BECOMING A MEMBER

We are glad you are interested in becoming a part of the Calvary Pampa family!!
To join our faith family you must have received Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and you must be baptized. Our church family believes in baptism by immersion in water and we believe the Bible indicates that baptism is the first step of obedience for the new believer in Christ. It allows the new believer to show his/her new church family his/her commitment to Christ. 

You may become a part of our family by coming to the front of the auditorium during the invitation at the end of the service. A pastor or one of the invitation team members will be there to assist you. Let them know you of your desire to become a member of our church family. They will ask you a few questions, discuss our beliefs, pray with you, and have you fill out some information. The pastoral team will then follow up with you and help you get connected with a New Member Mentorship Group.

Calvary Pampa Covenant Membership

The Calvary Pampa membership covenant is created out of a love for the church body and its individual members who we desire to experience the fullness of joy which is found as we worship, serve, and fellowship together in the presence of the Lord. The primary purpose of this covenant is to serve as an informational and teaching document with three primary functions: 

  • To clarify the biblical obligations and expectations for the staff, deacons, leadership, and the individual members of Calvary Pampa. 
  • To establish teaching and doctrinal boundaries for Calvary Pampa. 
  • To serve as a tool for information, reflection, and growth toward personal holiness in Christ. 

The Calvary Pampa membership covenant is comprised of a section on the Church, the nature of covenants, a statement of basic belief, the obligations of the Calvary Pampa leadership to the church body, and the obligations of members to the Calvary Pampa body.

 

What Is The Church?

The church is the gathering of the redeemed, the household of God, the bride of Christ, and the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12 speaks of the church as having many members within the same body. Just as a human body relies upon mutual dependence of individual members for proper functioning, so the body of Christ requires sacrificial and responsible service by its individual members. Each and every member is necessary in the mission of the church. We all have different gifts according to the gracious provision of the Holy Spirit. Contrary to what our culture teaches, we need each other.

The church exists for the display of the glory of God because He created the church for His glory. Those of us who trust in and follow Jesus are called to something bigger than ourselves. We have graciously been invited into God’s redemptive purpose in the world.

In light of this reality, the opportunity to join a local church body is much more than a commitment to consistent attendance or active involvement in community. It is also a sacred call to be involved in the redemptive work of our sovereign God to push back the darkness of a fallen world through the power of the Holy Spirit with the light of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Membership at Calvary is about participating in a family, which is a representation of the universal household of God. All members are united to Christ and thus to each other. Unity within the church is expressed in love for God and a love for others, both those within the family and those who are not. Because of the identification of Christ with His church, Christians are expected to display His gospel in a manner which is worthy of Christ.

 

What Is a Covenant?
A covenant is an oral or written agreement or promise between two or more parties. Covenant membership is a commitment to one another—a willing pledge to guard, care, submit, support, and minister together for the building up of the body Christ.

If at any time an individual member feels as though the corporate church body is not remaining faithful to the requirements of the covenant, it is the responsibility of the individual member to lovingly and humbly express their concerns to the leadership of the church.

While focusing on the responsibilities between the individual parties, the corporate church body, her leadership and her individual members, the covenant is first and foremost an acknowledgement of general Christian obligations and an agreement to enter into those duties for God’s glory and the good of the body and bride of His Son.

 

Statement of Basic Belief
The following beliefs represent the core teachings and beliefs of Calvary that come from a Biblical understanding:

  •         We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. 
  •         We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His atoning death for believers through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory. 
  •         We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful man, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential and is received by grace through faith alone. 
  •         We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a Christ-centered life. 
  •         We believe the Bible to be the inspired, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God and is essential for understanding the will and purpose of God. 
  •         We believe in the resurrection of both the redeemed and the lost; the redeemed to the resurrection of eternal life and the lost to the resurrection of eternal judgment and punishment in a physical place of separation called hell. 
  •         We believe that the Church is the body of Christ sent into the world to shine forth the glory of God. The Church is made up of those who have become genuine followers of Jesus Christ and have personally appropriated the gospel. The Church exists to worship and glorify God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The ministry of the Church is an extension of the ministry of Jesus in the power of the Spirit. 

  •         We believe that the ultimate mission of the Church is to bring glory to God by making disciples (Matt. 28:18-20). The Church is called to make disciples through worship, prayer, teaching of the Word, observance of the ordinances, fellowship, the exercise of our gifts and talents, and the proclamation of the gospel both in our community and throughout the world.

Biblical Obligations of Calvary Pampa’s Leadership to the Church Body

The shepherds and overseers of Calvary are entrusted with protecting, leading, equipping and caring for the corporate church body and her individual members. The following is a rather extensive overview of the requirements for elders as spelled out within the Scriptures.


As Calvary’s leadership, we covenant...

  •         to lead the church to appoint ministers, deacons, and other staff and supportive staff members according to the criteria assigned to them in the Scriptures (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-4). 
  •         to prayerfully seek God’s will for our church community and steward her resources to the best of our ability based on our study of the Scriptures and the leading of the Spirit (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1-4).
  •         to care for the church and seek her growth in grace, truth and love (Matthew 28:16-20; Ephesians 4:15-16; Colossians 1:28; James 5:14; 1 Peter 5:1-4).
  •         to provide teaching and counsel from the whole of Scripture (Acts 20:27-28; 1 Timothy 4:16; 2 Timothy 4:1-5; Titus 2:1). 
  •         to equip the members of the church for the work of ministry (Ephesians 4:11-16).
  •         to be on guard against false teachers and teachings (Matthew 7:15; Acts 20:28-31; 1 Timothy 1:3-7; 1 John 4:1).
  •         to lovingly exercise discipline when necessary, for the glory of God, the good of the one disciplined and the health of the church as a whole (Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 5; Galatians 6:1; James 5:19-20). 

  •         to set an example and join members in fulfilling the biblical obligations of church membership [Membership Covenant] (Philippians 3:17; 1 Timothy 4:12; Titus 2:7-8; 1 Peter 5:3).





Biblical Obligations of the Members of the

Calvary Pampa Church Body

This document functions primarily as an accessible yet non-exhaustive explanation of what the Scriptures teach about the obedience that faith produces. As those who have experienced the grace of a life changed by the gospel of Jesus Christ, we have the opportunity to reflect the character of Christ through the pursuit of certain attitudes and actions and the rejection of others. The Scriptures refer to this reality as “living by the Spirit”. The requirements of this membership covenant are in no way intended as an addition to the biblical obligations of a believer.

As a covenant member, I covenant...

  •         to submit to the authority of the Scriptures as the final arbiter on all issues (Psalm 119; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21). 
  •         to pursue the Lord Jesus Christ through regular Bible reading, prayer, fellowship, and practice of spiritual disciplines (Luke 18:1; Acts 17:11; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Ephesians 5:1-21; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-22). 
  •         to follow the command and example of Jesus by participating in the ordinances prescribed to His Church:
    -by being baptized after my conversion.
    -by regularly remembering and celebrating the person and work of Christ through communion/Lord’s Supper. 

  •         to regularly participate in the life of Calvary by attending weekly services, engaging in gospel-centered community, and serving those within and outside of this church (Acts 2:42-47; Hebrews 10:23-25; Titus 3:14). 
  •         to steward the resources God has given me, including time, talents, spiritual gifts, and finances. This includes regular financial tithing, service, and participation in community that is sacrificial, cheerful and voluntary (Matthew 25:14-30; Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 8-9; 1 Peter 4:10-11).

  •         by God’s grace through the power of the Holy Spirit, to walk in holiness in all areas of life as an act of worship to Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:13-16, 4:1-3). Believers should strive to put certain attitudes and actions to death while stirring and stimulating love and good deeds through the Spirit. Below are a few examples of actions addressed in the Scriptures:
    -I will practice complete chastity unless married and, if married, complete fidelity within a heterosexual and monogamous marriage. Complete chastity and fidelity means, among other things, that regardless of my marital status, I will pursue purity and abstain from sexually immoral practices such as adultery, premarital sex and pornography (Romans 13:11-14; 1 Corinthians 6:15-20, 10:8; Ephesians 5:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4).
    -I will seek to preserve the gift of marriage and agree to walk through the steps of marriage reconciliation before pursuing divorce from my spouse (Matthew 19:1-12; Mark 10:1-12; Luke 16:18; 1 Corinthians 7:10-11; for the role of the church in the process of divorce, see Paul’s concern for the resolution of legal matters within the assembly of the church in 1 Corinthians 6).
    -I will refrain from illegal drug use, drunkenness, gossip and other sinful behavior as the Bible dictates (Romans 1:28-32, 13:13; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:18; James 3:3-18). 
  •         to take seriously the responsibility of Christian freedom, especially actions or situations that could become a stumbling block to another (1 Corinthians 8:1-13). 
  •         to submit to the discipline of God through His Holy Spirit by:
    -following the biblical procedures for church discipline where sin is evident in another – the hope of such discipline being repentance and restoration.
    -receiving righteous and loving discipline when approached biblically by fellow believers (Psalm 141:5; Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 5:9-13; Hebrews 12:5-11). 
  •         to do the following when I sin:
    -confess my sin to God and to fellow believers (through biblical accountability), repent, and seek help to put my sin to death (Romans 8:13; Colossians 3:5; James 5:16; 1 John 1:6-10).
    -to submit to the appointed leaders of the church and diligently strive for unity and peace within the church (Ephesians 4:1-3; Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 5:5). 
  •       to do the following should I leave the church for righteous reasons:
    -to notify the leadership of Calvary.
    -to seek another church with which I can carry out my biblical responsibilities as a believer.



Because I am a sinner, I know that I will not fulfill the terms of this covenant perfectly. Nevertheless, I affirm the ambitions of this covenant as my own, and I commit always to try to fulfill its terms.

As I fail to live up to this covenant, I commit to yield to correction, to seek forgiveness and reconciliation, and to turn from my sin.

Because my fellow members are also sinners, I know that they will not fulfill the terms of this covenant perfectly. Nevertheless, I commit to encourage them to pursue spiritual growth by following this covenant. As they fail to live up to this covenant, I commit—as much as it depends upon me—to correct and restore them in gentleness and humility, never refusing forgiveness and reconciliation in the face of repentance. (Galatians 6:1; James 5:19-20)

I enter into this covenant voluntarily. I believe that attempting to follow this covenant will benefit me spiritually, so I ask my fellow members to interpret this covenant, apply it to my life, and live a life of mutual spiritual accountability with me.