The Immanuel Promise: Part Two
Maybe you’re considering making Immanuel your church family and you’ve been asking some questions like, “Would I fit in at Immanuel? … Would people genuinely care about me at Immanuel? … Am I needed at Immanuel? … What would be expected of me if I became a member of Immanuel?” Those are really good questions and we want to give you really good answers!
At Immanuel, we believe that church membership is more than simply “a choice” – we believe it’s a commitment. We believe that God intends for us to experience life together and that’s what we’re all about. We’re people of different ages, preferences, looks and ideas. But even with our differences, we’re family and we’re committed to loving each other, accepting each other, caring about each other, encouraging each other, supporting each other and working together to share the difference Jesus makes in people’s lives.
Would you fit in at Immanuel? Yes! Will people genuinely care about you at Immanuel? Yes! Are you needed at Immanuel? Absolutely!
So that you will know what is expected of each member of our “Immanuel Family,” we’ve developed and adopted this second part of the Immanuel Promise. These are the promises we’ve made to God and to each other, and we’re committed to keeping these promises. Without being legalistic, these commitments keep us accountable to God and to each other.
Please take a moment to look over the commitments we’ve made. You can rest assured that we’ll be praying for you and with you as you seek God’s direction. And you can be confident that, at Immanuel, we’re always excited to have the opportunity to enthusiastically welcome new people into our family!
The Immanuel Promise: Family Commitments
Having received Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior, having been baptized, and having been led by the Holy Spirit to unite myself with the Immanuel Baptist family, I commit myself to God and to my fellow members to do the following:
- I will personally promote and protect
the unity and harmony of my
church family.
I promise that I will promote and protect the unity and harmony that God has created among my church family by:
- Always acting in love toward my fellow members.
- Refusing to participate in gossip or unwholesome talk.
- Choosing to encourage others rather than criticizing them.
- Always speaking with grace and love.
- Practicing God’s method for resolving personality conflicts.
- Following, praying for, and supporting
the spiritual leaders that God has
chosen to lead Immanuel.
“Let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.” – Romans 14:19
“Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.” – Ephesians 4:3
“Love each other deeply with all your heart.” – 1 Peter 1:22
“Obey your spiritual leaders ... Their work is to watch over you and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy, not sorrow.” – Hebrews 13:17
- I will personally share in the responsibilities of my church family.
I promise that I will share the responsibility of my church family by:
- Praying for its growth.
- Sharing Christ with those who do not have a personal relationship with Him.
- Inviting others to attend Immanuel.
- Enthusiastically welcoming those who are our guests.
“We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly.” – 1 Thessalonians 1:2
“Christ changed us from his enemies into his friends and gave us the task of making others his friends also.” – 2 Corinthians 5:18
“So, warmly welcome each other into the church, just as Christ has warmly welcomed you; then God will be glorified.” – Romans 15:7
- I will personally serve in the ministry
of my church family.
I promise that I will serve the ministry of my church family by:
- Discovering and employing the spiritual gifts, talents and interests God has given me.
- Desiring to serve others rather than being served by them.
- Actively involving myself in ministering
to my Immanuel family and
community at every opportunity God presents to me.
“God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” – 1 Peter 4:10
“Share each others burdens and in this way, obey the law of Christ.” – Galatians 6:2
“Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.” – Philippians 2:4
- I promise to personally support the good testimony of my church
family.
I promise that I will support the good testimony of my church family by:
- Faithfully attending the worship and ministry opportunities offered by Immanuel.
- Living a godly life each day of each week.
- Obediently and faithfully giving of my financial resources
as God’s Word
teaches.
“Let us not give up meeting together . . . but let us encourage one another.” – Hebrews 10:25
“So, we are Christ’s ambassadors . . .” – 2 Corinthians 5:20
“Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ.” – Philippians 1:27
“One tenth of your produce . . . belongs to the Lord and must be set apart to him as holy.” – Leviticus 27:30