Open Door Community Church Member Covenant

Having believed in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, having been baptized, and being in agreement with the Statement of Faith, I now desire to become a member of Open Door Community Church. In doing so, I pledge to honor the Savior, love my fellow members, and live in a manner that is consistent with the commitments below.

The three commitments are based on Mark 12:28–31:

And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

1. I will seek to LOVE GOD…

  • By keeping the gospel central in my life (Eph. 2:1–10; Phil. 3:7–11)
  • By obeying his commandments in Scripture (John 14:15)
  • By reading his Word, prayer, and practice of spiritual disciplines (2 Tim. 3:16–17; 1 Tim. 4:7–8; 1 Cor 9:24; Col. 4:2)
  • By walking in holiness in all areas of life as an act of worship to Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 1:13–16, 4:1–3)
  • I will pursue purity and abstain from sexually immoral practices such as adultery, premarital sex and pornography (Rom. 13:11–14; 1 Cor. 6:15–20, 10:8; Eph. 5:3; 1 Thess. 4:1- 8; Heb. 13:4)
  • I will seek to preserve the gift of marriage and agree to walk through the steps of marriage reconciliation at Open Door Community Church before pursuing divorce from my spouse (Matt. 19:1- 12; Mark 10:1–12; Luke 16:18; 1 Cor. 7:10–11; for the role of the church in the process of divorce, see Paul’s concern for the resolution of legal matters within the assembly of the church in 1 Cor. 6)
  • I will refrain from illegal drug use, drunkenness, gossip and other sinful behavior as the Bible dictates (Rom. 1:28–32, 13:13; Gal. 5:19–21; Eph. 5:18; James 3:3–18)
  • To do the following when I sin:
  • confess my sin to God and to fellow believers (1 John 1:6–10; James 5:16)
  • repent and seek help to put my sin to death (Rom. 8:13; Col. 3:5)

2. I will seek to LOVE THE CHURCH…

  • By regularly participating in the weekly services and community (Heb. 10:24–25; Eph. 4:15–16)
  • By resolving personal conflicts and refusing to gossip (Eph. 4:1–5:2)
  • By supporting church discipline as necessary (Matt. 18:15–17; 1 Cor 5:9–13) [1]
  • By submitting to the elders and other appointed leaders of the church (Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 5:5)
  • By stewarding the resources God has given me, including time, talents, and finances (Matt. 25:14–30; Rom. 12:1–2). This includes regular financial giving, service and participation in community that is sacrificial, cheerful and voluntary (2 Cor. 8–9; 1 Pet. 4:10–11)[2]
  • By taking seriously the responsibility of Christian freedom, especially actions or situations that could present a stumbling block to another (1 Cor. 8:1–13)
  • By doing the following should I leave the church for righteous reasons:
    • to notify the pastors
    • to seek another church with which I can carry out my biblical responsibilities as a believer

3. I will seek to LOVE THE WORLD…

  • By living in a manner worthy of the gospel (Matt. 5:13–16, 1 Pet. 2:9–12)
  • By using my career for the good of others to the glory of God (Eph. 4:28; Col. 3:23; Rom. 11:33–36)
  • By sharing the gospel with unbelievers in my life (Matt. 28:18–20; Rom. 1:16, Eph. 6:15)
  • By praying for the spread of the gospel to the ends of the earth (Luke 10:2)

[1] as detailed in ‘Statement on Church Discipline.’

[2] as detailed in ‘How Much Should We Give?’