The church covenant is equal parts promise, summary of expectations, ethical statement, and biblical standard. We summarize how we promise to live together in the covenant. It forms the moral principles of our worldview and holds out a biblical standard by which we live. Our acceptance of this multifaceted document follows the practice of believers throughout the centuries who have pledged to God and one another to live out the gospel in community.
First Baptist Church Hilliard requires all new members to commit to uphold the covenant and encourages all members to reaffirm our commitment to the covenant throughout the year. By featuring the covenant in our life together, we strive to protect our witness unto Christ from individual and corporate sin. Of equal importance, we spur one another on to live in light of a greater covenant, one initiated by love, sealed by sacrifice, and kept for eternity by our Savior, Jesus Christ.
First Baptist Church Hilliard Covenant
Believing we have been born again by God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior; having made known our faith in Christ and His atoning death before this body of Christians; and having been scripturally baptized by immersion in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we do now joyfully combine our hearts and our lives together in this sacred covenant.
We covenant together to continually strive together for the unity in advancement of the ministry of the gospel through this church. We will devote ourselves to the pursuit of holy living and to caring for each other by cooperating and ministering to each other in Christian love.
We covenant together to be faithful in attendance, ministry, and stewardship. We will faithfully maintain the ordinances, doctrines, and disciplines of this church.
We covenant together to care for, encourage, and financially support those who minister to this church. We will regularly pray for our church leadership. We will also regularly pray for the leaders of our nation and other public servants and seek to be informed and voting citizens on social and political issues.
We covenant together to educate our families in our Christian beliefs and seek to lead each family member to receive Christ as Savior.
We covenant together to hold in high regard each other’s character and reputation. We will refrain from gossip, backbiting, and hateful anger that disrupts the harmony and peace of the church and damages our witness of the gospel to our community.
We covenant together to rejoice at each other’s happiness and endeavor with tenderness and sympathy to bear each other’s burdens and sorrows.
We covenant together, by Divine aid, to live carefully in the world, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, and remembering that, as we have been voluntarily buried by baptism and raised again from the symbolic grave, so there is on us a special obligation now to lead a new and holy life.
We covenant together to be ready to forgive and to be reconciled to each other, should an offense occur. With the help of the Holy Spirit, we will pursue peace with each other and all people.
We covenant together to prayerfully and expectantly look for the Second Coming of Christ, and we will rejoice that we are being kept by the power of God until that glad day.
We covenant together but if we separate from this church, we will, as soon as possible, unite with another church of like doctrine and principles so that we may continue our personal witness to the saving grace of God in our lives.