Membership

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 12 

Becoming a member of a local church is one of life’s most important decisions: the local church is the means by which God’s children are cared for and enabled to glorify God and proclaim the gospel to St. Petersburg and the nations. Given the importance of the church’s mandate to make known the riches of God’s glory and the good news that sinners can be reconciled to him through faith in Jesus, we believe that membership in the local church must be meaningful and God-honoring.

The membership covenant of Covenant Hope Church is birthed out of our love for the church and its individual members whom we hope will experience the fullness of joy found in the presence of the Lord.

Our Membership Covenant

Having been brought by divine grace to repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and to give up ourselves to Him, and having been baptized by immersion upon our profession of faith, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, we do now, relying on His gracious aid, solemnly and joyfully covenant with one another:
  1. To submit to Scripture as the final authority on all issues

Joshua 1:8; Psalm 119:105,160; Matthew 4:4; Luke 16:17; John 10:35, 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21, 3:15-16

  1. To affirm and uphold the Covenant Hope Church Statement of Faith

Ephesians 4:14, 6:16-17; 1 Timothy 4:16, 6:3-4; Titus 1:9, 2:1; Hebrews 10:23

  1. To pursue Jesus through regular Bible reading, prayer, fellowship, and practice of the other spiritual disciplines, and to teach those in our care the same

Deuteronomy 6:6-9, 11:18-19; Joshua 1:8; Matthew 4:4; Acts 2:42; Ephesians 6:10-18; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; 1 Timothy 4:7-8; Hebrews 10:24-25

  1. To walk in holiness in all areas of life as an act of worship to Jesus Christ, repenting quickly of sin and submitting to the accountability of others and discipline of the church in the event of sin

Leviticus 11:44-45; Matthew 18:15-18; John 17:14-21; Acts 3:19; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13, 10:13,31; 2 Corinthians 2:5-8, 7:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 2 Timothy 2:19; Hebrews 3:13; James 4:8, 5:16; 1 Peter 1:15-16; 1 John 1:9; Revelation 3:19

  1. To work together to protect and promote the mission, worship, ordinances, doctrine, and discipline of the church by attending its gatherings, praying with and for one another, engaging in biblical community, discipling one another, and learning together to increase our knowledge of God and love for Him

Proverbs 23:12; Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 12:30; Acts 6:2-6; Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 11:17-29, 12:12-27, 14:40; Ephesians 1:17-18, 4:1-6,11-16, 5:19; 1 Timothy 2:1; 2 Timothy 2:2; Hebrews 10:24-25; James 5:16; 1 Peter 2:4-5

  1. To love our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, to consider their interests in higher regard than our own, to use our Spirit-given gifts to serve them and spur them on to love and good deeds, and to refrain from anything that could present a stumbling block to them or produce disunity in the body of Christ

Matthew 22:39; John 13:34-35; Acts 2:42-47; Romans 12:4-13, 14:1-23; 1 Corinthians 1:10, 8:7-13, 12:25-27; Galatians 5:13-14, 6:2,10; Ephesians 4:31-32, 5:21; Philippians 2:3-7; 1 Thessalonians 5:11,15; Hebrews 3:13, 10:24-25; 1 Peter 4:8-10, 5:5

  1. to contribute cheerfully and regularly our time, talents, and resources to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the care of the needy, and the spread of the gospel to all nations

Psalm 24:1; Proverbs 14:31; Matthew 6:19-21,24, 28:18-20; Luke 6:38, 12:32-34; Acts 17:24-25; Romans 12:13; 1 Corinthians 9:14, 16:2; 2 Corinthians 8:1-5, 9:6-12; Galatians 6:6; Philippians 4:18-19; 1 Timothy 5:17-18, 6:17-19; 1 Peter 4:10

  1. To pray for and make the most of opportunities to share the gospel; to live all of life with gospel intentionality

Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Romans 1:16-17; 1 Corinthians 2:2-5; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21; 2 Timothy 4:5; 1 Peter 3:15-16

  1. To submit to the biblical leadership of the elders whom God has entrusted to lead the church

Acts 20:28; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13; 1 Timothy 5:17; Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 5:1-7

  1. And, to unite with another faithful church if we leave CHC, there continuing to carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s word.

Acts 2:42-47; Romans 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Timothy 3:15; Hebrews 10:24-25, 13:17

Interested in Membership?

Are you interested in exploring more about Covenant Hope Church or pursuing church membership? If so, connect with us to learn more about the process, which is designed to help you get to know Covenant Hope Church and for the church to get to know you.
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