A Covenant for Christian Ministry between
Kazakhstan Evangelical Christian Seminary and the
Pastors and
Christian Workers of KECS Association
Our great God has made an everlasting covenant with us
through Jesus Christ (Hebrews 13.20,21). Such a binding, solemn, and meaningful
relationship the structure of His relationship with His people since the time
of Adam. We now enter into such a covenant relationship with one another as
evidence of our good faith and serious commitment to partnering in the service
of the Lord Jesus Christ in Kazakhstan.
KECS exists to promote the founding, growth, and
independence of the Church of Jesus Christ in this nation through the training
of Christian leaders. By God’s grace, we will do whatever we are able to see
this goal reached. We praise Him for whatever measure of success we have
attained, to Him be all the glory.
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KECS makes the following covenant commitment before God to
our graduates who are serving the churches of
the Association -
- You will forever be in our hearts as beloved brothers and
sisters, and we endeavor to always relate to you with Christian love, respect,
and encouragement.
- You will be in our prayers on a regular basis; and we want
to always be available to spend time in prayer, fellowship, and counsel with
you, as our schedules allow.
- We will offer to you a regular program of Continuing
Education. This will consist of Monday meetings at the Seminary; occasional
pastors conferences, and an open invitation to attend the lectures of the
seminary for you and your church leaders (we ask that you give advance notice
of your coming to make necessary arrangements).
- We will give you access to the Resident and Visiting
Professors of the Seminary, as their schedules allow, to seek their advice, and
to utilize them in your congregations.
- With our advice and approval, we will seek to promote
ministry relations between your congregations and our current students as a
part of their practical ministry assignments.
- We is will endeavor, as God provides, to provide you with
financial support for a limited period of time. This support is given as a gift
of love, through the sacrifice of God’s people in other lands; as such, it is a
faith based provision. We have no earthly guarantee of its continuation.
It is our conviction from Scripture (1 Corinthians 16.1,2, 2
Corinthians 8 & 9, Galatians 6.6,1 Timothy 5.17,18) that the local
congregation is responsible for supporting the needs of its pastor. We want to
assist you to begin your ministry with financial support, with the goal that
you will soon be independent of our support; like a child who grows independent
of parental support. We believe that to offer you financial support
indefinitely would violate this clear principle of Scripture, and create a weakened and
dependent Church in Kazakhstan.
The specifics of our financial support are as follows.
During your first full year of ministry after appointment we will provide, if
God provides, 100% of the agreed upon amount. During your second year of
service the amount will be 75% of the amount. During your third year of service
you will receive 50% of the amount.
During the fourth year you will receive 25% of the amount. After four years of
service, you will receive no financial support from the Seminary. These figures
are firm and non-negotiable as we attempt to
obey the Biblical principle of the financial and spiritual
maturity the Church.
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I, ______________________________________, servant of the
Lord Jesus Christ, and member of the Association, make the following covenant
commitment before God to His servants at KECS.
- You will forever be in my heart as beloved brothers and
sisters, and I endeavor to always relate to you with Christian love, respect,
and encouragement.
- You will be in my prayers on a regular basis; and I want
to always be available to spend time in prayer, fellowship, and counsel with
you, as our schedules allow.
- I will be faithful to attend the program of Continuing
Education, especially the Monday
meetings at the Seminary, and other announced occasional meetings.
- As my schedule and family needs allow, I will occasionally
offer Christian friendship and hospitality to the Resident and Visiting
Professors of the Seminary, to enable them to have a fuller picture of God’s
work in this nation; and thus improve their training of its leaders.
- I will support and
promote the training of our seminary students with my prayers and pastoral
encouragement; to strengthen their walk with God and the Church of Christ. I
will prayerfully work toward the day when KECS is not dependent upon outside workers and finance; a seminary
rooted and the flourishing in the Christian soil of Kazakhstan.
- As a sign of my appreciation to the donors who have
sacrificed to support me financially, I will faithfully submit my completed
monthly ministry report on time.
- As an act of personal discipline, I will keep a daily
calendar to plan and document my ministry activities. I will also create a
calendar of church activities, including my preaching schedule. I realize I may
be asked to share this information with the leaders of KECS.
- With God as the only witness and judge of my activities, I
will endeavor to serve at least 40 hours every week in the ministry of the
church as I spend time in prayer, study, sermon preparation, discipling,
visitation, counseling, evangelism, and church meetings.
- I will submit my life to the demands of the Lord
through Scripture for my spiritual
growth, family responsibilities, faithful service, and godly example. As such,
I will spend daily time in the reading of Scripture and prayer for its guidance
and encouragement.
- I will receive any financial support with gratefulness and
appreciation. I will handle it as a “wise steward” realizing it is a gift of love,
through the sacrifice of God’s people in other lands. I am aware that there is
no earthly guarantee of its continuation; yet, my trust is in the Lord who
provides for all my needs (Philippians 4.19).
It is my conviction from Scripture (1 Corinthians 16.1,2, 2
Corinthians 8 & 9, Galatians 6.6,1 Timothy 5.17,18) that the local
congregation is responsible for supporting the needs of its pastor. As a leader
of a local church, I will keep teach and model this principle to God’s people
by my example and witness. It is my prayer that God will use me to help
establish a congregation which is fully mature spiritually and materially, not
just to support my needs, but also to bless many others throughout the earth.
I accept the
specifics of the yearly financial support arrangement detailed in this covenant
document. I realize that it may create some hardship for me, but I receive it
as a means of God’s direction and confirmation of my life and ministry. I
accept the challenge of having to creatively balance the needs of my family
with the promises and purposes of God. The result may be that my ministry takes
directions that were not planned or anticipated, but as God’s child I will
trust Him for all my future.
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With full faith and dependence on God, we make this Covenant
of Ministry, asking Him to help us
fulfill the promises we have made to one another, and to Him. Like any covenant, the relationship is dependent upon
keeping its terms; to break covenant promises is to be break the covenant. May
God keep us faithful, by His grace and for His glory.
Signed,
_______________________________ _________________________________
Seminary Leader Christian
Worker
__________________ ____________________
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