Covenanting: A New Kind of Membership

"Covenanting" refers to how FirstLight introduces discipleship into what other churches refer to as "membership." Any adult can begin Covenanting where you are. Youth can begin Covenanting who have completed a 'Confirmation' course.

Basics
Covenanting is a guide offered to help people live out their covenant vows and grow in their likeness of Jesus. Christian discipleship is a journey, so we wanted “membership” at FirstLight to fully embrace Jesus’ call to follow him. “Membership” implies an arrival at a given point or an exclusive belonging that non-members do not enjoy. We believe both meanings are incompatible with who we believe God has called us to be. All are accepted and all are encouraged to grow in Christian discipleship.

Covenanting is a very flexible and meaningful process where a person makes a personalized plan to grow in Christian discipleship. Each person will be supported in their journey by a coach who will provide encouragement and prayer. We believe Covenanting will facilitate on-going growth in Christian discipleship.

Biblical and Theological Basis
We believe in one all-powerful and loving God:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This God is revealed to us through Scriptures in our Holy Bible. In the Bible, we see God engaging His creation by initiating a
covenant with Abraham and his descendants (Genesis 12:1-3 and Genesis 15). God blessed the Israelites so they would be a blessing to the entire world. As the Israelites lived out their covenant vows with love and justice, people would be able to see God.

On the night before Jesus’ Crucifixion, Jesus shared a Last Supper with his disciples. After supper, he took the cup and said “This cup is the new covenant in my blood (Luke 22:20).” In that meal, God was renewing His covenant promises to be our God. This time the promise comes through His Son Jesus who is our King. This new covenant calls us into a relationship with God where we are blessed to be a blessing. As we live out the vows of this new covenant, people will see God in our Christ-likeness.

How do I begin Covenanting?
People wanting to begin Covenanting need to come to a Covenant Information Meeting held the second Sunday of every month from 12:15pm-1:00pm at the high school. During that meeting you will learn the purpose and process of Covenanting and will receive a listing of available Coaches and a blank Covenant Agreement Sheet. The blank Covenant Agreement Sheet will allow you and your Coach the flexibility of deciding what Covenanting will look like for you. You will rank the coaches based on your personal preference. A coach will be assigned to you—with every attempt to honor your preferences—and will contact you within a week.

What happens after the Covenant Information Meeting?
Your coach will contact you to schedule a face-to-face meeting to discuss and sign your Covenant Agreement. The coach will work with you to ensure your plan is realistic, attainable, flexible, and healthy for your personal growth.

“Central to the Christian

experience is the art of

questioning God. Not

belligerent, arrogant

questions that have no

respect for our maker, but

naked, honest, vulnerable,

raw questions, arising out of

the awe that comes from

engaging the living God.”

-- Rob Bell,
Velvet Elvis