Village Covenant
Our Covenant is a promise we make to one another at Village when we become members. In this short document, we try to capture the spirit of the biblical teaching on what it means to live as Christians, together.
Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior, 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, angels and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another, as one body of 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 knowledge, holiness and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to contribute cheer- fully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations.
We also engage to maintain family and personal devotions; to teach our children the things of God; to seek the salvation of our family and friends; to live carefully in the world; to be just in our dealings; faithful in our engagements, and above reproach in our lifestyle; to avoid all gossip, slander and excessive anger, to seek God’s help and apply biblical wisdom in abstaining from the use or sale of any food, drink, drug, or practice that would bring unwarranted harm to the body, jeopardize our or another’s faith, bring reproach on our witness for Christ, or cause us to be mastered by it rather than the Holy Spirit; and to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior. We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feel- ing and courtesy in speech; slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation, and mindful of the rules of our Savior, to secure it without delay. 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 this covenant and the principles of God's Word.
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