Covenant Renewal

It is common for people to join a church, get their name on the roll, and be satisfied that they have met the requirements for church membership. Some even see this as a guarantee of salvation. One of the reasons I love Northbrook so much is that membership is viewed very differently. It is a commitment we take seriously. When you join Northbrook, it is not a forever or until you decide to join another church kind of deal. Every year we take time to evaluate where we are as a church as well as individually in ministry and mission. Tonight was our annual Covenant Renewal Celebration. It was such a special time of fellowship and family. We are a Baptist church, so of course there was a lot of food involved. But I am convinced we could do this thing with crackers and water and still be just as blessed.

Our current series is on the "One anothers" in scripture, so we had a contest to see who would use the number one most creatively in their dress. Hannah used Uno cards, and Caleb went with the "Bear one anothers burdens" idea. Chuck tried to use applause to judge, but ended up giving them the Sonic gift card & telling them to share it. Hmmmm....
Amelia Lancaster was one of the few who had the courage to stand up and say in three words only what she likes about Northbrook. Even at 9 years old, her church is her "family in Christ". How cool is that?
After a time of worship, Tim Wheat, who was Northbrook's first paid pastor, gave an encouraging and challenging message. It was neat to me that he kept referring to Northbrook and the things that "we" are doing. I love that former Northbrookers still refer to their relationship with this church family in the present tense. Even when they have moved on to other ministries, they still feel a sense of ownership and belonging.
Then we sang the song that our current pastor, Chuck, wrote for Northbrook. I can't ever sing this song without tears, because never have I been in a church where the words are so true.


This fall we have added three men to our Pastoral Leadership Team. Tonight we had a chance to pray for and dedicate Larry Butler, Wayne Rushing and Jason Brooks. They are all wonderful, Godly men who I know will serve Northbrook well.


Like I mentioned earlier, membership is not something we take lightly at Northbrook. We have to take time to ask ourselves every year, "Am I willing to be held to Biblical standards by this group of people, even when it's not comfortable?" "Am I willing to commit to regular attendance at large and small group gatherings?" "Am I willing to uphold the unity of my church, speak positively and pray for her leaders?" "Am I willing to give sacrificially of myself, my time and my resources to support the ministry of this church?" "Am I willing to serve these people and alongside them in fulfilling the great commission in our church, our community and our world?"
These are questions we have to answer before signing the covenant for another year. If the answer to any of these questions is no, we also provide a regular attender card that communicates a desire to be part of the fellowship without being able to be a fully committed member. I love the moment where everyone signs their cards together. It is a feeling of being a part of something so much bigger than myself, yet intimate and personal at the same time.
My heart breaks for people who leave a fellowship of believers because it is too hard or personal, because it challenges their comfort level, because it asks more of them than what they are right now. Being a part of a church like Northbrook is hard. It asks a lot of us. But God's standards are high, and I am so very thankful for a church that does it's best to live up to them, challenges it's members to do the same, and isn't afraid to admit mistakes. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.