HTTP://WWW.CROWNCOVE NANTCHURCH.ORG/ 877- 780- 3 2 3 2 AN INTRODUCTION TO CROWN & COVENANT REFORMED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH AN ASSEMBLY OF COVENANT FAMILIES UNITED IN SERVICE TO GOD THE FATHER, THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND THE HOLY SPIRIT FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE GOSPEL UNTO THE WHOLE WORLD TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................................. 3 INTRODUCTION TO OUR CHURCH ..................................................................................................... 5 PURPOSE .................................................................................................................................................. 5 VISION ...................................................................................................................................................... 5 MEANS...................................................................................................................................................... 6 THE CHURCH AND CHURCH MEMBERSHIP .................................................................................... 8 WHAT IS THE CHURCH? ........................................................................................................................ 8 WHAT ARE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CHURCH? ................................................................ 8 WHY BE A MEMBER OF A LOCAL CHURCH? .................................................................................... 8 REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP TO OUR CHURCH...................................................................... 9 THE ORGANIZATION AND TEACHINGS OF OUR CHURCH ........................................................11 ESSENTIAL DOCTRINES ......................................................................................................................11 The Bible is God's Inerrant Word .........................................................................................................11 The Person of Christ .............................................................................................................................11 The Deity and Personality of the Holy Spirit ........................................................................................12 The Doctrine of the Trinity ...................................................................................................................12 REFORMED DISTINCTIVES .................................................................................................................13 What Is Reformed Theology? ................................................................................................................13 What is Covenant Theology? ................................................................................................................15 What are the Sacraments of the Church? .............................................................................................16 How is Our Church Governed? ............................................................................................................19 Christian Living ....................................................................................................................................26 The Ten Commandments .......................................................................................................................29 Spiritual Warfare ..................................................................................................................................36 What is Christian Liberty? ....................................................................................................................37 What is our Position on the “Charismatic Movement"?.......................................................................39 SECONDARY DISTINCTIVES HELD BY OUR CHURCH..................................................................................40 We believe that God created the earth in six consecutive days ............................................................40 We reject the right of the State to control the affairs of the local church .............................................40 We practice male head-of-household voting .........................................................................................41 We encourage the entire family to worship together ............................................................................41 We require an educated Eldership ........................................................................................................41 We believe God gives the responsibility of training our children to parents ........................................41 SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................................................41 OUR CHURCH HISTORY ........................................................................................................................43 BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH HISTORY .......................................................43 CPC HISTORY .........................................................................................................................................43 THE DOCTRINAL STANDARDS AND OPERATION OF OUR CHURCH ......................................46 WHAT ARE THE DOCTRINAL STANDARDS OF THE CPC?.............................................................46 WHAT IS THE FORM OF GOVERNMENT OF THIS CHURCH? .........................................................46 LEAVING THE MEMBERSHIP OF OUR CHURCH ...........................................................................46 BY PHYSICAL DEATH .................................................................................................................................46 BY TRANSFER ............................................................................................................................................46 BY EXCOMMUNICATION ............................................................................................................................47 YOUR INVITATION TO MEMBERSHIP TO OUR CHURCH ...........................................................48 MEMBERSHIP VOWS ..................................................................................................................................48 INTRODUCTION TO OUR CHURCH We welcome you to the growing fellowship of covenant families here at Crown and Covenant. We recognize that all genuine believers are members of the body of Christ. Yet, we also believe that God grows believers with like convictions together into visible, organized, local bodies to serve the Lord Jesus, the “Head” of the body (Col. 1: l8). In the providence of God, He brought you to this church, in this place, at this time. This booklet is designed to acquaint you with the teachings and mission of this church to enable you to make an intelligent decision about membership. At Crown & Covenant, we believe that church membership carries with it both great privileges and great responsibilities – laws and promises from our Savior King to whom we are covenanted as His bride. Therefore, it should be entered into only after due consideration has been given as to what membership involves. We trust you will prayerfully read this booklet and, after due consideration of our doctrines, will join us as a member of Crown & Covenant and labor with us in fulfilling the call God has given to us. PURPOSE Simply stated, the controlling purpose of Crown & Covenant is the gathering and perfecting of Christ’s saints through the ministry of His Word and Sacraments. More fully stated, the purpose of this church shall be the preaching of the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27) for the edification, instruction and discipline of its members and the conversion of the unsaved. The church, through the formal preaching of the gospel and the informal testimony of its members, has the responsibility to bear witness to the truth of God’s word in every area of life including education, politics, and business (Matthew 5:13-16; 28:18-20). There is no area of our life that is outside the authority of scripture. In light of this great commission given to the church and the fact that families are the basic building blocks of both the church and state, we purpose to: 1) Establish a local body committed to both orthodoxy (correct teaching) and orthopraxy (correct practice). 2) Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. 3) Train men to sacrificially love and lead, train and affirm women in their honorable role as suitable helpers and champion distinctively biblical education for our children. 4) Trumpet the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. The church should seek to live in peace with the civil magistrate, as he is a minister of God for good (Romans 13:1-7). However, in the instance that the magistrate seeks to compel the church to disobey the Word of God, then the church must obey God rather than man (Acts 5:29). VISION With God's help and in God's time, we aspire: 1. To be a healthy, growing congregation marked by: a. Expository and biblically faithful preaching that addresses itself to every area of our life; God-exalting, Christ-centered, Spirit filled worship; diligent searching of the scriptures by all, regarding all that is taught. b. Faithful administration of the Lord’s Supper and Baptism. Page 5 of 49 c. Diligent, loving, and example-based shepherding and