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Relationships: Covenant Community Part 2
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Biblical Tips On Relationships:
Church: A Covenant Community – Part 2
Are you part of a Covenant Community?
Are you faithful, meeting together regularly?
Do you pray for individual members and the group as a whole?
Do you share your life and faith openly and honestly, in both the light and dark sides of your experience?
Is your group nurturing and encouraging in Christian love?
Do you lovingly hold one another accountable?
Do you honor confidentiality?
Do you join together in outreach and/or ministry?
(Above questions based on Part 1, Week 5 p. 59 Covenant Community: Companions in Christ by Dawson, Gonzalez, Hinson, Job, Thompson, Wright)
I belong to Southside Baptist Church. For several years, I have participated in our church’s monthly “Call to Prayer.” We are a small group of people who meet to pray for our church and each other. Our Associate Pastor, Ron Henson, lovingly and faithfully facilitates the group.
In this group, people share openly and faithfully pray for each other. We share our praises, victories, faith, doubts, struggles, and pain. We commit to pray for one another during the month. When we see each other, we ask for updates. We encourage one another to courageously step out on faith and follow God. We occasionally and lovingly scold one another. We are burdened for the needs of our church and commit them to prayer.
While this prayer time is open to the entire church, a faithful core group of people has come to depend on this night and each other. For many of us, the honesty and intimacy of this group has permeated our other small group church events. I believe the meeting of this small group of people contributes to our church’s loving spirit. I personally have shared the most intimate details of my life in this small group. These details have included mountain top experiences and valleys. I have never been hurt by gossip or criticism. I have been loved, prayed for, encouraged, and challenged.
As I write this, I realize how many times I use the word faith and faithful. Our leader, Ron is faithful. He himself models honesty, love, kindness, and faith. This group is faithful in attendance, prayer, concern, and honesty. We are a Covenant Community. In fact, our entire church is a Covenant Community. What a blessing.
Phil 2:1-5 NIV
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
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