should I leave the church for righteous reasons: to notify the appropriate staff member. - to seek another church with which I can carry out my biblical responsibilities as a believer.
- to abide by the constitution and bylaws of Abiding Savior Free Lutheran Church.
