MERCY’S DOOR
COVENANT MEMBERSHIP CLASS

REGISTER BELOW

Table of Contents

SECTION ONE: Overview

SECTION TWO: What We Believe

SECTION THREE: About Mercy’s Door

SECTION FOUR: Elder Obligations

SECTION FIVE: Membership Covenant

SECTION ONE:
OVERVIEW

WHAT IS MEMBERSHIP?

Local churches are comprised of elders, deacons, and members.

At Mercy’s Door, when we talk about membership, we are specifically talking about healthy participation in the local church.

Healthy church members take responsibility to ensure the local church’s health and growth in Christ-likeness. Church members are Christians whose eyes can see beyond themselves to the well-being of the whole body. They realize Jesus died not just for them but also for the church (Acts 20:28). They realize that they were not just saved from something but saved into something— a family on mission!

Scripture tells us that leaders within the church are called to “equip the saints – or believers – for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God” (Eph 4:12-13). Essentially, we are called to function as one body, made up of many members, with Jesus Christ as our head, working together to grow into maturity (1 Cor 12:12-31). When all believers – not just church staff – embrace the importance of their role in the church community, the body of Christ is able to function with all the faculties it is supplied with. When each part is working properly, the body grows into health and strength (Eph 4:16).

So, you should not enter the membership covenant because you’ve been around Mercy’s Door awhile and figured it’s the next step or “something you should do.” Nor should you enter the membership covenant simply to say, “Mercy’s Door is where I go to church.” That’s part of it, but membership is more than that. It is an informed commitment to the doctrine and vision of Mercy’s Door, a willing submission to the biblical leadership of the church, and an intentional embrace of your role in the body of Christ and the mission of the church.

WHAT SHOULD I KNOW BEFORE I BECOME A CHURCH MEMBER?

Some Christians question whether they need to have a church home in which they participate as official members. The illustrative imagery of the church through The New Testament suggests we do. The imagery used includes the fact that Christians are to work together as a family (1 Tim. 3:15; 5:1-2) or as the parts of a body (1 Cor. 12:16-17). The early church had a notion of membership that included numerical records (Acts 2:37-47), records of widows (1 Tim. 5:3-16), selection of deacons (Acts 6:1-6), discipline (Matt. 18:15-20; 1 Cor. 5; Gal. 6:1), accountability (Heb. 13:17), and an awareness of who was a church member (Rom. 16:1-16).

We believe following New Testament teaching compels Christians to be members of specific local churches. When the Bible speaks of church membership it does not take it lightly but does so with all seriousness in relational terms. Christians are to work within their church for the cause of the gospel (Rom. 12:4-5; Eph. 2:18-19). Church members are to be trained and released to use their gifts and resources in various ways so that they too are serving the church, with the pastors and deacons, so that all may be doing “the work of the ministry” (Eph. 4:11-12). Inside the church and outside the church, members are to serve believers and unbelievers by telling the gospel of God concerning Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit. In addition, all members are to serve their church and the world by loving others as themselves. The church, purchased by Jesus, empowered by the Spirit, reconciled to the Father, works together as ministers of the same reconciliation of the gospel of Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5).

WHY DO WE NEED TO “FORMALIZE” MEMBERSHIP?

1.) To lean against the commitment-averse culture in which we live.

2.) Leadership

3.) Discipleship

4.) Service

WHAT DOES “COVENANTAL” MEAN?

A covenant is a formal agreement found throughout Scripture. Though covenants come in a variety of forms, our use of the word covenant speaks to the importance, intent (in comparison to a contract), and authority of the Scriptural outline for healthy church participation.

Covenantal membership is an agreement between a believer and a local church body and her elders to walk relationally with one another in the manner given to us by God in the Holy Scriptures.

WHO CAN BE A MEMBER?

1.) Christians
2.) Who have been baptized
3.) Who hold to Biblically orthodox faith (see Statement of Beliefs)
4.) Who have read and affirm the covenant agreement

SECTION TWO:
WHAT WE BELIEVE

MERCY’S DOOR STATEMENT OF BELIEFS

OTHER THEOLOGICAL DISTINCTIONS

While the doctrines expressed in the Statement of Beliefs are recognized to be universal and primary within the Church, there are a number of secondary beliefs that we as elders are passionate to proclaim. Not all Christians hold these beliefs, but they are nonetheless important and true as the elders understand the Scriptures. It should be known that the elders will preach, teach, and counsel in accordance with these convictions.

These distinctions represent the following areas of doctrine and practice:

THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The gifts of the Holy Spirit live as the Holy Spirit himself lives. We do not forbid openly practicing the gifts of the Spirit, but we require anyone who desires to express the gifts of the Spirit to do so in a way that spurs on orderly worship and edifies the Church.

THE COMPLEMENTARY ROLES OF MEN AND WOMEN
Men and women exist in complete equality before God and within the Church. God has gifted both women and men with different roles within the church and home to complement one another to the glory of God and to the building of the bride of Christ. The primary application of this conviction you will encounter at Mercy’s Door is that we believe the Scriptures reserve the church office of elder for biblically-qualified men. We believe the Scriptures hold the church office of deacon open to both biblically-qualified men and women. If you have questions about why we believe the office of elder is reserved for men, see this article. If you have questions on why we believe the office of deacon is open to both men and women, see this article. For more on biblical complementarianism, see The Danvers Statement (1987) and The Nashville Statement (2017).

BAPTISM BY IMMERSION
Baptism should come after the point of spiritual regeneration/conversion, and that the sacrament is to be administered to those who affirm they have experienced moving from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of the Son. We believe that baptism is a means of grace in which God allows us to physically experience a symbolic act that professes the spiritual reality of dying in Christ, being buried in Christ, and rising to new life in Christ.  We also believe baptism is obedience to the command of Christ Jesus. For more on this, see Mercy’s Door Statement on Baptism.

All members must adhere to the Statement of Beliefs and commit to not be divisive over secondary theological distinctions.

SECTION THREE:
ABOUT MERCY’S DOOR

MERCY’S DOOR EXISTS To the Glory of our King, for the Joy of His People.

OUR MISSION STATEMENT

“To make disciples who make disciples (Matthew 28:19) by proclaiming our desperate need for a savior (Ephesians 2:2-3) and the saving grace of Christ in the midst of our rebellion (Ephesians 2:4).  We declare this truth as we learn and experience together how the gospel transforms all areas of our lives (Galatians 2:20).”

OUR RHYTHMS

GOSPEL-CENTERED GATHERED WORSHIP (PULPIT/TRIANGLE)

We gather together as the body of Christ to worship God, hear from His Holy Scriptures, and remind each other of the sacrifice and salvation of Christ through Communion.  When Mercy's Door gathers together to worship God, we come together with expectation that God will meet us there; songs are sung to point us back to the truth of who God is and what He has done, preaching comes from His word and seeks to reveal the depths of His glory and grace, and communion is taken together as a family covered by the righteousness of Christ.

GOSPEL-CENTERED COMMUNITY (TABLE/CIRCLE)

We live life together in authentic community to encourage each other, pray for each other, and remind each other of the finished work of Christ. Because Christ saved us while we were yet sinners and promises to complete in us the work he has begun, we seek to live life openly and honestly; sharing our doubts, fears, sins, addictions, and struggles, and trusting that we will point each other back to the gospel.  Living life in this type of gospel-centered community deepens our relationships with Christ and each other, and encourages us to pursue joy in our lives by following Christ's example. 

GOSPEL-CENTERED MISSION (TOWN/SQUARE)

We live bent toward our communities because God first loved us and gave Himself up for us.  Therefore, we live life on mission so that we might be a blessing to those around us and see redemption in the lives of others through the gospel message. Our lives are busy and often consumed with activities and pursuits we hope will bring us value, identity, approval, comfort, and joy. But in Christ we find all these abundantly and much more, which allows us to live life intentionally and sacrificially, that those around us might feel Christ's love through us and hear the good news of His sacrifice by us.

SECTION FOUR:
OUR LEADERSHIP COMMITMENTS

WHAT WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY JESUS IS THE HEAD

In Scripture, the Church is called, “the flock of God” (1 Peter 5:2), “God’s heritage” (1 Peter 5:3), and “the church of God” (Acts 20:28). Jesus Christ, who is Himself God, is called “the head of the church” (Ephesians 5:23) and “the chief Shepherd” (1 Peter 5:4). The church belongs to Christ, and He is the ultimate authority over His church. (Matthew 16:18).

WHAT ARE ELDERS?

Elders are the leaders of the church, and are also interchangeably called pastors, shepherds, bishops and overseers in the New Testament of the Bible (Acts 20:28; Eph. 4:11; 1 Pet. 5:2). The elders are men chosen for their ministry according to clear biblical qualifications (1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9). The elders are always spoken of in plurality because God intends for more than one man to lead the church as a safeguard for both the church and the man.

Elders are under-shepherds who carry out the honor of feeding and tending to local flocks who are under the authority of their chief Shepherd, Jesus. They, just like the rest of the flock, are utterly dependent on and submissive to the chief Shepherd.

WHAT DO ELDERS DO?

Elders are given responsibility by God in the Scriptures to oversee the local church (1 Timothy 3:1), to stand before the church to diligently care for the flock (1 Timothy 5:17), including to exercise church discipline and to reprove those who err from the faith (Matthew 18:15–17; 1 Corinthians 5:11–13), to feed the flock (1 Peter 5:2), and to guard the doctrine of the church (Titus 1:9). As such, at Mercy’s Door, we say that elders are uniquely responsible for Doctrine, Direction and Discipline.

DOCTRINE.

ELDERS ARE RESPONSIBLE TO:

• Teach the Bible accurately. (Eph. 4:11; 1 Tim. 3:2)

• Preach. (1 Tim. 5:17)

• Teach sound doctrine and refute false teaching. (Titus 1:9)

• Protect the church from false teachers. (Acts 20:17-31)

DIRECTION.

ELDERS ARE RESPONSIBLE TO:

• Lead the church. (1 Tim. 5:17)

• Manage the church. (1 Tim. 3:4-5)

• Care for the flock. (James 5:13-15; 1 Pet. 5:2-5)

• Give an account for the church. (Heb. 13:17)

• Rightly steward the money of the church. (1 Pet. 5:1-3)

• Train other leaders and teachers in the church. (Eph. 4:11-16; 2 Tim. 2:1-2)

DISCIPLINE.

ELDERS ARE RESPONSIBLE TO:

• Care for the flock. (James 5:13-15; 1 Pet. 5:2-5)

• Live exemplary lives. (Heb. 13:7)

• Rightly use the authority that God has entrusted to them. (Acts 20:28)

• Discipline unrepentant Christians with a heart for their restoration. (Matt. 18:15-17)

WHAT ARE DEACONS?

Deacons are Biblically-qualified, faithful servants of the body of Christ who are recognized by church members for their faithfulness and character and are appointed by elders to carry out ministry service in the church (1 Tim. 3:8-13).

WHAT DO DEACONS DO?

Biblically, deacons are deployed to assist the pastors by protecting church unity, organizing practical service, and meeting tangible needs. In a general sense, every Christian is called to be a deacon (the New Testament word diakonos simply means “servant”). But the designation is not always generic; it is also used to describe a formal church office. Deacons are model servants who excel in being attentive and responsive to tangible needs in the life of a church.

On the broadest level, diaconal work can be summarized as encompassing three things in the life of a church: meeting tangible needs, protecting church unity, and supporting the ministry of the elders.

MEETING TANGIBLE NEEDS.

The apostles’ response to the brewing conflict in Acts 6 was to lead the congregation in setting apart seven men who would coordinate a solution to the problem. Informed by this precedent, diaconal work through the centuries has focused chiefly on tangible needs, particularly caring for the poor and vulnerable. The deacon’s role, more thoroughly, can include any ministry service that threatens to derail elders from the primary responsibilities Scripture calls them into.

PROTECTING CHURCH UNITY.

Just as the seven were tasked to salvage the unity of the Jerusalem church, so deacons today are meant to play this pivotal role in church life. A quarrelsome Christian will make a poor deacon. Deacons are to be marked by a palpable sense that they have not yet arrived. A spirit of gentleness. A willingness to be flexible. The ability to stand on conviction without being combative. A qualified deacon will increasingly resemble the kind of unity-building love the Bible so clearly commands.

SUPPORTING THE MINISTRY OF THE ELDERS.

It is not accidental that Paul turns his attention to deacons (1 Tim 3:8-12) immediately after discussing elders (1 Tim 3:1-7). The structure suggests deacons are both paired with and subordinate to the elders they support. This relationship between the offices is also implied in the other passage where deacons (plural) are mentioned (Phil 1:1):

By enabling elders to remain focused on their teaching and prayer roles, deacons both guard and advance the ministry of the word. They help to execute practical demands of ministry to assist the elders in executing the ministry of the Word and to remain devoted to prayer.

THE ELDER COVENANT

In light of all this, as shepherds and overseers of a local church, elders are entrusted with casting vision, protecting, leading, equipping and caring for the corporate church body and her individual members. The following are the responsibilities the elders of Mercy’s Door covenant to fulfill for God’s glory and the joy of His bride.

The elders covenant:

• To appoint elders and deacons (including staff members who serve in these offices) according to the criteria assigned to them in the Scriptures (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Acts 6:2-6).

• 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 following 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 5:1-13; Galatians 6:1; James 5:19-20).

• To set an example and join members in fulfilling the obligations of church membership stated below (Philippians 3:17; 1 Timothy 4:12; Titus 2:7-8; 1 Peter 5:3).

SECTION FIVE:
MEMBERSHIP COVENANT

In light of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I joyfully commit my life to Him as His servant. Having prayerfully considered the direction, doctrine, and leadership of Mercy’s Door, I have decided to become a covenant member of Mercy’s Door Community Church.

My covenant affirms that I have been saved by grace into both a relationship with Christ and into His bride the Church. His gift of grace leads me to respond to His kindness by using my time, gifts, and talents to the glory of my King and the joy of His people.

 As a response to the saving work of Christ in my life, my new identity in Him, and His call to make disciples, I commit that:

• I will submit to the authority of Scripture as the final authority on all issues

• I will participate in regular gospel-centered corporate worship

• I will live life with others, open and authentically, in gospel-centered community

• I will embrace the mission God has given me - to love those around me and proclaim the finished work of Christ

• I will pursue holiness in every area of my life, by the power of the Spirit that indwells me, and covered by the sufficient grace of Christ

• I will safeguard the unity of the church with my words and actions in keeping with the grace afforded me by Christ and biblical guidelines for conflict resolution

• I will give cheerfully and sacrificially to support the work of the gospel expanding through Mercy’s Door as an act of worship and trust in my all-providing Heavenly Father.