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Our Commitments

 

Membership Commitments (March 2018)

GOWC-C is a Christian faith community that encourages all of its members to be faithful to God and to God’s mission as they live out being church within the world and within Grain of Wheat Church-Community. GOWC-C asks members to participate in our church-community’s life in accordance with their calling and gifts, recognizing that many members are called to spend much of their time and energy living these callings and sharing these gifts outside of organized church structures and activities. 
As a member of GOWC-C and by the grace of God:
  1. I have attended Emmaus Seed Group or the previous Intro Series.
  2. I believe in, and commit to the Identity Statement and 13 commitments (drafted 2011), which emerged from the GOWC-C covenant (drafted 1982).
Grain of Wheat Church-Community Identity Statement of Members’ Commitments
As Members of Grain of Wheat we uphold the essence of our original Covenant, a statement of faith and identity, written by our founders in the early 1980’s.
We serve God, the Holy Three in One: Creator of all, Redeemer in Jesus Christ, and Sustainer through the Holy Spirit. Called to be in communion with God, with each other, and with the rest of creation, we seek inner transformation through Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and we commit to participation in God’s mission in the world.        
As an ecumenical Christian church-community, part of the Body of Christ, we desire to be both a welcoming place of worship, and an intergenerational community. We desire to know and follow Jesus. We seek the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We want to be a source of spiritual, emotional and material support for our community and for others. We cultivate right relationships with other churches and faith communities, and work towards healing love, peace and justice for all people. 
Acknowledging our need of God’s blessing, we continually strive in changing times to better express and fulfill our commitments to God, the world, and each other.  We make the following commitments believing they are the way to the richness and fullness of life that God intends.
  1. We acknowledge God as the central inspiration for our life together and participate in:
    1. Grain of Wheat Church‐Community prayer and worship
    2. Personal prayer and practices that promote spiritual growth
    3. Biblical reflection and learning   
  2. We are disciples of Jesus and strive to live Christ-like lives by:  
    1. Welcoming and caring for the stranger, the newcomer, the poor, the sick, the prisoner
    2. Sharing the Good News, our resources and our gifts with the community and the world
    3. Living a Life of Enough by resisting consumerism and conserving resources
    4. Working for reconciliation in all things (relationships, structures, creation)
  3. We support Grain of Wheat Church-Community Life by:  
    1. Giving and receiving caring support and practical help
    2. Building relationships by participating in community gatherings
    3. Discerning God’s will for our individual lives, for G.o.W., and for the world
    4. Making space in our lives for participation in G.o.W.’s ministries
    5. Speaking and acting for peace and justice
    6. Accepting and offering accountability for Members’ Commitments
  1. I commit to being part of this Christian community where I’m called to give and receive love. I will remain in relationship with my community and give and receive support (material, spiritual, psychological) to/from all. This commitment includes financial support of my community.
  2. I believe that being part of a Christian community is an important part of my growth as a disciple of Jesus and therefore commit to having GOWC-C as one of my primary communities.
  3. At GOWC-C, we believe in the importance of baptism as a sacrament and as an expression of personal faith in Jesus.  I am either baptized or am open to exploring baptism.
  4. I commit to creating time and space to develop and nurture depth in relationships so that I can:
    • know how to care for those within GOWC-Community
    • offer and receive support and challenge
    • offer and receive discernment for life decisions
    • grow in my relationship with the Creator, my understanding of Christian faith, and what it means to follow Jesus.
  1. I commit to expressing my calling and using my gifts to serve and bless those within GOWC-C and those I meet in my daily interactions.
Appendix A
  • The Emmaus Seed Group is offered to people as their first seed group experience.
  • In order to give homilies, lead children’s worship, atrium, worship or communion; a person must have completed the Emmaus or previous Intro Series. A mentorship system will be set up in each area.
  • As part of ensuring the health and viability of the community, all members agree to participate in leadership searches/extension discussions, leadership evaluations, and the Annual General Meeting. All members are eligible to participate in the Advisory Council and invited to participate in the DMC.
  • Membership is a commitment to GOWC-C until it is discerned that God is calling you elsewhere. There will be a formal opportunity annually for people to become members of GOWC-C. People are invited to approach the leadership team about becoming a member at any time during the year.
  • Membership and participation within the DMC (Decision Making Circle) will be an annual commitment made every September.
Appendix B
  • We commit to exploring the topic of baptism as a community as we move forward.