The relationship between God and his people is called a “covenant” relationship. A covenant is an agreement between God and those who have a relationship with him. In the covenant relationship there are responsibilities for both parties. God gives love, provision, protection, forgiveness, etc. In return, his people agree to love, trust , and obey him.

The local church covenant for Seventh Day Baptists articulates the responsibility of all the members of the local church. The covenant is a solemn agreement, before God and the people of God, to obey Him and be responsible to and for other people in the local church. Here is our covenant —

We, the members of Maranatha Community Church, being in substantial agreement with each other on the basic doctrines included in our Statement of Faith, do hereby covenant with each other before God that —

As a congregation we will:
Commit to weekly worship and fellowship — sharing our time, talents, and resources for the good of all.

As individuals we will:
Take the Bible and commandments of God as our guide of faith and practice, in order to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Strive for family unity and happiness, pray together, seek the will of the Lord together, and bring up our children in the nurture and correction of the Lord.

As families we will:
Strive for family unity and happiness, pray together, seek the will of the Lord together, and bring up our children in the nurture and correction of the Lord.

Regarding our fellow members we will:
Help one another grow toward Christian maturity by serving one another, practicing humility, speaking truth in love, living in peace with one another, and treating others as more important than ourselves.

Regarding all others we will:
Make an effort to share the Gospel with those God places in our path, encouraging them to grow and mature in their walk with God.  We will do our best to live out the Gospel at work, at play, at home and in the community through our words, deeds and attitudes, bringing honor to the body of Christ through our lives and our testimony.