Nome Covenant Church
What We Believe:
As an Evangelical Covenant Church, we are a non-creedal church in that we do not require our membership to assent to a specific doctrinal statement in order to belong. We have chosen to use the language of "affirmations" in order to say what we affirm to be true.
We affirm the truth of both the Apostle's Creed and the Nicene Creed
As a denomination, we have six core "Covenant Affirmations":
We affirm the centrality of the word of God. - We believe the Bible is the only perfect rule for faith, doctrine, and conduct. The dynamic transforming power of the word of God directs the church and the life of each Christian.
We affirm the necessity of new birth. - New birth in Christ means surrendering ourselves to him and receiving forgiveness, acceptance and eternal life. It also means dying to self and being made alive in Christ, and this life has the qualities of justice and righteousness, joy and peace.
We affirm a commitment to the whole mission of the Church. - The early covenanters were known as "Mission Friends" - people of shared faith who came together to carry God's mission out both far and near. We follow Christ's two central calls. The Great Commission sends us out into all the world to make disciples. The Great Commandment calls us to love the Lord our God and our neighbors as ourselves.
We affirm the Church as a fellowship of believers. - Membership in the Covenant Church is by confession of personal faith and is open to all believers. The church is to be understood as a family of equals where we all share in the ministry of the church.
We affirm a conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit. - The Covenant church affirms that it is the Holy Spirit who instills in our hearts a desire to turn to Christ, and who assures us that Christ dwells within us. It is the Holy Spirit who enables our obedience to God, conforms us to the image of Christ, and enables us to continue Christ's mission in the world.
We affirm the reality of freedom in Christ. - The Apostle Paul wrote, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free." This freedom is a gift of God in Christ, and it manifests itself in a right relationship with God and others. It is not a private gift to be used selfishly, but is given to serve the community and the world. We in the Covenant Church seek to focus on what unites us as followers of Christ, rather than on what divides us.
