New Day is part of the Evangelical Covenant Church
What do we Affirm? Below is a summary. For the more detailed form follow this link: "Covenant Affirmations".
The centrality of the Word of God - the Old and New Testaments, as the authoritative Word of God and the only perfect rule for faith, doctrine, and conduct. The dynamic life-shaping power of the word of God has been at the heart of the Covenant Church since its founding. The Covenant Church believes that the effective power of the scriptural word is inseparably associated with the ministry of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit never works independently of the word, and the word is made effective through the Holy Spirit.
The necessity of the new birth for entrance into God's kingdom, and the importance of continuing growth in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ for sound spiritual health. Jesus said, "Unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). He also said, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free" (John 8:31-32).
A Commitment to the Whole Mission of the Church which is faith active in love. The two cannot be separated without diminishing the gospel. As Christ's representative in the world, the Church is to be an agent of grace, entrusted with the message of reconciliation, hope, justice, and peace. At the end of his life, Jesus declared his disciples his friends, meaning they shared with him a common passion for his mission in the world (John 15:13-15).
The Covenant Church seeks to hold together proclamation and compassion, personal witness and social justice, service and stewardship in all areas of life. God makes all things new and calls God’s followers to share this mission. Those who neither know nor love the Lord Jesus as well as those enduring poverty, suffering, inequality, and injustice cannot be ignored. In the incarnation of Jesus Christ, "God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross" (Colossians 1:19-20). This bears witness to God’s boundless passion for both the souls and earthly lives of all people, and for all that God has made. When we address not only the consequences but also the causes of suffering, we live out what it means to be the body of Christ in the world.
The Church as a fellowship of believers, characterized by mutual participation in and sharing of the new life in Christ. The believers’ Church is not simply a human institution or organization, but a people whom God has called. Emphasis does not fall on buildings or hierarchical structures, but upon a grace-filled fellowship and active participation, through the Holy Spirit, in the life and mission of Christ.
Membership is by confession of personal faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. It is open to all believers. There is no consideration of class, race, education, pedigree, wealth, or prestige. Uniformity in creedal details is not expected. What is required is that one be "born anew to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead" (1 Peter 1:3).
A Conscious Dependence on the Holy Spirit who continues the creative work of the Father and the redemptive work of the Son within the life of the church. Together with the Father and the Son, the Spirit calls the church into being, empowers its witness, guides its mission, and supplies the gifts needed by the Church and its members to exalt Christ.
We are often surprised at the unfolding of God’s purpose, suggesting that our ways and thoughts are not always the ways and thoughts of God. For this reason Covenanters desire to cultivate a healthy humility before God open to the leading of the Holy Spirit. When God is about doing a new thing (Isaiah 43:9), we wish to perceive God at work rather than be found dull to the divine purpose. We wish to see with the eyes of the Spirit, and not merely with our own.
The reality of freedom in Christ. The Covenant Church seeks to focus on what unites followers of Jesus Christ rather than what separates them. The center of our commitment is a clear faith in Jesus Christ. The centrality of the word of God, the necessity of the new birth, a commitment to the whole mission of the church, the church as a fellowship of believers, and a conscious dependence of the Holy Spirit form the parameters in which freedom is experienced. Here followers of Christ find the security to offer freedom to one another on issues that might otherwise divide.
The Covenant Church has sought to honor the tensions inherent in this freedom. The Covenant Church has understood that God's word is sovereign over every human interpretation of it - including its own.
This freedom creates an ecclesiastical climate, which allows for differences of opinion in matters of interpretation, doctrine, and practice within the context of biblical guidelines and historical Christianity. Such freedom is to be distinguished from the individualism that disregards the centrality of the Word of God and the mutual responsibilities and disciplines of the spiritual community.
Affirmations like these are not to be taken as creedal statements. Rather, they are to be understood as true and valid descriptions of what we believe and cherish. We continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of God, awaiting that day when "the kingdom of this world has become the Kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever" (Revelation 11:15).
