Our Community Covenant

As part of the Body of Christ, we are a diverse community. Given our varied backgrounds and influences, it is normal that we will have differing understandings. In the fall of 2015, the Church Board decided it would be helpful to create a “Community Covenant” to guide us toward Christ-like behaviour in all our interactions, particularly as we engage in challenging biblical/theological discussions. This covenant emerged after several months of meeting with focus groups across the church, and was given unanimous support in March of 2016.  This covenant appears on a poster in our foyer, we read it together before every membership meeting, and it informs our behaviour as members of this congregation.

Foothills Mennonite Church Community Covenant

In my ATTITUDES, I commit to:

• remember that our church is Christ’s church, and we are all partners in it
• embrace diversity and differences as opportunities to learn and grow
• respect each person, accepting that their views grow from their own faith experience
• practise humility, as each of us has limited understanding
• forgive others as God forgives us, and commit to pray for our leaders and each other

In my ACTIONS, I commit to:

• listen carefully and ask questions for clarification as we seek to understand each other
• speak gently and calmly so that others can hear me and are not hurt or threatened
• share truthfully so that my views and concerns are clearly expressed
• speak for myself, and allow time for others in the community to be heard
• bear with others in love and compassion, showing mercy and withholding judgement
• agree to disagree without malice, remembering that we are all children of God
• continue to dialogue and engage in the life of the church as true partners in Christ