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COVENANT OF THE TOUCHET VALLEY PASTORS |
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| We profess by faith that the following prayer
of Paul, the Apostle of Jesus Christ, is being fulfilled in our gathering
together: |
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| "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement
give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus,
so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of your
Lord Jesus Christ: (Romans 15:5,6, NIV). |
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| In light of Paul's prayer from Romans, we commit
ourselves to the following covenant: |
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- We view our individual ministries as extending beyond the local faith
communities we represent and commit ourselves to God's service to the
larger Body of Christ that embraces all believers in our valley. Our
aim is not to establish and promote our own kingdoms, but to see God
glorified in the Body of Christ in the Touchet Valley.
- We commit to meet regularly to pray for the people of the Touchet
Valley, united in the faith that the Lord Jesus Christ is the One who
can bring lasting, positive spiritual transformation in the individuals,
marriages, families, and communities.
- We agree to honor and respect each other's ministries and uphold one
another's good reputation. We will consciously avoid fault-finding an
instead pray for one another. We pledge to refrain from betraying the
confidence of a brother pastor, especially in personal matters that
could bring harm.
- We will promote and endeavor by God's grace to model healthy, loving
relationships in our marriages, families, churches, and community. Realizing
that we are human and may sometimes hurt or offend each other, we are
committed to seeking reconciliation and healing through asking and offering
forgiveness to one another.
- We will endeavor by God's grace to speak the truth in love in every
situation. To that end, we agree to avoid any deception or manipulation
in our ministries and in our relationships on the community. We agree
to refrain from promoting our own ministries by criticizing or degrading
fellow pastors and their respective theological positions.
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| Finally, we commit to hold one another accountable
to this covenant we have entered into according to the process of discipline
Jesus outlines in Matthew, chapter 18. We pledge to encourage each other
and serve each other in our ministry together in the Touchet Valley. |
