The Hatcher Promise

 Having entered the path of discipleship to Jesus Christ through baptism, and being now led by the Holy Spirit, we, the members of Hatcher Memorial Baptist Church, do share the following promises:

 1.  We promise to protect the unity of our church

     By acting in love toward other members

     By refusing to gossip

     By supporting the leaders

 “So let us concentrate on the things which make for harmony, and on the growth of our fellowship together” (Romans 14:19 PHILLIPS).

 “Have a sincere love for other believers, love one another earnestly with all your heart.” (1 Peter 1:22 TEV).

 “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs.” (Ephesians 4:29).

 “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be no advantage to you” (Hebrews 13:17).

2.  We promise to share the responsibility of our church

     By praying for its growth

     By inviting the unchurched to attend

     By warmly welcoming those who visit

 “To the church. …We always thank God for you and pray for you constantly” (1 Thess. 1:1-2).

 “The Master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes, and urge the people there to come so my house will be full’” (Luke 14:23 NCV).

 “So warmly welcome each other into the church, just as Christ has warmly welcomed you; then God will be glorified” (Romans 15:7 LB).

3.  We promise to serve the ministry of our church 

     By discovering our gifts and talents

     By being equipped to serve by our pastors and staff

     By developing a servant’s heart

 “Serve one another with the particular gifts God has given each of you” (1 Peter 4:10 PHILLIPS).

 “[God] gave… some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up."(Ephesians 4:11-12).

“Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others... Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus who… [took on] the very nature of a servant” (Phil. 2:3-4, 7).

4.  We promise to support the testimony of our church

     By attending faithfully

     By living a godly life

     By giving regularly

 “Let us not give up meeting together… but let us encourage one another” (Hebrews 10:25).

 “Whatever happens, make sure that your everyday life is worthy of the gospel of Christ”  (Phil. 1:27 PHILLIPS).

 “Each one of you, on the first day of each week, should set aside a specific sum of money in proportion to what you have earned and use it for the offering” (1 Corinthians 16:2).

 “A tenth of [all your] produce… is the Lord’s, and is holy” (Leviticus 27:30 NCV).