Awakening House of Prayer Membership Covenant

The Bible nowhere gives believers a specific copy of what a local church covenant should look like. However, the Bible does describe the relationships between people in local churches as covenantal. Christians are commanded to care for one another, participate in ministry together, confess sin to one another, submit to the leadership of their local pastor/elders, etc.

Pastors are called to care for the flock entrusted to their care, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to expect God to hold them accountable to this holy calling, etc. It is for this reason that many churches throughout the history of Christianity have written local church covenants. This covenant seeks to briefly explain the expectations given to the pastor/elders and to the membership of Awakening House of Prayer (AHOP). (We use the term “pastor” to mean pastor and elder as we see those terms as interchangeable in scripture.)

Pastors Covenant Responsibilities at AHOP

We the pastors of AHOP covenant:

• To have pastors and deacons that meet the qualifications described in the Scriptures (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-4).

• To continually and prayerfully seek God’s guidance for AHOP, and to steward the resources entrusted to the church to the best of our abilities (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1-4).

• To care for the church and seek her growth in grace, truth, and love (Matthew 28:16-20; Ephesians 4:15-16 Colossians 1:28; James 5:14; 1 Peter 5:1-4).

• To provide teaching and counsel from the entirety of Scripture (Acts 20:27-28; 1 Timothy 4:16; 2 Timothy 4:1-5; Titus 2:1).

• To equip the members of the church for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-16).

• To be on guard against false teachers and false teachings (Matthew 7:15; Acts 20:28-31; 1 Timothy 1:3-7; 1 John 4:1).

• To lovingly exercise church discipline when necessary, for the glory of God, for the good of the one disciplined, and for the health of the church as a whole (Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 5;Galatians 6:1; James 5:19-20).

• To set an example by joining the members in fulfilling the obligations of church membership stated below (Philippians 3:17; 1 Timothy 4:12; Titus 2:7-8; 1 Peter 5:3).

Membership Responsibilities at AHOP

We the members of AHOP covenant to the following:

1. I will glorify the Lord of my church by seeking His fame in my life through worship, obedience to His Word, service inside and outside of the church, spiritual formation (such as regular Bible reading, pursuing the spiritual disciplines, and participation in the Lord’s Supper), sharing the gospel with others, and by living a life that brings honor to Christ. I understand that I’m called to honor Christ in every stage and season of my life whether it be in singleness, in dating, in friendship, in marriage, in parenting, in my job, in retirement, etc.

“Yet for us there is one God, the Father. All things are from Him, and we exist for Him. And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ. All things are through Him, and we exist through Him” (1 Corinthians 8:6). Also see Colossians 3:23-24 and Matthew 28:18-20.

2. I will protect the unity of my church by acting in love toward other members, actively participating, refusing to gossip, following the leaders, encouraging other members to grow in their faith, and by living in a way that does not bring disrepute to the gospel or AHOP. We will hold each other accountable in this unity and covenant, following the teachings of scripture as described in the AHOP vision and values.

“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you must also love one another. By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). Also see Acts 2:44-47; 1 Peter 3:8-9; Hebrews 13:17; Hebrews 10:24-25; and Galatians 6:1.

3. 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, and by seeking to make disciples of all nations.

“Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us that God may open a door to us for the message, to speak the mystery of the Messiah, for which I am in prison, so that I may reveal it as I am required to speak. Act wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Your speech should always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer each person” (Colossians 4:2-6). Also see John 20:21; 1 Peter 2:12; and Matthew 28:18-20.

4. I will serve the ministry of my church by discovering where God wants me to serve, by discovering my gifts and talents, by being equipped to serve by my pastors, and by developing a servant’s heart.

“Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different ministries, but the same Lord. And there are different activities, but the same God activates each gift in each person. A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person to produce what is beneficial . . .” (1 Corinthians 12:4-7). Also see 1 Corinthians 12:18-20; Ephesians 4:11-13; and John 13:12-15.

5. I will support the testimony of my church by attending faithfully, by living a godly life, not teaching doctrine contrary to AHOP’s beliefs, and by giving regularly. I understand that if I relocate and am unable to attend AHOP, I should inform them of my move and find another Bible-believing church to unite with in faith, service, and life.

“And let us be concerned about one another in order to promote love and good works, not staying away from our worship meetings, as some habitually do, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:24-25). Also see 1 Peter 1:13-16; Romans 16:17-18; 2 Corinthians 9:6-7); and (1 Timothy 5:17-18.

Having received Christ as my Lord and Savior and having been baptized by immersion after my salvation, and being in agreement with AHOP’s covenant, strategy, doctrine, and structure, I now feel led by the Holy Spirit to unite with the AHOP family. In doing so, I commit myself to God and to the other members of AHOP.