COMMITMENTS
More Than Values: People Shaped by Covenant Commitments
These days, it's common to talk about "values." Many organizations and churches list a set of values that guide their mission or inform their decisions. But the language of "values" comes from the modern world of autonomous choice -- "values" are something we choose.
We prefer to talk about "commitments." Our core commitments flow from our covenant relationship with the Lord. These commitments are not merely choices; they are priorities that express the joyful constraints of our love for the God who loved us first and bound Himself to us in love. In an age of chosen and differing values, we think the language of commitment helps renew our thinking about the proper relationship between the Creator and those who bear His image.
Below is a list of our 12 Core Commitments:
1. Jesus Christ as Lord We are committed to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, the eternal Son of God who became flesh, lived a perfect life, died for our sins, rose from the dead, and now reigns as King over all creation. This commitment is not merely intellectual assent but our wholehearted submission to Christ’s lordship over every aspect of our individual and corporate lives. We affirm that Jesus is the eternal Word who became flesh (John 1:14), lived a sinless life (2 Cor. 5:21), died for our sins and rose again according to the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:3-4). God has given Him all authority (Matt. 28:18), and salvation comes through confessing His lordship (Rom. 10:9). Christ is the cornerstone (Eph. 2:20) and the head of our body (Col. 1:18). All our other commitments flow from and find their meaning in our union with Him. We love Him because He first loved us and called us out of our spiritual and moral darkness (1 Pet. 2:9). Our ultimate goal is not institutional success but conformity to Christ's image (Rom. 8:29) and faithful obedience to His commands.
2. The Authority of Scripture We are committed to the Bible as the inspired, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God that governs our lives, faith, and practice. While our commitment to Scripture's authority appears in our statement of faith, we reiterate it here to demonstrate a functional rather than merely a verbal or notional commitment. Many churches affirm biblical authority doctrinally while allowing Scripture to be sidelined by traditions, culture, or preferences. We commit ourselves to the practical, day-to-day authority of God's Word. Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Because Christ governs His church through His Word, we seek to submit to its teaching and correction. The Bible has final authority over human traditions, personal experiences, or cultural trends. We commit to careful study, faithful interpretation, and wholehearted obedience, knowing God's Word accomplishes His purposes (Isa. 55:11).
3. Faithful Biblical Preaching & Teaching We are committed to preaching and teaching that faithfully expounds the text of Scripture, allowing God's Word to speak with its own voice and authority. Preaching and teaching are not entertainment or sharing personal opinions with religious language. True preaching and teaching occur when the preacher-teacher studies Scripture, understands its meaning in context, and proclaims that meaning with clarity and application. Paul charged Timothy to "preach the word" with patience (2 Tim. 4:2). We reject using Bible verses as springboards for personal agendas. Our commitment is to expositional preaching and teaching that draws content, structure, and emphasis from the biblical text itself, following Ezra's example of reading clearly and giving the sense (Neh. 8:8). This ensures our congregation hears from God rather than merely from a man. Those who speak should do so as oracles of God (1 Pet. 4:11). Over time, we receive the full counsel of God (Acts 20:27) as we work systematically through Scripture. Such preaching and teaching shapes minds, convicts hearts, and transforms lives because it carries God's own authority and power.
4. Equipping Every Saint for Ministry We are committed to preparing and empowering all believers to use their gifts in service to Christ and His church. Christ gave church leaders to equip the saints for ministry for the purpose of building up the body (Eph. 4:11-12). Therefore, we reject the idea that only pastors do "real" ministry and that laypeople are passive consumers. Instead, we embrace the biblical vision where every member is a minister, using their gifts and abilities for the common good and the advancement of Christ’s Kingdom. Our commitment to equipping means that we provide training, mentoring, and growth opportunities so that each person can fulfill their calling as a vital and active member of Christ’s body.
5. Growing in Love for God and Neighbour We are committed to cultivating a deepening love for God and genuine care for one another as the fulfillment of Christ's greatest commandments. Jesus declared the greatest commandments are loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and loving our neighbour as ourselves (Matt. 22:37-39). Love is not merely a feeling but a sincere commitment that finds expression in sacrificially serving others. Our love for God grows through knowing Him better through His Word, experiencing His grace, and responding in obedience. Our love for one another requires intentional effort to build meaningful relationships beyond surface pleasantries. Jesus gave us a new commandment to love as He loved us, declaring this would mark us as His disciples (John 13:34-35). This love is challenging, requiring vulnerability, forgiveness, and difficult conversations. Yet we commit to creating an environment where genuine Christian love flourishes, knowing that love is the greatest virtue (1 Cor. 13:13) and the mark by which the world recognizes that we really are Christ's disciples.
6. Advancing Christ's Kingdom Mission We are committed to participating in Jesus' mission to disciple all nations and establish His kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. The church exists as an outpost of God's heavenly kingdom. Christ commissioned us to make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching them to obey His commands (Matt. 28:19-20). He promised power through the Holy Spirit to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). This Great Commission is not optional but the very reason Christ established His church. Therefore, we pray for His kingdom to come and His will to be done on earth as in heaven (Matt. 6:10). Our commitment expresses itself through supporting missionaries, training members to be faithful witnesses, and creating evangelistic and discipleship opportunities. We seek to be a faithful beachhead for God's kingdom advance, demonstrating what Christ's lordship looks like and working to see His lordship acknowledged in every sphere of human existence.
7. Transforming Culture for Christ's Glory We are committed to being salt and light in the world, seeking to bring Christ’s presence and influence wherever we are able. Christ is not merely Lord of the church but King over all creation. All things were created through Him and for Him, and in Him all things hold together (Col. 1:16-17). Our faith extends beyond our private devotions to every area of life. Jesus called us to be salt and light, letting our light shine so that others see our good works and glorify our Father (Matt. 5:13-16). We commit to destroying strongholds and taking every thought captive to obey Christ (2 Cor. 10:4-5). This means encouraging members to think biblically about their vocations, engage thoughtfully with contemporary issues, and work for justice, truth, and righteousness. We reject both cultural withdrawal that abandons the world and accommodation that compromises the truth. Instead, we seek faithful engagement that makes Christ preeminent in all things.
8. Prayer and Dependence upon God We are committed to seeking God's face in all things, recognizing that apart from Him we can do nothing. Prayer is not merely a religious activity but the very lifeline of our relationship with God. Jesus regularly withdrew to pray (Luke 5:16) and taught His disciples likewise. We are utterly dependent on God for every blessing and need. As Jesus declared, apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). We cannot manufacture spiritual growth, create genuine community, or advance God's kingdom through our own efforts. Therefore, we commit to being a praying church that seeks God's wisdom, power, protection, and blessing. Paul instructs us to pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17) and to bring all requests to God with thanksgiving (Phil. 4:6). This commitment expresses itself in corporate prayer gatherings, individual devotion, and integrating prayer into all activities. We believe God delights to answer His people's prayers and that prayer is a necessary means by which He accomplishes His purposes.
9. Life-on-Life Fellowship We are committed to building deep relationships where we share our lives together and bear each other's burdens in practical, ongoing ways. It's impossible to live the Christian life in isolation. God placed us in Christ's body, where we are interconnected members needing each other for spiritual health and growth. The early church devoted themselves to teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayers, meeting daily in homes with glad hearts (Acts 2:42, 46). Life-on-life fellowship goes beyond casual friendships or Sunday greetings. It involves opening our homes, sharing meals, confessing sins, and bearing one another's burdens to fulfill Christ's law (Gal. 6:2). We must consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting meeting together but encouraging one another (Heb. 10:24-25). This requires vulnerability, commitment, and investing time and energy in others' lives. Such fellowship is countercultural but essential for Christian maturity. We commit to facilitating these relationships, knowing that through life-on-life fellowship we experience God's tangible love and grow in Christlikeness.
10. Faithful Stewardship We are committed to managing all of God's gifts as faithful stewards who will one day give account to the Master. Biblical stewardship recognizes that everything belongs to God and we are merely managers of His resources. It is required of stewards that they be found faithful (1 Cor. 4:2). This includes financial resources, time, talents, relationships, and opportunities. Jesus taught that faithfulness in little things demonstrates faithfulness in much (Luke 16:10). Faithful stewardship means using gifts to honour God and advance His kingdom rather than serving our personal comfort. Each should use their gifts to serve others as good stewards of God's varied grace (1 Pet. 4:10). We commit to teaching biblical stewardship principles, modelling generous giving, and creating a culture where members joyfully contribute their time and talents to accomplishing God's work. This extends to stewarding the creation, community relationships, and the gospel message itself. Stewardship is a grateful response to God's generosity toward us in Christ, knowing we will give an account for what He has entrusted to us.
11. Covenant Loyalty We are committed to loving accountability that seeks restoration while maintaining the purity and witness of the church. Church membership is entering a covenant relationship with Christ and His people, not merely joining an organization. Our loyalty to each other as members of Christ's body is a necessary expression of our covenant loyalty to the Lord. As John reminds us, one who claims to love God while hating his brother is a liar, for we cannot love the unseen God while failing to love the visible brother (1 John 4:20). Loving our brothers and sisters necessarily expresses our love for the Lord. This covenant involves mutual commitment, shared responsibility, and loving accountability. When members fall into sin or error, we follow Christ's pattern in Matthew 18:15-17 of patient, redemptive discipline. The goal is always restoration -- bringing wayward sheep back to fellowship with Christ and His people. Paul instructs us to restore those caught in sin with gentleness (Gal. 6:1). However, when individuals persistently refuse correction and threaten the church's purity, unity, and witness, covenant loyalty may require exclusion with the hope of bringing about repentance (1 Cor. 5:1-5). This requires wisdom, courage, and deep love for both individuals and the body of Christ.
12. Glorifying God in All Things We are committed to making the glory of God our ultimate aim in everything we do, both when we gather and when we scatter. God created and redeemed us for His glory, giving meaning and direction to all of life. Whether we eat or drink or whatever we do, we should do all things for God's glory (1 Cor. 10:31). Isaiah reminds us that God created His people for His glory (Isa. 43:7), and Paul affirms that from Him and through Him and to Him are all things -- to Him be glory forever (Rom. 11:36). This shapes how we worship, conduct business, raise families, and engage with our neighbours. Glorifying God means living so that others see our good works and praise our heavenly Father (Matt. 5:16). It means pursuing excellence to honour the Lord, not for personal recognition. In corporate worship, we glorify God through singing His praises, praying, giving, diligently hearing His Word, and sharing in the sacraments. In daily life, we continue glorifying Him through faithful work, loving service, and consistent Christian character. This commitment summarizes and encompasses all others, for everything we do as a church exists to bring glory to the Triune God who saved and called us to Himself. Our ultimate desire is that Christ have preeminence in all things (Col. 1:18) and that God be glorified through Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 4:11).
