Covenant Discipleship at Hope Church

What is it?

Covenant Discipleship is a commitment to mutual accountability. “Commitment” and “Accountability” are not popular in secular culture but are found throughout the Bible, especially in relation to Christ’s body, the church. When one partners in Covenant Discipleship, acknowledging that God has placed them into the body at Hope Church, the individual (or family) is committing to two things: A) to care for the discipleship of others, and B) to be discipled by others. The individual is committed to keeping other Covenant Disciples of our church accountable in their walk with Christ and also putting themselves under the accountability of the Elders and other Covenant Disciples. Hope Church is committed to fostering a culture that supports Covenant Discipleship, remaining faithful to the teachings of the Bible, and providing a safe and welcoming space for new and long-time Christ followers.

What is it not?

• Traditional church membership of “signing on the dotted line.” While some churches may practice this form of commitment, Hope Church does not see this formal structure as mandated by scripture or a prescribed practical outworking of the scriptural passages below. Covenant Discipleship is more than simple “membership”; it is intended to create an environment that enables people to grow deeper in their personal relationship with Jesus Christ and fosters mutual growth within the Christian Community.

• A Club: Do not think of Covenant Discipleship as a membership to Costco or a country club. Instead, this is a mutual commitment between you and the church before God.

• Discipline: Some believe Covenant Discipleship is only about church discipline; however, this is not the full scope of Covenant Discipleship, and it has harmed the church and believers. Covenant Discipleship is primarily about discipleship, not discipline. Discipline is an outworking of Covenant Discipleship, but it is not its purpose.

• Voting: Our church is elders-led. Thus, the elders make decisions and lead the church. While Covenant Discipleship does not grant individuals voting privileges for leading the church, every Covenant Disciple should feel valued and take pride in contributing to the church's development by communicating regularly with the elders, just as citizens would contact their state representatives to influence decisions being made for the nation. A Covenant Disciple would be involved in decisions regarding deacon selection, adding other Covenant Disciples to the congregation, and, in rare cases, church discipline.

  
  

Scripture Passages

• Hebrews 13:17 Elders need to know who their sheep are. They need to know which souls they will stand accountable for and which souls are under their care.

• John 10:27 Jesus knows his own sheep, and would know the sheep he is giving to his under-shepherds.

• Titus 1:5 Elders are appointed to put things in order, so they also need to know who the sheep are.

• Romans 12 (especially verses 5 and 10) shows a strong commitment, not a casual assembly.

• 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 The language of members of His body. God has placed and arranged the members of Christ’s body into the local church as He has pleased. We need to know who the members are so that we can relate to each other.

• Matthew 16:19 and 18:18 Binding and loosing are given to the Church. The church declares what is mirrored in heaven; the church declares who is and who is not a part of the kingdom. The church does not make someone a part of the kingdom or remove someone from it, but they have the authority to declare it. Consider an Embassy. They have no authority to grant citizenship or revoke citizenship. But they have the authority to declare someone’s citizenship. In Covenant Discipleship, the congregation says, “We affirm that this one represents Christ here on earth as a faithful follower.”

• Matthew 18:15-17 and 1 Corinthians 5 (the whole chapter). The church is given the authority to remove some from among its members. This is not a responsibility for casual churchgoers who occasionally show up on Sunday mornings. This is a task for the committed body of Christ.

• Hebrews 10:24-25 demonstrates a commitment to each local assembly, not that of a casual churchgoer. This commitment enables growth. Prioritizing the regular gathering of Covenant Disciples of the church is how love and good works are stirred up.

• Ephesians 2-3 (especially note 3:20-21) The church is the center of God’s plan to display his wisdom. This is God’s chosen means to display the kingdom.

• Hebrews 3:12-13 Spiritual edifying happens inside of a mutually committed assembly. The mutual commitment of its Covenant Disciples protects the Church.

• Acts 2 describes believers being added by the Lord to a congregation’s number after faith and baptism. They devoted themselves.

• 1 Peter 2:4-10 The local church is the fulfillment of the “kingdom of priests” language from the Old Testament. A much larger biblical theology could be explored here, but briefly, the church is God’s chosen vehicle for bringing His glory to the nations and the nations to His glory.

• Matthew 28:19-20 In the great commission, Jesus is commanding that his people be about discipleship.

  
  

Summary Principles

• God’s Design: A committed people found in the local church is God’s vehicle and showcase for kingdom work on earth. Participation in a local body and a commitment to it are not optional. The New Testament as a whole does not give leniency or open interpretation for lone-wolf Christians or Christians on their own island.

• God’s Blessing: God has chosen the church as his means of blessing.

  • Not to be a part of the church would be to miss out on God’s blessing.

  • To not be a part of the church would be to rob others of giving them God’s blessings.

• God’s Leaders: Shepherds oversee the flock of God. Shepherds cannot oversee random people who have not put themselves under the care of the elders. What purpose is there in establishing spiritual leaders (called elders and overseers) who are called to equip (Eph. 4:11), instruct (1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:9), and care for (Acts 20:28) the flock, if there is no mutual commitment of accountability (Covenant Discipleship) to determine who the flock consists of?

• Church Governance and Discipline: Effective church governance and discipline require a covenanting people.

  
  

Commitment of Elders

• To faithfully teach the whole counsel of God, Christian doctrine, and principles for practical living.

• To protect the church from unbiblical teaching and false doctrine.

• To provide and foster a safe, respectful environment for Covenant Disciples, attendees, and visitors to worship, grow, and mature in their relationship with Christ.

• To not tolerate any of the following behaviors from elders, leaders, volunteers, staff, Covenant Disciples, or attendees:

  • Any form of abuse (physical, emotional, sexual, or spiritual)

  • Substance abuse or intoxication

  • Dishonesty or fraud

  • Sexual Immorality
    

When Should I not Submit to Leaders? (Jonathan Leman)

All of us will, at times, be called to endure humbly a leader’s mistakes and sins. But if you find yourself in a church where the leadership is characteristically abusive, you should flee. Flee to protect your discipleship, to protect your family, to set a good example for the members left behind, and to serve non-Christian neighbors by not lending credibility to that church’s ministry. How do you recognize abusive leadership? Paul requires two witnesses for a charge to be leveled against an elder (1 Tim. 5:19), probably because he knows that leaders will be charged with infelicities more often than others, often unfairly. That said, abusive churches and Christian leaders characteristically:

• Make dogmatic prescriptions in places where Scripture is silent.

• Rely on intelligence, humor, charm, guilt, emotions, or threats rather than on God’s Word and prayer (see Acts 6:4).

• Play favorites.

• Punish those who disagree.

• Employ extreme forms of communication (tempers, silent treatment).

• Recommend courses of action which always, somehow, improves the leader’s own situation, even at the expense of others.

• Seldom do good deeds in secret.

• Seldom encourage.

• Seldom give the benefit of the doubt.

• Emphasize outward conformity rather than repentance of heart.

• Preach, counsel, disciple, and oversee the church with lips that fail to ground everything in what Christ has done in the gospel and to give glory to God.