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GCF Ortigas Membership Track

Contents

Salvation 2
The need for salvation 2
God’s provision for salvation 4
How to avail of salvation 5
Assurance of salvation 7

Baptism 12
What is baptism 12
The significance of baptism 13
Baptism by immersion 14

Church Membership 16
Universal church vs. local church 16
The need to belong in a local church 18

Becoming a member of the GCF family 21

Statement of faith 22
Church covenant 28
Rights and responsibilities of a GCF member 30

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1. Salvation
What do you understand about the word “salvation?” Why do
you think the world needs salvation? Does a good person need
salvation? Can a person do anything to earn salvation? Let’s
learn the answers to these questions in this lesson on
salvation.

a. The need for salvation

Before answering the questions above, we need to start at

the beginning. God created mankind for man to fellowship
with Him and to enjoy Him forever. He created man in His
own image. Everything was very good, until man sinned in
the Garden of Eden. But God’s steadfast love prompted
Him to bring forth His plan of salvation for mankind
through His Son, Jesus. In Gen 3:15, God foretold a
Messiah or deliverer. The son of the woman who will
defeat Satan and gain victory over sin. God called Abraham
to be a blessing to all nations. Through Abraham, God
created the nation of Israel. It is through this nation that
the promised Messiah came. That Messiah is God’s own
Son, Jesus Christ. John 3:17-18 says that God’s Son, Jesus
Christ, came into this world to save it. Those who believe
in Him are saved.

Read the following passages:

Romans 3:10-12 10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no,

not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All

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have turned aside; together they have become worthless;

no one does good, not even one.”

Read Romans 3:23 23 for all have sinned and fall short of
the glory of God.

What do these two verses say about the condition of

humankind?
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Read Romans 6:23: 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the
free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

According to this verse, what is the consequence of sin?

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The Bible teaches that God hates sin, and His holiness and
wrath dictate that He judge those who sin. The judgment
for those who sin is death. The death spoken of here is not
just physical death, but spiritual death as well. That is
separation from God in this life and the next. Since
everyone has sinned, everyone is alienated from God. Let’s
learn how people can have salvation from God’s wrath and
death.

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b. God’s provision for salvation

We read earlier in Romans 6:23 that the penalty for sin is

death. But the verse doesn’t end there. According to the
verse, what is God’s free gift? Where is it found?
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Remember,

Spiritual death = Spiritual life =

Separation from God vs Intimacy with God
in this life and forever in this life and forever

Let’s learn how God made eternal life possible through

Jesus Christ.

Examine Romans 5:8-9 8 but God shows his love for us in

that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since,
therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much
more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.

What does this passage say about Jesus Christ?

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c. How to avail of salvation

We learned earlier that the penalty for sin is death, but

God gave the gift of eternal life, made available through
Jesus Christ. Eternal life is made available because Jesus
Christ paid for the penalty of our sins, making forgiveness
of our sins possible. When we receive this gift, we are
brought into a relationship and intimate fellowship with
God. So how do we receive this gift?

Read the following passages:

John 3:16 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his
only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish
but have eternal life.

John 5:24 24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my

word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He
does not come into judgment, but has passed from death
to life.

According to the passages above, how does one avail of

the gift of eternal life?
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Read 1 Corinthians 15:3-4: 3 For I delivered to you as of

first importance what I also received: that Christ died for
our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was
buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance
with the Scriptures

What do these verses say about Jesus Christ?

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Read John 17:3: 3 And this is eternal life, that they know
you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have
sent.

What is eternal life? When do we begin to experience it?

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Eternal life does not refer to merely living for eternity, but
it also means having close fellowship with God. The word
“know” used in the verse above talks about an intimate
kind of knowledge, like how family members know each
other. All people will live for eternity. But some will spend
eternity in intimate fellowship with God, while others will
spend eternity separated from Him. What differentiates
one from the other is their close fellowship with God, and
that is what’s called eternal life. This fellowship can be
enjoyed both now and in eternity.

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Have you received God’s gift of eternal life? If not, you may
do so right now. You may use the sample prayer below to
pray to God. Remember, it is belief in Jesus Christ that
gives salvation, not prayer. Prayer is merely the means for
us to tell God that we believe in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Dear God, I recognize that I am a sinner in need of saving

from sin and its consequences. I know that I cannot save
myself. But You have provided the way through Jesus
Christ. I believe that He is Your Son who died on the cross
for my sins, and rose from the grave that I may have life,
not death. I receive your gift of salvation through Christ. In
Christ’s name I pray. Amen.

If you have received God’s gift of eternal life already, are

you now living a new and transformed life in Christ? How
has God transformed you after receiving eternal life?
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d. Assurance of salvation

We learned how we can avail of eternal life. You may be

thinking, “Thank God He has forgiven my sins. But I’m so
prone to sinning… I don’t think I can live up to God’s
standards. Will He reject me when I sin against Him in the
future?” It may take some time for you to change the way
you live, but remember, Christ’s death on the cross paid for
all your sins, including future sins.

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Read the passages below:

John 10:28-29 28 I give them eternal life, and they will

never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
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My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,
and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand.

Ephesians 1:13-14 13 In him you also, when you heard the

word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in
him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is
the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire
possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

What do these passages say about those who placed their

faith in Jesus Christ?
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Believers have the assurance that they will not lose their
salvation. But this does not mean that they have license to
sin because they have been forgiven by God.

We are to live according to God’s righteousness because

we now belong to Him. We were bought with the blood of
His Son, Jesus Christ.

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Read the following passages:

Romans 6:13 13 Do not present your members to sin as

instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to
God as those who have been brought from death to life,
and your members to God as instruments for
righteousness.

Ephesians 2:8-10 8 For by grace you have been saved

through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift
of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for
good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we
should walk in them.

According to these passages, what is expected from those

who have eternal life?
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Praise God for all that He gives us through His Son, Jesus
Christ! Through Jesus Christ we have:
1. Forgiveness of sin - Jesus Christ paid for the penalty
of our sins, paving the way for God to forgive us of
our sins.
2. Eternal life - Because we have been forgiven of our
sins, we are reconciled to God. We can now have

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intimate fellowship with Him just as Adam and Eve

did in the Garden of Eden before they sinned.
3. The Holy Spirit - God gave us the Holy Spirit to live
in us the moment we believed in Jesus Christ. It is
the Holy Spirit who enables us to live godly lives.
4. Assurance of salvation - God has promised us
through His Word that those who have believed in
Jesus Christ will never be separated from Him and
His love. The Holy Spirit living in us acts as God’s
guarantee that we belong to Him. We have
assurance that we will be spending eternity in close
fellowship with God.

Let us review what we have learned so far and how it may

apply to you.

1. Why do you need God’s salvation?

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2. Who alone can give salvation and why?
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3. How have you availed of this?
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4. Can anything, such as future sin, take away your
salvation?
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5. What four gifts do believers receive through Jesus

Christ?
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What we have learned so far is the good news of

salvation, also known as the gospel. We can summarize
it as: All people have sinned and earned the penalty of
sin: spiritual death or eternal separation from God. But
because God loves humanity, He sent His Son, Jesus
Christ, into the world to pay for the penalty of sin with
His death on the cross. He rose from the grave to give
victory over sin and death. Those who believe that
Jesus Christ died for their sins receive the gift of eternal
life. They have been made righteous by Christ and now
have a personal relationship with God. They will no
longer spend eternity separated from God. God sealed
them with the Holy Spirit, which guarantees their
destiny with Him. God promised that nothing can cause
someone to lose their salvation.

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2. Baptism
What is baptism? Why do you think people get baptized? Is
baptism necessary for salvation? Let’s learn the answers to
these questions in this lesson.

a. What is baptism

Read the following verses:

Acts 2:40-41 40 And with many other words he bore

witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save
yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who
received his word were baptized, and there were added
that day about three thousand souls.

Acts 8:12 12 But when they believed Philip as he preached

good news about the kingdom of God and the name of
Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

In these verses, what preceded a person’s baptism? Why

do you think baptism follows this event and instead of
preceding it?
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Read Matthew 28:18-20: 18 And Jesus came and said to

them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given
to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son
and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I
have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always,
to the end of the age.”

What did Jesus command His disciples to do?

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Let’s learn the importance of baptism and why the

disciples of Jesus Christ were baptized.

b. The significance of baptism

Read Romans 6:3-5: 3 Do you not know that all of us who

have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his
death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism
into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the
dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in
newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a
death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a
resurrection like his.

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According to this passage, what does baptism represent?

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Churches have different methods of baptizing people. In

GCF, we believe in baptism by immersion. We will explain
in the following section our reason for doing so.

c. Baptism by immersion

We have mentioned before that believers identify with

Christ’s death and resurrection through baptism. Beyond a
graphic portrayal of one’s death and resurrection, the Bible
records that water immersion was the method used for
baptism.

Read the following verses: (Emphasis added.)

Matthew 3:16 16 And when Jesus was baptized,

immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the
heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God
descending like a dove and coming to rest on him.

Acts 8:38-39 38 And he commanded the chariot to stop,

and they both went down into the water, Philip and the
eunuch, and he baptized him. 39 And when they came up
out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away,

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and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way
rejoicing.

How was baptism done in these verses?

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Let us review what we have learned so far and how it may

apply to you.
1. Should you be baptized? Why or why not?
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2. What does baptism symbolize?
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3. Why do we baptize people by water immersion?
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When a person believes in Jesus Christ as their savior

from sin and death, they publicly declare this by going
through the waters of baptism. Christ commanded His
disciples to baptize people. Baptism is an outward
manifestation of an internal reality (their belief in
Christ). It also symbolizes the believer’s identification
with Christ’s death and resurrection. This symbolism is
depicted through baptism by water immersion.

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3. Church Membership
What do you think the Bible refers to when it uses the word
“church”? Does it refer to a building? Does the Bible say
anything about church membership? Do you need to be a
member of a church? Let’s learn the answers to these
questions in our lesson on church membership.

a. Universal church vs. local church

Read 1 Corinthians 12:13: 13 For in one Spirit we were all

baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or
free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

What do you think Paul referred to as the “one body” in

this passage?
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When a person believes in Jesus Christ, they are baptized

into or become part of the body of Christ. The body of
Christ is also known as the universal church. It is made up
of all believers of Jesus Christ, from all over the world,
from past to present. The word “church” in the Bible talks
about a group of people, not a building or structure. When
the Bible mentions the word “church,” does it always refer
to the universal church (or all believers)? Let’s take a look.

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Read the following passages:

Acts 9:31 31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee

and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And
walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the
Holy Spirit, it multiplied.

Acts 11:22 22 The report of this came to the ears of the

church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

Acts 12:1 1 About that time Herod the king laid violent
hands on some who belonged to the church.

Galatians 1:13 13 For you have heard of my former life in

Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and
tried to destroy it.

1 Corinthians 7:17 17 Only let each person lead the life that
the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called
him. This is my rule in all the churches.

1 Thessalonians 2:14 14 For you, brothers, became

imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in
Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own
countrymen as they did from the Jews.

How was the word “church” used in these passages? Do

they refer to the universal church, or do they refer to a
particular church?
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Each local church is unique. It has a unique set of

circumstances, characteristics, the composition of
members and leaders, etc. We read earlier in 1 Corinthians
12:13 that when somebody believes in Christ, they
automatically become a part of the universal church. What
about the local church? Does a believer need to be part of
one?

b. The need to belong in a local church

Read the following passages:

Acts 2:42 42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles'

teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and
the prayers.

Ephesians 4:11-13 11 And he gave the apostles, the

prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12
to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up
the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the
faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature
manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of
Christ.

Philippians 2:1-4 1 So if there is any encouragement in

Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the
Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by
being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full
accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition
or conceit, but in humility count others more significant

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than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own
interests, but also to the interests of others.

The passages above described how believers related to

one another. What can you learn from them?
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God designed for believers to be in fellowship with one

another, build each other up to maturity, support, and help
one another. Believers cannot accomplish these outside of
the local church. So, God meant for believers to be part of
the universal church and a local church as well. Believers
who are not part of a community where they can be
supported and encouraged will not grow and are easy
targets for Satan.

Let us review what we have learned so far and how it may

apply to you.

1. What is the difference between the universal

church and the local church?
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2. Why do you need to belong to a local church?

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The universal church refers to all believers of Jesus

Christ around the world from past to present. Once a
person believes in Jesus Christ, they become part of
the universal church. They also need to be part of a
local church, so they can mature in the faith and help
others mature also. God designed each believer to
have a unique contribution to the local church.

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4. Becoming a member of the GCF family

How does one become a member of a local church? The Bible
does not give us any specifics about this, which gives churches
freedom and flexibility on their membership process.

Read the following passages:

1 Corinthians 1:10 10 I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of

our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be
no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same
mind and the same judgment.

Ephesians 4:11-13 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets,

the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the
saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of
Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the
measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

1 Peter 3:8 8 Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy,

brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.

What should communities of believers aspire for?

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Communities of believers, or believers of a local church,

should aspire for unity among themselves. This is why we ask
membership candidates to agree with our statement of faith if

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they want to become part of the GCF family. All GCF members
are to be united in what we believe. What is GCF’s statement
of faith? Let’s learn about it in the next section.

a. Statement of faith

This is the statement of faith of Greenhills Christian

Fellowship: (This can also be found in our website
https://www.gcf.org.ph/about/statement-of-faith)

The Bible
The Bible is the inspired Word of God written without
error, so it is our only sure source of knowledge about God
and His plans, and is our absolute guide for doctrinal
teaching and godly living (2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:
20-21).

God
We worship and serve the only One True God who
revealed Himself in the Bible as three persons sharing one
indivisible essence in the mystery of the Trinity, God the
Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit
(Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 28:19-20).

Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the unique Son of God, being fully God and
fully man. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the
virgin Mary, lived a sinless life but suffered and died in the
place of sinful man, was buried and resurrected, ascended
bodily into heaven, and is preparing to return bodily in

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glory to earth a second time (John 1:1-14, John 14:1-3, 1

Cor. 15:3-6, Philippians 2:5-11).

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is God who is actively at work in the world.
He dwells permanently in every Christian, helps us to pray,
equips and empowers us to serve God, strengthens and
molds us to be more like Christ, and protects us to
guarantee our eternal life (Acts 5:3-4, Romans 8:14-16,26).
We believe that the sign gifts, especially speaking in
tongues and miracle healing, were given to authenticate
the Apostles' message and establish the early church (2
Cor. 12:12, 1 Cor. 13:10-11). With the completion of the
New Testament, they have ceased in the sense of having
them as a spiritual gift today (1 Cor. 13:8). God is Sovereign
and may allow a miraculous sign such as tongues, healing
or special revelation, particularly where the gospel is
forbidden or unavailable (1 Cor. 14:21-22). However this
would be counted a miracle, not the norm, and we do not
expect or promote such signs (2 Cor. 5:7).

Angels
Angels are the innumerable and unseen creatures who
serve the causes of God and His people. Satan and demons
are fallen angels who promote wickedness and oppose
God's purposes, doomed and awaiting their final judgment
(Isaiah 14:12-17, Hebrews 1:6-14).

Man
God created man, male and female, in His image. Man was
originally sinless but through Adam, all mankind sinned,

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became condemned, separated from God, and rendered

totally unable to gain God's favor of forgiveness and
eternal life (Genesis 1:26-27,Romans 5:12-14).

Salvation
Salvation is God's act of forgiving sins, reconciling people
to Himself, and giving a new nature and eternal life to
those who put their trust in the finished work of Jesus
Christ. Salvation is not a reward for good works but a free
gift of God received by grace through faith in Christ alone
and secured eternally by the indwelling presence of the
Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:13-14, Ephesians 2:1-10, 1 John
5:11-13).

The Church
The church is the universal Body of Christ consisting of all
born again Christians united by the indwelling Holy Spirit.
A member of a local church must have undergone baptism
by immersion, participate in Communion, and help fulfill
the church mission to make disciples of all nations
(Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 2:41, 1 Cor. 11:17-34, 1 Cor.
12:13).

The End Times

Jesus Christ will come again to reign on earth and to
reward God's people with life with Him forever in the new
heaven and earth and to judge unbelievers with eternal
separation from God and suffering in hell (Revelation
20:1-4, Revelation 21:6-8).

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Civil Government and Society

We uphold the separation of the church and state and we
affirm the Christian duty to honor and to pray for those in
government authority, to pay taxes and to promote the
general welfare of society (Romans 13:1-7, 1 Timothy
2:1-2).

Marriage, Sexes, and Sexuality

We believe that God creates each person as either male or
female, genetically. These two sexes together reflect the
image and nature of God (Gen 1:26-27). Rejection of one’s
genetic sex is a rejection of the image of God. We believe
“marriage” as defined in the Bible has only one meaning:
the legalized union of one man and one woman in a single,
exclusive lifetime union (Gen 2:18-25). We believe that
God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man
and a woman who are married to each other (1 Cor. 6:18;
7:2-5; Heb. 13:4). We believe that God has commanded
that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a
marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that
any form of sexual immorality (including adultery,
fornication, homosexual activity, bisexual activity,
bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and
offensive to God (Matt. 15:18-20; 1 Cor. 6:9-10). We
believe that every person must be afforded compassion,
love, kindness, respect, and dignity (Mark 12:28-31; Luke
6:31). Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed
toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in
accord with Scripture nor the doctrines of Greenhills
Christian Fellowship (GCF).

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The Bible as the Final Authority on Matters of Faith and

Conduct
This Doctrinal Statement does not exhaust the extent of
our beliefs. The Bible itself, as the inspired and infallible
Word of God that speaks with final authority concerning
truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, is the
sole and final source of all that we believe. For purposes of
GCF’s faith, doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, the
Board of Elders, of which the Senior Pastor is a member, is
GCF’s interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and
application.

If you have any questions or clarifications regarding our

statement of faith, kindly let us know. You need to agree
with this if you are to be a member of this church.

Read the following passages below:

Galatians 6:1 1​ Brothers, if anyone is caught in any

transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a
spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be
tempted.

Hebrews 13:17 17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for

they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have
to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with
groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.

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James 5:19-20 19 My brothers, if anyone among you wanders

from the truth and someone brings him back, 20 let him know
that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save
his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

What do these passages say about believers relating with one

another?
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Read the following passages below:

Colossians 3:16 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,

teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing
psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in
your hearts to God.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and

build one another up, just as you are doing.

Hebrews 10:24-25 24 And let us consider how to stir up one

another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet
together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one
another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

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What are believers to do to each other in a local church?

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b. Church covenant

This is the church covenant of Greenhills Christian

Fellowship: (A digital copy can be found in
http://bit.ly/GCFChurchCovenant)

GREENHILLS CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP

CHURCH COVENANT

Having been led by the Holy Spirit to receive Jesus Christ as

our Savior and Lord, and on the profession of our faith,
having been baptized in the name of the Father, Son and
Holy Spirit, we now most solemnly and joyfully enter into
covenant with one another, as one body in Christ. (John
1:12; Act 8:34; Matthew 28:19-20; Romans 12:4-5; 1
Corinthians 12:12-31).

We engage, by the aid of the Holy Spirit, to walk together

in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this
church, in knowledge, in holiness and love; to promote its
spirituality; to sustain its worship and ordinances; to
contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support to the
ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor,

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and the spread of the Gospel through all nations.

(Ephesians 5:2; 2 Corinthians 9:7; 1 Corinthians 16:1-4;
Matthew 28:19-20; Titus 3)

We also engage to maintain family and personal devotions;

to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of
family and friends; to walk circumspectly in the world; to
be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and
exemplary in our behavior; to avoid all gossip, backbiting
and excessive anger; and to be zealous in our efforts to
advance the Gospel of our Savior. (Proverbs 22:6;
Ephesians 4:20-32; Colossians 3:5-17)

We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly

love; to remember each other in prayer; to aid each other
in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in
feeling and courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense,
but always ready for reconciliation, and mindful of the
rules of our Savior to secure it without delay. (Matthew
18:15-17)

We commit to uphold the church’s Doctrinal Statement, as

well as its By-Laws, and to respect its leaders. We commit
to faithfully attend all family conferences and meetings
and to preserve the church’s organizational and spiritual
unity. We declare our full willingness to submit to the
biblical process of church discipline.

We moreover engage that, when we move from this place,

we will as soon as possible unite with some other
Bible-believing church where we can carry out the spirit of

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this covenant and the principles of God’s Word. (Hebrews

10:25)

This we endeavor and commit to, by the Grace of God.

If you have any concerns or questions about our church

covenant, kindly let us know. You need to agree with this
covenant in order to become a member of this church.

c. Rights and responsibilities of a GCF member

GCF members have certain exclusive rights and

responsibilities. You can learn more about them below.

Rights of GCF members:

1. Inclusion in GCF’s official roster of members
2. Right to vote during church family conferences
3. Right to nominate members for church leadership
positions
4. Eligibility for ministry positions
5. Eligibility for ministry team or church leadership
positions
6. Discount on one-time library membership fee
7. Benevolence support from the church for sickness,
calamity, or death

Responsibilities of GCF members:

1. To guard the doctrinal purity of the church

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2. To uphold the constitution and by-laws of the

church
3. To support the church’s mission of making disciples
4. To participate in church life through faithful
attendance and financial support
5. To attend family conferences
6. To respect church leadership
7. To preserve the church’s organizational and
spiritual unity
8. To submit to church discipline

For those who are below 18 years of age or have an

existing home church but are temporarily residing in the
area, associate membership is available. Associate
members have all the rights and responsibilities of regular
membership except for the right to vote.

If you agree with our statement of faith and are willing to

commit to our church covenant, then you are ready to become
part of our church family. It is our custom to have an elder and
pastor spend some time with our membership candidates so
both can get to know each other. Once your membership has
been approved, we will be inviting you to our Right Hand of
Fellowship so that we can formally welcome you as a new
member of our family.

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