(4/24/2012 – under review in consideration of our revised vision, mission, and core values)

Believers who want to join Life Church sign our membership covenant as the final step in the membership process. The membership covenant is below and is also available as a PDF, which is a more printable format.

Membership Covenant

Having asked Jesus to lead my life — with thanks for his death for me on the cross — and having been baptized and being in agreement with Life Church’s statements, strategy, and structure, I now feel led by the Holy Spirit to unite with the Life Church family. In doing so, I commit myself to God and to the other members to do the following:

I will protect the unity of my church

… by acting in love toward other members.

• Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
  (Romans 14:19, NIV)
• Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart. (1Peter 1:22, NIV)

… by refusing to gossip.

• Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29, NIV)

… by following the leaders.

• Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you. (Hebrews 13:17)

I will share the responsibility of my church

… by praying for its growth.

• Paul, Silas, and Timothy: To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you. We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. (1Thessalonians 1:1, NIV)

… by inviting the unchurched to attend.

• “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.’” (Luke 14:23, NIV)

… by warmly welcoming those who visit.

• Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
  (Romans 15:7, NIV)

… by taking responsibility for the success of my life group.

• Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. (Acts 5:42, NIV)
• After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and encouraged them. Then they left. (Acts 16:40, NIV)
• You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. (Acts 20:20-21, NIV)
• Greet also the church that meets at their house. (Romans 16:5a, NIV)
• The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house. (1Corinthians 16:19, NIV)
• Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.
  (Colossians 4:15, NIV)

I will serve the ministry of my church

… by discovering my gifts and talents.

• Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. (1Peter 4:10, NIV)

… by being equipped to serve by my pastors.

• It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. (Ephesians 4:11-12, NIV)

… by developing a servant’s heart.

• Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. (Philippians 2:3, NIV)

I will support the testimony of my church

… by faithfully attending on Sundays and in a life group.

• And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another — and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24, NIV)

… by actively participating in a life group.

• The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Acts 5:42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. (Acts 5:41-42, NIV)

… by living a godly life.

• Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel (Philippians 1:27, NIV)

… by regular, generous financial giving.

• On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made. (1Corinthians 16:2, NIV)
• A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the LORD; it is holy to the LORD. (Leviticus 27:30, NIV)