What is Partnership?
In a nutshell, "partnership" is our word of choice for membership. Our purpose for having Partners of The Journey Church is to be a body that is unified in our desire to engage in The Great Commandment and Commission of Jesus Christ.
The Great Commandment
"And he said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"
(Matthew 22:37-39 ESV)
The Great Commission
"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.”
(Matthew 28:19-20 ESV)
Why Partnership?
We feel that a partnership relationship speaks to a level of accountability and commitment to participate in sharing the Gospel of Jesus with The Journey Church of Marietta. This relationship is a two-way street mentality. This means that the Partner sees The Journey Church as an asset to share the Gospel of Jesus in their lives. In addition to this, The Journey Church sees the Partner as an avenue to share the Gospel in our community! Together we will hold each other accountable to the commitment of participating as the church: sacrificing time, talents, and treasure; committing to the care and community of our fellow partners; and submitting to the authority God has established to lead our congregation.
Partnership Covenant
Personal Statement of Faith:
- I am a Christian saved from the eternal wrath of God by faith in Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, through his death and resurrection, by which I am assured of eternal life (John 3:16-18, Romans 3:23-26).
- I believe Jesus Christ is exactly who he claimed to be (Isaiah 53:6, Matthew 26:64, Mark 14:62, Luke 22:70, John 4:25-26; 6:29; 8:58; 11:25-27; 14:6-7; 15:5).
- I have repented of my sins and have been made a new creation in Christ (1 John 1:9; 2 Corinthians 5:17).
- In obedience to Scripture, I have been baptized to personally identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, and to publicly demonstrate my commitment as a disciple of Jesus (Colossians 2:12, 1 Peter 3:21).
More on Baptism: Since Jesus commands that all of his disciples be baptized, baptism is a requirement for all The Journey Church of Marietta Partners (Matthew 28:19 Acts 2:38 & 10:48, 1 Peter 3:21). If you’ve already been baptized since you became a Christian, you don’t need to get re-baptized. The Journey Church performs believer baptisms only, which means we don’t baptize infants. If a prospective partner was baptized as a baby and does not want to be re-baptized due to reasons of conscience, that is acceptable as long as this decision remains personal and does not become a divisive issue within the church.
Statement of Biblical Doctrine:
- I agree with the doctrinal beliefs of The Journey Church.
- I understand the importance of submission to church leadership and will be diligent to preserve unity and peace; I will adhere to The Journey Church’s position on these 6 theological issues, and I will not be divisive over secondary issues (Ephesians 4:1-3, Hebrew 13:7 & 17).
1. The Bible (all sixty-six books) alone is the authoritative, inerrant, infallible word of God. (2 Timothy 3:15-16, Hebrews 4:12, 2 Peter 1:19-20, Isaiah 55:11, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
2. God is a Trinitarian God. (Matthew 28:19, Genesis 1:26-27, John 17:22)
3. The deity of Christ. (John 1, John 10:30-33, Philippians 2:5-6)
4. The physical death and resurrection of Christ. (Matthew 27:32 – 28:8, Acts 2:22-24, Romans 5:6-8)
5. Salvation through Christ alone. (John 14:6, Matthew 7:12-27, John 3:16, Ephesians 2:1-5)
6. Salvation by grace. (Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 3:20-28, 1 Corinthians 15:10, Galatians 2:16)
The responsibility of the Elders of The Journey Church to its Partners:
- We promise that your elders and deacons will do their best to meet the criteria assigned to them in the Scriptures (1 Timothy 3:1-13, Titus 1:5-9, 1 Peter 5:1-4).
- We promise to do our best in seeking God’s will for our church as we study the Scriptures and follow the Spirit (Acts 20:28, 1 Peter 5:1-5).
- We promise to care for you and seek your growth as a disciple of Christ, in equipping you for service, and praying for you regularly (Ephesians 4:11-13, James 5:14).
- We promise to provide teaching and counsel from Scripture (Acts 20:27-28, Galatians 6:6, 1 Timothy 5:17-18).
- We promise to be on guard against false teachers (Acts 20:28-31).
- We promise to prayerfully exercise church discipline when necessary (Matthew 18:15-20, 1 Corinthians 5, Galatians 6:1).
- We promise to set an example and join you in fulfilling the duties of church partners (1 Corinthians 11:1, Philippians 3:17, 1 Timothy 4:12).
The responsibility of the Partners to The Journey Church:
- I am in agreement to the doctrinal statement of The Journey Church of Marietta and will not be divisive as to what it says. I also understand the importance of submission to church leadership and will be diligent to preserve unity and peace (Ephesians 4:1-3, Hebrews 13:7 & 17).
- I promise to view Scripture as the final authority on all issues.
- I promise to work at my relationship with Jesus by means of reading the Bible, prayer, and fellowship with the church body. My relationship with Jesus will be evident through my participation in weekly worship, communion, service, and living a life that seeks to glorify Jesus in our community (Psalm 105:1-2, Psalm 119:97, Acts 2:42-47, Hebrews 10:23-25, 2 Peter 1:3).
- I will steward my time, talents, and treasure (Proverbs 3:9-10, Romans 12:1-2, Galatians 5:22-26, Ephesians 4:1-16, Ephesians 5:15-18). This stewardship includes regular financial giving, service, and participation in the community that is sacrificial, cheerful, and voluntary (Romans 12:1-8, 2 Corinthians 8 & 9 & 12:7-13, 1 Peter 4:10-11).
- I will not function in leadership or as a member in another church, as that would be weird.
- I promise to submit to discipline by God through his Holy Spirit, to follow biblical procedures for church discipline in my relationships with my brothers and sisters in Christ, to submit to righteous discipline when approached biblically by brothers and sisters in Christ, and to submit to the discipline by church leadership if the need should ever arise (Psalm 141:5, Matthew 18:15-17, 1 Corinthians 5:1-5, 2 Corinthians 2:5-8, Galatians 6:1-5, 1 Timothy 5:20, 2 Timothy 2:25, Titus 1:9 & 3:10-11, Hebrews 12:5-11, Revelation 2:5-7 & 2:14-25).
- I agree, by God’s grace, to walk in holiness as an act of worship to Jesus Christ, who saved me from my sin that I could live a new life (2 Corinthians 5:17). I will pursue chastity before marriage and complete fidelity in heterosexual marriage by abstaining from practices such as cohabitation, pornography, and fornication (Job 31:1, Proverbs 5, Romans 13:12-14, 1 Corinthians 6:9 & 7:16, Hebrews 13:4). I will refrain from illegal drug use, drunkenness, and other sinful behavior as the Bible, my elders, and my conscience dictate (1 Corinthians 8:7, Galatians 5:19-21). Should I sin in such a way, I agree to confess my sins to Christian brothers or sisters and seek help to put my sin to death (Romans 8:13, Colossians 3:5, 1 John 1:6-10).