Church Covenant
GraceRenewal (AGRC)
A
We the undersigned, having trusted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior, and having been baptized by immersion into water in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, believing this to be God's Will for our lives, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with each other as one body in Christ by the adoption of the following Commitment Statement, Confession of Faith, and Constitution:
COMMITMENT
STATEMENT
To meet together regularly for
the purpose of receiving support for learning how to
- Read the
Scripture in order to
- Hear the Holy
Spirit communicate Truth in order to
- Experience Christ
to a fuller measure each day during quiet-time worship in order to
- Manifest God's
Life into the community beginning with family and to each other.
CONFESSION
OF FAITH
...that all Scripture, composed of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, was penned by men chosen and prepared by God as human instruments through whom he breathed every word; that under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit, each word was selected from the reservoir of the human writers' own vocabulary and written without error in the original manuscripts; that it has been providentially and supernaturally preserved as the complete and final instrument through which the Holy Spirit communicates God’s redemptive message to man and calls us to trust Christ, and that it is the sole and final authority for faith and life, providing encouragement, guidance, comfort, and instruction for training in righteousness.
Psalm 12:6; 19:7-10; 119:9,89,105,130,140; Proverbs 6:23; 30:5; Jeremiah 23:29; Matthew 4:4; 7:24-27; Luke 8:11; John 6:63; 12:48; 15:7; 20:31; Acts 20:32; Romans 10:17; 1 Corinthians 2:1-16; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:14; Ephesians 6:17; Colossians 3:16; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 4:12; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23-25; 2:2; 2 Peter 1:19-21
Concerning God
...that there is one, and only one, living and true God, the Creator and Sovereign Ruler of heaven and earth, infinitely perfect, existing eternally in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, each being co-equal and co-existent in every divine attribute, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation and redemption; that he is not only in a power position over us to rule over us, but in a support position beneath us to recover us; and that his love for us is unconditional, his interest in every detail of our lives is intense and passionate, and his commitment to accomplish his redemptive purpose for us is unfailing.
Genesis 1:1; 2:7; Psalm 8:1-9; 9:10; 55:22; 56:9; 57:2; 95:6; 100:3; 121:2; 138:8; Isaiah 45:18; Matthew 6:25-34; John 3:16; Romans 28:8-9; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 4:6; Philippians 2:13; 4:19; Colossians 1:15-17; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrews 11:6; 1 Peter 5:7; 1 John 4:16-19; 5:7
Concerning the Creation
...that the Genesis record of creation is literal, and not allegorical or figurative; that God miraculously, by instant action, created heaven and earth from nothing; that he created all organic forms as specific creations subject to limited changes within the species and ordained each species to bear fruit after its kind; and that he formed man out of the dust of the ground, not by any process of evolution, but by direct creation, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became immediately a living soul, created in the image and likeness of God.
Genesis 1:1-3:24; Psalm 19:1; 104:30; 121:2; 124:8; John 1:1-4; 1 Corinthians 15:47; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 1:2-3; 2:10
Concerning the Fall of Man
...that man as a species was immediately created by God in Adam and Eve; that they were created in innocence, but in divine judgment of Adam's voluntary act of disobedience, God separated them from himself resulting in spiritual darkness, moral ruin, and condemnation for all mankind; and that now, every member of Adam's race is born alienated from God, constituted sinful and void of holiness, and under the condemnation of God's judgment.
Genesis 1:1-3:24; 6:5; 1 Kings 8:46; Psalm 8:3-6; 14:1-3; 32:1-5; 39:5; 51:5; Ecclesiastes 7:29; Isaiah 64:6; Jeremiah 17:9; Matthew 18:11; Mark 7:20-23; Romans 1:19-32; 2:1-29; 3:10-19,23; 5:6,8,12-21; 7:14-25; 8:7, 19-23; 1 Corinthians 1:21; 2:14; 15:21-22,45-47; 2 Corinthians 3:14; 4:4; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 2:1-22; 4:18-22; Colossians 1:21-22; 3:9-10; Hebrews 3:13; James 4:4
Concerning Jesus Christ
...that Jesus Christ is God the Son, co-equal and co-existent in every
divine attribute with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit; that he is the
Word who was in the beginning with God and was God, and who, in due time,
according to God's redemptive plan for the world, came from heaven and was born
of a virgin by the power of the Holy Spirit as the only begotten Son of God;
that during his life on earth, as both God and man, he had a human body, but
not a fallen human nature, hence he did not wrestle against evil desires, but
was pure and sinless in spirit, mind, and conduct; that he taught and performed
miracles exactly as revealed in the four Gospels; that he voluntarily died on
the cross at Calvary to pay in full with his shed blood the just penalty of
God's righteous judgment against all mankind because of Adam's disobedience;
that he was bodily resurrected from the dead on the third day by the power of
the Holy Spirit, proving that he was the Son of God; and that he returned to
Heaven where, as Head of the Church and its Advocate, he is our source of
wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and freedom, and from where he will
return personally and visibly to reign over the earth for a thousand years in
righteousness and consummate the eternal plan of God.
Psalms 2:7; 110:1; Isaiah 7:14; 53:1-12; Matthew 1:18-23; 3:17; 11:27; 14:33; 16:16; 17:5; 27:1-66; 28:1-6,19; Mark 1:1; Luke 1:35; 2:1-20; 24:46; John 1:1-18,29; 10:11,14,22-38; 11:25-27; 12:44-50; 14:1-11; 16:15-16,28; 17:1-5,21-25; 20:1-21; Acts 1:9-11; 2:22-36; 7:55-56; 9:4-5,20; 10:40; Romans 1:4; 3:23-26; 4:24-25; 5:6-21; 8:1-3,34; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 8:6; 15:1-8,24-28; 2 Corinthians 5:15,18-21; 8:9; 13:4; Galatians 4:4-5; Ephesians 1:20-23; 3:11; 4:7-10; Philippians 2:5-11; 3:21; 4:19; Colossians 1:13-22,24,27; 2:9; 3:1; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 2 Thessalonians 2:17; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 3:16; Titus 2:13-14; Hebrews 1:1-13; 2:10; 4:14-15; 7:14-28; 9:12-15,24-28; 12:2; 13:8,20-21; 1 Peter 2:21-25; 3:22; 5:4; 1 John 1:7-9; 3:2; 4:14-15; 5:9,12-13; 2 John 7-9; Revelation 1:13-16; 5:9-14; 12:10-11; 13:8; 19:16.
Concerning God the Holy Spirit
...that the Holy Spirit is God, co-equal and co-existent in every divine attribute with God the Father and God the Son; that he, with the Father and Son, created and sustain all things; that by him the body of Jesus was conceived of the virgin Mary; that by him, Jesus was raised from the dead and by whom, also, the dead in Christ will be resurrected and glorified; that he is the divine author of the Scriptures through which he gives faith and repentance to the unsaved concerning their sinfulness, their need for a Savior, and the all-sufficiency of Christ's shed blood and resurrected life to provide for their salvation; that he immerses into spiritual union with Christ all who trust him for salvation, births and nurtures in them God's divine nature, which is the new birth, permanently indwells and seals them, teaches, guides, affirms, and purifies them, equips them with spiritual gifts to enable their redemptive service to others, and sustains in Christian life and godliness all who are filled with the life he imparts.
Genesis 1:2-3; Psalm 104:30; 139:7-13; Joel 2:28-32; Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:35; 12:12; 24:49; John 3:5-8; 4:24; 14:16-17,26; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4,38; 4:31; 5:3; 6:3; 7:55; 8:17,39; 10:44; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; Romans 8:9-27; 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14; 3:16; 12:3-31; Galatians 4:6; 5:16-26; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:7-16,30; 5:18; Philippians 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; 2 Thessalonians 2:17; 1 Timothy 3:16; 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:14; 3:16; Hebrews 9:14; 13:20-21; 2 Peter 1:3,21; 1 John 4:13; 5:6-7; 5:11-13; Revelation 1:10; 22:17
Concerning Law and Grace
...that the Old Testament moral code, summarized in the Ten Commandments, was given by God to reveal the extent of man's sinful nature, powerlessness to change or improve, and need for a Savior; that although it defined a moral standard and described a way of life leading to health and happiness, it was inadequate as a means to salvation because of man's inability to obey it; and that salvation, every aspect of it, is wholly by God's grace through faith alone in Christ's shed blood and resurrected life.
Leviticus 19:1;
Psalm 19:7-11; 130:7; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Matthew 1:21; John 1:16-17,29; Acts
15:10-11; Romans 3:19-25,31; 4:2-6,13-16,24-25; 5:2,6-10,15-19; 6:1-23; 7:1-19;
8:1-13; 10:3-4; 11:6; 1 Corinthians 15:10,56; 2 Corinthians 5:15,17-21; 9:8;
12:9; Galatians 2:16-21; 3:2-3,10-14; 4:4-5; 5:1-6; 6:15; Ephesians 1:6-7;
2:5-9,13; 4:7; Philippians 2:8,12-13; Colossians 1:12-14,20-22,24,27; 2
Thessalonians 2:17; 1 Timothy 1:7-10; 2 Timothy 1:12; Titus 2:11,14; 3:5-7;
Hebrews 2:9; 4:16; 8:10; 9:12-15,22-28; 12:2; 13:12,20-21; 1 Peter 1:18-19,23;
2:24; 3:7,18; 5:10; 2 Peter 1:2-3; 1 John 3:9,16; 5:11-13; Revelation 1:5; 5:9
Concerning the Redemptive Power of Christ's Blood and Resurrected Life
...that the blood of Christ, shed on the cross at Calvary, is the only payment for sin that God will accept; that no amount of religious rule-keeping or human efforts to perform good deeds is adequate or can add in the very least degree to the merit and power of the blood of Christ to propitiate God's righteous judgment against all mankind because of Adam's disobedience; that by his resurrection from the dead, Christ made certain our justification, sanctification, and future resurrection to eternal life; and that his resurrected life, birthed and nurtured in us by the Holy Spirit through the Scripture and prayer, is alone the source of enablement for our Christian life and redemptive service to others.
John 1:29; 3:16,36; 6:47; Acts 20:28; Romans 3:24-25; 4:24-25; 5:6-19; 6:1-10; 7:4; 8:32; 10:3; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 15:3-4; 2 Corinthians 4:14; 5:17-21; 9:8; 13:4; 15:42-58; Galatians 2:20; 3:13; Ephesians 1:6-7; 2:8-9,13; Philippians 3:21; Colossians 1:12-14,20-22; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17; 2 Timothy 2:11; Titus 2:11,14; Hebrews 2:9; 9:12-15,22-28; 13:12,20-21; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:18-19,23; 2:24; 3:18; 2 Peter 1:3; 1 John 1:7; 3:9; 5:11-13; Revelation 1:5; 5:9
Concerning the Way of Salvation: Faith, Repentance, Confession, Conversion, and Prayer
...that faith and repentance are produced in us by the Holy Spirit through his Word whereby we are convicted and changed in our thinking concerning our sinful condition, powerlessness by self-effort to change or improve ourselves, and need for a Savior, and concerning also Christ's shed blood and resurrected life as God's all-sufficient provisions for our salvation; and that faith and repentance are the substance of confession, conversion, and prayer whereby we agree with God concerning his Word, turn from trusting in the performance of good deeds and religious rule-keeping as a means to salvation to trusting wholly and alone in his all-sufficient provision of Christ's death and resurrected life, and call out to him.
Psalm 3:8; Proverbs 28:13; Isaiah 53:5; Jonah 2:9; Matthew 11:28; Mark 1:15; Luke 13:3; John 1:12; 3:3-18,36; 5:24; 6:37; 10:9; Acts 2:21; 3:19; 11:18; 13:39; 15:11; 16:30-31; 18:27; 20:20-21; Romans 1:16; 3:19-20; 4:2-6; 5:6-19; 8:32; 10:9-10,13; 11:6; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 7:10; Galatians 2:16,20; 3:11,26; 6:15; Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Timothy 1:12; Titus 2:11; 3:5-7; Hebrews 2:9; 6:1; 9:28; 11:1; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18; 1 John 1:7; 5:11-13; Revelation 3:20
Concerning the Extent of Salvation: Justification, Reconciliation, Regeneration, Sanctification, and Eternal Security
...that all who, enabled by faith, trust in God's all-sufficient provision of Christ's shed Blood and death on the cross at Calvary as the only payment he will accept to satisfy his judgment against mankind because of Adam’s disobedience, are justified (acquitted of God's righteous judgment against us), reconciled to oneness with him, and immersed by the Holy Spirit into spiritual union with Christ, so that we are in Christ; that, by our spiritual union with Christ in his death, our spirit (our inmost being) is regenerated (born again), securing for us everlasting life in Heaven; and that by our experience of the Resurrected Life of Christ’s to live within our heart/soul (our inner being) through quiet-time worship, so that Christ is in us, we are sanctified (made Christlike) and provided in ever-increasing strength by the Holy Spirit everything we need for Christian living and redemptive service to others.
Matthew 1:21; John 1:12,16; 3:3-18,36; 5:24; 10:9; 15:1-8; 17:17; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 13:39; 15:11; 16:30-31; 20:21,28; Romans 1:16; 3:20,23-25; 4:2-6; 4:24-25; 5:6-10,15-19; 6:1-23; 8:1-18, 29-39; 10:3,9-10,13; 11:6; 1 Corinthians 1:18,30; 15:3-4; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 5:15,17-21; 7:10; 9:8; Galatians 2:16,20; 3:11,13,26; 4:7; 5:22-24; 6:15; Ephesians 1:6-7; 2:5-9,13; Philippians 2:8,12-13; 3:21; Colossians 1:12-14,20-22,24,27; 2 Thessalonians 2:17; 2 Timothy 1:12; Titus 2:11,14; 3:5-7; Hebrews 2:9; 6:1; 9:12-15,22-28; 13:12,20-21; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:18-19,23; 2:24; 3:7,18; 2 Peter 1:3; 1 John 1:7; 3:9,16; 5:11-13; Revelation 1:5
Concerning Election and Predestination to Salvation
...that God, in eternity, by the sovereign exercise of his grace, chose and predestined for salvation those whom he foreknew would receive by faith Christ's shed blood and resurrected life as his all-sufficient provision for their salvation; that it was a sovereign act because it was not due to any constraint laid upon him; that it was an act of mercy in that we were powerless to save ourselves; that it was conditional, based upon our faith to trust in Christ; that it was in eternity past and according to God's foreknowledge; that by election, he secured all who would be saved; and that by predestination he ordained our spiritual immersion into union with Christ for our full redemption.
Matthew 22:14; John 6:40; 15:16,19; Romans 8:28-30; 9:11; 11:5-6; Ephesians 1:4,11; 5:25-27; Philippians 3:21; 1 Thessalonians 1:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:1-2; 5:13
Concerning the New
...that the Church is the Body of Christ, a living spiritual organism into which all who, enabled by faith, trust Christ for salvation are immersed by the Holy Spirit as members together in spiritual union with him; that it is manifested on earth as local New Testament congregations of baptized believers covenanted together to grow in the fullness of Christ's likeness by the Holy Spirit through the Scripture and prayer, to manifest his Likeness to each other and into all the world, and, in obedience to the Great Commission of Christ, to seek, win, baptize, instruct, and nurture new converts; that Christ gave two ordinances to the New Testament church: baptism of believers by immersion in water and the Lord's Supper; that the local church is autonomous, free from the interference of any hierarchy or organization; that pastors and deacons are the elected officers of the church, supporting the church, not as ruling authorities, but undershepherds and servant leaders; that the Scriptural qualifications and duties for pastors and deacons are set forth in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus; that Christ's love for his church models the pastor's love for the congregation he supports; that the honor due the pastor is the opportunity the church gives him for influence, especially in their relationship to Christ; that under grace, members of the church are free to respond to the pastor as they grow in confidence of his love for them and as he is enabled by God to teach and persuade; that Christ alone is the Head of the Church, its Chief Shepherd, and the Source of its strength and supply; and that he administrates the church through the work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of its members, so that in all matters of the church, the convictions and will of its membership are final.
Proverbs 11:30;
Matthew 5:14-16; 26:26-29; 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-19; Luke 22:14-20; John 1:4;
8:12; 9:5; 10:11,14; 12:46; 15:1-8; Acts 2:41-42,47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3;
14:23,27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Romans 1:7; 12:5; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:16;
5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 11:17-24; 12:12-27; Ephesians 1:20-23; 2:19-22;
3:8-11,21; 4:11-16; 5:22-32; Philippians 1:1,20; 2:5,12-13,16; 3:7-12;
Colossians 1:18,24; 1 Timothy 2:9-14; 3:1-15; 4:14; 5:17-18; Titus 1:5-16;
Hebrews 10:24-25; 11:39-40; 13:20; James 5:20; 1 Peter 5:1-4; 1 John 1:5,7;
Revelation 21:2-3
Concerning Water Baptism and the Lord's Supper
...that water baptism is the immersion of a born again believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; that it is a symbol of our immersion by the Holy Spirit into spiritual union with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection; that by it, we publicly declare we have turned from trusting in the performance of our good deeds and religious rule-keeping as a means to salvation to trusting, instead and alone, in God's all-sufficient provision of Christ's death and resurrected life; that by it, also, we testify to our belief in the future resurrection of the dead in Christ; that it is a church ordinance prerequisite to the privileges of local church membership and the Lord's Supper; that “in the name of” means “unto the name of” and that being baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit expresses our acceptance of who they are and our dependence upon the support they provide for us; and that the Lord's Supper is a church ordinance whereby we commemorate, through partaking of the broken bread and the fruit of the vine, all that is provided for us by our union with Christ in his death and resurrection for our full redemption.
Matthew 3:13-17; 26:26-30; 28:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:12,35-39; 16:30-33; 20:7; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 10:16,21; 11:23-29; 12:13; Colossians 2:11-13
Concerning Spiritual Gifts
...that enabling gifts for redemptive service to others are bestowed by the Holy Spirit upon all who are born again; that they are assigned individually according to God's will; that the more demonstrative or "sign gifts" such as healing, raising the dead, and speaking in tongues were temporary, essentially given for the authentication of the apostolic generation, and are not normative for today; and that at Pentecost, people from every nation under heaven heard the gospel miraculously spoken, not in an ecstatic, mysterious languages no one understood, but in their own native languages from men and women who had not learned those languages.
Acts 2:1-12; Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-31; Ephesians 4:7-16
Concerning The Sabbath and The First Day of the Week
...that the Old Testament Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, was a special sign between God and Israel; that it was a ceremonial law which New Testament Christians were never commanded to observe; that it was a symbol pointing to and fulfilled in Christ, the author and completer of our faith; that the New Testament Church, from the beginning, assembled for worship on the first day of the week, which was the day Christ was resurrected from the dead for our redemption; and that in commemoration of his resurrection, activities on the first day of the week should be redemptive and include praise and worship, both public and private.
Exodus 16:25-26; 20:8-12; Matthew 12:1-12; 28:1; Mark 2:27-28; 16:2; Luke 24:1; John 4:21-24; 20:1,19; Acts 13:14; 20:7; Romans 14:5-10; I Corinthians 16:1-2; Colossians 2:13-17; 3:16; Hebrews 7:12; 8:13; 10:1,25
Concerning Satan
...that Satan is the unholy god of this world, an actual person, and not merely an influence; that he is an arch liar, deceiver, and accuser; and that our only hope for deliverance from his power and oppression is not through personal heroics to confront him or wage spiritual warfare against him, but through faith to trust wholly and alone in the power of Christ's life, birthed and nurtured in us by the Holy Spirit through the Scripture and prayer, which provides us everything we need for life and godliness.
Psalm 16:1; 18:1-50; 20:7; 23:4; 27:1-6; 31:19; 32:10; 33:16-19; 55:16-18; 56:13; 61:1-3; 62:1-2; 91:1-15; 121:1-8; 127:1-2; 145:20; 147:10-11; 149:4; Proverbs 21:31; Acts 1:8; Philippians 3:10; Ephesians 3:16; 6:10-17; 1 Peter 5:8; 2 Peter 1:3
Concerning The Return of Christ and Related Events
...that at any moment now, Jesus Christ will descend from Heaven; that he will bring with him the souls of the redeemed who have already departed to be with him; that he will resurrect their bodies from the grave to their eternal state, incorruptible and immortal; that we in Christ who are alive will then also be instantly changed, body and soul, in full redemption from our fallen, mortal state to our eternal state, incorruptible and immortal; that we will be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air; that following, at the Judgment Seat of Christ, we will celebrate Christ's provision of his resurrected life to enable our Christian lives and redemptive service to others while in this life; that the Antichrist will then be revealed on earth and rise to world dominance during Daniel's Seventieth Week or the seven years Tribulation; that he will come with counterfeit miracles, strange demonstrations, and lying wonders and be energized by Satan in accordance with his power to deceive; that this spirit of Antichrist is already at work in the world today; that immediately after the Tribulation, Christ will return with us to earth; that his coming, just as he promised, will be personal, visible, audible, bodily, and with power and great glory; that in that day, he will take up the throne of David, put down all of his enemies, and rule with power and in righteousness and peace over all the nations of the earth for a thousand years; and that at the end of the thousand years, Hell and the grave will deliver up the unsaved dead of all ages to be brought in their unredeemed bodies before the Great White Throne Judgment to be sentenced to eternal conscious separation from God in the Lake of Fire that burns with fire and brimstone in outer darkness, and where Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet will forever be.
Psalm 1:3; 127:1; Isaiah 2:4; 9:6-7; 11:9; Daniel 9:20-27; Malachi 4:2; Matthew 8:12; 16:27; 18:8-9; 19:28; 22:13; 24:27-30,36,44; 25:30-46; 26:64; Mark 8:38; 9:43-48; Luke 12:40,48; 16:19-26; 17:22-37; 21:27-28; John 5:24-29; 14:1-3; 15:1-8; Acts 1:9-11; 17:31; Romans 5:10; 8:11,18-23; 14:10; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 4:5; 15:24-28,35-58; 2 Corinthians 5:1-10; Philippians 2:12-13; 3:20-21; Colossians 1:5; 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 5:1-10; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; 2:1-12; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1,8; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:27-28; 13:20-21; James 5:8; 2 Peter 3:7-13; 1 John 2:28; 3:2; 5:11-12; Jude 14; Revelation 1:18; 2:27; 3:11; 12:15; 13:11-18; 19:11-16; 20:1-22:21
Concerning Marriage and the Family
...that God ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society; that it is composed of persons related to each another by marriage, blood, or adoption; that marriage is the vital union of one man and one woman joined together by God in covenant relationship and loving commitment for a lifetime; that it is a unique gift from God to provide man's need for companionship and intimacy and for the procreation of the human race; that more than an institution, the home is a living, spiritual organism, revealing the union of Christ and his church; that Christ's love for the church models the husband's love for his wife; that as head, the husband is not in a power position over his wife, but the fountainhead, or supply source, in a support position beneath her; that the wife, in submitting to her husband, is not surrendering to his rule over her, but is giving him opportunity for influence, especially in her relationship to Christ; that God's grace sets her free to respond to him, not as he directs, but as he is enabled by God to persuade and encourage her, and as she grows in confidence of his love for her; that children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing from the Lord; that God's unconditional love for his children, his passionate interest in every detail of their lives, and his unfailing commitment to their well-being model the role and responsibility of parents to their children; and that God providentially places children in the home, not to serve and support the goals and ambitions of their parents, but to be nurtured and supported, especially in their relationship to Christ, as they grow to become all God intended.
Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15-25; 3:1-20; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Joshua 24:15; 1 Samuel 1:26-28; Psalms 51:5; 78:1-8; 127; 128; 139:13-16; Proverbs 1:8; 5:15-20; 6:20-22; 12:4; 13:24; 14:1; 17:6; 18:22; 22:6,15; 23:13-14; 24:3; 29:15,17; 31:10-31; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; 9:9; Malachi 2:14-16; Matthew 5:31-32; 18:2-5; 19:3-9; Mark 10:6-12; Romans 1:18-32; 6:14; 1 Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Timothy 5:8,14; 2 Timothy 1:3-5; Titus 2:3-5; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Peter 3:1-7
Concerning Civil Government and Religious Liberty
...that civil government is ordained by God for the interests and good order of human society; that its leaders are to be properly respected and prayed for; that its laws are to be conscientiously obeyed, except only in matters opposed to our deeply held convictions concerning the will of God revealed to us in Scripture; and that we are a free church in a free state protected from the interference of any civil power in the exercise and expression of our faith and in our resolve to fulfill the mission of our church covenant.
Matthew 10:28; 22:21; 23:10; Acts 4:13-20; 5:29; Romans 13:1-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-8; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13-17; 3:11-17; 4:15-17; Revelation 19:16
CONSTITUTION/BY-LAWS
Article 1
NAME
This church shall
be known as GraceRenewal, A Grace Renewal Church (AGRC).
Article II
AFFILIATION
Article III
MEMBERSHIP
Section 1.
Persons requesting church membership who have trusted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, who have been baptized by immersion into water as a testimony of their faith, who accept the views of faith and practice adopted by this church as set forth in its Commitment Statement, Confession of Faith, and Constitution, will, upon signing this document, be counted a members of this church.
Section 2.
Membership in this church shall terminate as follows:
a) By written request to the church clerk from any member desiring to have his or her name removed from the membership roll or from the church with which a member has applied for membership, requesting in the member=s behalf that his or her name be removed.
b) By death.
c) By three-fourths vote of the church, for departure from the Church Covenant, provided the guidelines set forth in Matthew 18:15-18 and Galatians 6:1 have been strictly followed to secure restoration.
Section 3.
Members who willfully absence themselves for a period of six months from the regular meetings of the church shall automatically be considered inactive members.
Article IV
OFFICERS
Section 1.
a) The officers of this church shall be: pastors, to include a senior pastor, and deacons, to include a clerk and treasurer. Don Loy Whisnant will serve as GraceRenewal’s first pastor and Carole Whisnant will serve as an interim clerk and treasurer.
b) A three-fourths vote by the church membership is necessary for the election or dismissal of all church officers. A church officer also may leave office through written resignation.
Section 2.
A church council, consisting of the officers of the church, shall serve by three-fourths vote as an advisory board to the church membership in all matters related to church business, including planning and presenting a budget for estimating the funds needed in the following year and preparing and presenting the names of candidates nominated for the various offices to be filled.
Section 3.
It shall be the duty and responsibility of the senior pastor and associate pastors of this church to provide support for learning how to read and study the Scripture in order to experience Christ according to Ephesians 3:19 and 4:13, to lead and oversee the ministry programs and services of the church for teaching and evangelism, and as servant leaders, to provide watchcare, guidance, and support for the Christian life and service of every member. The senior pastor shall also moderate the business meetings of the church and church council.
Section 4.
b) The church clerk shall serve in this office as a deacon. It shall be his duty and responsibility to keep a correct record of the proceedings of the church, to keep a complete registry of the active, inactive, and removed members, to preserve all papers and letters coming into his hands, all of which are to be kept in the church office, and to deliver the same and all records to his successor. The clerk shall keep an account of any special events in the life of the church which are of historical interest and value. A church secretary may assist with the duties of the church clerk.
c) The church treasurer shall serve in this office as a deacon. It
shall be his duty and responsibility to receive and keep an accurate
account of all funds contributed, to disburse the same by bank check or debit according
to the annual budget approved by three-fourths vote of the church membership,
and to submit a monthly financial report of the receipts and disbursements with
the balances to the church. A church secretary may assist with the duties of
the treasurer.
Article V
MEETINGS
Section 1.
a) The church shall meet for ministry programs and services every Sunday and at least one other day each week.
b) Church ministries and programs are provided through GraceRenewal Counseling, the Institute for Studies in Grace Concepts (ISGC), the Online Institute for Studies in Grace Concepts (OISGC), and weekly meetings of the church assembly for teaching and fellowship (koinonia).
Section 2.
a) The church shall have its annual business meeting in January, and its quarterly business meetings in April, July, and October. The church council shall meet monthly. Special church council meetings may be called as needed by any church council member. Special church business meetings may be called by three-fourths vote of the church council.
b) A majority of the voting membership shall constitute a quorum at any church business meeting or council meeting. The following order of business shall be observed: devotions and prayer; reading of the minutes; report of the officers and committees; unfinished business; new business; adjournment; and benediction. All questions of order shall be settled by Robert’s Rules of Order.
Article VI
VOTING
A ballot, voice, standing, or show of hands vote of all active members, sixteen years old and older, who are present and voting, is binding.
Article VII
AUXILIARY ORGANIZATIONS
It shall be understood that all organizations of the church are an
integral part of the church and subject to its constitution.
Article VIII
AMENDMENTS
These articles may be amended by a three-fourths vote of the
church.
· Amended and
approved at the 2013 Annual Church Meeting on 1/8/2013
· Amended and
approved at the 2014 Annual Church Meeting on 1/5/2014
· Amended and
approved at the 2018 Annual Church Meeting on 1/7/2018
· Amended and approved at the 2021 Third Quarter Church Meeting on 7/4/2021
