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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. |
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