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Rev.
4/19/05
Benefits for ARC Members
1. Ongoing relationship with other ARC ministries in your region/area
- membership with ARC not exclusive of other affiliations
- share in common foundational beliefs, values and goals
- mutual encouragement
- potential access to national leaders & itinerant speakers
- visible unity, blessing, & strength of a larger body
- proper affiliation & covering, accountability in ongoing relationship
2. Practical Support:
-sharing resources
-evangelism
-church planting
-missions
-providing leadership training
-conferencing
-strategic networking
-consultation with experienced & proven leaders
-assistance with incorporation and granting IRS approval for 501(c)3
status
-ordination (See Ordination policy)
3. Practical Perks:
- ARC annual membership card and certificate
- Special conference seating & special pricing for our annual
conferences
- Special tape/CD of the month
- Missions trip administration fee reduction (10%) for ARC sponsored
mission trips
Requirements of ARC Members:
1. Applicants must be recommended by two personal references.
2. Applicants is expected to attend annual ARC summit meetings.
3. Applicants are encouraged to attend monthly regional ARC gatherings.
4. Applicants will submit:
· Annual administration
fee of $200
· Application (or renewal) with required
documentation
· Financial support to ARC. This is in
addition to the annual administration fee. Contributions will include
special offerings and/or tithes of those ordained and commissioned
by ARC. ARC is requesting, ministers who are ordained by ARC contribute
10%, as a tithe. Member ministries are required to contribute a
percentage of ministry income as a fellowship offering to ARC of
at least 1%. See ARC Financial Policy for further details. All collected
funds are used exclusively to finance national and international
ministries related to the vision and values of ARC. As our members
support us by prayer and finances ARC will be enabled to produce
educational courses, hold conferences and training seminars, establish
churches, and send out teams of ministries to nations.
5. .Upon submitting application, fees, and references, applicants
will complete a “courtship periodâ€
of 4-6 months. This period will enable both the applicant and the
leadership of ARC to get to know each other and confirm compatibility
in vision and values. The “courtship periodâ€
involves attending at least 4 regional ARC meetings within 6 months.
6. Applicants must conduct their personal life, family, finances
and ministry in agreement with principles and moral standards of
Scripture. If members will not comply with the discipline process,
ARC membership may be withdrawn at anytime, at the discretion of
the ARC leadership team.
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Covenant
>>> We are ministers of the New Covenant in Christ and
we worship and serve a covenant-keeping God.<<<
We recognize our need for the Lord's presence in our relationships
and ministry and so we ask you to joyfully join us in making the
following covenant with each other. Let us agree together in the
following covenant statements, committing to uphold them as fellow-ministries
joined together as an Apostolic Resource Center (ARC).
§ We covenant together to promote, encourage and support the
vision of the Kingdom of God in relationship with ARC and its ministries.
§ We covenant together to walk with one another
in humility, unity, honesty, purity and accountability under the
authority of Jesus Christ Our King.
§ We covenant
together to speak and act supportively toward our fellow ministers
and ministries both inside and outside the covering of ARC.
§ We covenant together to meet frequently to pray, interact,
fellowship, relate and share in the Lord's vision for ARC.
§ We covenant together to stand in support of one another’s
ministries and to financially support the greater causes of ARC.
§ We covenant together to respect both our unity and
diversity in Christ.
§ We covenant together to
lead our own churches and ministries in healthy relationships, free
from control, manipulation, or the fear of man.
§ We covenant together to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ in all
we are and do that Christ alone may be lifted up and draw all people
to Himself.
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Statement of
Faith
The only truly accurate and complete statement of Christian faith
is Scripture. Creeds and statements of faith usually serve a present
need or purpose. For example, the Nicene Creed clarified the divinity
of Christ, and the Jerusalem council statement in Acts 15 served
to protect the Gentile Church from legalism. Many modern statements
of faith serve to express what believers hold to be the most important
Christian doctrines. With the goal of sustaining loving fellowship
and relationship without undo restriction, ARC members agree to
be unified around the following cherished beliefs:
GOD IS OUR FATHER, infinite, almighty, and personal, He is perfect
in holiness, wisdom, power and love. He saves from sin and death
all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (Deut. 6:4, 5; I Cor.
8:6)
JESUS CHRIST IS OUR SAVIOR, being true God and true man. We believe
he was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
He lived a sinless life, and died on the Cross, a sacrifice for
our sins. He arose bodily from the dead, and ascended into heaven.
He is at the right hand of the Father, and is now our High Priest
and Advocate. (Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:35)
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD IN US. We believe His ministry is to glorify
Jesus Christ, and to convict people of sin, righteousness and judgment.
He regenerates believers in Christ for their salvation. He baptizes,
indwells, fills, guides, instructs and empowers the Christian for
godly living and service. We believe in the present validity and
importance of all the gifts of the Holy Spirit as taught in the
Scriptures, and we embrace his supernatural manifestations of power
as necessary for the realization of God’s full
work on the earth today. (John 7:38,39; 14:16,17; 15:26; 16:8-11,13,14;
I Cor. 12-14)
THE TRINITY expresses our belief in one God, Creator of all things,
infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons; Father,
Son and Holy Spirit. These carry out distinct yet harmonious offices
in the work of creation, providence and redemption. (Matt. 28:19;
Jn. 13:26)
WE ARE CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD, male and female, but mankind
fell into sin and is therefore lost. Humans do not have the power
to do works pleasing and acceptable to God until they become believers.
Only through regeneration by the Holy Spirit can salvation and spiritual
life be obtained. (Genesis 1:24, 27, 3:1-24; Titus 3:5)
WE ARE BLESSED WITH SALVATION through the shed blood of Jesus Christ,
his resurrection and ascension. These means provide the only ground
for justification and salvation for all who believe, and only those
who repent and receive Jesus Christ are born of the Holy Spirit,
and so become children of God. (Isaiah 53: Romans 5:1-9, I Cor.
15:3,4 Eph. 1:7)
WE ARE ENRICHED BY THE SCRIPTURES both Old and New Testaments and
hold them to be the inspired Word of God, without errors in the
original writings, the revelation of his will for the salvation
of men, and the final authority for all Christian faith and life.
(II Timothy 3:16; I Thess. 2:13, Rom. 15:4)
WE LOVE CHRIST’S CHURCH, composed of all people
who have saving faith in Jesus Christ, both Jew and Gentile. (Matt.
16:16-18; Acts 2:32-47; II Cor. 5:17)
WE ACCEPT OUR PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES to gather together for worship
and fellowship, to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with a lost
world, and to make disciples of all the nations. (Heb. 10:24,25;
Matt. 28:19; John 20:21; Acts 1:8)
WE JOYFULLY FOLLOW CHRIST IN PARTAKING THE ORDINANCES OF BAPTISM
AND THE LORD'S SUPPER. (Matt. 28:19; Acts 2:38: I Cor. 11:23-26;
Gal. 3:26-28)
WE EXPECTANTLY WAIT FOR THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST personally, and
visibly to earth to establish His Kingdom. (Rev. 20:4-6; I Thess.
4:14-18)
WE EMBRACE ETERNAL LIFE, believing in the bodily resurrection of
the dead; of the believer to everlasting blessedness and joy with
the Lord, and of the unbeliever to judgment. (Matt. 25:46; Rev.
20:11-15) |
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