The Fivefold Member Covenant

Of Christian Apostolic Church, Inc.
(hereinafter “Christian Apostolic Church” or “CAC”  or “Church”);
A covenant by and between all members of the CAC family.

It is my desire to unite with the Christian Apostolic Church family. I believe that Jesus is both Lord and Christ; both the Son of God and the one true God manifested in the flesh, and I have decided to serve Him as my Lord and trust in Him alone as my Savior. I have decided to obey (or have already obeyed) the Gospel in accordance with the Lord’s death, burial, and resurrection, through repenting of my sins, being baptized by immersion in water in Jesus name, and receiving the infilling of the Holy Ghost with the initial, physical evidence of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives the utterance. I have read, understand, and agree to the Articles of Faith and the By-Laws of Christian Apostolic Church. I understand and agree with CAC’s vision, and I now choose to commit myself to God and to the other members of the CAC family to do the following:

I will live a life of HOLINESS:

By maintaining a habit of worship in a relationship with Christ;

By making a priority of worship gatherings, prayer meetings, and the continual pursuit of a quality personal devotion;

By being devout in lifestyle and character;

John 15:5: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (NIV).

Matthew 22:37-38 “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment” (KJV).

I Peter 1:15 “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do” (NIV).

Ephesians 6:18 “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints” (NIV).

Hebrews 10:25 “Let us not give up meeting together…but let us encourage one another” (NIV).

Philippians 1:27 “Whatever happens, make sure your everyday life is worthy of the gospel of Christ” (LB).

I will be HEALTHY:

By maturing as a disciple in a relationship with God’s Word;

By making a priority of Midweek Bible Study, Life Development Classes (currently held on Sunday Mornings), and any CAC Care Group meetings or other gatherings;

James 1:21 “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you” (NIV).

Psalm 119:11 “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee” (KJV).

Psalm 1:2 “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night” (NIV).

Psalm 37:31 “The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide” (KJV).

I will be a HEALER:

By making fellowship a priority in relationship with Believers;

By participating in serving the needs in the Church family;

By joining a CAC Care Group/Small Group and ministering to those in my group;

By protecting the unity of my Church through acting in love toward others, refusing to gossip, and cooperating with leaders;

By allowing the Church to judge matters of dispute or complaints, and—if other remedies are ever demanded—by accepting binding, third-party arbitration as specified in our By-Laws. I am guaranteed that I will never be sued at a court of law for any reason neither by the Church, nor by any member who has entered this covenant. This is required for membership, and constitutes my solemn vow to always settle any disputes with Believers out of court, i.e., to never sue the Church, or any Believers, in a court of law for any reason, neither during my CAC membership, nor even afterward (should I ever withdraw).

Philippians 2:4-7 “Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who…[took on] the very nature of a servant” (NIV).

Romans 14:19 “So let us concentrate on the things which make for harmony, and on the growth of our fellowship together” (Phillips).

Ephesians 4:29 “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs” (NIV).

Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you” (NIV).

I Corinthians 6:4-8 “If then you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church? I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren, but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers? Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud, and that your brethren” (NASB).

I will be a HARVESTER:

By committing to evangelism through a relationship with the Lost;

By distributing CAC seed cards, tracts, flyers, CDs, etc., by welcoming guests, and by inviting friends to Church/Group functions;

By periodically participating with other believers in evangelistic focuses in our city, our nation, and our world—including the Earth’s Harvest missions offering;

By being an intercessor and praying for the Lord of the harvest to send forth laborers;

Mark 16:15 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (KJV).

Colossians 4:5 “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity” (NIV).

Romans 15:7 “So warmly welcome each other into the church, just as Christ has warmly welcomed you; then God will be glorified” (LB).

Luke 14:23 “The Master said to the servant, Go out to the roads and country lanes, and urge the people there to come so my house will be full” (NCV).

Luke 10:2 “The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest” (KJV).

I will be a HELPER:

By serving in ministry in relationship with the Body of Christ;

By being a servant to my brothers and sisters wherever they gather;

By supporting my Church through tithing and volunteerism;

By discovering my gifts and pursuing a ministry at CAC that matches those gifts;

I Peter 4:10 “Serve one another with the particular gifts God has given each of you” (Phillips).

Colossians 3:23-24 “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving” (NIV).

Ecclesiastes 9:10 “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave…” (KJV).

I Corinthians 16:2 “Each one of you, on the first day of each week, should set aside a specific sum of money in proportion to what you have earned and use it for the offering” (LB).

Malachi 3:10 “‘…Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it’” (NIV).
 


Note: Those desiring to serve in a LEADERSHIP POSITION in CAC, please also read and agree to the CAC Standards and Guidelines for Leadership Positions. (Click here to read an online copy of it.)

Serving in a LEADERSHIP POSITION in CAC means that you not only agree with and adhere to the above Membership Covenant, but also that you will do your best to comply with CAC's standards and guidelines, that you will work in harmony with the pastor, other leaders, and members, and that you will display a spirit of obedience and practice submission.

Revised December 19, 2007