Membership Covenant

Membership Covenant

Below is our Membership Covenant. We do not take belonging to God and the First Free Will family lightly. Jesus paid a great cost for us and for the church. Therefore, we take seriously His call to love God and love others. A call to Christ and His church should be the most serious commitment we ever make. Below you will see the preamble to our membership covenant followed by the expectations for members of our family.

Having received Christ as my Lord and Savior and been baptized, and being in agreement with First Free Will’s statements, strategy, and structure, I now feel led by the Holy Spirit to unite with the First Free Will church family. In doing so, I commit myself to God and to the other members to do the following:

 

1.  I WILL PROTECT THE UNITY OF MY CHURCH

…By acting in love toward other members

…By refusing to gossip

…By following the leaders

“Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.” (Romans 14:19)

“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. .” (Ephesians 4:29)

“Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.” (Hebrews 13:17)

 

2. I WILL SHARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MY CHURCH

…By praying for its growth

…By inviting the unchurched to attend

…By warmly welcoming those who visit

“We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;”

(1 Thessalonians 1:2)

“And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.’” (Luke 14:23-24)

“Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God.” (Romans 15:7)

 

 

3.  I WILL SERVE THE MINISTRY OF MY CHURCH

…By discovering my gifts and talents

…By being equipped to serve by my pastors

…By developing a servant’s heart

“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” (1 Peter 4:10)

“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:.” (Ephesians 4:11-12)

Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.  (Philippians 2:3-4)

 

4.  I WILL SUPPORT THE TESTIMONY OF MY CHURCH

…By attending faithfully

…By living a godly life

…By giving regularly

“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25)

“Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; (Philippians 1:27)

“Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come.” (1 Corinthians 16:2)

“And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD’S: it is holy unto the LORD.” (Leviticus 27:30)