Our Church Covenant
(Amended December 14, 2008)
Having been led, as we believe, by the Spirit of God, to receive Jesus Christ as the Lord, Savior, and supreme Treasure of our lives, and, on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, we do now, in the presence of God, angels and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ. [Read the rest of the Covenant (pdf).]
As of our Annual Meeting on December 14, 2008, the Bethlehem Relational Commitments (pdf) are now part of our membership expectations and in the constitution and church covenant by reference.
In February and March 2009, Bethlehem pastors will be speaking on the five commitments at Wednesday Connection. These audio recordings will be posted below as they become available. (Also, DVDs of the sessions will be available at the church libraries).
| Speaker | Title | Date | Link |
| David Michael | Commitment to Peacemaking & Reconciliation | 02.04.2009 | mp3 |
| Tom Eckblad | Commitment to Biblical Counseling & Confidentiality | 02.11.2009 | mp3 |
| Tom Steller | Commitment to Accountability & Church Discipline | 02.18.2009 | mp3 |
| Sam Crabtree | Commitment to Preserving Marriages | 02.25.2009 | mp3 |
| Bud Burk | Commitment to Protecting Our Children | 03.04.2009 | mp3 |
| Speakers Panel | Q & A on Relational Commitments | 03.11.2009 | mp3 |
In short, these commitments are intended to help us define and mutually accept the way that we at Bethlehem will relate to one another, especially as related to the following:
- peacemaking and reconciliation
- marriage and divorce
- protecting children from abuse
- counseling and confidentiality
- mutual accountability.
Soon all current members of Bethlehem will be encouraged to sign a card to indicate their willingness to formally embrace these commitments--or to indicate that they are still considering them.
Read Pastor John's January 14, 2009, article on the Relational Commitments.