What is a Covenant?

A church covenant can be described in five different ways.

• A church covenant is a promise – a promise made to God, to a local church, and to one’s self.
• A church covenant is a summary of how we agree to live.  While our statement of faith is a good summary of what we believe, our church covenant is a summary of how we agree to live – more importantly, it is a summary of how God would have us live.  It does not include every explicit command regarding obedience, but it does give a general summary of what it means to live as a disciple of Christ.
• A church covenant is a sign of commitment – a commitment to God, to His church, and to personal holiness.
• A church covenant is an ethical statement.   One theologian calls church covenants the “ethical counterpart to confessions of faith.”  A church covenant can be an important part of applying a Christian worldview to every aspect of our lives.  Inherent in the purpose of a church covenant is the understanding that church membership involves being held accountable to live in a manner consistent with a common understanding of Scripture.
• A church covenant is a biblical standard.   A church covenant is helpful in a church that is practicing Biblical church discipline.  As members of a church, we exhort one another to live holy lives, and we challenge brothers and sisters persisting in sin.