We believe that walking together and watching over each other are both essential aspects of being committed to the church family. The word we use to describe the kind of relationship involved in belonging to the church is ‘covenant’.
At Connect Church we adopt a model of being a gathered people who have made a commitment to one another known as Covenant Partners.
We ask all Covenant Partners to affirm and accept our ‘Partners Covenant’, both when joining the church and then on a regular basis as part of a wider church process.
Our primary desire is to help our Covenant Partners in their discipleship; to be with Jesus, to become like Jesus, and to do what Jesus did.
With this in mind our main concern for any Covenant Partner is the trajectory of their life with Christ and within the church.
The leaders of Connect Church are committed to walking with and watching over all Covenant Partners, and supporting them with discipleship as they journey forward with Jesus, and also to care for them as and when they journey away from Christlikeness, including significantly falling short of the expectations of a Covenant Partner, as well as any serious moral failings.
Our Partners Covenant says:
I will watch over my brothers and sisters, encouraging them toward Christlikeness, seeking myself to have the attitude of Jesus; to be truthful in my dealings, faithful in my engagements, and exemplary in my manner; submitting to the practice of church discipline and looking to uphold the reputation of the church and its people.
I will walk alongside them in love, seeking to build them up in the faith, eager to maintain unity within the church. With humility I will be slow to take offence, quick to forgive, always ready for reconciliation, and where possible I will rejoice with those who rejoice and endeavour with tenderness to bear their burdens and sorrows.
I will extend grace and exercise care to others, praying for and serving them. I will endeavour to grow spiritually, not neglecting to gather with the family of God regularly. I will engage in the church’s mission to make disciples and build the Kingdom, and I will contribute generously by giving of my time, talent and treasure to the work of the church, and to the spread of the gospel of Jesus both locally and to all nations.
Being Baptist is an essential part of our identity, and continues to underpin our doctrine, constitution, and practice, and having a form of membership and a way of belonging within the local church is really important to us.
Our Covenant Partners have voting responsibilities within our regular church meetings, including for:
Covenant Partners have voting responsibilities at Church Meetings for:
- Appointing Charity Trustees, including the Lead Pastor(s)
- Agreeing the annual budget and accounts
- Approving the purchase, sale, lease, mortgage or redevelopment of Church property
- Adopting any changes to the constitution
- Any matters considered by the Charity Trustees to be of sufficient importance.
Our Covenant Partners are committed to:
Grace – extending God’s unconditional love to one another and wanting the best for each other.
Growth – spiritual maturity and helping others in their discipleship.
Groups – active participation in both large and small gatherings.
Gifts – discovering, developing and deploying their spiritual gifts.
Giving – giving of their time, talent and treasure for the work of the church and Kingdom.