Core Commitments
The Glory of God: We believe that all of creation exists to bring honor and glory to God through Jesus Christ. In all that we do, therefore, the honor of his name and the spread of his fame is our primary goal. In this sense, worship is not one among several pursuits that we as a church and individual followers of Christ have; worship is the the reason we exist. “So… whatever you do, do all to the glory of God,” (1 Cor. 10:31).
The Gospel of God: The Apostle Paul tells us that Satan’s goal is “to keep [non-Christians] from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” On the other hand, God “has shown in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ,” (2 Cor. 4:4, 6). As a church, we value the good news of Christ crucified for our sins, and raised to give us life. Christ himself bore our sins in his own body. God sent him to bear the just penalty of our sins, and all who trust in him alone for salvation, life, and joy will be saved. This gospel is the lifeblood of our church and the only hope of the world. We are therefore committed not only to the truth of the Gospel, but to task of telling it to the world.
The Power of God: Just before entrusting his disciples with the Gospel, Jesus told them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me,” (Matt. 28:18). We trust in the power and sovereignty of our God, because Jesus himself will build his church through the preaching of the Gospel. He who “works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Eph. 1:11) is the same one who has promised, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,” (Matthew 16:18).
The Word of God: The God that we live to honor, and who sent his Son on our behalf, has made himself known to us in the Scriptures. We treasure the Word of God because it is “breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness…” (2 Tim. 3:16). Because we love God’s Word, we are committed to expositional preaching and teaching “the whole counsel of God,” (Acts 20:27).
The Spirit of God: At the end of the Great Commission, Jesus promises his followers, “I am with you always,” (Matt. 28:20). He also promised his disciples that when he left the earth physically, he would send the Holy Spirit to empower them and enable them to accomplish the mission he had charged them with. We believe that Christ is present with us through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, who empowers us and gifts us to fulfill the Great Commission. We trust in him and rely upon him for strength, wisdom, and sanctification.
The Church of God: Covenant Baptist Church is also committed to being a church, a local assembly of believers committed to the Gospel and one another. The church is the “pillar and buttress of the truth,” (1 Timothy 3:15). As a Baptist church, we recognize the importance of the congregation as the final court of appeal in matters pertaining to the local church and we also believe that one must trust in Christ and give evidence of being truly born again in order to be a member of a local church. The local church is God’s plan for reaching the world, and the place where we find genuine fellowship and the opportunity to grow in love for God and one another.