Cultivating Covenant Community

Over 4000 years ago, God made a promise to Abraham. In Galatians Paul says that if we belong to Jesus, that promise is ours as well. Abraham was a moon worshiper, minding his own business, when God stepped into his world and declared, "From this moment on, you belong to Me. I will never leave you. For the rest of your life, I will always be with you, teaching you about My character and showing you how to live a life that honors me. From you I will build a great family, a community of people who number more than the stars or the sands on the shores of the earth. I will bless every one of them who are bound to me and because of that blessing, they will be a blessing to others. This world will be a better place because of their presence."

The ramifications of this covenantal promise are unending yet very practical. It's a perfect grid through which to plan ministry or develop the vision of a local church. Try pushing every ministry or program through these questions:

• Does it connect people?
• Does it cultivate a covenant community?
• Will it equip participants to reflect redemption, i.e. be a blessing to others?
• Does it introduce participants to the call of Jesus?
• Will it encourage participants to recognize God keeping the promise of His presence to His children?

One of the ways we implement the promises of the covenant in our church life is through small group opportunities. Every fall, we offer small group Bible studies for men and women. We believe in the exhortation of Paul to Titus, that older women should teach younger women and older men should mentor younger men. Our Family Night activities reflect our commitment to an intergenerational ministry, that is, where all ages interact and learn from one another. We're not interested in having a program just because we've always done it that way or because it's the next big idea. Instead, we are creating an environment that intentionally cultivates covenant community.

Sharon and I have written several Bible study books that were published with this covenantal grid in mind. We include hundreds of scriptures that encourage readers to reach out and touch one another, to open our hearts and minds to relationships that reflect the Proverb that "iron sharpens iron." Each book emphasizes the different aspects of covenant community.

We hope that many of you will consider using one of these books for your small group or personal study. We are offering special discounts to encourage churches and Bible study leaders to check out these resources. We're confident that God will continue to use them to help turn hearts toward Him.

If you have used one of our books, we'd love to hear your response to the study.

In His grip,

Dr. Chuck Betters

MARKINC Ministries, its staff, or volunteers accepts no liability for the content of this blog, or for the consequences of any actions taken on the basis of the information provided, unless that information is subsequently confirmed in writing. Any views or opinions presented in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of MARKINC Ministries.