I would
like to remind you of the policy we have in regards to Christians trying or
wanting to come to New Life. If they are from Houston, we are very strict with
them. Unless they have a very legitimate reason such as their church dissolving
or their pastor contacting and asking me to take them for a very convincing
reason, we don’t welcome or receive them. We do this because we don’t want
Christians to hop around from church to church never learning the importance of
humbling themselves and working out the interpersonal conflicts they may have
with other church members. We also want to teach Christians to stay put in one
church to build up the body of Christ no matter how tough and difficult
situation gets. We don’t want to condone or encourage selfishness. Rather, we
want to emphasize and promote selflessness and sacrifice in the lives of all
Christ-followers for without this we can never become more like Christ in his
character.
If
Christians from outside of Houston want to come and join New Life, we ask them
if they are willing to respect and do the following:
- Find and join a house church immediately.
- Take Receiving Jesus Meeting (RJM)
immediately.
- Receive immersion baptism immediately if
he/she has not received one.
- Take Living Life Bible Study within one year.
(We offer this class twice a year.)
Only when
they agree to do them with a sweet and humble spirit we receive and welcome
them. The same requirement applies to those Christians from Houston who are
allowed to join New Life for the reasons stated above.
There are
some of you who have come to New Life as believers. And several of you have
been here for more than a year and have completed the first three of the above
but still have not taken Living Life Bible Study. This class will be offered
just once next year due to my sabbatical tentatively scheduled from July to
December. Therefore, if you don’t register and take this class in the spring,
then you will not be able to take it for another year.
Also,
certain ministries have certain Bible study prerequisites before New Life
members are allowed to serve. For example, we require all the Bible study
teachers from children and youth ministries to take Living Life Bible Study and
take Class 201 and sign and commit to Class 201 covenant. It’s because if they
don’t know the Bible and don’t practice spiritual disciplines such as reading
God’s word, praying, tithing and fully participating in house church to grow
themselves spiritually, they shouldn’t be allowed to teach our children and
youth. Also, if someone is not tithing because he/she hasn’t taken Class 201
and signed the covenant, then he/she is not allowed to serve in offering
counting ministry. He/she who doesn’t tithe has no business of knowing New Life
members’ giving record. This is just common sense.
So, if you have to take Living Life Bible Study or other required Life Bible Studies, then please do so according to the promise you have made when you were allowed to join New Life or serve in a ministry. Let’s proactively keep our promises so that we can avoid having difficult conversations in the future! : )
Your
pastor,
Eric
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