Do We Have a Church Covenant?

When I asked this question, blank stares ensued. I figured we at Trinity had one, but I also guessed few if any knew about it. Let’s think about this for a brief moment…we have a Church Covenant and have for quite some time! What does this mean? Well, let’s break down this simplistic term.
Church---in a very basic definition it is: A local body of believers who have been baptized, desiring to bring glory to God by their worship, teaching and carrying forth the Great Commission, biblically conducting the ordinances and holding one another accountable. Now, I didn’t look this up from a single source, and this is certainly not comprehensive, but you get the gist. Then, we have the word
Covenant---Now I went to the dictionary for this---
1: a usually formal, solemn, and binding agreement.
2 a: a written agreement or promise usually under seal between two or more parties especially for the performance of some action b: the common-law action to recover damages for breach of such a contract.

So, in short our Church Covenant is an agreement or promise that we, as believers at Trinity, have made to one another and our Lord which we will carry out. This should cause several questions to come to our mind: (1) What is our Church Covenant? (2) Should we attempt to live up to it or throw it out? (3) Being that this is a covenant and should be taken seriously, shouldn’t we make it prominent in our Church?
Below you will find it - we will look at this Covenant in the coming year as we study the Church. But, in all honesty those who helped in the founding of this Church had the right idea when they expected Trinity members to make this promise to one another. What a good place to start this year!

Trinity Baptist Church Covenant:

Having been led, as we believe by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior and having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit on the profession of our faith, we do now, in the presence of God, and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with on another as one body in Christ.

Therefore, we engage, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor and the spread of the gospel through all nations.

We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; to abstain from the sale and use of intoxicating drinks as a beverage; to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.

To that I say, Amen! If you are a member - this is our covenant, this is our root system that traces all the way back to the founding of this church! What a wonderful discovery and what a wonderful covenant for us to strive to keep!!